Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

(After Seoul Korea we returned to Chicago to visit with family.)

July 2023 ~ Excerpts from our instagram posts

Given that we need to be in Asia for Ben’s work, we are choosing to base ourselves for two months (again… our eighth time being here), in Ubud Bali.

Soaking up the tranquility and lush environment together here, before Ben heads to the Philippines for an intense week of work.

Every time we have visited and/or lived in Ubud, we have looked for aesthetic homes which reflect Balinese artistry, craftsmanship and history. In this case, we are staying in an authentic joglo structure w gorgeous wooden carvings and sculptures of Hindu deities. (Loving the pool and shower which is in a lush open air garden).

Our location is walking distance to two of our favorite yoga studios, Balinese massage (all at super reasonable rates) and an excellent choice of a variety of cuisines, with many plant based options.

Can’t think of another place where the lifestyle is such a perfect fit for us and where we inevitably feel pampered by the ease and beauty of the surroundings and by Balinese culture.

Contributing to the feeling of serenity is the the calm and amenable demeanor of Balinese people whom we encounter daily.

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One of the reasons we enjoy being in Ubud , aside from all the cultural offerings and architectural beauty, is that it’s easy to get off the beaten track and find yourself in the rice fields.

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A short motorbike ride and walk leads us to the rice fields where we come upon rice farmers sifting through the recently cut rice.

Still using ancient farming techniques and doing this intensive labor without machinery just as their grandparents did.

Good times! Epic family reunion in Ubud, Bali with Ezra and his partner Carisa.

Bali is the first stop for Ezra (Ben’s son and his partner Carisa) on their own nomadic adventure. With Ubud being a place we have annually come home to over the past decade, it’s been great fun to share it with them and add a layer of family togetherness. (They have based themselves on the southern coast of Bali in Canggu and are joining us for a week in Ubud).

Amazing to have this extended time together, being neighbors, within a few minutes walk of each other, and the ability to effortlessly meet for delicious breakfasts, go to a yoga class together, walk through lush landscape, past temples and experience the Monkey Forest sanctuary together.

Sunday had us on a family day trip to the Kintamani region of Bali, North of Ubud.

A full day which started with an impromptu stop at a large market along the way, and a first taste for Ezra and Carisa of Babu Guling (suckling pig) along the side of the road.

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Lake Batur, which is a crater lake, (our destination), was formed from the collapse of Mt Batur volcano’s magma chamber. The lake is 1,050 above sea level and has Mt Batur (one of Bali’s four sacred mountains) as a dramatic backdrop with its sections of the landscape covered in black lava from past eruptions.

There are a few temples on the water to visit. Sarongs are required for any temple visit and in this case the men were required to wear “udeng” which is the head dress you see in the photos. Every item in traditional Balinese attire has meaning behind it.

Next were Batur’s natural hot spring pools ~ situated between the mountain and the lake, made for a healing mineral-rich, warm soak.

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Galungan

We are fortunate to be here once again for one of the most beautiful island wide religious celebrations.

Galungan (which lasts a week) is a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma (good), over adharma (evil). It marks the time when the ancestral spirits visit earth.

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The last day of the celebration is Kuningan, when the spirits return to their celestial home. The date is calculated according to the 210-day Balinese Pawukon calendar.

Galungan marks the beginning of the most important recurring religious ceremonies. The spirits of deceased relatives who have died and been cremated return to visit their homelands, and the current inhabitants have a responsibility to be hospitable through prayers and offerings.

A “penjor” is a soaring decorated bamboo pole and can be seen across Bali year-round in front of homes, compounds and are part of temple anniversary celebrations as well as almost every other important religious ceremony and Hindu life-cycle rituals.

The “penjor” is a Balinese Hindu religious symbol of prosperity installed on the day of the Galungan ceremony. We’ve watched these bamboo poles being decorated in the last few days, in the lead up to the start of Galungan.

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The penjor is said to resemble the peak of the sacred mountain Mount Agung. The decoration ranges from simple to ornate, using yellow coconut leaves and a variety of other symbolic materials. Offerings include traditional cakes, and coins in addition to flowers and incense.

In our neighborhood everyone is out and about, men wearing all white traditional outfits and women wearing colorful lace tops and sashes over their sarongs. Huge baskets of offerings balancing in their heads as they move gracefully from temple to temple.

It’s not the destination, it’s the journey …

This simple concept is a common thread to our travel adventures and 100 percent makes for the best travel moments for us.

It can be useful to have a destination as an organizing principle for our meanderings but we don’t let the destination distract us from the journey. These “detours” always yield the most authentic, most interesting encounters.

So off we go with the destination of a waterfall …

Rural life, ancestral rice growing practices, remain the dominant visual as we ride out of Ubud to our destination.

The highlight of the day is stopping at a rural temple where we see a whole bunch of motorcycles outside, a hint that something interesting might be afoot.

We are delighted to discover the whole community is abuzz with preparations for an upcoming ceremony in four days time.

Village women are carefully crafting an extraordinary volume of small dough creations ~ mostly into plant shapes ~ to adorn the hundreds and hundreds of baskets of offerings (caning sari).

Women dressed in their colorful bright temple outfits, chatting, laughing … the tingling of the small bell by the priest (who sits at a higher level than everyone else and is dressed all in white).

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When we finally get to the waterfall, much later, it is the exact opposite of what we look for ~ crowded with foreigners waiting in for their turn to grab and replicate that instagram shot in the waterfall.

This affords some amusement for us as we see the juxtaposition of the “perfect” instagram photos, carefully choreographed, with the reality of the people standing in line for 25 minutes for their turn to take their photo in the same spot!

Needless to say we didn’t stay long.. and were reminded once more, that it’s the journey not just the destination.