Selamat Hari Raya Galungan

Bali is celebrating Galungan today and many people will be heading back to their village, for family ceremonies. This morning at Cafe Seminyak the staff were decked out in sarongs and kebayas and this young lady to me she was off to Karangasem, in East Bali as soon as she finished work.

Many of the shops and restaurants will be closed for a couple of days. A sense of excitement is in the air and for Balinese people it must be like Christmas. Outside every house ans at every crossroads is a specially made offering. Placed on the ground, these keep evil spirits away, and as one’s ancestral spirits are returning to Earth today, extra care has to be taken.