Bali
by prudence on 11-Feb-2010
We've not long returned from a week in Bali -- our first visit. I've now had a few days to digest the experience, and have started to read some of the books I brought back, but there's still a lot about Bali that eludes me, so these observations are pretty simplistic. OK, you don't get to understand anywhere in a week, but Bali seems just that bit more uncrackable than most...
What you can't go wrong with saying is that it's extraordinarily beautiful (see photos), and it's like nowhere else we've ever been.
They're terrific builders and sculptors, the Balinese, and there are sculptures and edifices everywhere. So, the road from Canggu to Denpasar, for example, is a riot of shrines and temples and guardian figures, and in the centre of Denpasar, even the municipal buildings are carved and sculpted. And this is well before you get to places like Amlapura or Ubud or ... But what Bali does so beautifully is wrap its art in nature. So, sculptures are tinged with moss and wreathed in greenery. Temples house trees. Flower petals grace shrines. The result is extraordinary, and it's this visual combination of the cultural and the natural that is my strongest memory of Bali.
High points? Visiting the Bali Museum in Denpasar -- a wonderful setting for some interesting objects. Strolling the Tirta Gangga water gardens -- running water, greenery, peace... Swimming over a huge shoal of jackfish off the east coast -- which made up for not seeing much of the wreck of the Liberty (if you're just snorkelling, and the water is a bit churned up, and the day is dull, you really can't see much of this). Sitting propped up by cushions looking out to sea in one of those four-poster bed arrangements that they have at the resorts here -- I can't think of a better place to study... Climbing and climbing up the amazing road from Lovina to Kintamani -- extraordinary views at every turn. Watching dance performances in Ubud -- both the women's gamelan orchestra and associated classical dance team and the kecak dance group were hugely impressive. Touring the art museum in Ubud (the one just up the road from the palace) -- in every picture you notice little reflections of things you've seen in previous days.
Low points? Well, even though we gave places like Kuta a wide berth, it's overwhelmingly a tourist-oriented environment. And I know there's no point bleating about that when you are in fact a tourist, and are part of the creation of the phenomenon. To avoid it, you would have to make much more effort than we did to get off the beaten track, and you would need a lot more time both for travel and for research than we had at our disposal. The tourist thing does mean you have a wide choice of nice (if relatively expensive) places to eat at, and pretty stuff to buy, if you're so inclined. It also means that jerks will rip you off in temples. (But hey, the worst rip-off I've been subjected to lately was being required to pay S$16.50 for a coffee and a muffin at a smart hotel in Singapore -- compared to this, Bali rip-offs are pretty small beer...)
So, it's definitely a place that will live long in my memory, and a place I would happily revisit, but I'd want to do a different kind of trip next time.
What you can't go wrong with saying is that it's extraordinarily beautiful (see photos), and it's like nowhere else we've ever been.
They're terrific builders and sculptors, the Balinese, and there are sculptures and edifices everywhere. So, the road from Canggu to Denpasar, for example, is a riot of shrines and temples and guardian figures, and in the centre of Denpasar, even the municipal buildings are carved and sculpted. And this is well before you get to places like Amlapura or Ubud or ... But what Bali does so beautifully is wrap its art in nature. So, sculptures are tinged with moss and wreathed in greenery. Temples house trees. Flower petals grace shrines. The result is extraordinary, and it's this visual combination of the cultural and the natural that is my strongest memory of Bali.
High points? Visiting the Bali Museum in Denpasar -- a wonderful setting for some interesting objects. Strolling the Tirta Gangga water gardens -- running water, greenery, peace... Swimming over a huge shoal of jackfish off the east coast -- which made up for not seeing much of the wreck of the Liberty (if you're just snorkelling, and the water is a bit churned up, and the day is dull, you really can't see much of this). Sitting propped up by cushions looking out to sea in one of those four-poster bed arrangements that they have at the resorts here -- I can't think of a better place to study... Climbing and climbing up the amazing road from Lovina to Kintamani -- extraordinary views at every turn. Watching dance performances in Ubud -- both the women's gamelan orchestra and associated classical dance team and the kecak dance group were hugely impressive. Touring the art museum in Ubud (the one just up the road from the palace) -- in every picture you notice little reflections of things you've seen in previous days.
Low points? Well, even though we gave places like Kuta a wide berth, it's overwhelmingly a tourist-oriented environment. And I know there's no point bleating about that when you are in fact a tourist, and are part of the creation of the phenomenon. To avoid it, you would have to make much more effort than we did to get off the beaten track, and you would need a lot more time both for travel and for research than we had at our disposal. The tourist thing does mean you have a wide choice of nice (if relatively expensive) places to eat at, and pretty stuff to buy, if you're so inclined. It also means that jerks will rip you off in temples. (But hey, the worst rip-off I've been subjected to lately was being required to pay S$16.50 for a coffee and a muffin at a smart hotel in Singapore -- compared to this, Bali rip-offs are pretty small beer...)
So, it's definitely a place that will live long in my memory, and a place I would happily revisit, but I'd want to do a different kind of trip next time.