.

Suppi shared the most incredible experience with us. He gave us sarongs the first night we arrived and he told us to bring them with us yesterday. On the bus he gave us sashes. You must wear a sarong that covers your knees and a sash and have your shoulders covered to go in to a temple. We stopped in a gas station and he helped us put our sarongs and sashes on correctly. The two men in our group also had to wear the tudung (sp?) which is a sort of a headpiece like you see Suppi wear in the pictures. Then he led us through a maze of alleyways to the back entrance of the middle temple. We could hear the priest singing the prayers from the main temple. I thought it sounded a bit like the Muslim call to prayer but when you listened, it was more singing and talking, not like anything I've heard before.

 Suppi must have timed it perfectly because as soon as he rushed us in the middle temple, and up against the wall, the women started to arrive through the door with the offerings on their heads (and why you don't see any older Balinese women with cervical problems is beyond me.)

here they come

and keep coming

bringing the offerings 

Then come the men and children, everyone laughing and talking and smiling. One of our group, Becky, brought little gift bags of candy for the children and they were so delighted. The mothers brought the kids around to shake hands with us as a thank you. So sweet.

  The offerings include whole chickens, fruit, sweets, flowers, etc. After this day, they will get to take them home. I could be wrong but I gathered that this was one day of an 11-day celebration with three temples participating. I think Suppi is a member of one of them.

the offerings

A moment of silent prayer with the children

After praying in the third temple, these women came to play for the men.  We filed in unobtrusively (yeah, right) and a man in red came in and said a few words and the men left and after a moment, the women followed them "to have something to eat," it was explained. Can't blame them for wanting to practice their traditions without outsiders present.

This picture was a mistake but I like it somehow; must have looked down and snapped it by accident, but you can see my sarong and sash. Brown - not my fave.

I am filled up full with this experience, if that makes any sense. I trust I will never forget it.

* * * 

And, speaking of remarkable experiences, today we visited Hoffman. THE highlight of this trip. What an awe inspiring day/process - OMG! I will not sleep tonight and don't want to, so wound up from this wonderful experience. But for now, LizzieAlone is over and out, happy and full of gratitude and thanks for my good fortune to be here in Bali. Life is good. Lots of love . . . more anon