Ubud Life 20th Edition

UbudLife NO. 20 • SEPTEMBER - NOVEMBER 2014

guide to ubud & beyond, bali lifestyle, people, arts, yoga, spirit, culture and cuisine

JUMBO FUN...

...SLEEPING WITH ELEPHANTS

free

LEMPAD RIDES AGAIN JATILUWIH BEAUTY HAS A PRICE TENGANAN THE PLACE THAT TIME FORGOT EATING IN AMED IDA BAGUS ALIT

Ibu Rai, as she was well known to many travelers in the 60’s, was born 1925.

She sold food and her “Warung” became quite famous, even travel books recommended it as place to find safe and good quality food for foreigners. Her son, Dewa Gede, opened a restaurant in 1986 at family land and as a tribute to his mother courage and enterprise, called it Ibu Rai Restaurant. He carries on his mother’s. Our restaurant is specially selected for nutrition and natural flavors using the best and freshest ingredients. All are carefully presented and with friendly service. “Hope you enjoy our food with taste of Asian Spices”.

72 Monkey Forest Street Ubud Bali | +62 361 973472 restaurant@iburai.com | www.iburai.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

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UbudLife MAG Om Swastiastu, Welcome to our 20th edition of Ubud Life. We hope that you will enjoy all the stories and photos that we manage to cram inside this cute little publication.

We go to great lengths to keep you busy with interesting articles that are informative as well as entertaining.

Ubud’s fabulous Writer’s Festival will soon be here again in October. This is the time when the whole of Ubud comes alive with openings, readings, writers of renown, speaking, debates and a whole slew of free entertainment each night.

It is a time for celebration and fun and literary leanings.

And in Ubud’s Jl Dewi Sita there is the excitement of two more new restaurants - a cosy little Tapas place and a wonderful new South American venue called Pica Pica. International is the word for this street. Across the road is renowned Indonesian food, while Locavore has excellent locally sourced European cuisine.

Nearby, Jus Jar brims with healthy offerings while Café Havana has Cuban soul food and saucy salsa nights. While Italian can be found in Dolce Orange, in Jl Goutama, the little food street that runs off Dewi Sita.

Try to see a little of Bali while you are here. Take a car, or a motorbike and head out to verdant panoramas, backed with blue mountains and visit a temple or two. Remember to pack a sarong and sash, although most of the bigger temples will hire one to you or you can buy off the ever present sarong sellers, all trying to make a little extra cash to help their families. Do try to be tolerant. They have no financial support system, overtime, holiday pay, only what they can glean on a daily basis.

Around Ubud are numerous dance performances. Just buy a ticket from one of the traditionally clad sellers who congregate near the Ubud Palace. Most of these sellers are working for their banjars, and don’t make money from their endeavours as it all goes to their banjars. So please do try to be polite whether you buy a ticket or not.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

THE EDITOR

Cover photo by Ayu Sekar Elephant rides can be romantic at Bali Adventure Elephant Park.

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editor ubudlife-gsb team creative graphic designer dedito ssn. photographer i gusti ketut windia sales and marketing ketut muliartani finance yukmang susilawati distribution ubudlife-gsb team contributors kadek krishna adidharma richard horstman mark ulyseas jean couteau chef simon ayu sekar jenny b ibu kat publisher GSB (gemini studio bali) jalan gunung tangkuban perahu III/4, denpasar barat - bali 80361 p: 0361 8447982, f: 0361 8495479 e: info@geministudio-bali.com w: www.ubudlife.com director putu santosa views expressed are not necessarily those of the editor’s and publisher’s. all material copyright ©2010 (gsb) gemini studio bali. the publisher will not be held responsible for copyright infringerment on images supplied by advertiser and, or contributors.

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LEMPAD RIDES AGAIN

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ANYONE FOR TAPAS

IDA BAGUS ALIT

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ROYAL CREMATION IN KLUNGKUNG

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...JUMBO FUN...SLEEPING WITH ELEPHANTS

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TENGANAN THE PLACE THAT TIME FORGOT

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JATIUWIH JATILUWIH BEAUTY HAS A PRICE

happenings around ubud New Gallery Opens Australian artist, dog lover, promoter and lover of Bali life, Linda Buller has recently opened a cute new gallery in Pengosekan. Rather than play the game by choosing one style and sticking to it, she paints as she feels and the gallery exhibits her eclectic collection of works, which see her through several periods of her transitions. From abstract, to impressionistic, to illustrative and abstract, each period shows her talent and devotion to her work.

Her recent trip to Europe was a milestone in her life – a trip she had been dreaming of for more than forty years. She painted in fields where Van Gogh painted, sat in the very same cafes and slowly let Europe sink into her very genes.

Other influences are quite visible in her work –aboriginal lands and people of Australia, Turkey, Australia’s red desert can all be seen, some in iconic forms.

Do yourself a favour, and trip along and visit the gallery, just a little past the ARMA entrance, on the same side of the road. www.lindabuller.com T: 082144472620

Liana Miracle Worker Liana Nenacheva who can be found at Taksu Spa in Ubud is A Russian Doctor with skills way outside the normal medical profession.

Trained in TCM ( traditional Chinese medicine) Acupuncture, western medicine, yoga, she is a walking one man health expert who can cure most all ills – even wrinkles.

One of Liana’s many skills is the acupuncture face lift, and anyone over thirty who wants to stay looking fresh can visit. As Liana is wholistic in approach, a facelift, does not just mean popping some ins into the face to stimulate various meridian points, it also mean checking the body’s health through the pulse points and works to blance the whole body, mind and spirit. Stresssed out westerners will find relief with Liana’s treatments which can cure emotional as well as bodily ills.

Just talking to her gives you confidence and she is a woman who inspires confidence as she is so obviously capable. Through acupuncture, she is able to streamline bodies, with aesthetic body sculpture, getting rid of fat deposits or fat stomachs. Unlike liposuction, her treatment keeps the body firm and supple and smaller.

For any health issues do pay her a visit at Taksu SPA. JL Gautama Selatan ( off Jl Hanoman) T: 087 861202617

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Lempad Rides Again This seems to be the year of Lempad. Three major exhibitions and books are in operation within three months of each other.

The first exhibition was at beautiful ARMA - with a most impreasive book produced (see Kadek Krishna’s excellent article in this issue). Secondly is the exhibition at the Dewangga Gallery in Jl. Dewi Sita which is on until September. The third exhibition is to be held at the prestigious Puri Lukisan, in Jl Raya Ubud, opposite Casa Luna. Lempad himself helped to design this impressive building complex.

The retrospective exhibition will be held from 20th September – 24th November 2014 and will feature a huge collection of master works from the American Museum of natural History, the US Library of Congress, from Austria, the Netherlands, and Sweden. Many of the drawings were collected from Margaret Mead, Colin McPhee, Rudolf Bonnet, Gregory Bateson and other luminaries who were in Bali in the 30’s. An impressive 400 page book on his work will also be launched at this time.

Be sure to catch it. Museum Puri Lukisan Jl Raya Ubud

Writers Festival Literary lunches, in-depth conversations and panel discussions, twilight performances, film screenings, poetry slams, street parties, cultural master classes, arts exhibitions, writing workshops, book launches and more… Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is once again set to turn the quiet Ubud streets into a fiesta of literary activity.

From October 1-5, 2014 Ubud will buzz.

Long colourful Penjors will define venues and folks clutching programs and earnest expressions will be seen wandering up down the main Sanggingan Road on their way to yet another literary event. Even more exciting is the lineup for this year. Luminaries will include Colin Thubron, the “camel lady” Robyn Davidson who made a monumental trek across the middle of Australia from Alice Springs to the west Australian coast, and garnered generations of adoring fans, the well respected V S Naipaul and famous Indian 14 UbudLife

writer, Amitav Gosh. Don’t miss the fun,it should be a compelling festival, possibly the best for a few years. You can book your tickets online through the website listed below. wwwubudwritersfestval.com T: 780 8932

Restaurant Paradiso Located in Jl Gootama Selatan, the lower part of the famous little food street, Paradiso is an exciting new venue just off JL Hanoman.

Billed as a place for “cinema, culture and raw bar, one can only imagine what wondrous events will play out there.

This is an arts venue serving organic vegetarian food and we all look forward to experiencing what they have to offer. Brought to you by the same folk who have created Down to Earth, it is sure to be a winner. Come and try. The opening was on 30th August so it will be up and running by now.

T: 036 -736645 www.downtoearthbali.com

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Be Healed with Sound Two years ago, the Bali Sound Healers Collective arrived as Ubud’s first group of sound therapists. Working with world musicians the group is dedicated to building peace and mindfulness through live sound healing concerts and meditations.

Each concert presents sacred and mystical musical cultures from the world over along with sound therapy instruments and practices. A regular attendee and Ubud resident, Jenn Hurdley, comments: “The Sound Collective events have been musically excellent, heartfelt, generous and life altering.”

She describes these sessions as “the most satisfying in Ubud.”

“Music is still the world’s most unifying force,” says Br. Indra Udayana, Balinese priest and founder of Bali’s Ashram Gandhi Puri. Udayana, an award winning peace advocate, is the chief sponsor of the Collective. A presenter of authentic Vedic and Balinese chants and blessings, Udayana often joins rotating guest musicians at Sound Medicine and Spirit Night concerts held at Taksu and the Yoga Barn. “Each concert has a magical quality and the Collective’s cross-cultural spirit upholds Gandhian values of inner peace.”

Currently based at Taksu Events Pavilion, the Collective is led

by Shervin Boloorian, a vocalist, certified sound therapist and former Washington DC peace and security community strategist. Boloorian, originally from Iran, shares sacred chants in 8 different languages at these sessions, and is a graduate of ‘TamaDo,’ one of the world’s most respected sound healing academies.

