The Vortext

The news of the latest terrorist attacks in Bali shook me up a bit, when I heard of them upon my arrival in Singapore. Originally, I had thought of joining my friends R. and M. there for this holiday, since they had already decided to head to the famed island. I had this nagging sense that I should listen to the travel warnings, though, especially since it wasn’t just the US Department of State that had one up: Australia, Canada, and the UK had them too. I guess this is more proof that I should always follow my instincts when traveling.

I was really struck by the way the Times concluded its most recent story about the attacks:

On Sunday afternoon, 60 Hindu monks, dressed in flowing white, performed a ceremony in front of Raja’s, which is wedged between a McDonald’s and a Kentucky Fried Chicken. They offered food to the spirits of the dead.

From this, at least, Indonesia doesn’t seem too different from the parts of Asia I’ve experienced as of yet. And on those, more to follow shortly.