Balinese Dances - Take Two with Fire

So THE Balinese dance is the Kecak Fire Dance and THE place to see it is at the Hindu Temple, a lovely open-air, three-sided seating venue and it takes a moment after we sit down (right in the front row) to realize - there are no instruments!

Our front row seat - waiting for the show to start.

Now this should be interesting indeed.  Our first performance, the Legong Legend, was accompanied by musicians playing instruments that are definitely an acquired taste . . . or sound.

And we actually get a program that describes, in somewhat fractured but nonetheless intelligible English, the sequences of this story in dance.  The audience fills up quickly, and the dance starts with  a huge troupe of men filing out on the floor (I count around 30).

They sit down and begin chanting, in a a kind of three-part harmony which is very compelling (and a lot easier on the ear than the Legong instruments).  And then the action begins . . .

Not surprisingly, this is a story of a king, his queen, a marriageable-age daughter and . . . well you know the story, many forms, many cultures, amazing the universality of these stories!  Each chapter  is accompanied by this remarkable mens chorus with its compelling chanting which enhances the action and fills in the gaps of the action.  Here are some photos . . .

And then we come to the climax of the evening - the fire dance.  Yes, this is a real fire, and yes it was this close to us.

The fire burns down to hot coals in a few minutes and this becomes the 'stamping ground' for a possessed rider on a 'hobby horse' who repeatedly gallops through the coals - barefoot!!  The hobby horse is life-size and the rider holds the sides of his horse while he gallops around the floor. The scattered coals are pushed back into a pile after each romp through them.

As he 'gallops' away from us, we can see the bottoms of his feet which are as black as the coals.  After about 10 romps through the bed of coals, he's done, the audience is exhausted just watching this, and the show is officially over.  Whew!  This was quite an evening!!

Out and About in Ubud . . . Our First Balinese Dance

All the guide books state that the one thing you absolutely must do in Ubud is attend a performance of  a traditional Balinese dance.  Along with the usual 'welcome to our guesthouse info' our room book has a list of all the performances as well as the venues, dance companies, days/times, and costs.  This is obviously a well-orchestrated attraction as you simply need to look at the day to see what's playing where, when, and for how much.

There are two dances I would like to see (Tim patiently goes along with the plan!).  One, the Legong, is performed at the Palace; the other, the Kecak Fire Dance at the Temple, a setting that gets rave reviews.  Both are an easy walk from our cottage.  Tickets bought at the Tourist and Visitor Center and we're off to do some exploring.  Along with the room info book, a lovely, rather slick magazine was left for us - Ubud Life (?).  Normally I just ignore that sort of thing but one article caught my attention.  A young jeweler/silversmith from Canada moved to Bali years ago and has set up an apprentice program . . . in the local prison.  Her works, along with those of the inmates, are sold in her shops (Jewelry for the Soul), two of which are in Ubud.  I'm not 'into' jewelry but I am most curious about these shops and the program.

Only one wrong turn later, we make our way to the shop which is delightful, staffed by a lovely young woman and full of very affordable, imaginative creations.  And, yes, I did buy a couple of pieces!

Tim taking it easy in the jewelry shop after some very strenuous shopping.

On the way back home, we pass an intriguing shop full of exotic wooden creations.  Turns out they are from East Timor - a place that rings some distant bell of political upheaval and devastation 10 or so years back . . . what really captivates me is this wee one, son of the owner, who was so sweet and friendly . . . 

On to the dance performance!  It starts at 7:30 but we're advised to arrive as early as 7:00 to get good seats.  We arrive at 6:50 and the 'good seats' are in short supply.  Our not so bad seats are to the left of the stage, right behind one of the musicians' pits.  Their instruments are unlike anything we've ever seen . . . a wood percussion upright xylophone thingee and a kind of horizontal cymbal on steroids, both of which are very loud.  I mean very, very loud.  We were far enough back that it was tolerable but we watched a number of people seated on the opposite side of the stage (behind the other musician pit) actually get up and leave less than halfway through the performance.  

Taking photographs during the performance was forbidden, but I quickly realized that only flash photography was forbidden.   

Waiting for the dancers.  

We were handed a very brief program which told us that there were 8 segments to this performance; we had trouble figuring out how they fit together but in toto they portray the history of a local tribe, the Legong (I believe!).  Legong dancers enjoy a very respected place in Balinese society; they are remembered for their dancing decades after leaving the stage.

