When in Ubud, we joined the early morning crowd gathered in the village of Peliatan to farewell a member of the Balinese Royal Family.  A royal cremation is a huge affair, with men from all the local villages involved in carrying the ornate funeral pyre for kilometres down Ubud’s main streets.  The men take turns carrying the heavy pyre for short distances, and are helped along by some impressive drumming.  The men join together to pick up the pyre and run with it for a few metres, before they are replaced by another crew. What with the uneven gutters, large crowds and a constantly moving swell of villagers as the pyre changes hands, watching the parade was a chaotic but very interesting cultural experience.

Thank you very much to Rana, Manager at Bidadari for helping us dress appropriately and taking us along.