Today I hired a private guide from Bali Traditional Tours. Whenever we travel I like to visit schools and orphanages, so I asked to stop at an elementary school. We brought pencils, erasers, paper, stickers, folders, and Play Doh for the kids. It’s Saturday, so I wasn’t sure if the kids would even be in school but Balinese children go to school on Saturday mornings.
Our guide Gus picked us up at 9am and told us it is the Day of the Full Moon, which is very sacred to Balinese Hindus. Gus took us to the same school that he attended as a boy and introduced us to his former principal. We visited his former classroom, and the kids were wearing traditional clothes and super excited for the temple ceremonies and village rituals that would happen later.
Balinese school children
Elementary school in Bali
Gus then took us to the Holy Spring Water Temple, where the ceremonies for Full Moon Day had already started. There was a procession around the temple, beautiful flowers and food offerings, traditional costumes and dancing, and musical performances.
Full Moon Day processional
Traditional costume and dance
Purifying ritual at Holy Spring Water Temple
Holy Spring Water Temple
We headed north and had lunch overlooking Mount Batur and Lake Batur. Mount Batur is an active volcano that last erupted in 2000.
Mount Batur and Lake Batur
We ended our tour at the Tegallalang Rice Terrace, which may be what Bali is best known for.
Tegallalang Rice Terrace
Tegallalang Rice Terrace