Understanding ‘The child is father of the man’

At school, I was a regular participant in speech and debate contests.  Once the topic for an inter school speech contest was given as ‘The son is the father of the man’.  My English teacher explained that it is an adaptation of the famous line ‘The child is father of the man’ in William Wordsworth’s poem ‘My heart leaps up’.

I could not relate to the topic initially and was about to pull out.  The teacher convinced me to give it a try and referred me to some other teachers handling literature. My father put me in touch with some College professors.  I understood that as poems go, this one could have multiple interpretations.  I eventually delivered the speech, arguing that not only one’s childhood views shapes the views as an adult, but that it can also show the man, the adult, how to view the world. I was not very happy with my arguments at that time though I strongly felt the sentiment.  Since then, the incident and the phrase have stayed in my memory.

In the last few days, I had been mulling a lot over the events in the country and role of youth in the protests on the CAA and NRC.  Then, out of the blue, the phrase came back to me.

And I feel I now understand better how ‘The child is father of the man’ when

*My 21-year old nephew who had sacrificed his vacation to work on his project, travels 50 km from his college hostel to take part in the protest. He messages me saying he will share his live location in case he gets detained.  To a panicked me, he calmly assures that he is aware of what and why he is doing, and that he and his friends are clear they will not be part of any violence and will step away at the sign of any violence.  There was none, and he tersely reports in the night that he is back in the hostel and getting on with his project.

I can now make better sense of how ‘The child is father of the man’ when

*I read the articles and opinion pieces, written by students in simple English with no insinuating words.  Their ‘Why’s’ sting me harshly much more than that of any accomplished writer.

I start to firmly believe in ‘The child is father of the man’ when

*In the family what’s app groups and dining table discussions, the youth politely point out the ‘ad hominem’ arguments, call out the fallacies, but always maintaining the respect and love for the elders.

And I see how ‘The child is father of the man’ when

*On Christmas day, our family is cuddled in a famous bakery in Indiranagar discussing the current affairs, and two girls walk in.  They go to each table, apologising for the interruption and quietly hand over a slip.  I read the warm season’s greetings on one side and the preamble of the constitution printed at the back.   

I rush out and ask one of the girls if I can get them a cup of hot drink; she politely declines saying they have yet to cover a few more blocks before the nightfall. And then she shyly smiles and says a hug would be great. I hug her and we stay that way for a few seconds. I feel pumped with loads of the Christmas cheer and spirits. 

As I write this, I feel the anguish of the past few weeks in me getting washed away, replaced by faith in our youth, and hope for 'our' future and 'their' future.  It is with this beacon of hope that I step into the new year, 2020! 

The date keeper of the house

The family is in a frenzy early in the morning.  We check the travel check list multiple times and remind each other on what is yet to go into the bags.  One or the other pulls out the passport every few minutes and puts it back.  The excitement of a long overseas trip is palpable.  Finally, the luggage is loaded in the cab and we are all set to go. Or we think. 

The husband pauses before locking the door, runs back in, changes the date in the date calendar to the day and date of our return and comes back with a satisfied smile. Now the family will see the correct date on the return.

Every single day spent at home begins with the same ritual for us. It is that of changing the day and the date (and month on the 1st) in the day calendar.  Our day calendar is a pyramid shaped wooden structure with Egyptian hieroglyphs, picked up as a travel souvenir. It exudes immortality, with Mummy figurines on the side, and with blocks that show every day, date and month (without the year). 

The first person to wake up in the house gets the honour to change the day and date. When I get a chance to do this, I find the ritual almost meditative.  It makes me pause, think of the day before and the day ahead.  It makes me dream of the possibilities the day holds, and a stoic reminder that this day will never come again.

And it takes me back to my childhood days and a similar ritual.  In the Tamil households, the daily sheet calendar used to be a standard fixture.  It used to be and even today remains a humble cardboard vividly printed with a Hindu God in the front and some advertisement at the back.  The stars of attraction are the velvety slips printed with the day’s details, stitched or stapled to the cardboard. 

I believe that the way the sheets are torn could tell volumes about the person’s character and the mood!  And the daily sheet calendar was a great socialist as the rich and the poor, the mighty and the humble have to tear the sheet alike to see the day’s details!

