An Old Dog Learns New Tricks
By: Bob Wuest
Tags: Travel, Self Improvement, Sex, Love, Transformation

The Sacred River

Our most memorable Bali experience was while walking around the Ubud rice fields, hand in hand. We came upon one of the many Balinese artists who maintain little sheds on the path, offering their artwork for sale. Perhaps sensing something special between us, he offered to take us to the sacred river. It was a downhill walk on the other side of the rice fields, he told us. He would guide us there, and then leave us to enjoy it privately. (Hint hint). He introduced himself as Gusti.

He led us to a steep unmarked path down the side of a heavily wooded gorge. Gusti could see I was a bit tentative about walking down such a steep path, partially because I was nursing a bruised hip from a fall the day before. “Careful, grandfather”, he said (a very honorable title), and took my hand to steady me as we walked downward on a path he may have hiked hundreds of times before. Meantime, Joy had kicked off her shoes and was practically skipping down the path. “I’m a mountain girl!”, she declared proudly (which I’ve come to hear as explanation for anything unusual she does).

The river was breathtaking. Only maybe 30 feet wide, with huge bamboo trees and coconut palms growing up both sides of the steep gorge. Gusti said we should be able to find our own way back up, and left us in this private, amazing, picturesque natural scenery.

We quickly doffed our clothes and waded into the swift-running but shallow river. The Balinese regard their rivers — and water itself — as sacred. Bathing in rivers is said to allow it to refresh the soul as well as the body. We thoroughly enjoyed that experience of being nude in the cool, flowing waters of our own private, sacred sanctuary.

After a while we got out and put our clothes on again. Shortly thereafter, Gusti reappeared. His mother, he said, had instructed him to bring us back up so we didn’t get lost. But before that he invited us to pray with him to Mother River, as thanks for our time there. He invited us to do a call-and-respond prayer, which was beautiful. When I asked him if he was a Hindu priest, he affirmed that yes, he was.

Then the magic began.

He asked the two of us to stand face to face, foreheads together with our arms around one another. He asked if he could put his hands on us and offer a blessing. We trusted this fascinating man, and agreed. He began rubbing our backs just behind our hearts in a circular motion, while reciting a prayer in Balinese. Though we had no clue what he was praying for, it felt to both of us almost like a wedding ceremony — very sacred.

At the conclusion of this we thanked him and said we were ready to leave. As he led us back up the almost-trail he offered me his hand. I noticed that my hip no longer hurt — all the pain from the previous day’s fall had dissipated. Was it from bathing in the sacred river? Gusti’s blessing? I didn’t know, but it seemed near-miraculous. I didn’t need his support to confidently scale the steep slope.

When we arrived at his hut we viewed some of his art offerings. Joy bought a piece that attracted her. We thanked him again, and I gifted him some money for his guide offering and blessings. We walked away, hand in hand — feeling as if we had just experienced something sacred and magical. After a few minutes walking I stopped, pulled Joy close to me, and said for the first time “I love you”. She returned that precious phrase. It was entirely spontaneous and unexpected, and marked a precious moment in time from which there was no turning back.