Back
to South
Pacific
Bali
24-29MAR03 My last few hours in Australia are sort of a blur.
All night on the train from Melbourne to Sydney, then by train to the airport
and then a 6 hour flight to Bali. Most of the flight seemed to be over
Australia. I woke up and looked out the window just in time to see the
north coast of Australia. Not long after we were descending to Denpassar
International.
At the airport I tried to get some rupiah from the ATM and probably because I
was jet-lagged, I used the wrong PIN number twice. Apparently this is a
security no-no, so my account locked up. So, I fished out a few hundred US
dollars and obtained some local currency. I called the bank and they said,
"no problem" just go to your nearest card center anywhere in the US
and they will issue a new PIN. I explained that this might be expensive
and time consuming since I'm 12,000 mile away and asked for another idea.
Fortunately they can mail a new PIN by first class to my address of
record. Then, with the help of the crack Digitalnomad support team,
I may be able to get back into my account. Note to self: never key
my PIN twice again.
I sat down on a bench outside the airport and pondered where to stay. I
chatted with a few taxi drivers and finally negotiated a fare to a hotel that
had what I wanted: namely a bed, near beach location, and reasonable
rates. The hotel ended up costing about $12 a night for a private room
with bathroom (who needs hot water?). There is a swimming pool and a
comfortable porch.
I'm living the good life. Every afternoon I get a really good massage
by the pool. Nyoman has managed to work most of the stiffness out of my
left shoulder. Her magic fingers have made it feel almost as good as
before the Launceston Incident. A massage is only $8 for an hour and it is
wonderful to be able to sleep on my left side again.
I spent the first few days in Kuta doing almost nothing. I sat on the
beach and walked up and down the narrow streets dodging motorbikes. I have
learned to walk purposefully in a straight line and pray that the driver can
dodge me. My hotel is on Poppies Lane 1 a road that varies from one car
lane to barely enough room for two people to walk side by side. This means
that when you hear a beep you plaster yourself against the wall while the motor
bike (sometimes with 3 passengers) squeezes by. Street sellers are
everywhere. Just say "no".
I found a restaurant that serves pretty good Mexican food. So good that
I ate there three nights in a row. Yum.
At the hotel I met Shoichi, Kazu, and Marie all from Tokyo. Shoichi is
staying with a local Balinese family and he invited me to meet them. Since
then, we've had one adventure after the next. They live behind their store
and it seems like there are twenty or more family members. Some live there
and some are just visiting. The children are well-behaved and happy and
there is a very friendly dog that is part collie and part dashound. The
name of the store in indonesian is Happy and I certainly agree.
Yesterday evening they loaded the four tourists and several kids and took us
the the Galleria shopping center for a Legong dance show. This is the
classic Balinese dancing with the elaborate costumes and is accompanied by a
gamelan orchestra. There are gongs, flutes and drums playing together in a
surprisingly pleasant way. We posed with the dancers for pictures and then
headed down the road to the temple.
Because of the full moon there was a special ceremony with a dance called the
Barong. There were scores of local people, three Japanese, and one
DigitalNomad. The story is a classic good versus evil. The dancers
in the evil masks approached the dancers in the good masks and then backed
away. Then a dragon-like creature called the barong appeared. The
evil dancer called the rangda cast an evil spell on the young men of the temple
and in a trance they tried to stab themselves with krises (really sharp looking
short swords). It was very intense. Sometimes the young men would
fall on the ground and roll around all the while with the kris right at their
throat. At one point a teen aged girl passed out and the people who caught
her took her to the barong where she revived. I'll remember the drama of
the ceremony for a long time.
This morning I was invited back to join the family on their visit to the
family cemetery. They visited each grave and performed a short ceremony
with incense. Afterwards a big feast was spread out and we picnicked in
the cemetery.
I'm probably going to gain ten pounds. It seems like every time I visit
a large plate of really good food is placed into my hands. I've learned to
eat Balinese style mashing up the spicy condiments with the rice and eating with
my right hand. The food has been delicious.
This evening Shoichi, Kazu, and Marie had to catch their plane home. I
hope to meet up with them again when I get to Japan. It has been fun to
share an adventure with them.
I have been talking with Kim Lin about my tour. I'm trying to
find someone local to travel with around Bali. There is a tourist price
and a local price for most things here and I hope to be able to take two people
on a trip for the same price as if I tried to travel solo. Making my plans
understood is challenging, but I am optimistic.
I've found an internet shop with Frontpage but I'm still looking for a shop
where I can upload pictures.
30MAR-4APR03 At last I found a shop where
I could access and upload pictures. The only complication is that the
machine where I loaded my camera software will not access my website. So I
had to load my photos on one computer and then transfer them to another computer
to upload. Unfortunately my CD with camera software is cracked. I
should have made a backup but now I'll have to think of something else.
I've
spent most of my days doing nothing. Lying on the beach, at the pool,
getting my daily massage, doing yoga, and eating nachos. I've visited Kim
Lan and now the plan is to just do a day trip. After the day trip, I will
take my rental car around Bali in a counter clockwise direction.
Yesterday, I
had a great time. In the morning, I rented a small car and picked up Kim
Lan. we drove to her brother-in-law's house in South Bali, and picked him
up. He then drove us to Ulan Watu a beautiful temple at the southern tip
of Bali. Wigama works for the Ritz Carlton hotel and speaks very good
English. This temple is most important to him and after making several
offerings (almost immediately accepted by the monkeys in the temple), he told me
a fascinating story. When he was younger he visited the temple and while
feeding one of the monkeys he was bitten on the finger. He took a leaf
from one of the temple trees and treated the wound. That night he had a
dream that he could still feel the monkey biting his finger. He
interpreted the dream to mean that after his request for a better job, he had
not given thanks properly. He returned to the temple and made offerings
and decided to help others with the fruits of his new job. His finger was
healed.
On the way back to Kuta, we visited Wigama's house.
I met his father and reacquainted my self with his wife and children who I had
met at the family feast. Wigama had to go to work and Kim Lan and I were
scheduled to pick up Lani and family at 2PM, but first we had a delicious lunch
with some local fruit and a green bean and rice dish garnished with garlic fried
peanuts. Mmmm.
Back at Lani's shop, her husband had to see patients so
he couldn't travel with us. To fit everyone it was decided to take their
family car instead of the mini car I had rented. I drove and with
traffic had a very exciting time.
First we traveled to a temple (Pura
Bukit Sari) near Sangeh where many tourists go to see monkeys. We had a snack and then walked
through the cool forest. Monkeys everywhere...big, small, friendly,
mean. Also there were fruit bats and someone had a pet boa
constrictor. I posed Lani's kids in front of monkey statues and had them
do the famous, "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil pose".
I was surprised to find this is not a saying here.
After the temple with the
monkeys we went to Tanah Lot. This temple is beautiful and a very popular
tourist attraction. It is located on a small island and is surrounded by
ocean at high tide. We had a snack of fresh fruit sprinkled with
coconut and wrapped in banana leaves (Putu's favorite), then were blessed by the
priests.
