Balincing Act

Bali is all about balance. The more I see of this beautiful island the more clear it becomes that there are two very distinct sides to it. On one side there is a rich cultural and religious tradition and on the other the over populated tourist hot spots characterized mainly by parties, alcohol and drugs. The relationship the Balinese have with tourists is a love hate. They blame tourists for the pollution, and for turning their sacred dance rituals into hotel shows but their economy is centered around it and most people would be out of a job if the tourists were to leave tomorrow. Today we were talking about the terrorist bombings in Kuta that happened in 2002 and again in 2005. The bombings killed mainly tourists but some Balinese as well. Discussing it and why the bombings happened, they said it was due to a lack of balance of good and evil. Kuta is a tourist party city and the more traditional, conservative locals fear it is bringing more evil spirits to the island. The people worry about the next generation and of loosing their rich culture. After the bombings, the Balinese were not overly concerned with finding out who did it or why. The Hindu way is not to blame others for your problems, but to look inwards, meditate, and try and put a more positive force into the world to counter act the negative that has happened. That is exactly what they did after the attacks. A huge festival/ceremony was held in Kuta to bless the spot and to restore it to become a more holy place.

I'm not sure what the answer is for Bali. On an island that can be crossed in about 3 hours, they receive an estimated 2 million tourists per year. To try and stop this influx is impossible and, economically, not practical. But at the end of the day, what is the price they are paying? It is obvious that many people who come here do not see the real Bali. The people are always smiling and are so hospitable it would be easy to see them and think they hadn't a care in the world. If you scratch just a little deeper, however, it is clear Bali is on the cusp of some major troubling changes. I hope the Balinese are able to maintain their balance and keep their traditions and culture alive as the borders of the world blur more and more. Perhaps it will morph into something new and even more exciting, it's hard to tell.