Ubud Life 37th Edition

UbudLife NO. 37 • DECEMBER - FEBRUARY 2019

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

BALI’S EXTRAORDINARY SUBAK THE MUNTIGUNUNG TREK BRING ON THE GAMES

9 SPECTACULAR BEACHES

free

Taksu Spa – in the heart of Ubud Here are six unbeatable reasons to drop by the gorgeous Taksu Spa at the start of your holiday: 1. No pain, just gain!

Welcome to Bali, it’s time for you to kick back and enjoy your Bali experience! Your time at Taksu will give you many great memories to share. Here you will enjoy a wide range of feel good and remedial massages, facial treatments, grooming, and body therapies. There are treatments for every member of your family, your party group or for that special occasion. Ideal after a long flight or a big night out! A Reflexology or foot massage is a great idea for rice field or ridge walkers, push bikers, stay-out-too-late-dancers or shoppers buying gifts. Foot massage helps prevent foot and ankle injuries, reduces headaches, and helps regulate blood pressure. For the regular Spa goers, try the Taksu signature Balinese Premium or Esalen massage.

And if you are a beginner, or shy, try the Soother, a perfect head, neck & shoulder massage without oil or having to take your clothes off. Mineral baths also have great restorative benefits for those suffering from any of the above as well as low back pain, arthritis, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. Even something as simple as Aromatherapy has been reported to improve depression and insomnia.

2. Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian & Ala Carte Menu Enjoy a meal together! Taksu is the place you can take everyone no matter what their food and drink requirements are. The cool garden setting away from the busy roads is the perfect place to hangout. Try different taste sensations or choose from a list of favorites. Your taste buds will be happy. Voted #2 Raw food restaurant 2017.

4. Time out together in a jungle oasis in the heart of Ubud

What better way to say ‘I love you’ than spoiling each other? If there is one thing couples can agree on, you won’t say no to a day of pampering together. Enjoy full body massages, scrubs, flower or mineral baths with a scrumptious lunch or dinner. Romance Bali style.

5. Happy Mind & Happy Body – Over tired,

Gained some weight or feeling the years getting to you? From the Far Infra Red Sauna to clearing mental & physical blockages with Access Consciousness, Theta Healing, Ground Alpha Alignment, to understanding your Ayurvedic life balance. Try an immersive Sound Bath, sort out your thyroid or gut health with our Nutritionist/GP, learn or practice Yoga, get that long overdue Colonic or check out the new range of IV infusions for your total well-being. Take home specific information for your ongoing good health & happiness. Try the Taksu Wellness Programs.

6. And I’m Feeling Good – It’s all about the

experience. You’ll be telling your friends and family all about the amazing experience you had in Bali including Taksu Spa. Do something nice for yourself or surprise your partner with a Gift Certificate to use while you are in Ubud. This is a perfect gift for the person who has everything, or doesn’t want for anything. All the while knowing you are giving back to this beautiful tropical island and its people.

3. De-stress after work and play

Trying to balance work and life with today’s hectic lifestyle, it’s no wonder we area all stretched to our limits. It’s time to do something nice for yourself. So what do you do? Get back on track with a whole day Spa package, treating yourself from head to toe.

You are worth it!

T: +62-361-479-2525 or +62-361-971-490 WA: +62 822 3613 0676 | FB Facebook: /TaksuUbudBali Instagram: taksuspa

EDITOR’S NOTE

Like Us!

facebook.com/ubudlifemagz

UbudLife MAG Om Swastiastu, Hello and welcome to the 37 issue of Ubud Life. We are proud to begin out ninth year of operation in an area where so many others have come and gone. We feel we must be doing something right and we are always happy to hear from our readers. If you have a comment please send to …Putu Santosa , putu@geministudio-bali.com Now as 2018 is almost done – a year of incredible change for so many of us, we head towards the festival season. Christmas, New Year, followed by Galungan and Kunigan all delightful in their own unique ways. Once in Bali, I came here to escape the frantic commercialism of the holiday season but now Bali has embraced it in her own unique way – I guess everyone enjoys exchanging gifts which is always a lovely part of the festival. And who can argue with the expression “peace on earth and goodwill to all men.” It is a beautiful thought and one can only wish that is was followed by more of the world’s people.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

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.

THE EDITOR

Cover photo by Jill Alexander A kite seller plies his wares on the windy virgin beach, east Bali.

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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 contibutors stephane mee jean couteau rachel love ayu sekar jenny b publisher GSB (gemini studio bali) jalan gunung tangkuban perahu III/4, denpasar barat - bali 80361 p: 0361 8495479, 0361 8447982 e: sales@geministudio-bali.com w: www.ubudlife.com director putu santosa

contents 14

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BRING ON THE GAMES

22

IS BALI READY FOR BALINESE WOMEN’S LIB?

THE B SIDE

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THE MUNTIGUNUNG TREK

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9 SPECTACULAR BEACHES

46

BALI’S EXTRAORDINARY SUBAK

BRING ON THE GAMES to meet new people and Looking deviate from the tourist trail a bit? There are tons of fun events going on in Ubud nearly every day of the week where you can gather with locals, expats, and visitors alike to engage in friendly competition, explore hidden corners, and have a whole lot of fun.

Flyday Quiz Night Every Friday night expats from all corners of town converge on Fly Cafe to put their knowledge of random facts to good use in a trivia showdown. The quiz kicks off around 8:30pm, but it’s best to show up a bit early to grab a table and have a few drinks and bites beforehand. FYI - Marcus and his team whip up some pretty delish bar bites. There’s no minimum or maximum to the number of players on a team, so you can try it solo, bring a group, or ask to join one of the teams already gathered. Prizes include beers and wine, but really it’s all about having a good time, meeting new people and of course showing off your brainpower.

Fly Cafe, Jalan Raya Lungsiakan, Ubud Tel: 0361 975 440 | www.flycafebali.com 14 UbudLife

Bali Hash House Harriers 2 Get some exercise, enjoy great company and see a whole other side of Bali on a Hash House Harrier 2 run. For those who don’t know, HHH is group of running clubs (or as they like to call them, drinking clubs with running problems) that can be found all over the world. Here in Ubud the hashes take place every Saturday at 4:30pm with different routes every time. Follow the paper and chalk markers along trails that wind through rice paddies, across rivers and into the jungle.

There are always two routes: one long route you can run and a shorter route that you can take at a leisurely pace. Stick around at the end point for cold beers and camaraderie with fellow hashers. www.balihash2.com

Tuesday Backgammon Night Remember the days when playing games meant actually interacting with other people instead of staring blankly at a phone or computer screen?

GAMES of the tournament, you can still swing by any night of the week for a few games of pool and to catch games on the big screen.

The Melting Pot Saloon, Japan Raya Pengosekan, Ubud | 0858 5748 0230 | www. meltingpotbali.com

Born to Ride

That’s the idea behind the weekly backgammon night that takes place every Tuesday at Bali Bohemia on the Nyuh Kuning side of the Monkey Forest. Random monkeys, keen players, with drinks and food available between bouts. If you like backgammon, come along. Boards are available, but it doesn’t hurt to bring one extra.

