INDONESIA - JAVA - CIMAJA - 5 to 11 August 2014 - 'GOOD, BAD AND ?'

Info

Malaysian airlines - Phuket to KL – flight 795 – 2:05 to 4:35 – KL to Jakarta – flight 725 – 5:45 to 6:45

Car to Patong to Phuket airport - +66835504308

Car/driver Jakarta airport to Cimaja – 800 000R

Motorbike hire with board racks - 80 000R per day

White water rafting  - Citarik River, Sukabumi, west java – 9 august – Arus Liar – pt lintasjeram nusantara – 02183558855 – 295 000RRafting - 9 km

Flight Bandung to Denpasar - 800 000R

Car Cimaja to Bandung airport – 800 000R about 6 hours

77 sunset plaza resort – www.sunsetplazahotel.multiply.com  or www.westjavasurftours.com  - 0266431125 – jl. Raya karangpapak no.23 cisolok, pelabuhanratu

My journey

I boarded the car - a bus really - all to myself – to Phuket airport. The flights were smooth and no dramas. At KL, it would have been okay to stop and visit for awhile. It always seems strange to me when in transit that I not stopping for a few days at least before continuing my journey.

I arrive at Jakarta airport. I was so glad I had gone through there last year. It was a very large airport with people going here and there. My guard was up as I waited for the car/driver to Cimaja as the crowd was thick and all around me. It felt like pickpocket heaven/hell depending on your viewpoint. The driver turned up soon and off we went to Cimaja. When I got into the car, I noticed that my daypack was partially unzipped…hmmm… nothing missing.

The drive was long and interesting for awhile… the lights of Jakarta, small towns, traffic and traffic. I ended up sleeping in the back of the car. We finally arrived at Cimaja at 12:30am.

At this point, I’ll mention that a lot of problems started the moment I entered the hotel that were totally unnecessary. My instinct was to leave the next day but stupidly I persisted. Anyway, the problems were not insurmountable they were just annoying. So for my best advice, don’t stay at sunset strip hotel even though it looks okay as it probably would be better to stay in town at Cimaja Square.

I was up at sunrise. I wasn’t happy with my room as I originally booked a sea view room. On checking my booking confirmation, I realised that I had been changed to a downstairs room. Still, the room was okay.

At the reception, I was greeted by some guy who said he was my surf guide. What guide? Surf Guide. I didn’t ask for a surf guide. Oh, it comes with your booking. It is already paid. If I don’t guide you my boss will not pay me. You sure? Yes. We said this with reception listening. I used him for the day only. Three days later, I get a delegation of surf guides telling me I need to pay for the guide. To cut the story shorter, I paid for one day and lectured them on what they did wrong before I handed over any money. Ex-school teacher lectures are not fun!

After breakfast, my guide and I went on his motorbike to a number of breaks.

I hired a motorbike from the hotel and surfed later in the afternoon at some point unnervingly close to rocks on the takeoff. It was an okay surf.

I wandered around the local area and sat around the hotel pool. The place was virtually empty except for the expats around the restaurant bar. They were an interesting bunch. One guy worked on the stage for years and lives in Jakarta. He had great stories and was very amusing!

The next day, I biked it in a westerly direction. I stopped at end of the beach where I’m staying and walked, following the path around the point and over the hill and back to the bike. The path was lined with shops selling food and trinkets. It was pretty cool and friendly people.

I continued pass rice fields and villages then upwards into the mountains. There was a great view from top. I stopped at a warung for noodles and had a chat with some Indo tourists and the warung owner.

I continued onwards - up, down through towns/villages to Swarana.  I drove to west end of beach and turned left and followed a narrow concrete path. I met a nice Indo family from Jakarta on a short holiday. I walked along the beautiful white sand beach with a mammoth beach break with cliffs and caves backdrop. I wandered into some of the caves but it was very dark.

I left and drove down the road to the main town and crossed a very narrow suspension bridge and rode through a cool village and on to the surf on the point. It looked like fun and exciting until the sets came which were mammoth and barrelling – out of my league! I rode onwards to the end of the path to a point with a huge flat rock area with a huge rock in the middle. Large rocks blocked the waves but it was amazing watching them crash over them and petered out before they reached where I stood. The journey back to the hotel was quicker.

Couple of interesting dinner stories from four guys:

Guy 1 – oz guy killed local lady in a bike accident, signed a confession, all sorted but media became involved and now maybe a jail sentence.

