Welcome to Bali

Bali, Indonesia, Island of the Gods:

In March, 2010 Karyn and Jay set off for the island of Bali for a part business trip part vacation, and part life experience sort of trip.  With the island of Java to the west and Lombock to the east, Bali (pop. 3.5 million) is the only Hindu province surrounded by the remaining 33 muslim provinces of Indonesia.  Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world with over 18,000 islands.   We agree with Margaret Mead’s assessment  “Bali is an enchanted land of aesthetes at peace with themselves and nature”.   Balinese Hinduism is deeply interwoven with art and ritual, daily offerings and daily celebrations.  Bali's tourism brand is Bali Shanti Shanti Shanti. ("Shanti" (शान्ति) meaning peace).   The perfect birth place of our malas.

Distance between Boulder, Colorado, United States and Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, as the crow flies:  9151 miles (14727 km) (7952 nautical miles) which equals an approx. 21 hours worth of air travel and 14 hour time difference with Karyn stopping in Seoul Korea, and Jay stopping in Taiwan (took separate flights, long story).   $1USD=10,000 Rupiah made for rather simple conversion.  Avg. temp. while we were there 90 degrees with 87% humidity.  We were told it WASNT the hot season.  We always seemed wet with sweat, ocean water, pool water or from a shower.

Language = difficult.  With over 350 native languages in use the most common one is  Bahasa Indonesian, we got a few key phrases down, the one we most used was terima kasih (thank you).  When Karyn, using her handy dandy dictionary, gave directions to the driver in Bahasa Indonesian she was given a long response in maybe Bahasa, none of which she could understand!  Lesson learned.  Gratefully many people new a touch of English, some very well.

We are grateful to our friends, business partners and hosts Soma and Shiva for letting us stay at their beautiful villa in Pecatu, near Ulu Watu.  We adored meeting our new friends Kunda and Sangeeta (and fellow band members of Sankirtan) from Byron  Bay.  We are so happy to have met all of Soma and Shiva’s beautiful staff (Made, Made and Made, the Balinese have only four names for family members denoting birth order and caste) who did all our cooking, laundry, driving, cleaning, and the occasional massage!  We were so glad to finally put some faces to those we work with at  Aum Rudraksha/BaliMalas.  and to see their offices.  We were touched to meet Robin Lim of Bumi Sehat, it is often to hear of those trying to change the world, but to actually meet someone who IS was truly a blessing and very humbling.    The Bali Spirit Festival was the culmination of our trip and as always an inspiring time for Karyn to be with her teacher Shiva Rea, at the sacred Monkey Forest Temple and given the treat to visit the inner most sanctum of this temple after performing the first ever western Kecak dance there!

We were in Bali for two weeks, which felt like at least a month.  We traveled from the southern most point at Soma’s villa on Bingin Beach on the Bukit to the northern island of Menjangan island for the most incredible snorkeling/scuba.  We loved staying at Taman Sari so much we expended it a night, and sponsored a baby coral in their reef project there.  We stayed in Ubud at the Mansion, in the center of the island and drove scooters everywhere (on the opposite side of the road, a real experience in itself).  Time, minds and hearts were all expanded.  Our tans are beginning to fade and peel but I can still smell the scent of frangipani in our clothes.  As a friend told me, sometimes the real trip begins once you come home.  We are finding this to be very true.

Ulu Watu

On my list of things I really wanted to do while in Bali was to visit temples and learn to surf.  While we were staying with our dear friends/hosts/business partners, Soma and Shiva, they told us UluWattu, which offers both, was very close to their villa .  They lent us beautiful sarongs and waist scarfs (require attire to visit any temple in Bali), and told me to take off all jewelry because of the monkeys. With limited directions and our handy dandy Indonesian dictionary off my husband and I ventured for our first motorbike ride (on the opposite side of the road) through this country to find UluWattu. 

