Sunday December 14, 2008

From now on I’m going to always sign off early on my days entry and predict an lazy night because when ever I do I inevitably have a bloody huge one haha. I was home so late again last night I was locked out of my hotel for what must be the fourth time now. I can tell you are all wondering just what happened so let me fill you in. After finishing yesterday’s blog I ordered a feed here at Camellia. Well I tried to place an order but the restaurant had gotten quite packed since I had sat down earlier in the afternoon and it took a long time to get my waitresses’ attention. While I sat there, slowly getting hungrier, drunker and crankier a couple dudes took to the small bamboo stage they have set up to one side of this spacious eatery and started playing. It was cool to see some live music even if it was mainly semi classical pieces and soppy love ballads, all done in an instrumental style. I finally got my delicious food too while they where playing away. Nasi Goreng Sayer (Fried Rice with vegies) and Sate Ayam (Satay Chook) defiantly filled the hole in my tummy but the sate was a true stand-out with an amazingly smoky peanut sauce… Yum!

I had just finished eating and ordered one last beer before I hit the sack when three other dudes joined the first two on stage and kicked straight into some classic Beatles tracks. They where fuckin unreal! The singer has a Jeff Buckley kind of voice that sends haunted shivers up your spine, the keyboards were solid, the bass player had a decent funkiness plus the rythum and lead guitar were both exceptional. All in all this band could work anywhere and make a half decent living, I can’t believe they are here in tiny little Bajawa. They are called N’Jel but I don’t know what that means sorry folks and I stayed to watch their whole set gradually changing my seats until I was in the very front row rocking out to their versions of Bob Marley, Ben Harper and The Tea Party!! You wouldn’t believe how good they are. Maybe it’s because I’ve been a bit starved of live entertainment when we all know I’m a total junkie and maybe it was that I switched to Arak Lemon Babu after my meal (Arak, Limes and honey… it’s a strong spirit drink I love) but either way I ended up throwing them 150,000 RP into their tip box I had such a mad night. They of course noticed me during their set. It’s a bit hard to miss the big white boy rocking out in the front row singing along to every track and loudly applauding while shouting “Blatttt!! Blaaattttt!!!” whenever they finished a song.

So at the end of their night I had the whole group and a few of their other mates surround me and thank me for being such a fun audience member haha. I shouted a few beers and next thing you now they closed the restaurants’ doors and we were having our own private little Karaoke party. I even hit the guitar for a bit and played them some Beatles and Ben Harper they did not know as well as an original Monsta track, a song I had written about a million years ago (how fucking embarrassment). They absolutely loved it and being such gifted musicians the lead guitarist was playing my track after just one listen and the vocalist made me write down the words for him so if ever you are in Bajawa and hear a track called “Take a hold of life” then you know those are the dudes I befriended in my time here.
I spent about 300,000 RP on beer for these blokes ($30) but it was such a good night it was worth every single cent. I love these kinds of nights where, just out of the blue, you go from lonely to totally surrounded with new friends. I took some video of the guys as well and as soon as I can get that up I’ll let you all know. It’s just us jamming and includes some very drunk vocals from yours truly, so be kind to me all right. The fellas are all drivers during the day so I now know how I will get around to see the traditional villages in the area. Weather and hangover permitting we promised to catch up today again and I am looking forward to that heaps. As I said before I got back to my hotel and it was locked up tighter than a button. I found a small piece of wire and used it to pick the front door lock but then realised I had left my room key inside so had to break in through my window from back outside. I am bloody useless at times hahahaha. Doesn't do a lot to reassure you your things are safe in these places but I always keep everything essential with me anyway.

I woke up this morning at about 9am with another one of those hangovers that would drop a bull. Groaning and complaining to myself I checked my phone and noticed a message from Alfonz (the band member from last night who was going to take me to the villages) saying that with the rain we would be better off waiting until tomorrow. It was absolutely bucketing down outside plus I felt so rotten, I sent a silent prayer of thanks to the big upstairs and snuck back into bed to sleep off my excess alcohol consumption. I didn’t stir again until about 12.30 in the arvo it was such good sleeping weather. Feeling a bit lazy just snoozing my day away I decided to go in search of Internet access.

Outside it was still very wet but as luck would have it the heaviest of the rain had gone for the moment. I sparked up a durry and set off in search of some way to log into the web. I was coughing and wheezing my way through downtown Bajawa when a local noticed me consulting my map and decided I needed help. He was right; I was so lost I had no idea of where the local Telkom building was or even how to get back to my hotel. After some sign language conversation I felt I was on the right track again and thanked my helper with a durry. After another 20 minutes I finally found the Telkom Office exactly where my stranger had led me to believe it was. What a good man! The guy behind the huge front desk looked mortally wounded when I asked him about Internet and apologised profusely saying “Big rain… error. Please mister sorry”. Damn so close and yet so far and I had to walk all the way back to my hotel on the other side of town with no communication fix with home to buoy my spirits. To make it even more of a drag the rain started again when I was still 10 or so minutes from Edelweiss and I was saturated to the bone by the time I made it home.

I stripped of my wet stuff, threw the laptop onto charge and crashed back into my lumpy bed like a large redwood being felled by Paul Bunyan. You could hear all hell breaking loose outside as the thunder rolled in and the rain took on a fanatical fervour, attacking the earth like so many Kamikaze bombers from World War II. And that was pretty much all I did for the day. Sleeping fitfully through the afternoon, listening to my Ipod or the rain noise outside, alternating daydreams between when I get to see my crew again and chocolate brown beauty until my phone rang at about 6.30pm. It was Alfonz wanting me to pop round to Camellia to see the band again. I put my still damp gear back on and walked next door to catch up and talk music.

Tonight stayed very quiet at Camellia and the boys never quite mad the stage. Instead we sat around and shared a quiet beer listening to my laptop and burning off cd’s of music they wanted to learn. It was a very cool way to spend the night. We can kind of talk between the boys grasp of English and what little Bahasa I have picked up but there really wasn’t a big need to chat as we just poured over my Itunes and let the music speak for itself. It wasn’t a real late one either. I think we all where feeling the effects of our huge Saturday night and before we could get drunk or out of hand again I slipped off to bed. Alfonz promised to pick me up at 9am Monday and I let the rest of the band know I would see them Monday night for my last night in Bajawa. I actually didn’t even have to break into my hotel either. It made a nice change haha.

Monday December 15, 2008

I felt like a new man when I woke this morning, hangover free and ready to explore the traditional villages of the area. The weather on the other hand was still sullen and cranky, doing everything it could to ensure I would not leave my hotel at all. As I sat out on the front veranda I received a message from Alfonz, which read: “Morning Monster, I am so sorry I can’t join with u to Bena, coz my child are sick. Once more please forgive me, n I know u’ll regrets to me, 1000x sorry.” Buggar!! I told him not to worry and briefly contemplated just giving up on these damn villages all together. I could write them off like Kalimutu as something I was not destined to see during my journey this time and just return to bed to sulk and sleep my day away. Something stopped me from doing so, it was a feeling inside that I really would get a kick out of these villages, an urge to try and get some sight seeing done today come hell or high water, so I walked next door to Camellia’s again to get caffeinated, have a bite and come up with a game plan.

The owner of the restaurant, Stefan, knew Alfonz was meant to be taking me to Bena today and was surprised when I walked in the door. I knew he did tours of the area but I also knew that for one guy to rent a 4x4 and guide it was a very expensive exercise. Stefan seemed genuinely pissed off at Alfonz when I told him what had happened and he would not hear of me missing out so he went off to talk with his wife. Some ten minutes later he came back with his solution. He would take me to see two villages and the hot springs as he did some tasks he needed to do that day if I would pay for his fuel. I know a bargain when I see one so immediately agreed.

