It certainly has been a long time since I have had the opportunity to write! Last time I posted any updates was back in Australia, so I hope you have a few minutes to spare.After leaving Sydney I arrived right on time in Singapore. Wow. What a fantastic city! I scrambled together a few suggestions from some friends who had recently studied abroad there (Niall / Lisa), as well as my sister Renee and her husband Colin who were here at the same time last year. It is an immaculately clean city, with people mopping the sidewalks and strict rules for littering nearly everywhere. I checked into a modest guesthouse four flights of stairs up and was drenched in sweat by the time I got there. The humidity had finally caught up with me! During the day I sampled a variety of awesome vendors including Hiana Chicken from Chinatown and Banana Leaf Briyani in Little India, fantastic! I still have Chili and Pepper Crab to try upon my return after finishing up in Indonesia. I had no idea what to do that evening and a couple fellow backpackers told me to meet them at One Raffles Place (not Raffle's Hotel; where the Singapore Sling was conjured up) for a drink at the most fantastic roof top bar in the world! I was very excited and headed over in my comfortable flip flops and shorts only to be turned away by a 300lbs Singaporean bouncer. I could have taken him, but didn't want my toes to be crushed in the ensuing scuffle. Shoes and long pants they said as the sweat literally poured off my face after the short evening stroll from my hostel. No thank you! But as I turned around I thought how often do you get the chance to have a drink at 282m overlooking the Singapore skyline? Then I thought back to the heavy jeans and clod-like hiking boots I would have to don in the 35 degree heat. Fine, I'll do it! I hastily walked back to my hostel, and reluctantly squeezed into my jeans, socks and boots. As I stepped out of the air-conditioned oasis that was my accommodation I already felt the heat accumulating from top to bottom. So, very slowly I sauntered back to One Raffles Place where I was asked to pay a 25 dollar cover, what with it being ladies night and all. I agreed only on the grounds that there was one drink included in the price. As I went up and up the 62 floors to the top I felt my ears pop and sweat continue to soak my unwanted layers. But, it was definitely worth it! Upon arriving and guzzling down my $25 Corona I saw the beautiful city skyline light up. The rooftop patio gave a 360 degree panorama of Singapore with the stunning Marina Bay Sands, which performed a laser and spotlight show of it's own. I welcomed a cool breeze at the high elevation and strolled around the small bar for an hour before returning back to my hostel. I had an early flight to Jakarta the next day, but was very excited about the opportunity to visit Singapore on my way back from Indonesia heading towards Kuala Lampur.
As I left behind the beautiful Singapore skyline early the next day I soon arrived in the not so clean Jakarta; this city is massive! You fly over it for it for ages and eventually land in a thick, dark smog that coats the entire region. It was even hotter than Singapore when I stepped out of the airport. After hopping in a taxi I thought I would be in the city within an hour, but instead was introduced into Indonesian traffic for the first time. What a terrifying yet smooth experience it was! There are three lanes of traffic officially, but that excludes the shoulders and space between each car so when you count up the lanes of cars it's more like 5-6 with scooters passing through every narrow lane where bumpers aren't touching. So as cars file back and fourth between moving and stagnant lanes not one vehicle even grazes another. They all politely honk and accelerate into the tiniest pockets, all while shifting frantically with their manual transmissions...
Two and a half hours later I arrived in the center of the city. I would have been worried the cost would be enormous for sitting that long in a taxi, but instead I was charged a mere $15 CAD. I settled in that night and got familiar with the city (and it's smog) the next day trying to locate train stations, local eateries, and bus stops. Unfortunately, the immense heat, humidity, and pollution gave me a nasty heat rash along my back and extremities, similar to the one I got in Bangkok a few years ago. Suppose I just have to add Jakarta to my list of cities not to linger (I'm sure New Delhi will be a real treat).
