Blogs from Ruteng, Flores, Indonesia, Asia

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Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng August 3rd 2017

... so said Hamlet to poor, doomed Ophelia. I had to stifle the giggles when I learned that the English-speaking nun who takes care of bookings at Susteran St. Maria Berdukacita in Ruteng, commonly known as MBC, was named Sister Ophelia. In case you're still wondering what on earth I am going on about, I stayed at a convent. And no, I didn't burst into flames while I was there. But first, let's talk about one of the most memorable days of travel I have ever had (and the bar was already set very high on this one). Getting to Ruteng The morning started with yet another transportation c**k up. The Gunong Mas shared van that was supposed to pick me up at the hotel didn't arrive at the appointed time. The hotel called the bus ... read more
Cancar Village
Spiderweb Rice Fields
Ruteng

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng October 21st 2011

We went to the world's largest Muslim country, and found a convent. We even stayed there, and took the opportunity to photograph aspects of our hosts' lives. Flores was colonised by the Portuguese (flores = flowers). The most obvious remnant of their time here is the widespread Catholicism of the island's inhabitants. Simple churches stand where Bali has its temples and the rest of Indonesia has its mosques. In 1000 metre high Ruteng we also found regular rain for the first time. Deafening downpours would last for hours in the afternoon, necessitating early starts. As we were staying in the convent with a 9pm curfew and 6.30am breakfast, this was not difficult. Ruteng itself is fairly unremarkable, but it is surrounded by imposing peaks and lush countryside. It sits on a plateau which houses rice fields ... read more
Ruteng street
Local children eager to practise their English
Hobbit cave

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng September 7th 2011

After the success of finding a Giant Rat, I felt really good about trying to now finally find a hanging parrot. Just out of Ruteng is a little village called Pagal and just beyond that is some roadside forest which is supposed to be a good site for both the Wallace's hanging parrot and the Flores green pigeon. In the morning I took a motorbike to the forest, and sure enough after only about ten minutes I found a green pigeon in the top of a tree. It was only one pigeon but one is enough, and I think a lot of people don't even find that many when on the island. I walked up the road and back for several hours but no more pigeons did I see, and no hanging parrots either. There were ... read more

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng September 6th 2011

The morning after the Komodo trip I took a motorbike to Tebedo, the nearby village which I was constantly assured was home to Wallace's hanging parrots and giant rats. I met up with Frans who lives there (and who was the one doing all the assuring) and we went into the forest where he grows coffee to find parrots. There were none. "Lots of nuri here yesterday morning," he says. I don't think I'll be returning to Tebedo. Even I know when to call it quits! I went back to Labuanbajo, got my bags, and took a bus to Ruteng where the staff at the Rima Hotel were pleasantly surprised to see me again so soon. I basically had two more chances at finding a giant rat, tonight and tomorrow night, and then I'd be out ... read more
a tree like the one the Giant Rat was in
Flores Giant Rat....er, somewhere

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng August 28th 2011

Labuanbajo is very hot. I just thought I'd throw that out there. I mean I remembered it was hot, but not really how hot. Although I think its actually hotter than it was last time I was here because all the locals are complaining that its too hot. It hasn't rained since January apparently, and of course the longer it goes without rain the hotter it gets. The first bird I saw in Flores this trip were black-fronted flowerpeckers in the gardens of the Gardena Hotel. I even got some photos. There were other birds around as well but I didn't bother looking. I think that's my problem, most of the birds I'm seeing I've already seen and because I'm really just looking for a few (impossible) target mammals I'm not putting all that much effort ... read more
black-fronted flowerpecker (Dicaeum igniferum)
Danau Ranamese
Danau Ranamese

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng February 25th 2011

I slept well although the call to prayer did wake me at about 4.30am, Ruth went to breakfast while I walked for a few kilometres up the road to a bank with an ATM, by the time I finally got back my breakfast was cold. Augustin arrived a short time later with our new driver they tried to up the price which resulted in an unpleasant exchange, but I managed to push them down a bit and it cost us $259 for a car and driver for four days. By 9am we were on our way, as with many Asian countries the main highways are often lined with villages and businesses and Flores is no different, the landscape is tropical lush and green, with numerous fruit trees growing wild. The roads are narrow and often dangerous ... read more
The Trans Flores Highway
Chickens on the way to Market
Spider Web Rice Terrace

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng June 22nd 2009

On Timor I made my way up that island’s highest mountain, Gunung Mutis, and now I’ve also stood on top of Flores’ highest mountain, Gunung Ranaka. Its not really as great a feat as it may sound - there’s a paved road all the way to the top! Still it was a hard slog and took about five hours, including numerous birding stops as well as for second breakfast and elevenses. The entrance road isn't far from Ruteng, maybe eight kilometres or so, about four bends past where the road has obviously fairly recently been completely taken out by a landslide and re-cut. Its rather inconspicuous if you're trying to find it, just a modest arch labelled "Taman Wisata Alam Ruteng" set back from the main road. The situation seemed the same as at Danau Ranamese ... read more
Ruteng, as seen from part-way up the mountain
one of the many altars on top of the mountain, presumably so you can pray the volcano won't erupt while you're up there...

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng June 20th 2009

A long time ago when the world was young, there was an island. On the island there were many wonderful animals: a monstrously large lizard, a giant rat, a giant tortoise, and a pigmy elephant. And there was also a little man who walked among the animals and every so often stabbed them with his little spear and ate their flesh. Still, he was only a little man and his stomach wasn't very big so it all worked out all right. But then there arrived on the island a bigger man and he had a big appetite, and he ate all the little elephants and all the big tortoises and he drove the little man into the hills where he hid. That sounds like a Just So story, but the island was Flores and the little ... read more
welcome arch at the cave itself (it's supposed to say selamat datang)
Liang Bua, the main part of the cave as seen from the outside
Liang Bua from inside looking back at the entrance

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng June 19th 2009

Something funny happened on the way to Flores - I discovered that the flight to Ruteng actually goes to Labuanbajo then they take you by bus to Ruteng. I wasn’t particularly impressed by this. The whole point of flying straight to Ruteng was to avoid the four hour bus trip there in the first place. You have to go with the flow when in Indonesia but sometimes they really do make it difficult. The first grueling forty minutes of the bus trip were through what appeared to be one continuous roadwork. And because it was largely being accomplished through the use of wheelbarrow and shovel, I think it’s a fair bet to say there won’t be a whole lot of progress made over the next hundred-odd years. Once past that the road was actually very good ... read more
my room at the Rima Hotel
Danau Ranamese

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Ruteng October 31st 2007

The bus from Bajawa to Ruteng took over seven hours, and by the time we tumbled out of it in Ruteng we were tired and ready to eat something and go to bed. First, of course, we had to find a bed. We took moto taxis through town to our chosen hotel, and found it completely full. So we went to our second choice, and the owner informed us that he too was full, as was every single hotel in town. Apparently there was a local festival going on, and all the people from surrounding areas were in Ruteng to celebrate. The sun had set, and we were at least four hours from the next town with accommodation, and there was nowhere to sleep. The hotel owner looked at our dejected expressions, and mumbled something about ... read more
funny truck
on the bus leaving Ruteng




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