What is printed on the cardboard and the day slips is worthy of writing a book on (Oh Devdutt Patnaik did write one!).  When one is able to take the eyes off the benevolent looking God, comes the wonder of each of those slips.  Apart from showing details as per the Gregorian calendar, one gets to read the lunar calendar details, and the Hindu Vedic calendar details.  For children, it used to be a game to challenge someone to recite the details of the inauspicious hours of the days of the week (Raahu kalam) and check against the calendar.  And when a function is fixed in the house, the daily sheet calendar is the most sought-after item.  The elders would look for auspicious days, skimming through the sheets.  

By the end of the year, the calendar would be faded and the remaining slips tattered.  But its life was not yet over.  We would dutifully remove the metal staple pins or threads and the remaining bits of sheets and repurpose it.  Elders would use it to support the loose sheets in which God’s name would be written.  My parents used them as a binder for the multiple volumes of story sheets torn from the monthly magazine.  I had friends who would use only these as exam pads, with their favourite God blessing the exam paper! I know of families who dont throw even the daily slips and used them for packing the prasad, or sacred ash!   Whatever be the case, it was unthinkable to dispose it off!

Today, I miss looking at the benevolent look of the Gods and flipping the velvety sheets.  But I am happy that the ritual continues in some form and is passed on to the next generation!

The adventures and misadventures of my solo travels

During my first ever solo long trip, all I remember is how I was literally at the edge of my seat throughout the journey.  It was a three hour bus ride from Tirunelveli to Madurai with an adventurous bus driver.  Clearly he was aspiring to be a pilot and assumed there was an auto pilot mode in the bus.  The ride completely took away my fear of solo travel at 17 years of age, and made me focus on keeping myself alive at the end of it. 

Tirunelveli to Madurai bus

My next solo travel was no better experience.  It was an overnight train journey from Madurai to Bangalore.  I was super excited to go to a prestigious institute for summer internship.  I discovered everyone else was equally excited too!  There was a mini stampede near the coach.  My parents, brother, uncle's family, couple of neighbours' families, family friends, my professor who had recommended me for the internship had all turned up. I suspect everyone was looking for an excuse to have that halwa opposite the junction in the pretext of seeing me off. My protective uncle did a reconnaissance of the coach; he pulled me aside and cautioned me as to who I should watch out for (practically everyone in the compartment except the TT).  That did me in; throughout the night, I was waiting for someone to snatch my bags or me!

My first ever flight journey happened to be as a solo traveller too, from Bangalore to Bombay.  I had never seen a plane at close range, forget flying in one. The gentleman who was seated next to me in that plane must still be remembering that day. I was in panic most of the time - when I could not unfasten the seat belt, when I could not put up the tea table up, when there was minor turbulence.  During the brief periods when things were peaceful in the flight, I was fretting about the upcoming interview.  I resisted visiting the loo, as I could not have taken the gentleman with me to help me out, in case I got stuck inside.  I literally let my breath out only when we landed.

My solo jaunts at hotels during my travels are another story.  My first job required extensive travel in the southern states of India. Initially I went with my parents' suggestion to stay with relatives in the city I was visiting. It became tedious; my hosts ranged from daughters of cousin thrice removed and acquaintances of friends who had not met each other in a decade. I convinced my parents to let me stay in a hotel, assuring I would choose a good, safe one.  It helped that we were eligible for 3 star hotels at that time in my company.

There was no turning back after that.  I fell in love with business related travel and stay. What else could one ask for?  An itinerary at my disposal, a room and TV for myself, the pampering of room service - I could go on and on.

I still remember a place I stayed in Calicut.  There was this hotel which would qualify as a heritage hotel in this age. I was given a suite (take any category of room that your DA allows was the office policy!) with a huge poster bed and a lounge room big enough to hold a conference with TV and fridge.  Unfortunately I did not even have any colleagues in the city and I had come to visit a dairy unit.   But that did not deter me from enjoying all that luxury. 

Another time, I was given a room in the hotel Ivory Tower in the famous Barton Centre in Bangalore.  I wish I could take that room today, ALONE, with that breathtaking view of the city from the balcony in the 13th or so floor. 

View from Barton Centre (Flickr)

I also had my share of misadventures.  At Windsor Manor in Bangalore where the entire office team was put up after a gala event, I was again given a large double room being the solo woman candidate in the team.   I just could not figure out how to lock the room! It was too late in the night and I was embarrassed to call the hotel staff. I did not want to disturb my colleagues at such late hour. Next morning, my male colleagues were wondering why I also had blood shot eyes (they all had raided the in-room liquor shelves!).

