Todays Bali Photo of the Day comes to us from a recent Art and Culture Eco-Tour. We stopped into Ubud's Sacred Monkey Forest, crossed the Dragon Bridge over the The Holy Bathing Temples where these two fellas have kept watch over the natural springs that pour from the side of the Monkey Forest Gorge.
Bali's Sacred Monkey Forest features two Komodo Dragon Carvings that protect the Holy Bathing SpringsSome say these beautifully carved Komodo Dragons have been overlooking these sacred Bathing Springs for hundreds of years. The Balinese still use these springs to cleans themselves and don't be surprised if you see naked or nearly naked locals taking part in the ritual.
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As discussed in previous blog posts (here and here), The Bali Aga or Bali Mula is a little known ethnic group on the paradise island of Bali and they provide an incredibly unique look back to Bali’s past and serve as a living museum of a 17th century lifestyle.
The Bali Aga village of Tenganan hosts the bloody ceremony of Mekare KareThey are a secretive and private group whose ancestors predate Hinduism in Bali. Culturally they are quite different from the rest of Bali’s population and have clung tightly to their history and ceremonies that are unlike any others on the island or the rest of Indonesia.
Two youg Bali Aga boys battle during Mekare Kare
Only two Bali Aga villages remain. The villages of Tenganan and Trunyan are located North West of Candi Dasa and Amed, in Eastern Bali and both are a stronghold of ancient native traditions.
The Human Blood Sacrifice Ritual of The Bali Aga
The Tenganans still practice an ancient rite known as Mekare Kare, which is a ritual blood sacrifice. This annual ritual fighting of its tribe members is a sight unlike any other that I have seen in South East Asia. Mekare Kare is the highlight of the 3 day Udaba Samba celebration that occurs in May or June.
The mediator struggles to maintain control during the blood sacrifice ritualI have been to many villages that hold fighting ceremonies between male combatants with all manner of weapons including bamboo poles, whips, swords, shields, animal parts, etc. Many tend to be tame and are more of a ceremonial fight than actual combat. (That’s easy for me to say as I stand on the sideline with my camera.) While there is bloodshed and fierce competition at times during the Mekare Kare battle, the combatants always leave with a smile and maintain love for one another. But lets be clear, these fighters are armed with razor sharp weapons that do damage and cause great pain.
The Pandanus Tree provides the razor sharp weapons used in the blood ritualPreperation for the Bali Aga ceremony
In the days preceding the big event the thorny Pandanus tree, much like a succulent, with razor sharp spines are harvested and compiled into packets of ten leaves at a length of approximately 14 inches (36 centimeters). They also carry a rattan-woven shield to protect them from their opponent’s attempts to smack and rake the thorns into his flesh.
A bundle of Pandanus leaves create the weapon used in the Bali Aga Ceremony
Before the fight commences, participants drink rice wine or tuak (a strong fermented local palm alcohol- for more on tuak, click here). This ritual symbolizes the brotherhood and love amongst the tribe. The fighting is judged and managed by a mediator who looks out for the safety of all combatants and makes sure no one falls off the platform or suffers injuries inconsistent with the battle proper. Battles last 5 to 10 minutes and the fighter who inflicted the most damage and draw the most blood with the thorny weapon is crowned the victor.
The crowd shouts and brandishes thier Pandan weapons during the ritual fighting
The Blood Sacrifice Battle of The Bali Aga
Early in the ceremony the young boys face off against one another and subsequent matches pit older opponents against one another.
Young boys are the first combatants in the Bali Aga ritual blood sacrificeAfter the battle a special traditional liquid medicine is administered to the injured (which tends to be just about everyone). Then the entire village prepares food and drink for an elaborate feast, which must follow the Balinese sacrifice of human blood.
The battle scars from the blood sacrifice ritual in Bali, Indonesia
I want to reiterate that travel into these parts of Bali is not for everyone and can result in violence if the traveler is unaccustomed to the ways of the Bali Aga. It is highly recommended to use the services of a guide or tour company like Balifornian or the many other qualified and knowledgeable companies in Bali.
The big men take thier turn battling it out during the Mekare KareHave you seen a unique ceremony or ritual like this in your travels? Please leave a comment below and tell us about it.
A young Bali Aga girl stands amongst colorful weavings
The Bali Aga are known as the original Balinese people and predate Hinduism in Bali. They are a unique ethnic group that lived on the island of Bali before modern civilization. These original inhabitants of Bali fled imperialistic invaders, eventually finding refuge in the solitude of Bali's remote mountains. Today, only two villages remain, which until recently, were firmly and purposfully shut off from the rest of the world. The main temple in the village dates back to the 10 century AD (833 Caka) but the village itself is said to be much older than the temple.
