Bali Day 1

We found Bali to be a magnificent island within Indonesia - a country that has about 17,000 islands and has the 4th largest population in the world. However, Bali is 85% Hindu while the rest of Indonesia makes up the largest Muslim population in the world. The island's rich Hindu culture holds that gods live in all natural things - from mountains and streams to pebbles on the beach - lending the island a peaceful air.

Karma is a central theme of Hinduism, and it plays a large role in Bali culture. As an example, when the open air shops that we saw along the roadside closed for the night, they just roped off the outside area instead of doors across the shop entrance, so everything is left out in the open. They said no one takes anything because it would be bad karma.

Bali was also our first taste of the madness that Asia calls "traffic." Scooters everywhere weaving between cars. No sidewalks, or room to park a car. Just polite little beeps as they all pass each other in organized chaos. If someone needed to cross a street, no problem. Just raise your hand and walk, but don't back up, the drivers just go around you.

Our hugh bus weaved through town for an hour in the rain without a thought of the traffic as we approached the Tegallalang Rice Terraces in Ubud.
As we walked above the beautiful terraced rice fields and marveled at the engineering, you couldn't help but be struck by the cultural landscape that consisted of rice terraces and water temples. The temples are the focus of a cooperative water management system of springs, canals, and weirs known as "subak" that date back to the 8th century. We were fascinated to learn about rice: planting, growing, harvesting, and final processing. The rain didn't dampen our excitement as we toured, and we vowed never to take rice for granted again.

Finished the day at the Puri Lukisan Museum and Temple in Uday. We then went for dinner at Cafe Lotus, which just happened to have a large water temple in its backyard.Read more