• Bali

    Bitte keine Hunde, Hähne, Tempel oder Bauarbeiten

    Furchterregende Mopeds

    Der Urlauber an sich träumt ja gerne von der unberührten Idylle - bevorzugt auf einem entlegenen Berg oder einer entfernten tropischen Insel. Friedvoll, malerisch, unverfälscht. Gerne darf es auch "authentisch" sein, doch wie viel von dieser letzten Zutat mit der häufig ebenfalls gewünschten Entspannung harmoniert, ist zumindest beim Verweilen in der Stadt eine ganz andere Frage. Heute ein Spaziergang mit den Ohren in Ubud auf Bali.

  • Bali

    Leaving the Womb of Mama Bali

    Velvet night. The monsoon rain has stopped for a moment. His eyes are wide and shining, much like those of a Legong dancer. His smile is warm and animated. It warms my heart. Nyoman, the motorbike guy, is one of those humans who make life in Ubud so very easy. “You call again, when you come back, yeah?” he confirms our connection before he takes off with my Scoopy. I enjoy the simplicity and flow in all our interactions. And this particular Balinese flavour of caring warmth. I feel it again at 4:45 in the morning of that same night when I hobble past the house of my…

  • Bali

    The Victory of Virtue over Evil

    No end to the holiday season in Bali. Just a few days after Balinese New Year we now celebrate “Galungan”, “the victory of virtue over evil”. And Ubud is getting even more photogenic than usual… The streets are lined with hundreds of “Penjors” – intricately decorated bamboo poles, featuring a little box for offerings at the bottom. The tradition says that all the gods descend on earth to celebrate on Galungan, and the spirits of ancestors visit their homes. Rituals and offerings on that day are meant to welcome these otherworldly spirits to the material realm. All the families have one or two days off and after days…

  • Bali

    Monsters, Demons and Silence

    Even 15 years in Mainz couldn’t prepare me for the processions they have on Balinese New Year. You need to see this video to catch a bit of the high energy, high adrenaline half dance, half mock-fight they performed today on the streets with their “Ogoh-Ogoh” called figures representing demons. It is about chasing away the evil spirits from the island after quite a few days of ritual and purification in families and communities. After the frantic and noisy play in the streets the whole island will fall silent tomorrow. This coming day, Nyepi Day, the “Silent Day”, requires EVERYBODY to stay indoors, not to have light or…