Bali off the beaten track 2

This time I was very lucky to stay with Couchsurfing host Edy. He lived in the non tourist area of Nusa Dua which can be easily reached from Ngurah Rai airport by motorbike.

Nua Dua, the non touristy part.
We found very good and cheap food at the market or secret places where businessmen from Jakarta buy food while they have a couple of hours time around Denpasar. We didn't miss out on the beach though we visited a multi-religious worship place where there is a mosque, Catholic, Protestant, Buddhist and Hindu temple in one vicinity. The market was near his house, we got cheap and excellent food around the corner.

Mengwi: Tooth filing ceremony

On Sunday we were invited to a Metatah or tooth filing ceremony of his cousin. It is a crucial ceremony in Bali. This is the time when young people say good bye to their teen years and cleanse their body and soul from evil energies. We hopped on Edy's motorbike. He already had his traditional clothes on but I had them in my backpack.

The ceremony was held in Mengwi and I could remember too well my time here in 2016. The venue was beautiful and we were given good food and personal presents. The most impressive experience however was the real tooth filing ceremony. Edy suggested to bring a present instead of money because a present is individual and stays forever in your memory. Edy brought a traditional sarong( kamen). I decided to bring the Pope to Rome and brought them a beautiful kamen woven with golden threads.

After I handed out my present, the family invited me to sit in a separate cottage with them. From here I felt like being with my own family and apart from this I could watch the tooth filing ceremony close corner.