Saturday, March 12, 2011

Tanah Lot and Uluwatu

Bali has such a diverse range of places to experience. I tagged along with my friends without knowing what to expect and I think I really enjoyed the whole process.

It was a 2 hour drive from our villa to Tanah Lot in the village of Beraban, a temple built on top of an off shore rock in Tabanan.

The waves that day were menacing and the tsunami scare just added to the whole excitement.

Then we took another hour drive to reach Pura Luhur Uluwatu, one of Bali's 9 directional temples.

There were monkeys everywhere! And they can be quite aggressive especially the ones with youngs. We were asked to remove our sunglasses, hats and objects that the monkeys might have an interest in stealing.

The main highlight for being there is to watch the Kecak performance.

Started in the 1930's, it is performed by about a hundred or so men chanting about a story in the Ramayana involving Hanuman helping Prince Rama defeat King Ravana. Although it's a modern ritual it has its roots in sanghyang, a trance inducing trance dance. I must say it's one of the things you must see in Bali.

One of the tense moment in the show was the fire circle they created coupled with the windy weather. The actor playing Hanuman had to perform a trick by kicking the fire with his legs so he can escape his 'prison'. Those in the way of the wind got some cinders and ashes for sure whenever Hanuman hits the fire. So much fun!

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