Travellers contradict reports

The Australian: Travellers contradict reports :

"Tourists who landed in Brisbane and Perth said rumours of a bombing gained momentum on Friday when warnings were issued by security staff at the Hard Rock Hotel, which is only a few hundred metres from where the first bomb exploded in Kuta."

Every time there is a disaster like this, there is are always people saying that the locals knew and the Government didn't, though this article tends to suggest the Indonesian government was really on the ball. People have a feel for their own area. Some people are very observant...and isn't that what we were told, to be alert and not alarmed?? People do become sensitive to changes in their own area. It's like you have radar and I guess we are all animals when it comes doen to it and run on instinct. Governments tend to have to wait until they have some real evidence or they are accused of scaremongering. If the Indonesian government had a feel for its own country, that makes perfect sense and it appears they tried to get some sort of a message out. In this situation you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Governments can't just put our warnings without something to back them up. But it also tends to suggest what I have said serveral times before on this blog - normal folk are getting good at looking after each other. Our government could have reported the high terrorist alert from the Indonesian Government but the time frame is not clear, nor can you do much once people are there. It's what I've always said, when you are travelling, read the information sites, but if you are there, talk to the locals. They have a feel for their own places, as is clear from what this article is saying. Andrew Downer pointed out he cannot decide for people, he can only give them the information he has at the time. I get no sense that people were trying to cover up and avoid...on the contrary, I think people did what they could given there doesn't appear to have been any hard evidence to give official warnings. We live in a swivel head world and it's up to us to swivel our heads. I still haven't worked out why Muslims would try and damage their own country, their own people and the livelihood of their own people. Why would extremists destroy the lifeblood of their own economy? They are not only cold and callous, they don't make sense. Indonesia has suffered enough . The response of both governments has been impressive. They have both very quickly organised the teams and wherewithal to help those affected by the blasts. It's horrible we have to keep mopping up like this.