Oh, Bali… Where to start?!

Speaking for myself (Marta), I can say without hesitation that Bali is nothing like I expected. I read in a book once that whenever you experience a new city (or in this case, island) it is a good idea to try to find the one word that best describes its soul and if that one word resinates with you, you will feel at home right away. So, after three weeks here I have been thinking a lot about the best word to describe Bali’s soul and in my opinion the word is: WILD! (in capital letters and with an exclamation point) and yes, I feel at home even if it doesn’t make any sense.

I suppose that Bali can be the idyllic paradise that we have all seen on travel brochures or websites at some point, but there is so much more to it, that the word “paradise” (at least in the stereotypical way) would definitely not be anywhere near the top of my word list to explain Bali.

Yes, no doubt Bali is first and foremost wild, nutty, crazy, unexpected and intense but it is also incredibly beautiful in a very unconventional and surprising way and it has taken me (us) completely by storm.

Our new Balinese life is unfolding and we are enjoying every day one moment at-a-time and, as we settle in, this is how our “routine” (for lack of a better word) works out.

Ever since we arrived, we have been living in Southern Ubud, in a traditional Balinese village called Lodtunduh. Ubud is the cultural capital of Bali and it is surrounded by beautiful rice fields and jungle. Ubud is a bustling town: lots of art, temples, yoga studios, spas, shops, restaurants, a monkey forest (truly… look at the pictures below!), tons of tourists and remarkably chaotic traffic all over its narrow and uneven streets.

Lodtunduh is about 5 minutes away (traffic permitting, ha, ha…) from the hustle and bustle of central Ubud and it is quiet, peaceful, beautiful and non touristy. Our (temporary) home sits on the rice fields where the villagers work hard planting, growing and harvesting rice every day in our backyard. When the fields are flooded we watch them catching eels for dinner. If the rice is growing we observe them weeding incessantly and carrying enormous bales of greenery balanced on their heads. Our home is wide open so we have grown accustomed to the many sounds of nature- all sorts of animals, intense sudden downpours, roosters, the big thuds of heavy jackfruits falling from the trees- and the many sounds of Balinese culture: chanting, religious ceremonies, drumming and the daily 6am and noon prayers. Never a dull moment 🙂

Balinese people are extremely ceremonial and there is a constant coming and going of offerings and blessings throughout the day in order to protect the villagers and bless them. Offerings come in many shapes and sizes but the most common is a small tray made of palm leafs that contains flowers, a small portion of food, Holly Water and incense, all simply and beautifully arranged.

Since traffic in Bali is truly chaotic and driving rules are extremely loose and bendable (this topic will make for another post) our wonderful driver Bagia takes us to school and back every day and in the midst of chaos he never loses his smile, his temper or his patience in true Balinese style.

School started two weeks ago and after an amazing family orientation our munchkins were ready for the challenge of school in the jungle. Even though our expectations were very high, the school has beaten our expectations by a lot. What a gift to see the kids taking in all the amazing learning opportunities that the jungle and Green School offer them day-by-day: from growing their own vegetables and eating them, to weeding, caring for farm animals and learning hands-on about snakes, bugs and all kinds of creatures outside their classroom. From collaborating with the kitchen staff, to helping with the maintenance school team and working with the security guards on campus. From adapting to Balinese culture, to participating in ceremonies, local traditions and blessings and speaking Bahasa Indonesia. From learning about sustainability to understanding the importance of living by it and feeling empowered by the impact that it has in their growing world. From new kind and wonderful teachers, to interesting kids from all over the world and all walks of life…

It has been an incredible three weeks in Bali so far and we will continue to write as the weeks unfold but for now, “Selamat malam”