Wandering Browns

The stage prior to the performance After walking around the temple, it was time to go to one of the main reasons we came to this temple specifically- the Kecak dance performance. Kecak is a very interesting form of chanting/singing that involves about 50 bare-chested men in checkered skirts. Balinese music is all very multi-textural so they chant the word “cak” at different rhythms and times in order to create a very interesting sound and enough rhythm with which to dance. I just thought we would be seeing the kecak noise makers dance around in formation, but what we ended up seeing was a version of the Ramayana which is a traditional Hindu story about the gods Rama and Sita. Rama and Sita are in love and Rama sees a deer and goes after it to hunt it, leaving Sita in the forest by herself. She is captured by the evil Ravana and taken away. Rama realizes this and enlists the monkey king and his white monkey servant with magical powers to save Sita. Sita is saved and Ravana is kill...

Temple in Ubud After a restful night’s sleep, we were up early the next morning to go on a cycling tour of Ubud. Ubud is the arts and culture center of Bali, and is situated inland from the beach up in the highlands nestled in between volcanoes. They grow a lot of rice up there, utilizing Lake Batur, the largest lake on Bali, to irrigate the fields using a complicated irrigation system as well as terraced fields. Gamelan performance hall Austin and the rice fields We were picked up right on time by the Bali Eco-cycling driver. He drove us up to Ubud city, and picked up our guide. He was a 25-year-old guy whose given name was Nano. He spoke English very well and was wearing red skinny jeans and converse for our bike ride. Austin and I were in more athletic clothes. We were supposed to meet up with another couple and their two children. After waiting around in Ubud (and snapping some pictures of the nearby temple and gamelan performance pavilion) we were on our way to bre...