Before this trip, I wanted to to be ready for the culture of the Balinese, but blog articles don’t really prepare you for the Ubud “culture shock”. The Thai people were kind and made me feel very comfortable when I was there. The way the Balinese interact with each other is very unique. I see similarities between the two cultures but will be focusing on the Balinese people and way of life in this post.
My intention by staying with a Balinese family was to be fully immersed into their culture and way of life.
The initial impression happened at the Denpasar Airport. The pick-up at the airport is always a crazy feeling. In Ubud, drivers are not hard to come by and there seemed to be 100+ waiting at the arrival gates. I examined the audience in search of my name and there was Eka with a smile. Eka is Wayan’s cousin and they live together along with their extended family at the Ubud B&B Rooms compound.
The Bali Beliefs and Trust in Karma
As we made our way through the streets, Eka and I spoke about religion. Usually a very controversial topic in the States, it was a light conversation with dual respect for each other’s viewpoints. The Balinese are of the Hindu religion, and Ubud has it’s own version of Hinduism.
To the Balinese, the most important affirmation for each day is the balance of Karma.
According to the dictionary source Merriam-Webster, Karma is “the force generated by a person’s actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person’s next existence.” From my conversations with Eka and Wayan, karma in the Ubud culture means remaining in balance and being grateful in every moment. It also entails respect for each other. For me, I told them that Karma is remaining in the flow state. The people are always smiling at each other, telling little jokes, like they all know each other. They believe they do all know each other and that each person is part of one main energy or life force.
On our way to Lempuyang Temple on the third day of my stay, Eka talked about losing his father a few years ago. I asked him, “In your religion, what happens after death?” He said, ” We are re-incarnated after death. I was 50/50 on this before, but when we had my daughter one year ago, I could see my father within her, and my father told me everything was ok. Now, I am a full believer of re-incarnation.” Eka has a great outlook on his father’s passing and re-incarnation in his daughter. It has brought him peace knowing that his father is still here with his family.
What to Do in Bali with A Balinese Family
A day tour to places around Ubud is a great way to spend time with the Balinese and to get to know them. Wayan was my tour guide for my day to explore Tegalalang Rice Terraces, Kumulilir, and Tirta Empul ( The sacred water temple ). It was great spending time with Wayan and his son, Batswana, who had the day off from school. Batswana behaved well the whole day and I told Wayan that I can see how the Balinese teach their children about Karma from an early age. Here is a picture of Wayan and his son, Batswana.
Wayan reminded before each stop on our tour to “take your time.” Coincidentally, the man who spontaneously became my tour guide at Tegalalang was also named Wayan. At first, I thought he was just going to take me down the hill side for a view of the rice terraces but he continued to guide me through the foliage and flowing streams of the terraces.
I just decided to go with the flow and he was very insightful throughout the entire tour. Wayan #2, we will call him, spent over an hour and half walking me through parts of Tegalalang only known by the locals. This is where we walked into the Balinese farmer. Read more about the farmer and see his smile in the last post. Wayan #2 spoke of Karma as well, re-affirming that a live filled with Karma is a successful life in Ubud.
After Tegalalang, we went to Kumulilir to see the coffee plantation for me to take a chance at riding the swing!
Botswana and I climbed into one of these to hangout for a bit
Kumililir is set in a beautiful location overlooking the rice terraces and coffee plantation. Batswana was having no fun at this point as you can see in this picture.
Botswana enjoying the Kumililir view in Bali
I will tell the story of the Kumililir Swing in a future post since it deserves it’s own post. Check back in the coming weeks to see my Kumililir swing experience, you won’t want to miss it!
Things to do in Ubud : Tirta Empul “Sacred Water Temple”
Now, it was time for Tirta Empul, the sacred water temple. The first thing you see when you enter the temple is a gigantic tree that looks like the one in the movie Avatar. I entered the temple alone and knowing how sacred it was, I did not take any pictures. A sarong is required to enter the water temple and an additional water sarong is required if you plan to enter the sacred pools.
The sacred pools are divided into 3 separate bodies of water, each with a different intention. For an in-depth look into Tirta Empul, check out this great article by Wonderful Indonesia
Photo Source : https://www.indonesia.travel
Summary if the Ubud Center Culture
The culture of Ubud can be best described as authentic, open, and grateful. There is a ritual and a routine to every action of the people. Each morning, Wayan’s mother brings me breakfast at 7AM. Banana pancakes, a fried egg, fruit, and juice. It is delicious and she always takes her sandals off before she takes the one step up the steps to my room. I didn’t notice it at first but by the 3rd or 4th day, I noticed is was part of her rituals. The Balinese stay true to their rituals and routines which I believe allows them to remain in the Karmic “flow” state. I am really going to miss this family and those breakfasts.
If you are looking to immerse yourself in a family of Ubud then Ubud Rooms B&B is one of the best places to stay in Ubud. The listing can be found here on AirB&B. Tell Wayan I referred you ( Christopher from California ) and he may even give you discounts on tours and renting one of his scooters.
The garden at Ubud B&B Rooms
Ubud has a variety of day trips available that will leave you wanting to escape into the Bali nature for good. I will be putting together my list of places so far in the next post! In the meantime, check out 5 Outside the Box day trips you can take friends on near Los Angeles and as always keep it Sintra.
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