Little Things

Sometimes the differences in culture are glaring and sometimes it's weird to imagine the massive geographical space between where we are and what we are used to. And sometimes one finds delight in the small changes from home.

We are in Chiang Mai, getting ready to head back to Bangkok and then on to Hong Kong tomorrow. We are past the half way point for this trip - damn is it going fast - and Michael has safely joined us. 

As it is our halfway point we have treated ourselves to a nice hotel, which bears a lot of resemblance to a nice hotel in the states. It's the little things that remind  you how far from home you are. Here's a few:

No durians allowed in the room. 

The books in the bedside table.

Okay, this isn't so country specific, it's just a fun way to let the staff know you want your bed remade.

This one isn't country specific either. But heck, it's fun too.

Each room on the ground floor has it's own koi.

I like the little things.

Balinese Demons and My Inner Pyro

    As I was planning our week in Bali, I discovered that we would be around for the Balinese New Year, Nyepi. I immediately googled the celebration, wondering if we would be in for a crazy party or a super formal ritual. Turns out that on Nyepi, the Day of Silence, everyone stays inside and mostly sleeps. No lights on outside, few inside and no excessive noise. If you leave your hotel, you will be asked firmly by the police to return immediately. And everything shuts down except emergency services and police. The airport is closed.

    I ended up changing one of our flights to accommodate our having one less day to explore Bali and read in passing that there might be a little parade on the night before.

    But when we got here and saw the Ogoh-Ogoh, I realized more research was required. I returned to the internet.

Ogoh-Ogoh at the parade - we first saw them getting them getting their last coats of paint inside the temples.

    The reasoning behind the Day of Silence is that, if we are all very careful, the demons will think that no one lives on Bali and they will leave the island in peace. The parade and party the night before is partially about confusing the hell out of the demons.

    The Ogoh-Ogoh are giant models of Balinese Hindu demons, ten foot tall monsters with overgrown fingernails, and clear anger issues. I'm guessing they were made out of paper mache, but cannot swear to it. They are carried on crosshatched bamboo platforms by teams of men and boys through the street. The more coordinated teams dipped their demons towards the crowd, and kept up a bouncing breath while standing still. They were effectively intimidating.

    Now to the confusing them part - The Ogoh-Ogoh are carried from one end of the village to the other and spun in circles at every crossroad. Fireworks were set off near them (and the crowd incidentally) and finally they were taken back to the area in front of the temple and burnt. If that doesn't disorient a demon, what will?

    The bonfire was huge - like no one within ten feet of the blistering heat huge. 

Bonfire just getting started.

    And along with the traditional Ogoh-Ogoh, was this guy:

Hello, Mr. Reaper sir...

     I've been thinking a lot about whether him being around is a scary sign of cultural imperialism, proof that living religions are awesome, or somewhere between the two. He ended up in the fire, consumed with the other Ogoh-Ogoh, and it was a satisfying bit of ritual to watch 'em burn.

   

Once More with Feeling (or Asia Begins)

In high school, Chelsea and I plotted to embark on an epic Euro trek after undergrad. We had just the right combination of stubbornness and luck and wanderlust to make it happen. We spent three months finding trains and hostels, exploring cathedrals and coffeeshops and chronicling it below. 

And mountains. We climbed a mountain. 

And at the end of the trip, when we had spent 3 months traveling together - I mean, literally in the same room most of the time - we decided we were going to do it again. (May I get an 'amen' when I say 'BFF'? )

In three to five years, we were going to Asia. For two months. We could do it. 

Damn did the last four years go fast.

So here we are, 2014, and we're leaving for Bali on Tuesday to spend two months making our way to Japan. The blog is back up, my backpack is airing out and I have a more precise itinerary than we ever had for Europe.

I don't know what to expect from this trip. Whenever I leave the country, I get anxious. Not from anything particular, I'm just a huge fan of my lovely and familiar comfort zone. Part of why I do travel in the first place.

Right. My dear friends and family. Here we go. 

Bring me that horizon.

^_^