This video consists of just a few frames actually. But these few seconds show rare hornbills, which still occur in some parts of Bali island (Indonesia). Another interesting fact about this video is that it was taken outside any "protected area", what means - this remaining rainforest is still opened for all people, who want to visit it – for free. In other terms, this area is not controlled by some particular businessman or organization. Even those of us who can't (or don't want) pay entrance fee, can come and enjoy beautiful trees and animals! Wonderful opportunity. As for myself, I find it always uncomfortable to visit Indonesian official National Parks, but not really because of fees. Well, yes: fees in both Tanjung Puting and Gunung Palung National parks – two parks that I’ve visited in Indonesia - were problematic. They were about 10 times higher than respective fees in National Parks of neighboring Malaysia.. And I found no rational explanation of this… Who can say, for example, that Taman Negara National Park in Malaysia is less worth visiting place than Tanjung Putting, or Gunung Palung National Parks of Indonesia? Yes, in Taman Negara there are no orangutans, but they have something no less interesting there: elephants, tigers, local forest tribes. But entrance fee here is only about 1 USD per how many nights you want. Anyway, even high entrance costs weren’t biggest hindrance to visiting Indonesian National Parks for me. No. The real reason was and is that I try to stay healthy and happy person for as long as I can, while local authorities in so-called National Parks of Indonesia tend to give me their unhealthy guides each time I visit “their” parks. These guides are smoke all the time. In addition – like people who sell things on open markets – they talk loudly all the way while “guiding” me through the area… And, finally, I must pay for their “guidance” another 20-30 dollars per night. As result, neither am I able to enjoy real peace and healthy atmosphere of Nature, nor can I see much animals. Because - not surprisingly - wild animals tend to avoid groups of noisy and smelly people… And it’s difficult to stay in Park, where you must pay (for almost nothing) 30-40 USD per day..

Back to Bali “wild” forest.. Due to reasons that I’ve just mentioned, I find last to be one of few places where I’m able to spend my days in indeed very happy and healthy way. Thanks those “smart businessmen” and Indonesian political and governmental authorities for they still not occupied these remote hills. Unfortunately, openness of access to the last forest has not only advance, but also has negative side. Namely, last indigenous virgin trees, which provide food for hornbills and some other rare animals, are being logged off so fast, that they may completely disappear in the next few years. Local people show no interest in continuous existence of local flora and fauna. They already removed all good trees below 400 m above sea level and replaced them with coconuts and banana (which almost nobody, except people, can eat). (By the way, below 400 m once was the most beautiful forest type in Bali - a lowland rain forest, where majority of diverse flora and fauna species tended to concentrate. There lived many species of orchids, butterflies and large animals, now unknown to occur in Bali). Thus, last good trees on hills will be cut down (or simply burnt off) soon, if only we not take immediate actions! What actions? Nowadays, nearly everywhere it became a popular practice to protect Nature by money. May be you think I’m going to agitate you to close the access to this forest and start collect money from those who want see hornbills? Haa! Not at all! Money give rise to greed. This approach already resulted in what I’ve described above, i.e. - sad state of things, when last portions of unspoiled Indonesian habitat are possessed by few dozens of businessmen, who collect unbearable taxes from Nature-lovers. In addition, these businessmen decide which animals can live in “their” parks, and sometimes they introduce into “their” parks an outside animals, which only disturb natural balance… Or their management-plan assumes that some cruel practices, such like fishing and hunting, are involved as sources of their financial income. They even permit illegal logging and mining in their parks! (Like in Gunung Palung National Park, where completely illegal stone mining and logging is prospering. See in my video: 1) http://freedrive.com/file/435345, 2) http://freedrive.com/file/435365, 3) http://freedrive.com/file/435397). This is why I don't agitate you for making another such National Park in Bali mountains… No, no, and once again - no. Don’t do this! I have another – a much better one idea! Namely: let's stop agitating locals to follow western life style! Instead of telling lie to locals, let us start telling them truth! Instead of hurting Indonesia, let us help this beautiful country with it’s own unique Religion, Culture and Nature! Today 99% of Indonesians (including residents of Bali) tend to imitate us - the so-called "westerners". Because so much propaganda comes from West (often through intermediate Java island). It comes in form of advertisement of all this western production, and all these dirty movies help to increase sells etc. As result of many years of such dirty propaganda, locals started actively imitate our way of speech (they use rough, angry words now). They wear our dress, build big stone houses like we have. They waste their unique cultures and – like helpless persons without their own minds - imitate all what they see in West. Well, you know of course that it is very stupid in Indonesia to use dress which was originally designed for cold countries. Such dress serves us good deal when we work in our cold countries, but it only makes life more difficult in Indonesia. Alas, now Indonesians wear not only jeans, but also even leather jackets! Next, let’s discuss houses. It is, of course, very strange if people make stone houses, with huge walls, in the hot countries. But, alas – Indonesians follow our example even in way of building now: huge, often ugly constructions of cement and iron are being erected here and out. Indonesia is a very hot country. And population density here is much higher than in Western countries. If everyone makes himself big house on West it is still so-so.. But here, in Indonesia, where 10 or more men sometimes share only 20 sq. meters, if all make themselves bigger houses it will lead to collapse of environment! In fact, in Indonesia people can sleep safely on the ground mats and can live in the simple houses made of bamboo and grass. There are many fruits and vegetables grow year-round, and so there is no need to work hard (like we must work in West in order to survive). In Indonesia people can allow themselves practice their traditional arts etc. Therefore, there is no need for them to destroy many natural monuments (such as beautiful rocks destroyed on a beach of Gunung Palung National Park in Kalimantan) – in order to build something. We can welcome Indonesians to adopt our positive traits, such as our tendency to keep our streets relatively clean, for example. But we must not agitate them to give up their traditions and to follow our ways in building, dressing etc. Instead: we must show them example of living simple life and of being happy with limited things we possess! We must destroy our stupid NEVERENOUGH -psychology and transform it into ALWAYSHAPPY -psychology, and save last Indonesian Culture and Nature! This is why I – author of these words – choose to live in a small bamboo house myself.

Oh these stupid never-ending demands of western Man! It is mainly because of us - westerners - that last habitat of beautiful animals, such as hornbills, deers and monkeys, is being destroyed so fast in Bali. Two reasons for cutting last good trees by locals are:

-      locals sell these trees to people from other places (including Western countries), and

-      locals imitate western life style, by making and using furniture "SAME LIKE white men and orang Jawa (Javanese people) have".

Just a few decades ago, Balinese people lived happily on their beautiful island. The nature here was abundant with diversity and beauty. One could drink clean water from every river without fear. People used their own beautiful traditional houses and happily rested on simple, beautiful ground mats, which were made not from cancero-genic plastics, but from dried grass or rattan palm. (Since Indonesia is such a hot country, there is no need for people to sleep in beds. In fact, it is only on the ground there is a little bit of coolness during the night time: just perfect for happy resting). But now... Their imitation of our life destroys and pollutes everything. Polluted water, food and air results in growth of such diseases like cancer, asthma and other. It shortens people’s life spans. Therefore, this way of imitation of our life by locals is a suicide! Let’s stop immediately agitate local people to follow Western lifestyles!

Written by Alexey Zborovskiy young (Sai-Alex) in Bali, January 2009