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Bali Sound Healing Collective evening concerts are held every Thursday (7 p.m) and Sunday (6 p.m) at Taksu, and every Wednesday (730 p.m) at the Yoga Barn. Special gala Spirit Night community gatherings are also held every month at both locations. For a deeply relaxing and more profound experience of connecting through sound and color, consider a private Tama-Do sound healing session. More info at www.soundhealingbali.com or contact Shervin at Shervinboloorian@ earthlink.net

Big Ceremony at Gunung Lebah The beautiful and mysterious Pura Gunung Lebah at the bottom of Campuhan by the Wos River has just undergone a huge and expensive renovation and expansion, befitting its status in Balinese and Ubud society.

To welcome it into the Balinese world, a celebration ceremony worthy of the temple will start on the 8th October. It will be a date to remember and anyone who is in Ubud in that day would do well to be there and see Balinese spiritual life in full swing.

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ecently, publisher /designer Putu Santosa hosted 47 of his closest alumni friends to a fun reunion day at the Bali Adventure Elephant Park in Taro.

Hailing back to the early ‘70’s this group of friends is still strong.

Within this mixed group is one big man in Jakarta, immigration officers, militer, a teacher, many doctors and engineers - quite an impressive lineup.

Apart from enjoying the magnificent lunch buffet, they went for elephant rides through the forest.

The night was spent with an enjoyable dinner party at Bendega restaurant in Renon, Denpasar where the food and company were all good.

The next day they also went to pray (Tirta Yatra) at Watu Klotok and Masceti Temple, before spending the day in the Bali Safari Marine Park looking at the animals and having a great time. With friendships vows renewed and strengthened they look forward to another fabulous reunion in three years time.

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BOOK REVIEW Lempad a Timeless Balinese Master

by Ana Gaspar, Antonio Casanovas and Jean Couteau.

A Worthy Tribute to Timeless Master I Gusti Nyoman Lempad (1862 - 1978) by kadek krishna adidharma • images from the book

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ery few of I Gusti Nyoman Lempad’s works are available for public viewing in Bali.

Even when one can encounter original works, they are often not in mint condition, having suffered the ravages of the moist tropical climate of Ubud and its environs. His name lives on more as a deified ancestor to the island’s great treasure trove of art, often inspiring derivative art without fully understanding the profundity of what the man and his work stood for. Here comes a book that is surely the beginning of many, shedding a warm light to educate us about Bali’s pioneering artist, a man who had an impeccable sense of composition, grace and style.

Tempo founder Goenawan Mohamad likened him to Pablo Picasso, art-lover Ana Gaspar likened him to Antonio Gaudi, and Antonio Cassanovas likened him to Michelangelo. Indeed, Lempad was a prolific man of many talents: He was a painter, sculptor, architect, builder, dancer and choreographer. His work laid the foundations of Gianyar-style architecture. He was active force in the dance and theatre of his community. Lempad’s wisdom and knowledge lay beyond the written word:

He was mostly illiterate, capable only of copying his signature in a fat child-like reproduction of Balinese script.

Lempad became one of the instigators of Balinese modern painting in the 1930s as one of the founding board members of the Pita Maha artist community along with Tjokorda Gede Raka, Gde Agung Sukawati, Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonet. As a painter, he had a solid personal style.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, his paintings were not influenced by those of Spies and Bonnet.

Visitors to Ubud are likely to have seen surviving elements of Lempad’s work in the buildings he designed: from the royal palace of Ubud and the many temples under its patronage to the Walter Spies house that is the heart of Hotel Tjampuhan. The best survivors of his artwork in Ubud would be his sculptures, be they wooden masks or reliefs, as well as stone figures. The works on paper are in a sad state. A tiny glimpse into the master’s prolific oeuvre can be seen at Arma Museum, Museum Puri Lukisan and Neka Gallery.

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The book, Lempad a Timeless Balinese Master, has made an important step to enrich Bali with a meaningful memory of the celebrated artist. This hardcover book provides a comprehensive review of the late master’s work in 312 luxurious pages. A labor of love by art enthusiasts Ana Gaspar and Antonio Casanovas, who searched the globe for Lempad works, it documents Lempad’s life and shares some of his best two-dimensional work for the very first time. Anthropologist Jean Couteau’s accompanying text also sheds light to contemporary Balinese life and the development of Balinese art during what may one day be referred to by art historians as Lempad’s century.

Gaspar and Casanovas have discovered and shared with us Lempad gems held in Museums and libraries around the world, notably the Margaret Mead collection in the library of congress in Washington, as well as the Helene Potjewyd collection at the Museum of Ethnology in Vienna. These images speak volumes of the genius of Lempad and provide insight to the open nature of early Balinese sensual and sexual sensibilities.

Finally, Balinese art lovers can educate their eyes and feast on the light yet solid, often solitary lines that defined Lempad’s pictorial world.

Lempad, in his later life, was very much interested in preserving Bali’s stories, from children’s fables and folklore to local versions of ancient Indian epics.

It is perhaps fitting, then, that 36 years after his passing into the next world at the ripe old earth-age of 116, three storytellers have risen to the challenge of telling us about Lempad.

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Kunti

Granary door with a carving in the old wayang style, depicting Kunti, the mother of Pandawa’s in the Mahabharata Wood and pigments Height 34 cm Private collection

The text accompanying the book, while by no means comprehensive, offers a sensitive, personal yet educative glimpse into Lempad’s century. The reader is invited to imagine how it could have been like to be a Balinese like Lempad. The narrative voice of the book is inquisitive, without over explaining, and opens up avenues of exploring the stories revealed in the accompanying images.

Unidentified story

Chinese ink on paper Margaret Mead collection UbudLife 23

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UBUD EATING

ANYONE FOR TAPAS

T

he new restauarants opening in Ubud has reached a pitch of frenzy with interesting new places opening, it seems, almost daily. One of the latest offerings is the new Tapas place in Jl. Dewi Sita.

The entrance to LaRaMona Tapas is almost easy to miss. No more than a narrow doorway and corridor, it opens to a cosy little room with a variety of seating options.

High stools, lower benches or floor seating by the window. The atmosphere is dim and dark and young bohemian, and when you get the music turned down to conversation level, its excellent.

Drinks range from cocktails and good things to hot ginger lemon tea, so the choice is up to you.

Depending how your mood takes you, it could be a cocktail from Made the cheeky boyish barman, a free flow ice water which comes straight from the fridge in a big silver kettle, or tea, a hot lemon ginger or a host of soft drinks.

Man on the floor, Joshiri is from Jakarta but his interest in food is profound. An ex butcher for the award winning Mozaic Resaurant, he knows his food and is not afraid to show it. There is no pussy footing around here - flavours come big and strong. His own concept on Tapas is not so much the small servings of Spain, but rather the concept of sharing together with different flavours, different tastes. And the tastes are great. These are flavours with attitude – interesting and delicious.

by ayu sekar • images jill alexander

We tried the beef tagine – a tagine replete with great flavour, dried apricots, prunes (soaked in Cointreau no less), beef, roasted, flaked almonds, and spices that gave it meaning. It was not overly hot, but very well flavoured and a totally balanced flavor, with a hint of North Africa.

Then a friend ordered the roasted garlic with flatbread – which also went down a treat. As we looked around at other tables, there seemed to be more and more delicious dishes coming out of that compact kitchen.

Service is friendly, chatty and relaxed and everyone can feel at home.

You don’t get to be number one on TripAdvisor within a week or two of opening, without a reason. Read the rave reviews online!

T: 0822 3682 8086 Jl. Dewi Sita opp Locavore

The rather basic menu barely does justice to the food you receive. We tried a big plate arranged with a number of delicious things. Home made flat bread drizzled with melted butter and oil, a serving of a spicy babaganoush – piqant and compelling. Some excellent pesto, which gave all the things meaning – crumbled gorgonzola, some watermelon which had been treated in a spectacular way and what we took to be a mandarin orange in the dim light turned out to be a whole baked garlic, adding yet more piquancy to the mélange of flavours.

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Spirit of Bali words • image by ayu sekar

These beautiful Tenganan girls dressed in their best traditional finery enjoy a joke together during one of the myriad ceremonies that are part of life in that village.

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SLEEPOVERS

JUMBO FUN …..

…SLEEPING WITH ELEPHANTS by jenny b • images ayu sekar

Mr Wong is a playboy, ” Pak Sukanto confided. “He gets a lot of action”.

He certainly cut a fine figure. I looked at him with increased respect, over the head of his testosteronecharged rival, Boris who had gallantly arrived at my bedroom door to carry me in considerable style to a candle-lit dinner.

Earlier, we had checked into the Elephant Safari Park Lodge in Taro, a historic mountain village half an hour north of Ubud. National Geographic named it among the top ten most unique hotels in the world – and it’s easy to see why. After a virgin tequila sunrise welcome drink, we were shown to our ‘park view’ room. Our terrace looked directly over parkland where elephants graze contentedly on grasses, palm leaves and banana plants on their individual circular spaces; the closest – a magnificently tusked male – is barely five metres away from me. Outside the entrance is an elephant-height landing stage where I would later slide effortlessly onto the stately teakwood howdah chair perched high on Boris’s back (flat-heeled, while watching a neighbor elegantly perform the same manoueuvre in vertiginous more-Seminyak-than-safari heels) UbudLife 37

“What a tough tusk,” my friend Nina punned on hearing of this assignment to get up close and personal with a bunch of pachyderms.