Guy 2 – actor on stage plus navy – worked with Hugo Weaving – had TB with foot infection on the mend - travel tip to Yogyakarta – travel light, bus to Bandung and train to Yogyakarta – temples 3 days – beaches to south with surf and places to stay.

Guy 3 – one guy owned a number of businesses including a beauty shop

Guy 4 – never said a word

The next day, I walked the beach to Cimaja. It was an interesting coastline with fishermen and a close look at ‘Indicators’ - another surf break.

In the afternoon, I rode the bike east to the beach with the fishing boats. Interesting! I met a few locals and had a walk up the steps to the headland.

The following day, I rode the motorbike to white water rafting. It was a very scenic drive through the urban sprawl, mountains and jungle.

The rafting was great @ 295 000R for 9 km. We drove in truck to the start of the grade 3 ride. I shared the boat with three people from Jakarta over boulders, narrow sections, pebble runs, rapids and eventually, fell in the water and swished down the river. It was one of the best rafting trips I’ve ever been on.

I motor biked back to the hotel rested and had a surf out the front on a reef right hander. It wasn’t very good as the rip was extreme and the waves bumpy and difficult to get on. Still, it was nice to get wet despite the plastic bags that kept clinging to my leg rope.

Well, that night was fun with diarrhoea from dinner.

The next day, I paid the bill as I was leaving early the next morning. It took ages – no record of deposit, breakfast was fried rice only so I was charged for anything else I ate for breakfast, etc, etc. I worked out the bill and the correct amount that was due.

I was up at 5am for my car to Bandung airport – about 6 hours. The traffic was huge in some spots where it bottled necked. The police were pushing and whacking people who had blocked the wrong side of the road. Amazing! There were also a couple of mountains being demolished for cement.

It was difficult to find the road entry to airport but once inside the airport it was small and easy. The check-in was quick and the flight good with heaps of vacant seats

Off to Bali I go!

In retrospect, the trip had its bad spots which all centred around the hotel I was staying at. Putting that aside, the local people were friendly, nice and helpful. The scenery was great and varied from urban to jungle to mountains to beach. The rafting was so good and the motor biking fun and adventurous.

INDONESIA - BALI - LEGIAN - 18 to 19 July, 2014 - 'SUNSETS AND DECKCHAIRS'

Info

Car/diver Padangbai to Legian – 250 000R

Gili fast boat return tickets Ekajaya for 4 people - 4 000 000R which included pick up and drop off

Car/driver to from airport plus waiting 200 000R

Our journey

We caught a car from Padangbai to Legian. After 1 ½ hours, we arrived at the Grand Kumala Hotel, Legian and settled into our room.

Today, our daughters were arriving from Australia for a week in Indonesia.

We finalised the Gili Fast Boat tickets with the Cevin Tours on the Ekajaya, had beers on the beach, dinner then a car to the airport to pick up the girls.

They arrived at 9:45pm and got through customs, etc. by 10:30pm

A nice but tired family reunion!

The next morning, we were picked up by at 8am and drove to Padangbai and the fast boat to Gili Trawangan.

It was a crappy, old shuttle bus and the door struck and it wouldn’t open at Padangbai. It took ages to get the bags out.

INDONESIA - SULAWESI - MAKASSAR - 20 to 23 june 2014 - 'LET'S (TRADITIONALLY) DANCE'

Info

Quality Plaza Hotel – 500 000R – 04113633111 – www.qualityplazahotelmakassar.com – jl somba opu no 235

Car/driver from Quality Plaza Hotel to airport - 175 000R

My journey

On my way to Makassar by car. We stopped at a few places along the way for photos. Reneken had nice views and places to stay. Pare Pare looked okay with hotels and boardwalk. Puta Beach was pretty but not good for swimming but it had a nice hotel on beach. There also an offshore island which was supposed to be good for snorkelling. Towards Makassar, the rain bucketed down and the wipers on the car worked very poorly. We drove at a snail’s pace and even stopped a number of times until the rain eased off.

We finally arrived at Makassar and I settled into Quality Plaza Hotel. It had a nice view, big bed, aircon and TV. The hotel had heaps of facilities – massage, Botol Club in basement, karaoke, gym, spa, sauna and restaurant.

It was late so I caught the elevator down to the Botol Café. It had a live band that played good music but the drinks were expensive.

The next day, I walked to the Lion Air office to get a refund on my old ticket (Manado to Denpasar) and buy a new ticket (Makassar to Denpasar). It took a long time to sort that out!

