Peace Offering Bali-style

Canang sari is one of the daily offerings made by Balinese Hindus to thank the Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa in praise and prayer. Canang sari will be seen in the Balinese temples (pura), on small shrines in houses, and on the ground or as a part of a larger offering. (Wikipedia)

This is my second visit to Bali. There is something very appealing and comforting about the canang sari offerings. There's the hope for peace, the splash of colour, the smell of incense  but the most important element to me is the moment in time.

For a few brief, but focused minutes each day, the Balinese remind us that right now is the most important time we have. In fact it's the only time we have.

We cannot live time backwards or in the future. We can have memories & plans, but they both change all the time.

The only time is now.

May you all be at peace today.

Saturday Snapshot 11th May - Bali continued!

 

I can't believe how much I'm missing Bali.

I have this ache of longing.

Am I now romanticising my time there?

 

To prove I'm still realistic about Bali, I have a few pics of the rice fields.

Below shows the barns where the cows are kept. The smell was earthy to say the least!

Rubbish was left on the tracks that had blown off the nearby shrine.

But I loved it all - bad smells and rubbish included!

 

This area is called Jatiluwih. It is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site.

The locals employ centuries old methods to farm their land.

It is some of the most picturesque countryside I've ever seen.

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Below are views from our villa near Ubud.
Imagine waking up to this everyday?

It was a little bit of paradise...I still dream about it with longing...and anticipation!

 

 





Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books.

 

The rules are simple:

 

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.   

Butterfly Park Bali

Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books.

The rules are simple:

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.  

I've never been to a butterfly park before, so I have nothing to compare the Bali Butterfly Park Taman Kupu Kupu with. When we first walked in, I thought "uh oh this could be disappointing."
The entrance was devoid of character, information or any kind of pizazz. And when we first went into the park we looked at each other as if to say "where are the butterflies?"

But our quiet wandering proved successful as we realised that there were plenty of butterflies hovering around the ceiling and if we waited long enough, they would fly down to land on flowers for fabulous photo opportunities!
 

 

 

We also spotted a number of dragonflies in the enclosure and I was delighted to snap this close-up.

 

In the middle of the park was a raised platform showcasing the bizarre and curious insects of Bali.

Below is one that has evolved to look like a leaf.

The biggest stick insects I've ever seen!

The hatching area below.

 

 

And a curious insect that has evolved to look like an orchid!

 

A Balinese Offering

Every day, the Balinese make offerings to the gods to appease them, to ward off bad spirits, to pay their respects and for good fortune. Balance and harmony are the key words for the Balinese Hindu's - every gesture no matter how small has an impact.

 

 

The offerings are collected into small square woven trays and placed in shrines, family temples, at crossroads or any other place sacred to an individual family.

 

 

As a result, the streets, shops, restaurants, beaches, taxi's, scooters, paths, walls, fields and trees of Bali abound in these offerings - canang sari.

 

 

The offerings can also include grains of rice, little biscuits, coins or other treats for the gods (we saw lollies, bread and even cigarettes!) The basket is topped with a burning incense stick.

 

 

 The women make the canang sari for all the members of their families every single day from flowers collected near their homes as well as those purchased in local markets (above).

We observed that many of the women placing the canang sari around the resorts and shops also dipped their fingers into a bowl of liquid and sprinkled the offerings with these drops after they had been put down.



 

Using flowers to create beautiful sculptures and designs was also important.

We loved being surprised by bowls of water filled with floating flowers.

 

 

 

Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books.

The rules are simple:

 

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.  

 

Saturday Snapshot 6th April - Bali Flowers

Saturday Snapshot is a meme hosted by Alyce from At Home With Books.

The rules are simple:

To participate in the Saturday Snapshot meme post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky. Photos can be old or new, and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see. How much detail you give in the caption is entirely up to you. Please don’t post random photos that you find online.

 

We have just returned from an amazing 12 day holiday to Bali.

 

I was sceptical about going to Bali.

In Australia, we hear lots of stories about young, drunken Aussies in Bali (Kuta in particular) looking for cheap alcohol, drugs and girls.

That is not my idea of a good holiday!

 

Recently a number of friends and relatives have been to Bali - bringing back very different stories - stories that sounded enticing.

 

So off we went.

 

We are now Bali converts!

 

The country is beautiful, the weather tropical and perfect for swimming every day.

The people are friendly, kind and positive about everything.

The food was mostly delicious and plentiful.

Bali was one of the most relaxing, happy and soul-satisfying journeys we had ever been on.

We will be going back!

 

Today's post highlights the many beautiful flowers in Bali.

I was familiar with lots of them as they also grow in the warmer areas of Australia (like frangipani (kamboja), bougainvillea, marigolds, orchids etc).

 

 



Pseuderanthemum reticulatum

 



Red Tails Amaranthus

  

Cahaba Lily

 

Palm Tree (shadow) at Royal Beach Resort, Seminyak

 



Pagoda flower (detail)

  



Ginger Lily

Hibiscus

 

Rice Field near Ubud

Lotus Flower (teratai)

 

Heliconia rostrata.

Potted Bouganvillea (Bungan Kertas) at Villa Semana, Ubud

 





 

 

Crown of Thorns flowers ( Euphorbia milii)

 

Orchid

 

Lantana (bunga kerasi in Balinese)

 

 Unfortunately, I don't know the names for all of the plants above, but a big part of our trip to Bali involved being amazed by the extraordinary colours and overwhelmed by the profusion of scents.