PanIsland
sails into...
Indonesia
BALI Hai is calling….. Come to me… Come to me!
Bali east of Java is an emerald in the ocean blue. I remember so well that day when I walked out on the deck of the ocean cruiser that I was holidaying on and was amazed at the first sight of the island. The waters there are an incredible deep blue and Bali sits on it like an emerald bedecked Majesty. I felt like the sun deliberately reserved her most golden rays to light the island in all its splendor.
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Then, more rapture as I watched little sailboats being peddled towards the ship with Balinese singing dialect songs that floated softly in the breeze. These boats were laden with artistic wood sculptures, hand painted fabrics, traditional Balinese musical instruments and jewellery, fruits and other various items that surprise the senses. The beautiful Balinese, men, women and children of all ages, reddish brown in complexion, teeth truly white as ivory, waved to us all and at that very moment, I was aroused into waves of the Bali High!
Bali is also blessed with beautiful nature. Endless sand beaches envelope most of Bali's shores, where silvery waves come home to. Tall cliffs border the eastern shores. Volcanic mountains crown the center of Bali, home to Gunung Agung-Mount Divine, the sacred abode of the gods and the goddesses. Green forests stretch on from east to west of the northern part of Bali, nurturing numerous flora and fauna that can only be found there.
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The beaches of Bali are magnificent and you will find soft waves for the beginner surfer as well as the wilder ones at other parts of the island to challenge the more experienced surfer.
Marco Polo, the great explorer, was the first recorded European visitor to Indonesia back in 1292 but the first Europeans to set foot on Bali were Dutch seamen in 1597.
in love with the island and when Cornelius Houtman, the ship's captain, prepared
to set sail, half of his crew refused to leave with him.
The Balinese language differs entirely from the language spoken in mainland
Indonesia. It is completely different in vocabulary and grammar
and contains
complex rules for its use. Balinese is greatly complicated by its caste influences.
There's high Balinese, low Balinese and even middle Balinese, plus a number of
variations of the three. Middle Balinese is mainly used for courteous greetings
and does not emphasise on caste differences.
Balinese are mostly Hindus but Balinese Hinduism is a world away from that of
India. At one time Hinduism was the predominant religion in Indonesia (witness the
many great Hindu monuments in Java) but it died out with the spread of Islam through
the archipelago. The final great Hindu Kingdom, that of the Majapahits, virtually
evacuated to Bali, taking not only their religion and its rituals but also their art,
literature, music and culture. Artists, dancers, musicians and actors fled to Bali
and the island experienced an explosion of cultural activity.
The final great
exodus to Bali took place in 1478. The Balinese began developing their cultural
and artistic talents that have made the island so interesting to visitors right
down to the present day.
Religion in Bali is overwhelming and it's absolutely everywhere! You
can't get away from religion in Bali, there are temples in every village, shrines
in every field, offerings being made at every corner. Many of their traditional
dances are also steeped in religion. The island is filled with old legends and
religion that's practised in the ancient ways. Definitely
mysterious! Definitely exotic!
Next Page
Balinese Dance
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