09.08.10 Paradise is going on holiday too

“This will destroy the island” the blonde woman in a yellow “I love Bali” t-shirt and a rainbow colored sarong answered to the waiter at breakfast. As I understood they were talking about the new international Lombok airport which is going to open in December this year with direct flights to Hongkong, Bangkok etc. financed by Dubai funds. We booked a driver today to take us around the island. He was a very elegant and very good english speaking man called Dean. We fed some monkeys in the forest and visited a little village called Sukarara where women are taught to weave sarongs for generations. The young women are not allowed to marry as long as they are not able to finish their sarong for their own wedding. A young girl dressed in jeans and t-shirt, showed us around. The whole story and all his rituals seemed to lay in the past already. It felt like an open air museum to me and we were guessing that the fabrics they sold were no longer woven by the people living there. One person is able to weave one sarong per month on a 9 to 5 basis and it felt like more tourists passing by and buying fabrics than the inhabitants would be able to deliver. No matter where they came from, the fabrics were really beautiful and a very good quality. Had to get a scarf for Mr. Trip and a little salmon colored carpet for little Z. I feel Lombok is a beautiful place with very nice people living there. On our way to the Airport we were talking to the driver about the new international airport and if he sees a disadvantage in this new opportunity. He immediately denied. He replied: “You know for me it is good, it is business for us and we are happy about business.” “But are you not scared about the nature it will be another Bali?” Mr. Trip responded. The driver smiled and was even more happy about this idea and his future. He answered: “For us it is an opportunity, it is the tourists that want to have the silence and the nature.” It is the tourists that can afford to go on holiday and travel because they love doing business too, coming from their “destroyed” nature. We arrogant tourists being afraid of change, what would we miss? That there is nothing to explore anymore, no adventure, no poor kids playing in the dirt? On the way I enjoyed browsing an Indonesian travel magazine lying in the car and to learn that the Indonesians are tourists as well. I wish you all the best Lombok, go for it.

best Mrs. Trip