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Avoiding Kuta Beach

Denpasar, Bali - 31st August

From: micki korp

Hello friends of Danny! In my mail just delivered I find the following postcard message from Danny, mailed Denpasar, Bali (a place I have never been, sigh.) on August 31.

First the photo image: It is a beach, crowded (and some palm trees). There are two sorts of people on the beach--the long, tall fair-skinned and fair-haired, half naked sort, and those who seem attend them. They are smaller, darker, fully clothed and wear sensible straw hats. They are giving massages to some of the blonde sunbathers. This is truly a faraway beach. It is assuredly not a New Jersey beach scene (the sort I know best). The photo credit is given to one Manfred Gottschalk. The postage stamps are unremarkable blue and white design honouring some feat of technology labelled the "Pelita V 1992" with the additional words "alih teknologi" (high tek???) Plane buffs, do forgive my cheekiness.

OK, now the good stuff......... Danny's words from the other side of the world:

"Hi Micki! Hi Everyone! As you see, I've arrived safely in Bali. I'm only here for one night, though, and I have to get up at 04.30 tomorrow for an internal flight to Bandung. The picture on the front of the card (Western tourists on Kuta beach) is the Bali I try my best to avoid. The picture on my next card (the barren peak of Gunung Agung) is more my style, but neither card (nor any of the alternative ones showing verdant green villages) comes close to depicting my current environment: I am smack bang in the middle of Denpasar, an urban centre with awful traffic (only saved from gridlock by the fact that 80% of it is motorcycles and the streets are all one way) where I have just walked past a traditional dance performance (not one put on for tourists) and a huge modern department store (almost as good as anything in Sydney) on one 5-minute walk. It's now 9 pm, but still really hot and humid, and I should go to bed soon. I think I'll be writing lots of postcards, as it makes up for not having any travelling companions in a strange sort of way. Lots of mosquitoes, I'm burning two coils. Cheers, Danny

Postcard # 1; Denpasar, Bali, 31/8/94

(Well, there you have it, postcard nr.1. best wishes to all, Micki)

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