Backgammon at Bali Bohemia

Weekly Pool Tournaments If you fancy yourself savvy at shooting stick, put your skills to the test at Texas style, Melting Pot’s pool tournament held every Friday night from 8pm to 11pm. The tournament costs IDR 50,000 to enter, half of which covers your costs and the other half going into a pot for the winners. It works on a triple elimination basis with each player facing off against their opponents in a race to two series. The top three players win cash prizes, and if there are more than 10 people entered, the fourth place winner also gets a cash prize. If you can’t make it on the night

Tired of the same old Bali tours that take you to predictable tourist traps? Born to Ride is a motorbike touring group that is free and open to all. The goal is to bring people together to explore different parts of Bali that aren’t on the usual tourist trails. Past trips have included the volcanic lava fields of Mount Batur, the buffalo races in Negara, and the Olympicsized jungle swimming pool just outside of Ubud. The group meets regularly around Ubud, and everyone is welcome to rock up on a bike and join. Even if you don’t have your own two wheels, many riders are happy to take on a passenger. Visit the Born to Ride Facebook page for upcoming events. www.facebook.com/groups/borntorideubud/

Mahjong The ancient game of mahjong is a game of skill, strategy, and chance, and here in Ubud it’s also a great way to meet new people and put your brain to good use. The Ubud Mahjong Club meets at the Ubud Food Court every Tuesday and Friday morning at 10am for games that usually run until noon. New players are welcome, and the crew is always happy to teach newbies the basics about the game and official MCR rules. Come a bit early to grab some coffee and snacks from the vendors at the food court and chat with the veteran players. Mahjong sets are available, but you’re also welcome to bring your own.

Ubud Food Court, Jalan Sukma, Ubud UbudLife 15

happenings around ubud

GALUNGAN and KUNINGAN Once again – Bali’s most beautiful festival of Galungan and Kuningan rolls around. This is Bali’s most festive time when every village is dressed with tall bamboo Penjors and their beautiful hanging decorations with offerings to the gods. Festivities are even more frequent than usual and you may come across a beautiful procession, or a group of traditionally dressed Balinese praying at a crossroad or some particularly auspicious location.

Celebrating the victory of good over evil, it is Bali’s most loved festival and lasts from Galungan for ten days until Kuningan marks the finale. All over Ubud, boys parade their barongs through the streets collecting money for their banjars. It is always good karma to give a little to their collection box and support Bali’s beautiful culture. This year the festival runs from 26th December until the 6th January 2019.

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Purnati, just 15 minutes south of Ubud while the music nights are held at the beautiful ARMA Museum in the huge garden grounds.

For more info check www.balispiritfestival.com

VELVET - A Gift from the Gods Opening in December, maybe in time for Christmas, is Velvet which as the name suggests is a luscious, luxurious new late night eatery in Lungsiakan, right next to the Sunset Vet. Open from 5pm til midnight, this is the new velvety place to enjoy cool cocktails and late night food with a beguiling Mexican Balinese fusion using fresh local ingredients a in range of seafood, meat and vegetarian options. It looks like a new place to be.

VELVET. AN EXPERIENCE! Open 5pm - midhtnight | Wednesday Closed Jl. Raya Lungsiakan, Ubud | T: +62 813 98625433

BALI SPIRIT FESTIVAL Bali Spirit Festival – 7 days of yoga, wellness and music. Hold on Ubud! From the 24- 31 of March 2019, Ubud will vibrate with feel good energy and the Spirit folk come to town to partake in Balis most popular festival.

International yogis, musicians, wellness gurus will spread their love and knowledge to the welcoming crowds. Healing workshops and a great market selling all kinds of esoterica will keep everyone happy. The Venue is back at 18 UbudLife

CHRISTMAS and NEW YEAR At one time I used to come to Bali to escape Christmas, but it is no longer! Now everyone celebrates Christmas - visitors, expats, and Balinese alike. Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, although many Europeans prefer to celebrate on Christmas Eve, on the 24th. While the origins of Christmas may be lost in the frenzy of gift giving that has developed, the main beautiful message remains the same – PEACE ON EARTH AND GOODWILL TO ALL MEN. Special Christmas feasts are available at the very popular Ibu Rai Restaurant in Jl. Monkey Forest where happy guests can tuck into an array of delicious food.

UHA CHEF and LATTE ART COMPETITION 2018 Ubud Hotels Association (UHA) will hold the UHA Chef Competition 2018 on December 1, 2018. The venue for this popular event will once again be Bale Udang Mang Engking Restaurant in Ubud.

This year the competition has been expanded to feature the beverage side as well in the form of a Latte Art Competition.

Following last year’s successful event, enthusiasm to participate in the event was again overwhelming with the 40 available slots quickly taken by cooks up to Chef De Partie level from UHA member hotels keen to showcase their expertise.

This year UHA would like to go back to the basics of the culinary tradition in Ubud. The theme for the cooking competition is “Eat like a local”, with the main ingredients being Black Bali Pork (Babi Hitam) and Bali Green Seaweed (Bulung Buni).

LA PACA MAMA Paca Mama celebrates their with panache. The very stylish Mexican restaurant in Penestanan has just opened their new upstairs tapas bar.

With a very laid back, yet upmarket, south of the border vibe, this elegant eatery serves five star tapas with a mix of beverages, which must include Ubud’s best Margarita.

The tapas are innovate an beautifully done and presided over by the very talented Alexandra, it look slike the new place to go in Penestanan, or maybe in all of Ubud.

La Paca Mama, Jl. Raya Penestanan Kelod No.1, Ubud - Bali T: 0361 9080225 E: info@la-pacha-mama.com

Bali, and Ubud especially, is well known for its traditional culinary heritage. Pork dishes are quite familiar in daily life in Ubud, include in ceremonies and casual family gathering. On the other hand, UHA is keen to support the government’s effort to support and preserve local Balinese pork farmers, whose main product is Bali Black Pork.

It is a known fact that Bali Black Pork is healthier and tastier, because the animals consume organic feed, compared to industrial large scale farmed pork available in the market.

With this year’s competition, UHA’s greatest expectation is to continue improving the skills of local chefs and enhance their confidence in preparing and presenting truly traditional local dishes.

The winners of UHA Chef & Latte Art Competition 2018 will be officially announced during the UHA charity and anniversary dinner on December 8, 2018.

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CULTURE

IS BALI READY FOR BALINESE WOMEN’S LIB? – philosophically equal and socially discriminated – Part Two by jean couteau • statues courtesy of nagamasantik@yahoo.comelicopters

T

heir vagina is bluntly quoted in classical literature as being a “year-long incurable sore, which causes the world to go bananas.” (ri tengah nikang kulit sasulpitning kidang, hana ta kani, menga ta keneng waras ….

Ya ta angde wulangun iriking rat, muda, wuta, tuli ya denya. Sarasmucaya 31:438) Although “women eat half the food as men”, one also reads, “they are sexually eight times more resistant” (ring stri yan pinakottama dwigunaring bhuknya sangkeng puman … yan ring sanggama kastabhaga sira sang swaminya kokteng aji – Nitiçastra 13:8). We males all know this, alas! But is this why Balinese men keep such a close eye on their ladies, trying to control all aspects of their life, their love, their marriage and even their divorce, as we shall see below?

Regarding love and marriage, the partnership between men and women is, of course, an unequal one - women must be faithful, while men should only be “responsible”, meaning that their unfaithfulness is no cause for divorce, as long as they look after their children. Most “traditional” Balinese women expect their husbands to misbehave once in a while “like a youth” (nrunen), i.e. to go on the hunt. When this happens, the unhappy wife should accept it. “Women must know how to behave,” goes the saying” (Anak dadi anak luh, pang tatas ken dewek). Some women even go as far (in the acceptance of their fate) as giving advice to their beloved husband: “Eat your full, brother,” they will say,” but don’t bring the plate back home,” (Melahang madahar,

beli, kwala da ngaba tekor mulih). In educated circles, the advice might be more explicit, and reveal hygienic worries:” If you buy sate (kebabs), make sure you come back clean.”

(Yen beli meli sate pang bersih aba mulih).

All this shows high tolerance on the part of women towards a gender, which is said to “eat” so little.

