The sand and water have an hourly stand-off eroding shorelines and crashing waves. The tide schedule lines out the locus of our daily walk.  There a receding wave.  There an incoming crusher.  Each speaking to a pre-eternal way of being.  The daily flag highlights the tidal current.  These waves are OK for crabs and sand and even plastics but not so good for swimmers.

The flag raises a caution, the plastic scratchers (big tractors sifting sand for plastic waste) ply the strand at the tide-line looking for evidence of “human” existence.

The sand worn by centuries of waves is an unusual palette for plastic waste and traces of an over-population of tourists.  The Balinese offerings deconstructed by time and waves and water leave no traces.  The footprints of tourists leave scars that will take decades to heal.

The men huddle in the morning shade waiting for the plastic packers to clear the beach so they can earn a few Rupiah renting their padded sun benches.  The men and their families need the tourist revenue.  Maybe as visitors we might be more respectful of their beaches and their culture.  The waves will roll onto these beaches forever.  The sand will wash cleaner with each rolling crusher.  Is the red flag for you or the waves?