Stefan’s wife wouldn’t let us leave until I had taken a couple coffees, some breakfast (yummy banana pancakes) and equipped me with a large bottle of water and plenty of smokes for us both. What a sweetheart! We piled into Stefan’s Toyota 4x4, waved good-bye to his family and set off in the intermittent rainfall. We cruised Bajawa making some purchases of mechanical parts he needed, while he explained to me he has lived here in Bajawa for 25 years. Stefan was born in Ende and married his wife there before moving to Bajawa to hopefully make some business opportunity for his new family. The first ten years in town where spent as a motorcycle mechanic until he had saved up enough money to start his clean, if a little gaudy restaurant. He is a real character, of Chinese decent and one of those larger than life personalities that, if genuine, are so much fun to hang around. Stefan is a very genuine man and we had a ball today.

We sang along to his Indonesian pop music for the whole of the hour or so it took to get to the first village. Along the way we stopped and did some more of his chores, picked up a friend of his (Donny from the band), dropped the part off to Stefan’s son (who was broken down on his bike somewhere remote) and generally goofed around waving to everyone we passed. It was a blast! Langa is the name of our first stop but it was so wet and stormy I didn’t stay long. Stefan fussed over me, ensuring I take an umbrella he dredged up from the back of the car, so I could take a quick look around, sign the village guest book and make a small donation. I took just a few shots with my camera but I was worried about the water so quickly returned to the dry car to try Bena the next village and 2nd stop on our short itinerary. It was another hour or so of travel time over some of the worst roads I have encountered to date. I now understood why all the tour guides and drivers were so reluctant to take me in this weather. The rain had made parts of these roads virtually impassable but Stefan just spat on his hands, changed the fourbie into low ranged and ploughed on through as if it were nothing.

The guys dropped me off a short walk from Bena and if at first I was confused as to why I could not drive up with them, but it soon became apparent that on foot was the only way to approach this ancient little village. It felt natural, correct to be walking down the steep hillside and round a corner to take in the wonderful sight of this layered settlement. The rain was easing off as I walked and took pictures so that by the time I arrived it had stopped all together. The sun was trying hard to poke through the clouds but it was a losing battle. Not that it mattered, in a way the misty cloud that hung low to the rooftops along with the small, temporary, storm water stream that flowed through the middle of the thatched buildings made it appear that much more rustic… prehistoric nearly. I found two cool European tourists waiting on the rain to clear and we chatted for a short while before signing in and making our small donations. I don’t know how to describe this ancient looking place. Your just going to have to check out the shots I took. I can say that it is a strange feeling, wondering through people’s homes as they go about their daily business. It nearly feels like an intrusion on what must be a simple life that they lead. Everyone was extremely friendly and would stop to watch us watching them. I know this is a well-visited place but other than some western clothing, a tarpaulin and a cement mixer I saw, it felt like we were discovering a new culture, as if our Teva tread marks were leaving patterns on the earth here for the first time. I spent about an hour wondering around and talking to the people before it was time to move on again.

Our next stop was over more horror show roads and even Stefan got a small sweat up at times during this section. I had not read anything about hot springs in this area but with all the volcanos around I guess it makes sense that they exist. We stopped to do business once or twice and picked up another friend of Stefan’s but otherwise made a direct route to a small bamboo structure on the side of a dirt track. Stefan got out and urged me to follow him down a steep, rocky path to a pretty stream. “Hot springs” he said while pointing at the creek. I didn’t believe him but he kept at me, “Please step in” he continued. When I finally did the heat immediately struck me. It was like the warmest bath you would ever draw for yourself at home and felt like heaven on my feet. Stefan said something in Bahasa along with “half hour please” before walking back up the track to leave me on my own. I looked around at the bamboo filled jungle and small gurgling rapids to see if I was alone. It appeared as if I was and a plan for a swim quickly developed in my head.