Social control is all pervasive in Bali, and any love affair is soon public news. There is always a good soul to inform the cuckolded party, with sneering, a common way to get even with past enmities: “You cannot fulfill your husband’s (sexual) needs properly,” a woman may tell another one.” So don’t be surprised if he looks for his fare at some other place,” (Kenken nyi ngayahin anak muani nyi-ne, apa ia sings bisa ngwarung kapah-kapah.) Once the affair belongs to public domain, though, the heat gets stronger on the unfaithful man.

Any “responsible” husband should do his best to hide his mistress from public view. Once his liason is divulged in the open, it stops being tolerated, and the man may have to drop his paramour, or marry her.

If the latter is an unmarried girl, (oldfashioned) parents might actually push in that direction. What matters most to them, is that the lover consents to be a “good” husband, i.e. is a man materially well off enough to provide for his wife’s needs? If he is reluctant, a wellscheduled pregnancy might settle the matter, as Balinese men rarely shun their fatherly responsibility! A discreet biakala wedding UbudLife 23

service will then be held, to give respectability to the new union. Such second, or even third marriages are not uncommon, even though they do not have the stamp of the state, which tries to limit the occurrence of polygamy. As for the first wife, there is little she can do, lest she be unceremoniously taken back to her father’s home without her children. So she usually accepts her fate.

Women are a forbearing lot, aren’t they?

The Indonesian government has been trying to limit the occurrence of polygamy. The marriage law of 1974 prohibits the taking of a second wife unless the prior agreement of the first one has been formally obtained. It also puts all sorts of hurdles to the granting of such an authorization. These legal constraints, however, run counter to a long ingrained tradition of male dominance. Few women have actually the guts - or the means - to protest their predicament. For all practical purposes the prohibition of polygamy is effective only for the country’s civil servants.

Its main watchdog is the Dharma Wanita, the association of the wives of civil servants. Its membership is compulsory, and the wife of the corresponding sectorial chief, heads each chapter. So, if a woman sees her husband indulging in dissipation, she has only to report it to his boss’ wife, who will soon act. The fellow will immediately be scolded, and may even be sacked.

This improvement in the condition of Indonesian --and Balinese - women is merely incremental, though, and it has its implicit limits: they are never given the opportunity to turn their lovers into secondary husbands!

Their lovers remain lovers.

This is not to say that unfaithfulness is common. Balinese women have, on the whole, the reputation of being faithful to their men. But the unexpected may happen.

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Motorbikes, schooling in the city and office jobs offer plenty of new grounds for sexual escapades. Once this happens, Balinese women have a much harder time than their male counterparts. Someone might raise the matter in a banjar meeting (sangkep), or local youths catch the culprit with the “hand in the bag.” Whatever the case, once a woman is deemed unfaithful, the decision is quick and unanimous: she must be returned home, i.e. to her father’s house, and her children left to her husband’s custody.

There are other causes for divorce than unfaithfulness, of course, particularly arranged marriages. And divorce in Bali, unlike in the West, is never a total and immediate abandon.

In no case is the woman thrown out with anywhere to go. She was “taken” (juanga ) from her father at marriage, so she must be returned (ulihanga) to the same with the proper “divorce” procedure. In a way strikingly similar to the marriage, when the negotiations took place under the guidance of the kelihan banjar (headman), the same official usually accompanies the return of the woman, acting in a similar intermediary position. Potential conflicts are thus avoided. Naturally, this does not take place without some standardised explanation: “Since I took your daughter from this place,” the husband says, “ it is to this place too that I bring her back” (Panak bapak juang tiang dini, dini masih ulihang tiang.” Or: “ “Father and Mother, take back your daughter and look after her, since I cannot bear her behavior anymore (Meme bapa ngraksa buin, sawireh bikas iane sing nyidaang tiang Nganggon).”

A ritual accompanies the traditional Balinese divorce, which is symmetrical to the one that took place during the wedding ceremony. It consists basically of taking leave (mepamit) from the gods of the husband’s sanggah (family temple). If things are done properly,

the ritual should be accompanied by an offering, sorohan tumpeng solas, addressed to the God of Love Semara; to alow him to split from the Goddess of the moon Ratih. A Chinese kepeng (holed coin) should also the cut in two and put on the rong tiga shrine -- the main shrine of the family temple. And the Gods of the Kahyangan Tiga - gods of the three main temples of the village - should be kept informed by a pejati "notification" offering. Divorce in Bali is thus a serious matter. It is not only a separation at the earthly level (sekala) of the husband and wife, but also at that of the invisible forces (niskala), which underlie them.

Although traditional Balinese couples do eventually separate under strain, the woman going back to live in her father's compound, they usually postpone the "divorce ceremony" for as long as they can, perhaps with the hope of avoiding it altogether, particularly if the marriage was between semetons or "cousins".

Various parties - friends, parents, relatives, the banjar, always make attempts to put things back to rights. On the woman's side, especially if she is considered at fault, strong pressures, social and personal, bear down upon her. By leaving her husband, she is also separating from her children. And as long as her divorce is not formalized, she is an "outsider" in her father's house, which she left ritually to marry "ouside". The members of her own family might even address her with a lower level of Balinese, corresponding to her husband status. For all these reasons, she often relents.

The pressures bearing on the husband are no less impressive: " Why are you so upset with your wife," may slip a friendly neighbor, "do you think no one knows of your own escapades" (nguda ci pedih ken kurenan ci; kaden cang sing nawang kenken abet ci-e; ci masih patuh ngalih mitra). Elders, sometimes sent at the wife's behest, will tend to be more direct: " Why do you make such a fuss over a

fuss over a small matter,” they will say, “ wouldn’t it be better to make it up with your wife,” (Kenken masalah cenik bisa kanti palas makurenan; apa sing luwungan atep bin.).

Since the man usually obtains the custody of the children, and is burdened by it, he may well relent too and fetch his wife back. If such is the case, there is a ready-made explanation to the whole escapade - his wife was tricked by magic - the other guy had really too big a ring (bungkung gede). Of course. At least this is what the consulted balian (medium) will make everyone believe. Happy Balinese couples!

All in all, the lot of the traditional Balinese woman is not an unhappy one. She is neither really ill-treated, nor subjected to the hypersexualization of her body that both “liberates” and “enslaves” her Western sister. She also lives in a relatively stable and homogenous environment where she incurs little physical risk to her person and almost no challenges to her personality.

All this is bound to change. In the last twenty years, modernisation has taken hold at all levels of Balinese life, and this is deeply transforming the situation and status of women. Through schooling, jobs until recently unthought of by women are now commonly occupied by them: there are women doctors, teachers, lawyer’s etc. They translate their newly won economic strength in greater social and “intellectual” autonomy: they rent their own rooms, buy their own perfumes and select their own mate. Balinese women are increasingly alike their Western sisters. Will it be the end of the myth?

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words and image by ayu sekar

Right in Monkey Forest Road just before the famous and holy Monkey Forest is the Monkey Legend Bar and Restaurant. Walk in to a cosy space where the walls are decorated with cute monkey photos.

Come evening when the lights are turned on, the atmosphere changes to a magical mysterious place where you just might want to drop in for a drink or a meal.

The menu is eclectic Balinese with some western choices available, although personally, I would try the Balinese menu.

Here is a place where you can experience Balinese tastes and flavours without too much chili, while still retaining authentic Balinese flavours.

The Tuna Sambal Matah features fresh frilled tuna with Bali’s most famous sambal – toned down for western tastebuds. I tried the Ayam pelalah – a grilled chicken breast with that same delicious sambal Matah and a thick creamy coconut turmeric sauce. Lemon grass accents gave it a flavour to remember and it is memorable. Spiced but not too spicy.

For vegans there are several options including the vegan roll and some vegetable dishes.

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They also do Pork spare ribs at a realistic price and a Balinese crispy duck, which is also worth a try. Those little ducks seen in the rice fields after harvest have a beautiful healthy and happy life before ending up on a plate for a hungry customer.

