Off to Tulamben, merely a village on the eastern coastal road and if
it weren’t for a Japanese shipwreck from WWII, there would sadly be no reason to go
there. What attracts people to Tulamben is the diving opportunities. Upon
arrival, though, the sea was raging and we were told by a diving centre that
since we were beginners, it wasn’t ideal. We decided to wait until the next day
and decide what to do, then. That afternoon, we rented scooters and went
exploring to Amed, 20 kms of hotels, restaurants and villagers along the coast.
Magnificent views, black sand and pebbled beaches. No one was either
snorkelling, diving or swimming since the sea was so rough. Not a good omen!
Not everything was lost, however, as we stumbled upon a sort of market place
that was hosting a cockfight. First time for everything! The locals were going
wild with the fights and it is gruesome. Only one possible outcome: 1 cockerel
has to die. All bets are off! We were asked if we wanted to bet but politely
declined. Little did we know as we were looking for a way to the beach that we
would happen upon a totally illegal cockfight. Back at the hotel we thought of
a plan B and made arrangements to leave the next morning and go back to Legian
since the sea didn’t look like it would calm down. It was the right move as
people shared they had less than 1 meter visibility and so what was the point
of diving, then?
The drive back to Legian took close to three hours due to
the traffic and narrow roads in the mountains. Plenty of time to talk with our
driver who was a lovely man and was quite happy to have a chat. I asked him all
sorts of questions about the Balinese culture and ways, and he very nicely
obliged. He explained the cockfight was actually illegal, as we thought, but
that the police knew it was going on and since they now and again raided it and
fined people, they let it go on as it provides them with a source of revenue.
Corrupt government bodies are rife in many parts of the world. We talked about religion as that day was a special ceremony and many
people were dressed for the temple and carrying offerings everywhere. Balinese are very religious, something that strikes you as you land in Bali. He,
himself, however, said he wasn’t particularly religious but believes in karma (90% of
Balinese are Hindu) so funerals are a very serious rite of passage, one that
costs unbelievable amounts of money and for people like him who live in
villages and earn little, affording a funeral is tough. So, what they do is
bury the body first until they can pay or they wait until several people have
died and share the cost of the burial ceremony and fees, unearth the bodies/
bones (some are buried for years before they receive their proper burial) and
send them off properly to their next life. He also explained that they put the
ashes in coconut shells and in the water, a river, the sea, any body of water
as this is the natural element ashes should return to. Fascinating
conversation.
Legian was our final destination for the remainder of our days in
Bali. No disappointment there. Enormous waves you could have fun into, sun all
day, a nice way to end our holiday.
Back to the village early August after a stop in Singapore.
Link to video of the beach and waves in Legian (lien pour la video des vagues):
Link to video of cockfighting (lien pour la video du combat
de coqs):
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