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TRAVEL MEMOIR
Abandoned Dreams in Bali’s Overgrown Theme Park
A stroll among spirits and snakes offers a glimpse into the past, and the future.
As the taxi snaked its way through the heaving traffic, navigating potholes and poorly parked cars, I could see that the driver was itching to say something. I sat at the back with my wife observing the chaos and keeping one eye on the map on my phone.
Finally, the driver tapped his own smartphone, which was propped up precariously in his coffee holder.
“This location, it is not good place.”
“What do you mean?”
“Not open, shut down.”
Ah, well that we knew.
“No problem, we know.”
Still looking a bit hesitant, he said, “I wait for you. Thirty minutes. Then we go to hotel.”
Well, that worked out perfectly. If we needed to run, we’d have a quick exit.
Usually, I like my holidays pretty unadventurous. That’s not to say I sit by the beach or pool all day reading a book. But it’s usually a gentle mix of sightseeing, restaurants and some downtime in a nice hotel.