The following day I welcomed my travel companions to Indonesia! My father Warner, uncle Frans, and close friend Craig who has been working as a geologist in Cambodia the past 3 years. We were all very excited to get our journey underway. Craig had two weeks before having to return to work and we certainly wanted to make the most of them. As for Warner and Frans they will be with me until Apr. 23rd when they return back to Canada and I carry onto Nepal/India. Our first day out we ventured into old Batavia; the previous head of the Dutch Empire in Indonesia. The wharf remains busy and the old buildings are slowly falling apart, but a local maritime museum attempts to keep the massive barracks intact. Besides Batavia and the National Monument it's best to move on from Jakarta, so we did.
By train we headed to Bandung. This is the city my grandma was interned in during the second world war. Back then it had a population of 5000, now it's ballooned to nearly 3 million in the surrounding area. Renee and Colin had been there the year before and recommended a guide who spoke some Dutch and knew Bandung very well. There are lots of old colonial houses in this city, all with their dutch names still etched in their arches and entrances. The camp where my grandma stayed was nothing more than a few houses surrounded with a gate and locked off from the rest of the world. You wouldn't be able to tell the area apart from any other. A few dutch graveyards in the area have memorials for dutch civilians and officers. In Bandung we also had the opportunity to visit a few kopi (coffee) and teh (tea) plantations, as well as a wonderful hot spring hidden high up in the valley. Afterwards, we got our firsth real authentic taste of Java with a Sundanese meal; mostly fried fish of all sorts, nasi goreng (fried rice), sate, tempeh (tofu), pepes (cooked in banana leaf), randeng (stewed meat in cocounut) all smothered in sambal (chili paste) and kroepoek (deep fried shrimp crackers). An assortment of vegetables accompanies the dishes and I routinely ate half of them craving some fiber (Indonesian food uses a fair amount of oil). Afterwards I came down with a bit of a stomach bug and asked our Hostel manager if they wash there vegetables here; he said they did. With bottled water I inquired? He laughed.
Sigh...
From Bandung it was on to Semarang for a quick detour as we searched for another Dutch relative who had passed away during the war. There is an immaculately clean memorial grounds in Semarang for the Dutch civilians and servicemen, but no cross that we were looking for. Instead, we found a book with his name in it documenting birth date and when he passed away. Despite having colonized Indonesia, this small plot of land remained to remember those who had witnessed the Japanese occupation during the second world war (with obvious financial aid from the Dutch government). From there it was onward to Yogyakarta where we embarked on the local Indonesian Tourist Trail from there to Bali. Yogyakarta was our launching point for Borobudur; the infamous Buddhist temple set in amongst rolling hills and surrounding volcanoes, a beautiful landscape. We woke up for our first of many "sunrise hikes" as they call them. Basically, you get no sleep the night before. Wake up at some god-forsaken hour usually between 3-4, drive for a few hours on the bumpiest road this side of the Andes arrive at 5am and wait...
And wait...
And wait...
Until a small ray of sun peers through some low cloud cover and eventually rises to a near high-noon temperature within minutes. The only advantage to this system is that you're up early enough to get 6 hours of sightseeing in before the temperature hits a near 40 degrees! Our sunrise hike was a little less sunny than some due to the rain that rolled in very quickly that morning, but it was a beautiful view none the less of the surrounding country. That morning was also the first we became aware we were celebrities. Since Jakarta people had begun to approach us the further and further we got into Java. They would ask for photos with us, yell they love us, and run away. I would describe it as a trickle of people initially, but in Borobudur we hit rock star status. After exhausting nearly every corner of the temple in search of solitude we were finally cornered by at least 200 school children all flocking to the tall, white, and handsome tourists (even by Canadian standards). Luckily, equipped with umbrellas for the rain, Craig was able to keep a majority of these eager school children at bay. Eventually we had to turn a few away despite them mustering the courage to approach us, look up with their enormous brown eyes and very quietly ask, "photo with you sir, please?"
FINE! BUT THIS IS THE LAST ONE!
We kept the umbrellas even after the rain cleared up.
Right next to Borobudur is Prambanan Temple, a Hindu counterpart if you will. Wrapped in Sarongs we quickly toured the temple and ushered ourselves quickly away as the school children from Borobudur began to catch up to us once again. Despite the frequent photo-ops the Indonesia people are INCREDIBLY friendly and hospitable. They are always helpful and eager to practice their English. First they try to sell you something, then after refusing their offers they immediately ask:
"Where you from friend?"
