In Reply to: Finding "The Real Bali" posted by Hillary on Saturday, 21. July 2007 at 09:47 Bali Time:
The concept of the "real Bali" is one of the most difficult areas to discuss on this forum. Everyone has an opinion and none are wrong but, by the same tken, very few are right. The real Bali is the sight you see directly in front of you while you are there. It may differ from location to location but have no doubts what you see is real. I think a lot of people confuse the words real and traditional when discussing Bali, or any other location, and by so doing actually, unintentially, "put down" those locals who are moving ahead with new technology, lifestyles and the like. As a matter of interest I have often wondered how you could describe the "real England". Is it a country of castles and gallant knights saving maidens in distress, a place of old fashioned industrial complexes and children living in squalor or one of the most developed countries in the modern world, albeit starting to crumble at the edges just now. All a matter of perception and a great starting point for a forum discussion.
Cheers and take care.
Maverick