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Published: August 3rd 2006
Hungover at Kelimutu
if your wondering, the driver of the coach party took it. we did ask them if it was ok. nobody seemed to mindby caroline.
Salam,
After arriving late into Bali we hit the sack ready to find our bearings tomorrow.
The next few days we spend sorting our trip to Flores, making sure we draw enough cash as ATM's are few and far between over there.
We're hoping to have some chill out time on the beach, unfortunately the beaches are pretty poor but we did find a great bar called Paradise. After talking to Peter we decide to take an over land trip for four days. Our driver is Robert he reminds me of Eddie Murphy when he smiles. The trip involves of a lot of driving on very poor roads which makes the going very slow. After 9 hrs we arrive in Bajawa, everyone is very friendly, though the air is much cooler up here, glad I bought my fleece. Next morning we visit a traditional village where some people still live. Most of the locals are heading to church this morning and we give a lift to one of the local women whose teeth are stained red by eating the betel nut. On our way to Moni we stop at the green stone beaches and then Ende for lunch.
Labuanbajo
Looking out from the Paradise Bar Arriving in Moni at 2.30pm it feels great to be a part of real village life, as ever every one is happy and very friendly. Robert takes us up to the hot springs about 4.30pm. Tim and I had a shower earlier so decide to only paddle. Back at the digs we meet up with Roberts friends in this roadside shelter type thing, drink Arak mixed with honey and lime while a couple of the guy’s play guitars and sing, then we head of to the village hall for a party. There are two women and young a lad seated on the stage. We assumed they are the reason for the party but we never were sure why. After shaking hands with them we take a seat and wait for our meal. After Robert takes us over to a friend’s house for more Arak and music, back at the party we continue with Bintang (beer) and Red wine mixed together, yuck!
Next morning Max is knocking on the door at 5.30 we should have been up at 5.00.
Throwing on our clothes and jumping on the back of motor bikes we get taken up to Kelimutu to see the three
colour lakes, at the top it’s very cloudy, at least we didn’t miss the sunrise though I wish I’d brought my fleece it’s a bit chilly. The cloud did move around so we did get a good view of all the lakes, well worth the wait.
Back at the digs I discover I must have had a bit of a tumble last night as my trousers are split and have mud all up the back, surprise surprise
10.30, time to head back. We will be stopping at Bajawa for the night before heading back to Labuan Bajo. It’s been lovely to see some of Flores and send time with the locals. It will remain a special place in my memories.
After 2 nights at the Gola hilltop its time to move on to Lombok. Frist night on the boat is party night, just as well the deck is rather uncomfortable and once the engine starts up at 5am there's no chance of sleep. Arrive in Rinca at 7am. Rinca is part of komodo national park. We take a guided walk across the island, the scenary is stunning and we get to see wild buffalo, macaque monkeys and the famous komodo
Our En Suite in Bajawa
this is the only reason you need a left hand. dragon, though I'll take a rain check on getting too close, these things are huge. The trip continues to Gili Laba the water has got decidedly choppier. Tom and I get a soaking sat at the front of the boat reading, Tim's feeling a little queasy and stays on board while the rest of us go snorkeling.
4pm we set sail for Wera stopping there to have dinner, though we will be sailing through the night. Slept in the sand pit on the top deck which was a little more comfortable with a good strong breeze. In the morning we woke in Moyo and after breakfast we take a walk through the traditional village of Labaun Hajito to a waterfall for a quick dip.
Sailing on to Keramat island for more snorkeling. Tim's being really boring so I go on my own. The reef is beautiful with many fantastic colours, the island is very small, you can walk round it in about 10-15 mins and inhabited by one couple, Robinson Crusoe eat your heart out!
4pm we sail to our final destination, Lombok. After saying goodbye to the crew, who have been fantastic, as with all the local people we
have met, we jump on a bus stopping briefly at the Perama office in Materam to collect our free T- shirts. We arrive in Senggigi at 10.30pm. After dumping our bags we head straight to the Happy cafe to watch the football, this is where we meet Blackie for the first time.
Next morning I look like I've been punched in the eye, during the night the mozzies have had a field day. After breakfast we take a walk around town. We need to find some different digs or else I'll be eaten alive. Bumping into Blackie and Apong, Apong takes Tim on the back of his motor bike to find some new digs, they come up with the Graha beach hotel which is perfect. Not only is it right on the beach it has a fantastic pool area as well, and all for $8 each including breakfast a night.
The next 4 days we spend around the pool and the evenings in Happy or Papaya listening to Eddie and his band, the atmosphere is great and we're making good friends with the locals as well as other travellers.
One afternoon we visit the Sundance project, Blackie and Apong come
Flores Bus Network
proper budget travel along too. The project is for holiday homes in the sun. Although the resort is lovely, if we had the money we'd rather buy somthing in Senggigi. Dream On !
On our fifth day we take the boat over to Gili Trawangan for 3 days, staying at the Big Bubble.
The island is lovely but we're missing the live music and our friends in Senggigi.
Back at the Graha our return is discovered with in about 10 mins, and we get a visit from Blackie and Apong, we soon settle back into our lazy days and fun nights.
