Story of Bali, Indonesia

For the past three years, on the day before Nyepi, a parade has been staged at night in Denpasar, replete with 'floats', each carried by 20 to 30 men and women who have descended upon the city centre from all directions far and wide. The floats are in the form of large imaginary monsters and evil spirits. It is traditional to carry them around the village to excite everyone to shouting and merriment. Three days preceding Nyepi, there is a similar converging upon beaches. Processions of men and women from all corners of the city of Denpasar, and beyond, carry effigies of the gods and offerings to a rendezvous located at Kuta or Sanur Beach, where the offerings are finally blessed. One can sense the build-up of emotion preceding Nyepi, but the climax is not loud nor. dramatic as is often seen in Western culture (e.g., American's Fourth of July celebrations). Instead it is an impressive day of relative quiet and almost complete silence, except for the children playing in the evening. It is, however, both a major turning-point in action and a culmination point. The festivities of the days and night before lead up to it dramatically. Peaceful feelings and a release of tension accompany the day of silence, somewhat similar to the feelings of women after having their food offerings blessed at the temple.

I AM by a representative of Nitour. which is Indonesia's ..official tourist organization, the big one, and the one that could be (but isn't) the Indonesian equivalent of Cooks.

I want to change some money. I go, with a Nitour guide. to the Bank of Indonesia. I have Autralian-dollars Traveller-, Cheques and sterling Travelers Cheques (Cooks, both) and I have Australian notes and Bank of England notes-no U.S. currency because it is in process of being devalued, and I do not regard it as a good bct. But the Bank of Indonesia in. Medan will not change anything but American dollars. They don't want Australian money or sterling in any form; they do not even know the exchange tates of these currencies. THE MA'GELLU' DANCE. This is danced by women who sing while they dance. It is held to please the soul of the deceased in his permanent abode.
The people were formerly able to hold these grand ceremonies with many different dances and dozens of buffalo offerings were the rich only; for the poor, the ceremony was very simple. It was the Torajas from Central Sulawesi who used to perfom these ceremonial death-dances.Since rice is their most important food, the people of Sulawesi express their gratitude to God, who has granted them an abundant harvest. There are several ceremonial harvest dances, the Pakarena Dance and the Manimbong Dance.

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