I then walked to Fort Rotterdam and watched the traditional music festival. It was so good! The traditional dance clothing was colourful with different styles depending on the origin of the dance in Sulawesi. The dances were varied and very skilful as they used all the body to communicate the expression of the dance. At one stage, they had one representative from each group come on the stage for a mass dance. They didn’t know the music until it started. They played rock and roll and the girls were laughing and the crowd roaring as they tried to outdo each other dancing western-like in traditional costumes. It was very funny and I couldn’t help myself laughing out very loud with them.

Later, I walked around the fort and met many of the dancers and of course many photos and videos. It was such a great afternoon!

Back at the hotel, I had a massage which was good.

Later, I watched the sunset on the boardwalk and met a lovely Christian girl, Mina. She explained a lot to me about the street kids of the boardwalk whom she helps at times with English lessons.

The next morning, I woke up to loud music.  A band was playing directly below my window in front of the hotel. I went down to have a look. I was invited to sing on the stage. I was tempted but ah well. My only regret of my whole trip, was not taking up the invitation… it would have been fun!

The road in front of the waterfront was closed and was turned into a walkway. There were heaps of stalls and people and music playing. Nice!

Back at the hotel I had a spa and sauna.

Later, I caught up with Mina briefly on the waterfront. The weather was uncomfortably hot to do anything and she needed to get back to the church. Surprisingly, she bought me lunch and a cake. I was amazed! We became FB friends.

The next day, it was time to leave this city and island of so many fond memories. I said my goodbyes to the staff and manager. They were all very friendly and helpful. I caught a car from the hotel to the airport,

I met Icha at airport. She lives near Bira and was going to Bali to meet up with boyfriend.

The plane was delayed an hour but soon enough I was in a plane departing Sulawesi and bounded for Bali.

 

INDONESIA - SULAWESI - TORAJA - RANTEPAO - 14 TO 20 JUNE 2014 - 'WEDDINGS, MOUNTAINS AND GOODTIMES'

Info

Hotel Indra Toraja – 04321583 www.indratorajahotel.com- 300 000R

Guide tour – heaps of guides around every hotel 800 000R for car, driver and guide.

Bagus Motor rental for a motorbike -70 000R

Tinimbayo - It had rooms downstairs for 100 000R with breakfast– mama wiwik – 082191984488

Car/driver Rantepao to Makassar - 1 050 000R

The journey

Today, we drove from Sengkang to Randepao.

The trip started well with lots of flat rice fields and the occasional dusty town. We stopped near a wedding and were invited into the VIP area. It was a lot of fun – the women looked so colourful and there was food galore on the tables. The scenery began to change from flatlands to hills and mountains with lush villages and windy roads. We stopped at some roadside stall for fresh goat cheese. It was so yum!

We entered Tanta Toraja through a large arch and the houses and general vibe seemed to instantly change. It was also the last day of school so there were a lot of kids running around coloured green.

On arrival at Rantepao, we looked at a few hotels. Monton was okay but we settled in at Hotel Indra Toraja. The hotel had a large foyer, a restaurant and a large, pretty, central garden courtyard. There were rooms on the ground and 1st floor which overlooked the courtyard. The room was small and cosy with an extraction fan to pump out the daytime heat.

That night, I went to Café Aras. It had good food, beer and we played guitar and sang (locals and I). I met Fred from Sydney and Dave from California who had just finished volunteer work.

It was pouring rain and I slipped on the tiles entering the hotel and banged my head on the floor. There was a lot of blood, a big cut, a fist sized lump and it hurt heaps. Later, I started shaking all over. It was a long, uncomfortable and painful night.

The next day, I was very tired from a bit of a painful sleep! I did nothing much all day as my head was throbbing somewhat. I had a massage - I was picked up by motorbike and driven through the town outskirts to someone’s house. Inside was a sitting parlour and further inside were the massage benches. It was a quiet and good massage – 100 000R.

The reception at the hotel was very nice. She put betadine over my cut and did so for the rest of my stay. It was very difficult to that myself because of the cut position.

Day tour trip day

We were picked up at 8am for a 9 hour car/guide tour. We looked at traditional village and houses, then walked a steep and muddy hillside to reach a funeral ceremony. We were there for a long time. It was interesting with the casket on display, hundreds of people, music and dancing, the carrying of the coffin on bamboo poles around the courtyard pass all the guests in a tug of war fashion, the sacrifice of the buffaloes.

 After that, we left and drove back to Rantepao for lunch.

