holiday in bali, june 2000

Not long after we landed at Dempasar from Oz we noticed there are barefoot local kids in open doorways to the tarmac and smoking cigarettes in the customs area. Even the custom officers hanging around looking board are also smoking. I guess back then the indon authorities weren't too worried about the effects of carcinogens or portraying a professional image. A feeling of any thing goes is starting to take over our thoughts.

We're outside the airport terminal now to find our ride to the hotel and there's this indon guy walking around like that guy from Fantasy Island in a white suite and a white MB to match. Didn't see his sidekick midget thou. It was funny, had to be there.

During our stay we found the drivers of orange taxicabs to be a bit out-there but on one occasion this orange cab driver asked during our journey what are you Muslim or Christian. I'd reply slightly stunned, …arr…Christian. The cab driver would agree with a single thump on his chest with his fist, a bit like Tarzan. I guess we were witnessing post East Timor war syndrome. At the end of the journey he then made us pay more for what we originally agreed on.

We soon learnt to ignore the soliciting efforts of orange cabs drivers since they are donkey holes. The blue cabs drivers are pleasant, no playing with your head, driven by nice Bali local cab driver and they use the cab meter to charge.

During the day you can hang around the submerged bars in various resorts, go for a surf, take a mini bus tour into the real Bali, very pleasant. Or, go to the super market to buy some bottles of uncontaminated water. While there we witness a middle aged tourist standing in the mall's foyer, looking unsettled. Bad thing to do. The locals locked onto him and asked "why you nervous". He turned away but one particular harasser kept it up until the tourist's wife came along and the harasser coward away.

At night walking around the locals would try to sell or rent to you, no kidding; horse, girl, boy, friging news papers all the time, pot and pills. If you must go there don't touch the dogs and don't drink the water including the ice, Bali belly bacteria.


On our last night walking back to the hotel with a aussie family that we befriended, a donky hole indon on the back of a motor bike rides up to us a says F... OFF aussies and drives off laughing LOL. Slightly stunned, we agreed with him and said, we will and take our money too.

It is a bizarre and risky place and more so if you're young. You really believe anything goes. The Balinese are nice but the ringins form other indon islands in the region are aggressive. The assuie expats, barflys, we unfortunately met had mental health issues.

We were lucky when we left, the local kids didn't flick a single lit match at us and we only had carry on luggage no baggage handlers involved.