Illegal foreign tour guides have been arrested in Bali. As Bali Discovery reports, 2 Europeans were caught at a Balinese temple, leading groups of foreigners around. Fancy that!
The 2 guides, one from Poland, the other from Russia, were snapped by cell phone camera, by a rival tour guide (another big surprise!) and forwarded to the cops. As the article points out, there are some hoops to jump through, if you wannabea tour guide in Bali. This kind of thing is run of the mill, as far as the way things go on this island. As soon as you show up on someone else’s rader scope, watch out. I was chatting with a Latin American guy the other night, who told me, “When they know you have money you are a target, and they are waiting for you to make a mistake.” I guess the same is true, if somebody feels you are stepping on their tows. Aussie guys have told me, they have called ‘La Migra’ on other foreigners! Then what happens is the immigration show up with a video camera, to get evidence of you working.
In order to be a foreign guide in Bali, you have to undergo testing, to show knowledge of the language and culture. Funny thing is, some of the local ‘guides’ at temples in Bali, don’t know much at all about the place, or Balinese history. Maybe the government just wants the best educated set of expats in the world.
