Monday, December 18
Touring Ubud
Packing to leave for Munduk by car. Just a few notes about yesterday, which was quite full: a local king’s palace (Each section of Bali has a king. I’m not really sure of his role, but he’s quite wealthy.); the Holy Water Temple; a very picturesque area of rice terraces that has become a Bali landmark; and a puppet show.
The Holy Water Temple was fascinating. It’s a legendary site, the story being that divine intervention caused it to appear, to rid the land of poisons spread by an evil king. The spring itself is now encased in a reservoir the size of a football field, and it feeds a pool with (I think) 14 spigots. People line up to get in the pool and dunk themselves under each spigot, excepting numbers 7 and 8, which are reserved for the deceased. There you are to fill a jug with water and take it home to bless your ancestors. There was a festival going on, and the children there charmed us. My drawing comes up short. I look forward to making a better one when I get home:
The rice terraces are actually stunning in Tegallalang. My hasty pen-and-ink doesn’t do it justice. Another one of many sketches that will simply be a jumping off point for a painting at home. And the king’s palace was just an amplified version of a well-to-do person’s home in Bali, a complex of buildings, some of which serve as living quarters, others that have ritual uses, and some for hobbies, such as his collection of birds. There was a lot of art, some of it religious, much of it secular.
I went to the shadow puppet show myself. When I arrived, at 15 minutes before showtime, I was the only one there, and they threatened to call it off, as they want at least three people in the audience. Luckily five more showed up.
This is the problem in Bali at the moment. The volcanic activity not 50 miles from here has not only disrupted airline service, it has scared off vacationers.
The puppet show was done authentically — puppets were manipulated behind a sheet to the sound of a two-piece Balinese band, and lit by a coconut oil lamp. It was aimed at tourists — one hour long instead of four, and with a lot of English spoken. The story was a mythic one, akin to the West’s story of Saint George and the dragon, but injected with lots of cute scenes and humor. I saw it as a show for kids, maybe in its regular context it has wider meaning. Our guide tells us that the shadow puppet shows are put on for various special occasions — birthdays, religious festivals, etc. — and are even televised.