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The Russian songs on Lembongan Island

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    This small island appeared on the boundary of two oceans - Indian and Pacific - thanks to amazing force of magic. And it is quite a natural phenomenon, that all events, that happened here both many centuries ago, and still do the present day, are so unbelievable, that could well become the foundation of a fantastic novel subject. Though, you may judge for yourself.
  - Soon I fly up and lose you,
  I fly away from my love...
  The silence, yet before to be filled by the slow and regular roar of the white Australian cruise ship engine, was blown up by the plaintive sounds of a song from the repertoire of the А-Studio group. Four dark-complexioned guys with the guitars in their hands were singing diligently the Russian words and, it seemed they were going deep into their meaning:
  - I can"t live without you, I think all the time about us,
  I can"t impart what I feel now...
  And we, the tourists from the entire world, felt indeed the bitter taste of separation, since we said goodbye to each other and to a small Indonesian island that made us the friends.
  It is strange, that this rock group was masterly singing the merry, rhythmical Latin American songs in English all the way "there", in other words, from Bali to Lembongan the decks were in complete excitement, the passengers joked and laughed, and some of them even danced. And now, when the ship pushed off from the coastal strip of the island that had given us the shelter, to take the place of fun and joy ... the melancholy came up, inspired by a Russian song furthermore.
  The faces of a newlywed couple from America showed the astonishment - they got accustomed to listen to the songs definitely in English. A noisy company from Dubai, which could be defined by the clear forms of sidewhiskers, smoothly turning into the "sheikh" beards, stopped talking for a minute. Two the most dark-skinned couples from India also become alerted, hanging on the words of the songs. These rather elderly people had an excellent command of the English language and they were apparently the inveterate travellers, so they could easily recognize the Russian speech.
  And the song continued to sound, reproducing in amazingly subtle way the mood of all, who was then on board a liner. The tourists were saying goodbye to the tropical island, to a little piece of dry land, where they, most probably, would never come again. And here they had a time to make friends not only with each other, but also with Ketut, a local guide, and also with André from South Africa, who provided them with hotel accommodation, with Santi and Ni Made, the girls on reception. In café, during the lunch, the guests communicated with Wayan and Komang - the guys, who were responsible for an interrupted flow of the beef, chicken, fish and shrimp barbecue... And some of them got acquainted with the village dwellers.
  Taking farewell always gives a rise to melancholy, even if that corner, to which one has got accustomed only for a week, and in the case of some people it was just a single day, is more than ten thousand kilometers far from your house, much lower than equator.
  - It is impossible to tell you my story..., - the young rock group boys were singing, and I"ll try to tell this story however, and from the very beginning at that.
  ***
  The long-time residents assert that it took start in the late 11th - early 12th century. It was just that time when some ancient old man by the name of Dukuh Yumpungan, after many years of life in the mountains, once made a boat, endued with a magic force: if the boat touched some objects, they turned into the waters of ocean. One day the old man heard about an unapproachable mountain of Tohlangkir, that stood not far from Nusa Penida Island. Confident of his own abilities, Dukuh Yumpungan decided to prove the magic properties of boat and to turn this mountain into the ocean. He started for the trip through the Padang Gulf, and then turned in direction of the mountain. Presumably, the oarsman reached a high speed, if such a strong collision happened that the boat was not simply flung away from the rocks - it went down even. And on this place an island appeared in the ocean that just got the name of Nusa Lembongan - a little piece of dry land, as an internal monument to the old man possessed by his idea.
  The location of the island was so unique, that it is unquestionable: yes, it was created by the great force of magic really indeed! Lembongan is among three islands along with Nusa Penida and the tiniest one of Nusa Ceningan, which are separated from Bali by the Badung Strait and occupy the place in Malay Archipelago on the border of two oceans - Indian and Pacific. Just for the reason that here the Wallace's line goes, named after a famous English traveller and naturalist, two quite different biological faunas - Indo-Malay and Australian - joined on Lembongan.
  The island is surrounded by the coral reefs and the white sand beaches, as well as by the low limestone rocks, on which the buildings in national style - the restaurants and hotels - look beautifully. It is a great delight to watch from such grounds the life of strait, in which the two-seat mini-boats and outboard motorboats for a large company, yachts, launches and quick liners sail constantly. At the same place the banana-boats, or bright yellow six-seat inflatable boats in the form of banana, attached by a rope to a motorboat, dart past. And still here the people swim in the life-saving jackets and in the masks of scuba diver, as well as the amateurs of surfer and body board (not on feet, like in surf-riding, but lying on a wide board) run around over the waves. And one can see the amateurs of parasailing - "the parachute jumpers", soaring upwards into the blue celestial dome thanks to the motorboats.
