I love Bali

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Blowin started the topic in Thursday, 19 Mar 2015 at 6:55pm

I love Bali.

You wouldn't think that such a thought could be controversial . But it is.
Many people don't love Bali, in fact they proclaim to hate it. Bemoan what it has become, it's lack of purity, it's lost innocence.

Sure, I can see their point. I can't imagine anywhere on Earth that has been transformed as radically as Bali over the last thirty years. From rice paddies and coconut groves to six story discotheques . It's totally unrecognisable in the most built up areas.

But that's not what this post is about. It's about why I LOVE Bali.

I love Bali because ...

- it's still the home of an intense cluster of world class waves. Roping lefts : Uluwatu, freight train right barrels : Sanur, backlit mega tubes : Padang Padang. Rip able reefs, fun beachies. Short , slabby pits and long mellow points. River mouths and bombies. It's got the lot.

- it's still possible to get uncrowded quality waves in 2015 when it seems as though the entire planet has discovered surfing. I was trading crystal clear , rolling right walls with only two other surfers just this morning.

- it's still freaking beautiful. Watching the mist reveal Mt Agung in that unique Bali morning light from a black sand beach as the sun comes up is still special.

- the food is amazing. Walking around town building up a hunger and knowing that at any given time you are within shouting distance of fresh, exotic and delicious meals with enough variety to make your head spin is priceless.

- the Balinese are legends. Friendly, happy and always keen for a joke. Unfailingly polite and welcoming. Healthy, spiritual and decent.

- the Balinese surfers rip their waves and they still own them. A visiting Brazilian would not think twice to drop in on an Aussie local at Kirra. But you won't see the same in Bali. The Balinese surfers are treated with the respect they deserve. Because as everyone knows, if they are not treated with respect there is consequences.

- the water is so warm it's like swimming in silken angels tears.

- telling people that you are going to Bali will often elicit a response along the lines of ......"why would you go to that traffic ridden, noisy shithole ?" And then as you're kicking back with a Bintang watching the sunset over Uluwatu you can imagine them sitting at lights in their car on their way home from work in Perth. Which , for those that have never been , is a noisy , traffic ridden shithole. And this makes me laugh. Which is something I enjoy doing.

- The fruit is incredible.

- despite the millions of tourists, the fast food franchises and the Aussie over familiarity with the joint it's still exotic. The smell of clove cigarettes, the ogo ogos of Nyepi, the Buddhist offerings , monkeys , food and language are all enticingly foreign.

- there is no overreaching nanny state. You want to ride your motorbike with all four of your children and the missus on the back...whilst texting. Go for it.

- you can live like a king on a regular Aussie income. Maybe not such a great benefit for the Balinese themselves though.

- it's close to Oz. Twenty hour plane ride and a shot at developing deep vein thrombosis.....ummm no thanks. It's actually faster to fly to Bali from Perth than it is to drive to Albany. You can fly from Port Hedland in less than two hours.

- you get an opportunity to regularly witness some of the most foolhardy behaviour imaginable on a daily basis. You ever seen a man being doubled on a motorbike through traffic whilst holding a large pane of glass ? What about seeing someone hold a nail between his bare fingers while his mate tries to grind the tip off it ? It's all there folks.

- you can see people making do with not much and making it work. An exhaust system held on with a T Shirt ? An outboard motor attached to a boat with no anchoring system, just held on with a man's brute force ? Why not ? It might not work forever but it'll usually get em over the line.

- the winds can blow offshore for months at a time and when they blow onshore, well , that just makes it offshore somewhere else. It's an island !

- you haven't seen glassy oceanic conditions till you've seen Indonesian sheet glass. It's like an oil slick. And if you're ever near Benoa Harbour that could well be what it is.

- old people are accorded the respect they deserve.

- it's exciting. It's a melting pot of the world. Wide eyed villages from remote Asia, jaded techno princesses from Russia, sleek surfy chicks from Canada , your next door neighbour from Ipswich....it's a party and everyone is invited.

Including YOU. I'll see you there. You can't miss me.

