Bali needs more modern development, yes?
With the current onslaught of no-quarantine-required
tourists here on the Island of the Gods comes yet another
controversy.
And it affects the surf and sunset beers crowd directly.
Having opened its borders to such tourist rich countries as
Tunisia, Cambodia and Belgium, “the powers that be” have deemed it
necessary at this jubilant junction to pour ice down the pants of
beachfront businesses, both humble and luxurious.
This is rumored to be with an eye to save these prime pieces of
real estate for more lucrative investors.
After all, Bali needs more modern development, yes?
Why keep the charm of the place when you can bury it under a
mountain of cash and cement in the form of overseas resort
investors?
So here’s the rub: It started with a fire that burnt down this
semi-secret luxury beachside club near Balangan up in the Bukit
(Voted among the top 50 best beach bars in the world near a
benevolent left breaking wave beloved by all) .
While rebuilding, an access road was hastily built to fight
possible future fires. This drew attention to the prime location
and a case of suspected misappropriation of a seaside parcel of
public land was slapped on the owners.
Now, the traditional villagers and the restaurant owners they
had a pretty sweet deal with are ensnared in a labyrinthine legal
horn lock with “the powers that be.”
And everybody knows how it will turn out.
Special fees, fees and more fees.
So, fresh from this success, “the powers that be” have now
turned there attention to the 30-odd illegal businesses
“discovered” near Berawa Beach, Canggu’s latest hot spot for the
surf and sunset cocktails crowd (if you are thinking of visiting
you might want to brush up on your Russian language skills).
No word yet on any scrutiny of nearby Echo Beach, Old Man’s, and
its longboard haven stalwarts extraordinaire.
Anyway, it seems these illegal “buildings” on Berawa were built
by local residents who then lease them out to “outside interests”
who, smart enough, offer the village inducements like employment
guarantees and high-blown rental payments for the right to use
these prime locations otherwise banned from private use.
Says one disgruntled investor in a heavy Russian accent, “You
gotta realize that Villagers view these beachfront lands as part of
their ancestral legacy and can be disposed of as they please. And
we like that”.
In contrast, provincial officials insist that any “public lands”
are forever held by all Indonesians and regional laws take
precedence.
In other words, a total shit fight with one side heavily
favored.
The final dispositions in these cases may have far-reaching
surfing effects in Bali, where so many surfside warungs have broken
every building code in the book.
