Bali, Indonesia
by Joyce Navarro
Bali, Indonesia is an island 8 degrees south of the equator, near the island of Java, on the Indian Ocean. The climate is tropical, pretty much like the Philippines. What makes Bali unique is its Hindu culture with an Indonesian flair. Indonesia is entirely ethnically Muslim but not Bali. The centuries old Hindu folklore and mythology of Bali is still portrayed in their intricate dances, learned by certain endowed individuals in childhood.
The Legong, the most feminine and enchanting of all Balinese dances, is a slow dance done mostly with the arms and fingers and facial expressions, including eye movements. It is a dance of emotions, as opposed to story-telling dances. Music is usually provided by the traditional Balinese orchastra, or "gamelan". The Kechak Dance is usually done at sundown for it is entwined with the Fire Dance whose natural lighting effects can most be appreciated at dusk, just when the day meets the rapidly enveloping night. The Kechak Dance involves some 50-100 men who chant "Chaka-chaka-chaka" and make whooping sounds and clap and hit parts of their body to create a rhythmic sound. The Kechak Dance portrays Rama and Sita and characters from the ancient Sanskrit epic "Ramayana" which dates back to 500 to 100 BC. The Barong Dance portrays a mythical creature with magical powers named the Barong. This character reminds me of the Chinese dragon which comes to life during the Chinese New Year celebra
tions in Chinese communities. Not to be confused with the dragon, the Barong creates a spell that allows warriors to be immuned to the keris or kris, as it is known in southern Philippines. This is an asymmetrical dagger believed to have good and bad powers, with some kerises having a good spiritual power, and some, the opposite. The Barong Dance is usually performed with Keris Dance, portraying warriors under the spell of the Barong and are therefore, not harmed by the keris or dagger. The above are only a few of the Balinese dances that made Bali island famous.
Ubud village is the heart of Bali. This is where craftsmen and artists live. Here, one finds clans devoted to various crafts such a wood carving, silver smithing, stone carving, painting, etc. A whole clan from the grandfather to the grandchildren are involved in the same craft. Children are taught this craft at an early age. It is amazing watching a clan involving 3 or 4 generations working together.
In addition to its culture and ethnicity, Bali island has volcanoes, waterfalls, rice terraces and temples. Each temple is different from the other. It also has a volcano named Mount Batur with Lake Batur right next to it. It reminds me of Taal Volcano.
The enchantment of Bali lies in its uniqueness. The pictures we present here were taken by the author and are copyrighted. As you will see from the pictures, Bali is Indonesia's most visited tourist attaction. The people are friendly and their language, easy to understand and to pick up for it is a mixture of Indonesian and Malay words which somehow found their way into the Kapampangan language.
