Looking for Debbie in Kuta Bali

Baliblog gets a decent amount of traffic and I get many emails from people wanting to meet up. Sometimes I am able to and other times I am too busy, forget, lose the contact info etc. Recently Debbie form Alaska came back to Bali and left a note for me at Internet Outpost. I lost it but knew she liked to stay at the Ayu Beach on Poppies I in Kuta. Riding along Poppies I today I saw the place was quiet and vendors were looking out for customers. No luck finding Debbie but I did see a Balinese local get into an argument with a wall. This is something I see everyday in my alley, truck drivers who can’t drive.

Today the guy tried to make a right turn into a tight alley. Realizing he was close to the wall on the right side, he forced his way through by going too close on the left side. Result: crunch. Myself and others looking up to see how bad the damage was. In Bali you have a choice when getting a drivers license. You either take a test and pay a fee, or just pay for the permit without a test and pay a higher fee. Most people do not take driving lessons, or are aware of the ‘highway code’. I’ve been in taxis where the driver looks like me on my first driving lesson. Leaning forward, looking scared as hell, no idea about what to do and making all the wrong moves. Oh well, after a couple dozen accidents most of them figure it out.

N.B. I did see an amazing thing yesterday. While turning left to go past Brasil restaurant on Jl. Benesari, a young Balinese female looked up and saw a truck coming about 30 meters away. Instead of going full tilt into the narrowing gap, she pulled over to the side and waited patiently for the truck to pass, myself behind her. I only mention this because it is so rare to see anyone using their head.