I trekked down the creek a small way out of view should anyone else came down the trail, stripped off naked and jumped into the gorgeous water for a skinny dip. It was heaven on earth let me tell you. I lay in a rapid allowing the water to gently massage my skin and muscles with the bubbly, slightly salty hot water that cascaded over smooth boulders. Stretching out in a deeper pool just down from the rapids I then floated on my back in the heat and viewed the gorgeous slice of brooding sky that was not blocked by the thick vegetation. As I drifted the thermal waters, I thanked fate for introducing me to Stefan. This was not a place that many people get to appreciate, especially on their own and I knew it. I spent the whole half hour bathing in those relaxing waters before taking some photos and slipping out to get dressed and make my way back up to the car. I didn’t want to leave but thought I had pushed my nudie luck enough (especially with my history on this trip) and besides the rain was starting to get harder again which was a concern for me with my camera on the banks. I slipped and stumbled up the rarely used path to the road and discovered that the car wasn’t even there. Uh Oh!! My passport and a couple hundred dollars are in that car, let alone the fact I am alone in the middle of nowhere with no idea of how to get home. I sheltered under some banana leaves while I waited, getting a bit cold, wishing I had just stayed longer in that magic creek, but in the end it was only a few minutes before Stefan returned and I also remembered he had tried to tell me in Bahasa that he was going to do something while I checked out the springs.

We sang and bounced our way back to Bajawa in about an hour and a half. All in all that was one amazing little jaunt through the Indonesian countryside and I felt so privileged to be able to do it. Especially to go with my mates who are all bloody funny buggers. Stefan revelled in the challenge of driving the 4x4, while Donny sang his heart out to the tunes on the tape deck, I sat grinning in the front seat trying to take it all in and occasionally blurting out some bad, off key Bahasa any time I recognized a part of the songs. It was so much fun I was disappointed when at around 3.30pm we pulled up, back in the driveway of Camellia. I sat down inside the restaurant as the rain again increased its ferocity to quickly write up the day’s events. Before long I was making my excuses to head back to my room. I wanted to get a jump on packing for tomorrows bus trip to Ruteng and get some electronics charged up again. The boys are playing at Stefan’s again tonight and I will be back. Yes it’s a hard life I am living at the moment, but I somehow struggle though as best I can haha.

It happened again people; I was just packing up to go back to my room as I had written above and that nice European couple I met at Bena walked in the door. We ended up chatting for hours and I never did actually ask their names… Mark from Holland, a chemical engineer, I think and ??? originally from Chekoslavia but now living in Holland, a dental assistant. They’ve done a good portion of the same trip I have planned, including the Trans-Siberian railway, but from Europe back this way and it has taken them a year so far. I’m really going to have to get my finger out at some stage I reckon. We ended up having dinner and a few beers together before they made their excuses and went for an early night. Being such a mountain of knowledge and tips I was sorry to see them leave, besides they are really cool people and it was so flipping unreal to have a proper, easy English conversation but they have been travelling hard for days and have an early bus to catch to Ende so I understood.

By the time they left the boys had started to arrive so I kind of accidently stayed on until around midnight, watching N’Jel perform, drinking with Stefan and eventually just kicking back chilling with everyone after they had finished their nights work. The boys all poured over my music collection again, grabbing what they liked and burning it to cd. Hendry found my ummmm… ‘Adult Content’ entertainment while he trawled through my Itunes which meant I then had to wait around a bit more while he raced back home on his scooter to grab some blank DVD’s. Funny stuff! In the end I’m not sure which collection they were happier about, the music or the porn, but I know they had mad grins plastered on their faces as we made our goodbyes. Once again it makes me feel sad to be moving on but I need to keep pressing. My looming expiration of that pesky Indonesian visa is making me a bit worried and I want to get to Kuta, Bali to see if it is possible to extend or not. If I can’t I may have to break my no fly policy and that would give me the shits big time. Ah well, it’s all part of the fun I guess.

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