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Published: October 8th 2009
Yes, it's us again - this blog is still trundling, relentlessly on. Our trip ended over 4 months ago now, but James is more determined than ever to bring this story to its proper conclusion - even if no-one's reading anymore! The show must go on......
Returning to Labuanbajo, port town on the Western Coast of Flores, Indonesia, we were utterly exhausted after our epic journey to the volcanic lakes at Kelitmutu. Our dilapidated transport spluttered into town just as night was falling, and we splashed out on a hotel room with hot, running water (providing the first proper shower in over a week), before crawling under the sheets for a long, deserved sleep. We were booked on a 2 day boat tour back to Lombok (the island we initially departed from on our mission to Kelimutu) the following day, but this didn't depart until 7pm. Immensely thankful for this time to do nothing, and remain in one place for more than 10 minutes, we took this rare opportunity for a lazy day - sleeping, eating, internet correspondence, and some laundering of very stinky clothes. By the time the evening rolled around we were suitably rested and fully prepared to
Undersized Sea Vessel
40 people lived on here for 3 days....embark on another bedless and showerless journey. Our trusty vessel was in much better nick than the norm in Indonesian water transportation, but still way over the safe capacity limit (luckily there are no icebergs in the Flores Sea). Including the 8 crew members, there were 40 of us aboard this boat of mediocre proportions - with only 15 beds up for grabs the sleeping arrangements on deck were 'cosy'. Luckily, all our fellow passengers (a real melting-pot of nationalities - Canadians, French, Dutch, German, American, Australian, and Swedish) were super friendly and made for riveting company.
Anchor was hoisted in time with the sun, and we arrived at our first stop - the island of Rinca - at 7am. Along with neighbouring Komodo Island, Rinca is home to Komodo National Park - the only place in the world to see Komodo dragons in the wild. These 'dragons' have earnt a mystical and magical reputation, and not only because of their fairytale name. Komodo's are the world’s largest living species of lizard and, as such, provide a unique window on the long gone era of dinosaurs. They can grow up to 3 metres in length, and weigh around 70kg.
Komodo Dragon
Strutting around Such huge dimensions are the result of 'island gigantism', a term used to describe how these animals have been allowed to evolve and develop unimpaired by predators or any equivalent carnivores in their unique ecosystem. Even since their discovery by Western scientists in 1910, Komodo's have remained top of the food chain - attacks on humans are rare, but even as recently as March this year a local man was killed by two of these giants. We were lucky enough to closely observe 10 dragons during a 1 hour trek over the fascinating, constantly undulating landscape of Rinca, featuring flora and fauna from a bygone time.
Back on the boat, we re-entered the notorious waters surrounding Komodo National Park - not quite as scary as our previous night-time commute but the swirling currents, sweeping rip-tides, and ominous threat of whirlpools were still rather disconcerting. Two hours of uneasy boating later, we arrived at the day’s second port of call. Gili Laba is an isolated, island paradise - inaccessible enough in these tempestuous waters to only be reachable on an extended boat trip. Still, such a journey is more than worthwhile: the shimmering waters beneath are boat were so crystal
Komodo Dragon
About as big as these guys get clear that the sea-bed - more than 30ft below the water's surface, alive with glorious coral, and teeming with extravagant, tropical fish - was clearly visible. The anchor was dropped, and we were treated to an hour of fascinating snorkelling and carefree strolling along the golden shore. For sheer paradisiacal bliss, this place may even top our aquatic exploits in El Nido (the Philippines). On the move again, we were momentarily joined by a school of dolphins racing alongside the boat - another first for both of us. The captain maintained our steady progress, tracing the Northern coastline of Sumbawa, while the rest of us settled down on deck for another night sleeping soundly beneath the twinkling stars.
By 8am next morning, we'd arrived at Pulau Moyo and set off on a walk around the traditional island village, followed by fun and frolics combining a big waterfall and a rope swing. The local youngsters were very excited by this Western invasion of their favourite play spot. We still had a fair distance to cover before reaching Lombok (home to the Gili Islands - where we initially began our prolonged journey to Kelimutu) but there was still time for one
Komodo Landscape
A fitting habitat for giant lizards more stop. This turned out to be another isolated island, but far smaller than any visited previously - the entire island could be circumnavigated on foot in under 3 minutes. Our oversized tour party just managed to squeeze ashore, and we made the most of the surrounding coral beds and blissful sunshine, before climbing back aboard our trusty vessel for the final slog to Eastern Lombok. On arrival we jumped straight onto a minibus and headed inland, arriving in Sengiggi (our home for the night) around 8pm - incredibly sad that this incredible mini-adventure was over, but rather looking forward to an increasingly rare hot shower and soft bed.