Cocktails come at good prices – and their mint lime juice is one of the best in town.

So when you are wondering where to try next, well you can try Monkey Legend.

Monkey Legend Restaurant Bar and Grill Jalan Monkey Forest No. 8, Ubud Center

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SenS Hotel The well appointed rooms also offer similar solace, with everything comfortably enclosed with conveniences at your fingertips. The inhouse spa offers great treatments and the pool is perfect.

Sens is also the only hotel in the Ubud area with specialized meeting facilities for up to 200 guests.

While Ubud is usually known for its thatched roof cottages and villas amidst lush greenery, there is one hotel in town with a difference.

Right opposite Ubuds ‘s most famous temple, and home to the town’s most important cremation site, lies the Sens Hotel. With a great location within walking distance to many of Ubud’s attractions, here is also a way to beat the traffic, that can sometimes build up in the downtown area.

This city hotel is an unusual sight in this little royal town where almost nothing is air conditioned or closed.

But walk in and enjoy the cooler air and quiet atmosphere and not a wild animal in sight! It is as though you have left Ubud for a moment and entered another world.

The hotel works like a well- oiled machine with trained staff who can cater to your needs. Then enter the spotless dining room – where everything is polished and sometimes the tables even sport white table linen.

This is one fine place for lunch when you desire a change of pace and a change of place.

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This is one of two Sens properties in Ubud and the other, situated just south of Singakerta, is a more typical resort style. Same company different style.

Sens Hotel and Spa - Jl Sukma Kesuma, No1, Tebesaya, Ubud

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SPECTA CULAR BEACHES

Just a Short Drive from Ubud by stephanie • images by jill alexander

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OUT OF TOWN

W

e’ll never get tired of Ubud’s rolling padi fields and lush jungles, but every so often it’s nice to get out and soak up some seaside scenery.

Lucky for us there are plenty of beaches along Bali’s east coast that are just a short drive away. From stretches of sparkling black sand to superb surf breaks, traditional fishing enclaves, and buzzing seaside promenades, these beaches can easily be reached from Ubud in under an hour.

PADANG GALAK

Padang Galak may not be Bali’s most beautiful beach, but it is one of the most intriguing. This is the site of the Bali Kite Festival, which takes place during the windy months of July and August. Visit while the festival is going on and you’ll see hundreds of people from around the island and abroad flying massive fluttering kites, some of which can reach up to 100 metres long. Then there is Taman Festival Bali, an abandoned amusement park where crumbling ticket booths, vine-covered canteens, and a graffiti-strewn theatre create a downright spooky vibe. Just take care when exploring the ‘ghost park’ because the site hasn’t been maintained since it closed in 1997.

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SANUR

KUSAMBA

KERAMAS

LEBIH

Sanur is the most popular beach on Bali’s east coast and for good reason. Once a small fishing community, this coastal community has always been a thriving hub of traditional Balinese arts and culture. This is also Bali’s oldest seaside resort area, so you’ll find a wide range of accommodation, restaurants, shops, and bars along the beachfront promenade and roads radiating out from the beach. Yet despite its abundance of dining, sleeping, and entertainment options, Sanur still has a very laid-back ambiance and ‘old Bali’ vibe. Oh, and did we mention that the sunrise views from the beach are absolutely spectacular?

Surfers in the know head to Pantai Keramas for ample swells that are far less crowded than other surf breaks around the island. Rainy season brings the best barrels, but there are consistent right-handers pretty much all year round. This black sand beach is also popular with the non-surfing set thanks to a number of great attractions nearby. Komune Beach Club & Resort boasts a gorgeous free-form pool and regular night surfing events. Bali Speed Go-Kart offers high-octane fun for all ages around the racetrack, and Keramas Aeropark features a unique dining experience inside a refurbished airplane.

Catch a glimpse of authentic Balinese coastal culture at Pantai Kusamba, a peaceful stretch of black sand where local fishermen ply the waters in wooden jukung boats and salt farmers eke out a living from the sea. The Kusamba salt farmers use traditional methods that have been practised for centuries, and do everything by hand. This includes collecting seawater in buckets on poles, drying it on the sand under the sun, and filtering it in wooden troughs. The result is completely natural, mineral-rich sea salt. Many of the farmers are happy to show visitors how the salt is made and sell their salt at very reasonable prices.

If it’s fresh seafood you’re after, then Pantai Lebih is your spot. Located just off Jalan Ida Bagus Mantra, this glittering black sand beach is lined with local warungs selling Indonesian seafood dishes at fabulous prices. Try the satay lilit (minced fish skewers grilled over charcoal), pepes ikan (fish steamed with Balinese spices in a banana leaf ), or sup ikan (fish soup). You can also grab fresh fish caught that day to take home. After your meal you can stroll along the brick pathway next to the beach or relax on the lava stone breakwaters and gaze out at Nusa Penida across the Badung Strait.

SABA

CANDI DASA

Tired of beach vendors and crowded sun loungers? If so, Saba is the perfect escape. This peaceful black sand beach is about halfway between Ubud and Sanur and a world away from the frenetic beach life of Seminyak and Kuta. Chances are the only people you’ll see will be a few fishermen and maybe a satay vendor or two. The water is not the greatest for swimming due to strong currents, but the beach is a great spot to meditate, do yoga, or simply soak up the sea breezes and views.

Saba Stables is also close by if you fancy a horseback ride along the sand.

While Candidasa s just over an hour away, this original seaside resort has a come a long way baby! It is now more upmarket and a pleasing mix of rustic and sophisticated. Fancy villas lie at the outside of the main town and new hotels and resorts sprawl along the eastern littoral. Bu the main town has its superb lotus pond – a place of great photo ops for every visitor, and several restaurants worth mentioning including the well loved Vincents, where great food and great décor make it a popular stop for those in the know. Thursday might is jazz night and you never know who make drop in to play.

MASCETI

VIRGIN BEACH

Delve into your spiritual side at Pantai Masceti, home to one of Bali’s nine sacred directional temples. The temple is shaped like the mythical bird god Garuda and features intricately carved statues and holy shrines.

Because the beach fronts the temple, this is considered a holy area, so no swimming or sunbathing are permitted and visitors are expected to dress respectfully. If you want to enter the temple, sarongs can be rented for a small fee. The best time to visit Pantai Masceti is during a melasti purification ceremony when Balinese people converge on the sand en masse to cleanse sacred objects and pray.

The famous white sand beach is no longer undiscovered, but its beauty has made it more than popular. Simple warungs line the beach where you can still eat with your toes in the sand. Day beds and umbrellas cover the main part of the white sand and the turquoise waters are always inviting. Take a walk along past the tourist strip and you will find it still a little wild, but whatever you do , you will find it is worth a trip.

The B side

by ayu sekar • images jill alexander

42 UbudLife

UBUD EATS

J

ust after the bridge linking Jalan Suweta and Sriwedari is a little establishment that has won a lot of hearts and a loyal following of eaters.

The cute little eatery is about to expand into a cosy bar with lots of micro brewed specialty beers and interesting eats.

In the meantime, the 8B Restaurant has an extraordinary and original menu of Bali fusion food that you wont find duplicated in any other restaurant. The food retains an authenticity often missing in fusion, and the menu is filled with “must try’ items. Seated in an intimate and cosy atmosphere, guests can dine on flavorsome dishes like

It stays open all day until dinner, which ends with an array of irresistible desserts including Coffee Chocolate Parfait – a combination of chocolate cake, coffee jelly, a chocolate sauce, all topped with whipped cream and crumbled nuts! I mean really! The other desserts are probably equally delicious so it is good to go with a few friends, so that more can be tried.

