JP/18/DISPLY

Murdani Usman The Jakarta Post Denpasar

The Indonesian Independence Day celebrations on Aug. 17 offered the peace-loving Balinese a joyful reprise from the trauma and economic hardship that the Oct. 12, 2002 bomb blast delivered.

Foreign holidaymakers have begun to return to the island but the tourism industry, which is the heart of Bali's economy, is still recovering.

On Aug. 16 and Aug. 17 the atmosphere in Bali told a different story as people just wanted to have fun. They flocked to the public parks. They crowded the bale banjar (village community centers). They played on the beaches of Sanur, Kuta and Nusa dua. There was a pretty tough looking game of tug of war (top on left photo), decorative bicycles (bottom on left photo) with carnivalesque canopies and a tree climbing race.

Foreign tourists also took up the invitation to party. They were seen sharing the happiness of the locals, laughing and more than hopeful that the good times were here to stay.