Sunday at the Museums

Sunday, February 10, 2013
Kuta, Bali, Indonesia
Back to Denpasar this morning to visit several museums. First we visited the Bali Museum where Kat and I visited before. Apparently March is a good month for weddings and a number of couples were there for pre-wedding photos in the traditional Balinese costumes. These costumes are very expensive and since they are only worn once, most people rent them from a local shop for the photos and the ceremony. There are 4 buildings representing building styles in different parts of Bali and each building contain different collections. I particularly enjoyed the one with masks and shadow puppets, since we had an opportunity to see how they are made and learn more about their uses.

Our next stop was the Bali Art Center which exhibits art by contemporary Balinese artists . The center is located on a large campus and also supports other Balinese art forms. In two separate pavilions we watched instructors teaching Balinese dance to children. We also had an opportunity to talk with a group of local tech school students who were enjoying a day out.

The final stop was Bajra Sandi Monument which commemorates the Balinese struggle against the Dutch, and finally Indonesian Independence in August 1945. The building is in the shape of a traditional Balinese ceremonial bell used by priests. During the struggle against the Dutch the Balinese warriors performed Puputan, which means to fight to the death. The monument includes a series of dioramas which portray the history of the island beginning with prehistoric times and ending in the early 1950s. Although Indonesia declared its independence when the Japanese surrendered, the Dutch apparently did not cede their control until the early 50s. It must have been like us declaring independence in 1776, but the British continued to fight for several years.

Before returning to Jimbaran we had lunch at a local warung with traditional Balinese food, and a number of local snacks. They had a local ginger candy and after we all sampled it, the group almost bought the entire stock. The afternoon was free for relaxing, beachtime and catching up on my blog. I also spent some time reorganizing my suitcases for tomorrow's flight to Bangkok.

Our farewell dinner was at a beachfront seafood restaurant where we enjoyed the local fish and a beautiful sunset. Although it was saying goodbye to our wonderful trip leader, Merta, the rest of us will travel beyond Bali to Bangkok and Vietnam.

Comments

Kat
2013-02-12

Looking at your pics and seeing all of the places we visited before (and new pics too!) makes me miss Bali even more than before.

Google Offers had a deal on 7 nights in Bali this morning and i was already looking at it, although when you add in airfare for 2 it would be way out of my price range. :-( Maybe one day I will get to go back, but if I do, I'll probably end up staying. LOL

maryleabyrd
2013-02-12

I was showing Merta pictures from our trip and when we got to Tejakula, he said "that's my village!" He knows our guide Gede and the guy that rode me to Gaia on his scooter. His sister has two rental villas next to Gaia, so maybe you could stay there.

2025-02-14

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