Live, let Live...

Sometimes what comes later becomes a revelation in light of what came just before it, visiting Pushkar after Bali was something in the same nerve. A very simple analogy would be the serendipity to hear Nina Simone-Feeling Good play after Bill Withers-Ain't no Sunshine..
These two beautiful songs share something magical, they evoke a certain vibe, a certain mood and a strength of emotion that perfectly complements each other..

Driving down Bali was a tour of green and refreshing waters-nestled in green hills, terraced rice fields and flanked by beaches. Pushkar landscapes are essentially a palette of brown, with wisps of green acacia and desert hardened trees. The bare hills stare at you, brown in the sunlight and black in the shadows.
Pushkar in March is not the most ideal choice; it is really hot and gearing to get scorching hotter in
the coming months, but you forget everything once the magical evening descends. The Ghats surrounding the lake is where the magic happens; it’s an entrance to a different world. The facade of the main entrance ghat is fashioned like characteristic Rajput forts and looks majestic. It captures the lore of the bygone era in its soft whiteness. The swans paddling the lake adds to the royalty of the ghat. The constellation of small temples around the lake gives it a cozy feel and their twinkling lights complement the small lamps placed by the devotees lining the lake. The brown hills in the distance mirror perfectly in the waters of the lake and one can read the meandering pathway flanked by little light bulbs leading to the temple on the top of the peak.

Perhaps other religious places with water bodies can boast of a similar ambience, however this felt more personal-like a favorite passage in a book carefully marked for later reference. It also helped that the ghat was less crowded and one could take in the panoramic view without any rush or elbowing. The warm embrace of the chanting, hymns, conch sounds makes the heart sing the same tune inwardly and be at peace with everything around.

Pushkar is one of the oldest existing cities of India, is one of the five sacred dhams (pilgrimage site) for devout Hindus. Both Bali and Pushkar are living centers of Hindu faith, rooted in mythology, with temples and religious symbols at the turn of each corner.  Also both are flourishing centers of arts and culture, music and dance.
It is like a common creative force pervades the air at the two places, inspiring the artisans and giving their arts an authentic flair. Its a pleasure browsing through the collections in small shops selling colourful cotton dresses, metal, wood crafts, leather articles and everything else(or maybe a power bank is what you need)...
The air here also attracts a certain strain of traveler’s-weary souls inquisitively staring into the lives of people with faith and promise of Nirvana. Dressed in local hand printed cotton grabs, with matted hair and bare feet; they flock here from different parts of the world and just fit in with enviable ease. Ah! the charm of the hippie lifestyle..
I saw a tall white man, lovingly feed a cow on the main road, the two seemed to have a communion of their own. It was the same bonhomie around, congregation of men and women in hazy eyes and some with clear blue, green and brown eyes wearing a gentle smile. They waved and hi-fived the locals, who shouted back with a sheepish grin.
The live and let live mantra..

The two song playlist to sample the mood:
Bill Withers: Ain't No Sunshine
Nina Simone:Feeling good

Bali thoughts and recollections…

I felt an instant kinship with Bali, a feeling of sharing a common heritage. To put it more simply it felt like finally meeting a maternal cousin in flesh, who had existed so far only in conversations (of joy and distress) and holiday pictures.

In our social interaction we always try to seek similarities, the first level could be a very democratic terrain like sports, books, music, movies or any such activities. The next level could lean towards social and geographical familiarity like hometown/schooling, country/language if you are in an alien environment.(People back home are always interested to know if there are any Paharis around.. all is good if one exists!)
I do not invest much stock in religion; however in Bali I realized the bonds of common religious roots-Hinduism. It was an interesting exchange to indulge in conversations and stories about Ramayana and Mahabharata with our hosts.

The Bali Hindu still looks upon India as the mother ship of Hinduism; however he has distilled the essence of Hinduism in his unique island traditions and created a version which has its own distinct identity and sustenance.
I may not know the deeper theological similarities and differences between Indian and Balinese Hinduism but just at a visual and perceptive level, the Balinese Hinduism appeared more accessible to the uninitiated. The external manifestation of Hindu beliefs in the arts, architecture, dance forms and daily rituals is idyllic and approachable. Looking beyond the aesthetics one can sense something deeper- Hinduism as a way of life. It truly feels like the serenity and humility of the ubiquitous prayer baskets and offerings is imbibed in each island soul.

