Farewell Bali! Greetings Thailand!

Please Note: Blogs are written from the most recent entry to the oldest. If you want to read my Blog from start to finish, please go to the bottom of the page and click "older posts", going back until the beginning. 
Tony arrived happily on the 22^nd  Feb and we moved to Iluh’s bungalow on the beach for our last 6 days in Bali. 

Although I loved the setting of my original bungalow, it was time to make a change and be closer to the sea. Every morning we went snorkeling, exploring further afield, including one day when we swam from Jemeluk Beach out to the headland and along the coastline to Bunutan (about a kilometer). After lunch and an afternoon siesta, we often went  snorkeling again in the late afternoon. 

We felt more engaged with the local villagers. Children swam and played in the water after school. Men fished off shore. Others went out fishing in their boats. Women sat and talked. Babies cried. On Sunday a group of men sat on the beach and drank Arak and became quite jovial. It was life as it is in a normal fishing village in Bali.

  

  

 

  Tony went fishing one afternoon with Komang in his father’s boat; they didn’t catch any fish but were entertained by a dozen or so dolphins!

My retreat in Bali has now come to an end, but I have learned to embrace change and not feel sad or disappointed when something good ends. It’s all part of life. Nothing lasts forever and the more we try to hold on to things that we are attached to, the easier they seem to slip away. So, my lesson is: let go and embrace each new moment. I have discovered that living moment to moment is the key to inner peace. For this very moment is all there is and it is life. As I practice this thing called “living in the now,” I value what is taking place and experience the joy of simple things like eating a scrumptious mango or watching people engaged in activity, or writing this blog entry. 
If you want to follow my journey to Thailand, please go to my profile on the right and look for the Thailand Blog! See you there!!! 

 

Farewell Bali!

Final days in Bali

 

Final days in Amed.....my last motorscooter ride along the winding beachside road.

 

Another visit to Tulumben snorkeling at the Liberty Shipwreck.

 

Saying goodbye to my Bali friends. Iluh on the right, gave me several manicures and pedicures and I bought lots of clothes from her beach side business. On my left is Wayan, one of the massage ladies and behind is another Komang, who brought me mango juice everyday on the beach. 

 

The wonderful staff at Prema Liong Bungalows! 

 

 

 Final night in Bali, sitting on the beach, waiting for dinner, full moon rising, watching the fishermen head out to sea.  Life couldn't get much better than this!

Poise and Balance, Balinese Style!

"If you can do it, so can I!" I say as I nearly fall over from the weight!

Iluh thinks I look hilarious.

Iluh shows me how it's done!

 

  

Komang arriving at my bungalow with dinner!

  The girls carrying offerings up to the temple. They make it look so easy!

 

Learning from a young age helps!

Beautiful Mount Agung

 

On a clear day, the great Mount Agung rises majestically beyond Jemeluk Beach to an altitude of 3,148 meters (10,308 feet).The highest and holiest of all Balinese mountains, Agung is believed to be home to many Gods.

The Mother Temple of Bali, Besakih Temple is perched some 1000 metres on Agung's slopes and Balinese people from all castes make pilgrimages to their beloved and revered mountain.

  

All I know is, it is beautiful!

Offerings, Prayers and Meditations

 

An offering graciously given to me by Ketut, my massage lady, after a local ceremony.

The smell of incence waifed through the night air as Iluh arrived at my bungalow with a dinner tray filled with offerings."Barb, would you like to join me at the Temple to pray?" Feeling honoured to be asked, I jump up from my book and say, "Yes, I'd love to." Wrapping a sarong around my waist, we walk up the stairs to the highest point on the property and I watch as Iluh places offerings and sticks of burning incense in front of the 3 statues and splashes some holy water over them. The offerings are small woven coconut leaf baskets (called canang), filled with rice, flower petals and occasionally, cookies or other gifts to the gods. Iluh tells me to sit on the ground and she places an offering in front of me and then pokes some incense in the dirt. She does the same for herself.
With stars peeking through the trees, waves crashing on the beach below, geckos croaking and motor scooters zooming past, Iluh begins to sing. Time ceases for a moment as the sacred touches my soul.
This is everyday life in Bali, where the holy intersects with the mundane.
Wherever you go, you see women making offerings, at the sea, in front of shops and houses or at temples.
Ceremonies are held to celebrate weddings, births, deaths, as well as for full moons, new moons, even a day to thank the gods for metal (when you will see motorbikes all over Bali decorated with offering baskets, much like we used to decorate our bikes for the sports day parade when we were kids!)
The day after I sat with Iluh at the temple, I was invited by Komang to attend a cleansing ceremony at a famous Holy Temple: Pura Lempuyang. Following Komang's lead, I allowed the priest to splash me with holy water (taken from a special spring next to the temple). He then splashed water into our hands 3 times and we drank it, then 3 more times and we splashed it over our heads. Using some of the flower petals from the offerings, we waved them through the incense and held them between our fingers as we lifted our arms in prayer. We did this 5 times and each time, placed the petals behind our ears. Finally, we each took some grains of rice and rubbed them onto our forehead in 3 places (third eye and 2 temples).
Two days later, I noticed women carrying extra large offering baskets filled with fruit, cakes and flowers, so I asked the staff, "Is today a special ceremony day?" I was told it was a day to bring balance to the bad energies. "For example, if someone is making bad magic to us, we must ask the Gods to help."
Black and white; Ying and Yang; Good and bad; Light and darkness. The Balinese honour all of these and bring balance through their offerings.
Later that evening, Komang and Kedeck go past my bungalow and ask me if I want to join them at the temple. I sit between these 2 young boys and meditate while they pray. Sweat began dripping down my back, which seemed unusual, as the night air wasn't particularly hot or humid.We leave the temple 40 minutes later and they ask me how my meditation went. "Great, except I'm really sweating!" They laugh. "We sweating also! Very strong energy at Temple tonight."
That night I slept soundly and deeply, except I had the strangest experience, like I was fighting battles all night long.

Trek to Wayan's House

Last Saturday I was invited to Wayan's house for morning tea. Little did I know it was an hour's walk along an arduous mountain track!

Stopping to catch my breath! At one stage I thought I would have to call off the visit as I became faint. I thought I was fit, but this was quite a climb!

 

Eventually, we made it to Wayan's home and had coffee, rice, corn and fish as we sat and tried to talk a little Balinese. Fortunately, Wayan had a dictionary so we could look up words and laugh our way through morning tea! This shows Wayan's mother outside her house.  Their home was basic to say the least; no running water, no electricity. Wayan reads and studies by a small kero lamp in the evenings.

Wayan's house

Isle of the Gods and Temples

The Temple in the grounds of the property where I am staying

Pura Lempuyang is a beautiful place, however, you must be prepared for the 1700 stairs to get you to the top!

Komang celebrates our arrival at the highest temple!

The views were lovely

  Cleansed and feeling "pure"

  

Acting like a priest: A local monkey after consuming all the offerings!