The QV dropped anchor off Bali’s Benoa Harbor where we were transferred to shore by tender. Then we boarded a bus for our guided tour of ‘Scenic Bali’. This tour focused on the Southeast area of the island including the capital, Denpasar.
Our guide began our tour by giving us some background on Bali. Since 1956, Bali has been a part of Indonesia but, even though Indonesia is 90% Muslim, Bali is 90% Hindu … or a local version of Hinduism known as Agama. The original Hinduism came to Bali from Java when the two established a close social and political relationship circa 1000 C.E. When Java was overcome by Islamic invaders in the 16th century, many Javanese fled to Bali and the two island nations became bitter enemies. In the mid-1800s the Dutch established a trading relationship with Bali. Facing competition from Britain for trading rights, the Dutch occupied Bali in the mid-19th century, after putting down armed resistance from the Balinese. The Dutch were forced out by the Japanese. With the defeat of Japan in WWII, the Dutch attempted to reoccupy Bali but they were rebuffed and, by 1950, Bali was recognized as an independent country. In 1956 Bali joined the new Indonesian union.
Our first stop was a home in a village called Subak Guliang. We were served a breakfast of tea or coffee and some local foods. Then we looked around the home. Balinese homes are segmented with separate areas for parents, children, grandparents, eating and socializing. The Northeast corner is reserved for family temple which takes up at least a quarter of the space.
Then we walked to a farm for a refreshing drink of coconut water and to take pictures of the water buffaloes at work in the rice paddies.’
Next we went to an Agama temple (Pura Kehen Temple).
Our next stop was the Klungkung Kertagosa. Klungkung was the capital of Bali until 1710 when the capital was moved to Denpasar. Built by local artisans, the Kertagosa is where the King and his advisors sat and meted out justice.
We then went to a restaurant for lunch. The restaurant had a spectacular view of a valley planted in rice.
We should note here that the Balinese do everything by their calendar. Their religious leaders determine which day(s) of the year, month and/or week are good for which activities. The day we were in Bali had been designated a good day for weddings. We saw more than thirty wedding parties as we toured the island.
Our final stop before returning to the QV was Tenganan village, a village inhabited by people whose culture existed prior to the importation of Hinduism to the island. The village is walled and the people have remained separate. Thus maintaining its pre-Hindu / Agama culture and identity. The village was built on both sides of a broad open space / pathway. In the center was the village meeting hall. (It should be noted that the meeting hall is a basic requirement for all villages in Bali.) The houses Tenganan Village differ from those elsewhere in Bali in that they do not have separate quarters for parents, children and grandparents nor do the have family temples. Note: pictured below are two fighting cocks in straw cages. Cock fighting is not limited to the pre-Hindic people’s. It is the main form of gambling in Bali. We saw fighting cocks everywhere.