  There are more than two hundred kinds of corals and about five hundred kinds of fish near the island! That is why water here is of unusually turquoise colour, perhaps, you will see such colour nowhere else in the world. Maybe, it is for another reason, that there are no industrial enterprises on the island, and consequently, no pollution of environment. Even the electric power is provided by the diesel installations. That is why all the kinds of barbecue are so popular here!
  The north of Lembongan is covered by the tangle of mangrove forests, in other words, the evergreen broad-leaved forests, which grow in the intertidal zones of the seacoasts in tropical and equatorial latitudes. The rest part of it is not the jungles. As though it is created in an effort to build a bungalow for the tourists and to engage in business affairs, about which I shall tell below.
  The island may be bicycled all over and even walked - its area is approximately eight square kilometres. I did not try. Though, if seriously, it is possible here to take on lease a motor scooter from a first-comer and, putting on no hard hat, to rev up the gas. The chances to meet the policemen (they are not on the island absolutely!), or get into the traffic jams, are too absent. Well, is it possible to knock somebody down, if no movement exists here on the roads in that sense, to which we got accustomed, unless it be a tourist automobile wagon proceeding into the nearest village, which may be reached by walking.
  The island is inhabited approximately by five thousand persons, but a guide informed us, that in recent years the population size increased and according to some sources it reached twenty thousand. Who are these people? For the most part the Hindu, the ancestors of which inhabited the Klungkung Regency, located on the eastern coast of Bali. Formerly, yet before the colonization by the Netherlands, it was Badung, the capital of this Regency that was regarded as a capital of Bali. By the way, Klungkung was last regency, conquered by the Dutchmen in 1906, so it is quite possible, that the Hindu unwilling to become the slaves did escape to the neighbouring islands.
  In the villages of Lembongan Island the same ways and customs exist from the time immemorial: very many problems are solved in the villages on their own, without the authorities and police. Here the so called bale banjar, or the places for public meetings, serve this purpose, and a foreman, who is responsible for the farm management and administrative issues of the village.
  The villages are not so much; two ones are denoted on the map of island: Lembongan, according to the name of island, and Djangut Batu. Besides those, this map marks a zone of a mangrove forest and the sites of the waterweeds production (here is the business, about which I am going to tell!), and even those parts of ocean, where one could go in for diving. On the same map one can see two primary attractions: a pendant bridge between the islands of Lembongan and Ceningan and, what is more interesting - an underground house, built by a single person during... fifteen years.
  Yes-yes, there are places, worthy of the foreigners" attention on such a little piece of dry land! And they are ready to take a flight to the back of beyond, just to see another wonder of the world!
  ***
  And now here, before to continue my story about the island, I shall make a small insertion - to add to the theme of foreigners, possessed by idea to see the world with the wide open eyes, in all its inimitable diversity, with all its secrets and fancies.
  A couple of days before departure to Lembongan Island we were sitting with the friends on the sea coast of Bali, at one of the small restaurants in the open air. It is rather strange to be in such public house and to feel sand, before it cooled, by feet. And besides, to listen and listen over again the roar of the waves ocean! But the strangest thing waited for us ahead!
  The musicians came up to one of the tables. They seemed to ask the clients for an order to be made, since a couple minutes later verbally one of hits in English sounded. The performers passed through to another table, after which the sand shore - the territory of restaurant - was filled again by the sounds of the musical instruments of amateur orchestra and the voices of vocalists.
  When the guys came up to our table and asked in English what we would like to listen to, it was absolutely unbelievable, that these young slender Indonesians knew the Russian songs.
  - How fascinating are evenings in Russia..., - Slavyan, the company ringleader was almost singing.
  - Oh, Russian? - a soloist of group was surprised and gave a sign to his colleagues.
  - The love, Champaign, sunsets, side streets...
  Ah, glorious summer, pastimes and walks...
  How fascinating are evenings in Russia! - the Indonesian duet continued to the accompaniment of other two musicians.
  It is just this Russian song that became a first one, I heard in Indonesia. Then I experienced some shock similar to that one, when a traveller in desert, who having lost a hope to find a water source long ago, suddenly notices it... what a pleasure one may feel, drinking in reviving water, when you feel, that you are unable to satiate yourself!
  And as for Slavyan, there was no stopping him: the Russians must have more - an unspoken guideline, existing from time immemorial, encouraged to make the orders again and again. Whereas for English public the musicians sang a single song per table, they have to do for us at least two, and even maybe three. Let the tourists from the USA, Canada and Australia, as well as from Great Britain, New Zealand and South Africa be envious of us!
