so, I spent a week in Bali where I got to experience DREAM EARTH ALIVE FUTURE. . . or DEAF for short. . . Probably from the sound of all those motorbikes.
Tag: bali
the cabanas in Bali are next level. . .
monkey trying to decide when it’s safe to cross the street. . . . how about now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now? Now?
lousy photo of the rice terraces. . . some silly person on a Balinese swing kept getting in my frame.
the Balinese love their fake animals. . . statues pop up everywhere and some of them are pretty funny. The tradition comes from a mix of Hindu and old-school animism. Yep, these folks literally worship nature. Maybe I should convert?
Maybe I can be one of these people who photograph rice paddies? I’ll use my photos to promote traditional agriculture and question our dependence on a high-tech world. I’ll live by example and get rid of my car, my computer, and even my cooking appliances (I’ll still need my phone though, for taking pics). I’ll use my blog to preach about simplicity, minimalism, tiny houses and crap like that (another reason to keep my phone, so I can post). And I’ll better educate myself about climate change, carbon footprints, and global green initiatives (definitely need my phone here, for research).
Eh, I’ll finish this post later. My feet are soaked, my phone is running out of juice, and I gotta navigate out of this silly rice paddy.
A petro station in somebody’s front yard. . . and another at a convenience store.
If you’ve never been to Bali (or anywhere in SE Asia), life is mediated through the motorbike. School, work, shopping, everything. Unless you live out in the sticks, walking is impossible. The roads aren’t built for pedestrians. Bicycles are nowhere to be seen. Cars are expensive and endure endless traffic jams. VIVA LA MOTO! The machines went nuclear about 25 years ago when Japan flooded the market with cheap motorbikes, available on easy credit.
I really enjoyed peeking into the mechanic shops: dark, sacrificial chambers with little altars where they worked on the bikes.
Tour guide at the water temple, Tirtu Empul, talks about polluted water, over-tourism, and instagram influencers. Luckily we don’t have to worry about these problems today.
We visited this overcrowded swimming hole that had steps built in the rock, a swing on both the top and bottom, a dozen restaurants, and hundreds of souvenir shops. Apparently there was once a famous waterfall here, but we couldn’t find it.
Lots of religion in Bali. The streets are full of daily offerings. There’s constant ceremony and prayer. You can’t throw a stone without hitting a temple (don’t do this). After spending a little time here, I’m all in on the nature worship. The jungle’s power cannot be denied. It overwhelms everything.
where do the roots end and does the pavement begin?