Villa Tao

5/31/12
Today we left Ubud, said goodby to Putu and the staff, and, via Tabanan, arrived at Villa Tao on Balian Beach. We explored the black sand beach, river mouth, caves and rocky point before enjoying the sunset. From the villa, I look out across the pool to the break the boys will be surfing. Tom has found another beautiful villa - very modern in design and furnishings. The center living portion of the villa is open - floor to ceiling glass doors on the back which are left open, and on the ocean side, there are only bamboo curtains which could be lowered if it were raining in. Small bats fly through the house at night - a little unnerving, but I know they won't hit me. Our bedrooms are raised on either side of the living area, and we do keep our doors closed at night!

Artists

Ubud is the center for arts and crafts - painting, woodcarving, stone sculpture. From the market we went to the art museum, then to various artist's studios in our efforts to understand, judge the quality, and determine what we liked in Balinese art. Traditional to modern styles, themes from epic stories to village life, the detail could be utterly amazing. It was facinating to meet the artists and experience their humor, their humble and sincere appreciation and again their spirituality. It is difficult to describe, but I felt they needed to get to know us, to see that there was good karma. They wanted to know that the work would have a place of honor in our home. Just to see the care with which they wrapped the pieces we bought was amazing. Hopefully we can bring home some of their gratitude for life and living.

Ceremony

As we walked into Ubud this morning we noticed that something was different. The sweet smell of incense filled the air and more than the usual number of women in temple dress with baskets of offerings on their heads were headed to the market, as we were. When we arrived, it was evident that we were in the midst of a huge ceremony to Rambut Sedana, the goddess of prosperity. The market temple was packed with worshipers and offerings for blessings of prosperity for their families and businesses. The ceremony continued all day and Tom was able to get some amazing photographs of the different parts of the ceremony. Worshipers prayed, were sprinkled with and drank holy water, and placed a small amount of rice on their forehead before eating it. The temple was full of offerings - incense, flowers, and food. Gamelin music played, and the ceremonial gong sounded calling worshipers and gods to the temple.

Padmasana

The empty throne shrine in the holiest corner of the temple aludes to the supreme being Sanghyang Widi Wasa, manifested by fhe Hindu trinity of Brahma, Wisnu (Vishnu), and Siwa (Shiva). Their interactions with the world are the subject of much Balinese art and drama.
Brahma, the Creator, often depicted riding a bull, represents fire (red). His consort, Saraswati, is the goddess of learning and art.
Wisnu represents the life giving water, is honored by the color black, and rides the garuda - half man, half bird.
Siwa, the Distroyer or Dissolver, represents air - rebirth and death, and is honored by the color white. Ganesh, the elephant headed diety, is the son of Siwa and the widow witch, Rangda. Ganesh is seen as the remover of obstacles.

Colors

The black and white check fabric seen adorning statues at temple and home gates symbolizes the interplay of good and evil, ying and yang. The color red is a holy color and yellow symbolizes the life force. These colors stand in vivid contrast to the mossy gray and black stone figures of gods, goddesses, and spirits, both good and evil, that they encircle.

Cooking Class

Last night we learned all about a Balinese home - it's specific directional layout, the house temple, and the kitchen as we cooked a traditonal Balinese meal. Wayan and Puspa were great hosts answering all our questions about the ingredients and how they are grown. Fresh tumeric, galangal, ginger, garlic, shallots, lemongrass and candle nuts along with white and black peppercorns, coriander, cloves and a dash of nutmeg all go into the basic yellow sauce or gede. The evening was a feast for our eyes as well as our taste buds!

Ric

Ric Hostetter (Atlantic Beach) joined us here on Lombok via Malaysia where he was installing an attraction for Sally. Funny and great company, Ric survived Outsides with Tom and Carl.

Coral Reef

In the middle of Ekas Bay there is a stunning coral reef! Layers and layers of coral stacked picariously like dishes at a flea market. A density of coral I don't remember in Hawaii, amazing in it's varitey of shapes and colors - blues, reds and pinks. Platters and saucers of green coral, branched coral like bushes with tips of white, and heads of brain coral, all providing food and hiding places for a variety of butterflyfish, neon blue wrasses, bannerfish, and parrotfish. Bright yellow dottybacks flash in the sunlight, darting under a coral shelf and clown fish can be found sheltering among the anemone and urchins. I am ready to go again!

Kecak Fire and Trance Dance

The Kecak is a special dance, accompanied by a capella male voices like the Greek chorus, that tells a story from the Hindu epic, Ramayama. This Balinese dance, resplendant with brightly colored and elaborately detailed costumes and hand movements, involves Hanoman, the white monkey, and Rama in the rescue of Sita, Rama's wife, from the demon, Rahwana. The mythical bird, Garuda, participates as does Sugriwa, the red king of the monkeys in the escape and ensuing battle. This adventure story was followed by a chanting induced trance during which the horse rider kicks and dances through burning coals. Exciting!

Market

The Ubud market is a riot of color, endless choices and extreme bargaining. Carl tells me to put my sunglasses on and keep walking, so the vendors can't see where I am looking! It is overwhelming. Beautiful fabrics I see at every turn. Exploring a gallery, I see a small boy on a stairway flying a kite. By our third trip to the market we know what we want, the best price, and how to bargain for it!

Villa Shanti

5/26/12 Ubud
Tom has found another heavenly spot, 180 degrees from the Lombok experience. Perched in the ricefields above Ubud, our villa is a gallery of Balinese art. The owner, a San Diego antiques dealer, has stone and wood carvings placed just so your eyes can feast on them, not to mention the design and appointment of the villa itself. The smell of incense drifts up to the porch from the offerings below as I write.