  - On a little raft
  Through the storm, rain and thunderstorm,
  Having taken only dreams and realm of fancy,
  And children"s dream,
  I"ll sail in quiet,
  As midnight comes into my house,
  To fill with rhymes
  The world, in which I live... - the Indonesians, began to sing, and something flashed on my eyes. Let them think, that this is a gleam of candle flame!
  This is a kind of raft, on which my friend Tatiana sailed away about ten years ago through the Arabian Sea to the Persian Gulf, to Dubai. And on a similar raft my friend Tamara reached the western coast of America, having passed the Pacific Ocean. She lives today in Los Angeles. And also on a raft, already through the Atlantic Ocean, my friend Anna got to the western coast of Central Africa, to Serekunda town, and this is Gabonese Republic...
  - Well, let my way be not easy,
  The pain and nostalgia,
  the load of previous mistakes pulls to the bottom.
   But my raft, woven of the songs and words,
  To spite all my misfortunes
  Is not so bad...
  Vika passed on her raft through the Pacific Ocean to the East China Sea and stopped on the shore of Korea Strait, in the port of Pusan, and this is South Korea. And it was Olga who got on the raft through the Aegean Sea to Greece, to Katerini town.
  And also on a raft Slavyan passed through the Indian Ocean and was close to reach Australia, having stopped in Denpasar, on Bali Island, in Indonesia.
  - I"ll tear thread leading to the past,
  And further let the chips fall where they may,
  I"ll quietly sail away
  From monotonic working days...
  - I invite all those present to visit another one unusual island! - Slavyan exclaimed. - On board a cruise ship of Australian company...
  "О-о-оh, really not on a raft already!" - I thought and became a first one to join the list of wishers.
  ***
  Thus, we are on Lembongan Island. Yes, here is really a pendant bridge, connecting this piece of dry land with a neighboring island. Though, rather narrow one, and one may go over it only by a motor scooter or a bicycle. But the local inhabitants are sincerely glad to have such a facility.
  A little more details about underground house. One may read on the plate, posted at its entrance, resembling a usual underground passage that this house of about five hundred square metres in area was dug out by a certain Made Biasa. What was he? It appears that an ordinary peasant, who, nevertheless, was a creative person: dancer and dalang (puppeteer) in the shadow puppet theatre Wayang. And also a priest. So no wonder, that Made Biasa had an excellent knowledge of the Hindu epos and first of all - the "Mahabharata".
  In this great work there is one episode - about the Pandava brothers, who lost the game, playing against the Kauravas, and were to live in seclusion for twelve years. To provide the security the brothers built a reliable dwelling in the forest - the Gala-Gala cave. Made Biasa got enthusiastic over the idea of creating the same cave and began to dig out his own "Gala-Gala" on Lembongan Island, though, already at the rather advanced age - when sixty years old. Possessed by this idea, he worked day and night, to have time to complete the "project", until he himself departed out of this world. And he was as good as his word, being the old man of seventy five years.
  The underground house is well preserved until now. Here we have two bedrooms, two kitchens and a living room. The amateur architect proved to be also an artist: inside the dwelling he created the drawings, symbolizing, according to the Hindu calendar Tahun Saka, a human and some animals. The house is quite suitable for the residence, here all is thought out to the smallest detail, including ventilation system - there are several exits and openings for fresh air.
  Another interesting place on the island, and more likely - mystical, that is evidenced by its title of the "Devil"s tear". According to popular belief this place has a magical effect on human"s state of mind with the help of devil"s forces. On the coast of ocean, among the rocks, there is a hollow with a cave, where the tidal waves crash with enormous force and terrible roar. Why do the waves rage so here? It appears that they are entrapped into the loop, that"s why they begin to rage, and in the way that a tourist losing vigilance may be doused with cold water and deafened by their roar.
  In which sphere do the people work on this island? Very few of them are engaged in growing of corn, manioc and nuts, as well in gathering of mango and coconut. As for majority, it is fond of fishing or - cultivation of waterweeds in the ocean. While all the things concerning fishing are allegedly clear: people fish to cook and to eat, as well as to sell to the owners of hotels, and maybe to the other islands, the cultivation of seaweed will be told in more details.
  I never saw such things before: almost all the island was paved with the vast oilcloth covers, on which the water plants were laid out. Against the background of such scope the village houses seemed almost toy like! Most probably, they serve for the greater part just as a shelter from the rain. The priority is given to the waterweeds but not to the houses! Rather to the values beneath the sea than to the "palaces"! And they lie, bright-green and very juicy in the beginning, and almost white and fragile at the end of drying, on the vast territories! Each family handles approximately three - five acres of marine "plantations" and sells already as a dry matter one hundred and fifty - two hundred kilograms of the dried waterweeds. Where does this unusual "yield" afterwards go? For export to America, Germany, Japan and the Netherlands, to be used in medicine, food and fragrance industry.