Coffees and cocktails are also excellent – and it is all such a wonderful surprise to find such quality just a little out of town.

A final surprise would be the reasonable prices, especially for the quality of the food served.

BSide - Jalan Sriwedari No. 8B, Ubud just past the bridge.

The Creamy Coconut Lime Chicken cooked with an array of Balinese spices demonstrating how food can be spicy with burning the tastebuds.

The Urutan Hot Dog is also worth a try. This classic Bali sausage is treated like a hot dog, placed in a bun with pickles and served with cassava chips.

Fresh salads, gado gado in a new presentation, sandwiches as well as several dishes catering to vegans and vegetarians make the well thought out menu something really special, even though the majority (being based on Balinese) have a meat base.

The 8B opens at 8am with an interesting breakfast menu with offerings like coconut French toast, that comes with palm sugar, fruit and fresh cream! Yum! The liver pate omlette is another dish that is highly recommended.

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BALI’S EXTRAORDINARY SUBAK

this UNESCO World Heritage site forms the backbone of Bali ‘s culture by rachel love • images jill alexander

46 UbudLife

HERITAGE

B

ali is renowned for the beauty of its sculpted rice terraces. Estimated to cover 20 percent of the island, these vibrant green plantings and layered mirrors unfold like giant stairways from the mountains to the sea to form a spectacular cultural landscape. Each rice field is linked and separated by a uniting seam.

The irrigation of the padi fields is achieved through an ancient and complex system of aquatic engineering, uniquely managed by the farmers through an extraordinary agrarian organisation of village cooperatives known as ‘Subak’.

Irrigation is critical to Balinese wet-rice agriculture because of the long dry season that extends from April to October, while the substance of rural life is dependent on the accuracy of the water flow as it is diverted from the 150 rivers and streams that gush from Bali’s crater lakes. The water is then channelled through an elaborate system of dams, canals, tunnels, aqueducts and bamboo pipes to the top of a series of terraced rice fields. From here it can flow, with gravity, from field to field.

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The subak is a great example of an egalitarian farming system and one of the most vital components of Balinese society; integrally linked to the island’s history, landscape and culture. Based on the Balinese philosophical principle of ‘Tri Hita Karana’ – which holds that happiness and prosperity can only be attained if all human beings live in balance and harmony with God, with other human beings, and with the environment – the subak is economically productive and ecologically selfsustainable. It is based on a democratic and equal distribution of resources, completely independent from political and administrative institutions and does not rely on fossil fuel or heavy machinery.

Since farmers depend on the successful irrigation of the fields, the different subaks form a close bond that unites into a single system that has been handed down the generations for over a thousand years. In fact, ancient inscriptions indicate the digging of an irrigation tunnel back in the ninth century.

The subak controls the construction and maintenance of the channelling system and the management of the water flow in order to ensure the fair distribution of this precious resource.

A subak meets once a month and consists of all the farmers – or their representatives – in a particular rice production area. Each covers a few dozen hectares of farmland and sustains several hundred people. The upstream subaks ensure that water flows to their downstream counterparts, which brings about a synchronised planting and harvest pattern that provides benefits for all, including pest control. The subaks are linked to mountain temples or ‘pura masceti’, which come under the control of one of the island’s two lake temples: Pura Batu Kau coordinates irrigation in West Bali, and Pura Ulun Danau coordinates the north, east and south of Bali.

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The engineering knowledge of the subak is sophisticated, and the tunnels they construct and maintain through the hills can be up to three kilometres long and 40 metres deep.

The water flows over volcanic rocks rich in minerals, such as phosphate and potassium.

The wet rice fields are effectively artificial ponds, and the nutrients in the water help the rice to grow. The subak also coordinates the organisation of ritual offerings and festivals. Water temples hold festivals every 105 days, corresponding with the 105-day rice-growing cycle. The villagers gather to perform the harvest ritual, praying to Dewi Sri, the goddess of rice and fertility, for safety, a bountiful harvest, and the survival of their way of life. This cycle also determines the time of the opening and closing of the canal sluices, ensuring that plantings are staggered and that the water is allocated in the most efficient and equitable manner. The subak relates exclusively to irrigated rice fields, which are known as ‘Sawah’. The fields that are rain-fed are known as ‘Tegalan’.

Bali’s subak system has been honoured with the UNESCO status of a World Heritage Cultural Landscape, featuring specific sites that maintain and respect the natural,

Watershed – the oldest known irrigation system in Bali; the Subak Landscape of Catur Angga Batukaru – with terraces mentioned in a 10th century inscription making them amongst the oldest in Bali and prime examples of classical Balinese temple architecture; the rice terraces of Jatiluwih; and the Royal Water temple of Pura Taman Ayun – the largest and most architecturally distinguished regional water temple, exemplifying the fullest expansion of the subak system under the largest Balinese kingdom of the 19th century.

religious, and cultural components of the subak system, and continue to grow organic traditional Balinese rice without the use of fertilisers or pesticides. Sites include the Supreme Water Temple of Pura Ulun Danu Batur and Lake Batur – a crater lake regarded as the ultimate origin of every spring and river; the Subak Landscape of the Pakerisan

Jatiluwih, in the heart of the Tabanan Regency, also known as Bali’s ‘rice bowl’, is the most agriculturally productive region on the island, with 600 hectares of rice fields stretching from the coast and following the graceful hillside topography to as high as 700 metres above sea level. The glorious scenery will unfold in front of you like a map as you journey along a narrow winding road up the inclines of Bali’s second highest peak, the 2276-metre Mt Batukaru, through steep terraces planted with Asia’s staple crop. Jatuluwih is true to its name, which means ‘extraordinary’ or ‘truly marvellous’, and this scenic point offers one of the most breathtaking views imaginable.

The Subak Museum in the village of Sanggulan, Tabanan, showcases the centuries old Balinese agrarian way of life with a miniaturised version of the subak system, as well as displaying traditional agricultural tools used by Balinese farmers to tend the fields. Here, you can view a collection of wooden and metal harvesting tools, cattle-drawn ploughs, fish and eel traps, as well as nets for capturing dragonflies and locusts – both of which are tasty local delicacies, plus various mock-ups and miniatures of old farming village layouts, traditional Balinese kitchens, and more.

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Velvet

Skin

Sang Spa

Nature Resort

WORLD MAP

THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA

UBUD

Sisi

Kafe Topi

Garden Sopa

ISLAND OF BALI

UBUD LOCATION Ubud, Ubud,lies liesinin the the heart heart of of Bali, 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 Artistsalso alsoapply applytheir their skills skills to to making making attractive things for visitors.

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

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

...

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PILAR BATU GALLERY

Presenting fine art quality of paintings and as a painting studio of I Wayan Suarmadi ADDRESS: JALAN MADE LEBAH, UBUD, GIANYAR, BALI PHONE: 62 361 978197 | MOBILE & WA: 62 81 338730435 EMAIL: WAYANSUARMADI75 @ GMAIL.COM WWW.PILARBATU.COM

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 women performance

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

7.30 pm 7.00 pm 7.30 pm 7.30 pm

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

ubud palace-open stage jaba pura taman sari-padang tegal kelod kertha accommodation-monkey forest st arma-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 6.00 pm

legong dance legong dance frog dance legong dance kecak fire & trance dance the magic of jegog

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

tue 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

A

s 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

Ja v a Fer r y to Cekik

Labuhan lalang

Sumberkelampok

Blimbingsari

Klatakan

Gerokgak

Pe

a B e a ch

Antur

Lovina

Bestala Mayong Busungbiu

Pancoran

Mt. Mesehe 1344

BA

Pangkungdedari Melaya

vin

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

Mt. Musi 1224

Mt. Merbuk 1386

Sumbersari

Temple

A

Puri Jati [muck-diving]

