Businesses recovering from effects of the bombing

I arrived in Bali on January 2nd 2003 less than 3 months after the bombings at Paddys and the Sari Club.

The scene around Jalan Legian and Poppies II was one of disrepair with many shops and buildings destroyed, others closed for repair and those still open ticking over on a very low budget. There have been quite a lot of renovations since that time, some businesses reopening and new businesses sprouting up. The economy is nowhere like it was before but I get the impression there is optimism.

The first thing a visitor to the area around the bomb-site will notice is the memorial across the street. It is still being built but already attracts interested tourists who gaze at the list of countries and names.

On the corner of Poppies II and Jalan Legian is The Station, a trendy surf accessory shop that is all glass windows and designer labels. I checked out their goods, they do a nice selection of Oakley footwear as well as helmets, t-shirts, and pads for your board. This stuff isn’t cheap though and as the shop has a front window prices are quoted, which means ‘take it or leave it.’

I talked to Marliani from Legian who was wearing a ID tag necklace from the Aloha Surf Shop, the name of the previous business here that was bombed out. She told me she worked for Aloha for 3 years and on the night of the bombing she was at home and didn’t see the explosion. She said she didn’t go past the Aloha Surf Shop for 2 months after. Fortunately none of her close friends were killed.

I asked Marliani how business is here at The Station and she told me it was good, with people spending a lot. I asked if she liked her job and she said yes, because she has to eat.

Next door to The Station is Ticket To The Moon, a funky little shop that specializes in hammocks and swings. I think the fact that this shop uses bright colors makes people stop in and look. I got in one of the hammocks and it felt okay. The assistant told me the material might make me sweat though if I lay there too long.

I talked to Rama from Tabanan who said Ticket opened here in 2001, was closed due to the bombing and opened on Poppies II next to Internet Outpost. This location reopened a short while ago.

Rama said he was working at the shop the night of the bombing and closed early. About 45 minutes after he closed he was walking approximately 150 meters down Jalan Legian from Ticket when the bombs went off. Everything was dark as the lights all went out, people were running panicked, down Jalan Legian. Rama told me he went down Jl. Legian and headed for the beach.

Next morning at 6am he came back to the store. He said he saw bodies and body parts all over, the police not too much in evidence. Rama said the banjar guys were controlling who could come in and out and his friend had just joined after getting married and got him in too.

I asked Rama what the banjar guys were saying and he told me they thought it was a terrorist attack. He said 3 months before Megawati was saying that Bali is a safe from terrorism but this attack showed them its not safe. Rama said he though Afghan terrorists were to blame.

Rama worked in a factory for 8-9 months after the bombing. I asked him how business was now and he said business is low, the summer was also low with fewer tourists. He told me that many friends of his who worked in bars and restaurants were laid off.

He said he thinks it will be 5 years till Bali gets back to normal.

Just up the street from Ticket To The Moon is a t-shirt shop owned and operated by Wayan. “You buy 1 shirt, give me good business.” She said as I walked past. “I live here.” I replied, “Tidak tourist.”

Wayan’s shop was demolished by the blast last year and sits next to the Wartel building that was also damaged. When the bomb went off she was sleeping in her house in Kuta. She was closed for 6 months. Since that time business has been very bad but she’s hoping December will be good.

It is interesting that one out of 3 shops here is doing decent business. It shows that if you’ve got the goods people want you’ll make money even when times are hard.

I can sense the obvious downturn in the tourist flow after the ‘summer’ and this is due to the European / US/ Aussie seasonal flow. Christmas season is going to be great though and after people come here and have a blast they will tell others what a great destination this is. I’m going to Australia for Christmas and that’s another reason to visit Bali, there will be one more seat at Café Moka, one more portion of Beef Rendang at Gossip and one more (maybe 2 more) cold ones in the fridge at Internet Outpost.