John and I went exploring yesterday for a geocache, which we found in a school for the mentally disabled, sponsored by the Sjaki-Tari-Us foundation. John was very happy since he found something in the cache called a geocache coin, which is supposed to have a mission assigned to it like "bring me to every continent". John was thrilled because this one from Germany and did not have mission yet, so John can make one up.
I was interested to speak with one of the teachers from the school. She said the school was founded and sponsored by people from Holland. The Indonesian government does provide some schooling for the mentally disabled, but it's limited to kids ages 7 through 10. This school provides schooling for kids outside of these age ranges.
Last night we attended a performance called the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance, which was definitely worth seeing. The local community puts on these performances in a number of temples in the area. We were told at the end of the performance that the proceeds will be used to help build a temple. The area already seems to have an endless number of temples, but what do I know.
We bought our tickets, an attendant put a flower behind our ear on the way in, and were seated within a small Hindu temple courtyard on makeshift benches. The place was packed by the time the show started, with people seated on all four sides, wherever they could squeeze in. Some of the last people in sat on the only places available, the stone throne focal point of the temple. Even this sight of 300 people seated within a partially lit and ancient temple at night was strange and unique, all of us with flowers in our hair. Maybe my imagination was running wild, or perhaps I shouldn't have purchased the big beer on the way in, but it reminded me of something out of a cult movie, like the second Indiana Jones movie Temple of Doom. There was no doomsday here this night, but as I often repeat, you would never see this in Canada due to health and safety concerns.
The performance started after a man in a traditional sarong (which is the custom here) lights the candles on a statue in the middle of the courtyard. The candles burn brightly. Then an orchestra of 100 men, all bare chested and wearing checkered sarongs, enter and sit down around the statue. Throughout the performance they chant, sing, sway and raise their arms to the fire. This is the only music for the performance, since there were no instruments. Occasionally they would stand or lay down on each other. A most strange mix of sights and sounds, but mesmerising after a while.
The actors come and go throughout the performance, telling an adventure story from the Ramayana epic, as kings, evil demons, monkeys and others play their part in the capture and rescue of a princess from the forest. The lady actresses were well dressed in ornate costumes with golden dresses and headpieces, and performed slow dance movements with their arms and head most of the time. Again, very mesmerising.
Next came the most dramatic performance, the Fire and Trance dance. They first set up shallow metallic barriers around the courtyard, and then a pile of coconut shells were placed in the middle and lit on fire. Some of the orchestra men return on one side with some percussion instruments, and began to chant and bang their instruments. Next a shirtless man enters in bare feet, standing within a frame with a head and tail made of reeds. He was apparently in a trance from the chanting and he proceeded to walk and dance around the red hot coals. Then he kicked the coals toward our side of the courtyard, and a great mass of sparks flew up on high in this otherwise darkened courtyard. What a dramatic and startling experience to see the sparks fly! Some of the coals struck the barrier and made it through the cracks next to the audience's feet. He scattered the embers in other directions and then walked on the remains. The coals were swept into a pile by attendants and the horse man repeated the performance a couple more times. Once the burning coconuts were mostly extinguished, he lay down among the orchestra members with his blackened feet exposed, and seemed to receive a blessing.
The kids were concerned about his feet, and hoped they were okay. They were too shy to talk to him after the performance however and ask him. After the show we all streamed out of the temple, and enjoyed a late dinner down the street. What a unique way to spend an evening.
Here's John with his geocache coin.
I was interested to speak with one of the teachers from the school. She said the school was founded and sponsored by people from Holland. The Indonesian government does provide some schooling for the mentally disabled, but it's limited to kids ages 7 through 10. This school provides schooling for kids outside of these age ranges.
Last night we attended a performance called the Kecak Fire and Trance Dance, which was definitely worth seeing. The local community puts on these performances in a number of temples in the area. We were told at the end of the performance that the proceeds will be used to help build a temple. The area already seems to have an endless number of temples, but what do I know.
We bought our tickets, an attendant put a flower behind our ear on the way in, and were seated within a small Hindu temple courtyard on makeshift benches. The place was packed by the time the show started, with people seated on all four sides, wherever they could squeeze in. Some of the last people in sat on the only places available, the stone throne focal point of the temple. Even this sight of 300 people seated within a partially lit and ancient temple at night was strange and unique, all of us with flowers in our hair. Maybe my imagination was running wild, or perhaps I shouldn't have purchased the big beer on the way in, but it reminded me of something out of a cult movie, like the second Indiana Jones movie Temple of Doom. There was no doomsday here this night, but as I often repeat, you would never see this in Canada due to health and safety concerns.
The performance started after a man in a traditional sarong (which is the custom here) lights the candles on a statue in the middle of the courtyard. The candles burn brightly. Then an orchestra of 100 men, all bare chested and wearing checkered sarongs, enter and sit down around the statue. Throughout the performance they chant, sing, sway and raise their arms to the fire. This is the only music for the performance, since there were no instruments. Occasionally they would stand or lay down on each other. A most strange mix of sights and sounds, but mesmerising after a while.
The actors come and go throughout the performance, telling an adventure story from the Ramayana epic, as kings, evil demons, monkeys and others play their part in the capture and rescue of a princess from the forest. The lady actresses were well dressed in ornate costumes with golden dresses and headpieces, and performed slow dance movements with their arms and head most of the time. Again, very mesmerising.
Next came the most dramatic performance, the Fire and Trance dance. They first set up shallow metallic barriers around the courtyard, and then a pile of coconut shells were placed in the middle and lit on fire. Some of the orchestra men return on one side with some percussion instruments, and began to chant and bang their instruments. Next a shirtless man enters in bare feet, standing within a frame with a head and tail made of reeds. He was apparently in a trance from the chanting and he proceeded to walk and dance around the red hot coals. Then he kicked the coals toward our side of the courtyard, and a great mass of sparks flew up on high in this otherwise darkened courtyard. What a dramatic and startling experience to see the sparks fly! Some of the coals struck the barrier and made it through the cracks next to the audience's feet. He scattered the embers in other directions and then walked on the remains. The coals were swept into a pile by attendants and the horse man repeated the performance a couple more times. Once the burning coconuts were mostly extinguished, he lay down among the orchestra members with his blackened feet exposed, and seemed to receive a blessing.
The kids were concerned about his feet, and hoped they were okay. They were too shy to talk to him after the performance however and ask him. After the show we all streamed out of the temple, and enjoyed a late dinner down the street. What a unique way to spend an evening.
Here's John with his geocache coin.
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