Celukan Bawang

Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali National Park)

E I S

Lo

Sumberkima Goris Banyuwedang

Secret Bay

Gilimanuk

LETKOL WISNU AIRSTRIP Pulaki Banyupoh Kertakawat Pemuteran Gondol Melanting Penyabangan Musi

Lake

Gobleg

Tambling Mund

Subuk

LI

Candikusuma

Pupuan Pujungan Mt

Tegalasih

ST R

Airanakan

A

Banyubiru

IT

NEGARA

Cupel Munduk

Sanda

Rambutsiwi Yehsumbul Yehembang Pesinggahan Mede wi B eac Medewi h

Yehkuning

Perancak

Bat

Manggissari Asahduren

Mendoyo Yehbuah Delod Berawah

Munduk

Batungsel

Tista

Batuagung

DISTANCE [in kilometer]

Belimbing

Ampadan

BANGLI BESAKIH

Balia

CANDI DASA

Balian Beach

DENPASAR GIANYAR

Suraberata Selemad Antosari n B Lalanglinggah Bajera Ba ea ch Soka Soka Bea ch Kerambi Beraban

GILIMANUK

IN

GOA GAJAH GOA LAWAH

O

N

Tanah

E

GUNUNG KAWI

D

Tib

S

IA

AMLAPURA

C

N

OC

SEMARAPURA KUTA

C

EA

LAKE BATUR

N

LEGIAN LOVINA AIRPORT

INT

NUSA DUA SANUR SINGARAJA TANAH LOT UBUD ULUWATU

Padang Sulub

Uluw

Airport/Airstrip

Air Sanih

Sangsit Kubutambahan Beji

Bungkulan

emaron

ran Panji

Bukti

Jagaraga Bila

SINGARAJA Banyuning

Tamblang

Sukasada

Pacung

Julah Bondalem Tejakula Les

Tegal

Pegayaman Gitgit

Asahpanji

Catur

Mt. Catur 2096 Kembangmerta

Tembok Muntidesa

Bayun

Yehketipat

Bantang Penulisan

Kintamani

Lake Bratan

Bedugul Pekarangan Baturiti

tukaru

Apuan

Wongaya

T ul a

Sekardadi

Tulamben

Pengotan Penyebah

Sandakan

Seribatu

Taro

Besakih

Kayubihi

Amed

Jemeluk Wall Bunutan Reef Japanese Wreck

Jemeluk Bunutan

Pempatan Buyan

Puhu

Buahan Petang Pujung Luwus

Culik

Mt. Agung 3142

Kayuambua

Angantiga

m

Mt. Abang 2153

Penulisan Nungkung

t. Batukaru Pacung 2276 l Soka Jatiluwih Senganan

Kedisan

Penelokan

Pelaga

Lake Batur

y n Ba

Candi Kuning

Baturinggit Kubu Rubaya

Trunyan

be

gan duk

Tianyar

Mt. Batur Batur 1717

Pancasari

Lake Buyan Lake Tamblingan

Penuktukan

Sambirenteng

Gentah

Bakungan Penginyahan

k

eg

BALI MAP

Surfing spots

Diving spots

Harbour

Ababi

Abang

Gili Selang Lempuyang

Tirta Gangga Mt. Seraya Menanga 1175 Muncan AMLAPURA Seraya Selat Payangan Bebandem Tampaksiring Rendang Iseh Bangbang Bukit Bucu BANGLI Subagan Kuwum Ceking Sibetan Tembuku Sindu Buruan Ujung Saren Padpadan Kawan Sidakarya Marga Sembung Bunutan Tegallalang Paseban Asak Jasri Ngis Tenganan Jasri Batusari Timbrah Petak Manggis Sidemen Bugbug Petulu Timpag Wanasari Sangeh Buitan deg Sibang Bongkasa Ulakan Candidasa Talibeng Selat Sengkidu Biaha UBUD Blahkiuh antas Alas Kedaton Mimpang Akah Blayu Peliatan h Bedulu Padangbai A m u k B a n d i Tepekong c KLUNGKUNG ) a d as a Be ay bok Denkayu Abiansemal Silayukti Sidan Tihingan Samsam TABANAN Kutri Dawan ( Lom Ferry Channel lands Mas Is i GIANYAR il itan Mambal G Kamasan Goa Lawah Blue Lagoon Fast Boats Padangbai (Bali ) Kengetan Mengwi Gelgel Bone Tanjung Sari Sakah Gubug IT Silakarang Kusamba bubiyu Blahbatuh Tanjung Jepun Kediri Sibang RA Angantaka T Kemenuh S Lebih Muncan Pejaten Batuan OK Darmasaba Sukawati Keramas Yeh Gangga Pandakgede Singapadu MB O L Fe Beraban Sempidi rry Batubulan Celuk Pa h Lot da ng ba Ubung Lumintang T i (B Tohpati I ali ) A Kerobokan DENPASAR Canggu - Le R B e Brawa Canggu Padanggalak mb h T Sumerta a ar ( Muding Shipwreck SD S Sental Lom Umalas Pengubengan Canggu Renon Sanur bok Blue Corner Buyuk ) Jungutbatu Batubelig Sanur Kutampi Sindhu Ped LEMBONGAN ISLAND Legi Petitenget Telaga Sanglah an Sampalan Lembongan Toyapakeh B e Seminyak Batujimbar Pegok Kut ac Sentalkangin Legian Gelogorcarik Semawang CENINGAN ISLAND aB Pidada Gelagah e Crystal Bay Kuta Pesanggaran Blanjong Metakih Ponjok Kuta Bayuh Suana Malibu SERANGAN ISLAND Tuban Manta Point Semaya Serangan NGURAH RAI Batumandeg Pejukutan BENOA HARBOUR TERNATIONAL AIRPORT Ambengan Tanjung Benoa Kedonganan Batukandik Pendem Jimbaran Bay Tanglad Soyor Jimbaran Bungkit Bingin Anta Pelilit Manta Point Tabuanan Mumbul Ramoan g Padang Sedihing Bualu Geger Sekartaji Kampial ban Nusa Dua Ungasan Batuabah Sawangan watu N Pecatu Babahan

Sebatu

Bali Silent Retreat

Penebel Perean Pitra

Sulahan Singarata

C

h ac

N

DU

BA

San

ur

G

Be

ac

Ferry to N usa Pe nida

ch

h

NUSA PENIDA

us

a Dua Beac

h

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50 km

The Muntigunung Trek Off the beaten path in eastern Bali words, images by jenny b

“I have trekked in Bhutan, walked the El Camino de Santiago and parts ofthe Allegheny trail. But the Muntigunung trek was spectacular in its scenery, its devotion to the environment and its sole purpose of creating a sustainable life for so many women and children.

What a wonderful way to experience Bali and know that going 100% to this purpose.�

Susan Jane Money, inveterate hiker and Ubud regular

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HELPING HAND

W

itnessing the sun rise above Gunung Abang from the rim of the caldera close to Kintamani, my thoughts turned to those seeing the same sunrise from the peak of Gunung Batur — at times a heavily crowded experience with hundreds hemmed in at the top, iPhones raised. In contrast, I was about to take a walk on the wild side of Bali with just a handful of friends — to a remote part of the island that few different few tourists experience.

By no stretch of the imagination am I an early morning person, but Bali’s luxury villa rental people Elite Havens had invited me to write about the award-winning Muntigunung Trek for their guests.

So I had set my alarm for 5.00am and, bleary eyed and craving a pre-dawn coffee, set off on the 90-minute journey to Songan — a crosscountry adventure in itself. We drove past rows of shuttered handicraft shops lining the Andong road (note to self: return to browse when they are open), past the famed rice terraces of Tegallalang and, after that arresting sunrise stop, dropped down into the crater.

