Re-Construction of Bunutan's Pura Dalem

entering the Zone, notice the very old sacred banyan tree

This one's for you Dad.  This is how the Balinese do their construction.  Definitely Not High-Tech.  Extraordinary teamwork, artisanship, pride in their work, and Organization that underscores all of the above.

one of the many fine artists, carving the demons/protectors on site

 Jantuk picked me up in the middle of a raging monsoon (where is jam-karet (rubber time) when it makes sense to me?) to take me to his village of Bunutan to Finally see the last phase of re-construction of their Pura Dalem.  It's been a long haul of 4 years and the Odalan (birthday) is scheduled for May 1.
Jantuk has been ferrying  priests from Tabanan + Klungkung in preparation for the celebrations.  The village had a Bazaar a few weeks ago for fundraising ....I went..... and as usual.... it was a party organized to the hilt; beautifully executed as Only the Balinese can do....and raised A lot of money.  Right after Kuningan..... the women of the village began their  preparations...almost round the clock.... of literally millions of offerings.  Obviously, it time to visit the temple.

entering the inner chamber of the temple.... all painting is done on-site

all handcarved with the sacred mythology/texts that is Hindu+ Animism

I do wish I could convey scale better for you to understand just how ENORMOUS this complex is.

Jantuk observing the workmen

Krishna (always the green/blue fella)

the Naga (dragon) holding up the world

This is a roofer.... all the roofing material is made from coconut weaving.... very very sturdy/stable/waterproof....It was all made in the village (many of Jantuk's relatives are always weaving roofs) notice he is dressed in temple garb for respect.

all scaffolding is bamboo

this artist is from Gianyar

these thatched black roofs are from the palm; they are startling and characteristic of Bali.... many tiered signify higher caste

Inside looking up at the outer roof (remember all Balinese buildings are open on the sides)

I did ask Jantuk if they are always this large (considering that Bunutan is a Village); he gave me an answer that made a lot of sense.  As Bunutan has prospered* (5 miles from Ubud) the size of their temple has gotten grander. {*most of the 20+ generation work in the tourist industry/ their parents are farmers} 

What beauty..... my mouth was agape

Silhouetted, the sculpture looks so alive

the sacred bull

 I walk around, camera in hand, standing transfixed next to the artists.....we chat: typical construction site all men......they are slightly bemused that I am interested....and in Bunutan.(this is worlds away from Ubud)...I always feel welcome (and I try to stay out of their way). I really am in awe of what I am witnessing.  It really feels sacred.  It is sacred.  The mood in the temple tells me this.

outside this is especially erected for the upacara

 I begin to wander outside to the outer chambers of the complex.  Here I find groups of village men doing their part.  I of course spot, BoPak (father) who is Jantuk's dad carving /splitting bamboo for offerings.  I know Pak because he plays in the gamelan orchestra.  He is also a farmer and has been known to scamper up a coconut tree to get me one. (he is my age)
I am so proud to tell you that this year, Pak and his neighbors have decided to begin again to farm organically.   Bali has adapted this policy 2 years ago, and will support a banjar with technical assistance, compost and seeds.  It is crucial as the ground water is getting very polluted.....not to mention the cancers in the farmers+ families. Let 's hope that more and more farmers go back to organic.  yes there is a market for this in Bali.....but more importantly; it's healthier for the Balinese and their environment.

Pak is center, in the white shirt

There is a highly complex work schedule, that involves All the villagers, [Putu,  Jantuk's 10 year old son was cleaning up the day before] it is an obligation that is truly done in joy.  It's hard not to  be cynical about this..... but it's Real.

fine work being done with such a large KNIFE

just being created

No Nails!

 

the bamboo and the community at work

Then Jantuk and I go over to where the WOMEN are working. Preparations for Odalan.  Last year I went to Taro (see last year's blog) to observe the preparations for an upacara that had not been performed in hundreds of years.  The last time Bunutan prepared for a new temple, Pak was a boy.  All the offerings differ...... depending on the upacara.
Unfortunately, my visual offerings are scant due to my *&$@?_!^!!! camera......the battery lasts such a short TIME!
 Again, the scale of the amount of offerings is staggering.  So many women and some men making offerings everyday, all day until 11pm....and it begins anew each day at 7am. 

the women wear the white headbands to denote their dedication to the spiritual work.  the baskets are all handmade, and the contents are rice, seeds, herbs +spices, nuts+ coconut

making the Kue (cakes).......... thousands of swirled medallion cakes that are so detailed...... I wish I had been able to document the making of the coconut/flour and the dyeing of it ...........it was amazing

