Archive for September 6th, 2006
Whether travelling alone or in a group, personal safety features high on womenâs lists of concerns. And although Bali, on the whole, requires less of an adjustment from âWesternâ women travellers than other parts of the continent - the mix of cultural influences here ensures a great degree of tolerance for all types of womenâs lifestyles - there are some travel guidelines to bear in mind.
Baliblogâs Tips for Women Travellers:
â˘Personal safety: we donât mean to be alarmist, but itâs important to remember, that a woman will always be in more danger, when travelling solo, than a man. There is a whole category of people who will hassle a female, who wouldnât hassle a man. I have traveled all over Asia, and often my personal safety is not even something I think about, when exploring places at night, being male. Itâs always safer to travel with someone else.
Donât âlook like a touristâ - There are 2 types of westerners here, tourists and expats. Its better to look like an expat, as it gives the impression you know your way around. Keep your camera packed away until you want to use it; donât wear valuable jewelry; enter a shop before consulting a map; and donât open your purse or bag on the street. I try not to walk away from an ATM counting my money, or come out of a shop before Iâve put my wallet away.
Go out at night in groups. Odds are that you wonât have an unpleasant experience, and keeping in a group works very much in your favor. When staying in a guest house / hotel, lock your door when in your room. I hope this doesnât make Bali sound like the Bronx, it isnât, but being careful is a good idea.
âŻPlanning to travel alone? Find a travel buddy at your destination on the BootsnAll Travel Forums.
â˘Sexual harassment and rape are not too common in Bali, as far as foreigners are concerned. Many foreign women come to Bali looking for a holiday romance. The Japanese lead the pack, and I have on many occassions, observed innocent looking Japanese women, wander out onto the beach, camera in hand, and ask a Balinese man to take a photo. That almost always leads to chit-chat and ânew friendsâ. Nothing wrong with that, just saying there is a well worn path, and many Bali beach boys, especially in the Kuta area, are actively trying to get together with foreign women, for the financial benefits. If this does not include you, donât stress, be polite and say you are married. Many solo women travelers wear a ring, to indicate marriage. Ignore the pettier kinds of behavior (whistling, shouting, etc.), but make a scene if you are ever pressured into doing things against your will, or are being moved from one location to another. If you are raped / attacked, call the Bali Police, (0361) 224111, and contact your consulate.
â˘Dress code in Bali:Bali in a Hindu island and therefore enjoys relaxed attitudes to things of a sexual nature. Hindu art and Balinese dances, often contain deliberately suggestive material. On the beach you can go topless, without too much to worry about, though nude bathing is not cool.
Out at night you can wear pants, a dress, a skirt, or shorts, no worries. Indonesian women out late in the party scene often wear skimpy outfits, so you can enjoy the tropical climate, and not feel you have to cover up.
One place where you should cover up, is a Balinese temple. Youâll need a long sleeve, non-revealing shirt, sarong & sash (which you can often rent). You may not enter a Balinese temple during menstruation, as the Balinese consider you âsebelâ (ritually unclean).
â˘Tampons, medicines and the Pill are available at local apoteks (pharmacies), but itâs more convenient to bring supplies from home. If youâre on the Pill, bring enough to last your entire trip (and remember that severe vomiting or diaorrhea can render it ineffective).
â˘Health care and pregnancy: Private healthcare in Bali is okay; if you find youâre pregnant during your trip, go to a nearby private doctor or hospital for advice. SOS International or BIMC are good clinics, both in the Kuta area. Most large hotel / resorts will have a doctor on call. My wife Ika went to a local doctor in Denpasar, the whole time she was pregnant, and it worked out fine.
âŻHospitals & Clinics in Bali.
Abortion is illegal in Indonesia, however, I know 2 people who have gone to a clinic in Bali, and had one, so ask around if you need one.
â˘Travelling in the rest of Indonesia:
The rest of Indonesia, with the exception of Jakarta, has way less foreigners. You will find yourself in the extreme minority, when traveling through Lombok, Java, Sumatra etc. While not generally dangerous, there are certain places that offer a higher degree of personal risk than others, including Papua, Aceh, Central Sulawesi. You should research your trip and talk to locals, for the latest news about your next destination.
The rest of Indonesia is either Muslim, Christian, or some variety of animist religion. When travelling in Muslim areas, its good for women to wear a non-revealing top, and long pants, definitely no sexy wear. Now, hereâs the flip-side. In Jakarta youâll find nightlclubs galore, thatâs different. All across Indonesia there are whore houses galore, that still doesnât mean its a good idea for you to wear sexy clothing. Locals will wonder why you are traveling in a foreign land without your âhusbandâ, so you want to give them the impression you are just another traveler, so as not to draw attention. In general you will not have any major problems travelling as a female in Indonesia.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 6th, 2006
The grueling Tour dâIndonesia 2006, which stretches 1,352.2kms from Jakarta to Bali, finished on Monday and was won by Irishman David McCann. This event should be a a commercial for âsweat wicking underwearâ and salt tablets. Well done to all who finished the race.
 Hereâs more from the Jakarta Post.
Irish cyclist wins RI tour
The Jakarta Post, JakartaIrish cyclist David McCann emerged as the overall champion of the Dji Sam Soe Tour dâIndonesia 2006, which finished in Kuta, Bali, on Monday, with his Giant Asia Racing team of Chinese Taipei taking first place in the teams category.