A brief word about driving in Bali:
Driving in Bali is like playing a three dimensional video game. Cars and motorcycles come at you from all directions. Sometimes motorcycles are in your lane coming in the opposite direction. Tour buses too wide for the lane pass on blind corners. People pushing handcarts cause cars to swerve into the other lane. I'm still learning the effective use of the horn.
The only traffic rule which seems to be strictly enforced is stopping behind the white line at a red light. This line is well back from the intersection and with only a brief yellow light, it is a challenge to stop quickly. Apparently no rules apply to motorcycles as they just buzz past while you're stopped.
Driving at night is even more challenging. Some headlights aren't aimed properly so the headlights of oncoming traffic can dazzle. People walking and riding bikes are hard to spot so full attention is required.
The only thing that prevents mass carnage is the slow driving speeds and the quick reflexes of the drivers. Amazingly enough, I have not seen one accident.
This morning I managed to get my online financial life working again.
After calling the bank once more, the ATM spit out some cash and the website
showed up-to-date transactions including the wire transfer of the proceeds from
the sale of Midas.
After a plate of nachos, I'm starting my
exploration by rental car of Bali.
5-15APR03 I began my driving
adventure by travelling the same roads as the day before. I continued up
the coast and stayed the evening at a hotel in Negara. The next day when I
began driving I felt very tired. As the day went on it was clear that I
had an infection of some sort with a high fever.
I drove east
almost as far as Gillimanuk and then cut overland through the National
forest. I was intrigued by the wooden signposts advertising Menjangan
Jungle and Beach Resort. I stopped to get something cold to drink and
viewed a few of their really plush ($200US /night) rooms and visited the tower
in the jungle. I talked with I.G. Ngurah Agus Eka Putera, their
conservation specialist. This resort is the only one within the borders of
the National Forest and they are making a special effort to preserve the jungle
and the wild life. His approval is required before any trees can be
cut. I enjoyed a conversation with Wayan Rudita, about the 78 varieties of
birds and the efforts being made to preserve them. The resort had not
officially opened for business but they were expecting a big group that evening.
I
continued on down the north coast to Lovina. There I found a good internet
cafe and a place to stay. by the end of the day my fever was 102.5 f (38C)
and it was all I could do to crawl off to my aircon room and fall into an
exhausted sleep. I'm sure Lovina is a beautiful place but I was so
"out of it" that all I did was sleep for two days and eat a few
bites.
I was determined to do some diving so I forced myself to
drive onward to Tulamben, the site of the USS Liberty wreck. I stayed the
night in a primative but cheap room and the next morning went diving with my
divemaster Madeh. The wreck was beautiful. Only 25 meters from shore
and in only 22 meters of water, the wreck had beautiful fan coral and plentiful
sea life. Madeh brought a banana and we fed the fish which clustered
around us and took bites of the banana from our hands.
After the
dive I discovered that I had forgotten my Thermarest air matress and so, I
retraced my route to Lovina and picked it up.
That afternoon I took the
route through the central mountains past two lakes to Ubud. I found a
really beautiful room at the Kerti Bungalows and spent the night. I still
couldn't fully appreciate the surroundings because of my high fever. I was
able to control it slightly with panadol but still didn't feel very
ambitious.
I returned to Kuta and check into AP Inn. I had
received at email from Wigama to meet him at his mother's shop. I visited
with Kim Lan and his mother Whyan gave me more food. She must think I am
too skinny because she keeps giving me more to eat. Still feverish, my appetite
is very low. The family recommended that I visit the beach at sundown
(4/11) and watch the ceremony. I arrived in time to see at least 1000
Balinese in formal costume along the beach at Kuta at a special sundown
ceremony. What a great photo opportunity, I thought. But, alas, my
camera stopped working. I tried new batteries, I tried resetting but I
could no longer take pictures.
Irony of ironies, I had just
arranged for Ron to make a couple of CDs with a copy of the camera software and
Fedex them to me in Kuta. It seems that there is a conspiracy to prevent
me from uploading photos. Now I'll have camera software, but no new
pictures.
The next day, I visited a clinic near my hotel and got a shot and a
prescription of ciprofloxacin. My fever decreased and I began to feel
better immediately. But, my camera was still malfunctioning and the Ogong
ogong ceremony leading up to Nyeppi was, of course, the most colorful thing I've
seen yet. Each group would present their giant demon and dance at the
temple. Good would triumph in the end and the next group would arrive and
repeat the ceremony. The demons were huge papier mache sculptures carried
by 20 or 30 men on a bamboo platform. The demon was thrust at the crowd
and people would back away. There were probably 20 demons, some with
lights, all with horific visages. This activity went on until
midnight. After firecracker explosions, things became very quiet.
The
next day (4/13), Nyeppi, the entire island of Bali was quiet. And I
mean quiet. No music, no traffic, no one on the street. Tourists
were restricted to the grounds of their hotel.
Two girls from the
UK were in the room next door. That night we tried to play cards but there
wasn't enough we went into the room and anytime we turned on enough light to
play cards a staff member would tap on the door and we would have to turn off
the light. The silence and darkness in the area around the hotel was
eerie. Shona (from Bristol) and Caryn (Manchester) finally gave up and
went to their room.
The next day after the total silence was over
I walked around town, but many of the shops were closed and there was only light
traffic. While having dinner Shona and Caryn joined me and we went to the
Apache Reggae Cafe and watched the crowd dance the night away.
Today, my
favorite internet place re-opened and I was able to update my website. My
broken camera has caused me to re-evaluate my overland travel plans to
Bangkok. I have a pre-paid ticket on 4/25 and there is a Kodak service
center in Bangkok. I think I will see if I can get my camera repaired
there before I continue my journey. If not, I understand that digital
cameras are priced well in Thailand. Travelling without the camera is not
as much fun.
Between now and my departure to Bangkok, I plan to
take a bus-ferry shuttle to Lombok and see if I can schedule a cruise of the
islands. I keep missing Wigama, but hope to see him when I return.
15-29APR03 Well,
after nearly two weeks without internet access and with so many events I'll have
to dig deep in my memory to begin to express how much fun I've had.
I
began by catching the bus/ferry to Mataran, Lombok. Starting at 10AM it
took until 9PM to reach the hotel. There I booked a four day boat trip to
Flores which just happened to be leaving the next morning.
The
tour organizer rounded up all the travellers and herded them onto a bemo (a
large van with hard seats) and we began our journey. I was persuaded to
buy a return ticket because it was "easier". This is a mistake
I'll never make again because when one "travels spontaneously" plans
change.
