Cockfight in Bali

The article about Bali's cockfighting that appeared in The Jakarta Post on Jan. 24 made me remember an experience I had during the first time I visited Bali with my then still-small children plus a nephew, some 25 years ago.

When we arrived at the airport it didn't take long to find a taxi. We were lucky when a USA-style car, a type of small limousine, approached us. Without hesitation we jumped in, the six of us. The friendly, not too young driver asked us where we wanted to go and even offered to drive us around.

He knew all the tourist destinations. So, for the three days that we stayed in Bali, he became our guide-driver. Our itinerary included a trip to Gowa Lawah (bat cave) housing hundreds of little bats flying around, in and out of the cave.

What interested me more was a community gathering next to the cave, which made me curious. It turned out to be a cockfight, as had been written about in that article.

There was a tent full of noisy people. There was an arena in the center of approximately four meters by four meters with a bamboo fence some 50 cm high.

A few men wandered around offering, in a small cigar-box-like container, thin, sharp, very pointed knives of various sizes. Those were supposed to be fitted behind the cock's leg to attack its rival. A shiver ran through my back upon seeing those things.

I began to be concerned about where the children had been running around. So, when I saw the eldest one on the far side of the arena, I asked him where the others were. Then, a man beside him stuck out his fingers in my direction. I did not understand what he was indicating, until I realized that he wanted to place a bet with me. Oh my God!

As fast as possible I slipped out of the crowd and ran to a safer place. I had almost been embroiled in a wager, where a gambler cannot extricate himself: The Balinese are known for their quick temper. A terrifying experience. We had a good laugh about it later though. A cockfight!

NETTY MULIA

Jakarta