Advertisement
Published: September 30th 2009
Edit Blog Post
After an afternoon and night in Ubud with some western food, a massage, a nice comfortable bed and a few drinks in the evening meeting up with Felix and Rudi we were on our way again. Off to Java via bus - ferry - bus. The bus in Bali - fine - a bemo so we knew what we were getting. The ferry, also fine. Only a quick channel hop so only on it for an hour or so. The bus to Probolinggo. A different story. I think we were on it it for a total of 7 hours, no air con. Fair enough we can handle that. But when the 15yr old got on carrying a rifle and then the bloke with his chickens we started to have our doubts that this was an interesting way to travel. Arriving at 8pm we search for transport to our hotel. After a 20 minute stand off with the local bemo drivers we arrive at Hotel Bromo Permai. Basic but clean. We head out for a quick bite to eat. I think we may've been the only westerners in town, everywhere you go people are looking, pointing and in one shop a group
of giggling teenage girls actually turned to see me and said 'oh my god' must've been my dashingly good looks!
Leaving the next day around lunchtime it was only a quick stopover here and at the next town Surabaya to meet up with Dennis who is due to arrive that night. Good to catch up over a Bintang and exchange stories of his Mt Rinjani sunset and the Komodo dragons, its definitely given me a reason to visit Lombok and it's surrounding islands in the future. The next morning we all wander around the mall and then head off to train station for our trip Yogyakarta. Arriving quite late in Yogya we get straight to the hotel Setia kawan, a funky little place down a side alley in Yogya full of art work by the owner and vespas. A quick walk round the town to get our bearings we head back to the hotel to get some sleep. Tomorrow we go to Borobudur. However we get chatting to a Danish couple who are heading where we've been and are coming from where we're going so we exchange tips till the early hours over a few Bintangs interrupted rudely by
a small earthquake. Through the night there is another but nothing too bad, the one in the evening was reported the next day as being a 6 i think but was a few km off the south coast of Java. Far enough away to not do us any damage! So now at last the interesting part. We eventually get round to hiring our scooter just after lunch and off to Borobudur, Indonesia's largest Buddhist temple.
We arrive a little later than planned so decide to go out to the temple in the morning instead of rushing. That night 'Kolan' one of the boys working at the Lotus 2 - our hotel for the night- offers to take us out to the monastery. Considering we rode round for an hour earlier trying to find it to no avail we accepted. We're so glad we did, throughout the day the place is packed with bus loads of tourists and the monks are nowhere to be seen. We were allowed to join them for evening meditation as we were the only two there. This was another truly calming experience, one i won't forget. After that Kolan took us round the monastery explaining
to us all the various Buddha poses and their meanings and then finally taking us to the Mendut temple built in the 8th century. By night both of these places are truly breathtaking and i urge anyone planning on going to seek out Kolan at the Lotus and politely ask him to show you round.
The next morning we go to Borobudur at 6am to beat the bus loads from Yogya. We arrive, we walk round, we take in the size and structure of what is an amazing temple, the detail on the stonework considering how long ago it was erected is so detailed you wonder how it was achieved. For me personally though last night was my Javanese pinnacle. It would've been hard to beat.
A quick Nana - nap and we're back on the road. A ride up, up and up 1,248m above sea level to be precise. Indos most active volcano, Gunung Merapi. Last erupted in 2006, 2001, 1994 so not somewhere you really want to visit for too long! We had come unluckily on a very cloudy day so weren't able to see the peak all the way up at 2,914m.
Heading back
to Yogya via Prambanan for the night was the plan a scooter puncture and a lack of affordable lodgings the reality! Puncture easily fixed by one of the moto garages - 5000rp - Joep and Janneke - you got ripped of ha ha! Arriving back in Yogya we find a new place to stay after looking round about 6 different dives. Catch up on our washing and get a feed next morning we go to Jakarta.
We get to Jakarta early as Chantal has to catch her flight to Singapore in a couple of days. First night Chantal has a night in with her book and i go exploring. Not for long though as we're staying on Jaksa Street - backpackers alley. It's full of ladies and ladyboys of the night being closely followed by middle aged Westerners with money to burn and previously burnt morals! A couple of drinks here is enough for me and i head back to the room. The following morning we wake and go out to Freedom square to see the monument built by the ex president and walk round the museum. After this we move on to find Batavia, the dutch heritage area
of Jakarta. We find it, but apart from an extremely expensive cafe and another museum which Chantal isn't worried about visiting there isn't much else to do so we make our way back. In the evening, our last together, Chantal joins me to watch Arsenal - Man city where we get whooped and Adebayor shows what a true scumbag he is!
I've had a great time traveling with Chantal and considering we only knew each other for a week before deciding to travel Indonesia together we got on fantastically. Only having a couple of minor disagreements along the way. I hope to meet up with her in the future.
The next couple of days are spent catching up on my blog which i hadn't done for about 6 weeks as i'm sure you're all aware. My apologies. I am now up to date and after taking a quick break to meet up with Dennis and his Jakartan couchsurfing host for Sushi, where i tried baby octopus, eel and fish eggs amongst other things. I decide now though it's time to get out of Jakarta. I personally think it's best described as a cesspit! I've found a homestay in
Cianjur about 2 hrs south of Jakarta. Staying with an Indonesian family and being shown round the local areas by them. Just what i need after Jakarta. Normality...
Bye for now.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.052s; Tpl: 0.013s; cc: 14; qc: 27; dbt: 0.0218s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb