Indonesia IX: Expedition 2011 - Unusual Houses And Wood Skills Of Bali Inhabitants

After relaxing day in resort by the sea we boarded the van, turned on the air conditioning and we went to Bali, specifically in the historic capital city - Ubud. Basic traffic rules as we know them in Java, has not changed. And neither traffic density. Well i was dense area. Bali from north to south, are about 120 km from east to west about 150 km. I think it doesn’t reach less than an area of ​​western Slovakia, and quite substantial part is consists of volcanoes and natural reserves, and yet according to the last census living there already 4 million people. So land in residential areas is either built or are rice fields, but it is up to the north.

Special housing

But what changed it was the architecture of houses. House in Bali is really special for us. We can ask him for the whole area to family inhabits. From the street is separated by a brick fence, which is interrupted by the entrance gate. The gateway has no doors, only the lateral portion of which must be high enough. This ensures that the evil spirits to keep out. People and dogs yes, for them the gate is the same as an obstacle for us the door without a door. Inside is built several houses. The first is the kitchen, no windows or chimney, fireplace stove forms. The whole kitchen equipment inside it corresponds is black from the smoke. The second bedroom house symbol is then parents and other children's room. At family parties used another building without walls - something like our gazebo. Well, quite a high proportion of house fills the family temple. It is fenced with a gate of the same type as the entrance to the dwelling. Inside are statues of families Gods, which is always a need to make sacrifices. The victim is a bowl of flowers and incense, as well as the remnants of rice or other food. Victims are worn and stored everywhere. It is probably important. One of our guides had a sacrificial bowl on the dashboard of your car.

On the way we stopped in one of those houses. Besides these buildings he also had another house for rice. It was also without the walls and rice was stored directly under the roof. And under it was lazily lying lowest caste, a dog.

Incredible woodcutters

After a few kilometres we stopped in woodcarving workshop. We saw people at work, who sat on the floor cross-legged, feet as vice clinging to a piece of wood and it worked the chisel. It would still be normal, it can. Can I take a piece of wood, after the Turkish sit down, fasten it down and work with it. What was almost incredible it was the result of such activities. Perfect and incredibly intricate statues of Buddha, Shiva and anyone or anything else. Just with the memory. No images, sketches, projects. "It is sometimes inherited from father to son," said the Mate, "and doing it from memory." I would not want to work there - with my memory.

Shopping and relax after a Balinese

Our another stop was town of Ubud. Former capital. We stayed there just short time, I remember the shops on the road, a million people and Jarek bought a blouse. And Maroš bought a knife in a wooden sheath, which was of the most beautiful. Attacked with a knife to the pilot, took him later at the airport in Singapore.

After another kilometres, we got to the last point of the trip - to Padang. We took the goggles and flippers and jumped into the sea, which was 100 times more beautiful than our resort. Suddenly we found ourselves in an aquarium. Fish and small fish of all colours, clear water. It was a beautiful place. When I came out of the water, I'm impatiently waiting there masseuse that I promised that when I come out of the sea, I will be massaged. So I gave it and followed my example and Jarka 1 and Jarka 2, I got gratis encore. The masseuse had shoes with barely 40 kg, but her hands were strong and accurately find places that had to be found.

We dined at the seaside restaurant in the Czech and Slovak flag clock that went backwards. On the highway we got home quite quickly.

Text/photo: Stanislav Lupták