"Saya di Ca-na-da."
"Oh Canada! Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver Winter Games. Ice hockey!"
I usually follow-up with asking where they're from and they laugh. There's still the occasional schemes where they try to work you over for a ridiculous price, whether it be transport, food, or tours but those stories are yet to come.
Yogyakarta is also famous for it's local cuisine, Gudeg. Since the beginning of our trip the food in Indonesia has been fantastic, Yogya (as they call it) may be the only exception so far. A bit of a spice-less affair with stewed jack fruit, fermented tofu, and some dried fish; not exactly a meal you grave after a long day but worth the experience of trying.
BATHROOM BREAK (This is a particular long post so if you need a break now's the time for it)
As we continued on our Tourist Trail through Java we ended up in Malang. Another small dutch colonial town at one point it has become a center for people wanting to see the famous volcano Mt. Bromo. We stayed in a wonderful little guesthouse that was completely empty and all to ourselves. March is usually when the rainy season tapers off and we must have been the first tourists venturing into the shoulder season as people eagerly awaited us at airports, train stations, and restaurants sensing more tourists would be on the way. It's kind of like when the first Canadian Geese make their way back home you know summer's close. We got off lucky as the rainy season had finished early this year and reaped the rewards of easy to find accommodations with low season prices. As far as Mt. Bromo goes though, there is no low season. We bought ourselves another "sunrise hike" and this time departed our guesthouse at midnight. Another incredibly bumpy three hour ride delivered us high up along Mt. Bromo's outer crater. It was 3am and we were very early. So we waited, and waited, and waited in the cold misty clouds that shrouded our view. It slowly became busier, and busier, and busier. Lucky for us the darkness kept our photo-ops to a minimum this morning. Finally the sun slowly pierced through the clouds and revealed more clouds. We were slightly disappointed but could tell how fantastic the surrounding mountains and volcanoes appeared in the distance. The crowds thinned and we descended from the enormous outer crater to the smaller one that lies within it. We were dropped off a small walking distance from the crater and had to sift through the dozens of offers to ride the short 300m and gentle climb via horseback. These poor ponies could barely make the trip up with a local on their backs let alone a few well-fed Europeans we saw taking advantage of the offer. A small staircase leads you up to the crater where hundreds of tourists jostle and bump to get the best photo of the smouldering crater. A small handrail greets you at the top and disappears the further you walk away from the crowds. Our keen geologist Craig noticed the thick layer of soot covering everything and realized how fresh this volcano really was! It had erupted only two years ago in 2011. Pretty cool.
So Warner, Frans, Craig and I are standing on the top of this crater staring down this slope and notice some loose boulders that we thought ought to be liberated. As we shuffled farther and farther away from the crowd we found the opportune moment and recycled some rocks by sending them back to their original source. You're welcome mother nature! Just doing what Aeyelts' do best, chucking stuff down hills and watching them fragment along the way down. Good old fashioned fun. Returning from the crater all smiles, we noticed the point we were at earlier that morning had finally cleared up. Asking the driver to return to our original starting point we finally saw all of Mt. Bromo with it's surrounding crater set against other volcanoes in the distance. What a gorgeous view without a soul around after the morning rush earlier that day. We could see all of Java from one coast to the other and felt as if the whole sleepless night was definitely worth it.