The bemo took almost four hours to cross Lombok to the port Labuhan
Lombok. By this time 11 strangers were becoming friends. We boarded
the Praewa Indah, not the finest craft in the harbor but, not the shabbiest
either. We were shone to our sumptuous sleeping quarters, a deck with a
blue tarp. At first we thought we would have to sleep on the wooden deck,
but Liz the beautiful and clever Swede discovered that sleeping pads were
available. She dived into the hold and started passing the pads on
deck. When she came on deck everybody cracked up. It looked like a
Hollywood make-up artist had strategically smeared her nose and face with soot.
But,
I'm getting ahead of the story. The captain started the engine and as the
sun set behind rain clouds our trusty vessel sailed-- For about two
minutes. One of the crewman went ashore and got a battery and we were
underway in about 45 minutes; however, we were not sanguine about our
chances. The seas were choppy and there was a lightening storm in the
distance. We only passed through showers and were pleased to find the blue
tarp over the sleeping area worked.
Passenger list:
Dinner was served. The table was a scrap of carpet on the deck.
The food was good but always at dinner and breakfast rice, some kind of spicy
sauce, and pineapple was served. Breakfast was banana pancakes. All
in all the food was pretty good.
The cost of the four day tour including food
and quarters was only $40 USD but we had to provide our own drinks. We had
so much beer and soft drinks there was left over at the end of the voyage.
The
evening was uneventful but exciting because we were weaving between fishing
boats with no running lights guided by a crewmember on the bow with a big
flashlight.
I took mercy on my fellow travellers and moved out of
the sleeping quarters and slept near the bow of the boat. They claimed
they could hear my snores over the chug-chug-chug sound of the diesel
engine. I think they were funnin me.
The next morning I
awoke at dawn to a clear day and breakfast in bed. That is, Acing brought
my banana pancake and a cup of tea to the bow. We were served breakfast
one at a time because the pan would only hold one pancake.
We chugged on for
in indeterminate time and finally arrived at a beach with a fresh water
stream. Everyone snorkeled the coral reef but eventually ended up frolicking
in the fresh water. Sascha and Joscha, two adventurous German lads
assisted by Gus the killer Fin took the ship's launch (a dugout canoe) and after
capsizing several times managed to explore upstream. We returned to the
boat and chugged on.
The days begin to blur into snorkeling on beautiful coral
reefs and visiting beautiful beaches. We stopped at many beautiful places
over the six days.
For me, one of the highlights was our visit to Komodo
to see the famous dragons. We fought our way through the fierce souvenir
sellers and made it to the rangers gate where we bought our park pass and met
our guide. He took us on a 4km trek through the tropical heat of
Komodo. We saw cockatoos, snakes, and a tantalizing glimpse of a shape in
the bushes. We pressed on until we arrived at the place where they used to
feed live goats to the dragons. Now times are more civilized but there
aren't many dragons hanging out there anymore. There was one dragon that
apparently had not read his Lonely Planet and was still waiting to be fed.
The travellers rejoiced and the shutters clicked. A dragon at last.
Then
our guide said, "cafeteria...cold beer and drinks" and we all
stampeded down the trail. When we arrived at the cafeteria which was only
100M from the start of the trail we were met by an entire herd of voracious
dragons. I think they felt if you can't eat a live goat then maybe table
scraps are the next best thing. Yvonne got some great footage with her
video camera with tongues flicking and and tails flailing.
We fought our way
back the the boat (more offers of beautifully carved wooden dragons) and headed
for the next island. This island also offered dragons but after I walked a
short distance in the hot sun I returned to the ship. Carolyn, the Sun
Queen, also decided to stay on board and enhance her tan. Just like the
first stop, there was a dragon practically sitting on the dock so I saw another
of this rare species.
After the dragons, our captain beached the ship on a
beautiful strip of white beach and Acing said, "let's have a beach
party". So, wood was gathered and a bonfire started and as the stars
shone we had a great evening around the fire...mostly fantasizing about sweet
snacks from McDonalds. We told a few jokes, a ghost story, and some other
tall tails and headed back to the ship. The party was much longer than
scheduled. It seems the boat was beached at high tide and no mater how
hard we pushed, it was going no where until the tide came back in. But,
this was good; because, after the beach party we played at the edge of the
water. I've never seen anything like the photo-luminescent creatures in
the water. Splash the water and green fire would appear. We had a
ball.
After the tide turned the ship chugged on into the night. A few
more snorkeling adventures and we arrived in Labuanbajo the port on the western
end of Flores. I agreed to track down a room while Carolyn watched the
bags on the ship. After an hour of bumping up and down on potholes and
clinging on for dear life as we climbed steep hills, I ended up choosing the
hotel that had offered a free ride. Harry and Carolyn were staying there,
too.
The passengers and crew agreed to meet at the Brodobadur
Restaurant and we had a meal (no rice!) under the stars. After dinner
Sascha, Joscha, Carolyn and I booked a dive trip for the next day.
Another
slow boat took us to the first dive site, a sheltered coral bay. The
diving was easy but I had not added enough weight to my belt and so I used air
more rapidly and ended up buddy breathing with the dive master. A skilled
Japanese diver who was an instructor in Australia helped me catch one of my fins
when I kicked both off in two strokes. Yayoy was like a seal in the water
and took several underwater photos which should be great.
The next dive was a
drift dive. The strong current was supposed to waft us along the edge of
the reef and then the boat would pick us up. But the current was not
running as expected. First the boat towed us on a line in the water for
perhaps 500m, then when we dived we still faced a current. It was
difficult to make headway but the variety of coral and the profusion of tropical
fish was like nothing I've ever seen. I had a better dive, but this was
Carolyn's first drift dive and a challenging one at that. Sascha, the
clown, was so relaxed the drifted back to the ship upside down in the lotus
position.
The trip back lasted forever but produced one of the most
spectacular sunsets of the trip. The clouds lit up and the sun sank behind
the rim of a conveniently placed volcano. I longed for my camera to
work.
After another pleasant dinner with the travellers from the
boat we met two Canadian girls from Montreal and a Frenchman named Jay. We
made plans to travel together on the bemo to Bajawa.
The next
morning I bid a sad farewell to Madeleine and Harry as their return to Holland
didn't give them enough time to travel all accross Flores. It turned out
their bemo and ours crossed paths a couple more times accompanied with waves and
shouts.
It was an eleven hour ride to Bajawa and I thought it was fairly
difficult. Later I would find out this drive was a cakewalk. The
"conductor" (it usually takes at least a driver, conductor, and flunky
to man a bemo) shouted "Bajawa, Bajawa, Bajawa, Bajawa" at seemingly
every hut and village. I even got so carried away that I helped him
once. We bargained for roasted peanuts, oranges and bananas and munched
from the vast supply of junkfood stored in the goody bag carried by Anise and
Ariella (Montreal). The bemo stopped at a deserted stretch of road and all
the tickets were collected. After another kilometer it stopped and the
driver waved goodbye. We were puzzled because this spot didn't look like a
city. We crowded onto a smaller bemo and it stopped in front of the
Camellia Restaurant. Most of the group found lodging nearby. But,
Carolyn is a very selective traveller and wanted a real shower, not just a
dipper to pour water over your head. By now Arnold, aka The Black Tiger,
had attached himself as our guide and assured us that he knew of a hotel with
showers. Alas, those rooms were under renovation. We paid off the
bemo and Carolyn, headstrong and a very rapid walker chased Arnold down the
street to the next possible hotel (rejected due to dirt). Then we went on
to yet another. No shower, but acceptable and dropped our bags with
relief.
