sunrise2 shanghai

It was at home on my laptop that I first read about the Bamboo Bridge in Kampong Cham, Cambodia. The structure of it caught my eye and then upon reading more of the history of it, I decided then & there that I was going to see it for myself. The day I actually rode my bicycle across it was indeed an accomplished feeling as I smiled for 800 meters, which is the length of the bridge! The bamboo bridge connects the small yet populated island Of Koh Paen in the Mekong River to Kampong Cham, mainland Cambodia. The Island is home to 25 000 people and is a colourful mix of Cham & Khmer culture. The fascinating aspect is this bridge is constructed every year by hand in November (which is the dry season), then ... read more

As you travel from Tentena to Rentapao you will notice a shift from Muslim to Christianity with some villages displaying a large Crucifix in their front yard as well as the symbolic Crucifix lining the streets. I wondered as I was sitting in the bus watching the crosses fly past one after another like a flicker in a film, how & why is religion so intoxicating & consuming to some? Why does religion have to mean fanaticism & absolutism? In 2005 there was unrest in Palu, Poso, Tentena and surrounding districts between the Muslims & Christians which, resulted in a hideous bomb attack in Palu on Christmas day killing 8 people coupled with a bomb attack in Tentena killing 22 people. Such occurrences attract negative press within our western media leaving us, westerners little understanding of ... read more

Travelling to the Togian Islands is no easy feat, getting there involves at least three days travel depending on your departure point. The Togian Islands had been one of my primary reasons for visiting Sulawesi. On Palau Kadidiri Island there are three resorts all sharing the same slice of pristine beach! In no particular order there is, Paradise Resort, Black Marlin Cottages & Pondok Lestari. Two of the resorts, Black Marlin & Paradise are similarly priced resulting in a competitiveness that can only benefit the traveller. I had read about the three resorts on the island and it wasn't until I had met a friend who used to be an employee at the Black Marlin Resort did I finally make up my mind where I was staying. The Lonely Planet lists Black Marlin first with reference ... read more

From the first time I read about the Bajo people, "Sea Gypsies", I was intrigued about their existence in modern day life. The concept of people living in stilt houses that are built over the sea congers images the movie "Water World" which starred Kevin Costner. On my last days in the Togean Island I decided that making the journey across the sea to the Bajo Village was now or never. I hired a young local fisherman to get me there & the two of set out to the Gypsy Village in a traditional outrigger style boat. The timber boat had an old sack for a shade blind, A large rock for an anchor and palm leaves stitched together for a roof. Two outboard motors saw us cross the sea and to our destination in under ... read more

I decided to fly from Denpasar, Bali to Gorantalo, Sulawesi. There was a brief stop in Makassar where I changed planes prior to heading to Gorantalo. An odd thing happened though when I caught a taxi at the Airport (which I must mention is about 30km out of town.) The taxi driver asked me if I would like to drive. Why not, I thought as I tackled a 4WD in the Bali mountains for three days I am sure I could manage this.. I couldn't speak Indonesian & he couldn't speak English so you could imagine how we got along with directions whilst it was raining buckets outside. The whole scenario was actually quite odd! Finally, I had enough fun and let him drive the last few km to Melati Hotel in Gorantalo. Melati Hotel is ... read more