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."