Using one word to describe the weather in Bali at the moment is easy – wet! The rain has been constant with only a few patches of the sunshine the tourists yearn for and umbrellas of all manner, colour and size are ubiquitous everywhere you go. But, yeah, it’s lovely! Being in the rainy season doesn’t seem to concern those tourists here as they are quite happy puddle-jumping and avoiding the holes in the footpaths caused by the deluge. The rain was so heavy last night that it caused a lot of flooding. Streams emerged where once there were footpaths, black holes appeared in the road and were quickly filled with dirty water giving them the appearance of being a road surface and thus causing motorists sudden shudders as the cars tyres fall deep into the abyss. But hey, this is Bali and it is the rainy season.
Despite the atrocious weather life goes on in Bali and there is a lot of construction going on. A lot of the older buildings are being torn down and in its place no one knows what will replace the space. Regardless of reports in the media Bali is not that busy. Its not sardine can packed footpaths we all know and love (as if!) but rather a steady stream of tourists and I have noticed that a good majority are school graduates bent on having a rip-roaring time on the island. Good on ‘em!
What took me by surprise when I first arrived was the cost of a taxi from the airport into Kuta. Nine months ago I paid Rp30,000 for the journey but now it was Rp55,000 and it is the same from the domestic terminal into Kuta because I paid the same when I picked up Candika who came in on a later flight. I did query this rise at the airport Taxi counter when I paid the money but was speedily informed that the cost of petrol has risen. This might affect your costing (budgeting) if you are coming to Bali and are planning on a few trips into the country for a bit if sightseeing. As far as I can tell food prices are comparable with say nine months ago but then again, I really haven’t taken much notice.
The security in Bali is still prevalent for those of you who still have travel concerns and for those worried about media reports concerning Rabies, it apparently is under control with thousands of dogs being vaccinated or destroyed. Yes, there are still dogs on the streets but they are the ‘cool woofers’! Put it this way, I have no concerns about the Rabies situation although the Bali media are playing the story to the hilt. You’d think they would have better things to write about and report.
One delightful attraction [albeit as yet not finished] you will notice if you haven’t been to Bali for a while is the massive Candi Bentar (split gateway) that is being constructed on Kuta Beach. I wouldn’t even hazard a guess as to its height at the moment but I can guarantee that it will be visible from any plane as you approach landing at Ngurah Rai.
Right, I’m off for a swim in the icy rain water of the pool. Sampai ketemu esok.
