Temple Tjampuhan Prep

Women Working!

Some rice dough forms (various religious symbols) waiting to be cooked!

D'Ayu teaching Elsa how to make some Jajen.

Lotsa wee Jajens. We actually got to make lots of these because they are simple and little!

Big vats of coconut oil for frying the Jajen. This happens right in the big temple kitchen.

Elsa's first album cover. Ever the dispassionate rogue (not!).

Crazy Elsa getting eaten by the Demon Dragon.

Hello world!

The temple is laden with intricate sculptures such as these. This temple was renovated last year so paint is bright!

Prayer prep - flowers and incense.

Prayer prep - raw rice (beras), holy water vessels.

There is a temple near our house in Penestenan that is getting ready for an anniversary ceremony next week. The temple is owned by the royal family of Ubud so the prep is pretty involved and involving many people! D'Ayu, her sister-in-law D'Ayu Ngurah and many many other women are working for many days to make the ceremony happen. Elsa and I went there last week for a couple of mornings and 'helped' the women with the making. The days we were there they were tasked with making 'jajen' - religious symbols out of ricedough and sugar (or salt, depending on the symbol, maybe?). It was fun for us (and we actually could be of help) because it's like working with clay! The women kept trying to get us to roll the coils in our hands instead of on the pedestals...we were kinda hopeless at that. And we were lucky enough to get invited to eat the most amazing 'real' bali food with all the folks there. The Balinese use their hands to eat so Elsa was in HEAVEN!! I forgot how much I love this food - so sweet and salty and insanely spicy! Would that I could share smells and sounds and tastes with all of you! Much love!