Galungan in Kuta Bali

Galungan is the most important ceremony on the Balinese calendar. Most Balinese people get to go home to their village, to participate in family ceremonies. This morning, I even got an sms from a Balinese friend wishing me health and happiness.

Cafe Seminyak was open this morning, the staff decked out it Balinese traditional outfits. In the Kuta area its pretty even, the places that are open and closed. If you are a tourist in Kuta right now, its just means you’ll have less choice for a day or 2. Kuta Beach was a popular place this afternoon, with foreign and domestic tourists. Right now we’re in a bit of a tourist slump, which will probably continue till Christmas. The thing is, we have perfect weather right now, with reduced winds.

Walking along Jl. Benesari I saw kid’s gamelan troupe, doing their bit to drum up funds. They moved along the street, stopping at the open shops, banging out some music and then leaving a few minutes later. If I were in a gamelan orchestra, I’d play symbols, lighter to carry and more fun that the other instruments. A vendor told me, the going rate was a donation of 5,000rp.