I'll be the sun burnt drunk in a head to toe Bintang ensemble with hair braids and a fresh tattoo of a unicorn across my back . Don't be shy. Come and say hello.

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zenagain Wednesday, 13 Nov 2024 at 3:42pm

Beautiful work Supa.

Meagawati smile.

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Supafreak Wednesday, 13 Nov 2024 at 7:15pm
zenagain wrote:

Beautiful work Supa.

Meagawati smile.

Very clever zen , I had to DuckDuckGo megawati smile to get my answer as I was sort of going whhhaaaat .

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zenagain Wednesday, 13 Nov 2024 at 8:19pm

I shoulda proofread my post Supa- misspelled Megawati and because you got it done in Indo, Sukarniputri Megawati/Mega watt smile, that's what I feebly attempting to do.

Anyway...

Looks good.

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Supafreak Thursday, 14 Nov 2024 at 6:51am

@joshy2000 , did you make it to Bali ? Got a mate hoping to fly out of Bali on Friday, he’s with Batik who normally aren’t as strict when it comes to these situations. http://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2024/11/13/flights-cancelled-to-...

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Joshy2000 Thursday, 14 Nov 2024 at 9:58am

Hey Supa, I’m not flying out until Wednesday 20th so hopefully all good by then.

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Supafreak Thursday, 14 Nov 2024 at 10:21am
Joshy2000 wrote:

Hey Supa, I’m not flying out until Wednesday 20th so hopefully all good by then.

Oh ok , I thought it was yesterday you were arriving , yeah good luck, there’s a few stressed people at the moment with commitments back in oz , I think Garuda and Batik are still flying, possibly because they can go a different route . It’s very hazy looking back at Bali.

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Joshy2000 Thursday, 14 Nov 2024 at 11:54am

Yeah fingers crossed. I’ll be in Nusa Dua just for a week. Winds still looking easterly. Will I have to venture over the other side or is geger stretch still surfable, maybe mornings?

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andy-mac Thursday, 14 Nov 2024 at 11:56am
Joshy2000 wrote:

Yeah fingers crossed. I’ll be in Nusa Dua just for a week. Winds still looking easterly. Will I have to venture over the other side or is geger stretch still surfable, maybe mornings?

You could get some glassy mornings, had a couple of great sessions there in Sept.

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Supafreak Thursday, 14 Nov 2024 at 12:02pm

Bugger all wind lately , beautiful glass offs morning and arvo’s , swells tiny today but picking up tomorrow .

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udo Thursday, 14 Nov 2024 at 12:09pm

Geger was Glassy 4-5 ft First Light Monday Morn .

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Joshy2000 Thursday, 14 Nov 2024 at 12:24pm

Yeah nice, I think I’ll just take what’s on offer out front of resort. Expectations in check.

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Supafreak Saturday, 23 Nov 2024 at 8:23pm

Really poor decision making cost these guys a large part of their lives. All for $10,000 and a holiday. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-23/bali-nine-prisoners-could-return-...

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seeds Friday, 29 Nov 2024 at 2:21pm
Supafreak wrote:
goofyfoot wrote:

Show us the new chompers supa!

Like Leigh Matthew’s when he first had his done.

Now in my defence the camera adds 10 pounds ( apparently ) and yes I know the last time ya saw a head like that it had a hook in its mouth. Currently sitting in Made’s warung about to tuck into a nasi campur special. IMG-9358. IMG-9359

Yours look great Supa
Check this veneers prank on Aussie dad. I can’t stop laughing. It’s hard to pick up but one thing dad says “if ya want a job as a backhoe”
Daily belly laugh well and truly had.

?si=9M72I48dbiHm4uB_

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Supafreak Friday, 29 Nov 2024 at 3:53pm

@seeds , think I mentioned before a work mate got his done in Phillipines and they fair dinkum looked like horse teeth, had the work team on the ground in fits of laughter when he walked up and smiled.

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seeds Friday, 29 Nov 2024 at 4:02pm

You’d be pissed off wouldn’t ya. Anyway that clip had me in stitches. Classic old man.

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elmo Friday, 29 Nov 2024 at 7:07pm

Obviously whole vid a setup even the old man, for YT suckers.

