I arrived in Bangkok one week ago, spent a couple of days there and now I am in Bali; So many sights, sounds and aromas.
I got around Bangkok by river boat, a cool, economical way to get around a big city. The first day a kind Frenchman befriended me and we went to Chinatown and visited “Golden Buddah” in one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Thailand, Wat Traimit. The Buddah is said to be 70-80% pure gold! 3m tall and 5.5 tons. It had been covered in plaster to protect it from marauding Burmese hordes only to be uncivered 40 years ago revealing the gold. That evening I had a Thai massage, much needed after the 24 hour flyng. Thai massage; if you haven’t had one, hmm…they twist you into pretzel poses and then pound and knead your sore parts. I paid less than $8 for one hour.
The next day I went to the one of the biggest main temple coumpounds, Wat Pho. There is the Reclining Buddah which illustrates the Buddah passing into Nirvana. It is 46m long and 15m high and resides in the 86 hectare compound which houses 394 gilded Buddahs. Actually during the heat of the day it is very comfortable and peaceful visitng these temples, even with hundreds of other tourtists and worshippers.
Arriving in Bali the first thin I noticed is the lovely aroma of incense. Balinese are Hindu. They make offerings numerous times a day to various dieties. You will see small offerings, food, flowers, incense on the ground head level or way up high, different levels for low to high spirits. Of course there are numerous small to big temples and altars everywhere with more elaborate offerings.
I arrived at my friends beautiful home in Sanur. My friends, Tony and Tonia or T&T, the dynamite Australian duo I knew from June Mtn ski school days back in a former lifetime.
Turns out Mar 12 is Hindu new years, Nyepi day.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyepi
Nyepi, a Government holiday in Indonesia, is a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New year.[1][2]
Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, Nyepi is a day reserved for self-reflection and as such, anything that might interfere with that purpose is restricted. The main restrictions are: no lighting fires (and lights must be kept low); no working; no entertainment or pleasure; no traveling; and for some, no talking or eating at all. The effect of these prohibitions is that Bali’s usually bustling streets and roads are empty, there is little or no noise from TVs and radios, and few signs of activity are seen even inside homes. The only people to be seen outdoors are the Pecalang, traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.
The night before Nyepi was a great procession of scary looking Ogoh Ogohs, guardian spirits. We checked into the Hyatt to enjoy some western privileges. We were under lockdown for 24 hours, could not leave the property. In the night we had to stay inside, no lights outside, even dim lighting inside. I meditated in the pool with a caipiroska during the day and watched 007 in the evening. Turn out caipirinhas are quite popular in Asia and Australia. The Balinese making it with the local alcohol arak made from palm. Cheers!
Here is a link to my photos