We continued our tour past pretty, rural scenery while all of us were singing ‘Take me home county road’. We entered a traditional house then drove to a burial site where we climbed steps to look at open graves on the cliff face and then through a cave with various open graves.

A good trip that takes in a bit of everything that is to offer. 800 000R for car and guide.

The next day, I walked around town – the market, streets, bought a t-shirt, got a map from tourist office and visited Bagus Motor rental for a motorbike -70 000R.

Later still, I went for a walk to the hill top for a great view of the mountains and town I stopped at J-jive café for avocado juice which was excellent then back to hotel.

I had a traditional Torgean meal with my German friends and they boarded the bus to Makassar. I continued the night at Cafe Aras and listened to and sang songs.

The following day, I hired a motorbike for 70 000R from Bagus Rentals.

I did two rides.

The first was following the road towards the big hill. The road eventually became a mud track. It was a lot of fun with villages, water buffalo, rice fields and churches. On the way back, there was road works. The tar

The second ride was towards Sa’dan. There was a lot of traffic at first but soon became more rural. After Sa’dan, the traffic was sparse and I followed the rice field valley downhill and eventually turned back at a crossroad. A turn on the way back took me up a mountain and into the clouds. Amazing views and friendly people.

The next day, I rode the motor bike to the north.  There was beautiful scenery of mountains, valleys, rice fields. I stopped at an’ over the cliff top’ café for coffee – Tinimbayo - It had rooms downstairs for 100 000R with breakfast– Mama Wiwik – 082191984488. She was a character. She gave my camera and took a photo of me but she had it facing the wrong way. A classic photo!

Once at the top I transverse across the mountains and followed a muddy and badly eroded road to Tikkala and then back to Rantepao. It was the best bike ride!

I bought a bus ticket for Rantepao.

I met a nice Ukraine couple at dinner at Café Aras.

The following day, I changed my mind about the bus and opted for a car as my head was too sore.

I paid my bill, thanked the staff, especially Sophie, and off I went to Makassar.

 

INDONESIA - SULAWESI - SENGKENG - 13 TO 14 JUNE 2014- 'AMIRA, LAKE AND ROAD TRIP'

Info

Eriq Shanty – Salassa guest house - 08124265672 - salassaguesthouse@yahoo.com

The Amira hotel, Sengkang– 085298343824 – jln a.malingkaan no.3. – anton.mandela@gmail.com

Boat ride on Danau Tempe - 150 000R.

The journey

We loaded up the car and drove out of Bira and on our way to Sengkang.

 

We stopped at heaps of places along the way – lots of photos, lots of chats. Some of the highlights were:

Chatting with Eric – 3 kids, married late, would like a house by the sea.

Sweet potatoes being cut and dried on the side of the road for 3 000R per kilo, which is 9 000R per day.

Four high school girls who practised their English with me and when I left they shook my hand and touched it to their foreheads.  Sopan sekali! So polite!

Bridge crossings.

Lush jungle sections.

Rice fields.

Stilt houses built over the waterways.

Driving across a flooded road.

Talking with students in stilt house.

Finally, we reached Sengkang and the Amira Hotel. My German fiends Pascal and Julia were waiting there and had organised a boat trip on Danau Tempe. I put my gear in my room and then we walked to the boat area.

The boat was narrow with a very noisy motor with a long shaft. It was decked with three built in comfortable seating areas with cushions.

The boat noisily skimmed over the lake and through the water weeds. At times, the driver had to negotiate the maze of water plants rather than go through them as they were so thick and dense.  

We moored at a silt house over the lake and on the edge of a village and had fried bananas.

The bird life was teaming and looked especially magical as dusk approached.

On the final leg of the return, the driver turned off the engine and paddled through his water village. It was so surreal with the engine off and the sounds of the real world dominated again – people talking, water lapping and the stroke of the paddle in the water.


 

We paid the driver and sat in the nearby market for mixed juice.

We walked back to the hotel. The Amira hotel was an imposing building of three storeys. The bottom floor was the restaurant. The other floors we connected by stairs and doorways that lead in various directions. There were a number of sitting rooms on each floor. My room was large with air con and bathroom.  The owner, Anton was fit, healthy and friendly guy.

After a good sleep, we journeyed towards Rantepao, Toraja. Pascal and ? had joined me in the car.