After crossing lava fields (from Gunung Batur’s 1968 eruption), skirting Bali’s largest lake, and taking an impossibly steep road up into the mountains on the other side, we tumbled out of the car, took up the bamboo walking stick offered us by the smiling village guides, and started climbing.

Almost from the start, the views were breathtaking. Walking single file along a narrow ridge, the land fell sharply away from us on both sides. To our left, the blinding expanse of ocean lapping on Bali’s north coast sparkled in the morning sunlight, while to our right we could see Lake Batur far below us.

“Oh, I do this trek at least seven times a week”, Pak Pica breezily shared as, breathless, I arrived at our breakfast stop and gratefully accepted a cup of steaming Balinese coffee.

Respect — after an hour’s relentless climb he hadn’t even broken into a sweat! The vista is spectacular — surely the best in Bali. As we savoured local fruits and cookies, we learnt the bittersweet story behind the view; the trail that we were following was once the only route to water for the remote mountain villages of Muntigunung; every day, the women – and often their children – would undertake the hazardous five-hour round trip across the rugged terrain to fetch water for their community.

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This is a harsh arid area where an eight-month dry season made even subsistence farming impossible, driving many impoverished villagers to take the same trail across the mountains to beg in Ubud and Bali’s bustling tourist areas further south.

Today they’ve reversed the direction; instead of trekking to beg in the tourist areas, the women are now trekking guides, bringing visitors to their villages. And it all changed because of a chance encounter between a Swiss banker and a Muntigunung beggar on the streets of Ubud 15 years ago. Thanks to the vision, persistence and passion of Daniel Elber, affectionately described by his admirers as a ‘walking saint’, their lives have been transformed. We learnt that the trek is just one of the initiatives created through Future for Children to help Bali’s most neglected communities move out of poverty. As we continued the trek, I vowed not to complain of aching muscles but concentrate on how each trekker is making a positive contribution and making a small difference.

The two-hour descent (and 700-metre change in altitude) rewarded us with jawdropping vistas across Bali’s deepest gorge, and spectacular views of the sacred Gunung Agung peeking above the clouds. At times the going was tough; the path was dusty, the terrain uneven, and the drop to one side at times disquieting. But eventually we arrived at the first of the Munti villages we would visit, where a village elder sprinkled us with holy water and marked our foreheads and throats with rice in a traditional Balinese blessing.

Sipping a fresh coconut juice, we exchanged smiles with a group of women who were chatting while deftly hand-weaving baskets from dried lontar palm leaves under the distinctive water catchment roof that provides space for their social enterprise.

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At another hamlet we received an equally gracious welcome, and sampled rosella tea and fabulous cashew nuts, dried rosella and mango snacks — another employment-andincome-generating project supported by Daniel’s foundation. I bought palm sugar, moringa-flavoured salt, and small gifts — as much as I could carry home with me.

Before lunch by the ocean at the end of the trek, we marvelled at the magnificent hammocks being hand-knotted in another village. “That part was pure fun” enthuses my

friend Alej, who bought one of these stunning creations for her Ubud home. “Every time I see and use the hammock, I remember the day I triumphantly completed that trek which was really tough for me, and I also remember the triumph of the villagers in creatively overcoming their extraordinary challenges.”

Making the 12km trek and meeting the empowered women of Muntigunung is a deeply moving, uplifting experience and a ‘must do’ for all with a sense of adventure and a social conscience. You should be reasonably

fit; I certainly discovered muscles I didn’t know existed, but younger guests were unfazed and physically unaffected. And as Daniel says, “It’s a physical and emotional day you will never forget.”

For information, visit www.future-for-children. com or www.muntigunung.com. To book, email muntigunungtrekking@gmail.com And if the trek isn’t for you, please support Muntigunung by buying their products at Bintang and Bali Buda in Ubud, and Above the Clouds and Wham in Nyuh Kuning.

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RESTAURANTS

SereS Resort & Resort Jl. Jukut Paku, Singekerta, Ubud Phone: 0361 3012222 www.sereshotelsresorts.com

Bridges Jl. Raya Campuhan, Ubud Phone: 0361 970095 www.bridgesbali.com Biah Biah Jl. Goutama, Ubud Phone: 0361 978249 Biah-Biah+ Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 976466 Buddha Bowl Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Hand phone: 081 339 339928 Cafe Des Artistes Jl. Bisma 9x, Ubud Phone: 0361 972706 www.cafedesartistesbali.com Copper Kitchen & Bar Jl. Bisma, Ubud Phone: 0361 4792888 www.copperubud.com CP LOUNGE Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 978954 www.cp-lounge.com DIVINE Jl. Raya Campuhan, Ubud Phone: 0361 970095 www.bridgesbali.com Down To Earth Jl. Goutama Selatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 7835545 www.earthcafeubud.com Liap Liap Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 9080888 www.liapliap.com Folk Pool Gardens Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 9080888 www.folkubud.com Ibu Rai Restaurant Jl. Monkey Forest 72, Ubud Phone: 0361 973472 www.iburai.com Juice Ja Cafe Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 971056

Villa Beji Indah Banjar Nyuh Kuning, Ubud Phone: 0361 974168 www.villabejiindah.com

Kebun Jl. Raya Hanoman 44B, Ubud Phone: 0361 7803801 www.kebunbistro.com

ACCOMMODATION Arma Resort Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 976659 www.armaresort.com B.Saya Villa and Restaurant Jl. Suweta, Ubud Phone: 0361 973496 www.bsaya.com Cendana Resort & Spa Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 973243 www.cendanaresort-spa.com Korurua Jl. Tirta Tawar, Junjungan, Ubud Phone: 0361 9000496 www.koruruaubud.com Om Ham Retreat Jl. Tirta Tawar, Ubud Phone: 0361 9000352 www.omhamretreat.com Puri Gangga Resort Desa Sebatu, Tegallalang, Ubud Phone: 0361 902222 www.puriganggaresort.com Ubud Sari Health Resort Jl. Kajeng, Ubud Phone: 0361 974393 www.ubudsari.com Sri Ratih Cottages & Spa Jl. Raya Campuhan 1, Ubud Phone: 0361 975638 www.sriratih.com SenS Hotel & Resort Jl. Sukma, Tebesaya, Peliatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 8493328 www.senshotelsresorts.com

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KAFE Jl. Raya Hanoman 48B, Ubud Phone: 0361 970992 ww.kafe-bali.com Monkey Legend Jl. Monkey Forest 8, Ubud Phone: 0361 981611 www.monkeylegendubud.com Nomas Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 9080800 www.nomasubud.com Pizza Bagus Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 978520 Sri Ratih Cafe & Jewelry Jl. Raya Campuhan 1, Ubud Phone: 0361 975638 www.sriratih.com Sayuri Healing Food Jl. Sukma 2, Ubud Phone: 0361 9080385 www.sayurihealingfood.com Taksu Fresh Jl. Goutama Selatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 4792525 www.taksuyoga.com VELVET Jl. Raya Lungsiakan, Ubud Phone: +62 813 98625483 www.velvetbali.com Warung Citta Ovest Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 971352 Warung Siam Jl. Goutama, Ubud Hand phone: 081 239 655905 Why Not Restaurant & Bar Jl. Bisma, Ubud Phone: 0361 9081601 Yonne Cafe & Bar SenS Hotel & Resort Jl. Sukma, Tebesaya, Peliatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 8493328 www.senshotelsresorts.com

NIGHT LIFE CP Lounge Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 978954 www.cp-lounge.com

SPAS

SHOPS

PROPERTY Red Lotus Property Jl. Sukma, Br. Tebesaya, Ubud Phone: 0361 970980 www.redlotusbaliproperty.com

