Hello Bali!!



Bali is at its best during the  Galungan Festival - the New Year Festive for the predominately Hindu community  in this fabulous  Indonesian Island

God is very much in the centre of this Balinese community , especially where the farmers and rice planters dwells. This Writer marvelled, at the elaborate decorations, ritualistic  worship and thanksgiving on this auspicious  day. It was a full day affair starting- early morning till night. They  come in full traditional Sunday bests - baskets full of fruits and offerings,  perch firmly on top of their heads,  swarming into the numerous temples and places  of worship. And they worship with such reverence..., they do not care for the dusky floor....or fear soiling their beautiful clothes....kneeling and bowing with such heart.....it is so touching!

Temples were everywhere-huge imposing structures fronting roadsides- smaller ones  in the midst of sprawling rice fields, fronting the seas, even the compounds of homes -house elaborate but smaller structures of  worship......exceedingly amazing , and so uniquely Bali!

Overwhelming, the rustic charm, the feelings of  being in touch with God, the winds, the waves, the trees, the earth ,and nature !! Wow!  And YT loves the fresh, clean air ( you could almost feel it cleaning the toxin out of your lungs!!!) and the very peaceful country side atmosphere- it is extraordinary!   My! So green....so serene..... Ya! that's the  appeal of  Bali!!. There is the crystal clear  blue and green seas- the beautiful skies., with  white fluffy clouds....,  clear sandy.beaches....and jungle-cool, shady and relaxing greens -yes real jungle  -close-real close- touching distance....- creepers, bamboos, the works! and believe it or not fruit trees, nanka, bananas, coconuts.... ageless banyan trees ..flowering plants, all in the vicinity of shopping complexes.. and concrete! Funny, they actually add to the charm. There is a feeling that even if you were lost deep in the woods or jungle, you will not starve...there are plenty of fruits to sustain you....

Whilst travelling along tiny, narrow roads  (  one side is a steep fall ., so careful there!!..) snaking up and down the hills, thick with undergrowth and all types of trees, you wonder at the loneliness...whether it is safe to drive along such roads???? and then, suddenly, you see women folks, their heads laden with fruit baskets walking up the road and you wonder....where they came from and then... you spied those houses a midst the trees.....gosh! almost like they were from another dimension...you know fairies of the jungle...like the ones, you read in the story books.....How do they manage when dusk falls and night reigns??? Maybe, the jungle will be flooded with magical lights ...

Wonders of wonders....you get to see and touch awesome colourful corals just two feet into the water....All it needs is for one to wake up a little early and take a leisurely stroll along the sea shore and the marvels of  the sea reaches out to  greet you "happy morning"! Fishes swim around your feet  , as you stepped into the water. At the edge where the sea splash gently on to the sandy shore,  tiny and not so tiny crabs scattered  wildly, as you draw near to them..  ...and oh, they could be so shy!!!  This writer was so charmed,!!! She felt like a giggly five year old,  chasing after the tiny creatures, trying to stop their flight and disappearing  into their own  sandy world of refuge.

  

 It is a no wonder, they call this -The Island of the gods!!