Bali Again

The last time we were at Bali, some bloody terrorists blew themselves, some locals and some tourists up! They blew away more than a few lives that time, because they also destroyed the already delicate peace found on the tranquil island. With many tourists staying away because of this, Bali is suffering. My guess is that the island depends almost entirely on tourism. Almost all Balinese are somehow or related to the business.

Chui and I were undeterred and went ahead with our second trip to Bali in three months. Moans of "sepi" ("quiet" in Bahasa Indonesia) reverberated in almost every conversation we had with the locals. Most of the slack is taken up by more domestic visits from Jakarta.. so all was not lost. But the hustle and bustle and the vigour was somehow missing. Even the traditional Balinese sport of bargaining is no longer conducted with as much will to win. It is not a fair game anymore because some vendors are getting a little desparate. And it wasn't that much fun for us either, since it did our conscience little good by taking advantage of their desparation.

But I have hope. Bali will bounce back, and that I am sure of it. To those reading this blog and have considered going to Bali but is too afraid, I laud you to put aside your fears and go. Afterall.. terrorist bombs can happen just about anywhere. Even in KL.