Boys on playground after purification ceremony at Pura Ulun Danu Batan
Our driver & guide in Bali was wonderful. Except one, every temple we visited was in the middle of a ceremony. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan was no exception. We were able to watch a good deal of the purification ritual during our visit. (Kinda like Ash Wednesday, but rice was put on the forehead rather than palm ashes.)
As the ceremony wound down, we headed up the hill to let Mirielle run off some energy before hopping back in the car to find lunch. Just outside of the temple was a playground. Rusting apart and probably violating most US safety regulations, the 1970 vintage playground was still enjoyed by the local boys. In their finest “temple” clothes they ran around, poked each other, laughed, pushed the swing and even cautiously teased Mirielle.
Mirielle on swing at Pura Ulun Danu Batan, Bali
Note: I am participating in DeliciousBaby’s super cool Photo Fridays, where everyone is invited to link to a travel photo. Please click here to see more of this week’s photos & stories.
Check the great stories (including mine) in the fall issue.
Amazing h0w so many of us played on that vintage play equipment and lived to tell the tale, eh? Mirielle looks likes she’s having a fine time
I remember falling through the bottom of one of those bench swings and giving myself a blood nose and a black eye as a child. Happy times!
I love the colors in your photos of Bali. It just seems like the very air itself is saturated with them.
I’ve come to love visiting foreign playgrounds, in part because the vintage playground equipment can sometimes be quite beautiful (especially in Barcelona) but also because it gives us a great opportunity to talk with local parents in a relaxed and unforced setting.
Bench swings remind me of me and my brother playing in school. Just memories! Fun ones!