• Bali has changed so much over the years. The film shown on the left was made in 1935 and is an excellent representation of Bali culture. One big difference is that in 1950 the government passed a law requiring women to wear tops.


• Below is a Table of Contents which links to each day's activity for easy access or, if you prefer, you can simply scroll down and read the adventures day by day. The left hand column contains links to my Images stored in my Adobe Portfolio and links to my drone videos & hand-held camera videos stored in my YouTube channel.

Table of Contents

• March 1,2 - Lafayette, LA to Bali
• March 3 - Rejang & Pyramid Offerings
• March 4 - Mount Agung & Monkey Forest
• March 5 - Tabanan Rice Fields
• March 6 - Jatiluwih Rice Fields
• March 7 - Temple at Lake Tamblingan
• March 8 - Melasti, Dances, & Swing Sayan
• March 9 - Penglipuran Village & Pura Pengukur-Ukuan
• March 10 - Dances & Ogah-Ogah Parades
• March 11 - Nyepi
• March 12, 13 - Returning Home

Lafayette, LA to Bali, Indonesia

• Friday, 3/1/24, I departed for Bali to spend ten days with David Metcalf, a New Zealand professional photographer residing in Bali. I captured images and videos on my drone, Canon 5R and Smasung 21.



• Kali stayed at LVCC (Lafayette Veterinary Care Center) for 14 days boarding with four hours of play each day with her friends. Thankfully, they love her there and she loves it there as well.



• I flew 1.5 hours to Dallas-Fort Worth on American Airlines with a 7 hour layover in their lounge. Then I flew 15 hours to Doha, Qatar on Qatar Airways and had a three hour layover in their lounge. Then I flew 9 hours to Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Qatar Airlines. There is a ten hour time zone difference between Louisiana and Bali.



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March 3 - Rejang & Pyramid Offerings

• Sunday, 3/3/24, it was such a privilege to witness the young girls of Pejeng Kangin village perform the sacred Balinese dance, the Rejeng Dewa, a sacrificial dance in which the girls offer themselves to the gods. “Rejang” means “offering”, a dance to greet the gods that come down to the Earth. This dance is part of the sacred offering ceremonies, which all happen around about the same time on Bali's ceremonial calendar. The main occasion is arranged as a three-day ceremony at the village hall of Bale Agung. The dancers require no prior training, in a belief that the spirit of ngayah would guide them to perform the dance movements harmoniously. Girls as young as two or three can be included in the procession.



• The dance by the young boys is the Baros Gede dance. This is a war dance that depicts the Widyadara (warrior) who accompanies the gods.



• The dance by the mothers is called the Renjang Renteng dance, one of rejang dances which is classified as a Balinese sacred dance. Usually it is staged in a series of dewa yadnya ceremonies such as piodalan or temple festival. This dance is thought to have existed around 1930, but its choreographer is unknown. In general, the Rejang Dance symbolizes a group of angels who came down to earth to welcome and guide Ida Bhatara (deities) at the self-purification ceremony in the yadnya ceremony held.



• The dance by the old men in costume and mask is called the Sida Karya dance. Sidakarya comes from the word "sida" which means to achieve, and "karya" which means goal or work. Sidakarya means achieving goals or completing work. The Sidakarya mask is also a symbol that the work or work held has been completed well. The mask dance is performed as an offering dance (wewalen) before the joint worship event led by the sulinggih. The goal, so that the ceremony that takes place can be held properly and safely and avoid all dangers. At the end of this dance, the dancer symbolically spends kepeng money and yellow rice (sekarura) as a symbol of blessings of perfection and prosperity.



• Hundreds of mothers from the Banya Pande Pejeng village carry offerings on their heads shaped like a pyramid to be blessed at the Pura Penatarn Sasih Temple (the moon temple), is an ancient temple located inside the village of Pekutatan, in the Badung Regency. This temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu, one of the three gods in the Hindu trinity. The temple is said to be built sometime during the fourteenth century. This temple is known for its unique architectural style, which consists of both Indonesian and Indian influences. Pura Penataran Sasih Temple is a popular pilgrimage site for Hindu devotees from around the world and is also one of the best temples in Bali.





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March 4 - Mount Agung & Monkey Forest

• Monday, 3/4/24, the early morning sunrise over Mount Agung was spectacular. I captured several images and did some drone videos as well.


• The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a nature reserve and temple complex in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. It is also known as the Ubud Monkey Forest. The Sanctuary is home to over 1260 long-tailed macaques, who are considered sacred by the local Balinese people.. There just happened to be a couple there doing their engagement shoot.




