In Reply to: respect for the dead posted by cbimages on Friday, 26. July 2013 at 07:28 Bali Time:
I think the Balinese (Aga) people themselves have been responsible for any perceived 'lack of respect'. They are the ones who have turned it into a tourist attraction so they can bleed the tourists of even more rupiah. Many years ago when I first visited, there was no 'donation' to the village, and they were quite happy to have people visit.
Is it any more disrespectful than having people walk over graves in a lawn cemetery, or over kings' and queens' graves in Westminster Abbey? I was appalled to see that when I was in London some years back, but people do it without a thought.
Maybe I'm over sensitive about that, but at least there isn't somebody at the entrance to the Abbey with his hand out asking for a 'donation'.
The Balinese don't mind tourists attending cremation ceremonies, and I've taken pics after asking if it was OK to do so. That's 25 years ago now though, and they may well now have a donation box.
I've always enjoyed my time in Bali and even lived there for a year, but I haven't enjoyed seeing them move from an easy going, intensely religious people to a greedy, grasping bunch, intent on screwing every last rupiah out of anybody they think will fall for their line.