Tanjung Benoa, Southeast Coast of Bali, Indonesia
Good morning, it appears to be yet another beautiful day in the South Pacific, although as of this morning we are probably skirting the edge of the Indian Ocean. This is really our first day in Indonesia, the island of Komodo really didn’t count. It was too remote.
We don’t dock until 10 this morning, so there is plenty of time to read through the daily newsletter – Passages. One thing in particular stands out: Health & Well-Being Ashore. Apparently, health and hygiene in Indonesia is “not up to the standards that we have come to expect in our home countries.” Interesting Indonesia isn’t considered a third world country currently. It is now considered a developing nation.
Well, developing nations have their own set of problems. We are entering Benoa Bay. WOW, looks at al the ships, it would be an exaggeration to say thousands, but hundreds probably wouldn’t be. Ships of each and every type. Large cargo ships, other cruise ships, luxury yachts, smaller, probably, local cargo ships, fishing vessels, and small Jukung or Kano boats.
Got you didn’t we? Don’t know what a Jukung or Kano is? That’s ok neither did we. A Jukung is a traditional fishing boat. Also known as a cadik, it is a small wooden Indonesian outrigger canoe. They can be single hull or double hulled. They are used for transport in daily activity such as going to the office, to school or shopping.
Looking out over the bay as we enter, after marveling at the number of ships in the bay, one of the first things you notice is how dirty the water is. Not a muddy dirty, but a littered dirty. Plastic bottles, soda cans, and other debris is everywhere. Bali evokes images of grass huts, pristine white beaches and beautiful blue waters.
The Bali Hai of the 1958 movie South Pacific, doesn’t appear to exist. Before us is a city of several hundred thousand people. The truth is Benoa is like Los Angeles, California, a conglomeration of several cities. There are tall modern looking high rise buildings, the spires of temples, low colonial looking buildings. It will be interesting to visit.
This morning's excursion is entitled Discover Bali. Passages says “Bali is an Indonesian island known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches, and coral reefs. It’s a popular tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors each year from around the world. Bali offered a diverse range of attractions and activities, from exploring cultural landmarks such as temples and palaces to enjoying water sports like surfing and diving. Benoa is a district located in the souther part of Bali. It’s primarily known for its port, which serves as a hub for cruise ships and cargo vessels.”
Looks like things are going to move right along this morning. Our scheduled docking time is 10 and here it is just gone 9:30 and we and being positioned into our berth. It appears we will actually dock at a cruise terminal rather than and dock in the commercial terminal area. The area around the cruise terminal is all commercial.
We are assembling in the Constellation Theater just before is goes 10. Get our number and sit down. No sooner are our butts on the chair than they call numbers 1 & 2. We are number 1. We walk through the cruise terminal, it has the usual gauntlet of tourist shops, and get on the bus.
As we ride through town there is a lot to notice. The most obvious thing is the city is crowded. Vehicles everywhere, literally everywhere. Motorcycle’s, scooters and mopeds, thousands on them, no really thousands of them. They are going in every which direction. Most of them going with the flow of traffic.
Sitting in the front row of seats we have a great view of everything in front of us. The nest thing you notice is that apparently the white lines, which are clearly evident on the road, are apparently, suggestions. The bus moves back and forth across the lines, motorcycles dogging in between the vehicles with no apparent fear. Interestingly they are all wearing helmets. Anything with a motor has a rider with a helmet. Probably a really good idea here, although if you got knocked of your bike, you would probably be run over before anyone noticed you were down.
Riding though the city you notice something else. There is littler everywhere. Wires, maybe telephone, power or cable lines, are strung loosely between the poles and buildings, even resting on top of bus stops and shacks that line the road. There is the occasional sidewalk but mist of it is just dirt.
The buildings range from shanties to ultra modern high rises. It is clear however that the heat and humidity have taken its toll on the all the buildings. Many appear to be vacant. We are headed to a place called Batubulan which is supposedly about forty-five minutes from the cruise terminal. It is slightly northeast of the cruise terminal in Benoa.
The bus continues to weave through the city. We are a passing though several roundabouts. In the larger ones there are huge pieces of artwork. They are grandiose. Lions, dragons and lotus flowers, twenty or thirty feet or more tall. They really seem totally out of place among the hanging wires and shanties around them. Probably really good propaganda for the ruling government, although they don’t appear to have political significance, either that or we are just unable to make the connection.
The first stop is at Kecak Dance Butubulan. The setting is a theater type of seating around a central stage. There is a group of twenty or so musicians sitting off to the right. They are playing what is probably a traditional Balinese song using traditional instruments. They are loud enough that it is really easy to hear them – even after the hearing aides have been removed.
The program says we are going to watch the Barong and Keris Dance. The Barong dance represents the eternal war between the good and evil spirits. The Barong, a mythological creature resembling a tiger, embodies the spirit of good, while Rangda, another mythological monster, embodies the spirit of evil.
The overture is a scene where the legendary white tiger played in the forest alongside its best friend, the monkey. They appear to be living in harmony until the humans arrive and destroy their environment. The humans hunt the animals because the animals keep stealing from the village Due to hunger. The monkey hurts or cuts on the hunter’s nose, causing chaos and hatred in their lives. The costumes are very elaborate and the dancing is complex. There are five more acts before the show is completed.
