Bomb don't deter tourists, vendors

ID Nugroho, The Jakarta Post, Kuta

The scorching sun of Kuta beach at 1 p.m. was so unbearably hot. But that did not prevent Wayan and hundreds of other street vendors from hawking their wares.

Wayan was still out there offering her goods to the numerous local and foreign holidaymakers spending their leisure time at the popular beach.

"I have to make ends meet. This is the only job I have to support my children," the 45-year old Wayan said on Tuesday.

Looking older than her age, Wayan is among hundreds of courageous Balinese women who are the breadwinners of their families.

The Oct. 1 bomb blasts that devastated Bali did not stop her from continuing to sell her goods on the beach.

For Wayan, the recent bomb attacks may shatter her hopes of good earnings. Before the Oct. 2002 bomb attacks damaged the tourist industry on the island, Wayan could easily take home hundreds of thousands of rupiah a day.

"It was so easy to sell various souvenirs to many tourists that came to Bali before that terrible year," Wayan said.

"After the 2002 bombings, Kuta was deserted. Nobody came here, which brought hard times for so many street vendors like me," she said.

In the year after the 2002 bombings few foreigners visited the paradise island, especially Kuta and Legian areas -- popular among young and energetic Australians, Japanese and other Asian nationalities.

Visiting Kuta, especially for Australians, was like reliving the memories of the deadly 2002 bombings at the crowded Sari Club and Paddy's Bar that claimed the lives of 202 people.

"It was really a disaster that changed the lives of so many people like me. Even big souvenir shops, restaurants and cafes along Jl. Legian had to close because there were no visitors," said Wayan who has been a street seller for around 17 years.

However, Wayan sees a ray of light, because three days after the recent bombings, numerous foreign as well as domestic tourists have been seen hanging around Kuta.

Some Western girls were seen having a massage on the beach with fragrant aroma therapy oil. Surfers were enjoying Kuta's great waves.

Even in Kuta Square and Jimbaran areas -- the ground zero area, numerous tourists were walking by; some paying their respects to the victims.

Texas native Manard looked in awe at the ruined Raja's Bar and Restaurant. "How could they do this?" he said.

But Manard was not worried about his safety. "Terrorist actions can happen anywhere across the world and we have to be prepared to face this possible threat while traveling," he said.

Another Westerner was quite annoyed when a newspaper boy offered him a newspaper. "I am a tourist. I am not going to read that kind of news (of the bomb blasts)," he shouted at the boy leaving the vendor disappointed.