Silent night in Bali as bomb attack snuffs out the fun
Silent night in Bali as bomb attack snuffs out the fun
Martin Abbugao, Agence France-Presse, Kuta, Bali
Hard Rock Cafe pulled down the shutters before midnight Monday
as the once-bustling nightlife in Bali's entertainment heartland
fell silent, a casualty of a deadly bomb attack.
As a half-moon shone on a clear sky, only the waves washing up
on the popular Kuta Beach broke the silence along the stretch of
restaurants, hotels and pubs that less than a week ago teemed
with fun-loving Australian, European and Asian vacationers.
The explosion late Saturday, which killed at least 183 people
and was believed to be the work of terrorists linked to the al-
Qaeda terror network, has snuffed out the fun and turned the
district into a ghost town.
"People are just scared to go out. I think it is the same
everywhere," Indra Gunawan, the assistant operations manager of
Hard Rock Cafe, told AFP.
The famous pub had never boarded up before midnight due to
lack of customers since operations were moved to its current
beachfront location five years ago.
"I feel very sad," Indra said at the cafe's empty balcony. The
silence of the night was punctuated by an occasional passing car
and by waves washing up on the deserted beach.
Waiters said normally the beach and the boulevard pulsated to
pounding music and roaring laughter from tourists.
But since Saturday traffic has slowed to a trickle. Indonesian
flags in front of the cafe, part of a hotel bearing the Hard Rock
name, were flown at half-mast to mourn the victims of the blast,
most of whom were foreigners.
"Let's wait for a couple of days, take stock of the situation
and see the reaction of the public," said Indra.
At Mades Warung, a restaurant famous for Balinese dishes and
replete with Balinese art, only a few tables were occupied,
mostly by locals.
Workers said before Saturday's bomb explosion, customers had
to line up to get tables.
A group of three Caucasian women left early. Armed policemen
patrolled the deserted street.
At Musro Music, a disco house frequented by Taiwanese
tourists, red-uniformed waiters nearly outnumbered customers.
Security guards used metal detectors to check clients and armed
policemen stood guard near the parking lot.
A live band belting out Bon Jovi songs sang to an empty house.
Girls for hire as "singing companions" at a karaoke bar waited in
vain for clients.
Anna said her fee is for Rp 50,000 (US$5.5) per hour for a
minimum of three hours to accompany clients to sing. "I need the
money badly," she told AFP.
But as midnight passed she was still not taken.
Agus Dewa, a waiter at Musro, said he feared working inside a
bar frequented by foreigners but had no choice.
Nearly 2.4 million tourists visited Bali last year, most of
them from Japan, Australia, Britain, Taiwan, Germany and the US,
tourism officials said.
Bali Governor Made Dewa Beratha said while the physical damage
could easily be repaired, the psychological wound may take longer
to heal.
"I hope it won't last long," he said earlier Monday.
Outside the Hard Rock Cafe a quote was displayed from the
Beatles: : "And in the end, the love we take is equal to the love
we make."