Bali

Showing 5 posts tagged Bali

Eating, Praying and Living in Bali (Part 3) View Part 1 of my Bali series, ‘Pray’ and Part 2, ‘Eat’. LIFE It is impossible to speak about Bali in the last few years without a more than passing association with Eat, Pray, Love - the literary phenomenon of lost, self discovery and ultimately, love from American author Elizabeth Gilbert. A tale of Elizabeth’s search for balance and self after a crushing divorce set her on a spiral of depression, her search takes her to Italy, which constitutes the culinary portion of the book title, India, where, holed up in an ashram in meditation, she discovers her inner spirituality, and finally, Bali, where she found love. The book has been such a hit that ‘Eat Pray Love pilgrims’ have been visiting Bali, people coming from all over the world, drawn by the vivid descriptions painted by Gilbert, seeking their own versions of discovery. Not unlike the ‘Sound of Music tourist’ in Salzburg, skipping about in Mirabell Gardens and the famous gazebo, these Eat Pray Lovers roam about, clutching well-thumbed copies of the book, trying to identify places where the book (and later, film starring Julia Roberts) describes and to experience what Elizabeth Gilbert experienced during her time in Bali (primarily Ubud). And the local tourism infrastructure has cashed in, with drivers eager to point out places where iconic scenes were filmed, and where Julia Roberts stayed whilst in Bali (Four Seasons), and that Ketut the medicine man ‘is not the man he was since success came to him’. Old lady selling baskets and other rattan products at Ubud Market Ubud Market Eggs for sale Lady preparing offerings Hydrangeas Fish for sale The book and film paint a very romanticised picture of Bali, which to be honest, is not too far away from the truth. I worry about falling into the western trap of romanticising poverty and ‘a simpler way of life’ when evidently, those at the ‘unromantic’ end of the equation have understandable desires for a television or a new moped and the other little luxuries development brings. An incredibly laid-back, spiritual and idyllic place (assuming you avoid the mayhem that is Kuta), our week in Ubud, Bali allowed us a glimpse at life in the slow lane, and it is intoxicating. A bucolic utopia A rice farmer’s best friend, ducks not only eat the pests that plague their crop, they also fertilise the soil with their droppings. Bucolic paddy fields and fruit trees growing wild, children catching fish with little nets by the stream, chickens scratching on the ground for worms in generations-old traditional family compounds, it certainly makes our addiction to smart phones and tight schedules seem a bit bewildering. Eating in Italy, Praying in India and Loving in Bali? I think that Elizabeth Gilbert could possibly have saved herself some time (and money on airfares and attendant fuel surcharges) by finding all three in Bali. Relaxing Cocoa pods growing on the tree Cocoa pod and nutmeg View the rest of my Bali Series or check out the rest of my photography on Handcarry Only. High-res

Eating, Praying and Living in Bali (Part 3)

View Part 1 of my Bali series, ‘Pray’ and Part 2, ‘Eat’.

LIFE

It is impossible to speak about Bali in the last few years without a more than passing association with Eat, Pray, Love - the literary phenomenon of lost, self discovery and ultimately, love from American author Elizabeth Gilbert. A tale of Elizabeth’s search for balance and self after a crushing divorce set her on a spiral of depression, her search takes her to Italy, which constitutes the culinary portion of the book title, India, where, holed up in an ashram in meditation, she discovers her inner spirituality, and finally, Bali, where she found love.

The book has been such a hit that ‘Eat Pray Love pilgrims’ have been visiting Bali, people coming from all over the world, drawn by the vivid descriptions painted by Gilbert, seeking their own versions of discovery. Not unlike the ‘Sound of Music tourist’ in Salzburg, skipping about in Mirabell Gardens and the famous gazebo, these Eat Pray Lovers roam about, clutching well-thumbed copies of the book, trying to identify places where the book (and later, film starring Julia Roberts) describes and to experience what Elizabeth Gilbert experienced during her time in Bali (primarily Ubud). And the local tourism infrastructure has cashed in, with drivers eager to point out places where iconic scenes were filmed, and where Julia Roberts stayed whilst in Bali (Four Seasons), and that Ketut the medicine man ‘is not the man he was since success came to him’.