The first appearance of the dancers . . . since they were standing still, this photo is clear.  Unfortunately, a lot of the upcoming ones are blurry - whirling actions, no flash allowed and minimal light, my wee camera couldn't compensate, but I hope this gives you some idea of what we saw.

I found myself unconsciously trying to mimic the action of the dancers' feet (especially their toes) while watching them.  I admit, I can't get my feet or toes to do any of these moves!!

There were eight segments in this performance, and each one meant an elaborate costume change.

This was one of the mostly-male dance segments.

And here come the ladies . . .

Just getting dressed for each of these segments must have required a major backstage crew!

Just try flexing your toes like this!!

One of the last dance segments . . .

And this was the splendid finale . . . those are women atop each of these male dancers!

This was a long evening - upwards of 90" - and I'm still not sure I 'got' the Legong history/legend lesson but glad we decided to see this - absolutely unique!

Ubud - The Other Jewel in Bali's Tourism Crown

Our driver (Yoman not Huyman) is patiently waiting for us when we finally arrive in Amed and knows we want to head to Ubud, about a 2-2.5 hour drive.  First we have to stop back at Alur Homestay in Amed and say our official goodbyes to Made and his family!  They want to be sure we enjoyed our stay on Lombok and know we are welcome back any time . . . then Yoman asks if we would like to stop at his village and visit his home which is on the way to Ubud.  But of course!

Now it's possible that an invitation like this has some dark or ulterior side but honestly, we never see it!  We just think - how nice, we get to see a 'real' Balinese home.  We thread our way into the recesses of a nearby town and walk the last couple of blocks to Yoman's family compound.  He tells us that about 20 extended family members live here and that he inherited his house from his father.  As we walk in, we're greeted with surprised looks and everyone who'd been engaged in some sort of meal preparation, clothes washing, et al scatters . . . doubtless, they weren't anticipating guests!

Yoman's wife then brings out a plate of boiled snake fruit and tea.  Snake fruit is about the size of a lemon, and the skin looks (and feels) just like the skin of a snake!  Because it's been boiled, the skin slips off easily revealing a semi-firm pulpy fruit that is absolutely delicious.  Accompanied by tea it's a lovely mid-morning snack.  We sit, somewhat awkwardly (neither of us have mastered the cross-legged sitting posture!), on a mat in front of the door to their house and watch a variety of little ones sneaking looks at us from behind adjacent doors and windows.

And then we're off for the cross-island taxi ride to Ubud.  When we were planning our month in Bali, it appeared that the island was not that big and there were enough roads to ensure access to even some of the remotest areas.  What we didn't know was that the average speed on these roads is about 20-25 MPH!!  Bali is very mountainous so a trip of 50 miles can take 2-2.5 hours, which this one does.

Turns out our 'on the fly' choice to stay at Samsa Cottages was a very good one.  It's on a street just off the main drag through Ubud but set back off the street in such a way that it's absolutely quiet, yet everything is within a very short walk.  Ubud is a bustling tourist attraction and apparently very Hindu with an overlay of local legend.  Our first day we run head-on into a celebration, complete with parade . . .

Men and women march separately . . .

We're here for eight days and think there will be no shortage of things to do! (That's our street on the right side of the photo.)

Leaving Lombok . . .

A week on Lombok has turned out to be more than sufficient.  We've chosen to stay at the outer reaches of Sengiggi Beach which appears to be making a grand attempt to siphon off some of the tourist trade from Bali, especially Kuta.  All along the beach road we see signs of massive high end resort construction while many of the older 'resorts' appear to have been abandoned.  A bit perplexing, actually . . .

While the beach is lovely, the locals still haven't 'gotten' the tourist thing.  One restaurant we ate at had us waiting 20" for the bill!  It was mid-afternoon, not at all crowded, and Tim repeatedly asked for the bill.  At minute 21, we totaled up what we owed and left the money on the bar (sans gratuity!).  We learned from our driver that Lombok's International Airport at Mataram which has been ready to receive flights for some time (and a brand new multi-lane highway to and from Mataram and Lombok's Kuta Beach, not to be confused with Bali's Kuta Beach) still has no air traffic.  Apparently, Air Asia which had contracted for the routes still isn't flying any planes here.  (In fact, we learned that Air Asia isn't flying any routes into and out of Bali.  They sold us tickets for a Bali-Melbourne flight which they subsequently cancelled and we're still negotiating to get a refund from them!)  No one seems to know when this will change, and the only way into and out of Lombok is by boat.

