It has been 6 years since the last time I went to Bali. It was in 2014 when I got the chance to experience Nyepi for the very first time. I’ve been there a couple of times before, mostly for its beaches and holiday vibes, but spending Nyepi in Bali is second to none. It was probably the time when I realized how unique the Balinese culture really is. And for me, that’s exactly why Bali has a special place in my heart. It just has so much more to offer besides its busy streets of Legian, Kuta, and Seminyak and its vibrant nightlife and beach clubs.
Bali, a land with volcanoes and rivers flowing out onto beautiful beaches and cerulean blue seas. An island with a fair number of breathtaking waterfalls, scenic undulating rice terraces, and stunning cliffs. Yet, I would say what makes it so special is the romance between its people and their rice fields, their rivers, their prayers, their crafted arts, and their kites that they are playing on a sunny afternoon.
The harmonious interaction of man and Mother Nature opens the eyes and the mind to the essence of Bali like nothing and nowhere else. It is like a collection of poems about light, landscape, beauty, art, and spiritualism.
It’s all thanks to the Hinduism teachings. Tri Hita Karana, a traditional philosophy of life in Bali which roughly translates to the “three causes of well-being”; God, people and nature. The belief of many Balinese that keeps the social fabric intact and harmonious with nature. Any building cannot be taller than a coconut tree, many of the religious rituals involve prayers to the Gods in the mountains and the seas. And no matter how far you would go, exploring the island, you would always find the place of worship easily. On the busy streets, on the secluded beaches, up and down the steepest hills.
It never crossed my mind that I would return to Bali during this pandemic. I was so heartbroken witnessing how badly affected the tourism in Bali, yet, somehow I was so grateful that I’ve got the chance to witness the Balinese culture even closer as I was able to not only spend a few days, or a week there, but a month or so.
A morning in quieter Bali, or indeed at any time, gives me an understanding of how blessed the people in Bali and the people who had the audacity to leave their lives in other cities/countries behind and choose to live on the island really are.
I learned a thing or two, about Balinese Hinduism, about the Guardians of the 9 directions. The wise teachings and the myths that soothe the mind and soul. About symbols and manifestation like canang sari offerings and incense sticks, the statues of the Gods and Deities and the penjor bamboo poles during Galungan and Kuningan.
I learned a few things about Bali’s past history, about its close ties with Java and Lombok, about a small kingdom in the East and its rise and decline over the course of centuries.
I figured out how modern Balinese people, especially the young people, are very open to modernism and at the same time are very proud of their own culture. I also had a chance to explore more secluded places on the island, in 7 regencies; Badung, Bangli, Buleleng, Gianyar, Tabanan, Karangasem, as well as Klungkung for Nusa Penida. Truly an experience I’ll never forget.
The pandemic, even though how awful its impact on the economy, and most importantly on the tourism industry, Bali is still a bliss. It didn’t change even a tiny bit. Well, it does, but the incomparable beauty of Bali doesn’t just disappear.
Because again, the enchanting beauty of Bali actually lies in the harmony between its beautiful landscape and its resident, not between its tourists and the tangerine sunsets, relished in some fancy beach clubs, nor between the pleasure seekers and its long, vibrant, nightlife. Still, I wish Bali and every place in the world that rely so much on tourism, a speedy recovery.
Sampai kita ke mana-mana lagi!
Cipta, di mana? 