2016.03.02 Bali, Hong Kong and San Francisco
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Bali, Hong Kong, and San Francisco Wednesday, March 02 Landing in Hong Kong, we arrived too early (06:00) to be informed of the departure gate for our connecting flight, Cathay Pacific 785, scheduled to depart at 10:15. That would be announced later. But in the meantime we could go to the duty free shop. Liz had learned that the tax rate for liquor in Bali was quite steep but we could bring two bottles into the country. We were sure that would be more than enough. Ngurah Rai International Airport, also known as Denpasar International Airport (DPS), is located in southern Bali, 13 km south of Denpasar. The International terminal has a Balinese architectural theme and has separate departure and arrival halls. Major renovation has taken place since 2011 and work continues to make improvements to both the international and domestic terminals. Once we cleared security and immigration checkpoints we entered the terminal and began looking for a World Spree representative. Since San Francisco, we had met several couples who also were on our tour. We could see some of them and others, all trying to find a point of contact. Ultimately we did 235 locate our guide who was trying to hold up a World Spree placard while also trying to use the back of it to check off names of our group members. Situated in the tropics close to the equator, Bali is part of the Indonesian archipelago but has always retained a unique identity. Balinese Hinduism, which has its roots in Indian Hinduism and Buddhism, is the predominant religion and shapes much of the island's life and culture. An estimated 20,000 temples and shrines scatter the island and colorful religious ceremonies can regularly be seen. Our guide said, “my name is i empat August.” He rounded up 22 people at the airport midst all the confusion and then we were off for an hour and a half drive to Alaya Ubud Hotel. As the bus drove August explained his name and went into a brief description of how people are named in this country as they do not use surnames as we know them. “In Bali we all use the same naming system. We are named by our order of birth. A child is satu (one); dua (two); tiga (three); or empat (four). If there are more than four children the sequence begins again with the fifth also called satu. If the child is male the name is preceded by 'i' or female by 'ni'. If you call out to a friend, 'Hey I satu' in a crowd 25% could respond so we add a nickname to reduce the confusion. So i empat August identifies me as August, the forth child, male, in our family.” Using that system our names are “i empat John” and “ni tiga Liz.” I did look up the naming system later and it is a bit more complicated as the names can also indicate caste identification. “The Balinese name is a naming system used by the Balinese people of Bali, Indonesia and the western parts of neighboring island of Lombok, Indonesia, which is characterized by the use of four 'typical' names. Since most Balinese are Hindus, most names are Sanskrit, while others still use native Balinese one. Regardless of being male or female, each person receives one of four names based on birth order. Though there are significant variations in the four names of Balinese people, some due to caste membership, and others due to regional customs and variations in the Balinese language between the North and the South of the island, there are four names in Balinese culture that are repeated frequently. The firstborn is "Wayan" or "Gede" or "Putu", second is "Made" or "Kadek", third is "Nyoman" or "Komang" (Man or Mang for short), and fourth is "Ketut" (often elided to Tut). (The vowels are pronounced vowels similarly as in Spanish or Italian). Balinese names are rendered into Roman script by the Romanization of the Indonesian language. The spelling to pronunciation relationship is said to be "perfect" because the spelling of words was revised significantly in the 70's and/or 80's (and even more recently).” Before we left the airport we had marked our bags with tags already prepared with our room number (205) at the Alaya Ubud Hotel . “With 60 luxurious suites, Alaya Resort Ubud is a sanctuary of serenity and sophistication in the culturally charged village of Ubud 236 in the island of Bali. It has been built with rare sensitivity towards the surrounding environment and shares its rice terrace views with a number of the communities' local independent cafes and eateries, including the neighboring Bebek Bengil restaurant and Monkey Forest. As part of Ubud's evolving hospitality scene, the exotic boutique property offers guests a stylish place to stay that reflects Ubud's and Bali's unique artistry. A number Bali's most respected and talented designers have collaborated to create this elegant hotel with a distinct sense of belonging.” By the time we collected passports at the desk and were issued keys our bags were in the room. We partially unpacked and went to change money in the lobby. The front desk does not perform that function but there was a Currency Exchange office 500 meters from the hotel. We exchanged $200.00 = 2,655,619.66 IDR (Indonesian Rupiah) so we were millionaires with need for larger wallets. Our group would be going out for dinner and we wanted to have some pocket money before we left the hotel. Then we walked up the street to the corner and the Coco Supermarket. We waited in line as there were few clerks manning the cash registers although there were plenty of clerks in the store. Then we left and made a quick stop at a shop where we could buy a couple cans of tonic to go with the bottle of gin we brought from the airport. By this time we needed to gather in the hotel lobby to go to dinner. Many of our group noticed the decorations in front of many of the buildings and August said our visit coincided with Galungan, a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma. "It marks the time when the ancestral spirits visit the Earth. The last day of the celebration is Kuningan, when they return. The date is calculated according to the 210-day Balinese calendar. Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. The spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated return to visit their former homes, and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings. The most obvious sign of the celebrations are the penjor - bamboo poles with offerings suspended at the end. These are installed by the side of roads. A number of days around the Kuningan day have special names, and are marked by the organization of particular activities." “The penjor is a tall, curved bamboo pole decorated with coconut leaves with an offering at the base. This is one of the media used by Hindus in Bali as part of almost every important ceremony, especially for the anniversary temple celebrations. The Sri Jaya Kasunu manuscript states that the penjor symbolizes the mountain and the mountain itself is the symbol of the universe. Therefore, for the Balinese 237 the penjor is synonymous with Mount Agung, the highest and holiest mountain in Bali. The aim of erecting penjors at Galungan is to show devotion to God in His manifestation as Hyang Giri Pati (the God of the mountain). Mountains with deep forests hold a lot of water, which flows into rivers. This then fulfils water needs for irrigation and drinking water. During Galungan celebrations, each family erects a penjor outside their gate, which makes the whole neighborhood look splendid.” Our driver let us off near the Ubud Palace and we walked about a block to the Cafe Lotus Ubud. Tables had been reserved for us and our group had the opportunity to meet one another as we looked out over the gardens toward the stage about 25 meters in front of us. Here we would be able to enjoy a Balinese Folklore Program which featured the “Spirit of Women” Ramayana Ballet. “The story of the Ramayana greatly inspires the Balinese. Many of their dances are based on this great story, which is often depicted in a ballet. The Balinese version differs from the Indian Version. It is told that Rama, as the first son in a family, was the heir to the Ayodya kingdom but the king's second wife, through her treachery forced the king to crown her own son as the King of Ayodya and asked him to send Rama and his wife into exile. Rama therefore went with his wife, Sita and his beloved younger brother, Laksmana into a forest called Dandaka. Usually the first act of the ballet depicts Rama and entourage in the heart of the Dandaka forest. Rahwana, the evil King of Alengka, enchanted by the beauty of Sita, wanted to have her as his concubine. He sent one of his knights, Marica, to tempt Sita by transforming himself into a golden deer. Sita, captivated by the deer, asked her husband to catch the golden deer. The next act explains how Rama succeeds in hunting the golden deer but as his arrow struck the golden deer it transformed back into Marica. Meanwhile Sita heard a distant cry for help. Laksmana, who had been asked by his brother to look after his sister-in-law, tried to explain to her that the cry sounds were very suspicious.