Our delightful accommodation, Cafe Wayan Cottages, is spacious, fabulous pool right outside our door, and quiet, perhaps a bit too quiet!  It is about half full (or empty if you're one of those 'glass status' types) and while everyone says hello, no one is especially friendly.  We meet a couple from Germany who've come for a month and wouldn't go anywhere else in all of Indonesia.  The staff is achingly helpful and there is a lot of smiling and expressions of appreciation on both sides, but I think they have been trained in the 'you're staff, they're guests' model and never cross some invisible line.
We do find a most wonderful restaurant and bar just across the street, perfect for people watching and sunset photo taking . . .

Departure day we make our way back to the 'fast boat' dock which is another adventure . . .

The taxi can only take us within a half mile or so of the boat landing and we can either walk or take a pony cart; yes, I said pony cart.  Digression - the Gilis (three small islands) which lie between Lombok and Bali are famous for their totally non-motorized transport system which includes bikes and pony carts.  So I think these carts are a nod to the charm of the Gilis - or these are the ponies retired from the Gilis.  Either way, it is a local scam to get boat passengers the short distance from the 'taxi stand' to the water's edge.  It's very hot and humid so walking just isn't an option!

Our fast boat is about an hour late which gives us time to chat with a couple of Finnish young women while we loaf around on the sand.  They are a most adventuresome pair and have been diving all over SE Asia.  The boat finally arrives, 'parks' stern into the beach so getting on isn't quite the Olympic gymnast activity that getting off was.  And we're off, back to Amed where our wonderful driver, Huyman, awaits; he will take us to our next lodging in Ubud.

PS - I can't believe I didn't have a single picture to illustrate this post!!

Women Butchers, Father Bountiful, and Dental Envy

Time to get out and see a bit of Lombok.  A driver/guide who lurks just outside our cottages has offered his services so we arrange for the following day.  He turns up with his driver and friend and the four of us develop an itinerary (everyone here says 'program' as in 'what is your program for today?') which includes a visit to a famous temple in Mataram, Lombok's capital city, a walk about the local market, and finally a visit to a pottery village where we can see women making pots that have acquired a certain level of sophistication and recognition.

First stop the Temple -  

. . . huge and obviously the site of a variety of activities, including a Balinese dance class

. . . fishermen, big and small . . . 

Then it's off to the market.  I don't know what Tim's image was (probably pretty close to mine since we increasingly seem to share a brain) but this market boggles my mind (and nose, and eyes, and feet - watch where we put every step!).   Here's where the locals come to sell everything from dried fish to cabbage.  Literally as far as the eye can see are stands filled with every sort of vegetable, spice . . . all tended by women. Even the butchers are women! 

Not too many Westerners make their way here - we are called to, greeted shyly, and in general welcomed in that inimitably sweet way we've come to associate with Bali and now Lombok. 

This is a wholesale market - shopkeepers from all over the area come to buy the produce, spices, dried fish, and meats they, in turn, sell to patrons.  We're here on a Sunday so it's a bit slow . . . 

We have to make one stop in a package store and buy an assortment of things that all seem to be made of rice - the only thing we recognize are peanuts and they're way smaller than the peanuts we know.

Last stop, the pottery village.  Our guide, Din, tells us that it would be a kindness to stop and buy some pencils and pens for the children and hand them out as a 'thank you' for watching their mothers at work. 

Off we go for a walkabout . . . this feels like a pretty typical village, kids, chickens, goats, dogs everywhere, dirt lanes, communal dwellings and a lot of curiosity about these Westerners who come bearing gifts!  These pencils and pens turn out to be a genius idea - Tim is Father Bountiful and Santa Claus all rolled into one.  Amazing (and at the risk of repeating myself, humbling) how excited a child can get over the gift of a pen! 

Our reward, one of the women sits down at her 'wheel' and in front of my eyes in about 10 minutes or less makes a pot!  Amazing and of course she makes it look so simple - just glob that clay on, shape the bowl, add more to build up the sides . . . 

smooth it, and voila, a pot!   

Her smoothing tools - various sizes of flip flop halves (see them in the bucket)!! 

A chicken waits nearby, in case a pot needs decorating . . .