INDONESIA - SULAWESI - BIRA - 11 TO 13 JUNE 2014 - 'BIRA SELAMAT TINGGAL'

Info

Nusa Bira Indah Hotel – 081343636883 – 200 000R air con room

Eriq shanty – Salassa guest house - 08124265672 - salassaguesthouse@yahoo.com

The journey

After the boat ride from Palau Luikang Loe, I settled back into the Nusa Bira Hotel.

Later, I walked to the beach for a snorkel. It was great! The water was very clear with lots of coral and fish and even two sea turtles. The first sea turtle was amazing. I dived down and it didn’t swim off. It looked at me and kept grazing on the seaweed. I dove a number of times and even touch it. Finally, it surfaced and I surfaced with it side by side. It then swam slowly out to sea and I escorted it for part of the way. The best turtle experience I have ever had!

At sunset, I walked along the beach.

The next day, I had two snorkels off west beach and saw fish, coral and a turtle.

I made arrangements with Eric from Salassa guesthouse for a car/driver to Sengkang and Rantepao.

I met two nice German couples - Elka and Louis – Pascal and ?

Louis was a cook and they had cycled across most of Australia.

I woke to a beautiful morning.

 I said my goodbyes to ibu at Nusa Bira Indah and off Eric and I drove towards Sengkang. 

INDONESIA - SULAWESI - BIRA - PALAU LIUHUKAN LOE - 9 TO 11 JUNE 2014 - 'ISLAND IN THE SUN'

Info

Homestay – 08114211418 – he can also provide a cheap but safe boat to the island – 250 000 fan room, 35 000R a meal and 200 000R for a return boat.

The journey

I was off to Palau Luihukan Loe, which was a small island straight opposite Bira Beach. The boat/homestay owner met me at my guesthouse at Bira and helped carried my gear down to the boat.

On Bira beach the waves were breaking and it was difficult to get to and on the boat without getting reasonably wet. The waves and wind made for an exciting boat ride. The wind ripped my cap off my head and in the ocean it went. The captain sent one of the crew overboard to get it. He was a poor swimmer but the boat had kept going in the direction of the island. I was a little concerned for the guy’s safety. The captained slowed the boat and waved him to swim over. It took a while.

We arrived at the island landing on stretch of white sand with a village skirting its edge. Behind that the island rose about 10 metres covered in rough vegetation. The main occupation on the island was fishing with some goat rearing in the interior.

The homestay was clean and situated right on the beach. It had a small restaurant where meals were served. The meals were cheap and filling, being fish, rice, and vegetables.

I settled into my room, had lunch and a snorkel but the visibility was poor due to the wave action. I walked along the beach, found another homestay at the other end of the beach and walked through the village. The opposite end of the beach looked better for swimming but not snorkelling. The people in the village were either friendly or indifferent. Oddly, there were motorbikes on the island. It was odd as there was only one path 15 minutes leading to the other side of the island.

I sat on the beach and watched the sunset and had a few bintangs and met several new guests from Makassar. Friendly hairdressers.

The next day, I had an early morning hike to the other side of the island. There was a concrete track connecting to the village on the other side of the island. Along the track, I met a number of school kids and families. The other village was more spread out and there was a long white sand beach. A very long jetty was at one end of the village. At the end of the jetty was a sunken boat. It was quite large and was bashing against the pier with the wave and wind action. The people of the village were friendly.

On return, I went for a snorkel. The visibility wasn’t as bad as yesterday but not as good as the day trip. No rain today! On most days, so far, there had been periods of rain.

The sunrise at last! After days of cloud, it turned it on this morning. I sorted the bill, had breakfast and then a wavy ride back to Bira.

INDONESIA - SULAWESI - BIRA - 4 to 9 JUNE 2014 - 'DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER'

Info

Car/driver Makassar to Bira 800 000R

Bira entrance fee 20 000R

Hotel Anda –

Nusa Bira Indah Hotel – 081343636883 – 200 000R air con room

Motorbike hire - Bamboo Warung

The journey

I left Makassar with my driver/car towards Bira, the traffic wasn’t too bad and the roads were okay. The drive took about 4hours not six with a stop for lunch. The driver spoke very limited English and he was loud and a bit annoying with his constant chatter about nothing but he drove fast and furiously. Eventually, I told him to stop talking and drive only.

I paid the 20 000R entrance fee for Bira and checked out two hotels and chose the Anda Hotel. It was clean, aircon and quiet for 475 000R.

I wandered down the road and down the steps to the beach. Bira was a pretty white sand beach with sand similar to Byron Bay. The water was clean, light blue and very inviting. Warungs lined the beach with tourist/fishing/banana boats dotted along the beach and in the water. I met and chatted with a nice group of local school students back for the day from their high school at Makassar.

