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Posts Tagged: Bali
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Ngaben Cremation Ceremony, Ubud: July 2014
On January 5, 2015 by Simon Leech With 1 Comments
- Travel
In Bali, as with other communities that practice the Hindu religion, it is normal to cremate the dead. Ngaben, the name for the cremation ceremony in Balinese, is the funeral ritual that is performed by the people of Bali to send deceased relatives to the next life. The ceremony itself is often very expensive, and, whilst it is normal for members of the upper castes to perform the funeral ritual within three days of the passing of a relative, lower social classes will typically wait until the next mass cremation ceremony, opting to bury the bodies for a number of months until the next mass ceremony takes place.
In Ubud, mass ceremonies take place a couple of times per year, and we were fortunate to be invited to such a ceremony during our travels. The cremation ceremony is not considered a sad event, as the Balinese believe in reincarnation so the body will only be temporarily absent as it passes on to the next life. The ceremony we attended was for around 80 deceased from three villages who had passed on over the previous couple of months.
Cremation is considered a family event, and young to old all take part in the celebration of the deceased’s life.
The exact date of a cremation ceremony is decided upon after consultation with a specialist in Balinese holy days. The ceremony itself consists of a number of parts. First the body is exhumed (in the case of cremations that are taking place some time after the time of death), and placed inside a coffin. The coffin is then put inside a decorative paper mache sarcophagus, or inside a wooden temple structure.
After this, the coffin is transported by relatives from the house to the location of the cremation. This can often be a couple of kilometres of walking, and, on a hot Balinese summer day, is hard work.
Additionally the procession never travels in a straight line in an effort to confuse the evil spirits and make sure they don’t travel with the deceased on to the after life. Watching, the procession almost seems choreographed.
Once the coffin arrives at the cremation, it is placed in line with the other sarcophaguses, and the family sit down to wait until the cremation starts. Whilst they wait the families feast, and wander around the food stalls and market stalls that are assembled.
It seems that in Bali the chicken has a very big role, and again chickens were being used as part of Ngaben. Poultry was tied to the sarcophagus, and released once the coffin had arrived. I was told that it was good luck if you were able to catch one of the released birds.
As soon as all of the coffins have arrived, and with the fire service in attendance, it is time to start burning the bodies. The ‘honour’ of lighting the first coffin is down to the relative of the most recently deceased – at this event this was a lady whose husband had passed away just the day before. Rather than using matches, the fire is fuelled by a complicated, and not particularly safe looking, gas installation.
It was certainly a very interesting experience, and, since it is seen as a celebration, we were welcomed by the locals. People didn’t seem to have a problem with me taking photos, and many were happy to pose. Out of respect I wore a traditional sarong and Balinese head dress.
Photos in this post were taken using the Leica M-E (digital) and Leica M6 (film with Portra 160). Lenses used were Summicron 28mm, Summilux 50mm, and Elmarit 90mm.
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Chapter Thirty-Seven: Gabor Dancing at the Royal Palace, Ubud: July 2014
On November 23, 2014 by Simon Leech With 0 Comments
- Travel
Gabor dancing is typically a presentation or welcoming dance, and is demonstrated every evening at the Royal Palace in Ubud, Bali. During the day there are teams of ticket sellers competing to get you to buy a ticket for one of the evening performances that take place in and around Ubud. Since we were staying close by to Ubud centre, we chose to visit the performance at the Royal Palace opposite the market.
We arrived at the Palace early and were lucky to get seats in the front row of the seated area. This put us at a distance of around 5 metres from the stage, so it was an ideal opportunity to use the Elmarit 90mm lens that I had purchased just before our trip. Most of the images in this post were shot at either f/2.8, f/3.4, or f/4, and using ISOs ranging from ISO800 to ISO1250 (which I have found to be the highest safe colour setting on the Leica M-E).
The dancers are typically young ladies in the role of the princesses, young children to play the deer, and an older man to play the role of the evil King. The dancers depict the story of Sita, sent into exile, and Rahwana, the evil king, who is enchanted by the beauty of Sita, and sets out to capture her. The role play is very dramatic, and involves dancing and fighting. The rest of the story can be found elsewhere, such as here, so I will just use this post to display some of the images I made.
