Just a quick line to let people know that I'm back in Padang. There is too much to say and too little time so for now I'll just leave it that I'm still alive and got some great surf. So those who were worrying can stop worrying for now. Photos to come later. [View Full Entry]

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My flight is tomorrow, from Singapore to Padang. I've successfully acquired a 60 day visa this time from the consulate in Johor Baru, in Malaysia just over the border from Singapore. I'm trying not to get my expectations too high, but the Mentawais are probably one of the most highly regarded surf destinations the world over. It's an archipelago about 100 kms from Padang, on the west coast of Sumatra. Sumatra itself is already pretty remote. The Mentawai Islands are quite remote. Hunter-gatherer tribes can still be found living in some of the densest rainforest jungle in Indonesia. There's a public [View Full Entry]

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I made it out of East Timor just before the attempted coup. But I didn't make it out with what I went for...a 60 day visa. I only mangaged to get 30 days, not enough to make continuing a mountain bike/surf trip practical. So to make a long story short I returned to Empang via Sumba to recover my surfboard and then bussed and ferried back to Java. I've stopped in Solo, Central Java for a few days to rest and soak up some Javanese culture. I chose Solo because it is one of the major batik producers, which I [View Full Entry]

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We've made it to Dili no problems, almost. The only real problem is that I didn't get what I came here for, the 60 day visa. I clearly wrote "60 days" on the application but the friendly woman at the office told me it was impossible. That was after waiting around for 3 days. I went back to the window to politely insist and she said I needed to write a letter why I wanted to stay in Indonesia for more than 30 days, but that it was too late now and I could do it next time. It's like highschool [View Full Entry]

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I've rejoined mainstream backpackers for the time being. The mountain bike and the surfboard are waiting for me half way across Sumbawa Island; in Empang at Pak Am's house. My left knee couldn't continue. Very very frustrated, but with no choice I continued by bus to Bima. I ended up hanging out in that "town" for 3 days on the misinformation that a boat was going to leave for Kupang, Timor. I started to get very grouchy as I had to deal again with bemos, ojeks, tiny buses and all other indecent forms of transportation in a country that started to [View Full Entry]

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I left Kuta, Lombok at 6am and arrived at Utan, Sumbawa at 6pm. I have no idea how many kilometer or miles that was but it was definitely too many. I'm taking a day or maybe two to recuperate here in Sumbawa Besar, the regional capital. I got off the ferry and started to pedal my way to Utan when a motorcycle with two guys from Java waved my over and asked to have their photo taken with me. Right then Renaud, a french surfer I'd met while I was living in Areguling happened to pass by and stopped to [View Full Entry]

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A new year, a new island. Tomorrow I leave for Sumbawa, the next island to the east. If things go as planned (which they usually don’t) I’ll pass through here (Kuta, Lombok) again in a month or two and enjoy some of these waves in less stormy conditions. It wasn’t easy leaving Areguling. Ibu Rahim, my adopted mother, didn’t say much but cried a lot. They were obviously genuinely worried about me leaving for Sumbawa by mountain bike. Sumbawa is larger than Bali and Lombok combined but only two small areas have recognized surf strongholds, Western Sumbawa where you can [View Full Entry]

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  I reached Kuta ... easy. The waves at Kuta itself are pretty lame but there is a good choice of spots both to the east and to the west. Air Goleng is a little sea weed farming village with a quality right and left hand reef break out front. It's very near Kuta ... by motorbike which is how most traveling surfers get about. By mountain bike I packed lunch and decided to make a day trip of it surfing early morning and late evening when conditions would be best.  So while all the other surfers left I hung out [View Full Entry]

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I've changed the trip to a mountain biking/surfing trip. I'm in the capital of Lombok (Mataram pop. 130,000) the last "city" I'll come across so I'm taking advantage of it before I head further east...further back in time. Arriving in Lombok was already a change. Goats at the harbor. Horse drawn carriages on the road. Riding the bike from Kuta, Bali to Padangbai (harbor) took only 3 hours! It wasn't very pleasant, too many motorcycles and trucks. Once I got to Lombok the sounds of the many insects covered the little traffic noise! I'm really looking forward to getting on [View Full Entry]

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I've made it to Kuta, Bali with my new 60 day visa. I try not to feel very frustrated about this visa hassle but I just have to say that it sucks! I have no shortage of time, I should be able to visit this country and go from place to place at my own pace, but here I am in Bali feeling rushed to get to Lombok and Sumbawa since I have to be out of the country again by the 25th of January. This might seem like a lot of time, but look at the map and remember that [View Full Entry]

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