Archive for September, 2006
Pura Rambut Siwi is one of the coastal temples in Bali and is perched on a cliff in the west of the island. It is not however one of the 9 ‘kayangan jagat’ or directional temples that protect Bali from evil spirits in all directions. The temple was founded in the 16th Century by a Hindu priest from Java named Niratha. He loved the location and after building the temple spent his time spreading the Hindu religion in the Bali. Before he left the temple he gave a lock of his hair and a set of his clothes which are supposedly still at Pura Rambut Siwi stored in the inner courtyard. The temple is now known as ‘the temple for worshipping the hair’ .
Location of Pura Rambut Siwi:
Pura Rambut Siwi is located on the coast in Jembrana, west Bali, 16km west of Medewi.
Getting to Pura Rambut Siwi:
Riding out to Pura Rambut Siwi from Kuta, is easy. Follow the Sunset Rd Bypass to Kerobokan, then head in the direction of Tanah Lot, turning off at Beraban, up to Kediri and towards Tabanan. The trip takes about 2.5 hours and passes some lovely sweeping rice terraces close to the ocean in Suka Beach. The road from Tabanan heading west is the man road to Java so that means heavy traffic. I suggest rolling your windows up and cranking the AC if you do this trip yourself.
Arriving at Pura Rambut Siwi:
Arriving at Pura Rambut Siwi which is located 16km west of Medewi, you will notice the temple sign on the main road and the snack sellers, outside balancing large baskets on their heads. A small road 750m long, heading perpendicular to the main road led us to the temple which overlooks the ocean.
Facilities:
Drink vendors in parking area. Toilet.
Why would you visit Pura Rambut Siwi?
You’d visit this temple if a) you had a special interst in temples, or b) you were on a raod trip to Medewi / Negara and wanted to see a less visited temple.
How long does it take to view the temple?
You can cheack out the temple in 30 minutes if you are rushed.
Best time to go:
Anytime is good, but during the temple’s odalan (birthday) would be the choice time.
Accommodation in the area:
There is accomodation, both budget and mid-range in Medewi. Also budget options in Negara, though its not such an attractive option.
A donation of 10,000rp is needed to enter, sarongs and sashes are provided. Once inside the temple the guide stays in close proximity, telling you where to go. You can cut yourself a little slack if you want, and ask him to leave you along for a bit.
The temple itself has the usual 3 courtyards (outer, middle, inner) its just laid out differently and the inner courtyard is actually the one that sits next to the parking area.
My guide left me in the outer courtyard, and gave instructions for how I should proceed. On the rear of the temple, there are some interesting traditional scenes captured in cement carvings. These included a scene with a farmer, a fisherman and a monkey holding bird under its arm, all symbolic. The underlying stonework, was probably from the time of Niratha, but the cement carving are more likely to be around 100 years old. The gates and ornamentation are old, whereas brickwork that is clean and carvings that are super sharp are probably new.
Also at the rear of the temple were steps with large dragon like creatures either side. Dragons aren’t a part of Balinese Hinduism and we didn’t have an answer for this or the plate sized Chinese coin that is in the outer wall of the inner compound. Carved decorated doors had figures in impressive designs. Niratha’s hair is enshrined in a sandalwood box, located inside the central 3-tiered meru.
Out the back of the temple looking towards the ocean, there is a shrine to Dewi Sri, the goddess for rice and water. When Balinese men drink tuak, they will often pour the frist drop on the floor for Dewi Sri.
Looking over the cliff, a shrine is visible and at high tide, the water totally surrounds it. Down the cliff face there are small caves which have been turned into shrines. One of them Pura Tirta, has a freshwater spring, which is guarded by a statue of Niratha himself. The small cave complex has bats, Goa Mayan Sati (Cave of the Holy Tiger) being the main one. Only preists are allowed in this holy place. A 1 minute walk along the beach gets you to Pura Penataran, which is in honor of Baruna, God of the sea.
While photographing the different parts of the temple a female ‘pedanda‘ (high priest) came over and asked me to leave…’Bules not allowed in here.” she said in Balinese. I think she might have been angry that I saw her secret ceremonial equipment laid out, something that doesn’t happen too often.