Two Bali Aga Pendanda (High Priests) enter the ceremonial grounds with thier sacred Kris (swords)
Located just west of Candi Dasa and Amed lie the villages of Tenganan and Trunyan. The Bali Aga produce fine baskets and weavings and a special double weave ikat, called geringsing. These highly sought after artworks are unique to the small region and not available any where else. A true Aga Ikat can take over 5 years to create and they are primarily used in religious ceremonies.
The Tenganan’s provide a look into early Bali but the society has very strict rules. It can be dangerous for outsiders and is not recommended without an experienced guide. Please contact us directly for assistance when attempting to visit this interesting but possibly dangerous area.
There are only 600 Bali Aga families in Tenganan, and locals are forbidden to marry people from outside of the village. If they do, their family is banished from the village for life.
Young Bali Aga girls look on in thier ceremonial dress as the ceremony is about to begin
A beautiful young Bali Aga girl smiles as she is lead to the ceremonyAlso the Bali Aga culture practices an ancient ritual known as mekare kare, which is a ritual blood sacrifice. Stay tuned for more on this rite and photos from the fighting ceremony.
An elder Bali Aga woman watches intently from her doorwayHappy and safe travels,
The Balinese will hang Kepeng (also spelled kopeng), or traditional coins, during many ceremonies. I thought a shallow depth of field would provide a nice composition for this shot. The cremation ceremony, or Ngaben, took place outside of Ubud, Bali.
Uang Kepengh ang on a line during a cremation ceremony near Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Uang Kepeng (traditional coins used in ceremony) hang from a line during a traditional Balinese ngaben (cremation ceremony).
Throughout Bali's long history, Uang Kepeng were crucially important to the Balinese people, touchingon all aspects of their lives; cultural, religious, social, political and economic. Today, the valuation of Uang Kepeng is only related to cultural uses in the arts and religion, while the social, political and economic aspects have withered away. Meanwhile, the memory of the currency as an ancient medium of local exchange remains very much alive. On a visit to Bali, the traveller will see these coins used in offerings and ceremonies. Some are highly praised and quite valuable, while others are remakes having only ceremonial value. For my wedding, I had to pay a huge amount of Kepeng to my brides family.
Part 2 of this post has been completed and can be viewed HERE
Here is the list I wish I had 20 years ago when I started traveling the world taking photos. After years of leading photography tours to Bali and Indonesia, I have had the pleasure (and sheer frustration) of using a myriad of gear, gadgets, cameras, clothing and more. Here I breakdown those that have made the cut and saved me time after time.
A quick disclaimer. I am in no way affiliated with any of these products. I have searched high and low to find the best, most durable, handiest products I could find at the best value and provided them here for you. I encourage you to use the links provided below for items you are interested in. It is easiest to right click and open in a new window or tab so you still have the window with the blog post open. In the new tab or window you can get more information and pricing. If you like what you see, simply click “Add To Cart”. I greatly appreciate you using the links to purchase directly from the blog as I get a tiny percent to help keep the blog alive. I have selected items at the best prices and all are through Amazon so you can trust the seller. Thank you for supporting us! If you want to browse The Balifornian Store at Amazon please click HERE.
I will not cover cameras and lenses, as that is a whole other blog post (and perhaps tome). I will convey a humorous story I heard the other day from the Morro Bay Photo Group illustrating the importance of the artist behind the camera and not so much the camera itself. At a dinner party a professional photographer was showing his work and the host was so impressed she said, “My, you must have an amazing camera”. His reply, “The food was incredible this evening, you must have a fantastic oven”.
Prior to any trip, I will start a packing list weeks prior. By now my gear is pretty much set, but there are always new challenges with every adventure- new gear to try, or leave behind (or smash into a thousand pieces). I find a great way to keep track of this list is the Evernote app http://www.evernote.com/ It allows you to make lists, capture photos, use voice notes, etc. to remember things and it sync with your iPhone and computer so you have it anywhere you go (even without an internet connection which is crucial in some remote areas we travel to). Had a great bottle of wine? Too drunk to write down the name? No problem, just take a photo of the label with Evernote and it will not only keep it for you but it can use automatic character recognition to transcribe the label text for you to make it searchable. This is great with CD’s, DVDs, even stuff I find on the web and want to remember.
In fact, the iPhone and its millions of apps have replaced many items in my travel bag like an alarm clock, music player, compass, flashlight, etc. Although, I always carry a spare of the last two just in case.
Its small and it can save your precious equipment from irrecoverable destruction via electricity surges which are a common event in many countries. The cleverly designed unit also includes two USB ports so you can change your phone and other gadgets at the same time. This little guy not only comes in handy in other countries but also in that all to familiar airport hunt for an open outlet. I always chuckle when I see travelers huddled on the floor around one of the few open outlets to charge their laptops and phones during a layover. Become the hero and save the day as you can not only always plug in but allow a couple other people to have access as well. It’s $25 but you can buy it here for only $12!