Reading some recent Trip Advisor reviews, I did begin to wonder, and arrived on full alert. But those few peak-season visitors who had posted incendiary comments about animal cruelty are clearly unaware of the murderous conditions elephants face in their native Sumatra, where their natural rainforest habitat is being destroyed by the relentless onslaught of palm oil and wood pulp plantations. In the last quarter-Century, Sumatran elephants – one of three sub-species of Asian elephants – have lost 70% of their potential habitat. This unchecked conversion of natural forest gives easy access to hunters who, according to the Indonesian Elephant Conservation Forum (FKGI), are known to have killed 22 in Riau Province alone in the first six 38 UbudLife

months of this year (compared to 14 the entire previous year). It’s now estimated that as few as 1,500 Sumatran elephants are left; they are recognized as critically endangered – just one step down from extinction.

Elephant Safari Park’s clearly cherished residents can thank Nigel Mason, the charismatic owner of Bali Adventure Tours, for their change of fortune. In the late ‘90s he came across a herd of nine emaciated elephants subsisting in a dried-out rice field in Taro; affected by their plight, he sought out their owner, bought them and the site on the spot – and that was the start of his pachyderm passion, and the birth of the safari park. The herd grew as he rescued more of them – eight more in 1997 and another 10 who arrived in 2004 just after the senseless Kuta bombings rocked Bali to its core. Their

dramatic rescue is the subject of a gripping documentary, Operation Jumbo, which traces their epic 3,000-kilometer overland journey from the squalid conditions of a governmentrun camp in Sumatra (where wild elephants are held captive – arguably better than being poisoned and killed by local farmers, I guess) to the sanctuary of the Elephant Safari Park.

While it can’t replicate their besieged rainforest environment, the park is indeed a sanctuary among the fertile rice terraces of Bali’s highlands, where the residents are looked after, fed well (200 kg or more a day) and appreciated by visitors from all over the world. Pitri is the oldest of the original 27 oldtimers, a stately matriarch at 51; the youngest is playful 11-month infant Pajar ( ‘dawn’ in Bahasa Indonesia) – one of four babies born in the park in the last few years – all sired

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by Mr Wong, securing his head of the herd reputation.

Supporting each of them is a dedicated mahout, devoted to their personal care and wellbeing. Sukanto is one of the original mahouts from Sumatra, and appears in the Operation Jumbo documentary. He’s been mahout to Boris for 13 years now and they clearly enjoy a special bond. From my howdah throne, I witness their unspoken language as we swayed along the shaded forest path; to communicate requests his bare feet move imperceptibly under Boris’s flapping ears (much smaller than their African cousins).

There are 45 mahouts in the park, the petite park manager Ketut Sari informs us – 18 from Sumatra and the rest from Taro, including Bali’s only female mahouts. “You have to be energetic, have power in yourself” to look after elephants. “Each has its own personality, changing moods and different friendships.”

Some are sensitive to the sound of barking, 40 UbudLife

for example, holding deeply embedded memories of being terrorized by dogs before their rescue. One young female – very young when she made the journey to Bali – has formed a close attachment with Pajar, and we watch her following the baby like a protective shadow during our stay.

Spending time with the world’s largest herd of rescued Sumatran elephants was magical. And though many choose to come for the day, or book into a ‘safari under the stars’, nothing beats staying at the lodge. As overnight guests we were given privileged access to and interaction with these magnificent creatures – from making a grand entrance atop a 5,000lb chauffeur at the Palm Grove restaurant for a gourmet buffet dinner, to bathing the elephants in the early morning – an immersive experience in all senses of the world; you sit bareback behind the mahout, scrubbing brush in hand, as your elephant sinks into the lagoon pool, playfully spraying water everywhere – bring your own trunks!

Retiring to our jumbo-sized room for the night, we were enchanted by the sight of elephants silhouetted against a moonlit sky, and the sound of their low-frequency rumbling to the sound of Gamelan music and sacred chants drifting across the rice-fields.

We awoke from deep slumber in the morning to a vista of elephants chomping through mountains of coconut stems. (Combining the correct foods it apparently critical for their health and temperament. The team is knowledgeable about herbal remedies – papaya seeds for stomach upsets, for example, and the vet is on call 24/7).

After the morning bathing ritual and a very satisfying breakfast at the Mammoth Head Terrace, we headed off for our last elephant ride along the forest track and to the performance space where a thrice-daily talent show highlights the elephants’ intelligence to an appreciative audience….everything from soccer, basketball and hula hoop to answering the odd arithmetic question. (Tiptoeing along a wooden beam or sitting on their hind legs did have overtones of circus performances, we were assured that this was part of their standard practice – and it was easy to imagine that they were enjoying the limelight.)

Afterwards we hand-fed some elephants, placing fingers of bananas directly into their gaping mouths and admiring their dexterity in delicately seeking out the smallest stem of sugar cane with the tip of their trunks. My favourite moment? Receiving an elephant cuddle, gently squeezed by a weathered trunk!

To be honest, the Elephant Safari Park is more park than safari. There’s not a whiff of animal odour in the air – the team of park attendants scoop up dung seemingly within moments of it splatting the ground (to be put to good use later as nutrient-rich fertilizer by fruit farmers further up the mountain).

As a park, it is spectacular. Spurning the swimming pool and the elephant-view spa, we wandered through the immaculately maintained gardens, filled with palms, tree ferns and orchids.

Wherever you find yourself, there’s no escaping elephants…they are everywhere!

Elephant statues and topiary in the garden, elephant-embossed towels folded into elephant shapes in the bathroom, elephant bed-linen and origami decorations in the bedroom, historic 100-year-old elephant etchings in the Mammoth Head bar. There’s lots of elephant art too, including paintings created by the elephants themselves; some have raised considerable conservation funds through the world’s major art auction houses.

And the museum is both informative and fascinating – there’s even a 15,000-year-old mammoth skeleton.

Called the “best elephant park” by the late Steve Irwin, the Elephant Safari Park is an accredited member of the World Zoo Association and was awarded the “Best Environmentally Friendly Tourist Attraction” in Indonesa in 2010. It has certainly attracted some high profile visitors; Tony Blair, David Beckham, Christina Aguilera, Julia Roberts and David Copperfield are among the celebrities whose photos grace a ‘wall of fame’.

“Our wish is for you to enjoy your experience here and gain a better understanding and appreciation of these magnificent creatures,” avows the owner in our welcome letter. Spot on, Nigel!

For information on staying at the Elephant Safari Park, visit www.elephantsafariparklodge. com For details of day trips, visit www.baliadventuretours.com UbudLife 41

Sour dough Culture by chef simon • image ayu sekar

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I

t was a grey, rainy Sunday morning in 1991. I was 10 years old and as usual I was hanging out with my mum in the kitchen because that’s where we have the most fun. There was something going this morning though, mum didn’t seem as happy as normal when we are whipping up stuff. I spotted an odd smelling piece of dough on the counter and it felt to me as the reason why mum was acting a bit off. ‘What’s that mum?’ a question I had asked about 19 times this morning with regards to different bit and pieces. ‘Oh that’ mum responded in a sigh. ‘That is kind of strange, it’s some weird dough that has travelled the world and I’m supposed to bake and share. I’m not sure what to do with it, I think it’s for hippies!’

This was pretty much my first encounter with sour dough culture and probably the only time in my life that my mother showed me an ingredient and did NOT inspire me to cook with it. It took at least 20 years for both mum and I to be converted and now both of us bake our daily bread with the aid of our beloved sour dough culture.

So what is sour dough in 3 sentences? Sour dough is a name to describe a bread dough which has been created with the help of wild yeast cultures. These days most breads are made to rise using commercial, fast growing, reliable yeast strains, which are captured in dry or fresh form and more or less ready to use at your disposal. Sour dough cultures however are their untamed, unhurried, beautiful cousins. You can capture them, if you’re quick enough, from the air around us and offer them accommodation. They prefer hotels built out of flour and water. This culture, it’s called a sour dough starter, is kept alive, not unlike a pet, in the kitchen and added to your dough or batter for sour dough baking. Ketut, the sour dough culture at Bali Silent Retreat, has happily lived in our fridge since day 1.

The main difference between using conventional yeast and sour dough is that the latter takes a lot longer at rising, at BSR we take 24 hours for the process. During this long process the army of brave

PALATABLE PLEASURE soldiers working their sour little butts off to better bread. Without going into the science behind it, here are 6 reasons why we love sour dough baking and you will too: It gives bread great texture, elastic with a great uneven crumb

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Delicious tangy flavour

SD bread is proven to be easier to digest, the pro biotic cultures literally transform the flour

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Vitamins in the flour are more absorb-able making the bread more nutritious

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Some gluten intolerant people can actually tolerate sour dough bread

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Sour dough bread is low GI

If that last one doesn’t mean much to you, great, you’re not up to date with the latest diet trends which can only be a good thing.

To create your own sourdough starter, combine 1 cup of flour with one cup of clean, filtered water. Optional: Add ½ teaspoon of commercial yeast to get things going. Keep at room temperature in a non metallic bowl for a day. Check, mixture should be bubbling and smell pleasant. Discard half and replace with equal amounts of flour and water.

This is how you feed your starter.

Wait another day. Depending on your climate the starter can now be used.

If you keep it in the fridge you’ll need to feed it weekly in order to keep her active and happy. Outside the fridge it’ll require daily feedings. Regular cuddles and giving it a name is also know to help to keep it happy!

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Saving the Sawah in Bali The Yayasan Konservasi Sawah Bali has the only real solution for conserving sawah+subak. Zoning has failed because of inconsistency or lack of enforcement. They have come up with a legal way to preserve, the sawah by buying “development rights" from the farmers/subak. The farmers retain ownership, but the usage must remain in agriculture. The next stage is economic development; farmers return to organic methods, with sustained technical assistance and grow a diversity of crops.