This part of the coast isn’t developed at all and looked quite lovely with the swaying palms. We were all virtually melting from the heat and bought a Pocari Sweat from a vendor outside. I think the can of drink cost 5,000rp whereas the Circle K price is 4,000rp.
Pura Rambut Siwi is a quiet temple and the location plus the carvings make worthwhile if you have the time.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 22nd, 2006
This is the final weekend of the Kuta Karnival, a good opportunity to get down to Kuta Beach, and check out the nightlife activities.
Here’s some of the nightlife action in our part of the world.
Friday Sept 22nd
Bahiana
Capoeira Dance
Bahiana showcase this exciting Brazilian hybrid of martial arts and dance Expect some high kicking, somersaulting, backflipping action all to the sound of the berimbau. From 11pm
Hu’u
DJ B Crosses Over
DJ B’s versatility knows no bounds; he’s renowned for pushing the more soulful side of House, following his yearlong stint at Velvet Underground (Zouk). His foray into a more robust big room sound has met with massive success as his “We Luv House” weekly Friday nights graced the decks alongside DJ luminaries such as Louie Vega, David Morales in Zouk’s main room will bear the testimony to where he now incorporates Brazillian, Latin & Afrocentric beats & rhythms. the main room resident for two years running, DJ B has also played alongside Derrick May, Carl Craig, Roger Sanchez, Martin Solveig, Bob Sinclair, and DJ Gregory to name a few and has since started his travels worldwide to propel his dynamic musical landscape. From 11pm. FDC 200k
Kudos
Dance Competition Grand Final
Six groups of dancers work it hard to impress the judges with their skills, with 10 million rupiah up for grabs. From 11pm
Kuta Karnival
Surfer Girl Big Day Out
Fun in the sun, delight in the night, Starts with girls only surf competition, surf lesson, cheerleaders competition, and music performed by Soul ID, The Buntu, Violet and more. From 8pm
Saturday Sept 23rd
Double Six
Doublelicious
Double decks, double stage, double the sound means double the excitement. Headlining the indoor arena will be Turkish DJ icon Murat Uncuoglu, one of the guys who was instrumental in putting Istanbul on the dance music world map with his deep sets and quality productions which find themselves in the boxes of some of the world’s premier DJs
Hu’u
Paradise Garage
Move to the groove as DJ Yudi drop his collection from yesteryear, a trip to boogie land. FDC 100k. From 11pm
Kuta Karnival
Food Festival
Two days of great value feasting with almost all the restaurant in Kuta setting up their food stalls in front of Legian beach. There’ll be between 40-60 outlets to choose from, with food from around the globe. From 4pm. Continues tomorrow
Kuta Karnival
The Beat Rock Fest
It’s back, it’s bigger than ever and it will rock your stockings off! No less than 10 bands from Bali, Bandung and Jakarta including The Upstairs, Death By Butterfly, Kaimsasikun, Alone at Last and Navicula. With a wider range of genres than ever before, prepare for a sound barrage of dance rock, 80’s synthesizer pop, raging punk and emo harmonies from some of Indonesia’s finest. Once and for all…Rock ON! From 4pm.
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source : www.baliblog.com
September 22nd, 2006
Nasi goreng (fried rice) is a dish popular, not only in Bali, but all over Asia. Its not my favourite by any means, but there are times when nasi goreng is the best option.
Nasi goreng is made by tossing a small plate of steamed white rice, into a wok, with oil, vegetables and sometimes seafood, or chicken. It is usually served with a fried egg slapped on top and giant prawn cracker.
Good points about nasi goreng:
Has a lot of calories if you are hungry
Is relatively cheap
They know how to make it
Can be high in protein (chicken, egg)
Bad points about nasi goreng:
Can be bland
Can be greasy
Can taste like everything else that came out of the wok that day
Can be too much rice, if you are looking for something a little more itneresting.
How much is a nasi goreng?
You can get a nasi goreng in Bamboo Corner on Poppies I in Kuta for 7,000rp and one in Kori Restaurant in Kuta for 38,000rp. Wherever you get nasi goreng, it will always be one of the cheaper options.
Types of nasi goreng:
Vegetable nasi goreng will contain carrot, cabbage, greens and other items. Seafood nasi goreng, will contain shrimp, squid and other white fish. Nasi goreng ayam (chicken) will of Course have chicken plus maybe a small amount of greens.