A product I discovered recently and really love is the iStabalizer
Its $30 and is a great mini tripod not only for the iPhone but will fit any camera phone or small camera. I used to use the gorillapod tripod but now it forces you to use its cumbersome iPhone case and is not usable with other gadgets. The best part about it is the flexible strong legs that can wrap around many objects to secure the tripod in many otherwise impossible positions. Wrap it to a fence, sign post, even your rear-view mirror for a great time lapse of your travels. Another cool feature is the mount unscrews ant fits right into your full size tripod when needed. I love to set it up and do a time-lapse as I set up my big boy gear for a more formal shoot. They also manufacture a cool video steady cam for $99 but that might be a bit much for iPhone style video shooting. You can buy the tripod here.
Speaking of time-lapse, if you have not tried it yet, do it right away. Its fun, provides great additional coverage and is so easy to do. There are many apps out there but I like iTime Lapse best. It’s free and has some good options. Here is sample of one I created
Thankfully, these days most electronics will work in most countries. The safe voltage required for my iPhone, Canon battery chargers, Mac Book Pro, etc. is found in most destinations so a bulky, expensive and heavy converter is normally not required as it was many years ago. Now a simple, lightweight and inexpesive adapter is all you need. Simply search the web for the outlet configuration and order the proper adapter. Just be sure you do this before you leave as it is often times very hard to find in country and if you can locate it, it will be 500% more expensive. Most electronics are now universal but check the manufactures web site to be sure.
Pockets, pockets, pockets. I love me some pockets. The leader in ‘modern pocket technology’ as I call them is - www.scottevest.com They offer some great travel pants with tons of storage space and some nifty pockets that even the most skilled pickpocket (or David Blaine) can’t penetrate. They also offer a fleece jacket with zip off sleeves that can accommodate an iPad, water bottle and tons of other gear. It even comes with a lens cleaner shammy. The company sponsors people to do an around the world trip with no luggage, only using the pockets in their products. While that may be a bit extreme, it can offset some of the ridiculous additional costs the airlines shove down our throats for luggage. The downside of course is the more pockets you have, the more places you need to check so work out a system to remember where your stuff is stashed. I commonly carry pens, lens cleaners, model releases, water, etc.
Bali can get hot so I recommend wicking shirts with lots of pockets like those from North Face but you can find great deals on these at the discount stores.
My backpack is a TamracAero Series Speed Pack.Great photographers travel gear by Tamrac It fits my 17 inch MacBook Pro, some gear, a couple lenses (even a 220-400 beast), but the coolest part is the quick access pocket that allows you to get to your camera in seconds without even taking the pack fully off. This allows me to catch shots that I would otherwise have missed. It also features weatherproof zippers so the rain or splashing waves wont get in and ruin your gear. I love it and you can get yours here. Its not fully waterproof so I also carry a rain cover like this one
In the back I always stash some granola bars, a headlamp, carabineers, etc. I use a carabineer to clip my Leatherman multi-tool to the front of my pack, not inside, so I always have it handy for many uses including protection. Obviously you can’t bring it on the plane so remember to always put it in your checked gear so it doesn’t get confiscated or get you locked up in the pokey. Purchase yours HERE
Camera gear and lenses are very expensive and heavy so you may want to look into renting gear specific for the type of adventure you are embarking upon. In some countries you can even rent the cameras, lenses and equipment there so you don't need to lug them back and forth (also saving you some money on those bogus luggage fees).
Of course I also travel with an external hard drive. Lacie makes good rugged drives that are known thier reliability. Here is a link to purchase. I also like Western Digital's drives but they are not as good for traveling. www.wdc.com I also carry a card reader, extra batteries, polarizing filter, etc.
A good final tip is too make your expensive gear look as crappy as you can. Some people are attached to their labels and brands but I don't want to stand out and be a target. I use a sharpie to cover up labels, brand names, etc. I also switch out my Canon neck strap for an aftermarket one. It’s more comfortable too.
I hope these tips and tips are helpful and please share your thoughts below. I would love to hear from you. Do you have any gear you cant live without?
Come join us on one of our Photography tours and learn even more tips, trick and ideas. Please check out some of our tours and we specialize in fully custom tours to see exactly what YOU want.
We have lead teams of documentary filmmakers and amateur and professional photographers from all over the world. We know many secret spots that most people never see and we have special access to help make the trip as unique as possible.
Part 2 of this series has been completed and can be viewed HERE. You can EMAIL me to get on our mailing list to be notified for future updates.
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Sunday, August 19, 2012 at 10:40AM 
Bali's Sacred Monkey Forest features two Komodo Dragon Carvings that protect the Holy Bathing SpringsSome say these beautifully carved Komodo Dragons have been overlooking these sacred Bathing Springs for hundreds of years. The Balinese still use these springs to cleans themselves and don't be surprised if you see naked or nearly naked locals taking part in the ritual.
