Bali has stolen our hearts!
Two years ago we decided to become destination wedding photographers. We had this special desire to discover the whole world. So we went to Australia and we lived there for a year. While we were in Melbourne we thought that we want to visit an other country. After few job searches in Asia we found a little job for an engagement session in Bali for the first week of March.
So 1th March we were in Kuta for this session and we decided to stay here for one month before came back to Italy.
Bali, the famed Island of the Gods, with its varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides all providing a picturesque backdrop to its colourful, deeply spiritual and unique culture, stakes a serious claim to be paradise on earth.
Bali is one of more than 17,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and is located just over 2 kilometres (almost 1.5 miles) from the eastern tip of the island of Java and west of the island of Lombok (we we stayed for two weeks). The island, home to about 4 million people and more motorcycles!!!, is approximately 144 kilometres (90 mi.) from east to west and 80 kilometres (50 mi.) north to south.
The word “paradise” is used a lot in Bali and not without reason. The combination of friendly, hospitable people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali Indonesia’s unrivaled number one tourist attraction.
Life here is slow and spiritual.
Unlike any other island in largely Muslim Indonesia (Gili Meno, where we stayed for two weeks is Muslim), Bali is a pocket of Hindu religion and culture.
Every aspect of Balinese life is suffused with religion, but the most visible signs are the tiny offerings (canang sari, or sesajen) found in every Balinese house, work place, restaurant, souvenir stall and airport check-in desk.
First day in Bali was for understand what all this rice on the street was!
These leaf trays are made daily and can contain an enormous range of offering items: flowers, glutinous rice, cookies, salt, and even cigarettes and coffee! They are set out with burning incense sticks and sprinkled with holy water no less than three times a day, before every meal.
Our nice guide, Solo, explicated all this things to us
The culture of Bali is one of slow pace.
People are very nice, tolerant and welcoming to visitors, however, they are also very modest and polite people so dress modestly and behave modestly. Their smiles are really big and warm!
We visited few temples but we felt in love with Tanah Lot Temple.
Legend of Tanah Lot – Bali
Dang Hyang Nirartha, a high priest from the Majapahit Kingdom in East Java who travelled to Bali in 1489 to spread Hinduism, arrived at the beautiful area and established a site honouring the sea god, Baruna. Here, he shared his teachings to Beraban villagers, only to face opposition from the village chief who soon gathered his loyal followers to dispel Nirartha. The priest resisted, incredibly shifting a large rock he meditated upon out to sea while transforming his sashes into sea snakes to guard at its base. The rock’s original name, Tengah Lod, means ‘in the sea’.
Acknowledging Nirartha’s powers, the humbled chief vowed allegiance. Before setting off, Nirartha gifted him a holy kris dagger, which is now among the sanctified heirlooms of the Kediri royal palace. Pilgrims bring these relics each Kuningan day by foot on an 11km pilgrimage to the Luhur Pakendungan temple, the priest’s former meditational site.
Tanah Lot Temple is one of Bali’s most important landmarks, famed for its unique offshore setting and sunset backdrops. Unfortunately when we were here it was raining.
An ancient Hindu shrine perched on top of an outcrop amidst constantly crashing waves; Tanah Lot Temple is simply among Bali’s not-to-be-missed icons.
There were monkeys everywhere! This animals are very nice and curious.
