Still trying to catch up on left-out events :-)
And I've realized that some of my best shots are on my SLR which I haven't had time to shrink down to not choke the blog upload. So I'll try to add more photos later. Right now I'll just work on actually getting this posted.
And I've realized that some of my best shots are on my SLR which I haven't had time to shrink down to not choke the blog upload. So I'll try to add more photos later. Right now I'll just work on actually getting this posted.
When we were planning our trip to Nusa Penida, I originally wanted to go during the week but was told that the staff at FNPF could not accommodate our stay until after April 5th. I had no idea why but changed my travel plans to come on the 6th instead. It wasn't until a day or two before that I learned why: 5 March is the 15th day after Nyepi and important for cleansing the soul. It is a huge religious time here in Bali. Cok Bagus explained that many of the temples in the area would be bringing their gods and barong to the temple at the north end of Payangan and that we should walk up there with him for the ceremony.
Procession going by our house:
The processions from the temples started pretty early in the morning and around mid-morning, Bagus announced it was time for us to go. Tim and I were both dressed more-or-less appropriately (Tim didn't yet own a white shirt and I still do not own a kebaya) with a properly wrapped sarong (we're getting pretty good at it) and sash. Tim still has to prefold the cascading folds that men wear at the front of the songket kamben but we've both gotten to the point where they no longer slip or threaten to fall to our ankles somewhere public. The way that the songket kamben (men's) folds means that there is an opening at the front and you can take strides as long as you want. Unfortunately, the women's kamben is wrapped multiple times around the waist and with a traditional sized sarong, only mincing steps can be taken. The temple is a few kilometers uphill from our house and everyone had to keep stopping and waiting for me to catch up. It is humbling to be the slow one in a party.
We walked up in a crowd of people and when we arrived Gong Gek was already sitting in the muddy grass in front of the temple with much of her family. They all squeezed over to make room for Tim and I (Bagus had disappeared by this time) but by the time I tucked myself in, Tim was nowhere to be seen. Several of the temples had already arrived and the temple plaza was filled with about four barong plus the carriers for the gods a bunch of gamelan instruments and all sorts of other things. The temple processions kept coming for quite awhile, then we had a dance performance (one by women and one by men) and the five prayers. Gong Gek shared flowers and incense with me and let me know when to use a flower (or not) and when to put out my hands for tirta (holy water).
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Then when it was all over we walked back to Payangan, surrounded by hundreds of people, barong, and gamelan players. The pipes are actually quite beautiful and there were several solos by the pipe players while we were walking which was really fun to hear. Most of the time though it is all about gongs and drums and you actually feel the music as much as hear it as it vibrates through every cell in your body!