Preparing for the Opening Ceremony

So, in Bali, ceremonies are held for just about everything, and for the Balinese, they would never move into a new home or start a new business without a ceremony. And not just any ceremony....for every different purpose, there is a specific ceremony, with intricate offerings dedicated to the Gods who watch over that particular area. And the ceremony cannot just be held on a day that suits you. No, it must fit in with the Balinese calendar and an auspicious day must be found that will allow for the highest blessings and greatest success. Iluh's father is an amazing man and happens to be an expert in such things. He is in possession of an old book that is falling apart from overuse, which has dates for a 300 year range and gives all the good days for specific purposes. So, we consulted him, to find a suitable day to hold our opening ceremony and he said Nov 21st is a good day to move into a new house and also to start a new business (both of which I plan to do).
As this date approaches, the workers are putting extra effort into finishing the building, so that we can sleep there on the night of the 21st. Nengah told me he has been awake many hours each night, worrying about the project and whether it will get finished. I said not to worry; we can just sleep there, even if it's not finished. But for Nengah, it's important to have it looking complete and ready for the big day. I guess it would be equivalent to having a house warming party, inviting all the guests, planning the menu, drinks, and decorations, and not having the windows and doors in place.
The effort that goes into Balinese ceremonies has always amazed me. The offerings are intricate and are created by tender hands and loving hearts. As I am staying at Blue Star, I have been privileged to be involved with the process of preparing for the "house-warming" ceremony.

Iluh and her mother-in-law making offerings from coconut fronds.

 Similar to origami.....very complex folding and cutting....then, voila: a beautiful creation!

 Eka preparing young coconuts to place in the offering baskets.

Small offerings with many items of significance placed in each one, eventually to be put in a larger offering basket.

I get a surprise when I see Iluh has used purple to colour the decorative rice cakes!

 Everyone helps! It is such a beautiful communal effort. The women sit around and create while they chat about life.

Just another day at "The Project"

Things are happening quickly now!

 The floors are being sanded.....

The bamboo railing is complete. And Nengah is busily carving the handrails for the stairs.

          Wayan is tiling the shower, with beautiful Sri, his helper.

Almost finished!

 And a most essential part of the project, the septic tank and reed bed, is well on its way.

A Day off!

It's been hot,dry and humid here in Amed. The wet season has not arrived yet, although it's threatened to break through a few times. The hills around here are parched and only a few trees are surviving the arid conditions. The ocean is great for cooling off, but I've been craving some lush forest and some fresh water for a dip. I had heard of Les Waterfall on a previous trip so we decided to take a day off from painting and gardening at the project and hire our favourite driver (Komang) and head North from Amed. Within an hour we were in a different world....so much vegetation....many fruit trees (rambatun, jackfruit, banana, papaya) and an easy, shady path to the falls.

The walk itself would be worth going on, but the waterfall is a beautiful jewel that surprises you at the end of the one kilometer path.

A tropical paradise in a remote and  yet to be discovered part of Bali

The Wood Floor is almost Finished

Coconut wood is strong and easily accessible here in Bali and it has a beautiful grain, so we chose this for the meditation floor. It's starting to feel like a space for meditation.

 As you can see from this picture, the windows have arrived and will be put in over the next few days. Wow, it's all happening now! 

Tony and I have also been painting the outside of the building, leaving the higher parts for the workers to complete.

The Floor Joists are in

Yesterday the coconut floor boards arrived just as Nengah finished nailing the last of the joists. By tomorrow, we should have a floor!

On a clear Day you can see Lombok and Mount Rinjani

 

After a night of pouring rain, the air was clear and the views from the land so beautiful! Our alang-alang roof got it's christening and all was dry underneath (of course!)

Snorkeling with my new underwater camera

With clear warm water and a new camera, I venture into the fishes world. 

 

That's not a snake......it's an eel....

 A large Trigger Fish

and

Hundreds of Bat Fish

So many beautiful Fish and Coral

,

 Sometimes it feels like I'm being watched!

 

One of my favourite.....a Puffer Fish

 All taken from the waters of Jemeluk Bay! With Mount Agung standing guard!