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seeds Friday, 29 Nov 2024 at 7:24pm

Oh don’t be a downer. They have a number of clips. It’s the dad’s sayings that are funny. And I’m quite sure the first ones weren’t scripted so who knows?

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Supafreak Sunday, 1 Dec 2024 at 1:48pm

How’s the colour of the water , farking criminal. An excavator screwing around on a certain island recently and brushing some limestone into the sea cost the contractor $20 G . Different rules for some .

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Supafreak Thursday, 5 Dec 2024 at 3:45pm

I’ve been surfing east coast Bali the last 3 days , today was pumping , double overhead & thick swell although a touch inconsistent at times . Mate sent a photo of the crane at shipwrecks on NL . Last night the boom gave way and fortunately landed north east of the break, south would have been fucked . As it is , the left at shippies that was fun when 3-4 ft on a south swell , has now got a boom sitting in it . The dickhead company that own this crane could have walked it to the beach on low tide when the barge first ran aground . Around Lembongan is supposedly a marine reserve but money talks and the slimy carnts just left a mess behind . IMG-9554
IMG-9550. IMG-9556

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ron Thursday, 5 Dec 2024 at 3:48pm

I'm no Bali OG having only first gone there in 07 but it seems like the entire time there's been one drama or another on that reef.

First trip there was a decent sized boat stuck on the reef a bit further down. Following year some other boat in a different spot. Then this crane for a while, can't remember how long. Now its broken which was only a matter of time. What a shit show. In a way the wave itself has been relatively lucky to not be completely blocked a number of times.

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Sprout Thursday, 5 Dec 2024 at 7:27pm
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Supafreak Thursday, 5 Dec 2024 at 9:26pm

According to this post it was a planned operation so maybe they are going to clean it up after all . There’s 52 tonne of counterweights on the rear of crane , that’s no easy task . https://www.facebook.com/100000546818857/posts/pfbid02uD6uwTFmTHwz7u1sRb...

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ron Friday, 6 Dec 2024 at 11:30am

I cant make out any people in the video, how can it be planned?

Walking it to the beach is not an option. The photos don't do the size any justice. It would be 100s of tons of metal. Not a cheap job to get there, cut it up and put on a barge to take to scrap.

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Supafreak Friday, 6 Dec 2024 at 3:30pm
ron wrote:

I cant make out any people in the video, how can it be planned?

Walking it to the beach is not an option. The photos don't do the size any justice. It would be 100s of tons of metal. Not a cheap job to get there, cut it up and put on a barge to take to scrap.

@ron , apparently there’s been a team of indo’s working on it all week , I did see 6 guys crawling around in it a few weeks ago , thought they were just kids playing . They were initially , a few years ago , when they cut the barge up , walking the pieces back to the beach . You couldn’t get a barge in close enough for a crane to lift pieces onto a barge , you also run the risk of shipwrecking another barge and tugs . On the big low tides you could have walked ( tracked ) the crane to the beach when it was still operational . A big swell put a few waves through the engine compartment and that was the end of that . There are 5 counterweights , 4 weighing 10t each the 5th weighing 12t . The amount of gas to cut that up would be huge. I’ve seen 6 fishing boats from the same fleet get stuck one by one as they came to each other’s aid . These weren’t small boats, around 40 meters in length . Only in indo .

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Supafreak Friday, 6 Dec 2024 at 3:38pm

That barge was cut up from around and under the crane along with all the other crap .

?si=s7rXwKL4oudlNxCZ

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Supafreak Friday, 6 Dec 2024 at 3:43pm

These are 3 of about 20 photos I took a few years ago . IMG-9562
IMG-9563
IMG-9564
cara memasukan foto ke google search

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ron Saturday, 7 Dec 2024 at 11:55am

Nice pics, thanks!

Crazy! The $ and motivation to get it there must be so much more than removing. Just no pay off unless threatened with fines i guess.

In about 08 the boat/ship i saw stuck up the reef a bit looked huge! Like a 5 story building. Might have pics somewhere, will add if i come across them. They must have managed to refloat on high tide. It was too big to dismantle on site.

