This is
one of the best book I’ve ever read. I don’t know why there are so many bad
reviews about this. I’m glad I ignored the comments on goodreads and carry on
with my curiosity. Since page one, my journey throughout the underbelly of Bali
was a series of roller coaster ride. The book began with a near-death
experience by the author’s brother, due to a love triangle with a lady escort.
This book is published in 2012, I hope several things had changed in Bali but
however, it saddens me when people who wanted to help the author’s brother at
first refused because he didn’t want to get into trouble.
The
thing is, in Indonesia, there’s still some people who pushed other people
around especially when they were in larger groups. When you wanted to help
someone in trouble, sometimes you became the second victim yourself because
other people accuse you as the culprit. Or if you arrive at the hospital, some
people might accuse you and will turn you in to the police. Then, there’s
‘street justice’ where people who don’t even know the trouble start bashing you
just to let out their anger.
Speaking
of street justice, this book tells us a lot about it. It’s the survival of the
fittest in the underbelly of Bali. You need to have lots of strength, knows a
lot of ‘strong people’ and have a lot of money if you want to survive. One of
them might help you to some point, but the chances of surviving long time is
pretty low. It’s pretty much like other place such as Java or Sumatera. It’s
okay if you just want to go with the tourism flow, like the beautiful colourful
brochures. Visits the beautiful temples or lakes and then have a good rest.
However if you want to blend with the locals and their lives, or try ‘to live a
little dangerously’, it’s another story.
Not all
people could be your friend – it’s obvious. Be careful of whom you called your
friends. Sometimes they just wanna rob you dry and leave you once you have
nothing. Bali Raw tells us how people who thought they find a family in Bali
got their money taken from them even when they don’t realize. They got treated
as a family but comes with a price. They paid for some of the family’s
expenses.
This
also the same with intimate relationship between tourists and locals. You might
have heard about the ‘Cowboys in Paradise’ documentary, where some Bali surfers
also work as gentlemen escorts for the Western and Japanese ladies. They have
several reasons behind it, from earning for their families and just want to get
easy money. You might also see a lot of foreign tourist walking around with
their local spouses. Some of them were officially married, but some of them
not.
Mind
you, back when I was just graduated from high school and went to Bali for a
holiday, I was walking down Kuta beach enjoying sunset when a local guy said hello.
He told me I was pretty. He spoke to me in English and surprised
(disappointed?) when he knew I was from Indonesia. I was 19 at that time. I
thought he’s just a nice local / surfing instructor who took a shine on me. He
told me he was a guide and gave me his name card, telling me to call him an
he’ll show me around. I lost the card shortly due to my clumsiness ... but
turned out it might just as well. I saw someone similar to him on the
documentary. If it was him, what he meant, probably the other kind of guide.
Well, his offer might do better on other tourists with the same ‘guide’ meaning
as he is.
Like the
40 years old Western woman who got a lot of boyfriends there. She slept with
different guy every night and then she went home to play wife and mum. Well,
that’s just the life of some people, I suppose. Sometimes, this kind of
relationship escalate into more commited one. The tourists who fall in love
with the escorts try to pay the brothel keeper, so the escorts could be free
from their jobs. Afterwards, the escorts will be theirs but they often get back
to their old jobs. Or cheat on them once they fly back to their countries.
In Bali,
you might get a lot of stuffs easily from pirated DVDs to drugs. The writer’s
friend drank fifteen pills (yes, you read it right, fifteen pills) of ephedrine
as if they were M&Ms and ended up having erectile dysfunction – which is
quite light overdose effect compare to respiratory failure to me. However, they
also came in dire consequences. You might read further about how your holiday
could easily turn into a long term nightmare in Snowing in Bali and Hotel K by
Kathryn Bonella. Bali is indeed the island of paradise. Tourists often came to
let out their fatigue and frustration of daily life. They want to fulfill their
bucket lists and not aware of the consequences.
According
to Constitution number 35 year 2009 about Narcotics the penalty were different
for the user, seller or courier. The progress of what might seem to be a
‘recreational drug’ act is lengthy and penalty could be rehabilitation, jail or
even death (Like the Bali 9 case). So for your own sake, do think about the
impact of every actions you make in holiday destination. Even if you do
something as ‘harmless’ as drinking, remember to do it responsibly. The
author’s friend involved in a tragic accident because he drank a lot of beer
and then ride a motorcycle, wearing only cheap plastic helmet that breaks
easily.
For me
this is an amazing book. People should read this before going for a holiday
abroad as a warning about what might happen. What might seem like endless
paradise can turn into a nightmare in a matter of seconds. Make sure you know
the law on that country, as well as browse the warnings from people who already
been there.
Because in this world, paradise often comes with dire price.
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