How I got involved

In January 2002 when I came the first time to Bali, I thought it would be just another holiday, have been travelling a lot though I never had the intention to get deeper involved into local social, cultural, economical, or any other problems of my chosen destination.
Exploring Bali on a motorbike, driving around wherever the road will get you, sometimes completely lost, brought me closer to the people, asking for the right way led sometimes in interesting chats and discussions and sometimes I forgot the time about it.
Very soon I forgot about my impatient, hectically, Western attitudes and I was amazed to adopt this Balinese patience, I became so calm and relaxed and I enjoyed this influence, I felt welcomed and I made friends.
When entering the plane back home, the first time I felt obliged to this island and its people, it was hard to leave it behind.

In August 2002 I was in Brazil, back home in the daily routine I almost forgot about Bali, but then in October 2002 something changed this all.

Memorial for the vicitms of 10/12/2002
in Kuta

The Bali bombing on October 12, 2002 was a shock, while searching for information I found the Bali travel Forum, at this time the board was the best source of information at all, during the time I got in contact with expatriates living on Bali and with several people involved in NGOs, from the first minute it was pretty clear, that this bombing would have a massive impact on the local economy and that the Balinese would have to suffers at most due this.