Ogoh-Ogoh - Bali's Answer to Mardi Gras?

Bali’s Nyepi Day - March 19, 2007, marked the Balinese New Year. The exact date of Nyepi varies slightly each year, as it is based on a Lunar calendar.

On the day before, each village displayed Ogoh-Ogoh. These are papier-mache "statues" created by the young men in the village. They are mounted on bamboo platforms. In the late afternoon, you’ll hear firecrackers and small cannons made from bamboo. And around sunset, there is an island wide parade of Ogoh-Ogoh to transform negative energy and drive off the evil spirits.

Nyepi Day itself is a Day of Silence. Having driven off the evil spirits, everyone must now stay quiet for 24 hours (sunrise 19th to sunrise 20th), so that the spirits will think everyone has gone, and there is no one left in Bali for them to bother for the next year.
Businesses are closed, except for hotels. No cars, buses, or motorcycles will be on the roads. And Bali is supposedly the only place in the world where the government shuts down the international airport for meditation & introspection! Balinese stay in their family compounds, dedicating an entire day to introspection and spiritual cleansing. The entire island becomes quiet. There are no cars, no tv's or loud radios, no lamps or fires and no airplanes overhead.

Women walking down the village street to make offerings in the early afternoon.



Here are some Ogoh-Ogoh.



The amount of creativity is amazing!


As is the detailed work.


Youngsters ready to lift their Ogoh-Ogoh on a bamboo platform.

Twilight, Sunset, Night

More Rainy Day Photos

If you look closely, you can see a spider web on this orchid plant.

















Very wet leaves.








Puddles plus one leaf...






And tropical landscaping, with a nice misty background across the rice fields on the other side of the stream.

Beautiful Rainy Day in Bali

We're in the "rainy season" here. This does not mean constant downpours. Instead it means that everything grows even faster than usual.

Here's the salt-water swimming pool with fountain, and raindrops striking the water. The temple is in the background on the right, the villa on the left.

Here's a wider view of the pool, sun deck, and the temple. And a small pot with a floating flower in the lower right corner of the photo.

And here's a close-up of the plant, with water drops about to fall from the tip of the leaf that's almost in the middle of the photo.

Anniversary at Bhanuswari Resort & Spa - The Party Day 3 - Part C

One of the guests took photos when I could not, and garciously shared them.

Getting ready to cut the Anniversary cake.

Me dancing the Joged!!

And a better photo of a Balinese dancer.

New Lobby at Panorama Hotel in Bali

There have been several changes at Panorama (www.panoramabali.com ) as the new management continues renovations.


New signs in the Restaurant


New layout - to handle 100-200 tourists at lunch some days!


And, most recently, the owner added a new lobby.


Beautiful, isn't it?

Anniversary at Bhanuswari Resort & Spa - The Party Day 3 - Part B

There was live music from a traditional Balinese gamelan orchestra.
"Joged" dance with audience participation.
And also modern rock-and-roll - live music and dancing.
Again, both guests and staff had a great time!

Anniversary at Bhanuswari Resort & Spa - The Party Day 3 - Part A

On January 5, 2007, Bhanuswari Resort & Spa held a party to celebrate its First Anniversary.
Prizes were awarded for the winners of the Games held the prior 2 days.
There were speeches - relatively short!
There was a beautiful cake.

Anniversary at Bhanuswari Resort & Spa - GAMES Day 2 - Part D

Next, the women competed in sack races. I noted 2 different styles.
The traditional HOP.
And the tricky, but effective, SHUFFLE.

Another tug-of-war, this time with another guest participating! Like me, she found out that it's not so easy!

Anniversary at Bhanuswari Resort & Spa - GAMES Day 2 - Part C2

Here are a few more spectators...
- Managing Director Nyoman Suweta and his son, Komang.

- Priest Ketut and his son Made.

- Waitress Ibu Made from Panorama, and her son.
- And a youngster I don't know.
- And a pair of friends, most likely heading off to cause mischief.