  Very few thought about, that we consume the waterweeds almost every day, though we do not suspect of it. They are contained in marshmallow, fruit fudge, fruit jelly and certainly - in ice cream. Naturally, the manufacturers had a time to process them, extracting the most valuable contents - alginic acids, carrageenans and agar-agar.
  The waterweeds are the components of many food additives, as well as of the makeup preparations. No wonder - there is much potassium, boron, manganese, magnesium, bromine, vitamins С, Е, В2, В3, В12 and А, but much more - iodine in this most valuable raw material. As for iodine, it is indispensable to a human to strengthen the immunity and for normal functioning of thyroid gland. And selenium? The element protecting the cells of organism from the deleterious influence of radioactive radiation! Its depository is just in the waterweeds!
  The benefit of the waterweeds is advertized best of all by the inhabitants of this island. Suffice it to see their young-looking and sleek-skinned faces, strong shining nails and silky hair.
  ***
  ...The narrow stone roads of amazing tropical garden brought me to the exotic two-storeyed bungalow for the tourists. André went at the head of me, he, like the majority of South Africans, is light-skinned. André showed me these comfortable buildings, an ideal romantic place for two - "Hai Tide Huts" hotel. And suddenly...
  From here - in more details, since it is just this episode that became mostly important in my travel.
  Two pretty girls were sitting on an open terrace of a bungalow. I would have passed by quietly - there is a multitude of the long-legged and light-skinned girls on the local beaches! And I already almost stepped along the stone road round the corner of this mini-hotel, when I heard the girls speak in Russian.
  I turned unintentionally and saw a striking picture. In the middle of a tropical garden not a bungalow at all, but а Russian tower comfortably settled, on an open terrace of which two pretty girls were sitting. But in satin long dresses with the puffy pleats on waist and sleeves, rather than in bikini. The deep plunging neckline opened the necks, not sun burnt to bronze degree, but as if powdered with whiting, as white as the faces. These young faces, on which yet a minute ago there were no signs of make-up, blossomed out at a moment: the lips turned bright red - the colour of beauty and dignity, and the rich rouge on the cheeks became apparent. The long dark blond hair, carelessly scattered over the shoulders a moment before, turned into a beautiful hairstyle in an instant.
  The girls continued tea drinking, but already not from the coarse ceramic cups, but from the white china ware with a gold border. And on the table instead of a featureless electric tea kettle of "Tefal" type the "general"s" position was occupied by a pompous round-bellied samovar of copper colour.
  - Varyusia, take off a gold band from the plaits! - one of them pronounced decisively, the elder most probably. - I won the bet! D"ye remember, the dad said, that he will take us to the overseas countries, in which it never snows?
  - Come on now, Verusya, you have gained the upper hand! Just it"s strange for me and now...
  Somebody was doing the household chores in the chamber. From there the sounds of a record player, and maybe of gramophone, were heard. Apparently, it was a hand of male, a heavy one - the needle fell abruptly on a record, and it squealed, displeased by rude treatment, but calmed down at once. And the melodious sounds of a Russian romance, known to the entire world already for more than two centuries, flew from the tower-chamber over Lembongan Island. And not an unknown singer, but legendary Fedor Shalyapin was singing:
  - Dark eyes, burning eyes!
  Passionate and splendid eyes!
  How I love you,
  How I fear you!
  Truly, I saw you
  At a sinister hour!
  The girls stopped talking. They looked like the daughters of boyar rather than the commoners! And, staying in deep stillness, stretched out the white delicate umbrellas over the heads... How astonished the girls would be, if they had learned, that the pearls of feminine beauty, they got accustomed to, would change radically!
  And Fedor Shalyapin began to sing a new couplet, he added it to the words of author - Evgeniy Grebenka, and devoted it to his wife, Iola Tornagi, Italian by origin:
  - Dark eyes, burningly flaming eyes
  They implore me into faraway lands
  Where love reigns,
  where peace reigns
  Where there is no suffering,
  where hostility is under ban.
  "Do we really go on the rafts, "woven from the songs and words", to the "faraway lands, where love reigns", in other words, in search of happiness, confident, however, that "in this world and in the world beyond" we shall recollect "how fascinating are evenings in Russia"?" - I was thinking over, but the soul, pined away with home-sickness, continued to be torn by the plaintive sounds of an old Russian romance...
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