The last month of my life has been spent in Indonesia, surfing , travelling, partying and searching for adventures outside of those on offer in Norn Iron. 6 flights and countless boat journeys later im back in Bangor facing a summer of poor weather and familiar faces although im not upset about it, im actually quite excited. Ive missed out on the summer in Bangor the last few years now and although its not on power weatherwise, there is still something special I think about summers here.
Travelling in Indonesia has been my ambition for the last year and just like Africa , Australia/New Zealand, America/Hawaii as soon as the trip came to an end I could feel my desire to travel grow again. One thing ive learn't in my limited travel experience is that when you fulfill a travel desire it opens up a void leaving you even more desperate to travel. Im not sure why it is, I mean before I went I listed reasons why I love travelling but the inherent desire and almost addictive nature of it is something that continues to strike me as nonsense.It seems one can never fulfill the desire to travel. I think of Ran Fiennes here, he is well into his 60,s yet still has the desire to explore and achieve new ambitions, I wander If I will have that desire when Im older.
One thing which struck me on this trip in particular was the how the world is a small place and is rapidly becoming spoiled. Travelling in places like Ozz, NZ, South East Asia etc it is almost impossible to get of the beaten track. When you see a local working in the rice fields instead of selling tourists stuff it is usually a pretty good indicator but it seems harder and harder to find. For the times in Indo when I got away from the crowds and saw the culture I am glad. For the times when the locals snubbed me and were racist to me , I am glad as I wanted to see the culture and I was fortunate enough to see it.
Indonesia filled a hole for me, although as I mentioned it opened up ten more which now need filled. When I look back on a trip I measure it usually by the people Ive met , the culture ive experienced and my desire to travel again afterwards. This one seems to have fulfilled all of those. Travel is about highs and lows, and I can say that I most definently experienced highs and lows heres, I think the extremity of these rates the type of trip you,ve had and in this case it reached both extremes.
Indonesia gave me what I wanted and more. There are things I will remember forever from this trip , there are things I will wander for ever....in fact if anyone has an answer to the following question please tell me...OK in Indonesia when one goes into the toilet there is NO toilet roll. Akk you will find is a bucket of water to flush but also a pitcher. Now people have suggested that locals fill this pitcher with water and throw it at there backside. This is surely nonsense as in which case they would be completely soaked and never have I seen a local anything but dry when leaving the bathroom. This to me and every westerner I have met is a mystery. There is simply no solutions bar they use their hands and I refuse to beleive this, so if anyone knows please enlighten me.
Anyway to all those who made my trip better, thankyou. To all those who I will meet on my next trip I look forward to meeting you. For better or worse this trip is one to remember and truely was the Odyssey I was looking for.
Friday 10 July 2009
Monday 6 July 2009
Surfing, spider bites, monkeys and Mario karts.
After our hellish bus journey we arrived in good old Kuta, the sespit of Indonesia. En route to Poppies, we met Rob randomly which worked out well. It was a nightmare finding accomo but we all branched out and with the help of some locals scooter we managed. That night we all had food at mcdonalds then the rest headed out. I was whipped so hit the hay relativley early.
The next day we lay by the pool for a while. Jarod stayed in Kuta as it was the 4th of July and we all wanted to celebrate. Some suggested watching independance day but due to our lack of dvd player we decided to use American lingo as a substitute, that lasted all of ten mins. In the afternoon James and I had a surf. Probably our best surf in Indonesia I would think. The waves were big enough to keep beginners out of the water but not to big to make the paddle out too taxing. James and I both caught some nice waves. The problem with Kuta beach breaks is the same problem with all sand bottom breaks. One they are busy, two it is unpredictable where the line up is and three they close out really quick. However the good thing about Kuta beach like most beaches is on a medium/big day because the waves breaks so fast it walls up really quickly and gives you a split second in the barrel even if you dont make it out again. For a novice surfer like myself even the feeling of seeing the wave break on top of you is enough even if I dont make it out again.
We both caught some nice ones but I was particularly stoked with one wave. Although we were both outside the line up a larger set came through and no one was near it so it gave me full right of way. I paddled, dropped in, it was pretty steep and was going left so I opted for the old crouch and hold where u stay low pull the rail towards you and lean into the wave. Usually I mess it up but this time it worked pretty well. The wave walled up as usuall and started to break over me although I didnt wipe out as usuall. Tore along the front for a while untill the wave started to break in front of me and I pulled out.