And the food experiences I had?!  I would hunt for and savour delicacies in cities I was visiting, find that famous hole in the wall eatery by asking around. What a joy it was to discover the Maharaja Pessarat in Hyderabad, the sambaram at Cochin, the missal pav at Mumbai, the gulkand at Bangalore!

The delicious gulkand (picture source : Wikipedia)

And what a pleasure to experiment, choose and order items from the room service with nobody to question you or give a quizzical look (well the room service boys have done that at times :>) There was this hotel in Cochin where I ordered for lemon soda after a long hot day and was given a glass of the soda along with a jar of thick luscious liquid.  After some sniffing and finger dipping and licking, I discovered it was sugar syrup.  It sounds downright silly, but it was sinful pleasure to have my own jar of sugar syrup at my wish which could be refilled too!  Ultimate food indulgence, isn't it?

The ultimate indulgence - sugar syrup

How can I forget the shopping experiences?  My habit of picking up souvenirs from every trip started then, just that the souvenirs mostly happened to be for my personal use.  It was absolute delight when there was a woman colleague available to accompany me and I discovered shopping lanes and goodies that one could never find out alone in a new city. I must have been the only travelling executive in the company who spent more than my allowance during the travel.

And I discovered the miracle of the century - the credit card! No worry of losing cash and let the company settle directly!

At least once in every trip, a client or a family member would ask me how I could travel, and if it did not affect my family life, etc.  It was mostly out of curiosity and concern and never with a wrong intent. I was having so much fun with my travels that my grin would give them the answer.

As I switched job and had children, my business travelling did stop for some time.  And I was so thrilled to start it again about 9 years back, though in a different avatar.  Coming from development sector, it is now no-frills travel but equally charming.  I am privileged to collect heart warming memories and experiences, from a very unique perspective. 

With tribal women in Odisha

Solo business travel still tingles and excites me as it did when I went on my first trip! Just that it takes more than a jar of sugar syrup to please me these days!

Fragrant memories

The season of jasmine is here. For somebody who grew up in Madurai, the Mecca of jasmine, the memories associated with the flowers are far too many.  As I watch the first few buds shyly opening up and inhale the heady fragrance wafting through the garden, I am overcome by memories: some funny, some nice, some so old that I cannot believe they had registered in me!

Scary memory

One of my earliest memory with jasmine is a scary one.  It was one of those festival evenings with guests at home.  I was dressed in a silk lengha and had braided my hair with freshly strung jasmine flowers.  As the evening wore on and I suspect as the jasmine buds were opening up, somebody pointed out that there was huge wasp sitting inside one of those opening buds in my hair.  It was mayhem, with everyone shouting at me to do something and nobody venturing anywhere near me for fear of getting stung by the wasp.  While I vividly remember the shock and fear, I cannot recall what happened after that or how the wasp went away.  I assume it did so, because I should have remembered if it had stung me!

Weird memory

During my college years, I used to ride a two wheeler to go to my college.  On the way, there was this one boy who would wait promptly every day for me  on the road side with his bike.  He would then ride a short distance ahead of me in his bike.  I guess it was a sort of wooing he was trying in the typical filmy way. It used to anger me initially but I had learnt to ignore and treat it as a minor irritation, in that Pre #METOO era.

But there was this time towards the end of my course when he tried to strike conversation with me; there was a particularly harrowing week where he would ride alongside me in the bike and say that he wanted to see me wearing jasmine flowers the next day.

I used to love wearing flowers in my hair even to college.  And that season we were having beautiful jasmine buds being supplied to my house and my mother would string them for us to wear.    Suddenly I refused to wear them, when this boy's request came!  My mother was perplexed and then got angry with all those flowers being wasted after she had meticulously strung them.  I gave her some weird reasons ashamed of telling her the truth.  For quite some time after this, I avoided putting flowers in my hair, very regretfully but firmly.  And that  marked the end of my flower-flaunting days sadly.  Because, it so happened that just after this incident, I had to move out of the city to Delhi to pursue higher studies; then job in a different city happened followed by a bold action to cut my hair with no chance of putting flowers. 

Whenever I visited Madurai after that, I used to have this overwhelming desire to find that boy, give him a good shake and tell him that he was responsible for that abrupt end to my sweet flower flaunting days!

