beautiful bali :: a nyepi new year
F E B R U A R Y 1 6 , 2 0 0 9
rainbow fairy // hiking through the balinese rice paddy
nyepi new year!
for weeks and weeks since we’ve been here the balinese people have been ‘preparing’ for nyepi.
in honor of this holiday (primarily hindu and based on the lunar new year) they create these gigantic paper mache statues called ‘ogoh-ogoh’s that represent the fight between good and evil.
the statues resemble demonic creatures in battle. from what we’ve gathered, the balinese people use the day before nyepi to make as much noise and action as possible to awaken the evil spirits and lure them into their ogoh-ogohs in order to capture the evil and ultimately burn it at the village cemetery later in the evening.
we had seen many of these giant creations being constructed in the streets over the course of our time here, as well as the green school‘s ogoh-ogohs that were presented last Friday morning by the students (parading them about to music, singing and laughter).
we decided to go out for the beginning of the festival in gianyar (seemingly a suburb of ubud) where the people were gathered in the soccer field to experience the event. most of the city roads are shut down due to the fact that each village carries their ogoh-ogoh by bamboo supports on their backs (typically 20-30 people carrying each statue) the entire way. they choreograph movement, dance and chanting while carrying the statues, which looks extremely difficult given the weight distribution and synchronicity involved.
each of the communities travel from their village origins to the soccer field to unveil their ogoh-ogoh. people gather from near and far to view each of these intricate masterpieces.
we arrived just in time to see the first few ogoh-ogoh’s being danced down the street to the beat of drums and gongs. each time a new statue would enter, the energy would rise, as if each village had stored a years worth of excitement and anticipation to be unleashed onto the field. the crowd was wild! the air was electric.
once all the ogoh-ogohs had been brought together and placed on the grass, the villagers sat, inviting photographs, conversation and excitement. fireworks exploded. children frolicked about to the sound of the drums. the smell of kerosene appeared as the sun went down and everyone stood for the exiting ceremony. each village with 15-50 members lit bamboo torches to lead their statues back onto the street and to their village cemeteries to be burned. they exited one at a time, and we watched in final amazement at the cultural experience we had just witnessed.
tomorrow is the official day of ‘nyepi’ -- an island-wide day of silence, fasting and meditation. everything is shut down, from the roads to the airport, to the internet. no electricity is used and all meals are prepared the night before. no one leaves their home. they remain indoors, in candlit quiet
bali embodies holy, creative, innovative artistic expression.
nyepi is a gift to the entire world.
if we’ve learned anything about the balinese people over the past month
it’s that they LOVE to celebrate.
they take days off of work and school to celebrate nearly anything. they have celebration days for dogs, puppets… they even celebrate their cars.
“i’m in charge of the celebrations.” -byrd baylor
the balinese really know how it’s done…
so in true balinese spirit (both celebratory and welcoming) our lovely, sweet babysitter, Made (pronounced mah-day) invited us to join her family’s wedding ceremony where her brother and sister-in-law were getting married. we happily accepted the invitation and the opportunity to dive into a completely new cultural experience.
the wedding took place on monday, march 22 and was filled with 50-75 people. it was a beautiful ceremony set outside, hosted by the families. we were definitely the outliers, being the only white folk and certainly the only ones who spoke little to no indonesian, but we were so very welcomed none-the-less.
knowing how much of an honor it was to have been invited, we stopped at a local balinese clothing store on the way to the ceremony and shrouded ourselves in traditional balinese garb. the men wear sarongs and head wraps and the women wear sheer lace blouses over undershirts and sarongs. even the kids got to dress up. it was such a special experience.
just a few days prior we had another occasion to celebrate…
my beloved’s birthday <3 <3 <3
pat’s birthday was thursday, march 18 and i decided to surprise him with a weekend getaway to le meridien – a destination resort on the other side of the island in an area called ‘tanah lot’ which is dedicated to an oceanside temple set on the sea cliffs. as soon as we woke up, we embarked on our 3-day adventure (mad was taken care of by missy and made, and we left completely worry-free).
we spent a whole day at the spa getting massages and wraps and detox tea, we had a full-blown shopping day in the 2 main towns (seminyak and kuta – the best boutique shopping and food on the island), and spent the rest of our time lounging by the pool (which had 3 water slides!) or exploring the grounds of the hotel.
the night of his birthday we indulged at Ku De Ta – a mandatory experience if you are ever on this magical little island! it’s a sensual restaurant set on the beach with the sexiest, most romantic ambiance. we had a decadent 2 hour dinner accompanied by the best cocktails I’ve ever tasted.
we then moved down to the beach deck where they had beds set up across a candle-lit lounge for an after-dinner cocktail experience. the entire restaurant has it’s own radio station and CDs and plays killer lounge beats from all over the world. we ordered our final cocktails and sat gazing at a clear, twinkling night sky and absorbing the sound of the ocean waves.
how thankful we are to be alive, and together. it was a night we will remember forever.
the next evening was spent at our all-time favorite date restaurant on bali (established last year when we stayed in canggu) called Desa Seni. it’s set in a quaint little eco-village resort in canggu (southern bali) with outdoor yoga studios and scattered guest huts. the design is totally earthy and raw. all of the food that is cooked at the tiny 4-table restaurant comes from the organic gardens you have to cross over by bridge to get into the village. it is the freshest, most flavorful food we’ve ever put into our mouths. it’s an environment that encourages savoring, appreciating and respecting – both the earth and our bodies (and in our case, our love). another balinese masterpiece.
our big inspiration from Bali this year is all about savoring and appreciation. we want to drink every drop life has to offer us. we want to savor our experience on this planet by absorbing our adventures and discoveries — large and small. we will use that energy to reciprocate life and love back to the universe, and radiate undying appreciation and eternal gratitude for the incredible lives we are living and love we are given.