The next two days were primarily devoted to vital R&R; we hired a motorbike to explore some of the coastline and a couple of secluded waterfalls, but otherwise achieved very little. Such a period of inactivity was just what the doctor ordered after the preceding weeks very hectic schedule. However, such idle rejuvenation was only a temporary solution, and we booked a minibus to pick us up at 10am on the 3rd day. Finally pulling up outside our hotel at 11.30, the driver casually explained that he was late because
Komodo Leftovers
The scant remains of a recent feast for these very carnivorous creatures a rear wheel had exploded on the way over....
and then the rear window shattered! Not the ideal start to a long journey. Fortunately, the remaining commute to Lomboks Western-most town passed by uneventfully, and we made it back across to Bali largely unscathed. From Bali's coast we took another bus to the capital, intending to stay the night before catching the first available transport next morning to Probollingo (on the neighbouring island of Java). On arrival in Denpesar, however, we discovered that there was also a night bus that could get us to Probollingo by sunrise. Feeling reasonably refreshed after our mini-break in Sengiggi, and always eager to save money on accommodation, we eagerly jumped aboard and prepared for another night in transit.
A further 9 hours of travelling over land and sea followed before we arrived in Probollingo just before daybreak. There was no time for sunrise-gawping however, as our final destination was still 2 hours away. Cemero Lawang is a small mountain village in the middle of Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park. It is the overnight accommodation choice for many hardy tourists, before an early morning ascent of Mount Bromo's smoky crater. Bromo is one of Indonesia’s premier
Boat Deck
James on the very cosy boat deck (15 people slept out here!) tourist draws, and a much more accessible alternative to Kelimutu. It actually forms part of a mesmerising quartet of volcanoes - in the middle of a vast, dusty plateau (aptly named the 'Sea of Sands'), framed by Mt. Widodaren and Mt. Batok, and with the extremely volatile Mt.Semeru belching away in the background. The landscape exudes otherworldly magnificence but, with the very active and constantly smoking state of Bromo and Semeru, it isn't for the faint-hearted. We wanted to make the most of our visit to this special place, so decided to spend the night and leave the short ascent to Bromo's rim until dawn the following morning. To entertain ourselves until this time, we embarked on a scenic trek to a mountaintop lookout - with stunning views over the surrounding volcanoscape - and got very giddy contemplating what lay in store the next day. The adventure began at 4.15am, as we traversed the eerie 'sea of sands' and scaled the final 250 steps up to Bromo's precarious crater lip. Standing inches from the deadly drop into Bromo's belching belly, we watched open-mouthed as the sun began to peek over the Eastern mountain range. The scene developing before us provided
another completely unforgettable experience - sunlight crept across the sea of sands, to the crater base and up to the mountain tip, gradually illuminating our awesome surroundings and throwing a myriad of enchanting silhouettes against the thick, sulphuric gases bellowing from this rumbling giant. Truly breathtaking.
Back at the hotel by 8am, still awestruck but slowly returning to the normal world, we had no time to sit and reflect with a minibus booked to take us back down to Probollingo, and then onwards to Yogykarta. After 10 hours of possibly the most erratic and death-baiting driving of the trip so far (by no means an easy achievement), our grinning driver left our thankful souls in the cultural capital of Indonesia. Yogykarta (confusingly pronounced 'Joke-Ja-Karta') is another popular tourist destination, and the place to visit if you want to experience traditional Indonesian arts and culture. The close proximity of the worlds biggest Buddhist temple - Borobodur - and the esteemed Hindu holy site at Prambanan, make this a must on every Indonesian itinerary. Yogya was also the location we'd arranged to meet Hannah's dad - Mark Swan (Esq. Bsc (Hons), MBA) - who was joining us for the next two
James Jumps
..... into a very inviting sea weeks. His flight wasn't due in until the evening, so we spent the day wandering around town and making the most of our first hotel swimming pool of the trip (very luxurious!). The third and final visiting Swan touched down just before dinner - a little jetlagged and disorientated by the tropical heat and vast culture change. So the three of us embarked on a brief tour of town and ate some tasty local fare, as Mark gradually adapted to the climate, cuisine and culture of this fascinating place.
