Déjà vu in Bali
Sometimes it occurs to me that I am from a very lazy town, called Arica, in the midst of one of the world driest places, where rain is something of a festivity when it occurs, and people go panicking if their hair goes wet. Seriously. The reason I write this is that I had sort of déjà vu when I was in Bali a month ago, and I experienced Nyepi, or the Day of Silence, and I must confess that I had that day one of the most remarkable experiences I have ever had. A pleasant experience, but weird.
On the Day of Silence, everything in Bali comes to hault, the airport is totally closed, streets are empty, blinds on windows and doors, no food, no water, and no sex, and you get the point. The celebration, if you can possibly call it that way, is called Nyepi, the equinox of the moon. That day, the demons are gathered, and the good may be prevailing, if they manage to gather the demons and put them back to their resort (we are talking of Bali, after all). If the demons are distracted by light, music, food (or...) they may not be going...so therefore, complete silence. It is very, very peculiar to be in a whole city where there is absolute silence for a day. And therefore the déjà vu of my hometown Arica. Where people are sort of like that almost everyday, although it is not a globally known event...