Its always hard to judge a wave but I would say this is probably the closest I have been to a barrell and like James or any surfer says, once you've had a good one its very hard to stop. I am fully aware of this as many occasions I do the 200 mile round trip to Portrush, surf terribly although catch one gem and am suckered into going another time. It truley is the sport of addicts.
Anyhow that night we all went out to celebrate the 4th of July. After surfing all day I was stociously tired and struggled to put on a brave face ut as it was Robbs last night and the 4th of July I tried, even when we ended up taking our shirts of as it was stupidly hot.I left early at arouns 2.30 although the others stayed till like 5 or something daft.
The next few days we spent surfing Kuta beach. The next day James and I were having our usuall sunset surf when the unthinkable happened, worse than any shark attack imaginable! A spider bite! Not a black widow, not a huntsman , worse! A Spider Murphy ,6 ft 8 South African gun. The worst type of bite! James had come of a wave and was paddling in. I had just caught one and was heading towards him and when he ducked the collision happened. I at first thought I was a least a metre from him but then he showed me his knee which was sliced open so you could see the fatty tissue. It probably needed stiches and no doubt any local tiger sharks would taste the blood, but in fairness James manned up and we carried on surfing. Fortunatley with the help of Jarodds paper stichets and iodine we got it sorted.
We had some great surfs ove the last few days but unfortunatley the waves died down and we were left with nothing much else to do, enter lonley planet guide for Bali and Lombok!
We decided to drive to Ubud, the cultural centre of Bali. We hired a jeep/car for 125000 ruppiah and I was assigned to drive. I actually vounteered. I know how bad the roads are here and if we were to drive on them I felt slighty more at ease having control. Anyway we headed on our way. Storming out of Poppies onto into the hustle of Kuta.
For anyone who hasnt yet drove in Bali, it literally is like Mario Kart, or maybe even more like wacky races. Anyone 23or over will remember wacky races. I think it was on Nickelodeon but basically ten or so characters would race using different methods to get ahead of their opponents although no matter what thet would do they would always be caught again. Sitting at the traffic lights leaving Kuta with around 30 mo peds around me with one or two cars and lorries in no particular lane it really felt like wacky races!
Anyway despite some sketchy directions we made it to Ubud. We had lunch adjacent to the paddy fields which was nice then went to a european backery which was actually v good but quite expensive. The monkey forest itself was impressive. It was actually set around ancient ruins and thus with the monkeys running around it was actually not disimilar to the part in the jungle book where the monkey sings 'im the king of the swingers'. So of course we sang it as we walked. Entering the forest one could purchase bananas to feed the monkeys. Some jackass american who obviously was an expert in this field told me how much better it was to feed the monkeys. One of my pet hates is when people who really have no interest in wildlife etc, go to a wildlife park become totally enthrawlled and begin to act like Steve Irwin. I have watched a million docu' about monkeys but it was enough to simply walk through and watch. It annoyed me that japanese tourists held out cigarretts to the monkeys and that for all intents and purposes the monkeys were not wild at all but due to the flocks of tourist and poor controll of them the nature and beuty of the forest had been spoiled. Realizing that the monkeys were tame the did play with us a little and one even jumped on Kim's head which was fun but although it was exciting I still feel it had been turned into a zoo.
We drove back stopping at surf outlets on the way, we were going to go to uluwatu but it got dark to soon. Now we are back in Kuta for our last day. I guess its gonna be a beach day along with buying souveneers and sorting our flights, my favourite sort of day...not! Here goes!
The next day we lay by the pool for a while. Jarod stayed in Kuta as it was the 4th of July and we all wanted to celebrate. Some suggested watching independance day but due to our lack of dvd player we decided to use American lingo as a substitute, that lasted all of ten mins. In the afternoon James and I had a surf. Probably our best surf in Indonesia I would think. The waves were big enough to keep beginners out of the water but not to big to make the paddle out too taxing. James and I both caught some nice waves. The problem with Kuta beach breaks is the same problem with all sand bottom breaks. One they are busy, two it is unpredictable where the line up is and three they close out really quick. However the good thing about Kuta beach like most beaches is on a medium/big day because the waves breaks so fast it walls up really quickly and gives you a split second in the barrel even if you dont make it out again. For a novice surfer like myself even the feeling of seeing the wave break on top of you is enough even if I dont make it out again.