Shocking memory

Soon after this weird incident of me stopping wearing flowers, I landed up in Delhi for higher studies.   And was going through a cultural shock and a culinary shock.  I and a hostel mate found a good remedy for both by visiting the Malai mandir in RK Puram and dropping in at a distant relative's place close by for a simple south Indian meal. Which one was an excuse for the other one is anybody's guess.  During the first such trip, I was happy to see jasmine flowers (though no match to the one from Madurai) for sale in the temple, and promptly put them in my hair.  Ha, I thought, No boy to hold me back now.  I and my friend then rode the blue bus back to the hostel with the flowers in our hairs, and were greeted with some curious glances.  A little later, a north Indian girl ventured up to us and told us gently to avoid wearing flowers in Delhi especially in public places!  It took some time for both of us to understand and we were shocked as to how it could be interpreted in that blue bus in Delhi! Well that ensured that no more flowers for another year and a half!

Lingering memory 

Living in Madurai and in the outskirts meant we had abundant supply of fresh jasmine buds straight from the farmers' fields.  It used to a routine evening affair in most houses for ladies to sit in the front yard or verandah and string the flowers.  When the girls in our colony were young and going through phases of trying out one activity after another, there was this phase of learning to string the jasmine flowers.  The grand mothers and mothers would be sitting around, chatting and stringing them in the traditional way using the fibre from the banana stem.  It was a work of art and the hand movements were like an orchestra playing.  They would curl the fibre around the stem of the bud and go over it with an elegant knot and then move on to the next one;  the gap between the two buds was just enough to allow them to bloom fully but tight enough to not let the fibre be seen through.  The end result was stunning.  And no fabric thread or needle, just plain hand work with simple items easily available - rustic and rooted to the earth!  I suspect the stringing sisterhood remained as close as those jasmine buds in the string!  

After close to two decades since I stopped wearing the flowers in my hair, I am growing my hair now.  Who knows, I might end up stringing the jasmines from my garden and flaunt them one of these days.  And I am so looking forward to a new set of memories with these flowers, including being wooed!

Trip to the town

When I was a school girl growing up in Madurai in the 70s and 80s, I would yearn to hear my parents plan the TRIP TO THE TOWN.  Living in the outskirts, our world consisted of a small community of houses mostly occupied by my father's colleagues, a bus stop, a temple and church, 2 provision shops, 1 bakery and 1 tea stall. Whereas the TOWN was another world. 

One reached this world after a good 30 minute commute in a crowded bus.  Once we reached the Madurai bus stand, the excitement was palpable.  All roads in Madurai lead to the Meenakshi Amman temple and so one just had to follow the crowd to reach the Town bazaar around the temple.  One could take a Rickshaw or the Tonga but the fun was in walking it up.

Street around the temple (Image source)

We had our favourite routes for this walk, with special stops on the way for tucking in snacks.  It would either be the Irutti kadai (translated as DARK SHOP) , called so for its minimal lighting I guess, for the piping hot halwa that would slide down the throat in milliseconds leaving a mind blowing sugar trail. Or the special bajji stall, with its spicy fried snack made with the longest chilly I had ever seen.  Better still the Masala milk shop with its huge cauldron of boiling milk, where I could stand for hours watching the rich yellow cream collecting on top and being scooped up on to the glasses.

Masala milk (Image source)

Once the stomach was satiated, we began circum ambulating the roads around the temple.  In the Town, the shops were sandwiched between the houses or fronted the houses.  Every few metre on the road, there would be a florist selling the fragrant Madurai jasmine flowers in tight strings and it was crime to not buy and put it on the hair.  And then there was the famous Madurai cotton sungudi sarees shops.  The ubiquitous Bata would be there in each of those streets.

Sungudi sarees of Madurai (Image source)

Desmond Morris would have given an arm and limb to have been on these roads to watch the multitude of people, the locals, the traders, the North Indian tourists and the cows in between.

Once our legs got tired, we would make our way to one of the hotels situated at the arterial junctions.  My mother and I would insist on the waiter reciting the menu, though we knew it by heart and would always order the same items - puri for me and dosa for her.  It was a tough choice to decide between the Bengali sweet or the ice cream for the dessert. We would be sitting in a stupor, while the waiter would gently remind us of the hotel closing time. 

Puri masala (Image source)

I would sometimes deliberately walk slow to the bus stand and ensure we missed the last bus at 10:30pm. This meant the luxurious auto ride home!  We would arrive home waking up the neighbourhood with the tut-tut sound of the auto.   Everyone would look so content and go off to sleep mumbling incomprehensibly to the Rock music playing in the Sony tape recorder. 

