Dark side of Paradise

[Donunder]

Well --- today's the day -- she gets out. That is unless there's another delay thrown up by the Indonesians.

Guilty or not? Who really knows? She comes from a pretty suss family and as the old saying goes, the apple never falls far from the tree.

One of the Sunday Mail columnists wrote yesterday that the popular verdict seems to be that "she did an incredibly stupid thing and suffered an extraordinarily savage penalty under Indonesia law". My opinion is that, even if she were complicit in trying to carry some weed into Bali, twenty years is an impossibly severe sentence and I am thankful for her that her freedom is imminent.

I've only been to Bali once, and I found the countryside and the people, away from the cesspit that is Kuta, truly beautiful. Having said that however, I agree with the sentiments expressed by Bernie and Lee that there are better safer and less corrupt places in the region to visit. We visited Borneo a few years ago and stayed at Kuching in Sarawak and Kinabalu in Saba. Lovely vibe, happy people (except when my daughter innocently walked through the market in Sandarkan during Ramadan wearing shorts and sleeveless top -- not complying with the Muslim standard of dress for women! Oh well, live and learn...).

I'd go back to Malaysia for sure, but Bali? Don't think so. As Spook says, you want that sort of action? The Goldie's just down the road!