We both caught some nice ones but I was particularly stoked with one wave. Although we were both outside the line up a larger set came through and no one was near it so it gave me full right of way. I paddled, dropped in, it was pretty steep and was going left so I opted for the old crouch and hold where u stay low pull the rail towards you and lean into the wave. Usually I mess it up but this time it worked pretty well. The wave walled up as usuall and started to break over me although I didnt wipe out as usuall. Tore along the front for a while untill the wave started to break in front of me and I pulled out.
Its always hard to judge a wave but I would say this is probably the closest I have been to a barrell and like James or any surfer says, once you've had a good one its very hard to stop. I am fully aware of this as many occasions I do the 200 mile round trip to Portrush, surf terribly although catch one gem and am suckered into going another time. It truley is the sport of addicts.
Anyhow that night we all went out to celebrate the 4th of July. After surfing all day I was stociously tired and struggled to put on a brave face ut as it was Robbs last night and the 4th of July I tried, even when we ended up taking our shirts of as it was stupidly hot.I left early at arouns 2.30 although the others stayed till like 5 or something daft.
The next few days we spent surfing Kuta beach. The next day James and I were having our usuall sunset surf when the unthinkable happened, worse than any shark attack imaginable! A spider bite! Not a black widow, not a huntsman , worse! A Spider Murphy ,6 ft 8 South African gun. The worst type of bite! James had come of a wave and was paddling in. I had just caught one and was heading towards him and when he ducked the collision happened. I at first thought I was a least a metre from him but then he showed me his knee which was sliced open so you could see the fatty tissue. It probably needed stiches and no doubt any local tiger sharks would taste the blood, but in fairness James manned up and we carried on surfing. Fortunatley with the help of Jarodds paper stichets and iodine we got it sorted.
We had some great surfs ove the last few days but unfortunatley the waves died down and we were left with nothing much else to do, enter lonley planet guide for Bali and Lombok!
We decided to drive to Ubud, the cultural centre of Bali. We hired a jeep/car for 125000 ruppiah and I was assigned to drive. I actually vounteered. I know how bad the roads are here and if we were to drive on them I felt slighty more at ease having control. Anyway we headed on our way. Storming out of Poppies onto into the hustle of Kuta.
For anyone who hasnt yet drove in Bali, it literally is like Mario Kart, or maybe even more like wacky races. Anyone 23or over will remember wacky races. I think it was on Nickelodeon but basically ten or so characters would race using different methods to get ahead of their opponents although no matter what thet would do they would always be caught again. Sitting at the traffic lights leaving Kuta with around 30 mo peds around me with one or two cars and lorries in no particular lane it really felt like wacky races!
Anyway despite some sketchy directions we made it to Ubud. We had lunch adjacent to the paddy fields which was nice then went to a european backery which was actually v good but quite expensive. The monkey forest itself was impressive. It was actually set around ancient ruins and thus with the monkeys running around it was actually not disimilar to the part in the jungle book where the monkey sings 'im the king of the swingers'. So of course we sang it as we walked. Entering the forest one could purchase bananas to feed the monkeys. Some jackass american who obviously was an expert in this field told me how much better it was to feed the monkeys. One of my pet hates is when people who really have no interest in wildlife etc, go to a wildlife park become totally enthrawlled and begin to act like Steve Irwin. I have watched a million docu' about monkeys but it was enough to simply walk through and watch. It annoyed me that japanese tourists held out cigarretts to the monkeys and that for all intents and purposes the monkeys were not wild at all but due to the flocks of tourist and poor controll of them the nature and beuty of the forest had been spoiled. Realizing that the monkeys were tame the did play with us a little and one even jumped on Kim's head which was fun but although it was exciting I still feel it had been turned into a zoo.
We drove back stopping at surf outlets on the way, we were going to go to uluwatu but it got dark to soon. Now we are back in Kuta for our last day. I guess its gonna be a beach day along with buying souveneers and sorting our flights, my favourite sort of day...not! Here goes!
