In Reply to: Telegraph article posted by manis1_Bali on Friday, 17. November 2006 at 13:43 Bali Time:
Reading what I wrote - probably a little confusing... Which is good as the article is as well.
The line after your quote:
"Now many of the tourist centres are polluted dumps that serve only to give uncomfortable weight to the argument that tourism ruins the world."
Says:
"Recently, however, Bali has been faced with ruin of a different kind."
Which sort of indicates that the dumps were pre-bombing. And to some respect it is hard not to agree. But...
As for polluted dumps. I think Kuta, Legian is probably cleaner now than it has ever been - SO if the journalist is making a comparison between 5 years ago and today, he is wrong. They have moved forward in leaps and bounds.
But - I wouldn't call the heart of Kuta a paradise. The beaches prestine. You take them on face value.
Kuta today is less about the 24x7 Partying - there is less of it and less tourists going there for that. Therefore less of the trouble he was talking about in regards to alcohol affect individuals doing things that detract from the experience of others/locals.
He has some more points towards the end or the article about those days being over... For example, post Sari club, there has never been another attempt to open a bar/club where locals are not really allowed in. Although disappointingly they are still treated inequitably on their own soil when charged for entry at places that tourists can enter for free.
I do agree that more positive stuff needs to be written.
Db