Rows and rows of women all doing their work....highly organized, and it's all being counted.  The "accountants" all have  their roles of tallying....... the preparations will continue like this until May 1 (and in between there in is Nyepi {see the Ogoh-Ogoh blog from last year} not to mention full moon  and 15 day celebrations......O! just thinking about all the upacara makes me alternatively excited and EXHAUSTED!
 travelin' woman

Tulikup Odalan: Gamelan + Dancing

A most graceful and dramatic performance by a man pretending to be a woman

 After a week of cultural disasters (that would be western); first an African American "author" purporting to write a book called, "the last hustle"  but in truth is just perpetuating one, and a dancer/performance artist  who was so self obsessed and just Untalented (ugh- the poetry  and she read it twice.... in three languages){even the setting of the magnificent  outdoor ARMA stage could not save her poorly choiced flailing} - the week was savored with a night at the Temple,
in Kulitup, between Gianyar +  Klungkung.  A Brahmin Temple.

the women waiting to enter the inner chamber of the temple with their Banten (yes they wear high heels and tight sarongs) The woman on the left has spiny durian.... those in the know.... know about durian...beware what lurks inside

My friend,Dedik who lives in Bunutan, a small village outside of Ubud invited me to come hear him play in a traveling gamelan (orchestra) for Odalan. (temple birthday- for those needing a broader explanation, please see text/photos from Jan.2011 blog)  Dedik, was a child protege in music.  In his teens, he was already the leader/conductor/teacher of the Denpasar gamelan.  He had the opportunity to study for 9 years in the USA at U. of Chicago and other universities.  He also taught at Bard (coincidentally): adjunct faculty /music/gamelan.  Yes, Bard has a gamelan orchestra....ongoing.  

notice the rolled cakes (like jellyrolls)

I usually see Dedik instructing either the Youth Gamelan/ or Banjar (village) Gamelan ....and as the "conductor" he leads with the drum.  This would be my first opportunity to hear him play with his peers.   He played the flute (bamboo) hauntingly as well as the gangsa (xylophone like, but with damping).  He plays all the instruments in the gamelan..... as well as creating new ones.

just a small smattering of the gorgeous offerings (but there can be a lot of pig/chicken carcass on them also....... in the sweltering heat)

We arrived in the evening (love those evening ceremonies) and Dedik told me that this was a Brahmin temple (the highest caste) and I asked him ,"how can you tell?"  He replied, that he was told and then told me "people have lighter SKIN" (my emphasis: that SKIN thing again).

the Mangku blessing with holy water

you wash it over your head (as it is splattered )and then drink it

the helpers- getting the holy water.... notice the beauty inside the temple.... all dressed up for its birthday

 As Dedik schmoozed with the musicians I went into the temple for the next 90 minutes to observe and participate.
I was the only "bule" (foreigner) and of course I was the spectacle (and i was wearing a new gorgeous silk sarong that even Ibu Nyoman cooed over).  One thing  that has always been difficult as a traveler is being that Object of Intrigue...... and not in a good way.  I really look forward to 
leaning into my anonymity back in the states.  
Well the only thing that I noticed in the temple, that differentiated it from other ceremonies I'd attended was the Lack of Fun that usually emanates from the crowd of worshipers.  Really, this was a serious Bunch.  Nonetheless,
kindness and curiosity remained.... and I always feel very welcome inside the temple, and encouraged to join them as their gods descend.  After prayers...... about 9pm the Entertainment begins.  And this was BAGUS (excellent) as the musicians were totally into playing with wide smiles, and jokes ,coloring their music with all the tones of Bali.  The dancers were the best from Gianyar, nothing subtle here- full fledged drama and body contortions that we as westerns..... well..... think of as Contortions.

the opening of the Legong

the beauty

two young virgins

traditional dance, he portrays a young girl\

Dedik  , my guru and friend

P.S>  sorry for the poor quality of Night photos- this Canon will be replaced This Year (in time for the next sojourn Nov. 2012) but it's hard for me to buy something new when it's Not Broken. (how pre-1980)
 I've been frustrated with it since I purchased it, and no amount of editing in Picassa can really procure what I 'd like to see visually.

P.P.S.- An Appeal
 any person who would like to contribute a donation for the after school program serving Bunutan's children (aged 6-18) would be considered truly angelic.  Dedik needs to buy a Gamelan orchestra for the youth (they use the banjar one now) and this costs $8,000.  The after-school program is one designed to combat the effects of globalization and allow the children to create strong Balinese identities by learning dance and music In Depth. (not just ritual, but in real context to learning the "whys")  checks can be made out to "The Jaladara Art Center"  or "Wayan Rachman" sent to my address at home or I can get an address for Dedik (Wayan) in Bunutan.
I will match any donations given.






travelin' woman

Under the Bali Sea with Cerulean Starfish

I should have become an oceanographer.....i do love observing and Swimming

lined surgeonfish

mature angelfish

  

Pemuteran: West Bali- National Park. (north west, not far from where you can catch the ferry to Java)
Does anyone else giggle and chuckle underneath the sea?
I do.  Snorkeling under the Bali Sea, in Pemuteran and the Menganjan Island (deer island) i am so amused by the creatures of the coral reefs.  As a painter and (former) fabric designer I also guffaw at the premise that we think we can "do better" or even "equivalent" to Mother Nature.  What Folly!  The subtleties, the patterns, the compositions, the range of colors.....it's all there (But You ALREADY  knew this)
In case you need reminding Why this planet is so extraordinary..... take a peek at the few living things that make it so special.   

