Ogoh Ogoh then No go No go or flower petals keep fallling in the pool

The bathroom at the hotel in Ubud. Notice how it is open to the sky
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The day before Nyepi or the Balinese new year of 1929 ( let's hope there's is better than the western one) Uddin and I set off for Ubud.  I figured that the best place to see the pre day of silence was the cultural capital of the island.  Ubud is a small town with loads and loads of artist/craftspeople and the kind of expats that this sort of place attracts.  I was sitting in a cafe and a group of people walked in straight out of Burning Man.  I even overheard them mention the word playa.

How much are those outlandish batik fashions in the window. The ones with the patterns to make you go blind.
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The town has lots of spas, vegetarian restaurants and charm beyond the usual.  A tropical Santa Fe with more heart and soul.  We got a lovely place to stay.  I splurged on a $30 usd room per night in order to have a pleasant place to spend the next day.  The day we got there the monster poppets that were being built all last week called Ogoh Ogoh are brought out on bamboo platforms carried by crews of young guys in matching shirts and sarongs who bob and weave the monsters through the streets calling up the evil spirits.  They invite them forth and then burn the effigies at midnight.  For the next 24 hours the island is to remain silent.  No going out, no electricity, no noise.  Prayer and meditation are the order of the day.  The notion is that the evil spirits that have been awakened will pass over the island believing that no one lives there thus assuring a safe and peaceful new year.    As a tourist I was allowed to use the pool and turn on the tv.  Eating is ok for everyone but no cooking.

Just another temple stuck behind some restaurant
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The streets pack with Balinese families dressed in beautiful traditional costume.  The men in a head band, usually white shirt and a double sarong.  The women in form fitting shear blouses and sarongs of rich bright colors and patterns.  The children are equally decked out.  masses of ritual and prayer are performed earlier in the day and then late afternoon the Ogoh Ogoh are gathered in the local soccer field.  Everyone can peruse them up close.  Some are teched out with flashing eyes and tongues.  Many are now made of foam rubber but paper mache is more traditional.

Ogoh Ogoh coming down the street
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So the following day I spent lying poolside reading Paulo Coelho and snacking on stuff we got the day before.  The hotel provided us some breakfast items the night before and a thermos of hot water.  I got a good dose of Indonesian sit-coms and music programs.  The style is the same in many respects as the US. just the language changes.  Pop stars here are as idolized and demonized as ours are.

There are three things every Indonesian guy needs:  A mobile phone, a motorbike and a pack of Djarums.  Cigarettes are ubiquitous and Djarum must be one of the most profitable corps in this country as the splash adds everywhere.   Also of note on TV.  Indonesians are being inundated with medicine commercials too.  For the most part they are what we consider over the counter drugs for flu and stomach ills.