"One for 50K?! How about three for 50k?”
When I was ten years old, I remember shopping at street markets in Mexico with my dad when I watched him use this technique to buy me and my sister matching purses. The concept of a set price is ingrained in most Americans’ minds.
This is very different within street markets, and it isn’t just in Southeast Asia or Central America. Markets like these are also in many big cities in the United States. Knowing that vendors would try to get away with charging higher prices, I never paid the first price they gave me. Anything from taxi rides, surfboard rentals, clothes, and jewelry, I found a way to negotiate down. It often started with being offered a “special price,” which I’d come back with half of, and eventually, I brought it down to what I believed was a fair price. Bargaining is a skill I am honestly proud to be good at.
But I sometimes wondered if this process could go too far.
At most of these markets in Bali, we noticed the same clothes, bags, and jewelry; these items were manufactured in Indonesia and likely came from the same supplier. However, you could find two of the same dresses in stores across the street and receive wildly different prices. I would never actually know the value of what it costs to make and their manufacturing margin. As much as I wanted to get the best deal, I didn’t want to degrade the products they were selling since it’s usually less than $5 we are arguing over.
But in retrospect, this $5 can be a full meal and a beer.
While I’ll never truly be at ease with the whole bargaining process, I’ve tried to set some rules for myself:
First off, don’t negotiate unless you’re sure you want to buy something. One woman explained how lowering the price and us still not buying it brings her bad luck. Second, try to gain some understanding of typical manufacturing prices to help them help you get a good deal where they still profit. Next, speak in a respectful tone, and don’t ever insult someone's handmade work. Lastly, at the end of the day, if they are fighting hard for a price, they need that extra to make a profit on the sale.
Now let’s get into Bali’s “Instagramability”
To be honest, part of what attracted me to Bali in the first place were the photos I’d seen. The turquoise waters, stunning cliff sides, vibrant food, and cheap prices made it a must-see on our trip. Now, I’m not naive, I did think the crowds at some of these places would mimic that of a national park during peak season.
What I neglected was how they accommodate this ever-increasing number of tourists. Some of the views including Kelingking Beach, were taken over the heads of countless other people. Like a sports bar on a Sunday, the distance to the rail was six people deep everywhere to take a photo. The “untouched landscape” pictured completely juxtaposes the bustling crowd and surrounding development.
Now, it’s a sticky stance to take as someone visiting a place. Obviously, I would love it if there was more serenity, but I have to account for the thousands of jobs supported by the tourism industry. I talked to countless service workers who said they love it when it’s busy because it’s bringing them more revenue. I wish I could’ve talked to more locals outside the service industry to hear their opinions on how tourism is changing the landscape.
Furthermore, we witnessed some environmental practices that I was quite concerned about. For example, on one of the beaches in Nusa Penida, we watched someone burning all the plastic waste of the day. Water bottles, food wrappers, and all other types of trash went up in flames and into the atmosphere. In the parking lot, we heard some guy arguing with his tour guide about how bad this practice is. While I agree, it’s hard to criticize without being able to give an immediate solution. Unless huge waste management reforms are implemented in Nusa Penida, there aren’t better options for locals on the island.
It’s easy for me to look at trash in these beautiful places and say, “Wow people should stop littering.” But that doesn’t change anything. It’s all the plastic products shipped over to accommodate the tourists, to accommodate people like me. Now I tried to limit my use of single-use plastic on the island, but in some cases it’s inevitable.
My comments on these issues do not reflect that I didn’t enjoy Bali. I had an amazing trip, which I will share in my next post. We still found authentic places, tried incredible Indonesian or Balinese street food, found an empty beach, or listened to music from a local band. We talked to people from around the world and gained so much new cultural insight. Nonetheless, it felt appropriate to give a precursor for all the beautiful photos I plan to share next.
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