This is just a small insight
into daily life and surrounding on the beautiful island of Bali.
E
ach trip we do to Bali, we make sure to
take some time to travel out of the tourist areas to the
more remote
parts
of the island to get a feel and idea of how the people live
and carry out their day to day lives. In the rural areas one
can get a feel of what the island is about and how the
people live in harmony and the important part nature plays
in their everyday life.
Religion and ceremony form a large part
of the Balinese culture, wherever we travel there are always
families on the way to temple or ceremony, no matter what
the time of day is, all homes have their own family temple
as well as temples in the village where ceremonies and
rituals take place. Each Balinese life is marked by a series
of ceremonies the first of which start before birth and
continue throughout life to the final cremation which is an
amazing spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event.
During the first 6 months of a child’s life it is not to be
put down but passed from person to person in the family,
this shows the importance of children in Balinese culture.
When you are a teenager your top teeth are filled, this
ceremony is to release the evils living within you and
prepare you for adulthood and marriage.
Most of the population lives off the
land, rice being the staple food; this is supplemented by
many other fruits and vegetables that grow on this tropical
island.
Almost all families own rice fields and grow rice
for the home and community, others farm ducks, domestic
animals or harvest cultivated produce that is consumed in
the community, sold or bartered to others for needed goods.
Spices like cloves and nutmeg are harvested and prepared in
the villages, then sold on to co-operatives or spice
merchants.
When we were last in Bali, there was
preparation for Nyepi, Bali’s day of silence; there were float
parades with large painted bamboo and paper depictions of all
the Hindu gods. All the villages have carnival and parades
accompanied by Balinese orchestra’s, then at night fall the
parade of Ogho-Ogho or evil spirits that inhabit our lives and
environment are usually burned at a cross roads in or near the
village as this is believed to be a place where these spirits
congregate.
The next day is Nyepi a day of silent reflection and
respect to the gods and spirits that inhabit the world. No
driving or use of any vehicles is permitted, families all stay
quietly indoors at home, every one is quiet, no noise or
disturbance in the home or village, only the sound of dogs and
birds can be heard. If you are staying in a hotel one must stay
within the hotel grounds, plan no activities and have a peaceful
relaxing day.
The pictures we have included here, have
their own captions and only show a glimpse of this beautiful
Island, on our travels we came upon a small weaving village and
asked to be shown around as we had interest in Buying the Ikat
cloth that is woven in the village.
We came across this young
girl weaving and asked what she was making. The head of the
household we were in explained that she was learning to weave,
as every girl had to be able to weave before getting married,
she through an intricate set of weaving patterns was weaving a
love letter in the cloth for her husband to be.
We took Alex fishing in one of the
villages, and he caught a large fish from the Piranha family,
apparently this type is herbivore, it was caught it on a slice
of green mango. Where ever we travel and work, people want to
know his name and call him “Alex my boy” when we arrive back on
subsequent visits they all know him and call for him, children
are very important in Bali Life. The two children from the
village, we met during a stop at the village store, they had
just come back from temple and were sitting having a drink
before making there way home.
tourist areas to the
more remote
parts
of the island to get a feel and idea of how the people live
and carry out their day to day lives. In the rural areas one
can get a feel of what the island is about and how the
people live in harmony and the important part nature plays
in their everyday life.
temple or ceremony, no matter what
the time of day is, all homes have their own family temple
as well as temples in the village where ceremonies and
rituals take place. Each Balinese life is marked by a series
of ceremonies the first of which start before birth and
continue throughout life to the final cremation which is an
amazing spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event.
rice
for the home and community, others farm ducks, domestic
animals or harvest cultivated produce that is consumed in
the community, sold or bartered to others for needed goods.
Spices like cloves and nutmeg are harvested and prepared in
the villages, then sold on to co-operatives or spice
merchants.
there were float
parades with large painted bamboo and paper depictions of all
the Hindu gods. All the villages have carnival and parades
accompanied by Balinese orchestra’s, then at night fall the
parade of Ogho-Ogho or evil spirits that inhabit our lives and
environment are usually burned at a cross roads in or near the
village as this is believed to be a place where these spirits
congregate. 
quietly indoors at home, every one is quiet, no noise or
disturbance in the home or village, only the sound of dogs and
birds can be heard. If you are staying in a hotel one must stay
within the hotel grounds, plan no activities and have a peaceful
relaxing day.
We came across this young
girl weaving and asked what she was making. The head of the
household we were in explained that she was learning to weave,
as every girl had to be able to weave before getting married,
she through an intricate set of weaving patterns was weaving a
love letter in the cloth for her husband to be.
travel and work, people want to
know his name and call him “Alex my boy” when we arrive back on
subsequent visits they all know him and call for him, children
are very important in Bali Life. The two children from the
village, we met during a stop at the village store, they had
just come back from temple and were sitting having a drink
before making there way home.