I take a visit to Materam prison with Blackie to visit his wife. Tim went last week, we also go and see his mum as she's not well. One of the days we hire a car. Blackie and Apong take us to the Kings Temple and a fresh water spring set in the middle of paddie fields.
At the end of the week the Cultural and Arts festival starts, with a 2hr prosession threw the streets. We spend the night at Happy with the band, I've even sang with them a couple of times. At the end of the evening Eddie hands
his guitar over to someone else, he's having a bit of a crisis and feels he's not playing well.
Eddie is supposed to be getting married in 2 weeks but he's in love with Rima the female vocalist in his band, he won't tell her bacause she's got a boyfriend, even though we know Rima likes Eddie.
Eddie and Blackie visit us at the pool the next day, Eddie wants to discuss his problem with Tim. Tim says he should call off the wedding however Eddie's other problem is his brothers who are all waiting to marry thier girlfriends but as Eddie is the eldest son his mum wants him to marry first. NO WIN !
As Eddie still isn't playing tonight we go to Alberto's with him, Blackie, Apong and Jurin to listen to another band on the beach. Jurin has mde me a necklace as a gift which is very sweet.
The following afternoon I start to feell ill, later that evening we call a doctor, he advises that we stay on another night so I can rest. We get a visit from the manager to say we are welcome to stay for free although that won't be
nessesary. Eddie and Blackie also drop by to see me, everyone is so kind and friendly it's going to be tough leaving.
Our last day I feel a bit better and I have stopped being sick. We have a quiet day. After dinner at the welcome home cafe, where they cook me a special light meal, it's time to say goodbye at Happy and Papaya.
On checking out we are given a gift from Aldhi one of the guy's that drinks at the Happy with a note to say sorry he could'nt be there to say goodbye last night.
Blackie sees us of on to the boat, I'm really gonna miss these guy's.
Back in Kuta, just have time to have my hair done and book digs for Singapore.
This morning Tim's gone off to get New Zealand blog off while I pack, already had 3 or 4 phone calls from Blackie, it's nice to be missed.
We're hoping to go back before we go home, it'll be a good way to end our trip and find out if Eddie got married or not.
by tim
Indonesia was always a place we would go through just to get
elsewhere. I never really expected it to be that great, but it is. We loved it, especially Sengigi in Lombok.
Even on Flores a small island to the east of Bali, a place where on first impression appears grim, a place where the accommodation isn't rated with stars but on the quality of the mould. I even met people that arrived in Labuan bajo with the intentions of staying for a week but after wandering around the town for ten minutes got back on the boat and went back to where they came from. Even here, once we bothered to delve in to the island proper, once we looked beneath the dirty facade, the littered streets, the grotty beaches and the poverty we discovered a place that was really cool. Not just because it was very pretty neither, which it undoubtedly is once you got out of the towns, but mostly because of the people. Those people who work their fingers to the bone just to be able to eat, and the people who sit all day and do nothing, purely because there is nothing to do, the same people that will never have a pot to pee in but
are without doubt some of the happiest people we have ever come across. Some mornings I would get in the car feeling sorry for myself. I would never get used to wiping my bum with my hand, it's just wrong, although it did cure my nail biting. We would set off and the first person we would pass would wave and give us the broadest of smiles, changing my mood immediately. It was quite humbling in fact.
I hope you like the photo at the top. We thought it might be a bit of fun even though we were hungover although I reckon Caroline was still pissed because I normally have a hell of a job to get her naked in public, sorry Rose.
Our stay in Sengigi on the island of Lombok turned in to a real treat. Our hotel the Graha was right on the beach. A 3 star place with a 4 star pool area and 5 star service was a bit of luxury we had'nt been use to for a while, so our stay of a few days turned in to two weeks. We made friends with several of the locals and we spent most
of our evenings with them in the bars.
I got the opportunity to visit Blackie's wife Ese in Mataram prison and snapped up the chance immediately. The prison is mixed with twenty people to a cell. The food is rancid but nevertheless everybody still walked around the yard looking quite happy. I was allowed in the yard with the inmates, I was'nt searched and I was suprised how relaxed it all was. I spent a couple of hours there talking to some of the guy's and dishing out my smokes and I spent a long time talking to the head screw, a fella called Zali. Zali told me all about the prison. Most of the people were there for supplying drugs and I found out that a couple of thousand dollars would reduce a sentence of several years to just a few months and it was legal and above board. I even discovered that Ese, who had seven months remaining from a two year stretch could be allowed out in two months for just $200. The problem for most of the local people of course is the average wage for them is only around $10 a week so most of
Old Red Eye
a komodo dragon on the island of rinca them have to serve their time. My visit to the prison was a real highlight of my trip so far mostly because then are'nt many westerners that have the chance to see it.
Back in Sengigi we checked out their annual cultural festival where I got to see traditional stick fighting. Apong reckoned he was doing it but he bottled it, and I don't blame him. Even a soft blow left a huge welt in the skin and these boys were battering the hell out of each other but it was great fun watching.
Eventually it was time to leave. Singapore was beckoning.
Oh, Caroline cried.
Sampai Jumpa Lagi
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Tim
non-member comment
Yeah OK So What
Alright Amo, so your probably right but it was a minnow with a tooth the size of your ear