The Bali Experience

When traveling around the world there will for sure be recognizable elements, common characteristics, and scenes from one’s country and places. But still the new pictures, the fit of everything in the environment and the interconnection of otherwise known elements can make the experience unique…

Bali is such a place where so many are gathered in a relatively small island. Millions of locals and tourists deluge the island. Locals manage to balance between the traditional lifestyle and hosting in the best way all those people coming from every possible culture and nation.

Balinese are friendly with occupations mainly related to handcrafts and tourism. Masterpieces made of wood and stone and on clothes in artisanship shops where one can wonder and ask about the whole procedure. Real creators of art; art that becomes an everyday routine for making a simple life.

When moving in the market, one may feel like being in a common flee market but eyes see color everywhere. Sometimes the environment becomes scary, you may feel that if lost in there you will never find your way back; that either the tigers of the island or the underground spirits will grasp you. The next moment you see the smiling faces of the Balinese and the offerings placed everywhere on the pavements to placate the spirits and keep them below the ground and your soul relaxes; moreover when you see the types of offerings you cannot hold back from smiling. Those spirits enjoy gum, cookies and cigarettes in leaf trays, smoked by incense sticks.

Religion is everywhere in Bali’s life. Every house has its own temples for the main gods of Hindu tradition but also for the ancestors of the family. Offerings are provided there too, on a daily or even oftener basis. Temples and holy places all over the country where tourists are allowed to visit and even participate in the prayers and some of the ceremonies but have to show the proper respect and attitude; as wearing clothing around naked legs…

Even in the religious life there is a dualism between calm spirituality and fear – at least this is the way some westerners may perceive it. Demonstration of cremation ceremonies, theatrical dramatic shows of the battle between good and evil, purification from spirits are parts of their everyday life.

It seems that gods do take care of the Balinese. Infinite motorbikes everywhere; driven in an insanely way with no safety rules as we know them and all drivers and riders acting naturally with no fear, no tension at all and minimal accidents happening.

Tourists have so many things to see and enjoy; riding and being crowned by elephants, playing with dolphins, watching dancing performances from girls (Legong Keraton dance), exploring so different places, jungle, cultural cities, temples and of course the beaches. The variety is found in all scales of life; it is not only the rice paddies vs. the beaches, it is also the traditional Balinese walking by the tourists on the beach.

Now that you have a very slight idea of the Bali experience, I would suggest to every one of you reading this post to bring in mind related pictures of the country you live in. You will notice that for every single picture and saying presented above you will find an analogy in the life around you. It is the everyday practice and habits that sometimes prevent us to see the variety around us. I do not propose that you do not explore the physical world, but the experience is mainly in here and now.

Take care and enjoy Life!