In my mind, there would be only one thought, when would the next trip to the town be?

Zen travel moments in Bali - Part 2

Part 2 - Sanur and coastal south Bali

This is the second part of the Bali Travelogue - read the first part here.

How to plan Bali itinerary?

An ideal dream tourist destination is one which can provide diverse experience without too much effort (think snow city in Dubai!), but through its own topography and culture.  Bali qualifies on this effortlessly, given its vast coast, tropical forests, volcanoes, numerous temples, strong art and culture scene, and influence of colonialization.  Bali travel itinerary should sample most of these, at least for the first time traveller.  That requires basing oneself in more than one place in Bali.  While Ubud is a clear choice, there is more than one option to experience other aspects of Bali. 

For the much touted beach experience in Bali, there are a whole lot of places  in the tourist circuit and in other parts of Bali and in Indonesia (which has more than 15000 islands, some uninhabited!).  The southern tip of Bali has countless beach front properties ; Nusa Dua is a good choice if you are looking for many water sports activities.  We were told Kuta is the place for partying.  There are other choice like Seminyak.  There are also slightly lesser known places, like Padang Bai or Amed if one is looking for scuba diving for instance. 

Map of Bali showing popular beach destinations

We chose Sanur, a reasonably quiet town close to Denpasara, known for its community living culture as our second base and were not disappointed.

Why Sanur?

Ubud and Sanur are like chalk and cheese; both exhibit the heart warming Balinese hospitality but the similarity ends there. Sanur has a distinct Bohemian culture.  The number of non Balinese living here might outnumber the locals but both seem to be happy in their zone.  The locals are mostly in hospitality and (shop) business. Lot of Dutch and other Europeans have taken up long term or permanent residence in Sanur.  Our host was a Dutch family which was doing business exporting from Bali, and have chosen to live now in Bali. 

What we loved in Sanur was the relaxed vibe, the endless stretch of beach promenade and roads offering lovely sights and sounds, countless restaurants and cafes with world class cuisine, Travellers' comforts like laundry, bicycles, supermarkets, and the shops.  If you plan to do a long stay in Bali and want to cook and take care of yourselves, and be a part of some community, Sanur is the place to be in.

What to do in Sanur?

Though it is a beach town, the beach itself is nothing great in Sanur.  I know this sounds weird for a beach town but it need not put you off.  That is, unless your beach experience involves going for a swim in the sea every day. The water that is near the shore in Sanur is almost back water, and the sea is a bit far off. 

However, there is a lovely long beach promenade with cobbled walkway.  The entire stretch is dotted with restaurants and cafes of the hotels and resorts that face the sea.  Then there are shops and ferry boarding points.  A leisurely walk or a bicycle ride is  the best way to take this all in.  I can guarantee you would want to do this more than once to catch the mood at different times and stop in between to grab some Balinese coffee, or a dessert from one of those high end restaurants or a local snack from the vendor on the road. 

Sanur Beach Promenade (Pic Courtesy Travel Triangle)

Now come to the other side of this promenade away from the beach and it is totally a different atmosphere. Sandwiched between the entrances to the resorts and hotels, are numerous restaurants and shops. Because it was Christmas and New year's time, all of them were done up, and most were hosting a music gig every day. It was bliss to just walk up and down the street soaking the decor, the crowd and the music, or enter a cafe and enjoy the food, or even chip in at a gig.  

To me, the ideal dinner was at the Beach House at Sanur, a restaurant right up the beach front, run by an Australian.  There was a gig playing, loud chatter and much merry, excellent food and the owner ensured that the lone Indian family was not out of place.  He walked up, chatted about the cricket match and raised a toast for our win! That is the spirit of Sanur, to welcome all into their folds and have fun together.

Sanur Night market

Sanur has a night market famous for its local food stalls and shops.  But our family and night markets are always jinxed! This is the third time that the night market has eluded us.  At Hongkong, a typhoon did it.  At Goa, the off season did it.  At Sanur, the Galungan festival did it.  We were disappointed to see only a handful of food stalls  and none of the other shops open.  But with a determination to make he best of it, we compensated by helping us to generous servings of the sinful Rupanggi - local bread slathered with butter, toasted with layers of topping of your choice. 

Attractions around Sanur:

Nusa Dua

Our vote for top attraction at Nusa Dua is not the beach (which was pretty good) but the Museum Pasifika, with quite an unusual theme covering all Pacific countries.  It is housed in a beautifully ventilated building, has some stunning art work and sculptures and totem poles, etc.  Worth the visit to know about the art, culture, lifestyles and history of Pacific countries. 

