Echo Beach 8 years later

Canggu has changed, but that was to be expected. In 2007 me and my project group of other second year tourism students picked this little settlement just outside the hectic, busy Kuta and in lesser ways Seminyak and Legian. When we arrived on location we were shocked by the little amount of tourism development we were somehow supposed to do research on. Even more so we were amazed by the beautiful tranquillity of this potential surfers paradise. There was a surf camp that looked mostly abandoned or undiscovered, a few warungs (local eateries) and one single restaurant. Going one line away from the beach front buildings there was the incidental house clinched between a road and a rice paddy.
Now in 2015 I want to see how much has changed. Elise, my former colleague from Montreal, and I decide to walk from Kuta to Canggu. I am not even going describe Kuta. Let’s just say that it isn’t my cup of tea. As we walk North over the beach the amount of sunglasses – and bracelets – salesmen has not increased or decreased per square meter of beach. However, the stretch of hotels and resorts has increased significantly. We pass familiar sounding towns like Berawa and Kerobokan, towns where other project groups were based. These towns were considered even more difficult for the research because some had a complete lack of tourism. These days it would be an easier task. The rice paddies and green fields that used to border the sandy beaches have long made place for Western tourist accommodations. I estimated the walk would take us about 1,5 hour, but we only reached Canggu in 2 hours. I had looked the exact location up online for I was afraid it had changed beyond recognition. Then I catch side of those black rocks on the generally empty beach. Right there around the orange roof tops, that is where it had to be. It turned out that I wasn’t too far off and when we passed the temple, the surfers and the steps from the beach to the road of the area where our neighbouring group was working, I get a smile of recognition on my face. Only a bit

further in front of another rock formation that looks very familiar there is a bar looking out over sea. A hand full of people is sun bathing in lounge chairs in front of “le Pirate”. The temple after that bar I do not recognise, but then there is the "oh so familiar" sight of the long white flags of Echo Beach. First I can only see the tips as they are partly hidden behind the temple. The temple must have been recently constructed as I do not remember it to be this big before.
Echo Beach has changed. Changgu has changed. Maybe it is a matter of time, but if the village stays as it is now it might have actually improved. Yes the amount of tourists has increased, but it is still limited and the place still has the same vibe. Maybe that is because the newly painted quote that I hadn’t forgotten since last time: “Echo Beach: hard to find, hard to forget..” The warungs are still there, the restaurant is still there, but now there are accommodations around which has made the place just that little bit more lively.
After Elise and I have had lunch and I had my little chit-chat with the locals and have practised my newly obtained Indonesian phrases we look for the bus or a cab. That hasn’t changed either... There aren’t any and for too much money a hotel arranges us some transport back to Kuta. Back to insanity….
In two days I will visit my Canggu again.