A refreshing swim and lazy breakfast made for a lethargic start to the following day, and we maintained a slow pace ambling around town and taking in some of the towns main sights. Except for the Kraton (an 18th Century Sultan's palace) there aren't so many specific, static structures to see in Yogykarta. Instead, the myriad of traditional arts and activities on show is what people come to see. There's just so much going on here! Intricate batik painting, wayang shadow puppetry, extravagant Ramayana ballet - all fascinating and unique crafts, lovingly passed down through the generations. James and Mark invested in some elaborate batik paintings, before the 3 of
us retired back to the hotel for more frolicking by the pool in the late afternoon sun. The day was far from over, however, as we swapped the shorts and sandals for something a little more upmarket and headed slightly out of town to a highly recommended seafood restaurant - candlelit tables set amidst luscious, green paddies of rice. Remarkably delicious grub in this special setting was followed by cocktails and cigars at the even posher Grand Hyatt Hotel & Golf Club (courtesy of the ever generous Mark). This extravagant luxury was a welcome change from the norm of our time in Indonesia (and anywhere else beforehand).
Such a level of decadence was short-lived, however, and by the time the next day rolled around, it was our turn to treat Mark to a day of traditional Yogya life - starting in a whirlwind of feathers and noise at the cacophonous Bird market, and followed by an impromptu tour of a local shadow-puppet workshop - all fuelled by more streetside grub, costing less than £1 a head. The days thrifty theme continued as we took a very 'local' bus to the town of Borobudur, 40km out of town. Mark's first
Floating Youngsters
Paddled across the sea to wake us up early on the second day experience of typical, budget far-eastern public transport will be one he won't forget for a while.
Borobudur is Java's number one tourist attraction, and not without good reason; the otherwise innocuous little town is home to the largest and most extravagant Buddhist temple in the world. We paid a little extra for the privilege to stay on the temple grounds, only two minutes from the entranceway. This allowed us to sneak inside and climb to the monuments upper platform a few minutes before official opening time. We sat in silent solitude, atop this epic holy structure, watching the sun rise slowly above a distant, smoking Mt. Merapi. A remarkable moment of sheer bliss and serenity, and another truly inspiring location from which to greet a new day. The last minute decision to sleep on site, and beat the crowds, also turned out to be very wise - by 6.15am the temple was a teething mass of tourist bodies. Back on the bus back to Yogya, we took a quick detour to visit the Mendut Temple - home to the only major Buddha statue that depicts the great man in a Western chair-sitting position - and still made it back
Naked & Happy
Lots of naked youngsters were excitedly throwing themselves into the water. Such unrestrained joy is rare and it was a great spectacle to witness to town by early afternoon. This allowed just enough time for another quick splash in the pool (we definitely got our moneys worth here!) and more delectable street food, before jumping on a different bus and heading to the regions second major religious site.
A mere 18km out of Yogya, in the opposite direction to Borobudur, stands Prambanan - the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia. The main building was constructed in the tenth century; a marvel of contemporary architecture, stretching 47 metres up into the heavens. We found time to explore all of the major temples before the day reluctantly gave in to the night. Despite the encroaching darkness, our time at Prambanan was only just beginning. We'd previously booked tickets to the Ramayana ballet - a highly praised theatrical adaptation of the ancient Hindu epic. The full version consists of four 2-hour evening performances, but (fortunately) there is also an alternative show with the entire story condensed into a single 2-hour sitting. The location couldn't be more spectacular: a vast, open stage, circled by jam-packed, concrete benches, and with the illuminated temples of Prambanan providing an utterly enchanting backdrop. A more perfect ending to our Indonesian adventures
is hard to imagine.
One more night in Yogya was followed by a day in limbo in neighbouring Solo, before we left these shores for good, taking to the skies and heading for Malaysia's capital. Our 4 weeks in Indonesia were packed with an incredibly diverse array of once-in-a-lifetime experiences - from lush rice paddies to secluded islands, and from twinkling azure seas to the peaks of rumbling giants - all providing treasured photographs and precious memories. And, all this with a further 2 weeks in Peninsular Malaysia still to go! However, that chapter of our adventures will have to wait for the next (and final!) blog.
(MORE PHOTOS BELOW)
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Carol Ross
non-member comment
So lovely
Another glorious blog, making me want to explore all the places you two have visited. The trip may have ended but clearly the memories won't xx