INDONESIA - BALI
Denpasar, midnight, two tourists after the third unsuccessful attempt at finding a hotel, a nearly empty street: what do the Balinese do? Naturally at one point two motorbikes stop and ask 'Any problem Mister?' and then we're off roaring along for another half an hour across the town to a guesthouse guaranteed to have free rooms, where a cheaper price is even negotiated for the poor tourists! The Balinese have lost none of their kindness which had such a magical effect on the first European sailors in 1597. They managed to let their captain sail home almost on his own. There is definitely a bit of magic which you notice all over Bali. It might be at the many rituals evident everywhere, the magical music of a 'Gamelan' orchestra or a shadow play in the company of reverent Balinese -you always feel that you belong. | The Balinese love legends and you can find a nice story in the Apa Guide to Bali: 'When Java fell to Islam, the Hindu gods turned to Bali where they set their high thrones, the mountains, one in each direction. In this way on the command of the gods Batukau (Shell mountain) grew in the west at 2348m, in the north Batur at 1716m, in the east Agug (the great) at 3142 and in the south the small Fafelhuck the peninsula at 213m high.' This page shows what it looks like on Batur. |
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