The Barong dance
Barong is probably the most well known dance in Bali. It is also another story telling dance, narrating the fight between good and evil. The second dance we saw after the Kecak, which was my personal favorite!The Barong's costume is impressive though. And the dance overall is entertaining.
The story goes that Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga's father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga had to ask for the help of Barong. Barong came with Erlangga's soldiers, and fight ensued. Rangda casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.
Somebody can die or get seriously injured in a Barong dance. It is said that if Rangda's spell is too strong, a weak soldier may not be able to resist it, even with the help of Barong. He may end up hurting himself with his own keris.
The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, and before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings must be presented.
We saw the performance at the Batubulan Village. It starts each morning at 9:30am.
The Art & Craft Centre
After the Barong dance, we headed to the Tohpati, a small village famous for it's Batik. There are a couple of shops here and depending on which one your taxi driver prefers(!) you will be taken to one. They are all really similar...so it's alright. They have a variety of products in Batik, from sarongs, slippers, bags in all shapes and sizes. Can make great gifts to take back:)
From there we headed to our next stop...to Celuk, the Gold and Silver smith Village. We went to the store- Sari Dewi. You can see a few craftsmen working on the silver and glod to turn them into beautiful pieces of jewelry. Remember you have to bargain!!! Depending on how good you re ...you can easily get even unto 50% lesser!
After the silver and goldsmiths, we headed to the Art Centre in Batuan for Balinese paintings and in the end to Mas for Wood carving.
Not only are the products beautiful but so are the locations and the stores.
Especially loved the art centre, with beautiful orate walls and stone carvings.
Picked up things from all the places! Little remembrance of Bali and of our HoneyMoon.
Kintamani volcano & the Batur lake
Barong is probably the most well known dance in Bali. It is also another story telling dance, narrating the fight between good and evil. The second dance we saw after the Kecak, which was my personal favorite!The Barong's costume is impressive though. And the dance overall is entertaining.
The story goes that Rangda, the mother of Erlangga, the King of Bali in the tenth century, was condemned by Erlangga's father because she practiced black magic. After she became a widow, she summoned all the evil spirits in the jungle, the leaks and the demons, to come after Erlangga. A fight occurred, but she and her black magic troops were too strong that Erlangga had to ask for the help of Barong. Barong came with Erlangga's soldiers, and fight ensued. Rangda casted a spell that made Erlangga soldiers all wanted to kill themselves, pointing their poisoned keris into their own stomachs and chests. Barong casted a spell that turned their body resistant to the sharp keris. At the end, Barong won, and Rangda ran away.
Somebody can die or get seriously injured in a Barong dance. It is said that if Rangda's spell is too strong, a weak soldier may not be able to resist it, even with the help of Barong. He may end up hurting himself with his own keris.
The masks of Barong and Rangda are considered sacred items, and before they are brought out, a priest must be present to offer blessings by sprinkling them with holy water taken from Mount Agung, and offerrings must be presented.
We saw the performance at the Batubulan Village. It starts each morning at 9:30am.
The Art & Craft Centre
After the Barong dance, we headed to the Tohpati, a small village famous for it's Batik. There are a couple of shops here and depending on which one your taxi driver prefers(!) you will be taken to one. They are all really similar...so it's alright. They have a variety of products in Batik, from sarongs, slippers, bags in all shapes and sizes. Can make great gifts to take back:)
From there we headed to our next stop...to Celuk, the Gold and Silver smith Village. We went to the store- Sari Dewi. You can see a few craftsmen working on the silver and glod to turn them into beautiful pieces of jewelry. Remember you have to bargain!!! Depending on how good you re ...you can easily get even unto 50% lesser!
After the silver and goldsmiths, we headed to the Art Centre in Batuan for Balinese paintings and in the end to Mas for Wood carving.
Not only are the products beautiful but so are the locations and the stores.
Especially loved the art centre, with beautiful orate walls and stone carvings.
Picked up things from all the places! Little remembrance of Bali and of our HoneyMoon.
In and around the four crafts centre-batik,silversmiths, paintings & woodwork
A box in a box in a box~! Picked up from the batik store
Two pairs of earrings I picked up at Sari Dewi
We reached Kintamani around lunch time and were very lucky to have clear weather to be able to get a beautiful panoramic view of the volcano and the Batur lake. The volcano is still active and has erupted around 24 times since the 1800. The black sand is used a lot by the Balinese in construction. The temperature here was much cooler than the south. You can start feeling the difference in temperature along the drive up hill.
After a nice traditional buffet lunch at on of the restaurants we headed back.
Since we were staying in the Seminyak area of Bali in the south, it was about a hour and half of a drive through a very picturesque Bali.
The panoramic views of the volcano & the lake
Coffee Plantation
On the way down from Kintamani, we stopped at a Coffee plantation site. And not just any coffee!!!
This is the "poop" coffee....:D
Now don't giggle...it is after all the most expensive coffee in the world! The Kopi Luwak or Luwak Coffee.Kopi is the Indonesian word for COFFEE. Luwak is a local name of the Asian palm civet in Sumatra. Kopi Luwak or civet coffee, is coffee made from the beans of coffee berries which have been eaten by the Asian Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus) and other related civets, then passed through its digestive tract. A civet eats the berries for their fleshy pulp. In its stomach, proteolytic enzymes seep into the beans, making shorter peptides and more free amino acids. Passing through a civet's intestines the beans are then defecated, having kept their shape. After gathering, thorough washing, sun drying, light roasting and brewing, these beans yield an aromatic coffee with much less bitterness. Kopi Luwak is produced mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi in the Indonesian Archipelago.
The area is beautiful, much like the rest of Bali! Beautiful green view from the quaint lil cafe that has been set up. You can try the expensive Luwak Kopi here. You are also served complimentary cups of - Mocha, Ginger tea, Ginseng, Bali coffee, Lemon tea!
There is also a shop where you can buy not just coffee, but also different spices, from cardamom, vanilla pods, pepper, locally made tobacco for those who like rolling on their own and lots more.
Also , there are cute lil wooden civets handmade and hand painted! Couldn't resist picking up one :)
Pura Tirta Empul Temple
(The Holy Spring water Temple)
Our last stop for the day was the Tirta Empul Temple. Another one of the beautiful ancient temples of Bali. There is a natural spring water here which is considered holy by the Balinese. Legend has it that the sacred spring was created by the god Indra and has curative properties. His forces had been poisoned by Mayadanawa, so he pierced the earth to create a fountain of immortality to revive them. A tradition which has continued over thousands of years. One can always see people dipping themselves in the holy spring water. Purifying themselves and bringing goodluck upon them!
An inscription dates the founding of a temple at the site to 926 AD.
Above the temple is the Governer's house spread across acres of land with lush green gardens, built in 1954. Our driver Krish ( who we were lucky to get...a Balinese man, who knew Bali inside out and was very helpful whether it was with readjusting our plans for the day or taking pix of us and generally just telling us about Bali!) told us that in the early years, the governor used to like meditating in the gardens overlooking the spring water, with the view of the woman bathing!!!
Some meditation that! :P
At the Tirta Empul Temple
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