Upacara (ceremony) in Penestanan

Last night Elsa and I ventured out with our homestay family to the local temple for a ceremony (in this case it is the annual anniversary of this temple). It was late and dark and hard to get good pictures but what an experience! We had to wear our temple clothes (always fun but hot, sticky, itchy in the nylony lace). Teddy stayed home to get some work done and snuck out some to do some sound gathering around the temple. The events went on for hours but we got there pretty early so we saw the initial welcoming dance danced by about 8 young girls - all dressed beautifully in white lace kebayas and yards of yellow and gold fabric - woven palm leaf crowns with jasmine flowers on their heads. In the crowns were burning sticks of incense so when they danced, wafts of fragrant smoke curlicued up into the night sky. Elsa was mesmerized. Many Balinese carried offerings (large stacks of fruits, flowers and fancy Bali rice cakes and sweets to place in the temple). This was the first night of the anniversary ceremonies so there was lots going on and it was very crowded and boisterous. There was a Topeng Dance (2 men dancing in elaborate costumes) and a full gamelan orchestra and also wayang kulit (shadow puppets). Elsa got pretty tired pretty fast so we didn't stay long and it was very dark walking home (our Bali hosts stayed at the temple) - some crazy dogs and dark windey streets - but home safe and sound! We'll all go again tomorrow night and see what we can see!
Some pictures below:

Dancers Prepping

Topeng Dancers and Gamelan players

Wayang Kulit