pure bliss.

August 4, 2011

as i look out from our porch, i see nothing but green upon green upon green. our room is called Beji 2 and you enter through the squeaky, traditional Balinese carved doors, which lock from the inside with a simple piece of wood. i feel like i am someplace at another time entirely. someplace imaginary. from the labrynth of stairways leading you every-which-way to the river rushing below, i certainly could never have dreamed of a place quite like this.. -excerpt from my travel journal

(the photographs below were taken during our stay at Hotel Tjampuhan, a magical place and the first hotel in Ubud - built in 1928.)

Hotel Tjampuhan; Ubud, Bali; Bali Travel Photography

Hotel Tjampuhan; Ubud, Bali; Bali Travel Photography; Balinese Prayer Offering

i recently entered a series of my documentary Bali photographs in the One Life Photography Competition. i hope you'll take a moment to view my entry (click image below). if you feel compelled, you may vote once a day. thank you!!

One Life Contest PDN Magazine - Bali Documentary Photographs by Teri Genovese

Bali Travel Photography: Tea with a Prince, Holy Springs in Amed, a Ceremonial Cock Fight

July 5, 2011

quite a memorable experience. a tour of the Palace of Pelitian and coffee, tea, and delicious cakes with the Prince... amazing and beautiful in every way:

Bali Travel Photographs - Prince of Pelitian

Bali Travel Photographs - Palace of Pelitian

Bali Travel Photography - Tea with the Prince of Pelitian

an incredibly peaceful walk through the Amed countryside with Roy to the Holy Springs. earlier in the day, we had tea and cakes at Roy's home and he took us snorkeling. in the evening, he cooked us dinner on the beach - fresh caught baracuda! we also learned we share the same birthday :)

Bali Travel Photography - Holy Springs in Amed

Bali Travel Photography - Holy Springs, Amed

Bali Travel Photographs - Holy Springs, Amed

this ceremonial cock fight was a very spontaneous stop en route to Amed in the village of Sidemen. i was engulfed by the complexity of it all. there was so much going on in every direction, i hardly noticed the actual 'cock fight.'

Bali Documentary Travel Photography - A Balinese Ceremonial Cock Fight, in the village of Sideman

Bali Documentary Travel Photography - Women and Girls at a Balinese Ceremonial Cock Fight, in the village of Sideman

without a doubt, the best decision we made was planning this trip through the Bali Institute. a huge thanks to Marcia and her organization that helps to honor and preserve this incredible culture through "conscious" tourism and in too many other ways to list here. the photos of the experiences shared above are just 3 of the highlights of this cultural immersion experience that we found particularly fascinating!

Bali Travel Photography: A Traditional Balinese Market / in Ubud at Sunrise

June 22, 2011

we awoke at 5:45am on our 5th day in Bali to walk to the Ubud Market. we were worn out from the day before when we had celebrated my 30th birthday among 11th century temples, millions of stairs, and 99% humidity. for my birthday dinner, i had a belgian waffle drizzled in dark chocolate.. a banana slice placed in each square. it is an adorable little place in Ubud on Hanoman Street called Lola Chocolate. the tiny interior is painted a bright sunny yellow and there is nothing more than a counter and a fridge. simplicity at its finest. besides delightful chocolate things, she also serves "pasta in a cup." like i said.. adorable! [sorry for the tangent.. i am often distracted by chocolate :) ] . . .

so, on the morning of Friday, May 13, we woke early as it was our last day in Ubud before heading to East Bali. we were told to visit the traditional market which takes place every day between 3am-7am.. and i couldn't miss it! local Balinese people visit the markets every morning to shop for that day's fresh foods and goods. everything from food to feed their families to goods they will sell in their restaurants and shops. can you imagine shopping fresh every day?

i was completely immersed and fascinated as i observed this daily ritual. as i became lost with my camera, i often worried that i was in the way. the market is very crowded and busy; and here i am, standing in people's way?! apologizing left and right, the response i received was always the same and with a smile: "no worries" and "sama sama" (meaning "it's alright.") this experience was just a sample of our entire time in Bali, in which i never once observed a Balinese person seem frustrated, annoyed, rushed, judgemental, or anything less than content and completely kind-hearted.

it seems so simple, they just 'do.' we have a lot to learn.

Traditional Balinese Market, the Ubud Market

Bali Documentary Photograph, Balinese man with bicycle in Ubud

Bali Travel Photography: From Point A to Point B: Bali-Style..

June 13, 2011

Bali Documentary Photograph, Balinese family with baby riding a motorbike in Ubud

Bali Documentary Photograph, motorbike and woman carrying ceremonial foods

Bali Documentary Photograph, Balinese men walking in Ubud

Bali Documentary Photograph, Balinese kids in Ubud

Bali Documentary Photograph, motorbikes and Balinese woman carrying ceremonial foods

Bali Documentary Photograph, motorbikes in Ubud

Bali Documentary Photograph, villagers in Amed

continuing along in my series of Bali photographs.. here is a glimpse into the Balinese way of traveling about. it is worth mentioning that stop lights and street lanes: merely a suggestion. road rage and impatience: non-existent. the first photograph is symbolic of the calm within the chaos on the streets that i observed very early in our trip.

Bali Travel Photography: The Anatomy of a Balinese Prayer Offering..

June 7, 2011

the phrase "life is an offering" was painted on the side of a building somewhere between Kuta and Ubud. it caught my eye on our very first day and, in that moment, i knew we were someplace very special.. i couldn't wait to understand more. when you arrive in Bali, it doesn't take long before you realize how devoted the Balinese are to their spiritual beliefs. i was fascinated with these beautiful prayer offerings so intricately created on a daily basis. i had never seen anything quite like them. the woman in the photographs makes about 120 every day to share with her family and community. she so patiently taught me how to make one.. saying "one more, one more" for each strip of banana leaf i had to gently twist and stitch in place. she made it look so easy!

you see these offerings placed pretty much everywhere at any time of day. in the mornings, women will bring prayer offerings to the family temples, which are always located in the corner of the family compound nearest Mount Agung, where the gods live. offerings on the ground are meant to appease the demons. in the Balinese culture, it is all about a balance between good and evil.

Bali Documentary Photographs: Balinese Prayer Offerings

here's a snapshot of me learning to make a Balinese prayer offering, however clumsy i might have been :)

Bali Travel Documentary Photographs: Holy Water Temple Prayer, Amed

Welcome to Bali / An Introduction..

June 6, 2011

Bali Travel Documentary Photographs: Balinese Prayer Offering

at 1am on Sunday, May 8th after about 36 hours of travel, we landed in Bali, Indonesia. within the first day alone, i was moved to tears as i absorbed our new surroundings.. struggling with how in the world i would capture the pure magic of this place, these soulful people, and this beautiful culture, unlike any other, in just 10 days..

..but i tried, oh i tried.

it was a thought provoking, emotion inducing, and deeply inspiring trip of a lifetime, and i know it won't be my last of its kind. this is what i've been dreaming of since i picked up a camera as a young teen. this is what i need to do. i've never felt more alive as i did while documenting the people and culture of Bali. i loved every moment and soaked up every last bit, which in the end, didn't seem like enough.

i hope you'll join me here in the coming days and weeks for a special series of posts featuring my Bali photographs.

a huge thanks to the Bali Institute for an unforgettable journey and cultural immersion experience. our expectations were massively exceeded.