The pots are then set out to dry before going to be fired.

They are taken to a communal firing location but somehow everyone knows whose pots are whose and when they're 'done' are taken to a cooperative pottery store, a clever way to forestall competition that could disrupt this small, tightly knit village.

Funny exchange - this elderly woman chattered excitedly to Din, our guide, and seemed to want to communicate something to me.  I asked Din and he said:  'She says she's old like you, but you have such nice teeth!'   OMG, I hope I don't look this old!!  And she's right, the poor dear had about a half dozen, rotted stumps in her mouth.  Here she is trying to persuade Tim to purchase some herbs . . . 

Interesting, another exchange (translated by Din) were people commenting on how loving Tim and I were with each other.  Apparently, by the time Lombok couples get to our age, they barely speak, much less hold hands in public.  One woman volunteered that she hadn't slept with her husband for years!! 

And more than one woman wanted to know 'How old are you?'  Have no idea why that was important and my answer didn't prompt any kind of response - just seemed to be something they wanted to know.  (they never asked Tim, only me).  

Fascinating, informative, funny day . . . 

Lombok and the Super Bowl (Almost)

Our decision to spend at least a week on one of the out islands meant choosing (back to the French cheese market dilemma); there is no shortage of beautiful islands but we decide to buck the tourist tide and try a week on Lombok.  A short walk to the 'fast boat' counter and we're booked.   We've been prepared for the 'walk through the water to get on' but it's still a surprise.  Shoes off, pant legs rolled up, backpacks ported by women, and we're off! 

We're totally unprepared for the ungraceful exit from the front of the boat upon arrival - mercifully, no photos of that!  We're practically assaulted by men yelling 'taxi!!  taxi!!' while watching our bags being ported away from us at top speed!!  Somehow, we manage to negotiate a ride (turns out we were terribly overcharged) but we share with a fellow from Nelson, B.C. who's headed our way. 

Destination:  Sengiggi Beach, and an absolutely, lovely oasis, Cafe Wayan Cottages where we are given a heavenly room right in front of the pool!  We deliberately chose accommodations with a tv, hoping against hope that we'd be able to get the Super Bowl in which Seattle is playing the Patriots.  Last year we were in India during the Super Bowl and swear we could hear the roar from the crowd all the way to So India when Seattle won!  Can they do it again?? 

If they do, we won't be watching it on Lombok tv.  Their sports programmers have opted to broadcast the Australian Open!  Oh rats!  But Tim has anticipated that and downloaded an NBC Sports ap that is Plan B.   Sadly, it doesn't work (the internet in all of Indonesia is weak and intermittent) and we go to Plan C - KIRO Radio!  Yes!!  We listen to the play-by-play until mid third quarter . . . Seattle is ahead 24-14 and we lose the connection!!  We have to wait for a news feed to find out that . . . the Patriots have somehow pulled victory from the jaws of defeat and won 28-24!!  And we have missed what may have been the most exciting third quarter in Super Bowl history. 

Leaving Amed . . .

Bits and pieces before leaving Amed . . . the warung just a short walk in the other direction from Sri's is owned by the most joyful lady we've met in many a year - Potu.  Her restaurant also has 4 tables and sits butt up against the road just feet from whizzing scooters and other vehicles.  

We've walked by a few times and she calls out to 'come try my fish today'.  Tim, wanting to be kind, responds - 'tomorrow.'  Potu has a good memory for  faces . . . and promises!

One afternoon Tim comes back from a walk and announces we have to eat at her warung.  By now, Elizabeth has left and we've salved our tourist conscience at Sri's Overcooked Fish Warung so we're off to Potu's.  The first of many visits - she's a fabulous cook and after one meal has told us her family history!

We've read about black rice pudding and Potu tells us she can make it but needs a one-day advance notice (I think she has to special order the black rice).  What a fabulous dish!!

Another delightful character we met in Amed is Yoman (sp?) who has driven us to several snorkeling sites and enthusiastically shared his Hindu knowledge (Made told us he is the family priest at the village temple).   

We've noticed daily offerings in the form of small, intricately woven palm holders containing an assortment of flowers and a stick of incense placed at the entranceway to homes, warungs, and retail establishments . . . (sorry I didn't get a photo!)  Yoman tells us that these are offerings of gratitude to 'the gods' - every day, without fail.

Goodbye Amed - sweet, unspoiled Bali . . .