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Chapter Thirty Six: Tajen – Cockfighting in Bali: July 2014
On November 6, 2014 by Simon Leech With 0 Comments
- Travel
Continuing with our travels in Bali, I was given the opportunity to visit a Balinese cock fight, or Tajen. Please be aware, this is a fairly barbaric event, and therefore some of the photos may upset you. It was pretty sickening to see the birds fighting and dying, but it was an event that I was glad I was able to experience.
Bobby, the taxi driver we were using in Ubud, is a friendly guy, and he was happy to spend his time showing us all the normal tourist attractions on the island. I had been discussing my photography with him, and expressed an interest in getting some photos that were a little bit different to the ‘normal’ Bali vacation images. One evening he mentioned that there would be a village cock fight the following morning, and asked if I would like to go. Thinking it would be an ideal opportunity to get some good reportage shots, I said yes.
Cockfighting in Bali is big business. The village cockfights happen a couple of times per year, and are visited by thousands of people. It’s an opportunity for local bird fighters to take their prize cocks to fight to the death against other cocks. A practise that is fairly barbaric and illegal in the rest of the world, but tolerated in Bali (tolerated in as much as pay a bribe to the local police chief, and he’ll turn a blind eye). There is also a religious aspect to the cockfighting – they are also practiced inside temple grounds as an ancient ritual of religious purification to expel evil spirits. Unfortunately this was not such an occassion.
The trainers condition their birds, feeding them the best food and grooming them daily until they are about two years old and ready to fight. Cocks have national aggression for other males, so once the time has come, the trainers stick steroids down their throats, tie blades to their legs, and put them into the ring to fight.
Like a boxing match, the umpire decides how far the fight will go – either until the bird is killed, or, more usually, until the bird is injured and can’t fight on. At which point the losing bird will be killed, his right leg cut off and presented to the winner, and the rest of the bird goes to the soup pot. During the fights the spectators are going wild, shouting to encourage the bird that they have bet upon.
Also like a boxing match, significant money is exchanged in the form of bets – the trainers receive appearance money, with more going to the winner, and the spectators can bet at predetermined odds on their favourite bird.
It’s a social event, and outside the ring there are vendors selling food, drink, and clothing, giving the gamblers an opportunity to spend their winnings if they were lucky, or drink away their sorrows if they were not.
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Chapter Thirty Four: Denpasar Badung Burung (Bird Market), Bali: July 2014
On October 20, 2014 by Simon Leech With 0 Comments
- Travel
(Some readers may find the images in this post distressing) The role of the pet in Balinese society is fairly well pronounced. Almost every family owns at least one dog, probably a small run of chickens to provide eggs, and a songbird to provide song. The dog plays a very important part in the family – it protects the compound from human intruders, but also evil spirits, and natural vermin such as snakes and rats. It also delivers an important role as garbage disposal unit – eating the leftovers and keeping the village clean from food waste.
Of course, wherever there is a need to be fulfilled, there is always someone ready to fulfil it. And when it comes to providing Balinese families with pets, the somewhat barbaric animal markets are there to deliver the goods. During our trip to Denpasar we were able to visit the Denpasar Badung Burung bird market, and experienced the sometimes distressing conditions that these animals are kept in.
Despite the conditions that are evident from the photos, our driver assured us that there is a swift trade in buying and selling, and therefore the animals only stay in the market before they are purchased by a family and then taken home to live in better conditions. However this seemed hard to believe looking at some of the animals. The market traders are competing with one another for trade, taking an extra step or two to make their animals more attractive to potential buyers – take for example the brightly colored chicks, painted to attract the attention of children, and often given away as prizes at village ceremonies. The color quickly disappears, and the chickens grow into the family ecosystem, providing eggs, and, ultimately, meat.
Songbirds are also very popular in Bali, and men will spend hours standing at the market trying to find the bird with the most perfect singing voice, whether it be from the ‘official’ sellers with their cages, or the brown paper bag trade near the edges of the market.