I spent the late afternoon on the beach, enjoying the sunset, having a few local and Makassar conversations and a couple of cold beers.

That night I had dinner at the Bamboo Warung. It was cheap and tasty had a number of chats with expats, locals and the staff of the warung. It was a great eatery for information.

In the morning, I decided to change hotels. The room was good but the price too high for what I was getting plus it was boring and the staff unhelpful. After breakfast, I moved hotels to Nusa Bira Indah Hotel – 081343636883. The owner was very short and small but she was so sweet and nice. The rooms were spaced well apart on stilts. The room was large with wooden walls and floor. It had a comfortable large bed, air con and bathroom. All for 200 000R and breakfast.

Once settled, I went for a walk west along the beach. It was very pretty with small waves and a backdrop of a long limestone cliff which was eroded at the base by sea and salt action. Along the way, there were a number of steps up the cliff face heading to nowhere or starting 3 to 4 metres above the beach. There were also a number of small shallow caves.

On my return, I had a really tasty lunch at the Bira Beach Hotel. I ate lunch here a number of times has it had a cool breeze, good food and a nice view over the beach.

Later, I went for a snorkel off the beach. There was a drop about 200m out that had heaps of fish and some corals. The current was reasonably strong and heading in the wrong direction to where I wanted to drift so I only snorkel there for a short time.

I had dinner again at the Bamboo Warung, met a few locals and expats from New Caledonia who were repairing a boat. Udi (I think) from Makassar was playing guitar. It was all a lot of fun with some singing.

The next day, I went for a long hike after breakfast up the nearby hill of Pua Janggo. It had a nice view of Bira and the harbour. I backtracked down the hill then continued along the road and down the turn off to Kaluku Cottages at East Beach. It was a long, pretty white sanded beach but the off shore winds made it uninviting for a swim. At the northern end of the beach was a boat building area. The boats being constructed there were massive and heavy wooden structures. I think it would be very hard to get them onto the water.

I retraced my steps and stopped at Kukulu Cottages for a lime juice. The accommodation was pretty and well maintained but isolated beach feel.

I continued along further south to the harbour. The beach here was rocky and covered in flotsam. The harbour was interesting with a few large boats.  I walked out of the harbour area and back to Bira.

Back at Bira, I had a sunset swim down the beach, starred in many local photos and drank a couple of beers. At dinner, I met a nice couple, Colin (Irish) and Rachelle (English), who were dive instructors in Thailand.

It was a noisy sleep with a large group of students arriving early morning and talking till 4am.

In the morning, I organised a boat to snorkel the reefs off Pulau Liukang. The boat trip was short and fun. At the island, the snorkelling was good with pretty coral and lots of different types of fish. Later, the boat landed on the island and I wandered around the beach and village. I t was very interesting and pretty but the camera batteries went dead. I had a great fish and rice lunch at the homestay at one end of the beach. The homestay had a separate room for 250 000R fan and 350 000R air con. It looked very nice and was located right on the beach.

Back at Bira, I had a lazy afternoon with beers and a swim at sunset on West Beach. I met a number of people such as a group of Indo bike riders from Makassar who spoke very good English and two university students who recorded an interview with myself.

Today was exploring the area by motor bike day. It started off a bit slow but to cut the story short there was no bike from the hotel. I walked up the road and got one from the Bamboo Warung. That took about 20 minutes.

I just drove all over the place, I had no map but I had a great time driving through towns, villages and to various beaches. It rained a lot so I had some rest/ talk sessions in sheltered areas until the skies cleared. In one of the stops, I was invited onto the family veranda for a chat and was offered water and biscuits. The biscuits tasty so well. It was a fun ride!

Back to the hotel, rest, late lunch, a couple of beers down the beach and a twilight walk along the beach. I got the phone number – 08114211418 - for the home stay on Pulau Luihukan and booked a room for two nights.

My lesson today was to organise things the day before I go anywhere or if not wait patiently. I went down the beach to organise a boat to the island with the guy who got the homestay number for me but he wanted 600 000R. The next guy I got down to 150 000R. I went back to the hotel and tried ringing the island homestay. At last, I got an answer and the boat was 100 000R and he would meet me at my hotel. It just got better from then… he carried my bag to the boat, sent a guy (who couldn’t swim well) overboard when my hat blew into the water. My parting vision of Bira were waves on the beach which looked bodysurf able.