Unfortunately, at this point our travel companion Craig's vacation clock was slowly ticking away. We had spent just over a week in Java and Bali was enticing us more and more with beaches and reefs galore. By our ninth day in Indonesia we arrived in Bali late at night. It was pouring as the rainy season gave it's final few downpours before clearing up for the summer. Not knowing where to go we stumbled into the sleepy town of Pemuteran, just a few kilometers from the ferry crossing on Bali's Northwest coast. What awaited us there was a FANTASTIC guesthouse called Tirta Sari. We were spoiled by the enormous bungalows, open air showers, pool and bar. After quickly checking in Craig and I sprung into the pool as the heavy rain continued to fall. We ordered some beers and relaxed with some dinner before realizing the place was almost completely empty! The service was great and we easily relaxed for a few days; this traveling business is tough, you have to reward yourself sometimes. Right off the shore of Pemuteran is a beautiful coral bed that you can easily snorkel to from the beach. Most of the natural coral was destroyed a few decade back from the common dynamite fishing endorsed in Bali. However, using electric currents attached to cables they are growing back the coral at a rate up to four times as fast as without any intervention. The fish are returning and the locals are very dedicated to keeping them around for future fishing and a quickly growing Eco-tourism industry. Testing out my underwater camera I asked Craig to photograph myself alongside them, and instead dolphin kicked my way right into the heart of a coral bed. I now sport a very attractive bear-claw like scar to remind me no matter how sharp you think you look, coral is sharper.
That experience didn't deter us from taking a boat out the next day to Deer Island where a wonderful reef awaited us. Warner and Frans snorkeled their way along the stretch, I took my first open water dive in 6 years, and Craig took a crack at an introductory dive. It took to it like an Albertan to water and loved it! Although, under the strict supervision of a dive-master (who anchors himself to your oxygen tank), Craig mentioned he felt a bit like a dog being taken for a walk. It was a beautiful reef to see nudibranchs, clown fish, trumpet fish, and angel fish. In the summer months the enormous Sun Fish or Mola Mola's as their localy called grace these waters. Weighing in at nearly 2-tonnes they are a site not to be missed if you're in the area between June-July. Halfway through my second dive I suddenly heard (and felt) an enormous BOOM! I looked around frantically grabbed my tank thinking it had burst underwater! Nope, all tubes and gauges were intact. BOOM! Another loud crash. My dive-master didn't look too worried and through sign language mentioned some people still practice dynamite fishing. On the surface he added that was the loudest he had ever heard (remember sound-waves travel over 4 times as fast underwater). Luckily this practice is frequently reported and frowned upon by the local community.
As our final day dried up in Pemuteran we were sad to go, but eager to see what the rest of Bali had in store for us. Onward to Amed on the Northeast coast this time. Amed is also a very well known dive distract with reefs just offshore similar to Pemuteran. It's also the site of a famous offshore wreck you can dive to, the USS Liberty. As Craig, Warner, and Frans snorkelled away I took the opportunity to see the wreck. Only 35m off the shoreline you can see the wreck from as little as 5m down to 24m at the other end. It was an awesome site to see! Despite being from the Second World War it was not sunk until the 1960s and previous to that scuttled off shore. So when it sunk it split open like a baguette, at least that's the way my dive-master described it. It's not very much intact, but the wreck is now covered in coral beds, reef fish, and even a sea turtle we spotted (most likely a Hawksbill). I managed to cough up enough money to throw my memory card into my dive-masters underwater camera and he got some fantastic shots of the wreck.
Unfortunately, on our second dive to the nearby shelf I had another run in with some nasty coral. I was warned about this particularly itchy coral to avoid on my first time and did a good job of avoiding it. However, on my second dive as I practiced slower breathing to extend my dive time (40min for me, up to an hour for most), I dipped down and felt the light feathery tips of a soft fire coral brush against my thigh. I took my regulator out and screamed out at least 10 minutes worth of oxygen! It burned as my leg swelled up underwater became covered in reds spots. Luckily, I was wearing a wet suit that covered up the rest of my anatomy as the fire coral made contact from hip to knee. Phew. I finished the dive and upon surfacing let out another scream, that sounded like:
"I LOVE BEING ON VACATION"
As I type away I'm on day six following the incidence and the red spots have yet to fade. Our accommodations in Amed were fantastic as well. We tracked down a guesthouse Renee and Colin were at the year before as well and enjoyed the beautiful view of the ocean towards Lombok from the pool. Amed is quickly becoming a popular spot my dive-master told me as the number of dive-operators has ballooned from two to 24 in the past 10 years. I can see why as the area remains a quiet and beautiful refuge from the zoo in Southern Bali. Amed was our last destination with Craig as we snaked our way through the island interior to Ubud. We immediately felt out of place as thousands of tourists swarmed around us and twice as many vendors jeered and hollered at us to come see their suits, buy their souvenirs (all from China), and take their hundred dollar multi-day tours through Bali. We came to Ubud to bring Craig to striking distance of the airport in Denpassar, and that's exactly what we did. We had immensely enjoyed our time together with Craig and were sad to see him go. He added a great amount of energy, optimism (much needed to counter my style), and humour to make his two weeks with us fly be. Now, back in Cambodia he continues his prospecting adventures with Angkor Gold. Best of luck Craig!
