In Reply to: Update on Roadworks posted by yappa on Thursday, 14. June 2007 at 15:24 Bali Time:
Hi Yappa,
We came home on Sunday 10th after 2 weeks staying in Legian. Before we arrived we were told that Jl Melasti was closed for re-surfacing. That meant that from Legian Beach Hotel, the narrow beach rd was open to traffic up to Jl Padma.
However when we arrived, Jl Melasti had re-opened & the beach rd closed (gated). We were told by locals that businesses were really suffering so apparently it was re-opened
to traffic before re-surfacing.
Driving along in a taxi on about the 7th June, we remarked that they must have worked over-night to tar one side as it was still dirt the day before.
If you can picture the drivers side wheels up on the newly tarred bit and the passenger side wheels down on the dirt bit, complete with pot-holes, you too may see the great humour in the driver's proud comment "roadwork done now, very smooth." With hubby's body bobbing around in the front and his voice shaking with each bump, he replied
"y e e e e e s, Bali smooth." The driver laughed uncontrolably while hitting my hubby in the arm, repeating "Bali smooth, you so funny!"
To add a little more info, while these roadworks were underway, the direction of traffic in one way streets around Legian altered. When Jl Melasti re-opened, for some it meant that one way streets were back to normal and for others the 'new' way. We found it hysterical that, depending on the direction a driver wanted to go, that then became the right traffic direction, by default. Taxi drivers invariably made short-fused comments to us about the other 'crazy' drivers not knowing what they were doing.
This update is as of last Sunday, dont forget, so if you're thinking of going tomorrow, it's probably changed again!
Long-winded answer I know, but as always, a memorable highlight just to drive around.
Cheers, Diane