"Bali - A Different World" a Bali Travel Page by nancy80

Bali was the second stop on our honeymoon. It was supposed to be the rainy season (December) but the weather was mostly dry during the week we stayed there. Sometimes I was actually praying for rain to relieve some of the heat and humidity.
Getting off the plane in Bali, you are entering a whole new world. It was my first time in a Hindu/Bhuddist country and I didn't really know what to expect. My first reaction after leaving the airport was one of shock. I don't know why but I had imagined that Bali was more developed, more modern. I was suprised to find that it was quite a poor country and that the standard of living was very basic. After I got over the initial cultural shock, it didn't take long before I was captivated by the island and learned to appreciate it and its people. I soon became grateful for the very reason of my earlier disappointment. The fact that Bali is for the most part unspoilt by modernism, globalization and technological advances is its most valuable asset. In Bali, people spent very little time indoors. Houses and even hotels are based around and carefully interwoven with their natural habitats. People and nature live closely together, side by side. The locals work mainly in the tourism industry, many as artists (e.g. wood sculpting and painting) and others depend on natural resources (e.g. rice fields, plantation & agriculture, wood, coconuts, etc.)
It's difficult for outsiders like us to understand their way of life. You can't describe it as rich or poor, it's just completely different. The scents, the extreme greenery, the orchid flowers, the music, the temples, the customs, the culture, the architecture, the wooden art....it's such a unique combination that stimulates all your senses in a way that you will never forget. It is this which makes Bali special. It is hard to explain, u have to experience it to get it.
It was a very fulfilling, enlightening and interesting new experience for me. I hope Bali will not be spoilt by more "globalization" efforts and foreign influences (e.g. Kuta) that have the ability to ruin any country's identity and sincerely hope they are able to maintain their unique culture. Hope to go back there someday.