Giant clam- about 2' across... all different colors and patterns.... I saw 4-5' ones in Tahiti: Polka Dotted in neon colors

       
    Some of the giant clam patterns looked just like the finest italian silks; umber and celedon.  

I spotted some very very shy octopus', usually cowering in some hole.... but i kept seeing this HUGE 3' l x 2.5 H fish jabbing at the coral.   He was fascinating: even had a Black mustache. After watching him and following him for awhile (he was a solo Triggerfish )..... i came upon him 1/2 hour later..... well this is when he turned on me, chasing, actually hitting my flipper... and i was swimming for my life.  He had sharp teeth and is very territorial and PREDATORY.  o well.... i went looking for the smaller fishies.... i found one called "sweet lips!"

Sweet Lips!

      
             
                         
           So anyone know where i can get that classic fish tale that I somehow managed Not to see, "Finding Nemo"?

 The clownfish were plentiful and very playful darting in and out of the anemone
       
 
The crinolines and cabbages of the coral reef may look like a vegetable garden..... but it's ALL alive ,and well "animal".  The sponges are electric orange  and the fan coral looks like japanese maple trees.  There is subtlety and there is flamboyance.  Lots of Psychedelica! Yeah polka dots, swirls,stripes, undulating lines, eyes, all quite staggering.

      
   

wrasse basslet

Triggerfish baring its teeth

the feather coral resembling rich velvet

TRIGGERFISH- this dude was After Me

hogfish

cerulean starfish: they drape themselves over coral

puffer fish off Menjengan Island

Parrotfish

young angelfish

orange pipefish

fairy basslet

the orange fan coral

It's the clownfish with it's partner in symbiosis; the anemone

Rabbit fish and the ubiquitous Moorish Idol

 craggy mountains come down almost to the Pemuteran beach; it's the only national park in Bali . the
park is a good place to trek and go birding (mostly sea birds).

directly outside the lovely hotel Reef Seen /where i stayed..... it had a turtle hatchery also.... the fishermen sell the eggs to the hatchery instead of eating them!  Hawksbill turtles -Turtle Conservation

What the *#@"+ ?

Blog as Therapy : Extrapolating  catharsis

Is anyone listening
(don't tell me you didn't know?)


1. Travelers/tourists who do not tip for services rendered.
Whether they "cannot afford it", or don't want to is irrespective of the circumstance.  The first adage of travel is courtesy and respect.  If you cannot abide these common courtesies; stay home. People in the tourist/service industry Depend on tips for their Livelihood. It really sickens  me to observe this. (and we are speaking about cents usually.... not even dollars)

2. Travelers/tourists who haggle to the point of unfairness; for bragging rights.
Yes in many countries it is proforma to haggle on practically
everything. And I do not expect to pay what a local pays,
since the standard of living is so dramatically different.  And I do Get Ripped Off a lot.  But, to watch a foreigner beat down a price (and we are talking small amounts of money to begin with......) to the point that it is a Power Play and really a deprivation again of earning a Living... this really disgusts me, and in a larger sense provokes the guilt of colonial exploitations.

3.Large groups of tourists: Unconscious. 25-40 people just standing there, in the middle of a walkway, staring blankly into space, in a bubble unaware that there is a world of people interacting  around them.  Either it is Pure Ego, or a complete lack of how to act, or a pathological Disconnect from their person hood.  The mentality of group travel is Most Unconscious/Disturbing.
(there's a study somewhere.....)  
My friend + driver Jantuk says that they only respond to their leader waving a flag; like bebik (ducks) in the rice paddies and their herder! 
Conditioned tourists...... what are They drinking?
They  are really missing the whole Concept of traveling.

