April 1997 - 1st trip to Bali Indonesia

Amed harbor on northside of Bali

Rice fields with volcano in background

Amed harbor

Kimberly at the pool

Our First Bali Trip

In April 1997 we made our first trip (of many to follow) to Bali the "Island of the Gods". This was a well needed break from the hectic pace of life we had been experiencing in Jakarta since first arriving in the country in September 1996. All the tourist hype aside, Bali truly is exceptional.

Bali map - "Island of the Gods"

A Perspective on Bali

The island of Bali indeed presents a modern paradox - an ancient, traditional society that is still incredibly alive and vital. While the basic conservatism of the Balinese has enabled them to preserve many of their past traditions, it has not stopped the acceptance of new and innovative elements, whether home-grown or foreign.

To what do we attribute the island's fabled cultural wealth? A fortuitous congruence of circumstances - accidents, really, of geography and history, seem responsible.

First and foremost, Bali is extraordinarily blessed by Nature. Lying within a narrow band of the tropics where wet and dry seasons fall roughly into balance - providing both adequate rainfall and long periods of sunshine - the island's soils, topography and water resources are all remarkably well-suited to human habitation. As a result, Bali has been civilized since very early times.

This is also the only island in "inner Indonesia" that has enjoyed centuries of more or less uninterrupted cultural continuity. While other traditional states in the region suffered major disruptions due to Islamization and Dutch colonization, Bali was isolated, left to go its own way.

As a result, this is the only area of Indonesia that remains "Hindu" today - retaining elements of the great fusion of indigenous and Indian cultures which took place over a thousand years ago. When Bali was finally colonized by the Dutch, the European invaders were so fascinated by what they found here that a concerted effort was made to preserve and foster the island's traditional culture.

Balinese society remains strong and vital, moreover, because it promoted family and communal values. This is indeed the key - a self-strengthening system in which religion, custom and art combine with age-old childrearing techniques and deeply entrenched village institutions to produce an exceptionally well-integrated society. Feelings of alienation from parents and peers, so common now in the West, are rare in Bali.

Children are carried everywhere until they are three months old, held at all times in the warm, protective embrace of family, friends and neighbors. Elaborate rituals are performed at frequent intervals to ensure their well-being. Every aspect of village life is organized to the nth degree - the individual's rights and responsibilities within the community being carefully defined by tradition.

Despite all this, it should be noted that traditional Bali was far from perfect. For the majority of Balinese peasants, it was in fact a world wracked by warfare, disease, pestilence and famine. In the past century, moreover, Bali was continuously plagued by political violence, over-population and poverty.

Bali's unique culture should in fact be viewed as a response to difficult, uncertain conditions. Its strong village institutions served as bulwarks against the ever-present threat of disaster; their inherent flexibility was a guarantee of survival in the face of often overwhelming odds.

The rapid changes now occurring on the island must be seen from this historical perspective. Certainly there are problems. some perhaps as serious as those faced in earlier times. But the Balinese are eternal optimists, fervently believing that their "Island of the Gods" enjoys a very special place indeed in the grander scheme of things.

Where did we stay?

At the recommendation of a colleague we stayed at The Serai Hotel in Candidasa (now known as Alila Manggis Hotel) on the east coast of the island. This is a small (54 room) boutique hotel which is secluded and set amidst a coconut grove. The resort was very quiet and relaxing, which was further exacerbated by the fact that during our stay the Hindu Hari Raya Nyepi holiday occurred (see below for a description of the Nyepi holiday). The Alfresco restaurant served a good variety of Asian and Western meals. The hotel chef actually operates a culinary school as many of the guests during our stay were taking cooking classes. We would recommend this resort to anyone looking for a peaceful, relaxing visit to Bali in an out of the way place but which still affords comfortable surroundings complimented with fine dining.

Places we visited

During this trip we visited the "Mother Temple" in Besakih which is Bali's most holy and Indonesia's biggest Hindu temple. It was built in the 11th century at an altitude of 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level on the slopes of Mount Agung. On our way to the temple we passed picturesque rice terraces on the way to the walled "Bali Aga" village in Tenganan. We stopped at several smaller villages and saw them making weaved baskets and other handicrafts.

On another day we visited the Monkey Forest Temple, Tanah Lot temple and Puri Smarapura ("Palace of the God of Love"). The picturesque Balinese temple of Tanah Lot was built in the 16th century on a huge rock 100 years off Bali's West coast and is surrounded by the sea during high tides.

I also had time to do a few dives at The Liberty Wreck at Tulamben and a wall dive at Jemeluk Beach at Amed.

What is the meaning of Hari Raya Nyepi?

The Hindu community celebrates two major religious ceremonies during the Nyepi period, the first sees the summit of the Panca Wali Krama rituals at Besakih, coinciding with Taur Agung Kesanga (a ceremony to celebrate the end of the Saka year, which is designed to sacrificially cleanse the universe and all within it). This is followed the next day by Hari Raya Nyepi. For 24 hours, Hindu people stay quietly at home. They are not allowed to go out in the streets, light fires or switch on the lights, they should not engage in entertainment nor make a noise that might disturb others. During that time they are also forbidden to cook any meals.

Hari Raya Nyepi is preceded by two ceremonies. The first is Melasti, a ceremony praising the power and glory of God through the parading of symbolic effigies which are believed to emanate holiness which vibrates through the cosmos, eliminating negative characteristics in society and nature. The second is Taur Kesanga, one of the Bhuta Yadnya ceremonies which are conducted to purify the universe, ritually and spiritually. Nyepi marks the beginning of the Saka New Year. The purpose is to purify yourselves so that as we enter the New Year we will be ‘re-born', cleansed of all wrongdoings committed in the previous year. According to the Bhagawad Gita (a Hindu holy scripture), in the life of humankind there are two opposing tendencies: towards the good and towards the bad. Kedewaan, tending towards the good literally means ‘having qualities like the deities' where people try to be good and honest and over time come closer to God. Keraksasaan, tending towards the bad means ‘having demon-like qualities' where people work against dharma (truth) and grow further and further away from God.

How do such tendencies arise in human beings? According to Hinduism, human beings were created through the joining of Purusa (soul) and Pradana (matter). When soul and matter met they resulted in human beings born with Chitta (positive characteristics) and Klesa (negative characteristics). There are five sorts of Klesa or negative characteristics (a bit like the western concept of the seven deadly sins): Awidia (stupidity), Asmita (egoism and arrogance), Raga (desire), Dwesa (anger and revenge), and Abhiniwesa (fear). Ironically, the most frightening thing in life is, in fact, death, and yet it is the one thing that is certain. Timorous people always feel threatened; because they are afraid of death, they attack everything that threatens their life. Thus, human beings will suffer if they are under the power of Klesa. If, however, Chitta can control Klesa, it can transform it into a power to support Chitta. Human beings will then be encouraged to act and behave well. Thus, Nyepi is a ceremony to remind people to keep Klesa away and to cultivate the characteristics of Chitta.