The Galungan and Kuningan festivals are highlights of the Balinese cultural calendar, it is the day when ancesters are bid farewell so I decided to take the advice of the banjar guys I met the other night and ride down to Serangan Island to check out the big celebration.
Serangan is on the way to Sanur from Kuta so I jumped on the bypass up in Seminyak at around 12 noon, shot down to Kuta, then made my illegal right turn into traffic followed by a sharp left onto another section of bypass. After he usual switching and turning I was heading to Sanur.
Traffic was pretty good today and I saw many people dressed in traditional outfits.
I’ve been down to Sanur before but never looked for Serangan and asking a fellow rider at the lights where Serangan was he directed me down a side street. It turned out to be a dead end so I continued and eventually saw a sign. As soon as I was on the road to Serangan I knew it was the right way because of the number of people and the attire.
There is a bridge now to Serangan so getting there is no problem from the mainland although you can get across at low tide as I saw this fisherman doing.
The temples on Serangan were visible from the bridge and I could already see it was packed with people.
Arriving in the main parking lot area a banjar guy ( dressed in black ) told me where to park. I locked my bike and went about snapping anyone interesting. Straight away I could see waves of people exiting the temples and new comers just arriving. To accommodate this food and drink vendors had set up and lined the route. Very popular were drink sellers like this orange drink seller and es campur ( mixed ice ) seller. Its seems like every 20 feet was a satay vandor. The stuff may not be the most hygienic but it sure is tasty. They soak the meat in an array of spices which tastes different form stall to stall.
Families were here and many found little corners to take a break and from the action. Small kids must get irritable in this heat and their parents do well to keep thm happy. Approaching a temple offerings are carried by the women on their heads in wicker baskets. Usually several temples are visited and the offering brought are used up between there.
I didn’t intend to be intrusive and decided to stay out of the temple compounds, happy to snap away from a distance, still after leaving the vendor area a banjar guy came up to me and said ‘you must wear sarong come with me’. We went to his stand where they rented me a sarong and sash. I didn’t want to argue with these guys there’s too many of them and they can do what they like so gave the guy 10,000rp. They seemed happy.
I strolled around the side of the main temple and saw large numbers of men sitting in the shade, ladies and families gathered around the edge and in other places watching traditional dances featuring solo long haired monsters. An assortment of these creatures performed in animated style to the accompaniment of the gamelan orchestra.
Finally the barong, a 2 man lion symbolising good came out to take on one of these.
While I was watching somebody said ‘Nick’. I looked round and it was Nyoman from Ronta Bungalows, one of the first places I stayed here in Bali. I’ve always seen him in shorts and t-shirt and he looked quite different in his ceremonial gear.
Inside the main roof I watched the end of the barong and saw another face from Kuta, a girl called Yuli from Spaghetti Jazz restaurant. Pretty cool seeing friendly faces.
I wasn’t part of a group and didn’t want to wander into a temple compound while people were praying so I stayed outside and snapped some folks in front of the priest’s table. There were small groups of younger guys sitting in the shade wearing traditional outfits. They were serious and I wonder how much of their participation feels like fun and how much seems boring.
This festival is somewhat unique in that people from all over Bali come to Serangan.
I noticed that the floor was starting to look like a disaster after all the offerings had been trampelled but the locals don’t seem to mind.
The sun was fierce today so after a couple of hours I decided to take off. I returned my sarong to the banjar and hit couple of satay stalls on the way back to the parking lot. The price for a bag of 10 sticks was 5,000rp. I also tucked into a chuck of bbq fish. The pile was getting frequent visits from flies but I said to myself if its not killing them it will be okay. Another lady was selling fish on a stick. I enjoyed watching the procession of people going in and out, for them this was a big day.
I did see half a dozen westerners at this celebration and they were really drowned by the locals. I’d say for a foreign visitor this would be a good festival to check out. It’s a 20 minutes drive from Kuta, costs only 5,000rp to get in, is colorful, accessable and is not a tourist trap.
Finding my bike I could see it was covered in a light layer of dust. The soil here looks like some kind of chalk and all the cars and people create a dust cloud like the Oregon Country Fair ( for those who have been ). I was very glad to have my bike and made sure I wore my pollution mask for the dusty ride back to the road.
Arriving in Kuta I rode up Jalan Legian to Seminyak and saw the local banjar guys stopping traffic to let a line of ladies bearing gifts cross the road. This is a big day all over the island.
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Nick,
That was an awesome write, read & look…
Loved looking at the pictures & I could smell the satay cooking & the incense burning. Thank-you.. Very, very enjoyable! Unfortunately sitting here in about 11 degrees, I could not feel the heat!!! Only 26 days to go!!!!