Our second day in Ubud began with a wonderful breakfast of omelettes, pancakes and fresh fruit prepared by Nyoman. We then headed off for the 9:30 AM performance of the Barong Dance.
Celebrities for a Morning
As mentioned in our previous post, the Barong Dance is a traditional dance performed regularly throughout Bali. The particular performance that we attended was held in a large covered outdoor theater not far from Ubud. It's a popular attraction for people from throughout Bali as well as the neighboring islands, but rarely for tourists.
Our performance was being attended by four massive tour groups of people from Java, plus the four of us. It turns out that Java does not get many foreign tourists, so Paul, Chris and I became the show's opening attraction! Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with us and we posed with various groups of people for a good 15-20 minutes before the dance began. It was a really odd feeling to have so many people smiling at us and patiently waiting for their turn to get a picture with us. A few of the ladies rested their heads on my shoulder for the picture. One man asked me if I was from Hollywood. At one point, Paul gave one woman a one-armed hug in the middle of their picture and all the ladies around them squealed in amusement. We enjoyed the attention and we hope we gave them a good impression of foreigners!
Celebrities for a Morning
As mentioned in our previous post, the Barong Dance is a traditional dance performed regularly throughout Bali. The particular performance that we attended was held in a large covered outdoor theater not far from Ubud. It's a popular attraction for people from throughout Bali as well as the neighboring islands, but rarely for tourists.
Our performance was being attended by four massive tour groups of people from Java, plus the four of us. It turns out that Java does not get many foreign tourists, so Paul, Chris and I became the show's opening attraction! Everyone wanted to have their picture taken with us and we posed with various groups of people for a good 15-20 minutes before the dance began. It was a really odd feeling to have so many people smiling at us and patiently waiting for their turn to get a picture with us. A few of the ladies rested their heads on my shoulder for the picture. One man asked me if I was from Hollywood. At one point, Paul gave one woman a one-armed hug in the middle of their picture and all the ladies around them squealed in amusement. We enjoyed the attention and we hope we gave them a good impression of foreigners!
Posing with a few Javanese tourists at the Barong dance
Barong Dance
According to custom, the Barong is a playful yet fearsome creature which represents good, and is used to chase off evil spirits. The Barong can take one of many forms, but frequently, as in this case, it is represented by a sort of tiger/dog played by two dancers. The evil spirit is represented by the witch Rhangda. Typically the dance ends with no winner, symbolizing the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
We really enjoyed the Barong Dance and seeing the talented performers act out this epic battle. The show started off with the Barong and a crafty monkey taking on a band of hunters in the woods. We were very impressed that the people playing the Barong and the monkey captured the movements and behaviors of their respective animals uncannily well.
According to custom, the Barong is a playful yet fearsome creature which represents good, and is used to chase off evil spirits. The Barong can take one of many forms, but frequently, as in this case, it is represented by a sort of tiger/dog played by two dancers. The evil spirit is represented by the witch Rhangda. Typically the dance ends with no winner, symbolizing the ongoing struggle between good and evil.
We really enjoyed the Barong Dance and seeing the talented performers act out this epic battle. The show started off with the Barong and a crafty monkey taking on a band of hunters in the woods. We were very impressed that the people playing the Barong and the monkey captured the movements and behaviors of their respective animals uncannily well.
The Barong
The crazy monkey
Comic relief during the show. These guys interacted with the crowd, cracking jokes and making them laugh. Luckily, Nyoman translated what they were saying for us so we could be in on the joke!
The witch casting a spell on the queen (left) so she would turn on her son the prince (right). Women typically play the part of royal men in Balinese plays. The Balinese consider thin, light skinned, feminine men to be attractive. This likely stems from the days when royal/wealthy people didn't have to do heavy labor outside in the sun. Thus, they tended to be thinner and lighter than your average man.
The gamelan band
Temple Visit
After the Barong Dance, we headed off to see another one of the beautiful local temples. This was one of the older temples in the area:
After the Barong Dance, we headed off to see another one of the beautiful local temples. This was one of the older temples in the area:
When we arrived, the local people were preparing for an upcoming ceremony by preparing offerings. This is just one of several tables full of beautiful offerings prepared by each family in the village.
Many had elaborate hand-made palm decorations
A local woman carrying her offering to the temple
Offerings & motorbikes - just an average day in Bali!
In front of the temple
Behind the plywood are beautifully carved wooden doors. The cover is used to protect them from the sun and rain, and is removed for ceremonies.
Chris and Nyoman
Master Carvers
We later visited Nyoman's uncle, who is a master carver of objects from wood and stone. He was the artist behind the beautiful teak furniture in Paul's guesthouse shown in the previous post. Nyoman apprenticed at his uncle's shop for many years before heading to the US to study.
We later visited Nyoman's uncle, who is a master carver of objects from wood and stone. He was the artist behind the beautiful teak furniture in Paul's guesthouse shown in the previous post. Nyoman apprenticed at his uncle's shop for many years before heading to the US to study.
Nyoman's uncle's shop - beautiful sandstone carvings
A couple of these were done by Nyoman!
We especially liked these incredibly intricate stone reliefs
One of the other carvers at the shop created this life-sized Kimodo dragon out of a slab of hard stone. It was destined for a garden of a home in England.
Chris trying his hand with the chisel
Better we leave it to the experts! The man in yellow is the artist behind the kimodo dragons.
On our walk through the neighborhood, we saw this entire family hanging out with their dad while we worked on his stone carvings. The people of this village learn this craft from a very young age!
Family Shrine
We were then invited to Nyoman's uncle's house to visit the family shrine and meet his family members! In Bali, each home complex has a family shrine where people pray to their ancestors. Nyoman's uncle had a beautiful shrine which was adorned with his beautiful carvings, naturally!
We were then invited to Nyoman's uncle's house to visit the family shrine and meet his family members! In Bali, each home complex has a family shrine where people pray to their ancestors. Nyoman's uncle had a beautiful shrine which was adorned with his beautiful carvings, naturally!
Entrance to Nyoman's uncle's beautiful family shrine
Inside the shrine
One of the kids happily hanging out on the shrine.
His family had only seen a contact lens once before and it really freaked them out! Chris is explaining how the contact lens works.
In goes the contact lens. Mind blown!
With the whole family!
After saying goodbye, Chris and I spent the afternoon walking around downtown Ubud, and later met up with Paul and Nyoman to head back to town for dinner at one of Ubud's oldest and most interesting restaurants, Cafe Wayan, for an excellent meal. The food was wonderful, but the most memorable thing about this restaurant is the setting. It sits on the busy main drag of Ubud, but once you leave the street, you enter a vast courtyard that goes back deep past the backs of the neighboring buildings. Tables are set in individual pagodas separated from each other by lots of distance, vegetation and string lights, so that you really feel like you have your own little warung. Chris ordered Nasi Campur, a traditional Balinese dish, and I had bacon-wrapped shrimp. Both were sensational! We highly recommend Cafe Wayan if you ever visit Ubud, for both the food and the ambiance!
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