Blogs from Flores, Indonesia, Asia - page 5

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Asia » Indonesia » Flores April 18th 2015

It has to be one of the greatest thrills. I dived down maybe 5 metres at most just ahead of the manta. I then swam along no more than two feet from its back. It was huge and yet so graceful. The wing span must have been 3 metres. The two big flaps, so characteristic of Mantas stuck out of its head. I swam right above it close enough to touch its black back as long as I could. It was breath-taking. It moved with such minimum effort. I will never forget it as long as I live. We were on a four day cruise from Lombok to Flores. I had better define the word 'cruise' as there was no Captain's table or party frocks. Furthermore Jane knows she has permission to shoot me if I ... read more
Just majestic
The boat
Posing with a green turtle (look closely on the right!)

Asia » Indonesia » Flores August 31st 2014

We left Pulau Besar just as the reef was becoming visible in the morning light, we had a track line to follow on the chart plotter but its always nice to have a real world backup. We had a light breeze blowing us across the north of the island at about 3 knots, which dropped out as we went out into open water. Then it returned an hour later and gradually built to a 15 knot breeze pushing us from behind. I was forever waiting for it to drop out again but it pushed us along goose winged for the rest of the trip… leaving the motor off, a rarity in this stretch of coast. We turned south into the inlet of Batu Boga (east) heading for the anchorage described as “perfection” but found it was ... read more
Batu Boga east in the morning calm
looking for information in Maurole
Paddy fields

Asia » Indonesia » Flores August 22nd 2014

The cultural event at Lewoleba (Lembata) (anchored at S8 22.208 E123 24.536) was definitely the best reception so far, I think because it was obviously much more laid on for us… and ironically it was the first event not part of the rally. The yachties lined up on the jetty behind some ceremonial twine which was cut in front of the crowds to welcome us ashore - of course we had all been ashore already. Then most of us were given headpieces made of reed and a taste of the locally made palm wine as we left the jetty (not tasty stuff). We took our seats and watched the dance of 100 school children which was lovely, to the backdrop of the huge volcano. Then the carnival procession lead off to town and we walked along ... read more
Dance of 100 children
procession through town
The truck taking a rest stop half way across the island

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Labuanbajo July 11th 2014

Well, I’m sitting here on my last night in Flores, as a huge blood-red sun slowly dips behind a distant volcano that billows clouds of smoke and scores of gorgeous tropical islands slowly disappear into the night. Admittedly it’s been a rather short holiday, but a truly wonderful one none the less… After a brief stopover in Bali (which literally consisted of a plate of mee goreng, a couple of cold beers, a few hours of sleep and a rather bleary-eyed watching of the World Cup with an Estonian deckhand and a chain-smoking Balinese security guard) I boarded a small plane for the trip to Flores. Named Capa de Flores, or Cape of Flowers, by Portuguese explorers in the 16th century, Flores is a gorgeously verdant little strip of land, a few islands to the east ... read more
The World Cup - Flores-style
Like a plate of mee - screenshot of the Transflores Highway on Googlemaps
Two of the three lakes at Kelimutu

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Rinca September 14th 2013

Selamat Malam, Leben und Sterben, Verrotten und Gedeihen, man sollte dieser Insel den Schönheispreis verleihen. Drachen, Bäume,Blumen,lachen .......Auf dem Weg durch Flores und Rinca begegne ich guten Menschen, bösen Tieren und den schlechtesten Hauptverkehrsstraßen meines Lebens. Infrastruktur, was ist das? Straßen was ist das? Ist es möglich einen Highway Highway zu nennen wenn es eigentlich ein Downway bzw. ein Slowway ist?Es ist nicht leicht das grausame Strassenbild floretinischer Straßen wiederzugeben. Schlaglöcher, ich meine hier kann man schon gar nicht mehr von Loch sprechen. Eher Mondkrater,Zierteiche oder Opalmienen trifft es am wahrscheinlichsten, man kennt die Löcher ohne Boden im Outback Australiens... Vor einer Kurve, hinter einer Kurve, während einer Kurve und eigentlich mehr Löcher als KURVEN. Kurven die sich ängstlich an den Steilhang schmiegen, wie eine Sch... read more

