On the flight here, I sat next to an Aussie woman, probably four or five years younger than me. We were both marveling at the business class service. She lives in Bali. She said that traveling really doesn't help you figure out what to do with your life, but that is the topic of another post.
She said that a lot of Aussies don't vacation in Oz, as it's too expensive. They all seem to come to Bali. I should explain that most of the Balinese are Hindu, creating a different culture than the rest of the nation, predominantly Islamic.
I was talking with a man who runs The Corner Bar here in Legian. He told me that the most recent bombing occured on the day that the government raised the price of gasoline. It's subsidized by the government, so it's pretty cheap. (Not actually having purchased it, I can not quote a price.) So there is some thought that the bombings were a protest against the government raising the prices on something that was seen to most directly impact the poor in the nation. He said that the price of a lot of other things, like rice, have also gone up. (I am finding Bali to be more expensive than China, but not as expensive as Macau/Hong Kong.)
He went on to say that the government of Bali is starting to keep strict tabs on its immigration. Anyone from Java (next island west, mostly Islamic) who does not have a job or other valid reason to be in Bali, is sent back. The owner said that this is a Bali government initiative, not backed by Jakarta (nation's capital). There seems to be a lot of tension between the "state" and federal government.
It's a nice place. You can tell that it is used to seeing far more people. There is a monument to the original bombing, which is referred to as Black October. I went for a walk on the beach, and eventually wandered into the monument. It's essentially a list of the names of those who died. I then had dinner a few doors down. Anyone with a bag was wanded with a metal detector, just like in the airport. Maybe you felt a little safer. Maybe you felt a little sad that it's had to come to this.
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So now that you have explained some of the reasoning behind the bombings and the tightened security, I am feeling a little better about you being there. I looked up Bali on the web, (to prove to greg that they don't make bras there), and was surprised to see how beautiful it is. My knowledge of Indonesia is very limited! It sounds like you are able to communicate well there and I'd bet the food is fabulous. BTW...did I mention that I am soooo jealous?
Your friend,
Roooxxxaannne
English is widespread here. I know exactly what I'm eating.
The food... They have a lot of chicken satay (I am usually awoken by roosters in the morning.), fried rice topped with an egg, ramen noodles topped with an egg. But there are a lot of restarants that make Western food, and make it well. "Bloody cold beers" and Aussie pizzas are common, as ~90% of visitors are Aussie. The last couple of meals have been at a vegitarian restarant that uses a lot of organic ingredients. (I was making up for all the meat I consumed in China.)
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