Where to get the best nasi goreng:
For price and volume, its got to be Bamboo Corner. The taste is decent too. I hate greasy nasi goreng, and better places like Poppies, on Poppies I do a good one.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 22nd, 2006
Thailand has a new military government, an event that passed without violence earlier this week. In responce to that the Indonesian embassy in Thailand issued a travel warning for Thailand. The Indonesian embassy is still operating and travelers will still be able to process visas.
Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.
Indonesian embassy in Thailand issues travel warning
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian embassy in Thailand Wednesday issued a travel warning in the wake of an overnight military coup in the country.The travel warning was published at the official website of the Indonesian embassy,calling on the Indonesians, who are outside Thailand, to delay their plans to visit the country.
It also called on Indonesians in the country to avoid going around outside their houses.
Available embassy phone numbers are 66-2-2523135-40 ext. 165, 184; or contact Consulate in Songkhla 66-74311544; 66-312 219; 66-441094, or mobile phone: 66-070140323 or 66-019228412.
Thai coup leaders put the country under martial law early Wednesday, ordering the stock exchange, schools, banks and government offices to remain closed and declaring a provisional authority loyal to Thailand’s king.
Military leader who ousted Thailand’s Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the coup was necessary to end mounting rifts within Thai society and Thaksin’s efforts to undermine the country’s democratic institutions. The military said it would soon return power to a democratic government but didn’t say when.
source : www.baliblog.com
source :
September 21st, 2006
Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, widely believed to be the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, has said that naked women are more damaging than the Bali Bombings
The 69 year old, who spent 26 months in jail, for conspiring in the first Bali Bombings, talked about the effect of scantily clad women on TV, claiming they were more damaging to society, than the terrorist attacks in Kuta.Indonesian TV is rather like a cross between a variety performance and the Benny Hill Show, complete with suggestion, inuendo and frivolity. For some reason they love benchongs (transvestites), who can be seen on many shows and commercials.
“So, if I am asked which is more dangerous, naked women or the Bali bombs, then my reply is of course those women in skimpy clothes,” said Bashir.
I think he’s off his rocker, and maybe if he took time off and got himself a girlfriend, he’d feel differently about those evil women.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 21st, 2006
First time visitors to Bali, often complain that the tourist industry had bypassed the poor old Balinese, and they are being left with nothing. Expats often complain, that the Balinese are money hungry, and have themselves to blame for their situation. Whatever your feeling, one thing is for sure, tourism could be handled a lot better in Bali. One group that is attempting to change things in a small way, is JED. I met Gin Simpson from JED last year, and talked about how her eco-tourism group is progressing.
JED (Jaringan Ekowisata Desa) Village Eco tourism Network, is a collection of 4 Balinese villages, Tenganan in East Bali, Kiadan Pelaga, in Bali’s central highlands, Nusa Ceningan Island, and Sibetan on the slopes of Gunung Agung. The eco-tourism idea, is that a limited amount of tourists can visit the villages, shown around by locals, the proceeds being fairly distributed in an agreed manner.
Gin recently did an interview with News.com.au about how JED is progressing.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 21st, 2006
In July of this year, the Indonesian government passed a change in the Citizenship Law, making life way easier for a selection of expats, kids of expats and Chinese Indonesians. Today the it was annouced, that this weekend (God they take their time over here!), a government decree will make the new law active.
Indonesia treats foreigners like tourists on parole, requiring visas, a police report for your place of stay and no long term ‘permanent residency’. A friend of mine has 2 foreign daughters. When he goes overseas for his visa run he takes them for theirs. Sometimes he has to go to a foreign trade show, meaning his visa run, is now out of whack with theirs. It gets expensive, with multiple plane tickets and visa costs. This new law, goes part of the way to making life easier for families with mixed kids and Chinese Indonesians. Here’s more from the Jakarta Post.
Decree ready to implement citizenship law Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Justice and Human Rights Minister Hamid Awaluddin said Wednesday that a ministerial decree would be issued this weekend to effect the implementation of the Citizenship Law passed in July.
He said the decree contained the mechanisms to apply for or pursue Indonesian citizenship, including granting Indonesian citizenship to offspring of transnational marriages and clarifying the status of Indonesians who have resided abroad for an extended period.