We had plans to meet the rest of the group at the Camellia
and to work out the details of the next few days. There we decided to view
a few nearby villages and then spend a few hours eating a picnic lunch and
lolling in a hot springs. We visited Arnold's village where he is the
Prince and another village with a very friendly old women that took special
pleasure in blessing each one of us. She grasped our hands and lowered her
forehead, I did the same and accepted the blessing.
I took a rough
white water ride down the river and over a waterfall but only suffered a few
scratches. There was a place in the hot springs where I could prop my feet
and get a great hot water massage. I was almost as good as new by
departure.
We also negotiated with the Black Tiger for the bemo to take us on
to Moni and then the next morning before dawn to take us near the top of
Kelimutu and return us to the hotel. Shared six ways the price was about
$25 per person.
Fatima
TBT
(the black tiger) introduced the four travellers (Ariella, Anise, , Carolyn, and
Me) to the driver and assistant of the Bemo Fatima. Relatively
comfortable, it had a good cassette player, and strings of teletubbies and
pokemon dolls swinging in the front window. First we played my Doors tape
(the only one I carried on from Australia) until we could sing all the
words. Then the driver played a few selections of his. The road to
Moni was nine hours and so as time went on we became bored. The first
miracle of Fatima occurred. Ariella dug into her pack and produced the
first of several custom recorded cassettes. I loved her taste in music and
proclaimed her DJ of Fatima. Anise, whose parents immigrated to Montreal
from Haiti I nicknamed DJ (dusky Jewel). We bumped and sped down the
extremely curvy road and I drifted into TE (travel euphoria - a state in which
one is in awe of life and the wonderful beauty of the world). While the
tape played "Don't Worry-Be Happy" we sang our way through the lush
tropical countryside and enjoyed the smiling faces and waves of the
people. Perfect.
We arrived in Moni, the small town at the foot of
Kelimutu, and began an expedition led by Carolyn in search of the perfect
room. Four hotels later as grumblings of mutiny rose from the crew ,four
of us returned to the first place. The Canadians took up residence
in Yellow Rose, Carolyn and I in White Rose.
It was now past ten pm at the end
of a tiring day and we were to arise at 3 yes 3 am to make sure we were on top
of Kelimutu at dawn. I was so exhausted that although I dreamed I set the
alarm, I didn't. Arnold knocked on our door at 3:45am and we hustled our
tired bodies onto Fatima and raced up the curvy road to the toll booth. At
least we were ahead of the other bemo behind us. We made our way from the
parking lot up the dark path to the top of the volcano and the sky was only
starting to lighten as we arrived.
Then to my great surprise and joy we met up
with Yvonne, Dom, and Neil. It was a happy reunion of the boat people with
hugs, smiles and handshakes all around. It was cold (maybe 50f or 10c) on
the viewpoint and even coffee from an enterprising vendor didn't warm us
up. After I cooled down from the climb, I had to roll down the sleeves on
my shirt. Carolyn was so cold she borrowed by fleece jacket and still
shivered. It was the first time I've been truly cool since I arrived in
the tropics and it felt great.
The
Second Miracle of Fatima
As the "dawn came up like thunder"
the three beautifully colored crater lakes revealed themselves. My fingers
were itching to take a picture with my camera, but I had already tried a dozen
times before to capture a picture. However, the sunrise was so beautiful I
had to try just once more. I took out my camera and reseated the batteries
that had come loose on the bumpy roads in Fatima, and...tah-dah!...a
picture. I was overjoyed. I jumped around the top of the viewpoint
yelling, "yes, yes" and promptly snapped pictures of my fellow
travellers. I can only speculate that the lack of charge from the loose
batteries had reset the eprom and allowed the camera to work again. That's
the scientific explanation, but it could have been the miracle of Fatima or it
could be the spirts of Kelimutu. The locals believed that the souls of the
dead lived eternally in the three crater lakes, the evil in the black lake, the
good who have died young in another, and the old who have lived well in the
third. I found the separation of the good young and the good old curious
and speculated that the oldsters didn't want the be disturbed by the loud
parties of the youngsters.
We dallied on the viewpoint until 10 am
watching the colors of the crater lakes become vivid. Carolyn, Neil, and
Yvonne decided they wanted to stay longer and Dom, Anise, Ariella and I walked
to Fatima and headed for Moni. I bid a fond farewell to crew of Fatima as they
were anxious to return home to Bajawa.
I was really tired
and spent the morning lazing around washing clothes and reading. By 2pm I
was becoming concerned. I calculated that the walkers should have covered
the 14km easily in 4 hours. I started arrangements to search by by 3pm
Carolyn and the others came limping in with tales of great adventures.
They had decided to take the side trail around the rim for another view of the
lake. Carolyn said the trail became so narrow that they had to "butt
rappel" down a rocky slope and then climb the other side. Then
Carolyn sprained her ankle so the trip to town was long and difficult.
I did
my best as a semi-pro masseur to ease the pain of her shattered body and by
dinner time she was able to walk the 30m to the restaurant without making sounds
of pain. Much to our surprise, hidden behind a fence of corrugated iron
roofing there was a 14m X 8m pool heated by water from a nearby hot
spring. We made plans to meet there the next morning and negotiated a ride
for seven of us to Maumere for 2pm. The pool was pleasant and "the
Sun Queen" worshipped while I read my book and gave free marketing advice
to the owner of the pool and restaurant. I sketched a sign to be painted
on the iron fence for the MONI LEISURE SPA (heated pool, snacks, cold drinks,
hot tub). I feel a little guilt at planting the seed of commercialism in
such an unspoiled place.
The next guide was nicknamed Monkey by
the Canadiennes and he had promised a bemo at 2pm. I had paid a deposit of
about $5US and as 2:20 approached and no bemo appeared I became concerned.
The host of the Rose Hotel expressed their concerns as the the honesty of our
guide and Carolyn set off with receipt in hand to run the blackguard down.
He finally rolled up around 3pm acting as if an hour were no big thing.
I've known many bemos, and this bemo was not Fatima. The seating was on
benches along the walls and Monkey had added several of his friends to the
passenger manifest and so we were crowded. This driver was not as skilled
as most so he managed to drive slowly and hit every pothole on the six
hour journey to Maumere.
This time Carolyn was so exhausted that she agreed to
the first hotel. I had snored so loudly the night before that she
abandoned me and roomed with Yvonne. I upgraded myself to a single with
aircon and luxuriated. This room cost only $3.50 US per night and I could
snore and cough (slight head cold) as much as I wanted.
