Raja's restaurant in Kuta Square Bali
Kuta Square is back in action for shopping. On Friday I walked through and the rebuilding has started. Raja's restaurant, the epicenter of the blast was damaged on all 3 floors, although the building itself will probably be okay. The police have finished their crime scene investigation and the lower floor is boarded up. Raja's was a busy place, as was the whole of Kuta Square. Most shops are open and tourists are once again looking for bargains. Across the street shoppers would stop and snap a photo or 2. I saw one lady walking along filming her friend with a video camera. (The other day I happened to see a woman following a large family group on the beach with a video camera, while she herself was followed by a man videoing her.
Maybe life is one big 'reality show' myself being no different. I'm watching you while you’re watching me). The shops across from Raja's sustained minor damage, the plate glass that could turn into a deadly weapon in a big blast, protecting the people inside shops in this smaller blast. I did see evidence of some broken windows and think that the cracked windows were in the process of being replaced. Barrie told me he watched a TV news crew filming workmen dropping chunks of plate glass out of Raja's on to the street. Very dramatic but just part of the repairs.
Talking with a number of staff in shops close by I found them to be in good spirits, although obviously a bit shaken. I do not find Balinese people to be down hearted or overly emotional about this whole thing. We westerners love to dramatize everything, but people who were 15 meters from the bomb are thankful they survived and are moving on. The most nervous looking people were the staff at Dulang restaurant a few shops down from Raja's. Dulang is the place with the green awning and the water spray coming down onto pedestrians. They probably realize it was a toss up between them and Raja's. Standing in Kuta Square tourists did not seem stunned or terrified. They were there to shop at Matahari and the clothes and surf shops that line the street. I did not see displays of emotion this time, as one would at the former Sari Club site. This bomb was a lot smaller and let's hope it's the last one Bali sees.
By Nick | Permalink
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Just been shoutting through to the family room to husband mike—Kuta Square open for business again,still tourists about.Mickey’s comment—”Aww wish I was one of them!”