South Beaches

Super drove us to the south beaches, outside Ekas Bay on the Indian Ocean.
Tom, Carl, and Ric in the back of the pickup, me in front, we slowly made our way along the steep, pocketed, dirt roads. As we passed through the small villages, all the children would run to the road to wave and say hello to us. We were definitely a novelty! The dry season has begun, but everything is still lush and green, though by the end, it will all be brown. The most prevalent money crop is tobacco, which seemed to be growing well in the low lands, flooded in the wet season. They also harvest nuts from small planted trees that is pressed into oil. The cliffs and high plateaus are suitable for grazing - water buffalo, sheep and cows herded by weather beaten old men and young boys, a young sister in the mix. I don't think any of us were able to photograph the wonderful image of a woman walking along the road with a basket full of red and yellow chili peppers balanced on her head. The Sasak like their food hot!
The trade winds blow strongly from the southeast this time of year making the surf giant and out of control, amazing to watch from the cliffs. Down on the beach the pounding surf had smoothed these shells to look like eyeballs looking back at me. A beautiful old button caught my eye - bet it has a story to tell! We had a few tense moments when the truck got stuck, but Ric, taking over the wheel, was able to ease it out with Tom, Carl and Super pushing, burned up clutch avoided.

In Every Paradise

In every paradise we have visited there is always an annoyance - even paradise is not perfect. In New Zealand there were sand flies, midges in Scotland, roosters in Kauai and here there are rats at night. Tom hears them and does rat patrol with the flashlight - no electricity after midnight!

Friends

We have been here long enough to make friends. For the last 2 nights we have shared sunset tables with Ken, Guy, Simon and Ping, Flo and Ish. Guy built a new house on the cliff and Ken, also an Aussie, visits here frequently as do Simon, a Brit, and Ping, who is Thai. Flo and Ish are French and speak perfect English, having lived in Melbourne, FL while Flo studied oceanography and coastal engineering at FIT. He knows our Atlantic Beach neighbor, Kevin Bodge, and has surfed The Poles at Hanna Park. Six degrees of separation - I am continually amazed how small the world can be.

Sunset

I sat in the same beautiful spot last night for three hours. What started with a cold Bintang after a massage, turned into an extraordinary sunset with Mt. Rinjani as the backdrop. Oranges, reds, pinks and purples swirling across the sky in front of me. Every sunset here in paradise is different!

Biking to Outsides

A mountain bike is not a beach cruiser. I felt that I was learning how to ride all over again. It was dark when we got here up on the cliff, so I had no idea how extreme the road was! I declined a helmet, imagining a nice cruise to Outsides - the outer break Carl and Tom would be surfing. The road was incredibly steep, full brakes, creeping down the rutted road, muddy and slippery. The lowest gear wouldn't even get me up the hills. I did quite a bit of walking! "Mom, are you back there?" But, like my table tennis, I improved along the way, and am game for another biking adventure.

Banana Pancakes

Lombok is a paradise, undeveloped the way they say Bali was 30 years ago. Here at Heaven on the Planet, they must generate their own electricity and showers are rainwater. Our cottage is Jati and the deck runs the length of the house on the cliff side. Looking down the coast, I see no development until the small fishing villiage, at least 6 points away - only lush green forests touching the white sand beaches and clear blue-green ocean between us. Across Ekas Bay they is a small port town. Early in the morning, the Muslim call to prayer wafes across the water, entering my dreams. I wake as the birds do, and view this paradise from within my net.
The restaurant is perched out in the trees, overlooking the break, Insides. I hear the boat returning from Outsides, and wonder if the boys are aboard. We have breakfast and I hear the morning surf stories.
Dinner on the beach tonight complete with bonfire.

Stairway to Heaven

5/20/12 Lombok
Peaceful and meditative are the words that come to mind as I sit on our porch in the tree tops. I hear the waves upon the shore, birds that I do not recognize chirping and singing, and watch the butterflies fliting through the trees. Truly this is Heaven on the Planet. From the plane we could see Bali's 3 volcanos - Gunung Agung, Gunung Batur, and Gunung Batukaru.

Leftovers?

Last night our cook, Komang, fixed a unbelievable dinner for us. I watched her make lemongrass chicken steamed in banana leaf packets, deftly wrap spring rolls, saute a mixture of sprouts, spinach and green beans with spices, and create a chicken curry to die for - of course served with native steamed rice. Full of spice, incredibly flavorful, but for us not fiery hot, these dishes, what little was left, will be enjoyed for lunch today before we leave for Lombok. We wish she had cooked for us every night!

Hot Springs

Yeh Panas translates water hot. We drove through Tabanan, up the slopes of Batukaru, through lush rain forest and rice fields, to these hot springs - Balinese style. It started raining, as it does in a rain forest, hence the umbrella. Hot water flowed through our private pool from the spring beside the river, which we watched grow exponentially as the rain continued. We were't sure of "the protocol", but managed, relaxing, and letting the peace take over. The rain stopped and we explored the spring temple surround ing the source.

Needless to say, with the help of the guide books, I try to find places off the beaten path. We were shocked to see the bus loads of tourists at the ocean temple of Tanah Lot. It was a huge market of vendors and tours. We did not the feel the spirit of Pura Luhur Batukaru.

Smiles

What beautiful smiles we see around us. I think it is a reflection of the heart!

Mango Sunset

- Window view from the loft where I practice yoga and write
- Bedroom (2)
- House temple by the pool

Roof Tiles

Pejaten may likely be where all the terracotta roof tiles and crown ornaments (ketu) in Bali are made. Kilns and piles of coconut husks which fire them, line the village streets. This "industrial" village is also known as the source of the Balinese ceramic ware with its distinctive pale green, blue glazes and embelishments of frogs, monkeys and geckos. After asking around, Made found the shop where they shaped and glazed them, with a small display room on the side. Needless to say we selected a few!