Benoa Bali 3/20/24

Bali Indonesia

Beautiful Bali, Land of the Gods and Land of a Thousand Temples. Here are a few facts of Bali:

· Bali, population 4.2 million, is part of Indonesia, which is made up of 17,508 islands with only 6,000 inhabited. Indonesia is the 4thmost populated country in the world behind China, India and the United States.

· Tourism is their leading source of income. Last year, Bali had over 5.2 million tourists last year, 1 million more tourists than their population!

· Most of Bali is mountainous and the highest point is Mount Agung, which is an active volcano and considered the spiritual center of the island

· Only has two seasons, dry and wet

· Although Indonesians are typically Muslim, Bali was a refuge for Hindus when Islam triumphed over Hinduism in Java (16th century) and is currently over 80% Hindu

· In Bali, you will see offerings called Canang Sari, outside every home and they are made daily to thank God in praise and prayer. The offering is made up of a base, usually made from woven banana leaves or coconut leaves, and encompasses flowers, fragranced oil, and rice, among other things which have purposes, such as the rice represents the spirit that gives life to the universe.

Like so many of the places that we have been to, Bali has a lot of poverty. But unlike South America, Bali was not overrun with trash and graffiti. There was a different personality to Bali as well, the people are busy but very friendly. They welcome everyone openly to their homes and their country. They are happy with most things in their country, especially with their new leadership since forcing Suharto to resign in 1998. They are considered a democratic government now and changed their laws to restrict their presidents to two 5-year terms.

The average salary is only $300 per month. The government owns most of the land, but the families are granted the rights to the land which are passed on through the generations on the condition that each generation is committed to practicing the Hinduism religion. This ensures that the native Bali people, which are overwhelmingly Hindu, maintain their culture and their land.

Known for its creative arts and historic traditions, Ubud is a fascinating city surrounded by beautiful rice paddies and steep ravines.

We began our tour at Tohpati village with Batik weavings and watched the artisans create their designs and viewed many samples of their work in the shop. I got an owl to add to my collection back home. On to handmade silver jewelry in Celuk village, which is renowned for its Silver Filigree and gold jewelry special designs. Came very close to buying some jewelry but decided to wait for China and Japan.

We then headed to the Spice Garden, where we saw coffee, vanilla, cloves and cacao crops growing. We also learned about Coffee Luwak, a coffee made from the beans of coffee berries that have taken an unusual journey through the digestive tract of the Asian Palm Civet and become a surprisingly exclusive local delicacy. Poo pickup has a very different meaning here as they harvest it to recover the beans to make the coffee. Did a tasting of the many coffees and teas and tried the Luwak coffee. Very strong, smooth but not bitter at all. Bought some of the teas and coffees to take home.

Next up a visit to the Rice Field in Ubud at Tegalalang, where the views of rice paddies takes your breath away with their natural beauty. They are still employing the subak (traditional Balinese cooperative irrigation system) which, according to legend, was developed in the 8th century by a revered holy man named Rsi Markandeya. We enjoyed the scenic overlook and were happy with the cool breezes as we viewed the rice terraces and valley slopes. I also convinced Mickey to do the Bali swing with me - he was not thrilled to do it but manned up.

After viewing the rice fields, we went enjoy to the popular Ubud Monkey Forest, where 200 monkeys inhabit the area surrounding ancient Hindu temples. We watched as the monkeys went about their daily routines and learned about how the various groups of crab-eating macaques inhabit different regions of the forest, occasionally traversing another group's territory, leading to squabbles among the animals. The reverence for the monkeys that are believed to be gods guarding the Dalem Agung Temple. We saw them swimming and immersing in the pools, lots of mama's and their babies, on statues, in the temple...as we were walking out of the forest, a monkey came up and grabbed my hand for a few steps. Unfortunately, Mickey did not see it so no pictures, but other cruisers got pics of monkeys on their shoulders.

Our last 2 stops were to an art gallery showcasing local art and then on to the MAS villas to watch local artisans make wood carvings. Quite a process from start to finish. The displays in the shop were incredible and gives you a new appreciation for the amount of work involved.

Graced with ancient local arts and crafts traditions, Ubud has also attracted many contemporary artists and celebrities from around the world, capturing the imaginations of many well-known creators with its magical charm. 3 days at sea, on our way to the Phillipines.