4.Disrespect with dress (getting a theme here?)
Tourists/travelers who do not care or have not even taken the time to learn some basics about the country they are visiting.
Life is not a BEACH. The hubris of ME, the certitude of the individual and "my rights" and not caring......because they are foreign and different standards apply.  As a traveler, one is an ambassador from the outside.  Both men and women need to adjust their mode of decorum..... or just find SOME.
You don't need a burkha....... but shorts/skirt/dress just barely covering your bum and a bikini top/belly- showing- shirt is OFFENSIVE to the people who you have come to see, meet and hopefully learn something from.  And you will be treated differently, no matter your age or assets.  I have witnessed too many Mature Men + Mature Women dressed truly inappropriately. (actually for anywhere, except the privacy of their home)

5. Dread locks- Is this a generational thing?  I am so sick of seeing travelers/tourists with masses of Dirty Rope emerging from their heads.....sometimes all tied up so that it looks like a really frightening Pineapple erupting form the top of their head. And the newest transmogrification of this "do"..... both males and Females Shave the sides of their head so you've got the "concentration camp/ cancer patient " look on the sides.... and then low and behold in a moment of schizophrenia, the dreadlock thang again spewing  it's way up through the 7th Chakra (the head).

(try sitting next to someone at a restaurant as they  "shake it loose"  )......Ugh...... 
Do they ACTUALLY  think this is Attractive????????????
And please clue me in to what "Statement" they are making

Alright you know I haven't finished this blog.....the content  just keeps fermenting in the pit of  my stomach..... and low and behold.....you know it too will Detonate eventually.....

into the forum of me traveling.......and venting....the good, the bad....and the PLAIN UGLY>

travelin' woman

The Maldives/Luck in travel?

Incongruous title, yes....but I must comment on a phenomena that has occurred more than a few times.
(i hope this is not the pride before the fall)

I had been planning to go  to the Maldives before arriving in Sri Lanka.  Geographically it made sense, and the lure of the unspoilt had been building for years.
Three days ago I changed my mind and decided to go directly to Sri Lanka.
Why?    It is absurdly expensive as the islands contain  Only luxury resorts.....and I could not justify this ........as a "beach time" necessity.  I have gone snorkeling in some of the Most Pristine places; the outer islands of Tahiti in the early 80's,
Belize in the 90's.


And on the front page of the Int'l Herald Tribune 2 days ago;
reporting of a coup/ forced resignation of the Maldives first democratic president.  This never bodes well for the tourist, (not  to mention the People).  And Americans are targets for a host of new and complicated  reasons.  Violence always ensues.....


Luck......well you can decide.

1.1968 - Israel.  My parents and I were there in Jan/Feb 1968 right after the 6 Day War (which has created most of the problems in the region  since then).  A bus exploded next to ours.  A bomb. We continued our trip.


2. 1970 - Ecuador.  My parents and I were caught in the middle of a coup d'etat.  We were watching a dance performance in a theatre in Quito one minute, the next we were hustled out.  The universities closed, the army appeared.
We continued our trip.


3.1972- Germany.  I was attending the Summer Olympics in Munich with the Clerc's; the French family I had been living with.  Israeli athletes were kidnapped and  subsequently murdered.  Being the first of my family to actually visit Germany (after WWII) and feeling nervous anyway. I (we) fled (back to France), the games went on!


4.1975- Italy.  I was living in Rome, attending  art school and  I walked each day through Piazza del Popolo  to my  school/studio.  Pro-Communist demonstrations were a weekly event  and I got caught in the middle of one  getting pushed down and  tear- gassed by the polizia.  I stayed on.. warily.. .and yes....still walked each day through Piazza del Popolo (but checking through pamphlets/notices/ and inquiry the date/time of the schedule..... yes, the Italians always routinely scheduled the demonstrations)


5. 1976- Pakistan- this event is not  state sponsored political action, it's more of a cultural skewing of the war between the sexes.  I was riding the train (2nd class)  and I found myself woken up (on the top berth) by having a gun -butt repeatedly pushed into my ribs.  I was dressed modestly (long skirt+ long sleeved kurta) but it was such an affront to these men to see a woman traveling solo that this was their way of letting me know.  I  stared  them down, intransigently..... but their look of pure hatred ultimately  made me move to another car.  I continued eastward to India  + Nepal.
I made a vow never to return to Pakistan.  It hasn't been a hard one to keep.


There have been a few natural disasters also, earthquakes+ tsunami, closings of borders..bribing Afghan commandants, being accused of smuggling art,......  but i must say my favorite story is one from my parents' intrepid travel.  
In the early eighties, my parents were traveling in Colombia, down the Orinoco, following the Inca trail and found themselves in Bogota.  After waiting and waiting for their domestic flight; the airport Just Shut Down.  My Dad calmly looked outside and said, "Zena, the drug lords have taken over the airport". They found another mode of transportation and continued their trip.

So, I do not relay these tales to relay fear......fear is constricting..... nor do I admonish those who research
and calculate every trip to a "safe destination".
We live in Uncertainty during our time in the material world.
And having a bit of luck is just as Uncertain as what the news, your day or the weather will be.
Or maybe it's just karma.....and it's all preordained.










 travelin' woman