After the restaurants gig the holiday was coming to an end. Last minute buying of that last DVD and it was off to the airport. The flight was delayed by the hour and left at midday. They flight home was very good and the seats in business class were even better with them reclining nearly all the way. Slept a little but I never really sleep on the plane anyway. Again great service and great smiles around. A pity we left at night time as I would have loved to see the sight of Bali in the sunshine once last time.
Well I am back in the cold of New South Wales and want to give my last impressions of Bali.
I will always remember seeing Bali for the first time from the window of the plane, a little place surrounded by a jewelled sea and that huge volcano. The first time I smelt the place I new what fellow people had written about. Something so ancient but yet so inviting, inviting you to share their island. The incredible and ever lasting smiles of everyone we meet, and that even includes the money changer who somehow managed to swindle me out of 200000 rupiahs, the guy deserves a medal for doing it. Have yet to figure out how he did it.
The beach and the weather were great, continued sunshine. The food and the bintangs of course were an added extra.
Something also managed to be in the back of my mind, why would anyone ever commit such a horrible crime in Bali. Driving past the Sari Club it just reinforced, why Bali. I know that bombings are a horrible event anywhere in the world, but the innocence of Bali did not seem a logical place. I will always remember the incredible thank you so many Balinese said to me for coming back to Bali. For me the undeserved travel restrictions which the Australian government has imposed on Inodensia are unjust and leave me with a bitter pill of their continued resentment and contribution to the hardship many Balinese endure unnecessary.
I have just finished reading Micheal Moore's book "Stupid White Men" and it gives a lot of hope to the ability for normal people like me to write to our government and demand why there is such a difference in travel restrictions for Indonesia yet countries like the US have only restrictions asking people to be aware. I for one deploy these restrictions, especially when the man who checked the bar fridge stood before me and bowed for at least two minutes thanking me for coming to Bali. It was a very humbling experience and I wonder if John Howard could see this man as a man he hurts by his stupid restrictions would he also be humbled. I doubt it. I am for one going to write to the government and ask why these restrictions are in place and hopefully a reasonable appraisal of the situation might result.
Anyway I have had by beef, I will still remember Bali for its beauty and its people. Hopefully one day I will return. But for anyone who is thinking about a visit go for it, it is as safe as anywhere I have been.
Thank you
Rupert