One of the problems that has stemmed from the pet keeping industry and the pet markets is the introduction of otherwise protected and/or endangered species into the markets. Probably the best advice is not to buy from such markets, and there are organisations in Bali, such as the Bali Animal Welfare Association, who are working tirelessly to publicise the impact that the poor conditions inside the markets are having on the animals.
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Chapter Thirty Three: Denpasar Pasar Badung (Market), Bali: July 2014
On October 7, 2014 by Simon Leech With 0 Comments
- Travel
One of the memories that every visitor has of Bali is the food. Nasi campur, chicken sate, babi gulung, and all mixed with herbs including lemongrass, garlic, and sambal. Traditional Indonesian recipes with a little Balinese je ne sais quoi to make it unique. Supermarkets are fairly sparse in Bali, and refrigeration doesn’t seem the norm, so it’s up to the restaurant owners to get up at the crack of dawn to visit the local market to pick the produce they need to feed their diners.
When we were planning our hotel transfer from Nusa Dua to Ubud we were given the opportunity to stop off in Denpasar on the way. I had read about the two main markets in the city – Denpasar Pasar Badung (the traditional food market) and Denpasar Pasar Burung (the bird market, more on that in a future post) – and was eager to check them out, so we said yes.
I had expected the food market to at least have a faint sense of organisation, but as soon as we entered I realised I was very wrong. It was huge, dirty, and it stank. We arrived mid morning so the market day was already in full swing (this particular market stays open 24 hours a day), but the shelves were full, and deliveries were coming and going to keep up with the demands of the shoppers.
The market building itself is three floors. The ground floor is the busiest (and the dirtiest) and holds all of the fresh produce – fruit, vegetables, meat, and fish. And the occasional live cockerel for those who like there ayam as fresh as can be. The meat and fish isn’t stored in any kind of refrigeration unit like you might see at a western market, but instead is just piled up on benches, occasionally surrounded by ice cubes. On the second floor you can find spices, and dried foods, and on the top floor it is fairly quiet, with vendors selling cooking utensils and various fabrics.
The market is a very local affair, and there weren’t actually that many tourists wandering around. Instead the paths through the market are full of restaurant owners bartering with the sellers to get the best prices. There are however a number of ladies wandering the floor looking out for tourists, and when you get found you will be followed around, as they try to offer their services as a personal guide. Politely saying no 5 or 6 times seemed to be the best way to get rid of them.
Let’s just assume she was very tired from working the night shift 🙂
Back to the state of the market. It must be hard to keep it in clean shape when it never really closes, but it really was a filthy mess in some places. Some of the workers try to keep their areas clean with a hose, but this just seems to move the dirt around, and I’m sure some of the splash back from the hose was ending up on the produce. However this is where the restaurants source their food from, so I guess it is acceptable – we certainly didn’t suffer from any stomach problems whilst we were in Bali.
Pigs trotters. Wasn’t entirely sure if they were stacked up here waiting to be thrown away, or whether they were waiting to be displayed on a stall….
Outside of the market there is a warung area with vendors selling food.
All the images in this post were taken with the Leica M-E Rangefinder using the Summilux 50mm ASPH
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Chapter Thirty Two: Jatiluwih Rice Fields, Bali: July 2014
On October 2, 2014 by Simon Leech With 0 Comments
- Travel
One of the features that Bali is best known for are the rice terraces. On Bali there are a total of five rice terraces covering a surface area of 19500 hectares. The rice fields are irrigated by a cooperative water management system known as subak, dating back to the 9th century. It is this system of irrigation that has positioned the Balinese as the most prolific rice growers in the region, and the terraces are certainly worth a visit. The Subak System makes up the cultural landscape of Bali, and has earned the island a place on the Unesco World Heritage List.
I chose to go along to the Jatiluwih rice fields on the west part of the island (Tabanan regency)as part of my tour with Yande. The rice fields are fully operational, and you are pretty much guaranteed to see some activity in the fields when you visit. Even though the fields are used by agriculture, the tourism industry hasn’t missed the chance to earn some money from visitors, and there are ticket stations along all of the main roads entering the rice terrace area, and you are obliged to pay if you want to drive any further.
It was interesting to see how the rice fields are managed, and it is still very manual labour which basically involves standing knee deep in a field of mud for long periods of time. However the workers I photographed seemed very happy to be there, and were equally happy to have their photos taken.
