Petrol fumes, coal cooked corn and coconut oil. Sweat sodden bean bags, cheap sarongs and drunken Aussies. You guessed it…I have arrived in Bali. With a trickle of sweat running down my neck, I walk the streets of Legian. Careful not to trip over or into the broken pavements, I wander. Is this the Bali I dreamed of? I get a sinking feeling that I have missed the boat. I have arrived in Bali thirty years too late. Through the frenetic mayhem of this buzzing beachside town I dodge a thousand scooters and taxis to make my way to ocean. Sunset is almost upon us and I become part of the human surge toward the sea. We tourists love a good sunset over the ocean. What a shame it seems to go hand in hand with copious amounts of alcohol and drunkenness here. I wonder what the beautiful Balinese people think of all this madness. There is money to be made of course and the constant pressure of commerce does my head in. I escape back to my hotel (one of literally
Words and pictures.