We ask the question Eat Pray and now what is going on in Bali?

Who doesn’t know this book or the romantic Bali movie “Eat, Pray and Love” starring Julia Roberts. “Elizabeth” decided to start all over again. She leaves New York behind and embarks on the journey of a lifetime: Dolce Vita in Italy, meditation teachings in an Indian ashram, and the happy balance between inner and outer happiness in Bali.

Eat, Pray and now what?

The honest and moving account of Elizabeth Gilbert’s (author) experiences is an award-winning international bestseller. Most of the locations for “Eat, Pray, Love” were filmed in and around Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali.

The place also became known as a residence for European and American artists since the 1920s, when the King of Ubud decided to make this place more popular. For example, from 1927, the musician and painter Walter Spies lived in Ubud. As his guest, the musician and writer Vicky Baum wrote her famous novel ‘Love and Death in Bali’ in Ubud.

In 1952, the Spanish artist Don Antonio Blanco came to Ubud from America following his intuition. With his influence and close friendship with the King, this period was the breakthrough of the unknown, highly spiritual village of Ubud.

Yoga, vegetarianism, veganism, meditation are prominent themes for the expat community in Ubud.

This community of travelers following the movie eat pray love, contributed to the change and economic development of the place, thus improving the region’s prosperity and the standard of living for the locals. Besides the beach resorts, Ubud has long been the main tourist center of Bali and one of the top 10 destinations in the world.

Tourism was and still is the driving force for economic development here. It ideally brings financial prosperity to a region and the standard of living of the locals. In addition, locals and guests alike benefit from a well-developed infrastructure.

One could experience a certain level of over development in Ubud. For example, before the global pandemic crisis, there was a lot of noise, congested streets and annoyed inhabitants.

Eat Pray and now what’s going on in Bali?

With the Corona-Pandemic crisis, that now lasts more than one year, tourism has dropped dramatically with severe consequences for the local economy of Bali. The bustling tourist place of Ubud has become a shadow of itself.

We at Instant Karma Magazine wanted to know what the people of Ubud think about the situation, how they feel and what they think could be done to change the situation.

We interviewed different people in Ubud. Some shop owners, some of the workers, dancers and people with a homestay. Mostly they can just eat and pray.

Let’s have a look at what they had to say about it:

Johnny, a trader from Lombok

He’s at the Ubud Market and sells his silver jewellery. Like all other traders, his customers are tourists; unfortunately, he has no additional work.

I Made a 65-year-old Kris dancer and Warung owner said:

“Ubud is only oriented towards tourism. The only option is to go back to the rice field and harvest rice, but it ain’t possible if there is a luxury resort or restaurant now. Tourism was here already 69 years ago; we love to show our culture because it is and remains unique, that’s why many tourists come back and even want to die here”. I Made even organized a funeral for an expat friend who explicitly told him he wanted to be buried in Bali.

Putu

She has a dress stall at Ubud Market. Her shop is open because she has paid the annual rent in advance like everyone else. “If I am lucky, I sell something to domestic tourists at least twice a month. But, it’s not easy with three children still in school.”

Ayu, a fashion seller on Jalan Hanoman Street, said:

“Here are only shops for tourists. We don’t shop here because it is too expensive. I even divide the working hours with my colleagues. Each of us works 50% less”.

Komang

A young Balinese from Ubud, is lucky enough to continue working in a restaurant.

“My worktime is reduced to 50% a month and I only earn half of the standard wage, which is 1’700’000 Rupiah if I would work 100% of the time. “

We had to do the math because we could hardly believe it.

50% = 850’000 Rupiah and now only half of that, that would be 425’000 Rupiah.

Converted, that is about 28 USD per month!

Conclusion:

The economy in Ubud is heavily focused on tourism, and most people in Ubud and Gianyar work in hotels, bungalows, SPA’s and tourist shops. As a result, many are now unemployed or working on a reduced scale.

The prices in the shops are geared towards tourism. Locals do not shop in these places because it is far too expensive. Even now, some can hardly afford proper and essential food. Just like in Ubud, it affects millions of people around the world.

At the time of publishing, there were at least more domestic tourists coming to town.