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basesix Saturday, 7 Dec 2024 at 12:30pm

not the Taiwanese fishing boat off Padang @ron? that was epic.. like the politician sinking/'whisky galore', ikan bakar style..

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Supafreak Saturday, 7 Dec 2024 at 12:39pm

The original wreck from 1967 according to klungkung records . Terry Fitzgerald and a few others went there in 74 , photos by Dick Hoole that featured in tracks magazine . Other photos are late 70s and early 80s . It slowly got cut up and used for whatever . The guy that had the contract originally to remove current wreck died and locals believe it’s cursed and don’t want to know about it . Javanese crew currently are working on it but locals I’ve spoken to , don’t really know what the overall plan is . IMG-9569
IMG-9573
IMG-9568
IMG-9567
IMG-9571

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Supafreak Tuesday, 10 Dec 2024 at 8:21pm

Tragedy in Ubud monkey forest today. Unconfirmed reports of 2 dead . There’s been a ton of rain last few days .

. https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/two-tourists-rep...

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burleigh Tuesday, 10 Dec 2024 at 8:31pm
Supafreak wrote:

Tragedy in Ubud monkey forest today. Unconfirmed reports of 2 dead . There’s been a ton of rain last few days . https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDY3_PcvG6P/?igsh=MWpneWFidW13ZWFwZg==. https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/two-tourists-rep...

Wow. That's fucking crazy.

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Supafreak Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 7:14pm

New attraction at Ulu’s

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Exxotixjeff Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 8:12pm
Supafreak wrote:

New attraction at Ulu’s https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD4ipdFyAGN/?igsh=MXJyMmp3aWZ2cHAwbw==

Oh no, that wouldn’t be climate change ,would it?

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seeds Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 8:49pm

Eye roll!!
Can’t wait till the cull in the New Year.

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burleigh Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 8:59pm
Exxotixjeff wrote:
Supafreak wrote:

New attraction at Ulu’s https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD4ipdFyAGN/?igsh=MXJyMmp3aWZ2cHAwbw==

Oh no, that wouldn’t be climate change ,would it?

man made change

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Exxotixjeff Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 9:02pm
burleigh wrote:
Exxotixjeff wrote:
Supafreak wrote:

New attraction at Ulu’s https://www.instagram.com/reel/DD4ipdFyAGN/?igsh=MXJyMmp3aWZ2cHAwbw==

Oh no, that wouldn’t be climate change ,would it?

man made change

Environmental irresponsible governments!

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Exxotixjeff Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 9:04pm
seeds wrote:

Eye roll!!
Can’t wait till the cull in the New Year.

Yeah right, keep it lame ,
Don’t think there’s a lot to miss TBH
Comparatively speaking,

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dandandan Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 9:13pm

So grim. Must be hard to an older Balinese person trying to make sense of what's happened over the last 50 years.

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Supafreak Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 9:18pm

Climate change ? Yeah it never rains in Bali during wet season .

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AlfredWallace Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 10:11pm
Supafreak wrote:

Climate change ? Yeah it never rains in Bali during wet season .

Bali in the wet season, would someone please close the door, I can feel a daft !!!

I see our exxotix meteorologist is on duty at the Met this evening. Fair dinkum,
It Never Rains In Southern Phillipines !!!!!. AW

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Exxotixjeff Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 10:18pm
AlfredWallace wrote:
Supafreak wrote:

Climate change ? Yeah it never rains in Bali during wet season .

Bali in the wet season, would someone please close the door, I can feel a daft !!!

I see our exxotix meteorologist is on duty at the Met this evening. Fair dinkum,
It Never Rains In Southern Phillipines !!!!!. AW

Did you happen to notice
@dandans clip?
Or are you so full of one eyed bigotry
that it didn’t even occur to you to
insult him as well ?
Blatant bigotry 101 , yet again

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Supafreak Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 10:32pm

Jeffy old boy , it floods in Bali every year, they do such a poor job on drainage with their road construction. The west coast beaches are currently a huge mess with garbage several feet deep. What I saw in dan dan dans clip was garbage and poor drainage . Do you think I should’ve insulted him for that ? You really need to see someone about your delusional thinking . TDS has a hold and is effecting basic thought .