Nusa Dua has lovely beaches and many water sports activities like surfing, banana boat.  It is one of the bases for deep sea activities like snorkeling and scuba diving.  There are also glass bottom boats and sea walking activities (with a special helmet). There is an amphitheatre at Nusa Dua which was showing Devdan, an art show.  Seems to be a popular one showcasing Indonesian history and balinese culture and dance forms, and of course we missed (too much of avoid popular attractions mood) !

Cycling:

Highly recommend cycling around Sanur. There are bikes on rent and many B&Bs and Hotels provide them readily for guests.  Chart your own route like we did to the Turtle conservation centre.  Or join a guided tour. Beware of afternoon sun though! We came back heavily tanned. 

From Sanur, attractions in Denpasar are quite doable.  We could not do much but there are some good attractions at Denpasar like museum, aquarium, etc.

Signboards in Bali

One can spend days admiring the sign boards across Bali.  Not just those for sales but ones in use too.  In the main market in Ubud and Sanur, we saw the drain covers on the roads also carrying messages or art work.  Have never seen such stuff before. My husband feels that is one thing he did justice to while photographing and that I am not doing justice to them with this one short para!  So here are some pictures keep him happy.

That's art in drain cover!

Again on the drain cover

Beat that!

Where do you want to go?

Frangipani in Bali

If we have to choose a visual identity for Bali that encapsulates all it stands for - the beauty, the sophisticated design & aesthetics, the delicate balance of nature and people, the heady aroma of food and the fun of shopping, and the different shades of life, It is the Frangipani flower! 

Add caption

And we will come back to savour more of you Bali. So long, Bye! 

Zen travel moments in Bali

Part 1 - Ubud and Central Bali

Never before in my travels had I felt so much at the mercy of nature, and exalted at the same time. While travelling in Bali, I was acutely aware of our vulnerability in the face of volcanic eruptions and the deadly Tsunamis; but what stayed with me was a Zen like calmness.  The peak of this Zen moment was at the peak of the dormant volcano Mount Batur in the centre of Bali.  We had reached this peak at about 5:30 in the morning, hiking for about two and a half hours after a hearty breakfast of pancakes and Balinese coffee at 2 am! Our mixed crowd of tourists led by the local guides fell silent watching the sunrise and the looming Mount Agung in front of us, which had erupted just 6 months ago (and it briefly did again just 4 days later).  No wonder the local people revere these volcanic mountains; they do evoke strong emotions.   There was a perceptible lightness in our minds and steps as we climbed down, with unknown people feverishly chatting with each other, united by the experience we were privileged to have.  This sunrise trek to Mount Batur is something not to be missed in Bali, though it requires reasonable fitness. 

Mount Agung , Lake Batur from the peak of Mount Batur

But Bali is not all that treacherous.  It is a tourist's dream, generously offering whatever one seeks. An adventure junkie, a spiritual seeker, a glutton, an ordinary family like ours, whoever you are, a holiday in Bali will leave you with lasting memories. We spent a week in Bali, split between the central region of Ubud and the coastal region near Sanur. These are quite different in character but equally charming. There is so much to write about both the places, that I hope to cover it in two parts, with this first one on Ubud and the central region of Bali.

Map of Bali

Balinese people are proud bearers of their tradition and excel in hospitality.  We were privileged to be with a local family as entire Bali was celebrating their most important function 'Galungan'. 

With our hosts in traditional attire

The festival has deep mythological origin, marking the victory of good over evil.  The festival occurs twice in the Gregorian calendar year in May and December and is a day for families to come together and offer prayers to ancestors. Preparations start a few days earlier and last for 10 days till another festival ''Kuningan'' ends the festivities. During this time, each family diligently constructs and puts out 'Penjor' or 'Penyor', a bamboo pole with a curving structure made with paddy husk on top and containing offerings to the Gods.  This reminded me of the Pandal we construct during weddings in South India, with banana trees, symbolizing longevity.  As we criss-crossed Bali, the bowing and swaying penjors greeted us everywhere, a kind of symbolic representation of the gentle, artistic, proud Balinese people.