Thursday 2 July 2009
350000 ruppiah goes a long way!
350 000 Ruppiah goes along way here in Indonesia(about 20 quid)! Approximatley 500 miles! So we were in Flores and wanting to get back to Bali. Not wanting to spend money on air fair we decided to take local transport. In rhetrospect I can see how this was a big mistake but I also can see how great an experience it was and am glad we choose to do it this way.
To begin with we woke early and ate donuts from a local stall, packed our gear then headed down to the port to get the first ferry from Flores to Sumbawa. The ferry was due to leave at 10ish and bring us into Flores in the afternoon to catch our connecting bus at 7ish. When we arrived at the port we could here people hamering at the boat and although what they were doing seemed fruitless we guessed that the boat wasn't going anywhere fast. So we did what we did for the last few days...back to the restaurant! That avo we did emails etc and spent some time trying to find flip flops for James. We eventually found some which cost him about 60 pence. The same would cost ten times the price in a tourist area, it really is amazing how cheap things are when you pay the local price.
After marvelling at a truck with ramboo painted on the back we finally borded the ship at around 7 leaving at 8. We got a nice little spot at the front and were quickly surrounded by kids and locals staring at us in the usuall manner. I got some noodles which were fine then we chatted with some of the locals. Some of the kids were drinking Araq and after a while their nature became more and more annoying. I managed to nestle between the rucksacks and the floor and slept fairly well considering.
We arrived in Sumbawa at 3am but were not able to leave the boat till 6 so i continued to sleep. Leaving the boat we all felt failry rough. With minimal sleep and the usuall indonesian style ferry we were all in need of a rest but the journey had just really begun.
Walking into the port I saw a mini bus which I assumed was our transport. What didnt strike me at first was the Kiara was climbing on top of it. I imagined it was to help load bags but when the rest of the guys followed suit I realised our seats were on top of the bus. HMMM. So with no questions asked I climbed up and got a seat at the front of the bus. I had no where to hold onto so I was kind of sitting between James legs as one would do in the groovy train.
Sumbawa is the poorest island in Indonesia and it showed. Driving through we didnt really pass any developed town, it was all make shift shanty town type dwellings. The locals who had probably just roused from sleep were equally suprised to see 8 white people sitting on top of a bus and there were endless waves and laughs en route.
Travelling on top of that bus was of course not safe but it was a great experience and I guess Ive began to take it for granted that travelling here isnt safe so I wont complain.
The mini bus took us to a port in Sumbawa where after a commotion concerning baggage etc we were dropped at the locla bus depot. Of course due to the ferrys delay the whole journey had been delayed and we now had to wait 9hours for the pm bus. Frustrated we walked into town hitching a lift on some local guys truck, met Ian and had some lunch in a local eatery. James Kiara and Jarod braved the local cuisine which involed actually going into the kitcken and selecting your food. Kim and I decided to go for a pop mie (indonesian pot noodle) which worked well.
Walking back to our depot was eventfull. At first 2 trucks tore past us obviously racing and when one tried to cut up the inside he lost controll waked the kerb and to our amazement regained composure before carrying on, we were sure he would crash.
I noticed some locals fishing on the lake adjacent to the road so I went over to investigate. They didnt speak much english but they were pleased to see me and offered to let me fish with them. Soon the others joined and we spent an hour or so fishing for fish no larger than 2 inches.
We finally made it to the terminal and after some chat with the drunk bus terminal guy we got on our excecutive bus. It was indeed a nice bus, we all had a seat each which reclined and for all intents and purposes it was perfect. But O NO! A few minutes into the journey the guy behind me let out a huge burp which was gross. Amidst lafter and embarrasement we guessed it was a one of but after the 4th or 5th time we realised it was going to be a long journey. The burping continued, he insisted on putting his feet on my arm rest and sitting forward with his hands on my seat. Obviously I was livid as I wanted to sleep and was being kept awake by what I deemed as poor manners but I had to consider that he was probably doing nothing out of the ordinary for his cutlure so I held my tongue.
That night we travelled through the darkness hurtling along windey roads at untold speeds. The bus driver truely was a maniac and there were many many close calls but as mentioned I now take it for granted that travelling here is not safe so I tried my best not to think of it and sleep.