The next day we
discovered that the "Fast Ferry" (only 21 hours) to Denpassar was
under repair for at least two more weeks. Daunted by the prospect of
recrossing Flores by bemo I accompanied the Canadiennes on their search for
airplane tickets. We found the Pelita Air office got a ride to the
ATM, bought our tickets, and arranged for pick-up the next
morning.
It is always sad when it is time to say goodbye to fellow
travellers whose company I've enjoyed. Yvonne (who when viewed from the
rear looks like a backpack with two feet) was planning to go to East Timor to
exit and return to Indonesia with an extended visa. The English lads, Dom
and Neil were contemplating exploring the north coast of Flores, and Carolyn
wanted to stay in Maumere a few more days and complete her Advanced Open Water
PADI course. So, with hugs and promises of emails, the intrepid travellers
parted the three of us headed for the airport. I've promised to track them
all down when I visit Europe (tentively planned for fall of 2004).
The flight
to Denpassar seemed like sheer luxury in the high wing DeHavilind. We were
fed and watered by the crew and even got a hot towel before landing. The
terraing from the air and the coral atolls we over flew made the 3 hour flight
seem short. What a difference in travel speed! It had taken 10 days
of hard travel to reach Maumere from Denpassar and only 3 hours to return.
Low
grade travel wimp that I am, I took a taxi back to the Kuta Puri Bungalows and
checked into a luxury room with aircon. It may be expensive but, "I'm
worth it". I rested for a few hours and then headed out for a few
hours of reggae music at the Club Apache.
The next morning I chatted with Zee,
an Austrian Police Investigator on loan to the UN. She was taking a
holiday from her work investigating the atrocities in East Timor. She
speaks exceptionally good English and had interesting stories of the events
following the referendum. She also told me that a fortune teller said she
would marry a shoe salesman. Her mother (who probably would have been a
matchmaker in the Bosnian village she immigrated from to Austria) found a story
about George Cluny which said he had been a shoe saleman and suggested that Zee
write him and strike up a relationship. After all, Zee is getting along in
age (30) and a few grandchildren couldn't hurt. What made her story
funnier was that she had bought the same magazine and read the same story before
she talked to her mother.
My Fedex package from The Computer
Exchange in Corvallis had not arrived when I check yesterday at Mandri's
shop. Mandri, the matriarch of the Ketut family has decided I need
nourishment. Every time I visit their shop she loads me down with fruit
and snacks. One of the enterprises at the shop is snack foods and Kim Lan
was preparing great smelling food out front as I told her of my journey.
Afterwards I visited Lani's (another of Mandri's daughters) beauty salon had a
haircut, beard trim, and scalp massage and asked for her help in picking out a
small gift for Kim Lan.
I feel like I'm back at work again slaving over a hot
internet connection. The only other place I found on the journey through
Flores was a very slow (maybe 1200 baud) shop in Bajawa. I had sent a
"I'm-alive-o-gram" to my nuclear family but didn't even bother with
trying to open an email. Consequently my inbox was brimming with messages
from friends, family, fellow travellers, and junk email merchants. I spent
two hours and only dented it. I returned to Discovery Internet, the shop
where my camera software was loaded and sent a few pictures. I wrote a
little in my journal and headed back to the hotel.
After a lazy morning by the
pool I'm at the computer again with intentions of catching up on my email.
I've heard from Oliver from Tahiti, Setsuko and Bluie from Australia, Shoichi
from Japan, and Sue Korn from Corvallis amongst mail from other family and
friends. It's hard to be lonesome when the emails pour in.
30APR-04MAY03
I've spent the last several days in Kuta, Bali. It is a tale of two
cities.
Kind Hearts and
Bloodthirsty Scams in Kuta
The first morning after I
arrived in Kuta, I went to visit the family Landri. I recieved my usual
warm welcome and Mandri (the matriarch of the family) generously offered me MORE
FOOD. She must think I'm wasting away (definitely not true). I went
to Lani's Beauty Salon and got my beard and mustache trimmed. I gave her
some money and asked her to pick out something for her sister, Kim Lan.
The
next day when I visited the shop on Legian Kuta, Kim Lan said Lani had left a
package for me. I said, "No, it's for you". She removed
the gift wrapped package from the bag and tore into it with a big smile.
Still smiling, she blushed and giggled. It seems Lani had chosen some
light pink "intimate apparel". Elo and the other members of the
family laughed with her when they found out Lani's trick.
Kim Lan
is an accomplished seamstress and I asked her to make me a bandana. She
picked out some batik material and made two from one piece. As I was
paying her for the material and her labor, I gave her some extra money and asked
her to buy Lani a small gift. I could see the twinkle in her eyes as she
said she would find something for her.
A few days later Kim Lan called Lani to
the shop and I gave her her surprise. Tit for tat, Kim Lan had gift
wrapped a bra and some feminine hygiene items. Lani bravely posed for her
picture and the scales of justice were balanced.
I decided I would
design a sign for Kim Lan's snack business that might increase her business
among tourists. I thought a 1mX3m banner would help. I told her that
when Southland Corporation sent me to consult on advertising matters that the
client would pay thousands of dollars each day but for her, I would work for
peanuts. So, she gave me a large bag of peanuts and I showed her my
sign. It was my plan to have a professional sign company screen print the
sign. As I was looking through the Yellow Pages, Kim Lan realized the size
I had in mind and said, "Oh no, you will bankrupt me". It seems
the government levies a large permit fee for large signs and only big business
can afford them. She said a smaller sign would be okay and thanked me for
my work.
Shoichi and Kazu are returning to Kuta later this month
and I hope they will translate the sign into Japanese. With both languages
covered, I hope Kim Lan's tourist business will increase because the snacks she
makes are delicious.
On one visit I met Kim Lan's Uncle Teng Wan Fo and his
daughter Ciau Liang. They invited me to visit them in Tengki Tjuan when I
travel to china.
I managed to contact Matt at The Computer Exchange, he
said he got my message to hold the package with my camera software which
explains why Fedex hadn't a clue. I'll have to wait until I am in one
place for a while and have it shipped. So, after I leave Kuta, it may be
some time before I can upload pictures from my newly healed camera. For
the brief call to Matt the charge was $6US. Calls are so expensive in
Indonesia that I'll wait until I get to Singapore to have a family phone
festival. Matt said he was working on Siobhan's (friend, massage
therapist, and yoga instructor) and so, I'm anxious to see the
results.
The Scam:
While
sitting at McDonald's drinking a large Coke with heaps of ice, I was approached
by a man named Edgar. We chatted for a while. When I told him I was
from Texas, he asked if I would talk to his niece, Diana, who was to leave
shortly for Austin. I said sure. He showed me to his new, air
conditioned vehicle. There I met Liyan and Joy. It seems Diana was
at the hospital visiting her mother who had a heart attack, but, she would meet
us at the house in a little while.
