Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

As an aside, does anybody know if Bali ever had crocodiles?

Yup, there used to be buaya muara, (salt water crocs) in Gilimanuk. Bali used to have tigers too, but the last sighting of one of those goes back to the 1930's.

Thanks Adam for the interesting info re crabs, chilli crab is up at the top of my list of favourites meals. Also great to read that your wife is enjoying life in WA. You have me a little worried now, we sometimes buy crab which more than likely has come from Banyuwangi fish markets or caught somewhere close by, so can I clarify - if the last 2 legs are a series of rounded flat bits joined together (same like a blue swimmer) then the crab is ok to eat? So far the only ones I have seen in the little morning market are the smallish brown variety with rounded nippers - quite tasty and no nasty side effects.

Hi Toucan,

Yep Ani has settled in nicely over here so far. Too much so I think, she doesn't even wan't to go home for Idul Fitri . I thought this might happen, when the day eventually comes, she'll wan't to stay here in Oz and I'll move over to Indo .

Back on subject:

if the last 2 legs are a series of rounded flat bits joined together (same like a blue swimmer) then the crab is ok to eat?

Yep, spot on. All these crabs are safe to eat. And if you've been eating a particular species without problems so far, you should be fine. I'd be more concerned about the freshness myself, our closest pasar pagi has a range of seafood but man o man there is NO way I would ever touch it. In fact unless it is still moving I won't touch seafood in Indo, I've seen way too many dodgy sights in pasar ikan's. In 'our' neck of the woods, Toucan, is a big pasar ikan at Muncol (about 40ish minutes from Genteng). The smell is like nothing you would have ever experienced but the the place is that big and there are that many vendors you can sift thru the rubbish to find the odd thing worth eating. Luckily crabs are tough little buggers so it is pretty common to find them still alive.

Cheers
Adam

Thanks for that Adam, we have actually ordered the crabs from the fish man at the morning markets in Kaligondo and he will have them the next day if available. His stuff has always looked pretty fresh to me and my sister in law gives everything a very thorough inspection before she selects, I don't like his chances of getting anything dodgy past her! I have been to the fish market at Muncar (is that the place you were referring to?), many open stalls near the ocean. I do know what you mean though, definitely better to purchase early in the morning.

Hopefully we will cross paths sometime in the area - we shouldn't too be hard to pick out in the crowd. Please pass on by best wishes to Ani.

Hi Toucan,

Muncar (is that the place you were referring to?),

Doh!!! Yep thats the place I meant. I was always get the name muddled.

Would be nice to catch up over there, do you live in Java full time or Australia? We'll be back for a few days either side of Idul Fitri, would be nice to catch up with another bule occasionally over there as I'm yet to see another bule anywhere near Genteng. Conversing in english is a pleasant change sometimes from the barrage of monotonous javanese jibba jabba! I doubt I'll ever pick this language up, I'm stuffed if I can even tell the difference between any words

Looks like we will miss each other by a couple of weeks this trip as we don't head over until Oct/Nov, but we do go every few months so catching up is a definite possibility. It would be lovely to meet up with you and Ani at some stage. I will send you a PM.

There may have been crocs in Bali some time ago, but we all know there aren't any now. However, about 120 km due north of Bali, in the Kangean Island, there are HUGE salt water crocodiles that dine off about a dozen of local fishermen each year. I am sure that, sooner or later, one of these crocs, with an unusual adventure spirit, will end up in Pemuteran or Lovina.

one of these crocs, with an unusual adventure spirit, will end up in Pemuteran or Lovina.

I shall have to make sure I do not buy my house too close to the beach then

Wouldn't surprise me in the least if a salti ended up on the beach in Bali. Crocs have been found swimming over 100km off the coast of North Qld (OZ), so no stretch of the imagination sees them swimming 120km.

Just don't leave the doors of the beach home open