Threads of Life

Yesterday we were treated to three hours with William Ingram, founder of Threads of Life Indonesian Textile Arts Center in Ubud. He used textiles to tell the story of the peopling and cultural development of the archipelago that is now Indonesia. It was fascinating to see how the local Balinese were affected by the spice trade, which brought the Indians, the Chinese, and finally Europeans, along with their religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity), as well as political pressures and conflicts. Photos to follow... I was glad later not to have my camera, as we were caught in several tropical deluges. We waded along the streets, made it to the market, and after being totally drenched, hailed a taxi and retreated back to the peace of Santra Putra guesthouse.