Chatting with a Scottish tourist in Kuta Bali

Thursday evening I strolled down to Kuta beach after working out in Legian. The new footpath that was built to cover the new storms drains on Jl. Pantai Kuta is great and makes going for a stroll quite pleasant.

Stopping at La Cabana at the junction of Jl. Benesari and Jl. Pantai Kuta I ordered an arak attack (arak, orange juice) and chatted to a fellow from Scotland who has been coming to Bali for 14 years. We chatted about the Schapelle Corby case and he told me he has visited drug offenders in Thailand and Nepal, including one guy who tried to bring a suitcase with 16kgs of hashish from Nepal to Amsterdam. Amazing how many people try desperate measures to get money with no apparent care about the consequences. I told him I would be going along for the Schapelle verdict tomorrow in Denpasar. Long prison terms are not to be laughed at. A supreme waste of time that can rob you of your best years. A recent BBC article highlights one case of wrongful imprisonment. What do you do if you are in his situation?

Changing topic slightly the Scottish gent told me he enjoys diving and though he is not a pro, really enjoys what Bali has to offer. Amed is his favourite and he has seen manta rays and loves the peacefulness out there.