Included in the decree, he added, were the necessary forms and other technical requirements.
“A transnational marriage couple only need fill in the form to confirm their children’s citizenship. The form can be signed by either of the parents,” he said on the sidelines of a seminar.
Previously, children born of a foreign father and Indonesian mother automatically received his nationality, but the new law allows children of such unions to hold dual citizenship until they reach maturity at age 21. When the child turns 18, he or she has three years to choose the nationality of one of the parents.
Hamid said the forms would be available next week at Indonesian embassies and consulates abroad, enabling Indonesian-born people who were stripped of their citizenship to regain it.
Hundreds of Indonesians studying abroad during the attempted 1965 coup blamed on the communist party lost their rights, with the Soeharto government linking them to subversive movements.
Other Indonesians, mostly migrant workers, also have become stateless after failing to report to Indonesian missions abroad.
Hamid said people from these groups should report their intention to retain their citizenship at Indonesian embassies or consulates, but they would not have to undergo a naturalization process.
“They only need to fill out the form, and we will process it within a maximum of three years. If there is no Indonesian representative office in the country they live in, they can just write to us,” he said, adding that he would visit the Netherlands and France, where many of the ex-students live, to promote awareness of the decree.
The law, passed on July 11, was hailed as revolutionary by legislators in helping end discrimination against Chinese-Indonesians and Indonesian women married to foreign spouses.
Other key elements of the law include revising the definition of “indigenous Indonesian” to include all citizens who never assume foreign citizenship; enabling foreign spouses to seek Indonesian citizenship after living here for five consecutive years or 10 accumulated years, and entitling the spouse to permanent residence under the same conditions.
Despite the goodwill to eradicate discrimination, there are doubts it will be able to completely do away with the entrenched exploitation of Chinese-Indonesians by elements of the bureaucracy and the perception of them as foreigners.
Many ethnic Chinese say they continue to face difficulties when applying for legal documents, even though the law on citizenship certificates was scrapped in 1996, and a 1999 presidential decree specifically abolished the need to present the certificate.
Wealthy Chinese-Indonesians often use the services of brokers to help them in dealing with the bureaucratic web. But lower-income ethnic Chinese end up with no legal identification, like those living in West Jakarta, Surabaya and South Sumatra.
Hamid said there would be criminal sanctions for officials who were ignorant about the regulations or hindered people wishing to become Indonesian.
Its totally true about Chinese Indonesians having to pay over odds for documentation. Since they control a lot of the business in Indonesia, and are barred from government, its nice little ‘gateway’ for the other Indonesians to exploit. Many Chinese Indonesians have a regular Indonesian name, and I was asking Ika, how a person working in an office, for example for local ID’s would know the person was Chinese. “By the way they look.” she said. “Who makes the decision?” I asked. “The staff at the counter.” she said. Of course to anyone with a shred of common sense ( and that doesn’t include people who work for the government) this whole idea can get ridiculous. What if someone is just ‘half-Chinese’ as Ika’s mother is. Or what about Ika, who is a quarter Chinese? There is some kind of notation on some documents that also gives a clue, but give me a break, its like Hitler’s Germany, when you start making decisions based on looks, shapes of heads, eyes etc.
Fortunately for me, I look like a skinny white, long-nosed ‘bule’, absolutely no doubt there, 100% foreign.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 21st, 2006
International Tourism contribution to Indonesias balance of payments this year is expected to decline to 2.7% in 2006 , down from 3.2% in 2005, which is caused by a number of natural disasters suffered by Indonesia in the past months, and the threat of bird flu, said Jeffrey Kairupan, Bureau Chief of the Economic Statistics Directorate of Bank Indonesia. On the other hand, travel outflow is estimated to increase to 2.4% from 2.3% last year, reports Bisnis Indonesia.
Jeffrey further explains that travel inflow comprises earnings from all expenditures made by visitors during their stay in Indonesia, whether for tourism, business or other personal purposes, comprising hotel accommodation, tours, souvenirs and transportation. Whereas, travel outflow includes total expenditures made by Indonesians traveling abroad for tourism purposes and haj pilgrimage to Mecca.
