PASOLA Lamboya 18th February So we set off again after the false start on 15th, We choose to start late missing the ceremony on the beach and the Nayel worms heralding the commencement of the initial battle between 2 riders before the whole Pasola starts in earnest up on the field. Previous experience of the dawn start with traditional ceremonies had resulting in us standing a wood for hours with the appointed holy man coming out of his hut from time to time to scratch his nuts and go back in again. So we would just do the main event. I am glad we did people reported later that is was a small spiritual affair and tourists had intruded, some pigs ignoring the pleas not to take photographs and snapping away anyway, pure ignorance. One guy ... read more

On to Palau Weh otherwise known as Sabang What a stunning island fantastic but even now with most of the NGO staff gone from Banda there is an accommodation problem especially at weekends. We arrived at the ferry port and locals sort the transport out part of the way in a bus then they unloaded us into a Taxi. Nice driver who is the main driver for Iboih beach. We wanted to stay at Gapang so he took us round looking for a place Ellie wasn’t feeling to good so looked for AC it was late, we ended up at one of the Government places Laguna Resort big bungalows 250000Rp a night absolutely crap. Toilet stank like a gent’s urinal that had never been cleaned. The rooms are huge soulless and depressing ours had more ants ... read more

Arrived in Banda all very organised with the Taxis set price 90,000Rp fixed from the airport all set up for all the NGO people the number of which are now dwindling. Banda seems OK. First impressions of the Tsunami aftermaths personally I can’t just go to such a place and pretend nothing has happened. We talked to many people about the tragedy people who experienced it, people who were there already and the first outsiders in, people from NGOs who had been working there and how it all went afterwards. The Military were some of the best with the right equipment and organisation to sort things the quickest. I was working in Thailand at the time and travelling offshore through Utapao airport. This is the old B52 bomber base they used as one of the places ... read more

Iwan the our guide from the Jungle Inn had been suggesting we take a trip to Tangakahan About 2.5 hours from Bukit Lawang (it took about 3.5 in the end) we can go for a day trip allegedly. Well that’s possible but who would want to. Not wanting to spend so long travelling in one day we decide on an overnight. This is where we screw up having got friendly with Iwan and liking his good knowledge and attitude to the wildlife. So we don’t check it out anywhere else. This would have been easy to do. Iwan said we had to come back to Bukit Lawang to get back to Medan we already had a flight to Banda Ache booked. Left one of our Bags at Iwans house and meet up with the chain smoking ... read more

This trip started well, Ellie and I were meeting up in Schipol with her coming in from home in the UK and myself travelling direct from work in Africa via Paris and London Heathrow. then on to KL through Schipol. First off AF didn’t get my bag from Paris to London and being AF couldn’t get it until the next day, this was early in the mourning with dozens of flights available to get the bag to Schipol before I departed for KL 13 hours later but for AF no chance. Next off Ellie coming out of Heathrow in the afternoon had a delayed flight due to the BA flight from Beijing crashing. She actually arrived at the other end of Schipol before I took off to KL no chance of making it. KLM were complete ... read more

I write this because I know the issue often comes up when people are planning to go to Eastern Indonesia. I have just returned from a holiday in Maluku 3 weeks in November 06. While I do not have Bahsa we meet up with some knowledgeable people on the subject of the conflict. Dutch Mulukans, local English speakers Europeans trying to run businesses in the area, People who came there for Holidays every year and only missed one year during the conflict and extended conversations with a Dutch journalist, she spends much of her time in Muluku covering the area including being there during the conflict and in East Timor during the war, These are my opinions on the security situation, formed from observations and conversations. It goes without saying that you decide for yourself. The ... read more