All of this is ongoing with a mixed program, created using Land Trust practices from the U.S. and YKSB's pilot project, Subak Malung, outside of Ubud. More info: www.sawahbali.org, FB or www. sawahbali.natcapnetwork.com Our pilot project is on the outskirts of Ubud, Gianyar, part of Kedewatan. This subak was chosen because of its proximity to Ubud and its therefore threatened status for development. Also, most of this subak has already partially returned to organic methods for growing rice, but still needs technical assistance for organic pest control.

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46 UbudLife

WHO’S WHO

Ida Bagus Alit by richard horstman • images ayu sekar

T

he art world adores eccentric characters.

Lurking beneath the exterior of Balinese artist Ida Bagus Alits’ wacky persona is, however, a highly practical, compassionate and intelligent man. These traits meld into an effervescent personality that enchants everyone he meets.

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“To be a real artist you have to be free and strive to create your own works under your own responsibility,” Gus Alit states.

His C.V lists Within the Balinese art world Gus Alit, as he is affectionately known, is a popular and unique figure, being a painter, sculptor, photographer, event organizer and art collective leader too. A member of a well known Brahmin high caste family in Denpasar, there is without a doubt an aristocratic air about him, especially when decked out in traditional costume and sporting his suave reading glasses. Yet one is not to be intimidated or coy within his regal presence, Gus Alit is as playful and as friendly as a kitten.

Gus Alit’s passion for photography has drawn him along two distinctive paths. He is dedicated to documenting Balinese religious ceremonies around the island, capturing rare events, and the unique traditional costumes that characterize separate villages. Next, he is always experimenting with painting techniques upon printed images on canvas, striving to achieve new aesthetic results with his art photography.

Grinning merrily as he reveals images captured on his iPhone, his ever-ready pocket camera and hand phone, Gus Alit explains one of the “secrets” of his photographic technique. The photos are of young Balinese women clad in traditional dress, glamorous and alluring – the iconic image of Balinese feminine beauty.

“At first they are shy, some even refuse to be photographed,” he says referring to his initial meetings with the models. “Yet I always win them over with a joke and my humor quickly sets them at ease.” His photos recount the process of their transition from being restrained and rigid, to being relaxed and glowing in front of the camera. The results are wonderful.

“Its important to make your models feel comfortable in order to capture and allow their inner beauty to shine.”

There are often visitors to Griya Satria Art House, Gus Alit’s family’s home on Jalan Veteran, opposite the bird market in Denpasar. They may be friends, family, or new acquaintances, locals and foreigners, all curious to see the collection of art on display set in lush tropical gardens while being enhanced by traditional Balinese architecture. Recently more and more young couples, brides and grooms in traditional costumes, call by to be photographed by professional photographers, surrounded by Gus Alit’s unusual paintings and sculptures.

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The consequences are unique momentos that they surely will look back on with pride.

“This is a new era in photography,” Gus Alit says with a cheeky smile stretching from ear to ear.“ They now go from the Bali museum to Griya Satria Art House for their wedding photos.”

Of course Gus Alit jumps into the action and captures the couples in all their glory too.

Often he will print the photo onto canvas then paint the background in his flamboyant style. If the subject is a friend he

may gift them with the work, however many of his subjects upon seeing his creations, request to buy these unique images directly from him.

“What is important is not to copy,” exclaims Gus Alit. “True art must come from the heart.”

As the long serving president of B.I.A.S.A (Bali Indonesia Sculptors Association), he is a driving force in the promotion and preservation of traditional woodcarving, and contemporary sculpture in Bali. I question Gus Alit on the value of art collectives in Bali, which he believes are essential to the development of local art.

“As individuals or groups its important to know our strengths and weaknesses. Through this we will learn the ways and methods to move ahead. Learning is life long education,” he states with a wisdom that almost belies his jovial

character. “As the head of B.I.A.S.A I take the time to visit each of the members and discuss with them their challenges and I help to provide solutions. B.I.A.S.A is like a big family to me.” It is obvious that Gus Alit is well versed in the concept of leadership with the heart.

His abstract and figurative wood cravings are a fusion of the rich natural rhythms of the timber intertwined with faces and figures.

The figures he creates may not always be beautiful, yet he introduces possibilities, all the while being contained within a yin/yang theme. Some of his sculptures he paints in an outrageous manner that none dare to copy.

While contemplating his paintings the observer may wonder what on earth are these creations, are they the musings of a complete oddball? Yet his large compositions, some UbudLife 49

canvases measuring over 4 meters in width, each have individual themes taken from his culture, for example Tri Hita Kirana, the Balinese philosophy of three fold harmony between man, nature and the gods.

Gus Alit’s paintings are as eccentric as is his personality. A fusion of bright colors, figures and forms, they are both surrealistic and dynamic at once. Adaptations from the Wayang Kulit shadow puppet-theater and traditional masks, his figures and faces have evolved into quirky, other worldly creatures. Akin to galactic landscapes that flow across the canvas his compositions express humor while accentuating that art should be fun to create. all of exhibitions he has participated in over the past 40 years, born in Denpasar 1947, Gus Alit’s works have been displayed in many countries around the world, and his buyers come from every corner of the planet too. In 2006 he participated in an artist in residency program as well as having a solo exhibition at the Vermont Studio Center, USA. A self-taught artist, who regularly travels abroad, his initial childhood inspiration has come from studying his father, Ida Bagus Agung, who was also an artist.

Watching him chiseling away at a work carving, with an eye for detail while being the picture of focus and determination, his wiry hands and arms being powerful, yet sensitive as well. Gus Alit values the virtues and importance of art and culture above himself, is an asset to the island and a proud ambassador of the Balinese arts.

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CULTURAL

by jean couteau • images windia

R

ecently on Sunday, June 29, 2014 Klung Kung saw their greatest cremation ever. Amidst great pomp and ceremony, the last Queen of Klung Kung, Ida Dewa Istri Putra, and third wife of King Dewa Agung Oka Gg went through her last rites. This process, which applies to all HinduBalinese, takes on a stupendous dimension when it comes to princely and royal families. This extraordinary royal cremation was a cremation to end all cremations on a Bollywood scale. After passing away on December 28, 2013 due to old age, her body was buried while awaiting a propitious day, her body entrusted to the earth “Mother”, as the Balinese put it, at the Puri Agung Saraswati.

According to Balinese tradition, upon death, the body must be treated in such a way that its five composing elements (water, fire, air, earth and void) might rejoin their cosmic equivalents: the Panca Maha Buta..

At the same time, the soul must be taken to a journey back home, so that it may rejoin, in popular lore, the “Old Country” of the deified souls, situated above the mountains; or in classical Hindu-Balinese tradition, the Supreme Soul (Paramatma ). The purpose of the cremation and post-cremation rites is thus literally to “act” the soul’s process of release from earthly bonds.

The preparation of the cremation (plebon) involved no less than 6.500 thousands of people for more than two months, including relatives, and members of related or dependant clans. Neighboring villages were also called upon to render assistance. Some prepared offerings while others helped with building the implements, such as the cremation towers for carrying the corpse to the cemetery, or the sarcophagi where the body was to be burned. Others played ritual music or recited holy manuscripts, each following a tightly defined division of labor and scheduling of activities.

A few days before the day of the cremation the queen’s wandering soul was symbolically recalled to rejoin the body, represented by an effigy.

This effigy was then symbolically bathed, groomed and attended to with refreshments served by her relatives.

It was by then ready for the cremation rites proper.

The peak of the ceremony was when the cremation tower, with the effigy of the body in its middle part, was carried to the cremation site by 450 frenzied villagers. It was accompanied by the sarcophagus –where the effigy was burned—and by a big naga dragon, symbol of earthly bonds. The 11 tiers tower (bade) was 28 meters high.

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This symbol of the universe (Bhwana Agung) has an upper part of 11 tiers – only allowed for royals and symbolizes the heavenly world (swah) The lower part symbolizes the earthly/ chthonian world (bhur), while its middle part represent the human middle world (bhwah).

The corpse is laid to rest in the middle part. The lower part of the cremation tower is decorated with mythological figures.

At the lowest level, the cosmic tortoise, Bedawang Nala, supports the world.

Entwined around her are the two cosmic dragons Anantaboga, symbol of earth, and Basuki, symbol of water - also symbolizing the physical needs of Man. The tiered merus symbolize the level of heaven the deceased’s soul is expected to reach.

Once the procession of “offerings” is departing, asentana son climbs next to the corpse accompanied by a brahmana from an associated brahmin’s family. This brahmana holds in his hands a manuk dewata - a bird of paradise, which symbolizes the soon to be delivered soul. Meanwhile players of gender wayang (a sort of gamelan), position themselves on the lower part of the cremation tower.

Meanwhile the village youth, sometimes half-drunk, to be better able to face the demons of death they are going to carry, get ready to carry the cremation tower, and behind it, the bull. Yet another sentana (descendant) jumps astride the bull.

When reaching cross-roads, the cremation tower, sarcophagus and naga banda turn three times counter-clock wise. This is said to mislead the demons (buta). This is one of the most fantastic moments of the event and is repeated on reaching the cremation ground. Then the family take control again, while the youths take a rest and watch.

The corpse is taken down from the cremation tower by the family members and inserted within the bull-shaped sarcophagus that has previously been cut open, attended by the closest family members, taking their last leave. The attending pedanda (high-priest), reads holy mantras from a special platform. Then he approaches the corpse, sprinkling holy water (tirta pengentas). The corpse and all the implements burn. Ordinary villagers, their duty fulfilled, go back home.

The last procession is to the sea, where the god of the sea takes charge of the remains, and the soul will wait twelve days or more days before for the meligia and its further path to ultimate release.