old woman selling baskets ubud market

Old lady selling baskets and other rattan products at Ubud Market

ubud market

Ubud Market

eggs for sale

Eggs for sale

lady making offerings

Lady preparing offerings

hydrangeas in ubud market

Hydrangeas

fish for sale

Fish for sale

The book and film paint a very romanticised picture of Bali, which to be honest, is not too far away from the truth. I worry about falling into the western trap of romanticising poverty and ‘a simpler way of life’ when evidently, those at the ‘unromantic’ end of the equation have understandable desires for a television or a new moped and the other little luxuries development brings. An incredibly laid-back, spiritual and idyllic place (assuming you avoid the mayhem that is Kuta), our week in Ubud, Bali allowed us a glimpse at life in the slow lane, and it is intoxicating.

rice paddies bali
A bucolic utopia
ducks rice paddy
A rice farmer’s best friend, ducks not only eat the pests that plague their crop, they also fertilise the soil with their droppings.

man on rice paddy

Bucolic paddy fields and fruit trees growing wild, children catching fish with little nets by the stream, chickens scratching on the ground for worms in generations-old traditional family compounds, it certainly makes our addiction to smart phones and tight schedules seem a bit bewildering.

Eating in Italy, Praying in India and Loving in Bali? I think that Elizabeth Gilbert could possibly have saved herself some time (and money on airfares and attendant fuel surcharges) by finding all three in Bali.

checking out the girl

old man with beanie portrait
battered car
feet on balcony
Relaxing

cocoa pods growing on tree

Cocoa pods growing on the tree

cocoa pod and nutmeg

Cocoa pod and nutmeg

View the rest of my Bali Series or check out the rest of my photography on Handcarry Only.

Eating, Praying and Living in Bali (Part 2) View Part 1 of my Bali series, ‘Pray’ EAT Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a glutton (ok, maybe I am, just a little), but food definitely excites me. Especially if it involves copious amounts of meat, preferably cooked over some kind of fire. Which is why the sublime BBQ ribs at Naughty Nuri’s Warung in Ubud is a match made in heaven for me. An open BBQ pit in front of the warung acts as their kitchen as well as a marketing tool for people passing by. The glorious smells and sight of slabs of ribs slow cooking over an open flame proves too much for many of the passers-by, which probably explains the popularity of Naughty Nuri’s. Admittedly, the price of the food is somewhat ‘expat’ and it does attract a sizable tourist/expat crowd, but I spotted a number of more middle class locals there as well. Opened by Isnuri Suryatmi and her American husband, Brian Kenny Aldinger, Nuri’s has a local yet international vibe to the place. I learnt of the mean Martinis being served there only after we left Bali so unfortunately did not try them, but we went back a couple of times for the succulent ribs, which are served in large slabs, and eaten in the dimly lit warung. I could barely make out what I was eating but it sure tasted good. At Nuri’s in Ubud We also attended a cooking class conducted by Paon Bali, run by a husband and wife team of Puspa and Wayan, we were introduced to various produce on offer at Ubud market in the morning, before visiting a rice paddy to learn about rice cultivation (very hard work indeed) before adjourning to a traditional Balinese house to learn the basics of Balinese cooking (way fun). Lots of chopping, pounding, slicing, frying and tasting later, we were served the fruits of our labour. All in all, a highly recommended activity should you be in Ubud. The rest of the trip was a blur of more fantastic food, temples, cycling, sunshine, and I could have sworn there were some monkeys in there somewhere too. Cooking at Paon Bali Cooking School Fresh ingredients Frying Tempeh Puspa pounding the paste to make the Basic Sauce Wayan fanning the Satay on the hot coals Babi Guling at the famous Ibu Oka’s Laksa at Uma Ubud The quintessential Nasi Campur (Mixed rice) View the rest of my Bali Series or check out the rest of my photography on Handcarry Only. High-res

Eating, Praying and Living in Bali (Part 2)

View Part 1 of my Bali series, ‘Pray’

EAT

Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a glutton (ok, maybe I am, just a little), but food definitely excites me. Especially if it involves copious amounts of meat, preferably cooked over some kind of fire. Which is why the sublime BBQ ribs at Naughty Nuri’s Warung in Ubud is a match made in heaven for me. An open BBQ pit in front of the warung acts as their kitchen as well as a marketing tool for people passing by. The glorious smells and sight of slabs of ribs slow cooking over an open flame proves too much for many of the passers-by, which probably explains the popularity of Naughty Nuri’s. Admittedly, the price of the food is somewhat ‘expat’ and it does attract a sizable tourist/expat crowd, but I spotted a number of more middle class locals there as well. Opened by Isnuri Suryatmi and her American husband, Brian Kenny Aldinger, Nuri’s has a local yet international vibe to the place. I learnt of the mean Martinis being served there only after we left Bali so unfortunately did not try them, but we went back a couple of times for the succulent ribs, which are served in large slabs, and eaten in the dimly lit warung. I could barely make out what I was eating but it sure tasted good.

