Benoa, Bali Indonesia
February 28 - 29, 2024 - As we docked in the port of Benoa, in Bali Indonesia, we were greeted with music by musicians under a tent on the pier. We docked about 11 AM and were quickly cleared to go ashore. In the port talk, there was a lot of reference to traffic being very bad in Bali, and that it could impact the length of some of our torus. We were scheduled on a tour a bit later in the afternoon, but stood outside on the pier with the hopes of getting onto the earlier tour, so we would be assured of getting back in time to go on our evening tour as well. And thanks to Cathy, we were literally the last two people they allowed onto one of the first group of buses to leave.
The first thing you notice about Bali are the scooters/motor bikes. They are EVERYWHERE. Helmets are required, but are not consistently worn. And in the many instances where there is a family of 4 on a single scooter, the children are never wearing helmets. Apparently, no driver’s licenses required, there are very few traffic lights/signs and there are admittedly no real laws or regulations for the roads. But they all seem to negotiate the roads, merge, yield and speed — with few if any accidents. It was amazing to see.
The second thing you notice as you drive around the city is that about 75% of the stone and concrete is used for temples, statues and shrines. The other 25% is used for homes and other buildings. Every village had multiple temples and each house had its own temple as well. The two days we were there were holidays in Bali, so the market we visited the first day was mostly closed but on the other hand we did get to see many families in the streets and in the parks having picnics and enjoying holiday festivities. In the Port picture you can see the 2 large decorations, made of palm leaves, that lined the streets and homes throughout the city.
On the first evening we went to a twilight Indonesian dinner and a traditional dance show at a bird park. Before dinner they told us about some of the birds they had in the park and allowed people to hold them - which Cathy did. The food was a buffet that included corn chowder, chicken satay, vegetables and rice - and tropical fruits for dessert. After dinner - which was in an outodoor covered building, we went to an outdoor amphitheater and enjoyed a show of traditional song and dance. The costumes, masks and make-up were beautiful and the dancers were so gracefully - the way they could move their hands and feet was mesmerizing. There was even a male dancer that not only did a fire walking dance, but he actually sat in the fire. Don’t try this at home!
On the second day we went to a batik factory and then to see some of the other temples in Bali, inlcuding one of the largest temples, built along the shore, where parts of the temple are inaccessible during high tide. At the Batik factory, there were many finished products available for us at their store - fully hand painted, weaved fabrics and more. Outside the store, wee saw some of the artisans that were painting clothing - and they offered to paint a design on clothes for us. Cathy had a white shirt on, so she had them paint a butterfly on her sleeve. Their craftsmanship was beautiful, and they were so quick.
As we spent time in Indonesia, we were reminded once again how privileged and blessed we are to have the life we do. The people in Bali that we met, didn’t have a lot, but they were happy, proud and peace filled people, who talked about living a life of balance. They believe in Karma and the need to always find balance - of good/evil; light.dark; joy/pain; life/death.
