Bali54 A place of Wonders

1. a place of Wonders

2. 54 Bali

3. Flag of Bali

7. Lake Batur shimmers beneath the mountains of Kintamani (and this two-headed dragon sculpture)

10. The Famous Flags Umbul-Umbul on Sanur beach

15. In Bali the highest aspect of divinity is known as Tintya (inspired by the dancing form of Shiva-Natarajah). Tintya is often depicted in sacred paintings as an agile, elvish figure on a chakra (wheel of cosmic energy) - flanked by two dragons (one green, the other red) representing the ida and pingala - or the positive and negative poles of the planet's electromagnetic field

20. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, or Pura Bratan, is a major Shivaite and water temple

21. Chaetodonadiergastos (BantayanButterflyfish, Eye-patch Butterflyfish)

22. Like other spices, cloves are available throughout the year. They are renowned for providing their uniquely warm, sweet and aromatic taste to ginger bread and pumpkin pie, but they can also make a wonderful addition to split pea and bean soups, baked beans and chili.

23. Cloves are the unopened pink flower buds of the evergreen clove tree. The buds are picked by hand when they are pink and dried until they turn brown in color.

25. Harvest time comes between July and October in west Buleleng. The arrival of harvest time is the sign for migrant workers, from Buleleng and as far away as Java, to flock to the clove-growing regions and offer their seasonal services to the owners of large plantations. Some have the required skills to be buruh alap, the workers who are not afraid of heights. Armed with only a tall ladder made of a single bamboo pole, they will scale to the top of the clove trees, pluck the flowers and place them inside the gunnysacks

26. Others will serve as pengunduh, collecting flowers that are scattered on the ground, while the others work as pengepik, who separate the flower buds from the leaves and branches

27. The bamboo ladder is 20 meters tall, while the clove trees could grow up to a height of 25 meters

28. Whenever possible, buy whole cloves instead of clove powder since the latter loses its flavor more quickly. When squeezed with a fingernail, good quality cloves will release some of their oil. Alternatively, you can place a clove in a cup of water. Those of good quality will float vertically while those that are stale will either sink or float horizontally

29. In each climb, a buruh alap carries down up to 50 kilograms of clove flowers in his gunnysack. It is an exhausting and risky job. Then the worker spreads the clove flowers on the ground to dry them in the sun. Cloves are native to the Moluccas, formerly known as the Spice Islands of Indonesia. They have been consumed in Asia for more than 2,000 years. Owing to their sweet and fragrant taste, Chinese courtiers dating back to 200 BC would keep them in their mouths in order to freshen their breath when addressing the emperor so as to not offend him

30. Durian Rambutan Mangosteen Mango Bananas

31. Cyathea, the tree fern

33. Vanilla plantation in wood

34. Despite its huge economic potential, cultivating vanilla plants is not popular as consumers prefer to buy synthetic products. Vanilla beans are among the island’s top export commodities along with coffee, cacao and cloves. Currently, vanilla farms on Bali cover only 806 hectares of land with an annual production of only 30 tons.

36. Initial attempts to cultivate vanilla outside Mexico and Central America proved futile because of the symbiotic relationship between the vanilla orchid and its natural pollinator, the local species of Melipona bee. Pollination is required to set the fruit from which the flavoring is derived.

37. In 1841, Edmond Albius, a 12-year-old slave who lived on the French island of Réunion in the Indian Ocean, discovered the plant could be hand-pollinated. Hand-pollination allowed global cultivation of the plant One flower produces one fruit.

39. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron, because growing the vanilla seed pods is labor-intensive. Despite the expense, vanilla is highly valued for its flavor, and its complex floral aroma. As a result, vanilla is widely used in both commercial and domestic baking, perfume manufacture and aromatherapy.

41. Left alone, it will grow as high as possible on the support, with few flowers. Every year, growers fold the higher parts of the plant downward so the plant stays at heights accessible by a standing human. This also greatly stimulates flowering. The flowers can be naturally pollinated only by a specific Melipone bee found in Mexico (abeja de monte or mountain bee). The only way to produce fruits without the bees is artificial pollination. And today, even in Mexico, hand pollination is used extensively

46. Chili peppers are the main ingredient to make sambal (spicy chili condiment) but they use them also in many hot dishes such as ikan bumbu Bali (spiced Balinese fish). Chili peppers are hot and it can burn your tongue, but I suggest you to use them in your daily food, because they are extremely healthy. They can even fight cancer. And not to forget, they are delicious.

47. Barong Mask

48. Text: Internet Pictures: Internet & Nicoleta Leu All  copyrights  belong to their  respective owners Presentation: Sanda Foişoreanu www.slideshare.net/michaelasanda https://ma-planete.com/michaelasanda 2013 Sound: Puspa Winangun –Ensemble instrumental Seka Joged Meka Sari