BALI-Religion, burial at sea, gamelan music and some traditional theatre/dance (Carlos - English)

An uncle of the manager at our first villa died. This, like most important events in Bali, is celebrated by a ceremony. In this case, hours at the family temple (all extended families have at least one family temple), and then a procession ending at the beach, very close to where we were staying. His son and two other family members carried his ashes (cremated, as per hindu tradition) and offerings into the water, up to the point where they couldn't walk any more, then threw in the axes. I asked them why there were no long faces, no tears, etc; I was told that that had already happened, and that he would come back as something better, if he had been good during this life.

Made, the wonderful cook at Villa Pantai, making an offering the evening of the new moon. 

Balinese Dance. Seen in Ubud. From the Mahabharata, the story of "Sunda and Upasunda". The gods, called together by Indra, have to decide how to tackle the problem of the two powerful giant brothers, Sunda and Upasunda, who intend to conquer the universe, Heaven included. They opt for the classic ploy, and send the beautiful goddess Niatama down to Earth to seduce them, aided by a grip of also-beautiful Bidadaris (heavenly nymphs). 

Gamelan music and narration accompany Legong dancing and traditional theatre/dance  

Bidaris 

The goddess Niatama

The two giants Sunda and Upasunda

 The two brothers, heretofore allies, become rivals for the love of Niatama. And they fight, obviously. When they are exhausted, the goddess releases them from their spell, and they renounce their fiendish plan to conquer heaven

While the giants do battle, their retainers and people are also seduced by the heavenly nymphs...