Nuri's buka

sauces on offer

At Nuri’s in Ubud

We also attended a cooking class conducted by Paon Bali, run by a husband and wife team of Puspa and Wayan, we were introduced to various produce on offer at Ubud market in the morning, before visiting a rice paddy to learn about rice cultivation (very hard work indeed) before adjourning to a traditional Balinese house to learn the basics of Balinese cooking (way fun). Lots of chopping, pounding, slicing, frying and tasting later, we were served the fruits of our labour. All in all, a highly recommended activity should you be in Ubud.

The rest of the trip was a blur of more fantastic food, temples, cycling, sunshine, and I could have sworn there were some monkeys in there somewhere too.

Puspa serving food

ginger and carrots and chopper

tempeh

Cooking at Paon Bali Cooking School

bananas

fresh vegetables
onions and garlic
Fresh ingredients

cooking class

frying tempeh

Frying Tempeh

Puspa pounding paste

Puspa pounding the paste to make the Basic Sauce

paste for basic sauce

basic sauce

wayan fanning the satay

Wayan fanning the Satay on the hot coals

satay on the coals

otah on the fire
Babi Guling at Ibu Oka's
Babi Guling at the famous Ibu Oka’s
laksa
Laksa at Uma Ubud
nasi campur
The quintessential Nasi Campur (Mixed rice)
curry with rice
View the rest of my Bali Series or check out the rest of my photography on Handcarry Only.
Eating, Praying and Living in Bali (Part 1) PRAY The word ‘Bali’ typically evokes images of the beach, of pristine blue and turquoise water along stunning tropical beaches, swaying coconut trees in the tropical sunshine. But there’s more to Bali than the beach. Unlike many other beach destinations, I think the best bits of Bali are actually inland, away from the beach and the crowds. Spend a little time probing and exploring and Bali offers you a glimpse of her treasures, countless shrines and ancient temples, bucolic rice paddies and terraces on the hills, a laid back rustic pace of life and seemingly unending culinary treats. Whilst other tropical islands typically garner adjectives like ‘tropical paradise’, ‘sun-drenched’, ‘relaxing’, ‘luxury’, ‘laid back’, Bali has all that and adds ‘mysterious’, ‘spiritual’ and ‘magical’ to its list of superlatives. The ‘Land of a Thousand Temples’ is not completely accurate, there are actually tens of thousands of temples in Bali, more than houses in fact, a legacy of kingdoms past and human occupation since the Stone Age. Stepping into any of the temples is a journey back in time, moss covered stones and walls hint at the age of these structures, at once enigmatic and peaceful. One does not have to be a believer in the Balinese Hindu religion to appreciate the immense sense of calm these ancient structures offer. Where Angkor Wat in Cambodia impresses by its sheer scale, the temples or Puras in Bali does quite the opposite, they are often small, and tucked into every single corner of the volcanic island. Some of them almost feel like family shrines, intimate and cosy. Statues of hindu gods and goddesses adorn the walls, carved out of black volcanic rock. View of Ubud river from Uma Ubud Ubud Palace One of the more spectacular temples in Bali is the Pura Tirta Empul or Temple of the Holy Water. Its sacred spring, said the have curative properties, has drawn devotees for over a thousand years. Legend has it that the sacred spring was created by the God Indra. His forces poisoned by Mayadanawa, a cruel king and dark sorcerer, Indra stabbed the ground with his flag pole, creating an eternal wellspring, the spring water curing his men of their illnesses. Current day devotees still continue this tradition of bathing in the sacred spring, to wash away bad spirits and physical ailments. In a large rectangular stone pool, fed by 12 fountains from the water of the spring, worshippers first make an offering at the temple, then climb into the pool to bathe and pray. Whether actual healing takes place or it is merely a placebo effect, everyone certainly leaves with a slight spring (pun unintended) in their step, their troubles abluted. Devotees in the water at Pura Tirta Empul Intricate temple door carvings Offerings for the gods Gunung Kawi Temple, an 11th century temple complex in Tampaksiring View more photos and join me in my other adventures on Handcarry Only. High-res

Eating, Praying and Living in Bali (Part 1)

PRAY

The word ‘Bali’ typically evokes images of the beach, of pristine blue and turquoise water along stunning tropical beaches, swaying coconut trees in the tropical sunshine.