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Om Suastiastu

AN INTRODUCTION TO BALINESE RELIGION PART 4 by jean couteau • image windia

This is the fourth and last part of Jean Couteau’s fascinating work on Balinese religion.

INTER-RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE The Balinese tolerance is not only internal. It applies to other faiths as well. Basically, these faiths are not viewed as different, but as similar, as made evident in the introductory story. This may have far-fetched consequences when elements of outside traditions may be integrated within the Balinese system. For example, one of the temples of Tanjung Benoa, near Nusa Dua, has a Chinese shrine, complete with Chinese script, which is reportedly the repository of the Chinese goddess of the sea, Kim Lin. Other temples have Ratu Mekkah shrines, addressed to some resident Moslem who has over time been transformed into a Balinese ancestor. The Bali Tropic hotel has even, by the sea, a shrine where is residing the soul of a deceased Frenchman. It is how the owner remembers a past friend.

Such religious tolerance makes the Balinese open to all manner of inter-religious coexistence. Bali has always had Moslem communities. Some are highly Balinized, where the people speak Balinese and use Balinese names. Others consist of former dependents of Balinese princely or brahmana households, as in Boda Kling, Kramas or Kepaon.

Upon a word of their former lords, they willingly give a hand at the latter’s ceremonies.

As for the Chinese, many are Buddhists, and thus very close to the Balinese in their basic religious tenets. Many are also of mixed Chinese-Balinese blood, so it is not rare to have Chinese praying at Balinese temples or making offerings with the Balinese. Even with Christians, whose history is more recent and of colonial origin, the coexistence is harmonious. Some of these, in particular the Catholics, have adopted Balinese symbols and decorations without encountering any radical objections from the Balinese.

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The Balinese are so eager to integrate alien elements, that they may be unaware of the meaning to others of the symbols they assimilate. So don’t be surprised if you see Balinese youths wearing Nazi helmets. To them it is just a fad. Meanwhile be aware for your part that the Balinese swastika, (the original way before Hitler reversed it) which may have shocked you, is to them the symbol of eternal peace. Among all the places of the world, Bali is different, while being, of course, “the same”.

“COSMOLOGICAL” ASPECTS OF BALINESE RELIGION. As in all Indianized cultures, cosmic conceptions play a prominent role in Bali’s religion. The world (Bhwana Agung ) is viewed as the dynamic field of encounter, and yet, opposition of “earthly/demonic” and “ethereal/godly” forces, in which humans, as dwellers of the middle ground, must endeavor to keep a harmonious balance. This tripartite structure makes up the three worlds of the Triloka: Bhur, Bhwah, Swah, respectively demonic, intermediate and godly. According to the theory of karma, all conducts have “cosmic” consequences, at the level of the human microcosm (Bhwana Alit) as well as that of the larger macrocosm (Bhwana Agung). It is through the ritualization of his behavior than Man can maintain the harmony of the whole system. Only by painstakingly adhering to the proper rules of behavior and rite can he keep the proper balance between the two sets of opposing forces and achieve for himself eternal release or moksa.

BALINESE RELIGION PART 4 In order to better harmonize with such a “cosmic” world, the Balinese organize their environment alongside cosmicized lines: they see and live all elements that surround and contain their daily life - villages, temples, buildings, the island of Bali and Man himself - as duplicates of the tripartite structure of the world: to the Bhur, Bhwa , Swah of the Triloka correspond the nista (inferior), madia (intermediate), utama (superior) division of these elements.

The “cosmicization” of the environment applies most singularly to the island of Bali itself. Living between the mountain and the sea, one being the place of origin of irrigation water and the other the receptacle of used water, the Balinese assimilate the polarity mountain/sea to that between pure and impure, and, hence, godly and demonic.

To them the island of Bali is “the” world itself, a duplicate of the larger cosmos, and the mountain, its center. This determines the local system of orientation. Instead of being set along the line of a North/South axis, orientation is organized by reference to ones’s or to anything‘s relative position to the direction of the mountain (Kaja) and that of the sea (kelod), whatever the “real” actual direction. Kaja thus corresponds to North in the Southern part of Bali, but to South in the Northern part.

To concretely define the relative “purity” of any space unit, and adapt one’s actions, gestures and rituals accordingly, the kaja-kelod axis above combines with a secondary axis, that of the rising sun/ setting sun (kangin-kauh). This creates a spatial hierarchy along their crossing median line: the kaja-kangin corner (direction of the mountain-rising sun ) is the spot of maximum purity, and the kelodkauh (direction of the sea-setting sun) that of maximum impurity. This directional system runs through most aspects of life: one sleeps and prays facing kaja and the rising sun direction (kangin); it is also in this direction that the procession welcoming the visiting gods is oriented. On the contrary, the sacrifices face the sea (kelod) and the direction of the setting sun (kauh). Architecture and village urbanism follow similar orientation principles, combined with the tripartite “cosmic” division mentioned above. It is in the kaja-kangin area of the village that is located the temple of origin, the pura puseh , while the temple of the dead, the pura dalem, usually occupies the symmetrical position, kelod-kauh. Meanwhile, the temple of the village proper, the pura desa, is in the centre of the village.

The lay-out of temples follow similar principles, with three successive yards running along the axis of relative purity.

The outer, “kelod “ yard, called jaba, belongs to the “profane”; the middle (jaba tengah) is reserved to human-level activities; while the “inner” yard (jeroan ) is where the gods reside, with the seat of Atintia (or Siwa (God) occupying the purest kaja-kangin spot.

It should be emphasized, if need be, that kaja and kelod , as well as kangin and kauh are directions rather actual localizations attributed to purity and impurity, which always mingle with each other. The sea, for example, is not the abode par excellence of the demonic - it is also where ritual cleansing takes place, under the guidance of Baruna, the god of the seas. Nor is the mountain the exclusive abode of the gods; it has its demonic gods as well. The Balinese view the divine and demonic as two aspects of a single, reality, where visible (sekala) and invisible (niskala), gods (dewa) and demons (buta), pure (nirmala) and impure (mala) and kaja and kelod, merge in a dialiectic Oneness (Rwabhinneda).

...

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om!

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oringa,

Bali’s Backyard Superfood by ibu kat • image by ayu sekar

Many of the so-called ‘superfoods’ being imported into Bali originate in distant places like the Himalayas or the Andes.

But one of the most potent of these grows right here in Bali.

Moringa Oleifera has been called the most nutritious plant on earth. Its oval leaves are packed with good things. Besides a wide range of medicinal properties, they contain protein, over 90 nutrients and 46 antioxidants. Moringa thrives in hot, dry areas. Known locally as kelor, the leaves used to be eaten as a vegetable by the Balinese.

According to the USDA Nutrient Database, 100 grams of Moringa leaf has twice the beta carotene of carrots, seven times the calcium of milk, three times the protein of yogurt and the same amount of vitamin C as an orange. The same volume provides the full daily requirement of Vitamin B6 and half the daily requirement of Vitamins A and B2 as well as significant amounts of other vitamins and minerals. If any plant deserves to be called a superfood, this is it. The Indonesians even claim that it protects against black magic.

American celebrity medic Dr Oz endorses Moringa as an ‘energy blaster’ when drunk as a tea. There are claims that it can cure everything from obesity to cancer.

Moringa leaves have been used to combat malnutrition in feeding programs in Africa and India, especially among infants and nursing mothers. In Bali, both birthing clinics Bumi Sehat and Rumah Sehat Madani feed Moringa to their pregnant patients.

“At our clinic we provide in-depth nutritional counselling for pregnant mothers, women wanting to conceive and post-partum/breastfeeding mothers,” said Brenda Ritchmond, midwife and Director of Maternal and Children’s Health at Rumah Sehat Madani. “Currently good pre-natal vitamins 56 UbudLife

are not easily available or affordable in Indonesia, so we had to find other resources. Moringa is a perfect solution. It’s local and grows everywhere, it’s organic, it’s full of proteins, vitamins and minerals and it is safe in large quantities.

Moringa is high in iron and other supporting nutrients that are easily absorbed by the body in comparison to synthetic iron supplements which are usually prescribed by medical professionals.

Moringa really helps to prevent anemia, swelling, and other pregnancy- related complaints. It can be eaten as a vegetable, taken in powder form such as sprinkling on food or in drinks, or can be taken in capsule form.”

HERBAL Moringa leaf,” Christine told me. “He produces up to 25 kilograms a month, and I buy everything he makes. It takes seven kg of the raw leaf for each kilogram of dried product, so that’s a lot of fresh leaves.”

Producing dried Moringa leaves for Christine has become a good source of income for Pak Rame and his family. Four other Balinese families are also fully supported by this sustainable small business.

Christine imports high quality vegetarian/halal certified capsules made of hypermellose (hpmc) which are appropriate for vegans and raw foodists. Between this cost and the high price she pays for her dried Moringa, she realizes that her product may not be competitive in price. “But it’s the best quality and is still substantially cheaper than imports,” she points out.

A few years ago Americanborn Indonesian citizen Christine Foster, who has lived here since 1992, saw an opportunity to make Moringa more accessible to people living in Bali. She began to produce high quality, solardried powdered Moringa leaves and other herbal remedies.

Working with a Balinese couple near Klungkung, she helped them to develop a solar dryer that maintains the colour and nutritional quality of the leaves as they dehydrate. As with most foods, heating Moringa above 60 degrees Celsius destroys some of the nutritional value. “Pak Rame produces a very high quality, chemical-free dried

Christine’s dried Moringa leaf powder is available in Ubud at the Saturday Farmers Market, Bali Buda, Alchemy, Down to Earth and the Eco Shop, and in Sanur at Manik Organik under the Sarining Bhuana label. It can be purchased as capsules or in bulk and sent anywhere in Bali or Java.

