We’ve always wondered what Bali must have been like 30 years ago…before the crowds of tourists, before the traffic jams, before the growth. Well, I think we found the answer when we drove to Sidemen. This little village is set in a lush valley in the shadow of volcanic Mt. Agung. When our car entered the village, we had to pull over to the side of the road for a funeral procession. It appeared like the entire population of this 300 person village marched through the street on way to the graveyard. The coffin, draped in white and flowers, was carried on the shoulders of 20 or so strong men. Women and men were dressed in traditional Balinese sarongs. Music was played, people were smiling…it was a celebration, not a mourning. While Balinese law used to dictate a body must be burned within two weeks of a death, this village often waits months, until 10 or so bodies have accumulated. Funerals are expensive. Bones/bodies are dug up and cleaned and then there is the cremation ceremony. The cremation is followed by a feast. After the corpse(s) have been burnt, mourners collect the ashes of the deceased which are offered to the sea in a final ritual. It is believed that once the soul has been purified by fire which represents earth, it must be purified by water so it may return to heaven to begin the process of reincarnation. According to tradition, the deceased returns to human life in the form of the next born family member after these rituals. White is the color of mourning.
Cremation site being built by the men of the village. 10 bodies to be cremated as soon as the structure is finished.
This was our introduction to Sidemen. It is quiet here and all around you are fields and terraces of rice and vegetables. Little shacks offering shade to cows dot the fields. And everywhere is green…green rice plants, green, dense jungle with green palm trees jutting toward the skies. Fields are plowed by hand, with oxen and plow. It is like time has forgotten this valley. It is good to know there are still spots in the world of ours like this.
Mt. Agung looming over the valley
peaceful valley
Almost everything still done by hand
Some four legged help in plowing
backbreaking work in the hot, hot sun
Up early while it is cool….work ethic is amazing
Putting rice husks on vegetables to keep away the ants
Sweet little cow
We stayed in an amazing 21 room boutique hotel owned by the Balinese people called Wapa di Uma. We had this room with an outdoor shower, a marble soaking tub, and our own infinity swimming pool. We looked out over the river and over to the Sleeping Elephant Hill. Magical. And the spa here was way too cool….the massage rooms were open to the air, the breezes and the sounds of birds.
Our pool
Massage room
Each day we trekked through the rice fields, across rivers, up and down terraces. We came across families taking baths in the river, cleaning clothes in the canals, or just resting in the shade. And always you get a warm Balinese smile. Two elementary age children cleaning dishes in a canal tried out their English on us…”Hello, How are you?” Me, “Very well, and how are you?” Big smiles and then, “Pretty good. giggle, giggle, giggle.”
Perhaps because we are getting older, or maybe we have old souls, but these few days here in Sidemen were by far our favorites. It is so restful here and life slows down. It took our ears a bit to get used to the quiet, to hear the songs of birds and chirps of crickets. You feel your body just relax. We hope Sidemen can stay this way, but we know it won’t. Just glad we had the opportunity to soak it all in. In months and years to come, I’m sure we will be able to close our eyes and remember this slice of serenity.
And with all journeys, this one comes to a close. Tomorrow we will fly to Singapore for a few days, and then home.
Goodbye Bali. Thank you for the memories.
Goodbye Bali !!!!!
Our Adventures 