Early Morning Bali Routine

Wake Up! Time to jump out of bed and greet the day!



All those surfers must still be asleep as I leave my hotel for the beach!



Observe the morning offerings being made along my way to the ocean.



Take time to stop and smell the water lily...













Stop every once in a while, and chat with the local spirits, to find out what happened throughout the night ....



Early morning .... the beach is quiet, as the chairs await their occupants.




Take off my sandals and touch the cool wet sand .... as I walk along the beach.



With the early morning sun rising over my shoulder .... the first signs of day show over the Indian Ocean.



The sun rises to meet the cresting waves..



Take time out for a relaxing cup of Balinese coffee on the way back to my hotel....



Breakfast! Tea ... had enough caffeine already! Fruit salad and a grilled banana sandwich.




Gotta get going! Class starts in Denpansar soon! And the teens are always so, so punctual!



Time to have some fun teaching the SOS teens in Denpasar some English! Whether it be math, reading the newspaper, buying fruit, or any other subject that involves them speaking with me in English .... we have a fun few hours together!

Bali Funeral Process & Cremation

Men with a container of burning incense .... ready for the procession to begin.



Musicians waiting for the procession to begin.






Individual women carry on their heads, items to be used in the sacred rites at the cremation site.



Musicians in the funeral procession.






The brightly colored hand made float carrying the remains of the five deseased family members, begins it final procession to the cremation site.




The float carrying the remains of the deceased approaches an intersection, where the men carrying the float will run around the intersection, in an effort to confuse the spirits of the deceased.



As the crowd watched, the float was twirled round and round and round at the intersection.




Individual cremation sites were built, using the trunks of green palm trees.



Sacred burial rites performed on the deceased remains as the Hindu priest rings a bell.



Hindu priest performing special rites prior to the cremation.



View of the float, hand carried by men to the cremation site.



Women assist the Hindu priest with the rituals prior to lighting the cremation fires.




Close up view of the inside of the casket, after the remains of one of the deceased was place in it in preparation for the cremation fires to be lite.



The fires are lite and the cremation of the remains begins.




The cremation fires burn, releasing the deceased individuals' spirits to leave their body for the last time.



As the cremation fires burn, the dancers performed an elaborate slow motion dance, showing the deceased spirits the way to paradise.