Christine also sells other medicinal herbs, most of which are harvested in the village of Petang. These include white turmeric (kunyit putih) temu kunci (a potent anti-dengue remedy), temulawak and sambiloto (andrographus) which is now undergoing clinical trials in Java as a diabetes remedy.

“Sambiloto is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, lowers blood sugar and pressure and has many other applications. I sell it as a capsule and tincture but can’t keep in stock, it’s so popular.“ She is now developing a fluoride-free herbal tooth powder.

“Indonesia has a wealth of medicinal plants,” she told me.

“I recently attended a herbal workshop in Jakarta led by allopathic Indonesian doctors. There’s a whole movement of doctors in Indonesia promoting the use of herbal medicines because they are more affordable and accessible to the poor than prescription drugs. Some government clinics are even prescribing herbs and keeping records of the results, which is the equivalent of informal clinical trials.”

...

So that’s one more product to strike off your list of imports.

Contact Christine at sariningbhuana@gmail.com.

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Terracota

Kopi Kat

Sri Ratih & Spa

Warung Merta Sari

Dolce Arancia

We’ar

Milano Spa Mani Silver Down To Earth

Nomad

Gedong Sisi

Ubud Sari Health Resort

Warung Perancis

Bebek Tepi Sawah Tepi Sawah Resort N. Sumerta allery

WORLD MAP

THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

Pilar Batu

Biah-Biah+

UBUD

ISLAND OF BALI

UBUD LOCATION Ubud, lies in the heart of Bali, in the centre of the fertile southern rice growing plains. Fertility means much more than the simple sawah or rice fields, it refers to the huge flowering of the arts which happens all around this magical town. Ubud is the home to the arts. Painting, music, dance and gamelan as well as woodcarving, maskmaking and sculpture have attracted visitors for decades.

Artists also apply their skills to making attractive things for visitors. Whole streets, like the Tegallalang Road are lined with crafts shop making clever knick knacks to tempt buyers.

Out from Ubud are magnificent vistas to view and temples and wonderous sights to enjoy. Around Ubud there is plenty to keep a visitor busy for days. Enjoy!

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ubud palace-open stage padang tegal kaja-open stage ubud main road-oka kartini arma-open stage ubud water palace-open stage bentuyung village batu karu temple-open stage

7.30 pm 7.00 pm 8.00 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.00 pm 7.30 pm

legong dances barong & keris dance kecak ramayana & fire dance legong telek women performance

ubud palace-open stage wantilan padang tegal kelod pura dalem ubud-open stage arma-open stage bale banjar ubud kelod

7.30 pm 7.00 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm

tue

ramayana ballet kecak fire & trance dance wayang kulit [shadow puppet] legong dance trance culture

ubud palace-open stage jaba pura taman sari-padang tegal kelod kertha accommodation-monkey forest st pura dalem ubud-open stage bale banjar ubud kelod

7.30 pm 7.30 pm 8.00 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm

wed

legong & barong dance mask dance [topeng jimat] wayang kulit [shadow puppet] legong dance kecak fire & trance dance jegog [bamboo gamelan]

ubud palace-open stage arma-open stage ubud main road-oka kartini yamasari stage-peliatan open stage padang tegal kaja-open stage pura dalem ubud-open stage

7.30 pm 7.00 pm 8.00 pm 7.30 pm 7.00 pm 7.00 pm

thu

kecak [monkey chant dance] legong dance the barong & keris dance kecak fire & trance dance wayang wong dance wayang kulit [shadow puppet]

puri agung peliatan jaba pura desa kutuh pura dalem ubud-open stage pura taman sari-padang tegal kelod bale banjar ubud kelod pondok bambu-monkey forest st

7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm

fri

barong dance legong dance kecak and fire dance wayang kulit [shadow puppet] jegog [bamboo gamelan] barong & keris dance

ubud palace-open stage balerung stage peliatan pura padang kertha-padang tegal kelod ubud main road-oka kartini bentuyung village arma-open stage

7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.00 pm 8.00 pm 7.00 pm 5.30 pm

legong dance legong dance frog dance legong dance kecak fire & trance dance wayang wong

ubud palace-open stage ubud water palace bale banjar ubud kelod pura dalem ubud-open stage pura dalem taman kaja-open stage arma-open stage

7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.00 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm 7.00 pm

every 1st and 15th: gambuh dance

pura desa batuan-open stage

7.00 pm

mon sun

legong of mahabrata kecak fire & trance dance wayang kulit [shadow puppet] legong dance janger dance jegog [bamboo gamelan] kecak fire & trance dance

sat

ubud cultural dance performances

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TIPS

pura protocol

tips for how to visit one of Bali’s fabulous temples As visitors to Bali we like to know how to visit a temple graciously. Here are a few guidelines to help make a visit more enjoyable. Enjoy!

The Balinese are quite open and generally welcome visitors. You can enter most temples freely. Wear a sash around the waist and preferably a sarong. Big temples can hire a sarong at the front gate but it is nice to have your own. You can buy a sash and sarong at Ubud market or Sukawati where the choice is limitless.

When there is a ceremony on, the Balinese believe the gods have descended to the temple for the duration. All prayer and dance is performed for the benefit of the gods rather than the tourists. Be respectful.

Women who are menstruating must wait outside.

Priests (Pedanda) are well respected and the most important person at the ceremony. They occupy the highest position. Show respect and don’t try to climb on scaffolding or steps higher than the officiating priest to get a better view or photo.

If you visit a holy spring like Pura Tirtha Empul and decide to try bathing, keep your clothes on and leave the shampoo behind. It is not a bath, but an immersion in holy water, for a spiritual cleansing.

Expect to pay a small donation before entering a temple. These donations are put to good use, and help with the upkeep of the grounds and the temple itself.

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LEGEND:

Provincial capital

Town

Places of interest

Village

Mountain

MENJANGAN ISLAND

BAL

Pemuteran Reef Building

Secret Bay

Gilimanuk Ja v a Fe rr y to Cekik

LETKOL WISNU AIRSTRIP Pulaki Banyupoh Kertakawat Pemuteran Gondol Melanting Penyabangan Musi

Sumberkelampok

Blimbingsari

Klatakan Sumbersari

Gerokgak

Mt. Musi 1224

Mt. Merbuk 1386

Antu

Lovina

Gobleg

Bestala Mayong Busungbiu

Tamblin Mun

BA

Subuk

LI

Candikusuma

ST

Pupuan Pujungan M

Tegalasih

R

Airanakan

P

a B e a ch

Pancoran

Mt. Mesehe 1344

Pangkungdedari Melaya

vin

Kalibukbu Labuhan Haji Kaliasem Pengastulan Temukus Kalisada Seririt Dencarik Tigawasa Bubunan Banjar Sidetapa Tegallenga Ringdikit Cempaga Asah Gobl

Puri Jati [muck-diving]

Celukan Bawang

Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park)

Temple

A

E I S

Lo

Sumberkima Goris Banyuwedang Labuhan lalang

Lake

A

Banyubiru

IT

NEGARA

Cupel Munduk Perancak

Munduk Yehkuning

Batungse

Tista

Batuagung

Sanda Mendoyo Yehbuah Delod Berawah

Ba

Manggissari Asahduren

Rambutsiwi Yehsumbul Yehembang Pesinggahan Mede wi B eac Medewi h

Belimbing

Ampadan

Balia

Balian Beach

Suraberata Selema Antosari n B Lalanglinggah Bajera B ea ch Soka Soka Bea ch Keramb Beraban

IN

D

O

N

Ti

E

Tanah

S

IA N

OC

EA

N

IN

Padan Sulu

Uluw

Airport/Airstrip

Air Sanih

Sangsit Kubutambahan Beji

Bungkulan

Banyuning

Pemaron

uran Panji

Bukti

Jagaraga Bila

SINGARAJA

Tamblang

Sukasada

Pacung

Pegayaman

Tejakula Les Tegal

Gitgit

Asahpanji Pancasari

Catur Mt. Catur

Tembok Muntidesa

Bantang Penulisan

Kintamani

Wongaya

Angantiga

Seribatu

Taro Sebatu

Alas Kedaton

ibubiyu

Gubug Kediri

Mengwi

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JATILUWIH JATILUWIH B E A U T Y

H A S by ayu sekar

68 UbudLife

A

P R I C E

HERITAGE recent Ubud Slow Food Chapter trip to the magnificent rice terraces of Tabanan’s Jatiluwih seemed like just the ticket, with a way to garner a deeper understanding A and appreciation of this beautiful area. The whole Jatiluwih area enjoys the distinction of

being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Cultural landscape site and part of Bali’s very sophisticated and ancient Subak, irrigation system. It is also a popular tourist site and is perhaps the tenth most visited site on the island.

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70 UbudLife

Jatiluwih utilises one of Bali’s most sophisticated terracing and irrigation (Subak) systems, much of which has been in use since at least 1071 where and ancient document (the Bebetin) makes reference to it. The Subak is designed by the farmers at the bottom of the irrigation system to ensure that it works well.

Aqueducts, channels, tunnels carved through rocky mountains all help to serve the irrigation system. Spring water from several sites is also included n to the system. It is really a work of art.

But beauty has its price and Jatiluwih is constantly under pressure from developers and those who want to change it, build new hotels or otherwise mar its pristine beauty. Pressure on the farmers, the custodians of the whole heritage site, comes from another direction as well, as even while they guard their traditional heritage, they are not receiving recompense for their labours.