Up to this point our experiences in Bali were that of a low-season feel, but not Ubud. We turned around and headed back up North to the mountain village of Munduk. This quiet alpine oasis is a very welcomed change from the rift-raft that lies to the South. It was here at the Guru Ratna Home-stay that we finally caught up with Renee and Colin's adventure EXACTLY a year ago in 2012! I asked the receptionist if he remembered the tall, lanky Canadian couple and he immediately did! Locating their reservations in the book it was Mar. 19th 2012 that they checked in, what a coincidence! Munduk is an awesome place to relax, no air-conditioning is needed in this 1000m terrain. We spent our two days their exploring some beautiful coffee / clove plantations, rice paddies, temples, and waterfalls. Our accommodations were once again an awesome experience with very hospital and friendly staff. It made us reluctant to leave the following day as we too headed down South to Denpassar for our flight to Makassar, Sulawesi. Our time in Bali was incredible and the people fantastic. The Northern half especially appealed to us and we could have easily spent another couple weeks exploring the region.
Had enough? Good cause I'm exhausted from writing about all these wonderful memories, just as you're probably exhausted from reading them. It's been a lot of fun so far and the rest of Sulawesi awaits us. We arrived in Makassar yesterday and have stocked up on supplies for the remainder of our trip. The city doesn't have much to offer in terms sites, but makes up for this in the TONS of seafood it has. We have eaten two fantastic meals gouging on enormous prawns, chili crab, and squid. The flavors are heavily influenced by the Chinese spices and differ greatly from the tastes of Bali. Tomorrow is my uncle Fran's 65th birthday and we are excited to be spending it on route to Pantai Bira! Best wishes to him and his wife Paulette on this special occasion! We will do our best to make this newly anointed senior citizen not feel too old for his own skin!
To everyone else thanks for reading, and Salamat Jalan from my end to yours!
Cheers,
Timothy George
Dutch Memorial grounds in Semarang
Our first "sunrise hike" overlooking the Borobudur Temple
Craig using his umbrella for protection from the rain instead of school children
Gurung Sumbing in the background
Borobudur Temple (Buddhist)
Prambanan Temple (Hindu)
The hordes at Mt. Bromo's sunrise viewpoint
Worth a photo I suppose
On the summit of Mt. Bromo with the crew (post throwing rocks)
Transport across the Sea of Sand between Bromo's inner and outer craters
Our return to the top for a beautiful panaroma view
And the sunrise viewpoint completely abandoned
Snorkeling just off the coast in Pemuteran
Enjoying a drink at Tirta Sari
Craig ready to go for an underwater stroll for the first time
Deer Island with Java in the background
First night in staying in Amed
Inner peace at 20m (above)
Coral exploding in every direction from the USS Liberty (below)
Exploring what's left of the ship's insides
Only a few meter offshore it has become a very busy spot (+20 divers)
A soft form of Fire Coral (ironic foreshadowing)
Found him (and Marlin)
"I LOVE BEING ON VACATION ! ! !"
Rice paddies in Munduk with our guide Putu
The only scooter they had left; Scoopy (will rotate next update)
Road Warriors
Puru Luhur Batu Karu
Preparing for a wet trip back to Chandikuning
Enjoying a Bintang in Amed
Gurung Agung
Post Fire Coral
Saying farewell to Craig
More rice paddies
More rice paddies (Munduk)
Munduk Waterfall
Our host in Guru Ratna (Munduk)
Danau Beratan from our guesthouse
Ulun Danu Temple
Cramped transport in Makassar
Mosque on the Makassar waterfront at dusk
Until next time folks!
