As I am currently in Bali to wait out the virus, I had the luck to stumble upon Nyepi.
I first heard about it when I was searching for accommodation in Bali. Every local owner I spoke to made sure I was aware of the silent day coming up and that I should arrive before or after, as the airport would be closed on the actual day, and nothing would be working.
Nyepi is basically a Hindu celebration and for the locals this day is for self-reflection, no work and some even fast or don’t speak at all. Anything that might obstruct that is prohibited, so on that day there is no internet (wifi or data), no one is allowed to leave their home or hotel, make loud noises or have any light turned on during the night. This applies to everyone on the island and what I found impressive was that the foreigners respected the local tradition and stayed home.
I arrived a few days early and I am very happy I got to experience it. On the afternoon the day before Nyepi I could hear drums so I followed the sound and saw a few locals parading the streets with drums and a few doll-like ogoh-ogoh daemons. I also noticed that some shops and cafes closed at 3pm and others at 6pm. They had even turned off most of the ATMs by 6pm even though the holiday wasn’t officially starting until 12hours after. I later got explained that they turn them off to prevent possible robberies but most importantly because nothing should be working on that day or emit light during the night
So what did I do on Nyepi?
During the actual day everything was exceptionally quiet and you could only hear the nature and occasionally a dog barking or a baby. I spent the day mostly in my room organizing and planning things and doing a bit of studying anticipating the evening.
Because all lights on the island would be off and the light polution minimal, I was hoping to be able to see the MilkyWay. I never go to see it but I was still rewarded with a breathtaking starry sky and I even got to see a few shooting stars. It was so clear and bright we could not stop staring up and you could only hear us say “wow” over and over again.
The next day we got to hear about a foreigner who went out for a walk and got caught by the local security designated to patrol the streets. The man was not cooperative and ended up arrested and taken away in chains!
As Nyepi was over I reflected on the experience and came to realize this day left me much calmer and more aware of how differently I spend my day when I don’t have any internet access. I had so much free time to think and analyze my thoughts and it somehow felt very freeing. I will surely find a way to reduce my usage and take advantage of the free time to invest in something more productive.
I was amazed of how a whole island could completely be put on pause for a whole day and contemplating if this would ever be possible in any other country in the world, especially western countries. How would a whole nation react if they had to be locked in their homes without internet for 24hours under normal circumstances?
I definitely believe we should all try to do this for a day and observe our life without it and how more productive we become. Why not take the advantage of already self-isolating and turn of our wifi and data? Even a few hours would be beneficial.
I feel very grateful to have experienced this day and very proud for everything that I gained from it.
For now, my plan is to write down my experiences from the past month of traveling and focus on developing as many aspects of myself as I possibly can 🙂
Elena's Journey 