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Bajawa September 2nd 2013

Selamat Malam, Tage verschwimmen die Uhr läuft rückwärts,Alice und der Hase verfolgen mich bei Tagträumen, keine Zeit fürs Leben mein Träumer...keine Zeit du bist 28.....Schaffe, schaffe Häusle baue. Wochentage ergeben einen unzulänglichen Einheitsbrei DiFrSa, SoDoMo und spielen keine Rolle mehr. Zeit? Eine Uhr ? Hab ich schon seit Jahren aus meinem Leben verbannt, muss ja auf meinen Blutdruck achten... Was ist das, Zeit?In einem schwarzen Loch der Gravitation ausgesetzt, verzerrt, verschwunden,verbannt? Lebenszeit was ist das? Arbeitszeit? Was ist das? Muss ich mich 40 Jahre abrackern? Für eine läppische Rente, die private Altersvorsorge nicht vergessend, um in meinem Eigenheim auf den Tod zu warten?Das Kreuz kaputt, die Seele taub, die Augen blind!Nun ja immerhin könnte ich mir eine hübsche junge polnische Altenpflegerin leisten und ihr, mit meinen alten Knochen, so richtig san... read more
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Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Labuanbajo July 30th 2013

After spending the first leg of my journey on the brash, glitzy and flamboyant island of Bali, I made my way east to the neighbouring island of Lombok. Though separated only by an hour long boat ride away (or if you're cheap like me and instead opted for the 5 hour slow boat), Lombok has a distinctly different feel, culture and attitude in comparison to Bali. Yes, it is also a Mecca for surfers, but if Bali is Veronica, Lombok would be Betty. Cute, quiet and unnecessarily overlooked in the shadow of Bali which in my opinion is more style than substance. My travel buddy Patrick and I made our way to the town of Kuta (not to be confused with the party town in Bali) which consists largely of one main street lined with small ... read more
My glamorous cruise ship for the next 4 nights
Overlooking the bay from our morning hike.
Fun with waterfalls

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Bajawa May 15th 2013

Today we set out from Ruteng, originally planning to try to make it all the way to Ende, the largest city on Flores, or Moni, a small town near our final roadtrip goal of Mt. Kilimutu and the colored crater lakes. We changed our plans when we realized it was going to take too long and there were some other orange crater lakes at Wawo Muda, outside Bajawa, that we also wanted to check out, and it seemed a much more reasonable goal for the day. Tomorrow we will set out as early as possible for the lakes, and then see how far towards Moni we are able to get. Our ride today was rather eventful. For one, we stopped to rest our asses and stretch our legs next to a school in an unknown village ... read more

Asia » Indonesia » Flores April 11th 2013

MakassarThe Pondok Suada Indah Hotel in Makassar has become our basecamp more or less. They begin to know us. 'Hey Linda, hey Andre, back again?', says the man at the reception. We like it here and also the Galeal foodcourt around the corner and the terraces at the Jalan Penghibur along the sea. Fort Rotterdam with its old Dutch colonial buildings gives us even a feeling of home. 'The governor came from Rotterdam; that is why it is called Fort Rotterdam', tells our guide. His name is Matthew van der Sar and I see some Dutch traits in his face. He tells that the fort was the administrational center for East Indonesia. 'The spices came in here and were stocked before they went oversea to Holland.' He is talking so much, that I hardly can follow ... read more
Near the Gua Leang Leang Caves
One of the caves
The drawings are 5000 years old

Asia » Indonesia » Flores » Labuanbajo March 22nd 2013

After having booked for three dives the previous days, I woke up early in the morning and headed out to the "Divine Diving" shop. There I met the two Indonesians who would be our guides that day – Juffens and Hila. The other divers that day were Bruno and Josette, a Swiss couple in their mid-sixties and Nick and Sofie, a Dutch couple about my age. The first thing to do was go to an office in the harbor and pay the 95.000 IDR entrance to the Komodo National Park (valid for 3 days) and then get on a small boat that would take us to the dive boat. We had a full Indonesian crew that day: the guides and the 4 people that worked on the boat. The boat was very similar to the one ... read more
Leaving Labuan Bajo
Divers
On the way to dive




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