This was a wasted endeavour and eventually we arrived at the port for our next ferry. We took a 2 hour ferry to Lombok sitting on the roof of the ship. Im not sure we were allowed to do this but we were tired of being stared at I guess (especially the girls) so it was nice to lie down in peace.
After the ferry we travelled over land through Lombok. We stopped at a bus station mid journey where we received our lunch which was included in the ticket price. Following lunch as we waited to get on the bus which doors had jammed locking Jarod on boarded I decided I would treat myself to an ice cream. Some lady with a screaming kid had attracted the local vender over. I had tried to get one of him earlier but he told me he was out so I assumed he had restocked and hurried out to get one. He finished serving the lady and I pointed the the one I wanted. It was a mutli coloured one which I had had before and was 2400 ruppiah. He then responded by raising his hand and mouthing 5000 ruppiah. I was not about to haggle as the price was set so i pointed at the price and said 2400. At this stage he through up his hands said something in indonesian then hastily began to wheel his cart off. I called after him at this stage angry that he refused to serve me. Basically he wouldn't serve me cause I was white. James then told me he had tried to buy an ice cream off him earlier and he wouldnt serve him either. Sumbawa is highly muslim and this is the first and only time I have ever felt someone being racist towards me. It made me really angry and although it was only a small thing it made me appreciate what all those who have struggled to fight racism went through and the change that we all see as a result.
The journey carried on and after hours on the bus we made it to the port on the west side of Lombok.This was the port we originally arrived at when we came to Lombok that first night and it looked alot different in daylight. We boarded the ferry and after an hour or two trying to fix some problem we departed. The problem with the ferry was it was lop sided. It leant to the left and didnt seem to go straight. Mixed with large swell this proved for another interesting journey. This journey took 5 hours and on it I finished the Beach which was a great read. Arriving back in Bali though I felt like I was returning the hole I wanted so badly to get out of in the first place. We took a bmo from the station crammed 7 of us with surfboards and bags in and headed for Kuta.After an hour of trying to get accomo we split up and got seperate hotels. The places is packed with ozzies and is more like ibiza than south east asia. We had food , the others went out partying and I went to bed. Tired and dirty after 60 hours of tense travelling I was glad to get my head down and rest. Today I feel alive again and am ready for the next adventure this trip has to offer.
To begin with we woke early and ate donuts from a local stall, packed our gear then headed down to the port to get the first ferry from Flores to Sumbawa. The ferry was due to leave at 10ish and bring us into Flores in the afternoon to catch our connecting bus at 7ish. When we arrived at the port we could here people hamering at the boat and although what they were doing seemed fruitless we guessed that the boat wasn't going anywhere fast. So we did what we did for the last few days...back to the restaurant! That avo we did emails etc and spent some time trying to find flip flops for James. We eventually found some which cost him about 60 pence. The same would cost ten times the price in a tourist area, it really is amazing how cheap things are when you pay the local price.
After marvelling at a truck with ramboo painted on the back we finally borded the ship at around 7 leaving at 8. We got a nice little spot at the front and were quickly surrounded by kids and locals staring at us in the usuall manner. I got some noodles which were fine then we chatted with some of the locals. Some of the kids were drinking Araq and after a while their nature became more and more annoying. I managed to nestle between the rucksacks and the floor and slept fairly well considering.
We arrived in Sumbawa at 3am but were not able to leave the boat till 6 so i continued to sleep. Leaving the boat we all felt failry rough. With minimal sleep and the usuall indonesian style ferry we were all in need of a rest but the journey had just really begun.
Walking into the port I saw a mini bus which I assumed was our transport. What didnt strike me at first was the Kiara was climbing on top of it. I imagined it was to help load bags but when the rest of the guys followed suit I realised our seats were on top of the bus. HMMM. So with no questions asked I climbed up and got a seat at the front of the bus. I had no where to hold onto so I was kind of sitting between James legs as one would do in the groovy train.
Sumbawa is the poorest island in Indonesia and it showed. Driving through we didnt really pass any developed town, it was all make shift shanty town type dwellings. The locals who had probably just roused from sleep were equally suprised to see 8 white people sitting on top of a bus and there were endless waves and laughs en route.
