We Are Art Sluts
I’m not ashamed. Of anything, really, but certainly not of being an art slut. So much of our motivation to travel is to see what clever people in different places can do with their thumbs.…
Like Etsy IRL
Java has been a thicket of arts and crafts. Silver, glass, weaving, painting, basketry, leather, puppets… Java has had the richest mix of crafts of anywhere we’ve been, on a par with Morocco or Oaxaca,…
Batik-apalooza
Bali’s ikat fabrics are gorgeous. Subtle, rich, intricate, implausible in their craft. In counterpoint, Java’s batiks are the bumptious clown car to Bali’s sleek Formula 1 racer. Loud, intense, riotous, overstuffed… As we looked around…
Ramayana Ding Dong
Dance and performance have been recurring themes all throughout Southeast Asia. From Cambodia’s post-genocide recreations, to Vietnam’s water puppets, to Bali’s gamelan-fueled Ramayana tales, we’ve sampled performance at every stop. Wayang Orang Sonobudoyo We’d yet…
We Owe It All To Sir Stamford Raffles…
Borobudur : Java :: Angkor Wat : Cambodia. You’ll thank me when you next have to take the SAT. What I mean is that both temples are so iconic that, even if you can’t name…
A Balinese County Fair
All unbeknownst, we arrived in Denpasar in the midst of their annual month-long art fair, Pesta Kesenian Bali. It takes place on the grounds of the Taman Werdhi Budaya Art Centre, which was purpose built…
If It’s Tuesday It Must Be Denpasar
Denpasar, Bali’s gritty capital, isn’t known as a tourist destination. You’re either there for the beaches, as we were in Amed, or you’ve come for the new age hoohah and you’re in Ubud or its…
Ubud: The Heart Of Darkness
Ubud is full of galleries, boutiques, and performing troupes, and is billed as Bali’s cultural center, aside from the capital, Denpasar. It’s also one of Bali’s most heavily touristed areas, which is why, net, we…
Temples & Textiles
Once again, fabric beckoned. After our visit to Tenganan to see their double ikat geringsing, we planned a visit to Sidemen to see songket brocades being made. The Besakih Temple was close enough to Sidemen…
Day Tripper
As lovely as it is to bob in the water, you just knew we couldn’t go a full month with nothing but ocean for entertainment. To what I’m sure will be absolutely no one’s surprise,…