INDONESIA - SULAWESI - MAKASSAR - 2 TO 4 JUNE 2014 - 'HOT IN THE CITY'

Info

Kenari towers – 0411 873 476 - aircon room with sea view 500 000R

Taxi – Makassar airport to hotel 110 000R

Car/driver to Bira – 800 000R

Becak cycle tour 100 000R – seems relatively a lot but it was for five hours and it was hot and it was a long way.

The journey

I arrived at the domestic airport in Bali for my flight to Makassar, Sulawesi. The domestic airport was then at constant change due to the upgrading of the facilities. It was an easy check in with Garuda and after a flight delay of ½ hour I was up, up and away.

The flight was good as Garuda provided in-flight entertainment and a meal which was included in the price.

I arrived at Makassar airport. In very little time, I was at the taxi stand organising transport to my hotel. The road from the airport was wide and modern but deteriorated closer to the city centre into a warren of crowded streets.

I arrived at the Kenari Towers Hotel and chose the second room they showed me. It had a huge bed, aircon, TV, and a partial sea view of the harbour. It was very clean. So far so good!

It was near sunset so I caught the elevator the 7^th (top) floor where there was a restaurant with a commanding view over Makassar city. I had dinner and a few beers and met a local couple who were babysitting their nephew. The sunset was pretty and with darkness the lights of the city began to twinkle around me with their added reflection on the sea. Really nice but it was still very hot!

My sleep was broken due to the air con and mosque. I wasn’t loud but ear plugs helped.

I woke early and caught the elevator to the roof for the sunrise. I watched as it burned its way over the urban horizon. The temperature was already on the up.

I had breakfast at the hotel and had a chat with a nice Indonesian family.

Down to the reception and I booked a car for Bira at 8am the following morning.

I walked down to the nearby waterfront. The waterfront was a wide concrete area that stretched along the coastline between the ocean and the main road. It was adorned in statues depicting various features of Sulawesi life with stairs at various points that lead up and down to various concrete features. The ocean water was dirty with floating rubbish but still the vista of the harbour was pretty and serene. The waterfront was called Lestari Beach but there was no beach. Hmm!

I couldn’t help but notice that I was being followed by a cheerful, persist and beckoning becak (cycle with sitting seats) driver as I walked along the waterfront. I ended up hiring him for 100 000r for a city tour. He was a bit of an idiot but the tour was fun. He has a wife and one boy.

The Tour

Our first stop was Fort Rotterdam which was cool. The fort has large walls with a walkway that skirted along the top of the exterior wall. Inside the fort were a number of buildings and grassed areas. At the large entrance gate, I was greeted by another guide (100 000r) whose name was Rusli Amin He was very informative and gave me a stack of advice, insights and information on travelling in Sulawesi. 

After the fort, the becak drove for ages into oncoming traffic. I pointed this abnormality to the driver but he just smiled. I decided it was better to let him look ahead than to distract him. Generally, it was a bit disturbing but fun!

The next stop, was the Chinese area. After a brief look, I lost interest and onwards we cycled.

It was a long ride to the fish market harbour. It was a challenge not to step in mud or fish crap as well as avoiding sliding on the tiles of the fish market which was covered in fish blood. It was very grotty, smelly but the people were friendly. I liked it!

Next was the cargo boat harbour. There was a 5 000R entry fee. We walked along the docks looking at the various boats. He pointed out that one of the fishing boats was going to Bira, my next destination. They actually offered me transport in the boat if wanted. I didn’t want.

Next was the traditional market. At this stage, I walked as it was too awkward to ride the becak through the closely packed crowd. It was very interesting but by this time it had become intensely hot. It was time to end the tour.

He cycled the bike back through narrow streets, traffic and eventually, the main road to the hotel.

At the hotel, the driver tried to convince me the tour was 100 000r per hour. I laughed and gave him 100 000r plus 50 000r even though I personally thought he was an idiot but still a fun guy. He taught me a few local phrases which I used as we cycled around.

a-pa-kar-re-ba = how are you?

Bugi = good.

Chick-a-lee = person

Later, after resting, I walked over to the waterfront to the mosque for sunset. The mosque was truly a beautiful building. It was built over the water sitting on huge concrete columns with two entrance bridges at the north and south ends connecting it to the waterfront walkway. I walked across one of the bridges, removed my shoes and wandered around. I met heaps of locals and was in heaps of photos. I was also invited to join the faithful in prayer. I declined mainly because I couldn’t assume the prayer position with my damaged toe. As the sun set and the darkest moved in, the mosque was lit up with tranquil bluish lighting. I already thought the mosque was amazing but now I was stunned that any building could be of such beauty.