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AlfredWallace Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 10:30pm
Exxotixjeff wrote:
AlfredWallace wrote:
Supafreak wrote:

Climate change ? Yeah it never rains in Bali during wet season .

Bali in the wet season, would someone please close the door, I can feel a daft !!!

I see our exxotix meteorologist is on duty at the Met this evening. Fair dinkum,
It Never Rains In Southern Phillipines !!!!!. AW

Did you happen to notice
@dandans clip?
Or are you so full of one eyed bigotry
that it didn’t even occur to you to
insult him as well ?
Blatant bigotry 101 , yet again

Jeffrey Boy

No bigger tree here fella.

See down below, your exact words. What’s Dandan got to do with it ?

It’s the bloody wet season you goof, of course it’s raining .

Exxotixjeff MONDAY, 23 DEC 2024 at 8:12PM
Supafreak wrote:
New attraction at Ulu’s

Oh no, that wouldn’t be climate change ,would it?

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AlfredWallace Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 10:30pm
Exxotixjeff wrote:
AlfredWallace wrote:
Supafreak wrote:

Climate change ? Yeah it never rains in Bali during wet season .

Bali in the wet season, would someone please close the door, I can feel a daft !!!

I see our exxotix meteorologist is on duty at the Met this evening. Fair dinkum,
It Never Rains In Southern Phillipines !!!!!. AW

Did you happen to notice
@dandans clip?
Or are you so full of one eyed bigotry
that it didn’t even occur to you to
insult him as well ?
Blatant bigotry 101 , yet again

Jeffrey Boy

No bigger tree here fella.

See down below, your exact words. What’s Dandan got to do with it ?

It’s the bloody wet season you goof, of course it’s raining .

Exxotixjeff MONDAY, 23 DEC 2024 at 8:12PM
Supafreak wrote:
New attraction at Ulu’s

Oh no, that wouldn’t be climate change ,would it?

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AlfredWallace Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 10:32pm
AlfredWallace wrote:
Exxotixjeff wrote:
AlfredWallace wrote:
Supafreak wrote:

Climate change ? Yeah it never rains in Bali during wet season .

Bali in the wet season, would someone please close the door, I can feel a daft !!!

I see our exxotix meteorologist is on duty at the Met this evening. Fair dinkum,
It Never Rains In Southern Phillipines !!!!!. AW

Did you happen to notice
@dandans clip?
Or are you so full of one eyed bigotry
that it didn’t even occur to you to
insult him as well ?
Blatant bigotry 101 , yet again

Jeffrey Boy

No bigger tree here fella.

See down below, your exact words. What’s Dandan got to do with it ?

It’s the bloody wet season you goof, of course it’s raining .

Exxotixjeff MONDAY, 23 DEC 2024 at 8:12PM
Supafreak wrote:
New attraction at Ulu’s

Oh no, that wouldn’t be climate change ,would it?

Only 8 more days. Phew ! AW

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Exxotixjeff Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 11:17pm

@AW
You are a complete and utter disaster
Did you view @ Dandans clip ?
If you didn’t, you are mouthing off in
Prejudiced ignorance again.
If a wet season is unprecedentedly wet
Then that is not normal,
I know it’s hard for you to make that
distinction.
If you want to stand up for climate change denialism, I’m not interested in that really old argument.
And if climate change isn’t allowed to be mentioned, you are very special,
aren’t you.

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Supafreak Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 11:20pm

If Jeffy was president.

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Supafreak Monday, 23 Dec 2024 at 11:38pm

December last year & January, February this year was not your normal wet season , not as much rain as the previous 3 years , kuta’s roads still managed to flood however. That water fall at Ulu’s is from an existing creek, which has had with all the construction out there , more run off water diverted to that creek . All the rice paddies that were once in kuta , legian , seminjak and canggu , are now villas, shops etc etc , the water had somewhere to go back then but now is funneled into the roads with poor drainage so obviously it’s going to flood . Best thing about the rice paddies in those areas before , was the water running off them into the ocean , created unreal v banks, these days it’s one big close out .