The 2 biggest Balinese ceremonies of the year are Galungan and Nyepi. One of the best aspects of these celebrations is that every village in Bali takes part. For a tourist it means being able to observe locals constructing decorations, in the case of Galungan, a penjor (the decorated bamboo pole that dangles a special offering) and in the case of Nyepi, ogah ogah’s (the monster like creatures).
The day before Nyepi the Pecalang, or community traffic police, block many local streets. Ceremonies must be undertaken and the large ogah ogahs sit at roadside waiting for the main event around 7pm. A simple motorbike journey can turn into a tour of the neighborhood, as every half a kilometer, another set of Pecalang have blocked a street. Riders can find themselves being forced from a main road, to a secondary road which leads to a cratered backstreet lined with rubble. Looking on the bright side, these detours allow an outsider a close up view of village life in Bali and travel new routes.
Nyepi is a great time for the kids, who are allowed to carry some of the smaller ogah ogah on bamboo platforms. The general feeling is rather like a Balinese version of Christmas eve. People are hanging out in ceremonial attire, attending ceremonies and socializing. These kids in the Penebel area were eager to get their photo taken. Older men and women filed across a 2-lane path through rice fields to a small temple, the glong glong of the gamelan constantly sounding. The afternoon before Nyepi Bali feels strangely quiet. Many shops are closed with staff leaving to go back to their villages around the island. A pleasant break from the hectic downtown street life.
