Bali serves up the thrill of living dangerously

By Degung Santikarma

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): In the wake of recent violence in Bali accompanying the presidential elections, tourism officials have expressed concern that the numbers of foreign visitors to the island appears to have taken a dramatic dive.

The authorities are stepping up their campaign to restore the image of Bali as a peaceful tropical paradise, free from the cares of the modern world and clean of the stain of politics.

On the streets of the Kuta strip, the tourist police, with their neatly pressed uniforms and shiny leather boots, stand guard against pickpockets, purse snatchers and the pushy street vendors who threaten to disturb the flow of business into the high-priced, air-conditioned boutiques. On the main road from urban Denpasar to idyllic Ubud -- advertised as an oasis of art and peace -- police and civilian patrols pull over passing Indonesians to make sure that they possess the proper identity cards.

If these locals are accompanying a tourist, they will be asked to show the appropriate guide license, a requirement that ensures foreign guests are presented only with the official interpretation of Bali found condensed in the government slogan of Sapta Pesona (the "seven charms"): friendly, memorable, neat, clean, beautiful, culturally preserved and, above all, orderly.

On Jl. Hayam Wuruk, the main thoroughfare between Denpasar and beachfront Sanur, crews of workers are busy chopping down rows of shady trees to make room for new sidewalks that will keep pedestrians safe from the rushing riot that is Balinese traffic.

In the kampong neighborhoods and villages of the island, the security watch walks the night streets, ready to do battle with any suspicious "outsider" who might try to invade their territory.

And in the pages of the mass media and the speeches of local bureaucrats, Balinese are being exhorted to forget about politics and return to preserving and polishing their unique cultural heritage as the ultimate capital to attract tourist cash.

Meanwhile, as the streets are being cleaned, the welcoming smiles are being practiced and the safety net is being pulled tight around them, Bali's Western guests are eagerly handing over their bundles of banknotes to engage in activities that test their defenses against danger and defy the established wisdom that the Balinese tourist trade is dependent upon culture.

Blissfully ignorant of the traditional ceremony being held at the temple down the street, a group of daredevil young Americans is lined up to experience the thrill of bungee jumping headfirst from a 50-meter tower, with only a huge rubber band protecting the sidewalk below from a very unsightly stain. At beaches across the island, surfboard-wielding Australians are braving the powerful waves and treacherous undertows to test their wits against the water.

On Bali's Ayung River, groups of Japanese and Koreans are piling into rubber rafts for a wild, wet ride through waters the Balinese believe to be the habitat of hosts of devil spirits known as tonye. And for those for whom such thrills are not quite enough of a high, Bali now even offers skydiving, a 1,000-meter jump with only a square of nylon parachute to save one from certain death.

To the confusion of many Balinese, for whom daily life -- with the threat of black magic from jealous neighbors, the worries about finding work, the risk of illness, the perils of political pressure or of social sanctions for not fulfilling one's obligations to the community -- is already dangerous enough, this new breed of tourists seems far less interested in Bali's cultural offerings than in signing themselves up for the leading role in a real-life action adventure story.

In the days before the international airlines and package tour brokers made Bali a virtual suburb of Australia, just getting to the island was an adventure. Travelers swapped stories of their hair-raising journeys and the bravery they displayed in overcoming Bali's legendary dangers, from black magic and bad trips to the infamous "Bali Belly" and the mosquito-borne "Bloody Fever".

They returned home not only with backpacks full of bargain price sarongs and silver jewelry, but with tales of getting lost, getting ripped off and getting troublesome social diseases. These days, of course, Bali is a much tamer place. Health workers roam the island armed with spray cans of DDT to tame the pesky beasts, and condoms to stop the spread of diseases like hepatitis and AIDS.

Stores and restaurants make nice profits off of the sale of bottled water, Bali's restaurants serve up fresh organic vegetarian treats and a new string of luxury spas and "spiritual retreats" offers cosseting and cleansing for body and spirit. And with its entry into the cyberspace culture of the "global village", Bali has become transformed from an isolated corner of the so-called Third World into a typical stop on the transnational traveler's itinerary.

In fact, these days one needs only to point and click on the address of a website like Access Bali Online to enter a virtual Bali where a variety of pleasures and pampering can be booked from the comfort of one's own home.

And perhaps that's the real explanation for both the declining tourist arrivals and the new adventure craze. Maybe Bali has become too easy on its Western guests. Maybe travel agents need to forget about selling excursions to witness the Barong dance, visit the authentic psychic healer or experience an enlightened evening of cosmic cultural consciousness at Bali's "mother temple" of Besakih.

Maybe they need to get rid of the postcard perfect images of a hygienic hideaway where timeless tradition holds out against the modern world. Maybe what will really sell is the "Riot Tour" -- two days and nights of burning tires, looting crowds, shattered windows and smashed cars. With Bali's hotel rooms gathering dust and its tour buses standing idle, anything is worth a try.