Travelling on top of that bus was of course not safe but it was a great experience and I guess Ive began to take it for granted that travelling here isnt safe so I wont complain.
The mini bus took us to a port in Sumbawa where after a commotion concerning baggage etc we were dropped at the locla bus depot. Of course due to the ferrys delay the whole journey had been delayed and we now had to wait 9hours for the pm bus. Frustrated we walked into town hitching a lift on some local guys truck, met Ian and had some lunch in a local eatery. James Kiara and Jarod braved the local cuisine which involed actually going into the kitcken and selecting your food. Kim and I decided to go for a pop mie (indonesian pot noodle) which worked well.
Walking back to our depot was eventfull. At first 2 trucks tore past us obviously racing and when one tried to cut up the inside he lost controll waked the kerb and to our amazement regained composure before carrying on, we were sure he would crash.
I noticed some locals fishing on the lake adjacent to the road so I went over to investigate. They didnt speak much english but they were pleased to see me and offered to let me fish with them. Soon the others joined and we spent an hour or so fishing for fish no larger than 2 inches.
We finally made it to the terminal and after some chat with the drunk bus terminal guy we got on our excecutive bus. It was indeed a nice bus, we all had a seat each which reclined and for all intents and purposes it was perfect. But O NO! A few minutes into the journey the guy behind me let out a huge burp which was gross. Amidst lafter and embarrasement we guessed it was a one of but after the 4th or 5th time we realised it was going to be a long journey. The burping continued, he insisted on putting his feet on my arm rest and sitting forward with his hands on my seat. Obviously I was livid as I wanted to sleep and was being kept awake by what I deemed as poor manners but I had to consider that he was probably doing nothing out of the ordinary for his cutlure so I held my tongue.
That night we travelled through the darkness hurtling along windey roads at untold speeds. The bus driver truely was a maniac and there were many many close calls but as mentioned I now take it for granted that travelling here is not safe so I tried my best not to think of it and sleep.
This was a wasted endeavour and eventually we arrived at the port for our next ferry. We took a 2 hour ferry to Lombok sitting on the roof of the ship. Im not sure we were allowed to do this but we were tired of being stared at I guess (especially the girls) so it was nice to lie down in peace.
After the ferry we travelled over land through Lombok. We stopped at a bus station mid journey where we received our lunch which was included in the ticket price. Following lunch as we waited to get on the bus which doors had jammed locking Jarod on boarded I decided I would treat myself to an ice cream. Some lady with a screaming kid had attracted the local vender over. I had tried to get one of him earlier but he told me he was out so I assumed he had restocked and hurried out to get one. He finished serving the lady and I pointed the the one I wanted. It was a mutli coloured one which I had had before and was 2400 ruppiah. He then responded by raising his hand and mouthing 5000 ruppiah. I was not about to haggle as the price was set so i pointed at the price and said 2400. At this stage he through up his hands said something in indonesian then hastily began to wheel his cart off. I called after him at this stage angry that he refused to serve me. Basically he wouldn't serve me cause I was white. James then told me he had tried to buy an ice cream off him earlier and he wouldnt serve him either. Sumbawa is highly muslim and this is the first and only time I have ever felt someone being racist towards me. It made me really angry and although it was only a small thing it made me appreciate what all those who have struggled to fight racism went through and the change that we all see as a result.
The journey carried on and after hours on the bus we made it to the port on the west side of Lombok.This was the port we originally arrived at when we came to Lombok that first night and it looked alot different in daylight. We boarded the ferry and after an hour or two trying to fix some problem we departed. The problem with the ferry was it was lop sided. It leant to the left and didnt seem to go straight. Mixed with large swell this proved for another interesting journey. This journey took 5 hours and on it I finished the Beach which was a great read. Arriving back in Bali though I felt like I was returning the hole I wanted so badly to get out of in the first place. We took a bmo from the station crammed 7 of us with surfboards and bags in and headed for Kuta.After an hour of trying to get accomo we split up and got seperate hotels. The places is packed with ozzies and is more like ibiza than south east asia. We had food , the others went out partying and I went to bed. Tired and dirty after 60 hours of tense travelling I was glad to get my head down and rest. Today I feel alive again and am ready for the next adventure this trip has to offer.
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