Trash Hanging from a Banyan

In Bali, due to the Hindu majority population, the banyan tree is revered as one of the most sacred
plants. It has an incredibly long lifespan and its leaves are often used in very special rituals. This one in
particular was along a stream running next to the temple where they had many banyans, showing the
significance of the trees to the temple. Not only is the stream filled with trash, but it can be seen
hanging from the banyan tree. It reminded me of how in Kopernik they explained that many people
simply aren’t educated about their trash and what happens to it.
Abandoned House with Graffiti
I took this when we were doing the herb walk. Not pictured was a European tourist in the upper floors,
assumedly taking refuge or a smoke break in the house. The graffiti says, “Never Follow the Crowd” with
an illuminati pyramid. This hints that perhaps the people visiting Bali are not following the crowd and
possibly seeing a greater conspiracy most are not privy to. Or maybe it’s warning tourists to step off the
beaten path and not to follow the crowd. However, the presence of the illuminati logo suggests the
artist’s belief in a greater conspiracy. It’s interesting and reminds me of the conspiracy theorists in
America. It’s interesting though that it shows up in Bali as most conspiracy theorists are not the type to
travel the world. Although it makes sense that no matter where they go they’d want to “spread their
truth”.

Anti-Drug Poster
This was taken at the buffet restaurant we ate at when traveling from Ubud to Pemuteran. Many people
when on vacation take to drugs to get a “heightened experience”. In Bali, there seems to be a big party
crowd of tourists who want to take drugs and party while on vacation. This is incredibly illegal and very
risky with Indonesia’s zero tolerance policy regarding drug possession. People seem to think of Bali as a
no mans land with no rules and just a paradise to party. When we were talking with the Dutch
volunteers at SOS, they asked us about how we were partying and described their excursion on a
seemingly lawless island. This poster is trying to tackle this misconception of Bali as a place to do drugs
and promotes instead a spiritual alternative. Stating that experiencing Bali’s many spiritual rituals is
more peaceful than doing drugs.