Swaying 'Pinjors' 

Bali is an ideal place for slow travel; to meander and drop off the map. And its cultural nerve centre Ubud will tick all reasons to do so.  While it has its fair share of attractions from temples, to museums, to yoga centres, to eye popping green rice terraces, to warungs (eateries) to art market, it tempts the traveller to just ditch the itinerary and go with the flow.  For instance, you can spend just an hour or so at the most popular Tegallalong rice terrrace and tick it off the list; Or exit any house in Ubud through the back yard and discover the miles of the rice terrace stretching behind. We did just this and came back with many 'so called attractions' not seen but thoroughly satiated; after all that is what true holidays are for, isn't it?

The tree canopy as you are walking in Gianyar in Ubud

Aerial view of Gianyar in Ubud

Bali has its share of quirky attractions; its Monkey forest in Ubud qualifies as one. Its Luwak or Civet coffee is another.  The monkey forest is in the middle of the bustling town Gianyar in Ubud and is unique for its open design allowing monkeys to freely roam around.  I have seen countless monkeys in my life before, but somehow this close encounter made me pay attention to them and admire their beauty (oh, they are, especially the mothers with the babies!).  Very subtly, this open design sensitizes humans to respect, give space and get along with other species. 

Monkey forest

The Luwak coffee tour can be a complete tourist trap, but it is still worth visiting a plantation and tasting it.  The plantation we visited had a guided tour showing the process where the civet cats eat the coffee beans and poop; we got to see and touch the 'cleaned' poop, which is then roasted and powdered.   No qualms about it, the Luwak coffee smells and tastes heavenly. It is also supposed to have less caffeine.  Just wish that the cats could roam freely!  And as part of the tour, you get to taste some 7 varieties of coffee and tea and gently persuaded to shop from their store. I fell in love with Vanilla coffee and the coconut coffee and ended up picking multiple packets as gifts.  The Balinese coffee is an acquired taste and is usually had without milk.  Mind it, the Luwak coffee is expensive and am told that most of what is available in market is fake.

The coffees and teas to sample in the plantation

The plantation also had some chargeable activities like giant swings, zip lining and bungee jumping , taking advantage of the huge, sloping valley.  It can keep the kids occupied when you sip the coffees and teas, taking in the pristine valley.  Or to give it a go, with all that adrenaline rush after the  caffeine kick, like I did. 

The art culture in Bali is very rich with paintings, wood carving, stone sculpting, coconut shell work, glass designs, to name a few.  And this is something so unique in Bali; even a small shop or a cafe would be artistically done up and will have a character of its own. 

A small cafe with outstanding art work

The art reflects the history of Bali, which originally was made of many provinces ruled by small Kings.  There appears to have been wide patronage of art and music and dance, closely tied with religious festivities.  When the Dutch colonized Bali in the 1800s, they eventually understood the strong tradition in Bali and allowed it to prosper.  With this colonization, Bali had a huge influx of western travellers, mostly artists who found its bewitching natural beauty, the well sculpted Balinese women and the rich hospitality a heady combination.  

The artist Blanco was one such visitor, who then married a Balinese dancer and settled down here.  We visited his museum in Ubud, which is housed in a beautiful colonial style bungalow.  Blanco's paintings are a bit edgy, showing Balinese women in various poses and he does not hide his love for their beauty (do read a book on him and his work at the workshop in the museum).  I also noticed that each of the frame in his painting is an work of art by itself, with extensive sculpturing or mural work.

At the entrance to Blanco museum

The art market in Ubud and the street adjoining it are a visual treat, allowing a glimpse into the various art forms in Bali. There are also numerous shops adjoining every temple, museum and other tourist attractions.  Outside the famous holy water (Tirta Empul) temple, we found this simple melodious musical instrument, whose name we never asked for! With my daughter constantly playing some tunes on it, I had the perfect back ground note for the Zen moments at Bali.   

The musical instrument that kept us entertained throughout the trip

Bali is famous for various forms of dance and Ubud is the perfect place to see some.  Most dances have mythological connect and are performed during festivals in temples.  At Ubud you can catch these performances at the temple or the palace.  Traditional Kacek dance (pronounced Kachek) is something highly recommended; my only regret in the trip was to have missed this by a whisker at the famous Uluwatu temple.  The temple itself is stunningly perched on a cliff dropping off into the Pacific Ocean.  We were also highly recommended Tana Lot temple. Both these temples are more than an hour's drive from Ubud but taxi drivers have a standard itinerary to cover these. 

