Hi Alouette, how are you?

I'm doing okay. I'm at home in Denpasar, and I'm staying home even though lockdown isn't mandatory here. In Indonesia, and even more so in Bali, there’s a huge mix of cultures, and it’s very difficult to ask people to stay home with all the ceremonies going on right now, especially Ramadan for Muslims. I haven’t worked since March 19, when my last French traveler was urgently repatriated by the French embassy.

What is the situation in Bali today?

Indonesia has only really been affected by the virus in the last few weeks. In February, we closed our border with China, and there were very few cases, but little by little, with the repatriation of Indonesians living abroad, the virus arrived. There are quite a few cases among Indonesians working on international cruise ships. Today (Tuesday, April 28), there are about 9,000 cases and nearly 800 deaths, but recently this number has been rising rapidly, so that’s not a good sign. In fact, our tourism industry came to a halt early on because certain countries were affected, and now it’s our turn, so it’s going to be a very long period without tourism in Bali. It’s very complicated. The government is trying to help the population; the main measure implemented is the deferral of loan payments. Most people live on credit, so this was a very important measure. The government is also trying to provide food to the most vulnerable, but there isn’t any real social assistance like in France. Fortunately, there’s a tremendous amount of mutual aid emerging among the population, particularly through food donations.

How is the population experiencing this situation?

Lockdown isn’t mandatory; it’s up to each individual to protect themselves. However, economic activity has slowed down, so people are staying home out of necessity. Schools and beaches are closed, and commercial flights have been suspended until early June. There’s a fairly strong push for preventive measures, but it’s very difficult for us to follow these rules because it’s not in our nature. So it’s a bit stressful when we go out to shop. Overall, for everyone, running out of resources is very complicated, so we really hope this doesn’t last too long.

And what about your work as a tour guide?

In Bali, we basically live off tourism, so the situation is serious. Many hotels are up for sale, and everyone is trying to find another line of work. As for me, I haven’t worked in over a month, which is unfortunate because April marks the start of the high season. All my tours are canceled until early July, and I think the entire season will end up being canceled. I’m going to try to find a part-time job in the meantime, and I’ll probably go back to my village to be with my family. In any case, I feel like nature is breathing a sigh of relief without us, and that’s great—we’re giving it a vacation! We’re really like birds in a cage, and a lark doesn’t like staying in a cage… Despite everything, I hope this doesn’t last too long—Bali needs its tourists!