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March 5 - Tabanan Rice Fields

• Tuesday, 3/5/24 The Bali Lush Resort is built into the side of a rice field in the Tabanan area of Bali, Indonesia. My room was at the bottom of the 50 or more "stairs" down the side of a rice field. Notice the lack of the handrails. Mission Impossible, but I did it! I flew my drone from the porch of my villa. David Metcalf was standing next to me flying his drone. Thank you, David, for this experience and for assisting me with the stairway to heaven.



• Tuesday, 3/5/24, experiencing Tabanan, one of the regencies in Bali. Relatively underdeveloped (compared with Badung and Denpasar to the east), Tabanan Regency has an area of 839.33 km2 and had a population of 386,850 in 2000, rising to 420,913 in 2010, then 461,630 at the 2020 census; the official estimate as at mid 2022 was 469,340. Its regency seat is the town of Tabanan. One of the popular tourism attractions located in Tabanan is the offshore rocky islet of Tanah Lot.



• To preserve the largest area of 53,000 hectares of agriculture fields on the island, the Tabanan Regency Administration would not allow the development of star-rated city hotels anymore, unless tourism facilities with a commitment to environmental conservation would be allowed with 30 percent of buildings and 70 percent had to be left naturally as paddy field or plantation. The administration has also decided 300-hectare protected paddy field zone with a 100-hectare housing zone lies outside the protected zone.



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March 6 Jatiluwih Rice Fields

• 3/6/24 The Bali Jatiluwih Rice Fields are extensive. From the town on the cliff we were able to fly our drones in each direction and video many of the terraced rice fields. Beautiful villas dot the rice fields. An interesting resort was found as well.



• Jatiluwih area has always been known as one of the regions in Bali that produces great quality of rice. Located in the highlands (2,000 feet above sea level), and nearby the second tallest volcano in Bali, Mount Batukaru. Jatiluwih spans more than 53,000 hectares agriculture fields covered mostly with rice terraces. The area has hilly contours with fertile soils and offers an incredible scenery for photographs. Back in the day, the locals did not realize they have shaped nature into such a spectacular way that would be protected as a UNESCO Heritage Site.



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March 7 Temple at Lake Tamblingan

• Thursday, 3/7/24, Nestled at the foot of Mount Lesung in Munduk, Bali, Lake Tamblingan Temple is a hidden gem that offers a serene and spiritual experience for visitors. Surrounded by lush landscapes and crystal-clear waters, this temple is a haven of tranquility in the bustling island of Bali.



• The history of Lake Tamblingan unfolds during the period from 10 AD to 14 AD, closely associated with the lake itself. During this era, a substantial settlement thrived around Lake Tamblingan, with its focal point situated on Mount Lesung to the south of the lake.



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March 8 - Melasti, Dances, & Swing Sayan

• Friday, 3/8/24, The Melasti ceremony takes place near the coast, as the water is believed to have the power to purify and cleanse. The ceremony involves the procession of people dressed in traditional Balinese attire, carrying various offerings and sacred objects. The offerings include fruit, flowers, rice, and other symbolic objects. Once they arrive at the water source, the offerings are placed on the ground, and the priests lead the ceremony with prayers and chants. The people then enter the water, submerge themselves, and bathe while chanting prayers. The water is believed to wash away negative energy and purify the soul, preparing them for the new year ahead.



• Legong Dance or just ‘Legong’ for short is one of Bali’s most visually alluring royal court performances. The dance is considered one of the island’s most revered classical pieces, known for its physically demanding postures and fast-paced movements which require a significant level of flexibility among its generally young female performers. Choreographed to a set pattern with the finest detail, the dance has been well-preserved through generations.



• Merak Angelo Dance Bali - A Beautiful Peacock Dance Of Bali - The general theme of the dance depicts male peacocks which dancing, showing its beautiful and colorful feathers, and flying all around the place trying to attract the attention of female birds.



• The Point Swing Cafe in Sayan offers a unique view of the river and valley below. The large hotel is the Four Seasons. There are many luxurious villas here as well. The last two images are from the Ubud Valley Resort. One is wooden cow bells and a plow. The other is a mural.



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March 9 - Penglipuran Village
& Pura Pengukur-Ukuan

• Saturday, 3/9/24, Kintamani is a district and a village within that district, on the western edge of the larger caldera wall of the Mount Batur (Gunung Batur) caldera in Bali, Indonesia. It is on the same north–south road as Penelokan and has been used as a stopping place to view the Mount Batur region. Kintamani is also known for Pura Tuluk Biyu's 1,000-year-old "Rites of Peace" stone tablets and the Kintamani dog breed. It is situated next to Mount Batur.