It has gone twelve thirty and the show is over. It is a total culture shock when compared to traditional english or american theater. We are getting back on the bus and will shortly be on our way to the Bali Bird Park in Singapadu about fifteen minutes away.
These birds are amazingly beautiful. They are colorful and range in size of very small to humongous. Walking though the park we can’t help but notice all the different birds. Yes there are a number of cockatoos of different colors. There are large emu like birds standing over a meter high. They are as big as the ostriches, but still have large powerful legs. There are owls, appropriately, in a dark little hut. Totally amazing. Walking down the path we also see Komodo Dragons. It has nothing to do with birds, but they have them here for visitors we imagine.
Our next stop is also in Singapadu at what the guide/driver says is a typical traditional Indonesian home. It is really more of a compound that a “home”. In the traditional Indonesian village people live in “homes” which consist of a half dozen or more buildings. Families tend to live together, that is several generations in one “home”. This one is probably on an acre or more of land. It has an open-air building, meaning that three sides of the building are open, and one side completely closed, which serves as the kitchen.
The mother, grandmother or daughter in-law, gets up early and cooks the “meal” for the day. Indonesians don’t sit down to breakfast around the breakfast table, they simply go to the “kitchen” and get a plate of food, then find a spot to eat. They don’t go all at once but when they are hungry through out the day. Honestly according to him there really isn’t the concept of three meals a day.
Within the compound they grow their own herbs and vegetables. If they have room they may have a chickens, goats or even pigs. They may have a nearby field where corn is grown, or a rice paddy for the cultivation of rice. Basically substance farming.
They do have a “meeting house” where the family can get together to discuss issues or just relax. This too is an open architecture. There is a structure set aside for the ancestors. When some one dies, they are laid out here for two or three says before being cremated. It is a very different way of doing things, however it sounds quite impressive.
Oh, we forgot to include, that families with sufficient land may also have a fish pond where they “grow” fish. These are not koi ponds but fish for eating. Again it is very fascinating. They do, of course, also have a family temple area where the ancestors reside.
There is a small temple for each ancestor that has passed away within the grandeur temple. Although looking at them, each separate little structure within the bigger temple area, which is completely open air, must “hold” more than one ancestor. Either that or hey haven’t been at it very long, there aren’t sufficient temples.
Now they do cremate their dead. Interestingly there are several cremations. The first one burns the body. A small amount of ashes are reserved, then the rest are spread, preferably, on the ocean. If it isn’t possible to get to the ocean a river will work. The small amount of reserved ash is then “built” into a wooden replica of the deceased. This is then cremated again. These ashes are also spread at sea.
Finally, an additional, very small, representation of the ancestor is made, and it is this that is placed in the small individual temple within the family temple complex. There is undoubtedly way more to this ritual than we have explained here. However, honor thy mother and father are a theme of life here.
We left here and took a short ride to a neighborhood or village temple on Jalan Raya Tebongkang. This is laid out in a similar manner as the traditional family home. There are several buildings within the compound. Two gates at the entrance signifying the struggle between good and evil. The designs of the temple are beautiful.
This temple was built in the 1800’s. The purpose is to have a place where people come together to celebrate holy days. It really isn’t a place of daily prayer, although you could do so if you wished. The guide is still a little difficult to understand so we probably missed out on a lot of the details. The over all jest of it is that this is where they celebrate as a village or community.
On the ride back we noticed that every once in a while, there would be an entrance or street, leading to a “neighborhood” or village. The same two gate theme would be involved. Even though we are in a large metropolitan city, each “clan” or “family” has its own village within the town.
After dinner, back at the Mariner, we have an opportunity to talk with I Putu (first son, that’s another whole story). He says yes, in the villages, away from the city, people do actually live in the traditional manner. However, this isn’t possible in the city. So yes, people live in more modern houses.
You're going to love this. In Bali the firstborn child is named Putu, Wayan or Gede. Male or female it doesn’t matter. If you are a male, you become I Putu, I Wayan or I Gede. If you are female, you are Ne Putu, Ne Wayan or Ne Gede. If you were born the second child you are either Made or Kadek. The third child is Nyoman or Komang, and the fourth child is Ketut. So going to school, most of the boys are named I Putu, most of the girls are named Ne Putu. Confusing, you bet your sweet behind.
Apparently, it doesn’t bother them, they know who is whom, somehow. In the modern world they are also adopted a last name to help diffuse the confusion. But just think to first cousins, both boys, are both named I Putu Smith (or whatever). Things get more complicated if the family has a fourth child, or fifth or sixth, same program. Wayan, Putu or Gede becomes Wayan Balik or Putu Balik or Gede Balik. This simply means “another Wayan”, etc. And remember, they all live together in one house. The father is the first born child is a male, and his name is I Putu, and the son first born is a male, name I Putu, and his first born child is a male, named I Putu. So, father, son, grandson all have the same name I Putu.
The second day in Benoa we didn’t leave the ship. The ship left the dock at 13:00 and the excursions left before 7 AM. They were to a couple different temples. They are are spectacular in their own right, but more than one church in a day is enough. So we played cards and did laundry. A nice relaxing day.
Buonanotte e Ciao Enrico and Maria
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