"We’re looking for this mural," one of the Dutch travelers said, showing me a mural of a minion on his phone.

​I looked at the photo and shook my head. "I don't think it's there anymore. When was this taken?"

​"Seven years ago," he answered.

​"Seven years?" I laughed. "No way. It’s hard to keep a mural that long. It was definitely covered up years ago when the walls were repainted!"

Most visitors see Jodipan Rainbow Village as a static gallery, but in reality, it is a living organism in a constant state of decay and rebirth. The struggle is that maintaining and restoring these murals is incredibly hard, especially when the walls themselves weren't built to last.

​"Look at this mural From Amsterdam to Malang by the Dutch artist Samesart," I said, pointing to the cracks. "Even with proper spray and professional painting, art can't stay more than one year if the wall itself is falling apart."

I led them a few steps further to a spot where the wall was still intact, but the battle was different.

​"Some murals were actually painted on good walls, like this 3D chameleon," I explained. "The surface is better, but you can see the colors are already starting to fade. Even when the structure holds up, the sun and rain out here just don't let the paint stay."

"Or look at another one, like this sea turtle," I said, gesturing to the blue wall.
​"Even though it's beautiful, you can see the paint starting to chip away. In this tropical country, the weather is always working against the art. Maintenance is a constant struggle, and that’s why the murals from seven years ago are gone.
"

I then explained that while the murals are captivating, the most important thing is the story behind these colorful houses, a story that most tourists walk right past without ever noticing.

​I offered to take them on a walking tour to show them what lies beneath the surface, but they refused. As they walked away, I said to myself, "They are just tourists, not travelers."

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