"Teach me English and I'll teach you everything I know" Ketut Lyer, the wise quack, told the main character of "Eat, Pray, Love". A too generous barter, if we consider our European self-centered minds and oriented towards profit.

But the Balinese kindness and exceptional humanity can change destinies, perspectives, and „soften” the most cynical Europeans.

Their way of living,their culture and traditions had been kept and preserved for millennia,and are always connected to their special spirituality, to their religious faith, that guides their codes, dreams, lives.

In Bali, at every step, you can see little baskets with offerings, which the locals put in front of their house,shop or on the little altars, they lay up in the trees (those which lie on the ground are offerings for the spirits of the earth, while those in the trees are meant to honor the forefathers), important marks of the people’s connection to this part of the world (and heaven) with things that are not seen, the spirit, the soul.

The old Indonesian belief that both gods and evil spirits live in all elements of nature,appear in every aspect of Balinese social life: in the religious ceremonies, in the rituals and every day habits.

The Balinese people believe in rituals that give consistent to life for thousands of years and mark every important event in the life of the island, from the full moon ceremonies to the most important holiday, Galungan. This day is a kind of celebration of the triumph of good over evil and is held in the last day of their calendar. The tradition says that on Galungan, the forefather' souls visit their families.

Other ceremonies&Balinese dances:

• Nyepe is an important moment in the Balinese calendar(which has 210 days). This year, the holiday was on the 30th of March.Nyepe is actually the Day of Silence,a time when all people stay indoors and  silently meditate.They don`t work,nobody goes out,no electricity is used.It`s a kind of personal purification,very similar to our fast.
• Ngaben,one of the most important religious ceremonies refers to the incineration of the dead,death being considered a happy event for the members of the family,because it is believed that he/she who passed away is going to be given a new life.

The religious ceremonies are often accompanied by dance performances or theater ones:

• Barong - a representation of the fight between the forces of the chaos and those of the order.
• Legong - a very stylized and extremely difficult dance .

• Kekak - a ritualistic dance (a combination between choir, dance and Ramayana legend)

• Wayang Kulit - a puppet show where the spectators see only the shadows(inspired by myths and legends).