On the other side of Badung Strait
Bali is a lovely place to be, but the old timers talk about the days, before the arrival of the masses of Australian backpackers and Chinese charter tourists.
At that time it was an even lovelier place, they say. And such a place is actually to be found - even today - just across the Badung Strait, on the small, still relatively unknown island of Nusa Penida.
We decided to make the voyage back in time and it IS true: coming from the exuberant, pulsating Bali, you find Nusa Penida to be in a completely different world.
The island is almost without tourists. We haven't seen any proper hotels or restaurants and as we walk around the main town of Sampalan, everybody takes notice, and the locals greet us with laughter and smiles as if we, by our mere existence, really have made their day.
making presents to the gods
Cheeky kids at the marketplace
In some places back in Bali, the happy greetings could sometimes be seen as clever salesman tricks, but here they are certainly without any hidden motives, They are not trying to sell you one thing or another as there is simply nothing to buy - nor sell!
Nusa Penida Guest House
We have rented a small guest house in the northern part of the island, and to be honest: not much happens during the day!
The heat is overwhelming, a mangy, flea-infected mongrel, beats up dust with his paws while prowling along the deserted road.
Getting fit for a cock fight
In the shade, a couple of men are sitting, caressing a rooster. The cock prances and crows - but has not long to live. Cock Fights are - even though they are illegal - quite widespread.
Many young men are so obsessed with the dream of economic windfalls that they - every time they get a rooster killed - instantly put themselves into debt for the acquisition of a new bird. Just to see it, once again, being hacked into pieces in a spray of blood and falling feathers.¨
A minute ago the chanting prayer from the nearby Hindu temple was sounding. The song at 6AM, 12, and 6 PM divides the day into the sunrise, noon, and sunset.
When evening comes, we go out searching for a warung, one of the village street kitchens, where we find the local food - nasi goreng, mie goreng, or occasionally some small, savory spits or black roasted fish wrapped in banana leaves.
Late last night something major finally happened. There was a particularly important Hindu celebration in the nearby temple.
Hundreds, perhaps even thousands from all over the countryside, came rushing into the village streets - men, all dressed in white, with 'udengs', the special headdresses, wrapped on the forehead - and women dressed in lace blouses and amazing pink, yellow, orange and blue sashes, and sarongs. Many of the women had tall centerpieces of stacked fruits, flowers, and other offerings balancing on their heads.
We would not interfere inside the temple, even though we actually had acquired the local clothes, which are necessary if you want to visit temples. This event might be too important.
We stood on our toes and peeked through the temple balustrades and saw what looked like a teeming chaos of kneeling people, who prayed to the weeping strains of a twenty-piece gamelan orchestra.
It was like peeking into a distant past.
Tomorrow we are moving further out into the island. How far we can come - and how long we'll stay - we do not know yet.
One week takes the next!
Practicalities:
- you will find only a few taxis on the island but some B&B`s have their own pickup service, so just ask
- With only one restaurant and a few cafes on the island you may have to look for alternative ways to eat. The main street in Sampalan has half a dozen small warungs, look around - some are cleaner than others.
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