Nyepi: The Day of Silence – Bali

Yesterday was absolutely serene with no sounds of honking horns or mad motor-bike riders screaming down Jalan Legian; just sheer peace and quiet. The day was spent mostly relaxing around the pool, having drinks and talking with friends. Wherever you went inside the Prawita Cottages it was eerily quiet. Everybody was whispering!

I managed to get a peek out onto Jalan Legian and the street was so ‘relaxed’ (photo left).Occasionally a Pecalang (Banjar Police) passed by on a bicycle checking to see if anyone had ventured onto the streets.

The previous night to yesterday Candika and I walked up to Jalan Melasti to see the Ogoh-ogoh. Fortunately for those people staying in Legian they were treated to the awesome display albeit very noisy. Unfortunately the procession didn’t go down Jalan Legian to Bemo Corner as in previous years.

By 7pm the night before Nyepi, Kuta resembled a ghost town with most of the warungs, shops and restorans closed. Hardly any traffic flowed on the streets but, in gangs and houses, the noise of firecrackers and tin cans being banged was delightfully deafening.

Here are a few photos of the Ogoh-ogoh before the procession started: