Bali Musings

Bali is an interesting place. I got the impression from some people back home that they worried about my safety more going to Bali than to a place like Basilan. I guess Bali has received a lot of bad press lately with the bombings and the Shapelle Corby case. I felt relatively safe there and was even able to comfortably slip into my Aussie accent easily cos the locals understood it better than my fake American/Filipino accent. However, despite its laid back feel and friendly exterior I felt uncomfortable there. I’m not sure I can put my finger on what it was exactly, but I think it had something to do with how sleazy and exploitive it seemed to be. Guys trying to rip you off with money changing, Honest Two Bob’s Watches (yeah right) and sleazy girls lining the streets trying to lure you inside bars. It just didn’t appeal to me. It had a very thin veneer of tourism and development but underneath I felt a real sense of discontent, dependency and even deceit. Don’t get me wrong, I had a good time there, but there was something just not quite right about the place. I don’t think I’ll be in a hurry to go back there.