We were told that in Bali people believe that afterthey die, if they were good people, they will manage to come back as humans to Bali - because who needs heaven, Bali IS heaven so they say...
We came to Bali, and I have to say - Ubud, the town we stayed in is as close to heaven I have ever been... From our room in the hotel, we see the rice fields in all their shapes and forms. Some covered with water, some are already grown, some were just harvested. That is because Bali has no real seasons, it is always warm (just the rainy season vs. the dry season) therefore, they can go on a grow rice all year long. Around the rice fields are the coconat trees and the jungle. We waked up with the calls of the roosters and the singing birds, and went to sleep with the noise of frogs. We saw the traditional dancing, ate the wonderful food, talked to the most friendly people - what else do you need??? OK, we did more. We went up to the vulkano mountains to see the beautiful views. Than we went down south to the touristy beach towns(Kuta, Semniyak etc.) and thanked God for not staying there. The beach itself however, was beautifull, and there were some beautiful temples built on the cliffs.
Yossi and I went down the river Unda for white water rafting. Some areas were pretty rough, some were placid and we had to work to continue. Along the way, the Balenese people are bathing naked in the river, men women and children. According to their tradition it is absulutely fine, they even waved to us. We thought it was really beautiful. Of course the route took us along beautiful canyons, jungle trees and flowers, just amazing views.
I must say that it is a completely different world in Bali, nothing that we saw before. The Hindu relegion is very different from everything I know. Temples are everywhere, and so are thousands and probaly millions status of the different god and godesses. Life cycles around the worship. A lot of time and money is spent on the temples, however many basic human needs are missing. No medical insurance, no pension plan, most people work seven days a week - hardly any days off. The casts system is still prevailing, although these days it is a bit more flexible.
However, the people are so nice, friendly and beautiful.
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