We drove for a while and arrived at their
nice home. I was offered food and drink and finally accepted a bowl of
dessert. While we were chatting the story unfolded. Liyan made his
living as a blackjack dealer. The night before a game had been held at his
house. He had made a deal with the players for 5% of winner's purse.
This would pay for his dealing and the food and drinks served by his
mother. He said his mother worked so hard that he thinks it brought on the
heart problem.
Eventually, he offered to show me how to win at
blackjack. We went into an air conditioned room with a card table.
He refreshed my memory as to the basics of blackjack. He said he would
show me a way to always win. He was good with the cards and could stack
the deck to show me the value of the card at the bottom. He then proceeded
to teach me a series of hand signals. From his vantage point as dealer he
could look at my opponent's hand and make sure I knew what I was up
against. He then suggested that a game could be set up with the man from
Singapore. It was revealed that though the man had won $32,000US, that he
had given Liyan only a miserly, $300 and not the percentage agreed upon.
Liyan said he would like my help to get even with the man from Singapore and
that we could share the winnings. He went on to say that none of my money
would be at risk because I would be playing with his money.
I told
him that it would be wrong for me to steal even from a thief and said that I
couldn't help him. He said I would only be an instrument of his revenge
not the one doing wrong. I carefully spelled out the Scout Law:
"trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent" and said that I couldn't let
down the Scouts of Troop 206.
His attitude changed immediately and
he said that he had to go to the hospital and visit his mother. I was
hustled into the car and on the drive back asked my blood type. It was
A+ and his mother's was O. Asked if I could make a small donation to
help buy blood for the operation I was only happy to give them a small amount of
money. I was delivered safely back to near my hotel. I felt the small
amount of money was worth the entertainment, the refreshments, the story, and
the air conditioned tour of Kuta. I had been suspicious from the moment
blackjack was mentioned and even more suspicious when Diana, who was bound for
Texas didn't appear. I flipped to the scams section of Lonely Planet and
found the following: "Another scam involved being invited to someone's
house, then introduced to a card game where you can't lose. Of course, you
do lose--big time. This gang moves around". I felt fortunate
that my scam alarms are functioning well.
So, today as I head for Java, I
think of the two sides of Kuta. The very friendly, generous and hospitable
Landri's and the bloodthirsty scammers who would cheerfully victimize an
unsuspecting traveller. I think the good outweighs the bad.
05-07MAY03
I took the night express bus to Probolinggo. I arrived around 2am and took
a becak (a bicycle powered chair on wheels) to the travel agency. There I
chartered a taxi to get to the hotel at Mount Bromo. After an hour and a
half ride up a steep mountain (cost $10US), I checked into the hotel. The
next morning, I woke up to a fabulous view of a volcano. I had a pleasant
day catching up on sleep and talking to fellow travellers. I met Steve and
Brenda from the UK and Alex and Oliver from Toronto. Alex was a
photographer and graphics designer. She teaches people how to use Adobe
products for a living. It was fun to chat with people with a computer
background and quite comfortable because I'm fluent in Canadian as a second
language. We traded books and had a pleasant dinner together. I
watched the on going, intense pinochle match (winner buys loser a great steak
when they return to Toronto).
The next morning the wake-up knock
came at 3AM. Alex and Oliver were in the same jeep and we bounced slowly
to the viewpoint. Shrouded in fog, dawn came up very much like dawn in
Oregon on a fog shrouded mountain. That is to say, nothing much to be
seen. We drove halfway down the mountain and as soon as we were under the
fog, the view was stunning. A vast plain with Mount Bromo poking its
steaming peak from one side. The shutters clicked and the video cams
whirred and then we drove to the base of Mount Bromo.
There I had
a challenging walk to the summit overlooking the steam vent. Out of pride,
not thrift, I turned down a pony ride to the top ($2US). Puffing and
sweating, I climbed the last section on a stairway with maybe 300 steps.
The steam wafted out of the vent and sulfur fumes filled the air.
We
rushed back to the hotel to catch the 8AM public bus to Probolinggo. We
bolted our included breakfast and rushed to the bus. The we spent almost
an hour cruising the town looking for more passengers. We even went back
to the hotel once. Meanwhile, the passengers who had a bus scheduled at
10AM in Probolinggo became more and more agitated. Oliver finally became
so anxious to travel on that he yelled at the driver. It did little good
as I think the driver enjoyed our anxiety. When the bus finally turned
downhill, I chatted with Steve and Brenda. We arrived at the bus station
just before 10AM and everyone had to scramble for the bus.
Turns
out I had arrived one day early for the bus I had reserved to Yogykarta.
For an additional $1US, I re-routed and took a not-so-express bus. It
travelled by way of Surabaya where we waited at the bus station for an hour and
then proceeded to Yogyakarta with arrival around 10PM. A long
drive.
Initially, I selected a seat right behind the driver.
I found I couldn't relax because of all the near misses of other busses, trucks,
bicycles, motorcycles, pedestrians, and push carts. Vehicular traffic in
Java is like the food chain in action. Busses are the predator and
everything smaller is prey. The bus honks and the smaller creatures run
for their lives. Occasionally bus meets bus. The most dominant bus
is the one that will not yield right of way. I moved back one row of seats
and managed to snooze.
At the bus station in Yogykarta, I paid for a
ride on the back of a motorcycle to my hotel. I watched a Tim Allen movie
with Indonesian sub titles and drifted off to sleep.
The next morning I made
an arrangement with Yono, a becak driver for all day. The charge, only
$1US. He took me to the Kraton, the palace of the Sultan of Yogykarta's
palace. I listened to gamelan and walked around the palace museum.
Then Yono joined me for lunch at a sate restaurant. I spotted an internet
cafe and brought my journal up to date and checked my email.
07-12MAY03 The
next day Yono picked me up at the hotel and we stopped at the internet
cafe. Eureka! They had been successful downloading my camera
software and burning a CD. Now I'll be able to upload pictures
again.
Yono cycled me to the bus station and I caught the bus to
Borobudur. About half way there the bus pulled over. The driver
spoke to the passengers and everyone filed off the bus. I said,
"Borobudur?" and the driver said "No, demo, demo".
Then he said,"sorry and gave me back some of the fare and pointed at the
door. Ah hah, I thought, there is a demonstration ahead and the bus can't
proceed. So, I unloaded my stuff and sat on the curb and pondered my
situation. I was not alone. About 60 other passengers were stranded
by the side of the road. A truck pulled up and about 30 people piled on
and the truck took off. Hmm, I thought, when the next truck stops, I'll
have to be faster.
Then a young man approached me and asked if I
spoke English. I happily replied yes. He said the bus drivers were
on strike to protest the recent cost increase in gasoline from 16 cents per
liter to 17.5 cents per liter. He said he was trying to get to Borobudur
and suggested that we share a taxi. "Terrific", I said and with
a little help from the local police, we snagged a cab. Hendra was a
salesman with a sanitary fixture company in Jakarta on his way for his first
visit to Borobudur. We arrived at the Lotus Guest House without incident
and checked in.