The cultural beauty of Bali is complemented perfectly by the richness and diversity of the physical landscape. We stopped by a couple of beaches, and each one had a different character and feel.
The beaches in Bali are a big draw for the surfers and it is good fun to watch their antics. For the newbies there are surfing lessons or alternatively you can rock the waves freestyle, time your jump to the swell of the wave and let it carry you before it breaks.
I was mesmerized by the magical sunset at Seminyak beach; you can see the distinct outline of this orange ball as it disappears behind the horizon. It was not a lingering fuzzy sunset but a spectacle that has precision of shapes and movement. I have never seen such distinct outlines of the sun and the horizon, also the movement of the setting sun is very palpable. I was aware of the speed of the setting sun as I was trying to focus for the perfect shot (which I missed!)

Padang Padang beach sure looks like Nature’s secret, with huge cliffs hiding it from plain sight. As you walk down the steps cut in the rock leading to the beach, you realize early on that you are being led on to a secret. This is a picturesque beach surrounded by cliffs and lush greenery, there are boulders around for people to find there own secluded spots. This beach may not be a good area for swimming as there is a lot of shallow rock and the mister managed to spot an odd sea snake but it is a nice shaded beach to sit back, relax and watch the surfers chase the waves.(this beach seemed very popular with the serious surfers)


We also stopped by the newbie Pandawa beach, which reminded us of Boarcay, Phillipines with its white sands calm turquoise waters. The government has made serious efforts to woe tourists to this beach-the convenient access road cut through the high limestone cliffs, the mythological figurines for the selfie stick tourists and convenient parking lots, its all well laid out.

The other major highlights of the trip included the early sunrise hike of Mt Batur(an active volcano).

It was a surreal experience to climb up the summit covered in black volcano ash- the local tour guides call it 'black snow' soft and slippery(downhill almost felt like skiing)! Climbing down the summit we shouted a 'hi!' to the caldera and we could hear the sound bounce and echo all the way to the very bottom.
There was steam coming out from different nooks and slopes like a chain smoker mountain- small steam from under a stone, steam sauna cave with the smell of minerals and what not!
It was a cloudy day so we could not see the sunrise, but it was a magical morning nonetheless. The darkness of the night turning into Prussian blue, the black shroud covering the lake Batur slowly slipping away revealing the gentle waters below. The black shadows of the hills right across conjured into their distinct tops and standing at the summit we saw the lowly clouds floating over the valley below.

I would like to be all poetic about the temples, the traditional dances, the prayers and the festivities but I am a lazy writer so I will just wrap up saying that locals take pride in their culture and they welcome you warmly to be a part of it.
Ubud is a shoppers paradise looking for artistic bric-a-brac, one can also visit the villages and workshops and learn more about the crafts and craftsmen. I guess it would be like 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory experience', but for us it will have to be next time...

We travel for different reasons, people can interpret and explore the same place in completely different trajectories. In a short 5 day trip, we sampled different flavors of Bali and covered the key tourist attractions. We learnt some new things and came back curious about others. We also realized that for some things 5 days is just not enough- like understanding what makes people tick or understanding a culture.

Anyways for someone planning a quick trip to bali, here is our sample itinerary (5 days 4 night)
3 nights in Ubud:
Day 1: Relax at the resort(enjoy the private pool), Ubud centre, lunch and dinner at Warung- local Bali food
Day 2: Mt Batur sunrise hike and visit to coffee plantation (booked tour package online http://www.balitrekkingtour.com/). Massage after the hike and a relaxed evening watching Kecak fire dance performance(schedule available online for location and timing of different dance forms)
Day 3: Relaxed morning and then hired a taxi for the afternoon tour: rice fields, Taman Ayun & Tanah lot sunset
1 night in Kuta:
Day 4: Kuta hotel checkin, sunset at Seminyak
Day 5: Kuta beach in the morning and hired a taxi in the afternoon to explore south Bali beaches all the way to Uluwatu temple. Evening headed back to the airport for our real early morning flight.