Is Bali the ‘new’ Amsterdam?
The headline grabbing antic of Schapelle Corby and her compatriots, plus the flame-fanning journalism that is around right now can give the impression that Bali is the New Amsterdam.
A free-wheeling place where you can casually buy marijuana, cocaine or any kind of designer drug. I do agree there are touts hanging around in the Kuta area who will reel off a list of things they can provide. These include change money, motorbike, young lady, t-shirt and marijuana.
Some newspaper articles are looking for a story and try to create some kind of Streets of San Francisco atmosphere whereby they are cracking a web of vice. Most Balinese people do not use drugs. Most tourists and expats in Bali do not use drugs. Some tourists coming here like recreational drugs and other tourists bring them expecting to make some quick cash. Last year a Brazilian guy was caught with cocaine inside his surfboard. These are all low-level operators trying for a fast buck.
Some of the people offering marijuana on the beach are probably plain cloths policemen. Steer clear of these characters as you will get arrested very quickly.
In general the drug scene here follows the party scene and for the average person it is an environment you just will not be part of.
By Nick | Permalink
Related Posts
- Amsterdam Travel Guide
- The jail, the news and the Bali expats
- Year Sought for Aussie Woman: Lombok, Indonesia
- Drugs in Bali-popular choices, official policy, punishments
- Indonesia having a tough time fighting drug trafficking
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share              |
Comments
Great new tourist business for Bali would be “Amsterdam style” Cannabis Cafes, which don’t sell alcohol, are taxed and quality controlled. I believe the number of people using pot in Holland stayed about the same before and after legalization ie. 10%. Most people choose not to do drugs, realise the health hazards of alcohol and see the danger of tobacco which kills over 300,000 Indonesians each year. Yet which poison of the three u prefer should be your choice as long as it is not around others. I am sick of the policy of allowing smoking in indoor places in bali like internet cafes, restaurants etc.
During the second world war Singapore fell because the British told our soldiers to lay down their arms. My father told me how the the Australians’ wanted to fight on, but put down their arms only to watch the Japanese pick up their bullets because they were in such short supply of ammunition.
Downer; and I will meet him anyplace any time and say the same thing to his face, is a gutless Pom of same British stock leaving Australians to to mercy of fraudulent radical or religious governments world wide.
My father was a Japanese prisoner of war in Changi and said to me look after your friends but if you go to war never be or take a prisoner. Indonesians have no respect for Australians. They just want to kill us in any form or fashion.
.
We should stop giving money to Indonesia and develop nuclear weapons to protect our country from their your hostile ways.
We should send our SAS teams into Iraq and just silently put an end to anyone supporting Sadam
Send a message to the world to back off and keep their hands off Australians while the choice is theirs.
Like US Marines bring Australians home never leave them on the battlefield and deal with them here in a humane way
Especially don’t leave justice to spook Indonesian courts who are puppets to crime lords
The Indonesian government is scum bag low life bottom feeders as shown by their Hitler type reign over other countries
G’Day Nick,
Nah, Kuta is definitely not the new Amsterdam!.
You can go to any city in the world, any tourist resort, and in fact, anywhere in the world and there will be drugs for sale - except of course for the Polar regions - that is unless the Eskimos and the penguins have hopped on the bandwagon!.