We are losing track of the ceremonies, there are lots of them and they are taken very seriously whether religious, full moon or something seemingly more sombre like a death in the family. I say seemingly as a cremation is a major and celebratory event. An entire village will be involved (everyone IS related to everyone else here - bit like Thatcham) they process through the streets, dancing & playing gamelan/gong/pipe music following the body to it's final resting place. In the really touristy areas locals charge foreigners to join in & take pictures - seems wrong to me but there you go.
We don't have to do all the religious stuff but we were honoured to be invited
to one ceremony. Pre-nuptual drinks & nibbles for Bago one of our boatdrivers and snorkelling guide. Everyone dressed up in their traditional finery and each took appropriate & identically wrapped offerings. On this occasion its a bamboo tray of rice & noodles with a parcel of rice, sugar, flour so the happy couple won't have to stock up the store cupboard for a while.
Left to right are Dewi, Surya, Anik, Budi (or it might be Erfa I'm afraid I still get confused) and Indra
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