One side of Uluwatu temple 

Given the numerous mountains and the tropical climate, Bali has many rivulets, rivers and waterfalls.  Some are in the tourist circuit around Ubud and as I realized late, better avoidable.  The Campuhan ridge walk near Ubud though is a nice get away, right in the middle of the town, with rivers and rice terraces surrounding it.

Ridge section just at the backyard 

Currency and planning  budget for Bali:             '

                                                                                                       

The currency and conversion can drive you crazy.  One Indian Rupee is about 200 IDR; and the prices are usually written in Ks (indicating thousands or 1000 factor of multiplication).  A meal can cost about IDR 50 K at a local warung, but can go up to IDR 200 K per head at a fine dining place.  Plan your budget in Bali around these heads: Boarding, Local transport (up to IDR 750K per day), food (about IDR 750 to 1000K for a family of 4), entrance / activity fees, shopping budget (souvenirs  are available from 25K onwards; expect to pay about 100K for a small painting, 200K for a small mask or a wooden carving).

Getting around in Ubud:

There is no local transport easily available for tourists in Ubud , nor is taxi service like Uber allowed; so getting around can be challenging unless one hires a local cab.  Or hire a scooter or bike as many tourists do.  It can get hot in the day.  There are many local taxis available and most of the drivers double up as local guides.  Do bargain and the going rate in 2018 was Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) 650,000 for about 8 hours.  

No taxis!

Language in Bali

Most speak or understand English.  But the local language is Balinese with a beautiful script.  Bahasa is the official language in all of Indonesia, of which Bali is a province. Sign boards are in English and the official language Bahasa.   

Food in Ubud

Bali is a foodies paradise, even for a vegetarian. If you have a sweet tooth like me, indulge in the pancakes made with palm and jaggery and its different variations at each cafe.  Coconut and palm sugar based sweets are usually made at homes as offerings to the Gods, and we had the privilege to taste it  on the Galungan day.  They look and taste so much like the Kozhukattais we make in South India.  The black rice pudding was yummy, again distinctly similar to the Kavuni rice available in South India. Interestingly, I found rice served in local eateries to be of traditional unpolished variety, including the black and brown rice.  Nasi goreng, the popular fried rice is available everywhere , though usually with egg and soya bean cakes.  The latter are acquired taste!  Gado gado salad is another local delicacy.

Try the Jamu, traditional Balinese drink like our Kashayam.  Bali has many local fruits including the mangosteen, dragon fruit, durian, etc.  We even had dragon fruit pancake!

Jamu the traditional balinese drink

Variations of Jamu

Black rice pudding

What to shop for in Ubud region:

When you shop in Bali, especially in the local markets, remember that Balinese enjoy the bargaining process (except the boutiques which are fixed price ones).  I could see them eagerly greeting Indians who must have earned a reputation for bargaining.  Once you pick the items, a gentle banter will ensue with a good measure of shaking of head, some innuendoes thrown in (Oh, how will I feed my children?).  A deal is invariably struck and then the shop keeper becomes your friend!  He/ she will enquire after your stay in Bali, if you need transport and proudly nod their heads when you say you love Bali.  I thought it also reflects their happy go lucky nature.

I strongly recommend bringing along an extra suitcase or bag to Bali.  You will definitely want to take back lots of souvenirs.  Look for the boards with quirky messages (picture) - highly recommend the shop Tamara Danielle in Ubud and Sanur for this.  Do visit a wood carving workshop (the taxi drivers will take you) where you can pick up lovely wooden masks, carvings, sculpted statues.  In the art market in Ubud, you will see the richly dressed Balinese dancers / figurines, hand woven mats, affordable jewellery, and clothes. 

Bali also has many jewellery shops, both fashion jewellery, gold and silver jewellery.  It is probably the artistic blood and I found the designs quite eye-catching; either ethereal or over the top bling! They are available in all ranges, right from IDR 25K.

You may also want to pick up the local Balinese coffee/ Luwak coffee/vanilla coffee, palm sugar, traditional rice varieties.

Bewitching paintings

Shops in Ubud art market

A wood sculptor at work

Mesmerising pose

Boards with all kinds of messages

Some home decor items

Take this in

What to watch out for:

We were told that ATMs could be hacked to capture card details; check with your local host before using an ATM

While Bali is generally clean, we happened to see monstrous mounds of garbage heaped near the sea at the capital Denpasar.  Be a responsible tourist and do not accumulate waste.  Carry water bottles which most hotels are happy to refill.

Roads  are well laid but not wide. There can be notorious traffic jams especially on roads towards coast, Uluwatu temple.