I had dinner and went to bed early so I could see the temple
at dawn. After a quick breakfast, I walked toward the temple. What a
sight! I decided to take the pilgrim's clockwise walk around the temple
and then on each of the levels to the top. I saw a beautiful yellow
butterfly so I knew I wouldn't be lonely. And, sure enough I met many
people along the way. Tyo, Meccowings and Danial wanted to practice their
English at the first level. At the next level I was surrounded by a group
of teenagers, mostly girls who, for some strange reason, wanted their picture
taken with the funny American with the beard. So many snapshots were taken
that I figure Fuji Film owes me a commision. One girl was so brave I got a
kiss on my bearded cheek. At the next level I met Endah and her
students. Each student approached me and asked a question in pretty good
English. I gave them and answer and asked them a question. This was
more challenging. Some were too shy to answer. It was
fun.
Then I met Lukman and Putrad. Lukman said he was a
guide and wanted to practice his English. I said I was guiding
myself. He said, don't worry--no charge he just wanted to practice his
English. He explained that the temple was built in layers representing the
temporal world, the transitional world and finally Nirvana. Near the top
he pointed out the "lucky Budda". He said I should reach through
the hole in the stupa and if I could touch Budda's hand, I could make a
wish. It was a stretch but I made it wishing for peace and prosperity for
everyone in the world. I thought, why start small?
On the
way down from the temple I was surrounded by hawkers selling everything from
miniature models of the temple to golden Budda statues. What I wanted most
was water so I made two different salesmen happy as I downed a liter and a half
of bottled water. I wandered into the museum and looked at the photos
about the restoration process. I pondered a statue of Budda covered with
flower petals and then headed for the gate.
Along the way I ran
into the most persistent of hawkers. She followed me almost one
kilometer. The price of the wooden hand puppets started at 50,000RP.
I explained that my backpack was heavy and I had a long journey. The price
kept going down until it reached 10,000RP. I finally asked to take her
picture and gave her 2,000RP. Persistence like that deserves a
reward. Then back to the hotel for a nap and dinner.
I met Ucu, an MBA
of marketing planning to open her own handicraft business and her friend Atik, a
PR manager for Hyatt Regency Yogykarta. Atik was related to the owners of
the hotel. I chatted with the owner of the coolest motorcycle I've seen in
Indonesia and showed him pictures of Midas.
Over dinner I chatted with Abi and
Collin from the UK. They had been travelling for some time and had some
great traveller's tales. Collin had been to Indonesia four times since
1990 and made some interesting observations on the changes he had
seen.
After dinner, I wondered down the street and sat with a
group of people near the gate. They spoke only a few words of English and
I spoke my few words of Bahasa but somehow we managed to have a great
conversation. I watched as Marwan rolled huge cigarettes from clove
flavored tobacco. I had some very sweet tea and I took several
pictures. They made me practice saying Borobudur until I rolled the R's
properly. I took a picture of Sumiati behind the counter of the
store. Supriyanto changed into authentic Javanese costume for his
picture. The digital camera's ability to produce instant images proved
entertaining for everyone.
The next morning I hailed a horsedrawn carriage to
the bus station and slid onto the bus to Magelan just in the nick of time.
I arrived promptly at the bus station in Magelan with only 8 hours to spare
before the bus to Bandung. The rain poured all afternoon and I read my
book, snacked, and chatted with the bus station police.
Then began the BRFH
(bus ride from hell). The bus was comfortable enough but the overhead
reading lights didn't work and the air conditioning worked too well. The
air whisteld out of the vents at about 10C (50F) and everone on the bus was
bundled up in windbreakers with hoods. The only relief from the cold was
when the bus broke down. Then the temperature would rise slightly. I
sheltered myself under my Thermarest mattress and covered my head with the batik
bandana that Kim Lan made me and tried to think warm thoughts. Two
breakdowns, one out of gas incident, and 10 hours later we pulled into
Bandung. Because it was a holiday the hotels were full. The taxi
driver and I went on an hour long journey and I finally ended up at a hotel with
an airless room. At 5AM I didn't care so I drifted off into dreamless
sleep.
The next morning I contacted Kris. The Baileys of Corvallis
maintain a worldwide network of friends. Kris and Nita's son, Fari, had
been in kindergarten with Courteny and they had spent seven years in Corvallis
while Kris studied Oceanographic Engineering and Nita childcare.
There
I met a young traveller from the Basque area of Spain. He had been caught
by the holiday unable to cash his traveller's checks. He was trying to
negotiate a complicated deal with the hotel to advance him 100,000RP, hold his
passport and settle up the next Monday when the banks opened. The language
barrier proved insurmountable. He had only 20,000rp (20centsUS) to last
four days. I suggested that Kris, who spoke excellent English might be
able to work it out. When Kris arrived he gave it a good shot but, alas,
no deal. Koldo looked distressed. He was the same age as Brentley
and I thought, I can help. I gave him 100,000RP and he said how can he pay
me back. I said when he meets another traveller that needs help to pass it
on. He was so happy that he invited me to visit him at his home in
Spain. He said he lived in a small village near Pamplona and if I could
arrive between 6-14 July we could run with the bulls. I said, "Cool,
I'll see you in July of 2005 and we'll put on our white suits and red bandanas
and run with the bulls".
Kris drove me to his beautiful home in the hills
above Bandung where I met Nita's father and mother. We had a very pleasant
conversation and a very tasty meal then back to the hotel.
Today, Kris and
Nita loaded the kids into the family car and picked me up at the hotel. I
had asked to visit Kris' office at BIT (Bandung Institute of Technology) and the
daycare center that Nita directs. Kris' office reminded me of universities
everywhere. Grades posted in the hall. Charts and graphs on the
wall. Little Steps Childcare center was very nice. Converted from
Nita's aunt's home, it included a clinic, nurseries, a playground, a pool, and
three cheerful classrooms. I can definitely see why there is a waiting
list.
We had a great day and while driving down the road I spotted an
ARBY'S! Now, Arby's roast beef sandwiches are not quite Texas style
barbecue but, I'm really craving a bit of home. So, we pulled into the
parking lot only to find it "closed for renovation". I was
devastated. Fortunately, right down the street was Popeye's Chicken.
I drowned my sorrows in red beans and rice, cajun fries, and mashed potatoes
with cajun gravy. The red beans and rice were so good, that I forgot all
about Arby's.
Tomorrow, very early, Nita has invited me to join her on a visit
to a pilot daycare project in a nearby village. Her aunt and two Exxon
executives are going to observe how the program that Nita has designed is
working.
13-15MAY03 Early
the next morning Nita picked me up at the hotel and we drove to the Village
Pre-school in Tanjungsari. I was introduced to Dr. Anna, Nita's aunt and
an amazing powerhouse of a woman. They are working on a pilot project to
bring daycare and early learning to small villages. Also observing were
Luciana and Anti, two community relations executives from ExxonMobil.
