We made our first stop at Celuk Village a well-known tourist destination  specializing in the making of silver and gold jewelry. This ancient craft is believed to have been handed down from the tightly knit Pande Clan, but no one knows for certain its exact origin. In the past, the Pande kept their techniques secret to maintain their position of prestige. However, as tourism in Bali became a major industry, by the 1970s villagers were leaving their farms to train as silversmiths and goldsmiths. A bewildering array of jewelry and art objects greeted us as we stepped into the showroom of a shop we visited. With some difficulty we bargained for and bought  silver filigree pendants with pretty gemstone nestled inside We were not disappointed with the craftsmanship as the Balinese are renowned for their artistic craftsmanship. http://www.expat.or.id/info/artshandicrafts-indonesia.html (Indonesian Arts and Crafts).

Entrance to Showroom at Celuk Village

At our next stop was Pura Puseh Temple, in Batuan, a Balinese Hindu temple filled with intricate stone carvings dating to the 11th century. The striking tiered gateway tower is  influenced by Indian religious architecture, but the icons and decorations are typically Balinese in style. These include the god Wisnu astride a bull, great elephants on the central stairway, and the god Siwa. The ancient moss covered statues, embodying the roots of this ancient religion, evoke a sense of peace that I found very calming. In contrast to the stone statues, the roof of the temple is made of the fiber of the black palm tree that has to be regularly replaced.

Thatched Palm Roof on the Temple

Tiered Entrance to the Temple

Then on to Mas Village to see woodcarvers at work and to purchase a piece to take home. Woods used in carving include ebony, teak, mahogany, ironwood, sandalwood and other indigenous woods. Look for the label designating plantation-grown teak—to help conserve of tropical forests. We found it difficult to choose from the variety of fine pieces, but settled for a colorful Balinese mask. In prehistoric times, ancient spirit masks were used for burials today, however, masks are used in traditional dances. These highly stylized masks, or topeng, depict the various characters in the story told by the dance.

Ubud, Bali, Wood Carving

            By this time it was late afternoon. I sat glued to the window, as we drove through villages that looked quite different from the suburban sprawl back home. Behind high walls and narrow doorways, I caught fleeting glimpses of delicately carved shrines, some no larger than birdcages. To my surprise, the guide explained that these were private residences, or compounds, which house several generations of Balinese families. A Balinese home is a complex interweaving of elements, based on feng shui (the interaction of the physical world with the spirital one), and economic wealth, caste, kinship ties and practical requirements.  A shrine is built just in front of the complex. Offerings of flowers and coconut leaves are placed in the shrine to make evil spirits pause and before entering. Within the compound there's a collection of smaller shrines on high pedestals dedicated to ancestor worship, specific Hindu gods, and ancient spirits. Compounds are becoming rare in rural areas as more land is converted to high-end resorts and guesthouses. The bus did not make a stop to allow us to explore a family compound as it this not on our itinerary--a frustrating disadvantage of group bus tours!

The sight of the villagers soaping down in the river canals, confirmed what our guide told us: not everyone in Bali has a bathroom. Watching these healthy people triggered a romantic vision of the Paul Gauguin’s mysterious, romantic paintings of Tahiti.

"I started to work again and my house was an abode of happiness. In the morning  . . .  Teha'amana's face shone, brightening everything with its lustre, and the two of us would go out and bathe ourselves in the nearby stream as simply and naturally as in the Garden of Eden.”
French Polynesia: Paul Gauguin

 We ended our day at Kedewatan with a performance of the Barong dance. Barong is a mythical creature with a long swayback and curved tail and represents the protector of human beings. Rangda, the widow, represents the evil spirit, witches, and graveyards. In these traditional dances, often performed for tourists, the interaction of the god Rangda, representing evil, and the god Barong, representing good, restores the harmony between the good and evil in life. A Gamelan orchestra, (pronounced Gah-Meh-Lahn), accompanied the danced. The music is played on metal-keyed percussion instruments ("metallophones") and gongs, hand sticks, drums, flutes, and occasionally bowed instruments and bamboo rattles. In this lush tropical setting, as the sun slipped below the horizon, I breathed deeply, letting it all sink in. The repetitive, hypnotic music, the lavish costumes, the exotic dancers, the undecipherable language and strange gestures—so different from Western traditions—certainly made the performance memorable—although I have to admit that after an hour the repetitive nature of the music become tiresome to our ears.
No beaches—on this tour anyway—but an interesting glimpse into traditional crafts and rituals of the Balinese.

Barong Dance, Ubud, Bali

The following day, we explored the town of Ubud on our own—okay, still no relaxing on the beach! We got the bus driver to drop us off at the Monkey Forest right on the edge of town. Throughout Bali, Balinese long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicuiaris) live in forested areas, and are considered sacred by the locals. I was as pleased to see the monkeys as I as was to be in a tropical jungle of gigantic trees that give a glimpse of the magnificent forests that once spread over the island. We were warned not to tease the macaques, not to wear sunglasses, or to have food, water, hats, and jewelry where the monkeys could easily grab them. Before I knew it, however, a monkey jumped onto my shoulder and tried to grab the handle of the umbrella, sticking out of my backpack. With an involuntary jerk and heave of my shoulder I managed to dislodge the monkey, but the real possibility of being bitten made me wary of the creatures.

Monkey Park, Ubud, Bali

We then took a pleasant stroll up Jalan Monkey Forest Road, lined with attractive boutiques and restaurants, stopping to browse and to buy a few items. To our Western eyes it was fascinating to see Balinese shopkeepers place offerings of fruit and flowers at the small shrines on the sidewalk.

Ubud, Bali, Street Ritual and Offerings

At the top end of the street there was the Ubad open-air market, with a great variety of items to bargain for, and also and ancient temple and a palace to visit.

Ubud, Bali, Street Life

Ubud Temple, Bali

Although Bali did not meet our preconceived notion of a tropical paradise, overall we truly enjoyed a memorable experience.  
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