The countryside on this part of the Bukit (southern peninsula of Bali) is gorgeous and we were pleasantly surprised at the condition of the roads, freshly paved and smooth.  As we zoomed along, up and down curving our way closer, I was excited to visit to my first Hindu temple.  I had heard from friends who had been to India about their temple experiences and was anxious to have my own.  We easily found the nearly empty parking lot surrounded by small Warungs (shops/restaurants) and proceeded to do the sarong wrap (too difficult to ride on a motorbike with sarong on) and agreed to hire a guide to take us through the monkeys to the temple. 

Our guide Wyrung carried a large slingshot and had to merely think about pointing it at the monkey’s who wouldn’t move from our path, and they scattered, I assume they had felt the twang of a pebble launched from his slingshot in the past.  Smart monkeys.  We were quickly taken in by the incredible view of the Indian Ocean

crashing at least 1000 feet below us.  I could easily see why this was considered a “directional Temple” that guards Bali from evil spirits from the SW.  The blues, greens, whites of the ocean churning below were spectacular.  We stood in a hypnotic state for a bit, silently watching and taking in where we were standing. Had we really just been at the foot of the Rocky Mountains yesterday?   We continued our walk along the wall of the outer most temple to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple with its black coral rock and more spectacular views.  I kept looking for the “temple”, and our guide kept pointing to an open courtyard.  Not exactly what I had pictured as a temple.   No ceiling and low walls, a large elaborate entrance gate area, many stone statues and an open courtyard.  This was the typical Balinese Hindu temple.  Later I learned the lack of roof makes it easier to communicate with the gods.  Famous not only for its unique position, Uluwatu boasts as one of the oldest temples in Bali, built by a Javanese Hindu priest in the 10th century.  In the 15th Century the great pilgrim priest Dhang Hyang Dwijendra, who established the present form of Hindu-Dharma religion, chose Pura Uluwatu as his last earthly abode: history records that Dwijendra achieved moksa (oneness with the godhead, in a flash of blazing light) while meditating at Uluwatu.  This wasn’t too far of a stretch to imagine that happening here. 

Through the heat of the day we began our decent over the west side of the temple, pausing in the shade to take in this sides’ view, we spotted  far below in the raging waves and rocks, really?  Surfers?!   They must be crazy, how did they get there? After a cooling coconut and drink at a Warung we hopped on our motorbike and headed over to Uluwatu Beach.

Down many many narrow steps you arrive to a small slit of sand with the ocean churning between two steep walled caves.  This is the entrance and exit to some of the best surfing around, granting of course you can get through this gauntlet during high tide.

We took a quick dip to cool off and even wading here was treacherous as the waves pushed you to and fro with all their might.  This beach is well known for its surfing movie-making angles and perches, and in nearby hostelries, its full moon rage parties. A popular surfing spot for the very experienced, and for us not so experienced Uluwatu offers a wonderful vantage point to watch.   We had lunch at one of the many warungs  perched on the cliff and surveyed the vast Indian Ocean full of daredevil surfers.  We oohed and awed over our burgers at each surfers ride and subsequent wipeouts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSPVpT0Pg5I&feature=youtube_gdata

As we made our way back home to Villa Soma I understood why our malas and jewelry carried the energy and essence they do.  Just having this first day in the neighborhood where our designs are created and made, a day of spirituality, history and surf really made sense as to why our products are so incredibly unique.  Bali Malas pieces are made in one of the most culturally rich, historically strong, geographically beautiful, inspiring places on the planet I’ve ever visited.  When I got back to the

offices at the villa I named one of our bracelets Uluwatu Surf Bracelet and put it on.  It has sat on my wrist now for over four weeks.  The colored thread has faded and mellowed and the salt water of all the ocean swims has worn off, but as long as I wear this I will feel the push and pull of the Uluawtu beach caves, the heat of the temples, the thrill of the surfers and the warding off of the evil spirits. 

P.S. surf lessons will have to wait for another day.