Kecak Ramayana & Fire Dance

#travelthursday

You have to see this dance if you wanna immense yourself in some Balinese culture.  The ticket is worth, if I am not mistaken, 70,000 rupiah.  I know, don't get me started with their banknotes of too many zeroes.  Might sound a stupid question, but seriously, can't they reduce it to lowest terms?? Too complicated, haha!!  Anyway, as I mentioned in my last post, Joan and Plok skipped the show for some foodie. :))  So, Ali, Dolph, Carissa and I were the only ones who watched it.

Me and Carissa

This is the initial set-up of the stage:

Soon after that you'll see about 50+ men in black and white checkered sarongs percussively chanting, singing, swaying and lying down in unison around that statue until some of them comes into a trance.  It was quite an experience!!!  I wasn't sure if it was just a performance or a religious ritual but it somehow had a spiritual sense into it.  I read in some blog that James Cameron patterned one of the scenes in Avatar from this (that part where they revived Sigourney Weaver).  It's hypnotic!!  *Insert Lady Gaga's lyrics It's half-psychotic, sick, hypnotic Got my blueprint it's symphonic!!* :)) A friend of mine - a high school student history teacher - commented in one of the pictures that he wished he could take his students in Bali to witness the dance itself.  I guess, it can be educational too.

If not for the pamphlets handed out before the dance, I guess I would never figure out the story of Ramayana, haha!!  The performance has five acts and it depicts the battle of Prince Rama vs. Rhawana through the help of a magical monkey.  I have to give credits to the facial expressions of the actors and actresses, theatrical!!!  Or in gay lingo, it's bonggacious!! :))  The outfits were colorful too!!  And the white monkey is sooooooooo funny!!!  In fact, he's so full of humor and engages the audience too much that I fear for the instance that he would get near me.  LOL!!

There was nothing too spectacular about the fire dance from what I recall. :P  After the show, we had our pictures taken with the performers. :)

After the temple visit, we passed by Jimabaran for a sumptuous seafood dinner where we entreated our rich friend from Dubai Ali to treat us but he simply didn't budge.  AT ALL.  XD  LOL!

Back to our villa around 11PM, we capped off the night with some night swimming as we wait for the arrival of our couple friends Mac and Xiela. :)

...to be continued...