Farmers need cows to provide natural fertilizer and clothes for their children, but they can’t afford to buy them. Something is intrinsically wrong with this picture. Even the money collected from the tourists on enetering the site, purportedly goes elsewhere.

Despite pressures from various sources to sell land or to redevelop it for other uses, so far it has managed to retain its cultural and natural integrity. But it is not easy. The farmers, who one suspects, were expecting great things with the UNESCO recognition, are poor. The also want some benefit from the tourism that their hard work generates. As custodians one of Bali’s top ten tourist destinations, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, they feel deserving of some kind of compensation which is still not forthcoming..

Many farmers cannot even afford to buy a cow, which they need to use as a source of natural fertiliser. As I understand it, with a cow housed in a shed at the top of each rise, the farmers can make use of nature – utilsing the rain and the inclines to disseminate the cow’s detritus in the most effective way.

To preserve the best things in Bali, help and attention is needed. Even the small entrance fee to the terraces is shared between so many factions – the local government and several banjars – that no one receives enough to be useful.

Because Jatiluwih is still organic, the delightful eco system is still in place. At night the fireflies, which once used to delight visitors to Ubud, still flicker aross the rice fields. Eels help with the fertilizing of the soil, ducks eat the leftovers and provide added protein for the farmers and their families.

There is so much to say about Jatiluwih, but this little piece is just the tip of the iceberg. We can only hope that someone is prepared to take time and care to help Jatiluwih keep its natural beauty for generations more.

...

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EATING IN AMED by ayu sekar • images jill alexander

A

med’s culinary scene can be surprisingly good. This string of simple fishing villages, has a face that is changing to a string of villages awash with tourist attractions. Dive shops by the dozen, yoga sessions, fancy villas, restaurants and warungs and even ATMS and backpacker accommodation. Just a short time 72 UbudLife

ago, any visitor who ran out of cash had to make a run into Amlapura, about forty minutes away.

Things are changing fast, including the food. Now cappuccinos, pizza, can be enjoyed as well as fresh grilled fish and arak shots, and it is all good. UBUD Life visits a couple of restaurants to see how things are.

EATING Presiding on a corner in Bunutan, by the road to Bangle, sits The Grill. Run by Australian Susanna, it not only boasts the best BBQ and innovative dishes in town, but the gallery shop next door is filled with collectibles, art pieces, textiles jewellery and clothes.

The varied menu offers specialties like an excellent fresh Tuna Tataki – seared sesame coated fresh tuna slices with a Ginger Ponza and tomato salad. She also offers a Beef Tataki with Onion Ponza and tomato onion salad.

Best of all are the grills, all cooked on their impressive big Weber style grill with their mouth watering scents wafting through the air. It sharpens the appetite and whets the senses for what is to come. Fresh fish, specialty tenderloin steaks, and juicy pork ribs are all there. The pork ribs are marinated for 48 hours before being grilled to a tender perfection.

Desserts like the sticky date pudding with Butterscotch sauce are there to worry the competition while the cocktails and arak concoctions made with the best local Arak are real palate pleasers.

The Grill –T: +62 363 23530, Bunutan Further in to Lipah are two of the oldest villa style hotels – Hidden Paradise and Coral View. With a new chef, he has brought the food quality up a few notches and even the breakfast buffet overlooking the sea is worth a try.

Another favourite is Sails - an open and airy space that sits atop a small rise with a beautiful panoramic view of the Amed Sea. Favourites like sauasages and mash, fresh grilled fish, fish and chips, Karengasem fish soup, perfect onion rings and simple salads all make for an enjoyable experience. Wine, beer and real cocktails can enhance your experience. Try it for a long lesiurely Mediterranean style lunch, or come early for dinner and enjoy a cocktail while watching day give way to darkness while counting the stars.

Sails – T: +62 363 22006 Jl. Raya Lean, Amed They also offer a free guest pick up and delivery service.

There are still plenty more places to discover, so take a walk along the main road and see what you can discover. It’s all so enjoyable.

Or try Harmony, in Bunutan. Owner Anise will serve you her version of Balinese foods, and fresh grilled fish.

She can explain the mysteries of Balinese bumbus and knows plenty about medicinal herbs. Try their banana leaf wrapped Mahi Mahi with Balinese spices. Its delicious! Enjoy the garden setting and maybe a heady arak cocktail or two. Its very pleasant.

T: 036323570 JL Raya Bunutan, Amed

There are still plenty more places to discover, so take a walk along the main road and see what you can discover. It’s all so enjoyable.

...

UbudLife 73

“A cozy place to stay & dine right by the beautiful Candidasa Lagoon�

Serving French & Indonesian menu - Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Jl. Raya Candidasa no.48 (main road) Candidasa 80851 Karangasem - East Bali T: +62 363 41177 E: le48balihotel@gmail.com www.le48bali.com

EXPLOREUBUD is a new, 90-pages, pocket-size, FREE guidebook, which will be published quarterly with effect from January 2015 with an initial print-run of 3000 copies. Aimed at tourists, regular visitors and local residents, its goal is to be the most authoritative, accessible, and entertaining source of information about Ubud, its surrounding villages and the Balinese culture. The handy format makes it the perfect choice for anyone needing practical, reliable, concise and up-to-date information that can easily be slipped into a handbag or pocket.

Gemini Studio Bali | DESIGN COMMUNICATION T: 0361 8447982 | E: sales@geministudio-bali.com

tenganan the PLACE thattime forgot text • images by ayu sekar

76 UbudLife

OUT OF TOWN

J

ust outside Candidasa is a road that leads to the Bali Aga villages of Tenganan and Tukad Dauh. Follow the road for a kilometer or two and lose a century in the process. These fabulous villages are favourites with artists and photographers who flock there each time a ceremony is announced, which happens several times a year. The villagers follow ancient traditions, with only a few nods to modernity.

UbudLife 77

Full moon ceremonies, coming of age, harvest ceremonies, traditional rites of passage – they all call for spectacular. One of the most dramatic ceremonies is the “Perang Pandan” or as it is locally known “makare-kare” - part of the annual harvest festival. Based on a lunar calendar, the ceremony occurs some time in June each year.

The ritual involves everyone in the village. The young women are dressed in their traditional best while every male from seven and seventy is expected to take part, although some are more enthusiastic than others. The idea is to spill blood, to feed the spirits of the underworld and to keep the bonds of the community tightly knit.

78 UbudLife

While the fights have rules, they are basically ignored as the desire to thrash the opponent overcomes any form of decorum. Theoretically there are no winners or losers although it is generally easy to pick the favourites and any good moves, from the reaction of the girls in the gallery. Like medieval maidens watching the jousting knights, they stand, perfect in dress and composure while they watch the proceedings, and those lucky enough, recording everything with their hand phones.

The fighters hold spiny sharp pandanus leaves bound in to clubs in one hand, while in the other is a bamboo or rattan woven shield, which soon falls to the ground. A referee stands by to make sure the warriors don’t kill each other. Older participants dance into combat smiling, rattan shields raised aloft, while the other hands grip the sharp, spiny pandanas leaves clubs.

As the day progresses, ritual is forgotten as the fighters get more enthusiastic. The referees keep control. It’s a day that everyone enjoys especially the participants and the bemused tourists.

After the fight the men’s cuts and scratches are treated with herbal medicine, and holy water. No hard feelings are left among the fighters, and even a dueling couple who appear ready to kill each other end their fight with a hug or slap on the back, and a smile. At the end of the ceremony, the priests step down and prayer begins. The bonds of community are strengthened for another year. Many of the participants have left their village to find work, returning only for the annual ceremonies, but it doesn’t make them any less authentic. Iyou are lucky enough to visit these villages during festive times, you will see a side of Bali that exists outside the tourist areas. It’s amazing.

...

UbudLife 79

next issue image ayu sekar

See some of Bali’s most beautiful waterfalls located in northern Bali.

Walking the Ridge – Ubud’s own Campuhan Ridge is one of the most beautiful and easily located beauty spots that everyone can enjoy.

Early morning or late in the evening is the best time to experience the nature there.

We visit a master barong maker/dancer in Batuan and see the intricacies of the barong, one of Bali’s best loved icons.

We hunt down the best and the newest in the Ubud eating scene.

RESTAURANTS Bebek Tepi Sawah Jl. Raya Goa Gajah, Ubud Phone: 0361 970388 www.bebektepisawahvillas.com

ACCOMMODATION Alam Ubud Villa Desa Kendran, Tegallalang, Ubud Phone: 0361 8790999 www.alamubudvilla.com Arma Resort Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 976659 www.armaresort.com Cendana Resort & Spa Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 973243 www.cendanaresort-spa.com Gunung Merta Bungalow Jl. Andong, Peliatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 975463 Kupu Kupu Barong Jl. Kedewatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 975478 www.dewanggaubud.com Melati Cottages Jl. Raya Penestanan Kaja, Ubud Phone: 0361 974650 www.melati-cottages.com Ubud Sari Health Resort Jl. Kajeng, Ubud Phone: 0361 974393 www.ubudsari.com Sri Ratih Cottages Jl. Raya Campuhan 1, Ubud Phone: 0361 975638 www.sriratih.com

Bridges Jl. Raya Campuan, Ubud Phone: 0361 970095 www.bridgesbali.com Biah Biah Jl. Goutama, Ubud Phone: 0361 978249 Biah-Biah+ Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 8015124 Bollero Bar & Resto Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 972872 www.bollerobali.com Cafe Des Artistes Jl. Bisma 9x, Ubud Phone: 0361 972706 www.cafedesartistesbali.com CP LOUNGE Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 978954 www.cp-lounge.com Coffee Copper Jl. Nyuh Bulan, Nyuh Kuning, Ubud Phone: 0361 978631 www.coffee-copper.com Down To Earth Jl. Gotama, Ubud Phone: 0361 7835545 Dolce Arancia Restaurant Jl. Gotama 17, Ubud Phone: 0361 7802381 Griya Restaurant Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud Phone: 0361 975428

