Photo of the Day ~ Introspective Cockfighter ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

While the implications of cockfighting can be debated, the fact is that it is a deep element of Indonesian and Balinese culture.  Some events draw thousands of participants and onlookers and the organized chaos is both fascinating and frightening.  Its not for everyone certainly, but it is an interesting look into the culture and the history of the Balinese people.

I thought this to be an interesting moment. Amist all the chaos, screaming, betting, chanting, fighting, blood spilling, etc., this young man took a contemplative moment to himself (and his fighter) in the moments leading up to battle in Singaraja in Northern Bali.

Singaraja, Bali cockfighterAlthough in 1981 the Indonesian government made cockfighting and gambling illegal, it is deemed as merely a suggestion and the 'sport' continues to this day.

The huge shiny 'Taji' or blade attached to the chicken's foot is readily apparent in this photograph and one can only imagine the damage that this metal talon can inflict.  There is much lore attached to this mysterious and deadly object; menstruating women can not gaze upon it, it can only be sharpened under the moonlight, only very special charcoal from a tree hit by lightning can be used to forge the steel, it can not be handled by a member of a family that has recently had a deceased member, and the lore goes on and on.

Regardless of the views of westerners and other outsiders, cockfighting is tightly entwined into the Balinese culture and even religion. Part of Balinese Hinduism involves sacrifice and offerings and sometimes even blood sacrifice.  The cock and its owner spend a great deal of time together and its owner spends a great deal of money and effort to care for and prep the animal for battle.  A strong bond is formed and for the man to risk his prized pet is considered an offering to the gods.

Photo of the Day ~ Why Indonesian's are so healthy ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

This image, taken in Singaraja in the north of Bali, depicts a kind older gentleman preparing for The Galungan Holiday Celebration.  Demanding physical work and a healthy diet free from preservatives and pesticides make for strong long lives.  Scenes like this are not uncommon in Bali and the rest of Indonesia and are a testament to clean good living.

Copyright © 2011 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

Galungan is Bali's most important festival. It includes a feast and festival, which is held throughout the entire island and occurs every 210 days according to the Balinese calendar. The holiday lasts for ten days culminating with Kuningan.  It is said that during this ten day period The Balinese gods and the ancestors will descend unto earth for the festivities. Thus the Gods and ancestors must be entertained.    The entire island is decorated with panjor along the roads, houses and temples. Panjor are made from Huge bamboo poles and woven batan of coconut fronds and other leaves.  Huge amounts of traditional lawar is made from sacrificed pigs and Barongs Dance from temple to temple and village to village in celebration of Galungan with the gods. Galungan translates to "When the Dharma is winning". Galungan to the Balinese is the most important holiday period as it symbolizes the victory of Dharma, or virtue, upon Adharma, or all that is evil.

Photo of the Day ~ Crescent Moon Sunset ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

Our photo of the day for today is a beautiful Balinese scene from Singaraja in the north of the island.

Copyright © 2011 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael DoliveckSingaraja is known for its glorious sunsets.  The north of Bali can be a great break from the hustle and bustle of the southern Bali.  It is a chance to see more of the real Bali and if you can get up into the mountains there are great opportunities to visit small villages, see increadible temples, meet friendly locals, etc.  The Balinese gamelon was perfected here so Singaraja is the place to purchase instruments or just take in some of the increadibly talanted gamelon groups from the area.

Our Adventure Photo Safaris ~ Are you a photographer or just love to take pictures?  Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers.  Take a look at the images in our gallery, as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours.  The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers.  Contact us atphoto@balifornian.com today for more information.

Do you have some great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your fantastic photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day?  Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com  Files must be under 500 kb.

Happy travels! Salamat Jalan!

Michael and Maryam ~

Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Voted The best website for news and information on Bali and Indonesia.

Photo of the Day ~ Gunung Batur, Bali's Massive Volcano ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog

A great vantage point from Kintamani of Bali's still active Mount Batur. The massive volcano rises 1,500 meters above sea level.  You can occasionally see her smoking and hear her rumbling.  The last major eruptions occurred in 1926 and 1917 but also more recently in 1994. You can see the burned land in the photo below from previous lava flows.  A crater lake was formed about 30,000 years ago after a major eruption. We run tours in the middle of the night and hike to the summit for an unbelievable sunrise.

Copyright © 2011 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael DoliveckContact us today to help craft your ultimate Bali vacation!

Happy Travels!

The Balifornian Crew

Kuta Beach, Bali. Best and Worst, Old and New. The Real Deal.

I am perhaps the harshest critic of Kuta but I do have to give it its due on a couple points.  It has changed quite a bit in the 17 years I have been coming here and just 20 years before that, Jalan Pantai Kuta was just a dirt road lined with coconut trees linking Kuta, Seminyak and Legian.  But now it is packed with hawkers, chain stores, drunk loud bule and the traffic can be worse than the 405 at rush hour on a Friday.  Sure, for the first couple hours you can politely say ‘no thank you’ or ‘tidak tertarik’ to the hawkers yelling out to you every 4 steps, but they are so numerous and persistent that even Gandi would want to get a sign that reads, “NO, I am NOT interested in transportation, neon beer cozies, spiked motor bike helmets, drugs, massage, etc.” I remember thinking after first arriving, “How sad.  Bali is over.  Some places can handle tourism and the influx of the almighty dollar, but unfortunately, Bali can not.”  This was of course before I smartened up and got the hell out of Kuta as fast as I could and saw the real Bali. 

The short video above is from The Balifornian Tours & Travel Blog's "Quick Look" series. 

I return to Kuta seldomly, but I do have some dear friends there like Mas Ngurah and his sweet family who run the newly renovated Baleka Hotel and Resort.  If you want to be in Kuta, it’s a great value in a good location and with the Balifornian discount, you can get a steal of a deal on some modern and impressive lodging.  They have a pool and The Gula Gula Restaurant and Lounge.

That being said, the cause of the over-crowding is in fact for good reason as the beach itself is a world-class beach with white sand and great waves.  If you can avoid road rage getting in, and the crowds at the beach, it can be close to a quintessential beach experience (although I greatly prefer being on a beautiful beach alone or with a small group which Bali also offers).  The trash on the beach is certainly disappointing.  “Littering” is an unknown concept to many Balinese.  In fact our close friend Kadek is a bright and very spiritual person, but I have seen him toss his trash onto the ground on occasion.  Its not that he and many other Balinese don't care or are bad people, they just did not receive the same repeated messages that we in the west did- No cute owls telling us kids to “Give a hoot and don't pollute”.  I in no way blame the Balinese for all the trash on Pantai Kuta as much of the blame falls on the tourists.  However major efforts are underway to educate and its effects are being seen already.  For example, this last weekend was Eco-Weekend on Kuta beach and a massive clean up volunteer effort was held to clean up the beaches.

The surfing in Kuta is great for most levels including the beginner and there are tons of activities.  One secret we recommend is a place on the beach called 27 Beach.  The short video above was shot at this location. Neither I nor the staff knows the significance of the ‘27’ as I asked half a dozen of them, but they have a great pool, post-surf shower, comfy lounges and decent food and drink.  It serves as a great home base to sit with friends, have lunch and drinks, head to the beach for play or surf, and return to your own un-crowded spot.

As much as I can get down on Kuta, I am thankful for it, as it being the easiest place to get to (just a few km from Denpasar Airport), it keeps most of the obnoxious tourists in one small spot leaving much of the real Bali for the rest of us.

Leave a comment and let us know what you think of Kuta.