In 2005, real income from tourists to Indonesia totaled US$ 4.5 billion, while outbound Indonesians spent a total of US$ 3.5 billion in foreign currency overseas. Jeffrey Kairupan further explained that travel inflow contribution in the first quarter of 2006 was US$924 million and US$1.129 billion in the second quarter. And with expected contributions of US$ 1.307 billion and US$ 1.160 billion in the third and fourth quarter respectively, receipts from the tourism sector in 2006 could remain level at US$ 4.5 billion, reports Bisnis Indonesia.
source : www.budpar.go.id
September 20th, 2006
Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation notes that All Nippon Airways reportedly plans to establish up to two LCC subsidiaries next year to grow and defend international and domestic markets.
“This provides even more evidence that the LCC movement in this region is increasingly being fostered by full service carriers. The subsidiaries - in many cases intended to help carriers defend market shares - are increasingly viewed as effective market segmentation/branding tools, and cost reduction/restructuring vehicles,” stated Peter Harbison, Executive Chairman of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation.
“Independent new carrier entry (other than in India and China) has slowed in Asia in the past 18 months, due to weaker investor sentiment over high fuel and aircraft costs and intense competition in the sector,” noted the Mr Harbison.
ANA could join the ranks of full service carriers in this region with their own leisure-focussed low cost units. These already include Thai Airways, Air India, Qantas, Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines. Elsewhere, Iberia’s Spanish LCC subsidiary, Clickair, is due to launch services next month, while Lufthansa is reportedly exploring establishing a Germanwings-style operation in Italy. In the Americas, the LCC subsidiary model has been less popular.
source : www.bali-tourism-board.com
September 20th, 2006
The Japanese penchant for the latest gadgetry expenditure on phones is double that of international travel’s has extended into a taste for distinctive tours and fresh destinations.
This according to Evolution Tourism Institute Director Mr Tenshin Kobayashi, who added: Japanese are losing interest in traditional travel products Mr Kobayashi joined Marriott International Global Sales Vice President-Japan Mr Victor Osumi and Travel Journal Chief Operating Officer Mr Kiyotaka Kaburaki on an interactive panel about Japanese outbound tourism at PATA Travel Mart 2006 in Hong Kong today.
Mr Kobayashi said the travel preferences of Japan’s 37 million passport holders are increasingly shifting from passive to actives; fast to slow; general to specifics; short to longs; looks to experience; famous to unique; moneys to times; shopping to memory; et cetera.
Mr Osumi agreed. “Today’s generation of travelers is looking for customized and individualized products with “simple-is-best” originality he said. Significantly, Mr Osumi thinks Japanese are becoming more individualistic. Japanese now pay more attention to their individual needs rather than society’s expectation’s. ‘’Self-priority is cool in Japan, he said.'’
Mr Osumi highlighted what’s fashionable among Japanese travelers. Original and simple are considered a new trend among luxury and premium travelers he said. Heritage and culture is also considered classy and elegant.
In line with a long-standing global trend, Japanese consumers are increasingly interested in LOHAS (lifestyles of health and sustainability).
‘’Being fit and healthy is considered cool, ‘’ said Mr Osumi. ‘
Exercises like yoga, boxing and dancing are becoming lifestyle trends in the market and consumers are increasingly into ‘’organic foods.
Eco-friendliness has also become trendy in Japan, according to Mr Osumi.
‘’There is increasing awareness in the well-being of the environment, and consumers are more conscious of environmental impacts when they buy products,'’ he said.
According to Mr Kobayashi, the percentage of international trips relative to the size of Japan’s population, at 14%, is low compared to developed world counterparts: Korea (ROK) (18%); US (20%); Chinese Taipei (34%); New Zealand (43%); Germany (87%); and the UK (108%).
However, Mr Kobayashi reaffirmed that Japanese who do travel are big spenders at US$2,200 per travelers, compared to the American’s US$1,060; Germans, US$980; Koreans (ROK), US$980; and Brits, US$840.
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Strategic Intelligence Centre statistics show a modest 1.2% average annual growth in international outbound trips from Japan to Asia Pacific destinations since 2001. However, the market still offers a significant 17 million outbound trips.
According to Mr Osumi, ‘’speed and flexibility are the name of the game” for travel and tourism marketers trying to keep up with lifestyle trends in Japan
source : www.bali-tourism-board.com
September 20th, 2006
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