Following the winding village road I began my journey into a new and exciting world, as the vibrant cock strutted in front of me I found myself mesmerized as his feathers shimmered in the sun, twinkling rainbows dancing upon his pristine body. His destiny however was not one that seemed promising, here in Bali cock fighting is still thriving, even though it is illegal, it still prospers as the following for this bloodthirsty 'sport' is not only popular with the locals, but, also with the savage tourists as well.
Watching him walking carefree was delightful until I encountered the first of the caged fighting birds, although they have fresh food to eat, dirt to scratch in and sunlight to bask in they still live their short lives trapped within the confines of a bamboo cage.
The urge to lift the latches and release them was all consuming, yet my companions warned of such an act, to do so would render extremely unpleasant circumstances for myself, and of course for them also.
After beaming love to these regal caged birds, I continued along the road, attempting to rid my mind of the sorrow I felt for this blessed creatures, after all, many more new experiences beckoned me to proceed.
My next moment of awe came from the discovery of a cacao tree, well not just one actually, hundreds of them.
The ripening pods protruding from the branches full of delicious raw chocolate. All the farmers here in Bali use companion planting with their crops, around the perimeter of the cacao fields were vanilla plants, their pods hanging like a crops of string beans waiting to be harvested.
Rural Bail is delightful, mile after mile of tiny villages nestled within the dominant boundary of the primitive jungle.
As the tarmac road gave way to the dusty dirt path I was unable to contain the joyousness that overwhelmed me, the simple joy of being surrounded by such greenery was lifting me to a place of staggering euphoria, never before had I felt so mortal.
A mother hen and her chicks scampered into the safety of the undergrowth chirping merrily as they disappeared from view, leading me on another journey of intense contemplation.
Life overflowed around me, from the simplistic lifestyle of the farmers to the untamed wilderness of the jungle, everywhere I looked life gazed back, I was the watcher, being watched..........
1 comment:
Thanks for taking us along. What a great journey. Sorry about the fighting chickens. Oklahoma, USA only outlawed fighting roosters a few years ago. Many people claimed that it was part of their "culture." How sad for them if they are serious about it being their culture.
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