The Throng is Back

In the last two months, Bali has gone through a big change. Tourists are back. Planes are flying. Traffic is once again a consideration in thinking about where to go and when. I see customers in places that have long been empty. More people walking down the street. A couple of weeks ago there was a flood of non Muslim Indonesians who came here while all the Muslims from here were going there, going back home i Java and other islands for Eid al-Fitr, the end of the month long dawn to dusk Ramadan fasting. So lots of Chinese and other Indonesians were here as guests but lots of Muslims who live in Bali were gone including a lot of skilled workers. Businesses that catered to Muslims were closed. It was hard to find a plumber. The drivers are happy, the shopkeepers are happy. Don't see a great deal of change on the beach here. So it's got a ways to go to up to prior levels. But where we live in Sanur, it never gets crowded. Sleepy Sanur plods along. But we know there are big plans for it here and we can see some of the early stages yet. They'll turn us into Kuta if they can. Gaya may have other plans.