I had dinner across the road from the waterfront then walked back to the hotel for drinks on hotel roof. There was a band playing! They were okay but I was the only person there beside the staff.

After a good night sleep and breakfast, I was ready for the journey to Bira.

INDONESIA - BALI - LEGIAN - 30 MAY 2014 TO 2 JUNE 2014 - 'I'M ON THE ROAD AGAIN'

Pre trip info

The following are some points that give an idea to the following blog entries on my trip to Indonesia.

1 the trip was to be roughly for four months in duration.

2 at various stages, I would be joined by my wife and two children.

3 a lot of this trip was to be based on surfing destinations and adventure destinations. Unfortunately, I had torn ligaments in my toe two months ago and couldn’t surf. It still hadn’t healed at the start of this trip. Now, I was travelling with a plan to have adventure destinations until my toe healed. The toe scenario comes up a few times in my future writing.

Info

Central Coast Shuttle Bus - 1300 559 657 - Terrigal to airport - $95 return

Jetstar - Australia to Bali – JQ37 Jetstar - 5:20pm to 9:45pm - 30 kg – 10kg hand

Transfers airport Bali to Legian - Nyoman - 200 000R - 08155775989

Kumala hotel – Jl. Werkudara - 0361 732186, 733448 - email: gkumala@indosat.net.id - www.hotelkumala.com - 375 000R– standard room

Indo sim - Simpati – for calls to Australia – 0101961 no zero and add rest of number

Cevan tour and travel – 0361 883 8883 - cevintour@gmail.com – Jalan raya seminyak no. 41 – Nanik from Java – www.balicevintour.com

The journey

It was an easy drive in the shuttle bus from home to Sydney international airport. I was there with plenty of time and a quick check in at Jetstar.

The departure cards can now be filled-in just before entering departure gate, which is heaps easier.

Jenny, Agung’s wife was at airport she was on the same plane with a group of people.

I met a mother and son on the plane. She was a sports psychologist and was also writing a motivation book. She had glandular fever once and continued to have symptoms like K.

At Denpasar Airport, the order was - pay VOA – customs check for all visas – luggage pick up – luggage screened – taxi counter just inside exit barrier.

Nyoman was waiting at the airport. His family is well and he is managing a ceremony shop in Tabanan. He drives now only for friends.

I checked-in at the Kumala Hotel and met Kay and Janet. Kay recognised me from TA. It was midnight Indo time and 2am Ozzie by the time I settled into my room 111.

I woke up tired. The aircon was very noisy so I changed rooms to 110. I had an early walk to the beach, then breakfast then up the road for:

Indo sim

Cash money @10 770

Book Domestic flights - Garuda – DENPASAR TO UJUNG PANDANG (MACASSAR) 

Later, I rang and booked a hotel in Makassar – Kenari Towers Hotel – 0411 873 476 – 500 000R

I had a massage by 2 girls but it wasn’t very good – pola spa in Jalan 66

Lunch was at the Muslim warong in Jalan 66 – still tasty.

I caught up with Michael, Sid and Mark – friends from Oz - and had dinner and drinks at sky gardens then a bar crawl and dancing. It was a good night and I was so tired at the end.

I was told that planes were cancelled due to a volcano eruption in Sumbawa.

The next day, I had an early beach walk, swim and then I arranged my gear for Sulawesi.

Later, I had a massaged by four ladies at avocado spa, Jalan Werkudara – a very different experience - 200 000R – it was an okay massage but the talking was non-stop.

Lunch was at Warong Merah in Jalan 66

I forgot extra bag locks so I bought 2 @ 70 000R – no found them! I now have extra, extra locks

I walked along the beach to jln Padma to find Brett and Agung. No luck! On returning, I walked back along beach and stopped for beers and a rest in one of the beachside sits near the Jayakarta Hotel. I met Indo Kay and Julie and their two other friends. Kay has an Australian boyfriend from Gosford. I was a little sceptical but she showed me photos of Terrigal and boyfriend.

Later, I had dinner at some Greek restaurant at Seminyak.

The following morning, I had breakfast and chat with Oz Kay and Janet at the hotel. I put some gear into storage, then organised a car to the domestic airport in Bali – 100 000R – and off I went on a new adventure!