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Feature: Street Travel Guides Face Empty Streets After bombingsBy Xia Lin

Posted on: Wednesday, 5 October 2005, 09:00 CDT

Feature: Street travel guides face empty streets after bombings By Xia Lin

DENPASAR, Bali, Indonesia, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Travel guides touting services on the main streets here on Tuesday felt the strain of less business, as the string of blasts on Saturday on the resort island scared away foreign travelers who used to pack the shops, cafes and beaches and spread handsome reward for these local guys.

"Before the explosions, I could receive some 500 tourists at most on the streets on an average day. I took them to the places they wanted to go. Now, if I can have 50 clients, I would say it is my lucky day," 28-year-old Mupardi told Xinhua.

The fellow earned his living with his familiarity of the Southeast Asia's favorite travel destination. He belonged to the streets rather than any travel agency.

"So the hustle and bustle here mean everything for us. But, unfortunately, the explosions make the streets quiet. They make the economy quiet, too," he said.

Mupardi was just one of the thousands of mobile travel guides in the locality, who provided immediate convenience to joy-seekers coming from Japan, China, Australia, South Korea and the United States.

Due to their service, the island gained extra amicable charm, which helped attract more tourists and therefore raise the government's revenues by a considerable margin.

"From the travel agencies, travelers can not get what we give. They need detailed information and personal service for dining, shopping, surfing and other entertainment," said Mupardi.

German tourist Michael Lenz was satisfied with such escort as another guy like Mupardi took him by motor to the bombings scenes at Kuta Town Square and Jimbarang Beach just in twenty minutes.

"They know every stone and sand here. I can find a lot of such buddies on the streets. They look like friends rather than professional guides," Lenz told Xinhua after taking some photographs in Kuta.

Travel agencies usually arranged flights and hotel for tourists. For detailed enjoyment on the island, they went to people like Mupardi.

However, Tuesday was not the day for Mupardi.

"As my experience can tell, the business needs three to four months to recuperate," he said.

In the morning, he only served two Japanese women, who shopped and went to beach but refused to dine at restaurants.

"The problem is not with the food, but with the location," he said.

Saturday's explosions occurred at two cafes, which were packed with diners. The death toll still lingered between 20 and 30 on Tuesday as some body parts were unidentified yet.

According to official statistics, about 240 foreign tourists canceled their trips to Bali on Sunday, while hundreds of entrees left here in fear of new bombings.

"When the streets are crowded again, I can bring more money back home for my wife and child," said Mupardi, while glancing at the empty shops and cafes on the street.

A press release from the local government's media center on Tuesday said that some 1 million tourists visited the island from January to August this year. The majority of them were from Japan and Australia.

The last quarter should have been the peak of foreigners' arrival, but the blasts shattered Mupardi's plan to have his lion' s share of this year's harvest.

"So that is why I hate terrorism," he said.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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