INDONESIA
I thought Bali would be so touristy that I might not like it. I was wrong. Bali is a gem. It has black-sand beaches in the north protected by coral reefs, white-sand beaches in the south with excellent surfing, mountains and lakes in the middle, traditional culture despite the (mostly Australian) tourist hordes, craft shops, discos, and more. Uncrowded places can be found. And it's all pretty cheap. I stayed in an hotel at Lovina Beach for only $8 a night, including breakfast and swimming pool. The island is the only predominately Hindu island in Indonesia, with beautiful shrines. I just read in the Jakarta Post that Bali is "The World's Best Island." Well, maybe. But it does have something for everyone. The hawkers and touts can be too persistent at times, but that's a minor complaint; I'm quite used to dealing with people like that. My plan had been to island-hop all the way to New Zealand, but I changed my mind. I fly to Paris tomorrow (!).
I went by the site of the 2002 discotheque bombing in Kuta. The site will soon become a World Peace Park. The terrorists have no friends here. But tourist numbers are down from two years ago. Locals wear t-shirts that say things like "Fuck terrorists!" ... "Osama don't surf." ... "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived."
Note: Indonesia makes a perfect case study in economic imperialism according to neoliberal ideology and the gospel of the free market. The book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man details one man's role, and helps to understand why the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis hit Indonesia particularly hard. It's a story of arms dealers and greedy American bankers wreaking havoc in Indonesia's economy, leaving behind human suffering and a massive debt. Please help pressure politicians to cancel the debt and reform the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Thanks. These institutions were founded after the Great Depression when there was widespread recognition that the invisible hand was not perfect. Markets need government intervention in various circumstances. But since the banks effectively own the IMF (one dollar = one vote), they changed the regulations to increase their own profits. Most shocking to me are the structural adjustments that they impose upon debtor nations.
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I used to teach the computer language called JAVA, so coming here was a pilgrimage ;^) This is my second time in Indonesia. In 2001, I went to Sumatra and loved it. I met my first wild orangutan in Bukit Lawang, and then I went to the spectacular Lake Toba (the world's largest volcanic lake), perfect for swimming. Sumatra was friendly, interesting, beautiful, relaxing and inexpensive. Ever since then, I have wanted to return.
Despite the media talk to the contrary, Indonesia is safe. Of course, it's not a good idea to wander the streets of Jakarta alone at night, but the same can be said of Baltimore, Maryland. Yes, there have been two terrorist bombs in the last couple of years, but does that make the place unsafe? I think Washington DC is more likely to get the next bomb. There are separatist wars raging in places, but not here. There are snatch thieves, but violent theft is rare. Most people are Muslim, and they are hospitable. They say that Indonesia is not a terrorist country. They say that the people who blow off bombs are a tiny minority who come from Malaysia and the Philippine island of Mindanao. It's too bad that they scare off the tourists and win-win foreign investment, because the economy could use the cash.
The Indonesian flavor of Islam is the least strict I have seen. The women are NOT obliged to wear head scarves, but many wear them anyway; there is not the usual prohibition on alcohol, but many abstain anyway. Only a minority pray five times a day.
I arrived in Jakarta but did not stay long (too much air pollution and traffic jams). I took advantage of the devalued rupiah to eat great food and buy some new clothes. Then I took a train to Yogyakarta (Jogja), the cultural capital of the island, famous for traditional crafts (especially batik paintings). There are also shopping malls and fast-food joints. It is a pleasant mix of old and new. Nearby Jogja is the world's largest Buddhist stupha at Borobudur. (The Buddhists were forced away by the Muslims a long time ago.)
Java has crowded cities, vast rice cultivation, and active volcanoes. I'm traveling with a cool English bloke named Jonathan. We stopped to see Mount Bromo erupt. Awesome sunrise view.
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