YOLO Journal Issue 12 - Flipbook - Page 62
It’s almost harvest season in the
Munduk Mountain Valley. Birds
approach the rice fields at sunset
before being chased away by farmers
on constant alert. In this pocket of
Northern Bali, there is a sublime emptiness. I’m at Sanak Retreat, a group of
small, family-run wooden bungalows
amidst rice fields, tropical foliage and
mountain peaks. It feels like an older
Indonesia, Bali from an earlier time,
before the surfers and spiritual pilgrims
discovered it in the ‘90s, and later
tourist buses and traffic jams crowded
its southern end. It is this serene and
hidden side of Bali that I have come to
find, tipped off by an Indonesian friend.
Forging further north by motorbike
to Villa Manuk, my next guesthouse,
I take ever-smaller roads past traditional villages of stone compounds,
the volcanoes always looming behind.
As I go, I am drawn to the pristine,
powerful waterfalls along the island’s
valleys and trails. The upland region
of Buleleng Regency harbors some of
the most magnificent cascades on the
island, known for their mystical healing
powers. In Balinese Hinduism, waterfalls are thought to be the pure energy
of the goddess Shakti and are used as
portals of purification by priests.
Getting down to the falls is usually
a tricky business, as I venture deep into
the jungle and sometimes ford streams.
When I reach the foot of Sekumpul
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Falls, which thunders down from a
height of 275 feet, I am stunned to find a
cluster of six or seven narrow cascades
within a lush bamboo-forested valley.
Stepping into its forceful, cleansing
stream, the intense pressure pours
down onto my head and shoulders, and
I can sense something of the Balinese
idea of liberation from earthly suffering
and fear. It is an electrifying experience,
leaving a euphoria that lingers for the
rest of the day.
On a rainy morning, I turn south
towards Ubud, Bali’s bustling spiritual
hub, and settle in at Stone House. It is
a superb B&B ensconced in greenery
that brilliantly evokes the mood of
village life between paddy and jungle.
The owner tells me about Pak Man, one
of Bali’s most revered energy healers,
and I book a session with him. It is a
deep, painful massage that he purports
can treat everything from depression
and drug addiction to broken bones.
I don’t know whether his hands have
healed me, but as the pain melts into
relaxation, I feel peace.
Continuing along the northeast
coast towards Amed, the scenery shifts
from rice paddies to black-sand beaches
and fishing boats. In the morning, I stop
to watch the sunrise beyond Mount
Agung, an active volcano along the
Pacific’s combustible “Ring of Fire.”
It feels like I have entered the earth’s
beating heart, and in many ways, I have.