The colours were very lush, and I was able to take some nice photos.
It was interesting to see the extent of the manual labour – on different pitches I saw men working with manual tools, with oxen, and with motor driven machines.
Simple shelter for the workers to rest in.
Not sure how road worthy this bike was, but I’m sure it’s a great feeling driving to work every morning…..
With the exception of the two wider landscape shots which were taken with the Summicron 28mm, all the images in this post were made using the Leica M-E and Elmarit-M 90mm lens.
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Chapter Thirty One: Candi Kuning Fruit Market, Bali: July 2014
On September 20, 2014 by Simon Leech With 0 Comments
- Travel
Local markets are always a nice way of experiencing ‘normal’ every day life of a place that you visit. In Bali, markets are very common in every small town, as the idea of a supermarket hasn’t really caught on there yet, and we visited a number of them during our travels.
The photos in this post were taken at the Candi Kuning fruit market in Bedugul. Whilst my guide told me that it was a ‘local’ market, I got the impression that it was mainly there for the benefit of the tourism trade, judging by the number of foreigners wandering around. However the goods that were for sale were certainly authentic, and there was a lot of fruit, vegetable, and spices on offer.
As usual in Bali, the people at the market had no problem with having their pictures taken, so I was able to shoot away.
All images in this post made with the Leica M-E and the Summilux 50mm ASPH.
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Chapter Thirty: Git Git Waterfalls, Bali: July 2014
On September 15, 2014 by Simon Leech With 0 Comments
- Travel
After the sun was well and truly in the sky, we left the Ulun Danu Temple and headed over to the Git Git waterfalls near Singaraja. Git Git Falls is a 40 meter waterfall passing through lush green vegetation as the water splashes and twirls around rocks that have been slowly formed into shape over thousands of years.
Since it was still fairly early in the morning when we arrived, we had the falls to ourselves, and were able to take our time setting up tripods and taking some shots. I like to include the sensation of motion into water shots, so chose to use a three stop ND filter and a small aperture so that I could shoot with shutter speeds between 1 and 8 seconds.
Shots taken with Leica M-E, 28mm Summicron, and 0.9ND B+W Neutral Density filter
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Chapter Twenty Nine: Ulun Danu Bratan Temple, Bali: July 2014
On September 10, 2014 by Simon Leech With 0 Comments
- Travel
After four nights in Singapore we arrived in Bali. First we stayed at a resort hotel in Nusa Dua for five nights, before moving on to Ubud for the final six nights.
Through researching Bali online, I had come across a local photographer Yande Ardana who offered photographic excursions. Well worth hiring his services for the day if you are on the island. Although it was a rather early start (he picked me up at my hotel around 330am as we had a two hour drive ahead of us to make it to the first location of the day for the sunrise), Yande packed a number of locations into the day, and since he knew the locations well I was able to take advantage of his local knowledge and get some nice shots.
First we headed off to the Ulun Danu Bratan Temple in Bedugul for the sunrise. Ulun Danu is one of the main water temples on Bali, and is located on the shores of Lake Bratan amongst the mountains in Bedugul. The temple was built in 1663 and is used for offerings to the lake and river goddess Dewi Danu. Lake Bratan was chosen as the location due to the impotence of this lake in the irrigation of Bali – the lake is located at 1200m above sea level.
The temple is a fairly well known landmark in Bali, and is also depicted on the 50000 rupiah bank note. Although Yande and myself were the first photographers to arrive, by the time the sun had risen there were a number of other people present, including a rather large group of elderly Japanese photographers.
The light was certainly very nice in morning, and there was also a very slight layer of mist across the lake. I was shooting both digital and film, and found that the light lent itself very well to HDR images – all of the shots in this post, with the exception of the analog images, were 5 shot HDR processed images, using a tripod and a range of shutter speeds to maintain sharpness and image depth.
I’ve already had a number of these shots printed out in 30x45cm size, and am looking forwards to receiving one back from the frame shop fairly shortly.
Images in this post shot using the Leica M-E together with Summicron 28mm and Super-Elmar 21mm, and the Leica M6 with Elmarit 90mm, on Porta 160.
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