But there’s more to Bali than the beach.

Unlike many other beach destinations, I think the best bits of Bali are actually inland, away from the beach and the crowds. Spend a little time probing and exploring and Bali offers you a glimpse of her treasures, countless shrines and ancient temples, bucolic rice paddies and terraces on the hills, a laid back rustic pace of life and seemingly unending culinary treats.

rice terrace panorama

Whilst other tropical islands typically garner adjectives like ‘tropical paradise’, ‘sun-drenched’, ‘relaxing’, ‘luxury’, ‘laid back’, Bali has all that and adds ‘mysterious’, ‘spiritual’ and ‘magical’ to its list of superlatives. The ‘Land of a Thousand Temples’ is not completely accurate, there are actually tens of thousands of temples in Bali, more than houses in fact, a legacy of kingdoms past and human occupation since the Stone Age. Stepping into any of the temples is a journey back in time, moss covered stones and walls hint at the age of these structures, at once enigmatic and peaceful. One does not have to be a believer in the Balinese Hindu religion to appreciate the immense sense of calm these ancient structures offer. Where Angkor Wat in Cambodia impresses by its sheer scale, the temples or Puras in Bali does quite the opposite, they are often small, and tucked into every single corner of the volcanic island. Some of them almost feel like family shrines, intimate and cosy. Statues of hindu gods and goddesses adorn the walls, carved out of black volcanic rock.

doorway uma ubud

uma ubud greenery

view of the river

View of Ubud river from Uma Ubud

ubud palace

Ubud Palace

One of the more spectacular temples in Bali is the Pura Tirta Empul or Temple of the Holy Water. Its sacred spring, said the have curative properties, has drawn devotees for over a thousand years. Legend has it that the sacred spring was created by the God Indra. His forces poisoned by Mayadanawa, a cruel king and dark sorcerer, Indra stabbed the ground with his flag pole, creating an eternal wellspring, the spring water curing his men of their illnesses.

Current day devotees still continue this tradition of bathing in the sacred spring, to wash away bad spirits and physical ailments. In a large rectangular stone pool, fed by 12 fountains from the water of the spring, worshippers first make an offering at the temple, then climb into the pool to bathe and pray.

Whether actual healing takes place or it is merely a placebo effect, everyone certainly leaves with a slight spring (pun unintended) in their step, their troubles abluted.

tirta empul devotees washing

Devotees in the water at Pura Tirta Empul

intricate door carving

colourful door carving

Intricate temple door carvings

offerings for sale

Offerings for the gods

Gunung Kawi

Gunung Kawi Temple, an 11th century temple complex in Tampaksiring
View more photos and join me in my other adventures on Handcarry Only.
Little girl and black volcanic sand on Saba Beach | Bali, Indonesia 2011. Canon 5D, EF 17-35 f2.8L ABOUT THIS PROJECT Over the past 15 years, I’ve been lucky to have travelled to a multitude of places and met countless amazing people. This collectively has played a huge role in shaping my world view and making me the person I am today. What I’ve come to realise is that despite differences in our skin colour, language, socio-economic status, we are all united in our common humanity, that we by and large dream the same dreams and seek the same things in life: Love, security, friendship and a purpose to wake up in the morning. From the archives is a celebration of people, places and travel, and its limitless potential to open eyes and shape minds. From time to time, I will post a photograph I’ve taken from my archive of 43,000 photos from this period, with a brief description. Some photos are taken on film, some on digital, and I will include any camera equipment details if I have them. Please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts! View the other photos of the ‘From the Archives’ series. High-res

Little girl and black volcanic sand on Saba Beach | Bali, Indonesia 2011.

Canon 5D, EF 17-35 f2.8L

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Over the past 15 years, I’ve been lucky to have travelled to a multitude of places and met countless amazing people. This collectively has played a huge role in shaping my world view and making me the person I am today. What I’ve come to realise is that despite differences in our skin colour, language, socio-economic status, we are all united in our common humanity, that we by and large dream the same dreams and seek the same things in life: Love, security, friendship and a purpose to wake up in the morning.

From the archives is a celebration of people, places and travel, and its limitless potential to open eyes and shape minds. From time to time, I will post a photograph I’ve taken from my archive of 43,000 photos from this period, with a brief description. Some photos are taken on film, some on digital, and I will include any camera equipment details if I have them. Please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts!

View the other photos of the ‘From the Archives’ series.