Slow times on Poppies II in Kuta Bali

Poppies Lane II in Kuta is one of the gangs, that lead from Jl. Legian to the beach, at Pantai Kuta. During peak times these are packed with families, rugby teams, surfers and backpackers. Back in 1998, when Bali really peaked as far as tourist numbers, Poppies II was so busy you were shoulder to shoulder with tourists.

Today the scene is a bit different to back then. Most of the Australian families are staying away for right now, and its the surfers, plus Japanese tourists who seem to be most prevalent. Handicraft vendors know its a hard economy right now, with so much inventory going nowhere. Still people can always break from their ‘salesman role’ and offer a smile. The lady on the right told me she was 5 months pregnant. Around the corner, I saw a group of young Indonesians, including a girl in Muslim dress, sitting around playing a guitar and singing a pop song.