• Penglipuran Village is one of the traditional villages located in Bangli Regency, Bali Province, Indonesia. Its society still preserves their traditional culture in their daily lives. The architecture of buildings and land processing still follows the concept of Tri Hita Karana, the philosophy of Balinese society regarding the balance of relations between God, humans and their environment. In 1995, Penglipuran village received a Kalpataru award from the Indonesian government for its efforts to protect the bamboo forest in their local ecosystem.



• The penjor is a traditional Balinese ornament, primarily seen during the Galungan and Kuningan celebrations. Made from bamboo, the penjor is a gracefully curved decorative pole, often spanning several meters in length. These ornate poles beautify the streets and compounds of Bali, marking various festive occasions. The act of installing a penjor is not just a ritual but a form of “swadharma” for Hindu devotees. It signifies their devotion and gratitude to Ida Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the Supreme God, for the prosperity and blessings showered upon them.



• Pangukur-ukuran Temple is a Hindu place of worship located in Sawagunung Hamlet, Pejeng Kelod Village, Tampaksiring District, Gianyar Regency, Bali Province. Like many temples in Bali, Pangukur Temple has three main courtyards that are each bounded by a perimeter wall.




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March 10 - Dances & Ogah-Ogah Parades

• Sunday, 11/19/23, Sacred dance starts at a very young age for Balinese girls. This granddaughter of one of my drivers shows she is already proficient at the basics of the dance steps at age five and will only improve as she grows older. The last picture shows the happy dancer with her grandfather in mask.



• The older sister, age eleven, shows the advanced dance steps learned with an additional six years of practice. Both girls took great pride in the proficiency of their dance which is part of their worship in the temple. Grandfather is also very proud of his grandchildren.



• During Galungan (February 28 to March 9, 2024), every house is decorated with penjar pillars at the entrance. It is believed that during the ten days of Galungan, all the gods will come down to earth and join the festivities. The last day of the 10-day celebration is Kuningan (March 9, 2024), which is a day to pray and pay homage to ancestors. The Balinese believe that Kuningan day is the day when their ancestors return to heaven after visiting the earth during Galungan celebration.



• The Ogoh-Ogoh Festival is kind of like Balinese New Year’s Eve. It is a massive celebration that takes place throughout the entire island. Each village has their own celebration, one that involves a lot of dancing, drumming, and parades. The name comes from the massive structures they build out of various materials, ranging from weird to terrifying. These structures are demons, or Ogoh-Ogoh, and will be set on fire at the end of the night before the New Year begins.



• The burning of the Ogoh-Ogoh represents leaving your demons behind in the past year. Everyone gets a fresh start without having to worry or stress about things that happened in the past.




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March 11 - Nyepi

• Monday, 3/11/24 Nyepi is commemorated every Isakawarsa (Saka new year) according to the Balinese calendar (in 2024, it falls on March 11). Nyepi, a public holiday in Indonesia, is a day of silence, fasting and meditation for the Balinese. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New Year's Day. After Nyepi, youths of Bali in the village of Sesetan in South Bali practice the ceremony of omed-omedan or 'The Kissing Ritual' to celebrate the new year.



• 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.




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March 12, 13 - Bali, Indonesia to Lafayette, LA

• Tuesday, 3/12,13/24, On the way to the airport, we stopped at an art dealer. I purchased a statue of a garuda and other creatures standing about two feet tall and carved out of a solid block of mahogany. They shipped it to my house with such care. Several different wrappings of cushion, the statue tied to a solid wood box, and the box wrapped in water proof tape. It took a while to unpack it.



• Garuda is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is also the half-brother of the Devas, Gandharvas, Daityas, Danavas, Nāgas, Vanara and Yakshas. He is the son of the sage Kashyapa and Vinata. He is the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun.



• Garuda is described as the king of the birds and a kite-like figure. He is shown either in a zoomorphic form (a giant bird with partially open wings) or an anthropomorphic form (a man with wings and some ornithic features). Garuda is generally portrayed as a protector with the power to swiftly travel anywhere, ever vigilant and an enemy of every serpent.



• The flights home were wonderfully non-eventful. Started with two hours in the lounge in Denpasar (Bali) and then a 9 hour flight to Doha, Qatar on Qatar Airways.



• There was a three hour layover in the lounge at Doha and then a fifteen hour flight to Dallas Fort Worth on Qatar Airways.



• The last leg was a 1.5 hour flight to Lafayette, LA. David Prejean met me at the airport and drove me home, ending an incredible 14 day experience.




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