When I was a kid, Bali, a popular tourist destination, seemed so far away from my hometown in Central Java, Indonesia. It took about half a day to travel by train, then cross the Bali Strait by ferry, then drive to the lodging. There was no direct flight to Bali in the 1970s; we had to go to Jakarta first (which is in the opposite direction from the west, while Bali is on the east), and it cost a lot.
There were not so many tourists during that time—some westerners here and there and very few domestic ones. Unlike nowadays, the streets and beaches were almost empty.
We have a phrase in Bahasa Indonesia: “di mana bumi dipijak, disitu langit dijunjung,” or “where the earth is stepped on, there the sky is upheld.” It means reminding us of the importance of respecting and adapting to local customs and traditions when we are in a place. It may be similar to “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.”
Javanese culture is more or less similar to Balinese in daily customs, though the majority of Javanese are Muslims, while the Balinese are Hindus. So it was not difficult for me to enjoy my time in Bali while obeying all the rules: not to step on sesajen, wear a sarong when…