Sang Spa Jl. Jembawan No. 13B, Ubud Phone: 0361 9080051 www.sanspaubud.com

Bambooku Jl. Hanoman 32, Ubud Phone: 0361 7803119 www.bambooku.com

Bali Healing Spa Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud Phone: 0361 973067 www.balihealingspa.com

Kunci Jl. Hanoman, Ubud Phone: 0361 971050 www.kuncicottonknit.com

Bali Botanical Day Spa Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud Phone: 0361 976739 www.balibotanica.com

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

Taksu Galleria Jl. Hanoman, Ubud Phone: 0361 4792508 www.taksuspa.com

Rainbow Spirit Jl. Hanoman 38, Ubud Hand phone: 085 100 126053 www.rainbowspiritbali.com

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

Cocoon Medical Spa Ubud Jl. Monkey Forest 8, Ubud Hand phone: 0811 3882241 www.cocoonmedicalspa.com FRESH Spa Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 8493677 Float Garden Jl. Pejeng Kawan, Laplapan, Ubud Hand phone: 0812 39259261 www.ubudfloatgarden.com KUSH Ayurvedic Rejuvenation Spa Yoga Barn - Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 971236 www.yogabarn.com/kush Milano Salon Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 973488 Sri Ratih Spa Jl. Raya Campuhan 1, Ubud Phone: 0361 975638 www.sriratih.com Sala Japan Beauty Care Jl. Jembawan 1, Padang Tegal, Ubud Phone: 0361 977803 www.absbysala.com Sedona Spa Jl. Raya Campuhan, Ubud Phone: 0361 975770 www.sedonaspa-ubud.com SKIN Organic Spa and Waxing Salon Jl. Goutama 24 & Jl. Sanggingan 36, Ubud Phone: 0361 975615 & 0361 975604 rsvp@ubudSkinOrganic.com Taksu Spa and Restaurant Jl. Goutama Selatan, Ubud Phone: 0361 971490 www.taksuspa.com

Sensatia Botanicals Jl. Monkey Forest 64, Ubud Phone: 0361 3400011 www.sensatia.com Studio Perak Jl. Hanoman, Ubud Phone: 0361 974244 Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Hand phone: 081 236 51809 www.dketut37@yahoo.com

GALLERIES

CERAMICS Sari Api Ceramics Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 0361 971056

SISI Jl. Nyuh Kuning No.2, Ubud Hand phone: 085 103 235151 www.sisibag.com SISI Jl. Sriwedari No.12, Ubud Hand phone: 085 100765895 YIN Jl. Dewi Sita, Ubud Phone: 0361 970718 Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud Phone: 0361 8468510 Jl. Hanoman Hand phone: 085 100801879 www.yinjewelryforthesoul.com

ARTISTS Wayan Karja [Painter] Jl. Penestanan, Ubud Hand phone: 081 239 76419 Wayan Sila [Owl House] Jl. Bisma, Ubud Phone: 977649 | Mobile: 081 8566861

YOGA CENTRE Bali Silent Retreat Banjar Mongan, Penatahan, Penebel, Tabanan, Bali www.balsilentretreat.org Ojas Prana Jl. Tirta Tawar, Banjar Junjungan, Ubud Phone: 0361 9083712 www.ojasprana.com Yoga Barn Jl. Pengosekan, Ubud-Bali Phone: 0361 971236 www.theyogabarn.com UbudLife 63

SPORT/RECREATION

USEFUL NUMBERS Ambulance

Mason Adventures Bypass Ngurah Rai, Pesanggaran Phone: 0361 721480 www.masonadventures.com

Airport Authority

Ubud Horse Stables Phone: 081 339585666 www.ubudhorsestables.com

VISA/LEGAL AFFAIRS

MUSEUMS ARMA ( Agung Rai Museum of Art ) Jl. Raya Pengosekan, Ubud Phone: 974228 Antonio Blanco Renaissance Museum Jl. Raya Campuhan, Ubud Phone: 975502 Museum Puri Lukisan Ubud Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud, Gianyar Phone: 975136 Neka Art Museum Jl. Raya Sanggingan Phone: 975074 Pendet Museum Jl. Nyuh Kuning, Ubud Phone: 971338 Rudana Museum Jl. Raya Cok Rai Pudak, Peliatan, Ubud Phone: 975779

227711

Directory Inquiries

108/112

Fire Brigade

113

Immigration

751038

International Red Cros

226465

Search and Rescue

EAST BALI SECTION

161 751111

Sanglah Public Hospital

227911

Tourist information Center

753540

Time Ubud Tourist Information

103 973286

Ashyana Candidasa Jl. Raya Candidasa, Karangasem Phone: 0363 41359 www.ashyanacandidasa.com Coral View Villas Jl.Raya Bunutan Amed, Karangasem Phone: 0363 23493 www.coralviewvillas.com Le-Zat Restaurant Jl. Raya Candidasa, Karangasem Phone: 0363 41538, 41539 www.balicateringservices.com Le 48 Hotel & Restaurant Jl. Raya Candidasa 48, Karangasem Phone: 0363 41177 www.lezatbeachrestaurant.com Villa Matanai Jasri Beach - East Bali Phone: +6281337611010 www.villamatanai.com

NORTH BALI SECTION The Hamsa Resort Jl. Air Terjun Sing-Sing, Lovina, Phone: +62 813 3719 4975 Amertha Bali Villas Desa Pemuteran, Singaraja 811155 Phone: 0362 94831 www.baliamerthavillas.com Taman Sari Bali Resort and Spa Desa Pemuteran, Singaraja 811155 Phone: 0362 93264, 94765

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Bali Police Department

Post Office

HIGHWAY Jl. Raya Ubud, Ubud Phone: 0361 972107 www.highwaybali.com

118 751011

CONSULATES Australia

241118

Brazil

757775

Czech Republic

286465

Denmark & Norway

701070

French

285485

Germany

288535

Hungary

287701

Italy

701005

Japan

227628

Mexico

223266

Netherlands

761502

Spain/Portugal

769286

Sweden & Finland

288407

Switzerland

751735

Unitedkingdom

270601

USA

233605

UbudLife 65

LAST WORD

When is it time to walk away?

Mark Ulyseas

We dream of peace, perfect love and riches so that we may cease to strive. We bend our backs and brains fathoming ingenious ways to accumulate all these riches, often, by hook or by crook. And so it goes.

The rhythms of insanity couched in the insidiousness of lechery and greed. We desperately apply a quick coat of fresh paint every so often to appear new and inviting. Alas, all these actions project a jadedness that is unnatural. For beauty, the real beauty that we possess, is brushed aside in our indecent haste to acquire a youthfulness and vigour just for the moment – la petit morte - the little death. And then it is gone. That tingling feeling of ecstasy.

The primordial instinct is embedded in all of us like the mark of Cain. It seduces us to focus on the animal – the hair, the canine teeth, the nails, the sexual urge and the mindless violence.

We are much cleverer than the savages we project, for we possess the wisdom of our ancestors, the beauty of nature, and gentleness and fragility like the pollen laden wings of a butterfly.

The hurdy-gurdy of life keeps us entertained, chivvies up the innards and livens the thoughts centred on the vagaries of survival in a material world. But it is also a reminder that all good things must end on a note of acceptance. And, sadly, this acceptance we usually translate into despondency, a fatalism that cocoons us in a warped world of our own delusions.

Perhaps it is time we walk away from ourselves of blood and bone, rage, hate, violence and wants, to our souls to rediscover who we really are, and what we should be doing on this beautiful blue planet called earth.

But why should this be so?

The Now is omnipotent.

Why do we ignore the beauty within, the everlasting creature, the soul? A divine gift that we were born with, that if used can help us see reason and seek balance between materialism of need not want, and spiritualism sans faux worship with its attending theatricals.

And what better time to begin than Now… to walk away.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Om

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

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