Prostitutes and Transvestites Arrested at Bali Bombing Memorial

Evening Raid Nets Beggars, Prostitutes and Transvestites

In response to reports that beggars and prostitutes were disturbing visitors in the vicinity of Ground Zero and the Bali Bombing Memorial, sweeping raids were conducted in the area on 1 July.

The evening raids netted a total 37 beggars, 11 commercial sex workers, 19 transvestites, 3 people with no identity cards and 2 improperly parked taxis. Most of the arrests were made in the vicinity of the Bali Bombing Monument.

Most of those arrested had their personal details taken for processing on public nuisance complaints. However, the beggars, many of whom were children, were rounded up for eventual return to their home villages.

The raids were made after receiving numerous complaints from local residents of the nuisance caused by the transient street workers.

Article produced with permission of Bali Discovery Tours.       http://www.balidiscovery.com/

Sukawati Ceremony

Ceremonies are common in Bali, but this particular one was worth seeing.  It stopped traffic for about 40 minutes on a major road north of Denpasar at about 5.00 on Friday afternoon.

Pothole Causes Traffic Chaos

A huge pothole in the Ubud main road has caused traffic chaos in the area.

The hole is in the centre of the road, right outside the market in the heart of Ubud.  That section of road is usually bumper to bumper most of the day, but today it was completely closed.

The hole looks to be at least 2 meters deep and the sound of running water can be heard coming from the hole.  It appears that there is a large drainage system running under the road.

West bound traffic was diverted about 1 kilometer, but for people traveling east it was not so easy.  The detour was about 10 kilometers through the rice fields to the north, which takes about 20 minutes.

One can only imagine the scale of the work required to repair the damage.  It could be weeks before traffic can pass again.

Bag Snatcher Shot at Ubud

Ubud area police are continuing their crackdown on muggers and purse snatchers who have been targeting tourist visitors. On Wednesday, June 24, two young men were apprehended in the process of snatching a purse near Ubud. One of the men, 20-year-old Lukman Hakim of Jembrana, Java, was shot by police in the thigh after he reportedly tried to evade capture.

Police authorities told NusaBali that Lukman heads a group of teen-age thieves who operated from his rented accommodation in Sembuang in Gianyar targeting tourists in Ubud, Sukawati and Tegallalang.

Police continue to seek at least one more youth, believed to be part of Lukman’s den of thieves.

Reproduced with permission from –  Bali Discovery Tours – http://www.balidiscovery.com

Sunday Bar-B-Q

I have some guests, Nina and Colin from Melbourne, who are spending 14 days in Bali.  Last Sunday they asked me to take them to Echo Beach for a Bar-B-Q.

What a great night.

Echo Beach is a popular surf spot at Canggu, about 45 minutes north of Kuta.  Every Sunday night they have a Bar-B-Q with ‘all you can eat’ salads and  live band.

The atmosphere is great.  Fresh sea breezes, good food, good music, happy faces, and lots of cold Bintang.  There was a good crowd most of which were Ozzies.

If you are looking for something different to do on a Sunday night, I would recommend it.  I am heading back there this Sunday with some other guests.

I didn’t mention the prices.  They are very reasonable.

Bali Visit – Kuta Beach

Just posted this latest video on YouTube.  It’s a quick 2 minutes on the action at Kuta Beach.

Hope you enjoy it.

Beware Temporary Tattoos in Bali

The West Australian reported that an 11 year old girl was admitted to the Princess Margaret Hospital on her return from Bali.  The girl was suffering from a reaction to a temporary tattoo that she and her sister and mother got in Sanur.

The reaction started on the flight home, and by the time the flight landed she was in agony.

Her mother said the trauma was akin to someone pouring acid on her skin. “It was like a third-degree burn, she was in agony.”

The Princess Margaret Hospital figures show 11 children as young as four admitted to the emergency department since the start of last year because of bad reactions to temporary tattoos done in Bali.

Read the full story at TheWest.com.au

Jamie Lee in Bali

Actress Jamie Lee Curtis spent part of a recent holiday in Bali.

During her Bali visit, she was taken on a walking tour of the rice fields outside Ubud by well know museum owner, Agung Rai.

She writes about her reflections on Bali in the online newspaper, The Huffington Post.  If you would like to read her article, it is titled Pay Attention.

Welcome to My Paradise

I have been using the same music “Welcome to My Paradise” with the recently produced videos. There have been a heap of people comment on the music, so thought I would put the whole track on video.

I filled the video with still shots and with the magic of iMovie 09 turned it into something half decent.

See for yourself.

Selling Heads – in Bali?

An article published by BaliDiscovery.com was titled “Head Hunting Season Now Open”.  It went on to say…….

China National Tourism Authority (CNTA) has called on Indonesia to stop the practice of “selling heads” among Chinese tourists visiting the country.

“Selling Heads” is the practice in which the right to guide visiting Chinese tourists is purchased by travel agents and guides who then recoup their investment through oftentimes exorbitant commissions received from restaurants and shops.

Eddy Sunyoto, an Indonesian official of the Travel Agents Association, admitted that a number of registered travel agents are actively engaged in “selling heads” when serving Chinese travellers.

Reproduced with permission of Bali Discovery Tours – http://www.balidiscovery.com