McCann clocked a total time of 33 hours 17 minutes and 35 seconds to grab the yellow jersey over nine stages, followed by Dyadichkin Vyacheslav of Kazakhstan at 33:20:20 and Seyed Rezaei Seyed Mustafa of Iran at 33:22:48.
Vyacheslavâs team, Polygon Sweet Nice Surabaya, finished second in the group classification, while Rezaeiâs team, Azad Islamic University (AZU), was third.
Indonesian cyclist Fatahillah Abdullah took the first spot in the green jersey sprint category, with 30 points, followed by Russian Sergey Kudentsov and Japanese Masahiko Mifune.
In the 1,352,2-kilometer race from Jakarta to Kuta, McCann had been leading since the fourth stage from Purwokerto to Solo, Central Java.
He said in the final ninth stage, he focused on maintaining his overall lead rather than winning.
âI am happy to be the overall champion in this race. I hope I can return to the same race next year,â 33-year-old McCann told Antara.
The Irishman took home the winning prize of US$7,000, while his team collected $8,500 for its victory.
He also praised Indonesian cyclists for winning stages during the race.
Meanwhile, Fatahillah, representing Bintang Kranggan Cycling Club of Jakarta, said he was nervous in the first stage when Sergey won in the sprint race.
But there was a turning point where he came first in the second-stage sprint.
âSince then, I was able to maintain the lead in the sprint category,â Fatahillah, who won $2,500, said.
In the climbing category for the polka-dot jersey, Iranian Mehdi Faridi won with 22 points followed by Seyed Rezaei Seyed Musada with 21 and Jimes Sprage of England with 20.
Meanwhile, National Sports Council (KONI) chairman Agum Gumelar asked the Indonesian Cycling Association (ISSI) to evaluate the performance of local cyclists over the foreign competitors, to improve Indonesiaâs future performance.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 6th, 2006
Bali is a Hindu island in a Muslim country. Here in Bali you can find many mosques (masjid) and churches. In west Bali there are 2 villages Palasari (catholic) and Belimbingsari (protestant), so far there has been no trouble between the 2 villages.
Balinese Hinduism (Agama Hindu) does a clever thing, it combines Hindu teachings, with animist beliefs (ancestor worship, good and evil spirits etc.), allowing the individual to feel a more personal connection to the religion. Religions develop out of mythologies, that reflect peopleâs ideas, about how they fit into the world and how they communicate with âhigher powersâ. The problem some religions run into is, they donât leave people with a personal attachment, as the mythology / religion didnât originate in their area.
For example Christianity and Islam were born in the Middle East. Iâm not from the Middle East, so I donât feel either represents me. Some people swallow what theyâre told, hook line and sinker, others need more.
An article from TheIndianCatholic.com, talks about a group of Balinese Christians, who have introduced items of their own culture, into Christian worship, in order to help them relate to God as a Balinese.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 6th, 2006
Another win for the good guys! Thatâs the news today from Denpasar District Court, after Bali Bomb II conspirator, Abdul Aziz, was jailed for 8 years. In my view it should be 80 years, or better, an express elevator to the bottom of the Lombok Strait.
Hereâs more from the Jakarta Post.
Abdul Aziz gets 8-year prison sentence for 2005 Bali bombings
DENPASAR (AP): Judges sentenced an Islamic militant to eight years in prison Tuesday for harboring the alleged mastermind of last yearâs suicide bombings on Indonesiaâs resort island of Bali - the first verdict in the terrorist attack.Abdul Aziz, 30, shouted âGod is great!â after the ruling was read in the tightly guarded Denpasar District Court.
Indonesia has been hit by a string of terrorist attacks blamed on members of the al-Qaida linked militant group Jemaah Islamiyah in recent years, the most recent being the Oct. 1, 2005 near simultaneous bombings on three crowded Bali restaurants.
Aziz is one of four men charged in the attacks that killed 20 people and wounded 198 others, all accused of helping hide Southeast Asiaâs most wanted terrorist Noordin Top or helping transport explosives.
Verdicts for the other three are expected by next week.
Presiding judge Gede Wirya said Aziz, a computer teacher in Central Java province, met Noordin at least 10 times before the bombings, once allowing him to stay overnight at his high school.
He was also found guilty of setting up a Web site that called on Muslims to wage war against âinfidelsâ and gave step-by-step instructions on how to kill foreigners in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, the judge said.
He said Aziz âcommitted a gross crime against humanityâ through his terrorist actions, while sewing fear in the community and further damaging Baliâs tourism industry, still recovering from 2002 terrorist attacks that left 202 dead.
Noordin was formerly a key member of Jemaah Islamiyah, which has been weakened by scores of arrests in recent years, but security experts say he now appears to be operating independently.
At a separate trial Tuesday on Indonesiaâs main island of Java, prosecutors accused Achmad Arif Hermansyah of storing explosives used in a suicide car bomb attack in front of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta on Sept. 9, 2004. The trial in Surabaya was adjourned until Sept. 12.
Indonesia, the worldâs most populous Muslim nation, has arrested or convicted more than 150 militants since 2002. At least three have been sentenced to death.
source : www.baliblog.com
September 6th, 2006