After a drive of about 45 minutes we arrived at the village and met
students and teachers. The kids sang a few songs and then moved inside for
the heavy work. The crayons came out and they started coloring their
worksheets. We all took pictures while the kids worked.
After the class
was over Dr. Anna and Nita shared ideas and pointers with the teachers.
The kids were fun. I especially enjoyed the rebel. He was one of the
few not in uniform.
We returned to Bandung and visited the Suryakanti
Clinic (funded by the Sunbeam Foundation). Dr. Anna is the Director and
took us on a tour. The clinic works with special needs children. It
as a very impressive facility. The speech therapy rooms were spacious and
colorful (this is for Diana who always worked in converted closets and
bookrooms).
Then we visited Dr. Anna's other workplace. She operates a
clinic in conjunction with Padjadran University and the World Health
Organization. Over lunch we discussed projects in progress. Dr. Anna
seems to have boundless energy and the ability to keep track of many projects at
once. I was awed.
I enjoyed my visit in Bandung especially because Kris
and Nita took time to show me sights I wouldn't see as a tourist. I
enjoyed meeting Nita's parentsSaynanto and Mien. Thanks.
The next day I
took the train from Bandung to Jakarta. This was TRFH (the train ride from
heaven): comfortable seat, no traffic, natural air conditioning, and iced
tea. The track travels through high mountains with green rice paddies,
rushing streams, and wildflowers. The green of Java is beautiful.
And after bus rides down highways with almost solid habitation, it was wonderful
to see countryside. After an hour or two we began to enter the urban
sprawl of Jakarta.
I found my way to Jalan Jaksa and checked into a
budget hotel. At the end of the block was Tony Roma's (a place for ribs).
So, I immediately headed there and ordered some baby back ribs. Arby's,
eat your heart out.
Luci, one of the ExxonMobil execs recommended that
I see Plaza Senayan so I could view the life of the wealthiest people on
Indonesia. It was a classic high-end shopping mall with all the big
designer names. Some of the children had nannies to entertain them while
the parents got on with the serious business of consuming premium goods. I
took in a movie and returned to the hotel to find that Jalan Jaksa was
experiencing a power failure.
By flickering candlelight Mayla and Iien were
trying to recruit young, good-looking tourists for a men's cologne TV
commercial. It involved jogging and getting up at 6AM. I'm sure they
would have picked me if I were willing to get up early (yeah, right).
No
electricity means no air conditioning and no air conditioning in a room without
ventilation is not my idea of fun. I spent a few steamy hours and checked
out the next morning and found a hotel with power.
Lunch at Tony Roma's (a
block of onion rings this time) and then on to the travel agent to plot my
Sumatran adventure. Tonight I may have a burger at Chili's. There
will be no shortage of Indonesian food on my tour through Sumatara, I'm sure.
Am I becoming focused on food? Possibly.
I found a good internet
provider (XP actually works) and when the power came on I updated my website.
It may be a while before I can update again. Maybe Kuala Lampur.
15-22MAY03 Surface travel in Sumatra is challenging. I began with a
small van from Jakarta then by ferry to Bandar Lampung. It took about 12
hours. Night driving was fast and furious and I saw two trucks off the
road, the first highway accidents I've seen in Indonesia. I stayed
overnight in a hotel and then took a local taxi to the train station. I
ran into a greedy taxi driver who wanted 10 times the normal fare; we settled on
only 5 times.
The train trip was long but comfortable and we arrived in
Palemban only 11 hours later. There I made a connection with another train
to Lubkinggau, an eight hour trip. I stayed there one night and caught the
Super Executive Bus to Bukittinggi. The bus was full so for the first four
hours I sat on the padded jump seat next to the driver. The other 10 hours
were spent in the comfort of a padded regular seat. I met a man returning
to Bukittinggi for the wedding of his youngest sister. He'd been away for
seven years working in Irian Jaya for Haliburton. We discussed the
delights of Duncan, Oklahoma. The Minangkabau culture is matrilineal and
so the wedding of his sister is more important than his own children's.
I walked downtown and saw the Big Clock. There I filled out surveys and
graded the English speaking abilities of a few students. I had my picture
taken with a few dozen students. Then I booked a tour of the
surrounding countryside. On the tour were two brothers from Australia,
Gregg and Steve. We had an enjoyable day. The villages are
interesting and the views of the lake memorable. I returned to the hotel
to await my night bus to Danau Toba.
The bus arrived as scheduled and we began
the 19 hour journey to Lake Toba. The first bus dropped me off in Sibolga
and I moved onto a smaller van with 10 other passengers. The road out of
Sibolga travels up a steep mountain side on a very curvy road with waterfalls
and tunnels. I guess the road was a little too curvy because 40% of the
passengers suffered from motion sickness. I was in the lucky 60% who were
spectators. We arrived in Parapat and there I caught a local bus to the
ferry landing and then a ferry to my hotel on Samosir Island.
After catching
up on my sleep, I rented a motorbike and began my circumnavigation of the
island. I stopped at one tourist trap, Ambarita, where my guide showed me
the stone chairs and explained in gruesome detail the procedures for the
beheading of serious criminals. First they imprison them for a week, give
them a last meal, torture them with a small knife, beat them with a magical
staff, and then behead them. The king and the dignitaries share the liver
and the heart. The general admission seats finish off the rest of the
criminal. The skull and the bones are cast into the lake and all lake
related activities are cancelled for a week. The guide and I settled for
20% of the asking price and I continued my journey.
The ride was smooth for
quite a while, then the roads became rougher. I tried to keep the coast
line on my right. When I came to an intersection I chose the coastal fork.
After about 10km the road just stopped. I turned around and picked the
other intersection after consulting local people by pointing to the map.
Then the adventure began. The road climbed rapidly to the top of the
volcanic mountains. As the road climbed, it became rougher and rougher.
There were potholes filled with water which had to be skirted when possible and
ridden through when not. The road became mostly rock and slick clay.
It was only 34km to Tomok and it took four hours. Coming down was really
challenging. I had to control the speed of the bike and pick the best path
through the fist sized rocks and axel deep potholes. I was worried that I
would run out of gas but I found a small store and filled up. I was
worried that darkness would come before I reached Tomok but I made it with 15
minutes to spare.
Back at the Lekjon Hotel in Tuk Tuk , I celebrated my
survival with a cold Bintang and a large pizza. I enjoyed chatting with
two dive instructors on their way home to Austria.
I was planning to visit the
orangutan rehab center in Bukit Lawang, but I just don't have the endurance for
another 12 hours on a night bus. So, instead, I'll chill out on the shores
on beautiful Lake Toba in my $2 room with a million dollar view. Tomorrow,
I'll bus to Medan and arrange a flight to Kuala Lampur.
Indonesia has been
quite an experience. I seen very poor people and very rich. Big
cities and small villages. People have been very friendly and the scenery
amazing. I think my favorite part was the boat trip from Lombok to Flores.
I'm looking forward to Malaysia.