Tepi Sawah Villas Jl. Goa Gajah, Peliatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 970388 www.tepisawahvillas.com

Gedong Sisi Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud Phone: 0361 977276 www.gedongsisi.com

Terrace Abing Resort Banjar Kebon, Tegallalang, Ubud Phone: 0361 980970 www.abingterrace.com

Ibu Rai Restaurant Jl. Monkey Forest 72, Ubud Phone: 973472 www.iburai.com

Villa Beji Indah Banjar Nyuh Kuning, Ubud Phone: 0361 974168

Juice Ja Cafe Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 971056

Kebun Jl. Raya Hanoman 44B, Ubud www.kebunbistro.com KAFE Jl. Raya Hanoman 48B, Ubud Phone: 0361 970992 Lotus Lane Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 975357 www.lotus-restaurants.com NOMAD Jl. Raya Ubud 35, Ubud Phone: 0361 977169 www.nomad-bali.com Sri Ratih Cafe & Jewelry Jl. Raya Campuhan 1, Ubud Phone: 0361 975638 www.sriratih.com Kafe Topi Jl. Nyuh Kuning No.2, Ubud Phone: 0361 8235151 Toro Sushi Jl. Goutama No.3, Ubud Phone: 0361 971832 Warung Sopa Garden Jl. Nyuh Kuning 2, Ubud Phone: 0361 2801340 Warung Alami Jl. Penestanan, Ubud Phone: 081 23913754 Warung Merta Sari Jl. Uma Suke Wayah, Ubud Phone: 0361 2021892 Warung Perancis Jl. Cok Rai 77, Teges, Mas, Ubud Phone: 0361 978109 White Box Jl. Raya Andong, Ubud Phone: 0361 979059 www.whiteboxbali.com

NIGHT LIFE CP Lounge Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 978954 www.cp-lounge.com Cafe Havana Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 972973 www.cafehavanabali.com UbudLife 81

SPAS Aura Theraphy Spa Ubud Aura Retreat Center Jl. Hanoman 888, Ubud Phone: 0361 972956 www.ubudaura.com Bali Healing Spa Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud Phone: 0361 27997658 www.balihealingspa.com Bali Botanical Day Spa Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud Phone: 0361 976739 FRESH Spa Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 8493677 KUSH Ayurvedic Rejuvenation Spa Yoga Barn - Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 971236 www.yogabarn.com/kush Kayma Spa Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 9100017 www.karmaspaubud.com Milano Salon Monkey Forest Road, Ubud Phone: 0361 973488 prs_milano@yahoo.com Modena Day Spa & Salon Monkey Forest Road, Ubud Phone: 0361 970724 www.modenadayspa.com Sedona Spa Jl. Raya Campuhan, Ubud Phone: 0361 975770 www.sedonaspa-ubud.com SKIN Organic Spa and Waxing Salon Jl. Gotama 24 & Jl. Sanggingan 36, Ubud Phone: 0361 975615 & 08193635067 rsvp@ubudSkinORGANIC.com Taksu Spa and Restaurant Jl. Gotama Selatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 971490 www.taksuspa.com Ubud Wellness Spa Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 970493 www.ubudwellness-balispa.com

82 UbudLife

SHOPS

GALLERIES

Goddess On The Go Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 976084 www.goddessonthego.net

Pilar Batu Gallery Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 978197 www.pilarbatu.com

KUL-KUL Bamboo Jl. Kajeng, Ubud Phone: 0361 8493547 www.facebook.com/kulkulbamboo.com

Sari Api Gallery Contemporary Handmade Ceramic Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud Phone: 082 3831 5697

Nirmala - Work On T’shirt Jl. Hanoman 2, Ubud Phone: 0361 7475404

Tanah Tho Gallery Jl. Raya Lodtunduh, Ubud Phone: 0361 981482 www.tanahtho.com

Rainbow Spirit Jl. Hanoman 38, Ubud Phone: 0361 3699978 www.rainbowspiritbali.com Studio Perak Jl. Hanoman, Ubud Phone: 0361 974244 Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 081 236 51809 www.dketut37@yahoo.com

CERAMICS Sari Api Ceramics Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 971056

SISI Jl.Nyuh Kuning No.2, Ubud Phone: 0361 8235151 www.sisibag.com YIN Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 970718 Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 7801879 www.yinjewelryforthesoul.com

ARTISTS Pandi [Painter] Jl. Ume Subak Sok Wayah, Ubud Mobile: 081 338389169 Wayan Suarmadi [Painter] Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 978197 Wayan Sila [Owl House] Jl. Bisma, Ubud Phone: 977649 | Mobile: 081 8566861

PROPERTY Red Lotus Property Jl. Sukma, Br. Tebesaya, Ubud Phone: 970980 www.redlotusbaliproperty.com

YOGA CENTRE Yoga Barn Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud-Bali Phone: 971236 www.theyogabarn.com Intuitive Flow Jl. Penestanan, Ubud-Bali Phone: 977824 | Mobile: 081 23924649 www.intuitiveflow.com

USEFUL NUMBERS

SPORT/RECREATION

Ambulance

Air Bali Helicopter Benoa Harbor, Pesanggaran Phone: 0361 767466 www.airbali.com

Airport Authority

Bali Adventure Rafting Bypass Ngurah Rai, Pesanggaran Phone: 0361 721480 www.baliadventuretours.co SEPEDA BALI Green Adventure Cycling Jl. Nyuh Bojog, Ubud Phone: 0361 978631 www.sepedabali.com

EAST BALI SECTION Ashyana Candidasa Jl. Raya Candidasa, Karangasem Phone: 0363 41359 www.ashyanacandidasa.com Bali Catering Service Jl. Tirta Gangga, Karangasem Phone: 0363 22503, 21425 www.balicateringservices.com Le 48 Hotel & Restaurant Jl. Raya Candidasa 48, Karangasem Phone: 0363 41177 www.le48bali.com Puri Wirata Dive Resort and Spa Jl. Raya Bunutan, Amed, Karangasem Phone: 0363 23523 www.puriwirata.com

Bali Police Department

227711

Directory Inquiries

108/112

Fire Brigade

113

Immigration

751038

International Red Cros

226465

Post Office Search and Rescue Tirta Ayu Hotel & Restaurant Jl.Tirta Gangga, Karangasem Phone: 0363 22503 www.hoteltirtagangga.com

118 751011

161 751111

Sanglah Public Hospital

227911

Tourist information Center

753540

Time Ubud Tourist Information

103 973286

Villarossa Candidasa Jl.Candidasa, Karangasem Phone: 0363 42062 www.villarossa.org Villa Sasoon Jl. Puri Bagus Candidasa, Karangasem Phone: 0363 41511 www.villasasoon.com Watergarden Hotel Restaurant & Spa Jl. Raya Candidasa, Karangasem Phone: 0363 41540 www.watergardenhotel.com

MUSEUMS

CONSULATES Australia

241118

ARMA ( Agung Rai Museum of Art ) Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 974228

Brazil

757775

Czech Republic

286465

Denmark & Norway

701070

Antonio Blanco Renaissance Museum Jl. Raya Campuhan, Ubud Phone: 975502

French

285485

Germany

288535

Museum Puri Lukisan Ubud Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud, Gianyar Phone: 975136

Hungary

287701

Italy

701005

Japan

227628

Neka Art Museum Jl. Raya Sanggingan Phone: 975074

Mexico

223266

Netherlands

761502

Pendet Museum Jl. Nyuh Kuning, Ubud Phone: 971338

Spain/Portugal

769286

Sweden & Finland

288407

Rudana Museum Jl. Raya Cok Rai Pudak, Peliatan, Ubud Phone: 975779

Switzerland

751735

Unitedkingdom

270601

USA

233605 UbudLife 83

To Be An Outsider

LAST WORD

Mark Ulyseas

Many among us mix our tenses. The past, present and future tense are blended together like mixed fruit juice, tasting of everything and of nothing in particular. And it is this that confuses our inner self. It guides us away from reality to a perceived reality made up of assumptions and superstitions, which is reflected in our notions of right and wrong.

These notions are influenced by group therapy… aping the crowd and being part of it for fear of being an outsider, for fear of being alone. In this way we unknowingly imprison our free will. And when we are confronted by anyone different, away from the communal rut, we reject him or her because they don’t fit into our matrix… the cosy nest of inanity.

We have forgotten to question, question notions gathered along the way. And this is because we have achieved a disturbing level of sloth of the mind. The effort to think outside the box is too much drain on one’s senses so we take the road most travelled where fellow travellers can help carry our burden of self-deceit.

The FaceBook Likes are a fine example of people ticking the box without making any attempt to read the post. It is like window shopping without the least intention of buying anything.

Why are we afraid to be an outsider, away from the group mindset… the one who thinks and lives in a manner that celebrates the Self…one that defies the habitual motions encapsulated in our everyday mundane existence?

Why are we afraid to be ourselves in every sense of the meaning?

In each one of us lies the lunatic; A pure Being unfettered by the irrationality of society, untouched by the sameness of a group. This Being is best represented in the image of the moon. Deng Ming-Dao points us in the right direction with these words of wisdom.

“The moon does not fight. It attacks no one. It does not worry. It does not try to crush others. It keeps to its course, but by its very nature, it gently influences. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? The moon is faithful to its nature and its power is never diminished.”

Perhaps it is time to unchain the lunatic within us to become what we were supposed to be when we were born – truly free pure beings.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

...

Mark Ulyseas Publisher/Editor, http://www.liveencounters.net Free online magazine from village earth.

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