11::Sanur Beach, Bali
1.31.97 Friday
Bali definitely has a different feel, living up to its image - sensuous and magical.
Java had an ancient feeling. Palm mat jungle huts slowly but not completely giving way to brick and cement houses - layer upon layer - every once in a while (like Lillian Helman's pentimento) you catch a feel of what the ancient Java must have been like, looking down a ravine or seeing a man squatting outside a palm mat hut tending a small cooking fire. The terraced hills, of course, reinforce the ancient and enduring nature of Java. Only in the east did it feel disrupted - weedy and untended in spots. Is it because the cash crops like sugar cane, took over the small farms? In central and western Java, every square inch looked cultivated and well-tended.
Getting off the ferry, Bali was immediately impressive with its detailed stonework and soon we began noticing the spirit houses in every yard. They grew more and more elaborate as we went on.
Balinese Hindu gods are everywhere - intricate volcanic stone creations dressed in black and white checkered sarongs and sashes and red flowers. Complex offerings of food and flowers on woven palm leaf dishes are tucked into every niche, along curbs, in doorways and in front of (in, on, about) the empty stone spirit "chairs" that invite the good spirits to visit.
We took a quick tour of the Bali Museum in Denpesar (it was about to close).
Always on a treasure hunt, Jim got the address of the Art of Asia Gallery. For once, we didn't find a warehouse of tourist reproductions or dusty architectural pieces. The owner and his wife spent a lot of time with us and spoke reasonable enough English. I went a little wild, buying old Javanese glass and gold beads. I had already decided that I would buy only first-class beads on this trip: going for quality, not quantity like I've done on other trips.
P.M. - Jim explored Sanur Beach shopping area, made purchases at the Hyatt. I walked on the beach and was besieged by watch peddlers and women begging me to visit their shops. I took a short swim in the pool.
For paradise, it's hot as hell here. Even last night, as we ate dinner at a beachside table, there was not a breath of a breeze. There are few people here. It must be off-season - the no-breeze season.
After dinner we attended a performance of the children’s Legong at the restaurant next door.
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