Indonesia 2008

Ulu Watu, Bali, Indonesia

After buying bus tickets to Ubud for tomorrow we hire a car for the afternoon. We stop briefly at a beach and head on to Ulu Watu. After being fitted with the compulsory sarong and sash we enter the temple. We quickly come across some monkeys, which end up being more friendly and gentle than we had anticipated. We feed a few some banana (which is allowed). We wander around. The temple is in a impressive location, but the temple proper is off bounds, which is a good thing I think.

Ulu Watu is not the most impressive temple I’ve visited, but it’s been great to get out of Kuta and see some Bali life. I’m looking forward to seeing Ubud and it’s surroundings tomorrow.

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Bored in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

I’m bored in Kuta. There is little to do. Surfing is the main activity, something I love to do, but the winds are so strong that the waves are all mashed up. This is definitely the low season in Indonesia. The rains are regular and the sunshine rare.

Tomorrow by girlfriend arrives, so that will be a new chapter in my travels. After a few days we will escape from Kuta. I hope there is some better weather around Indonesia.

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Rain, rain, rain… Bali, Indonesia

A quiet day today. I chatted with a few locals at the beach, caught up on some time-zone-change sleep, and ate a lot. From lunchtime the rains never really stopped. I got soaked coming back from the beach, and during dinner it rained so much I though that the river running down the road might come into the restaurant. When it stopped raining I made a dash for the hotel, but still got soaked as the heavens opened. Come to sunny Bali they say….. 🙂

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Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

After clearing customs quickly and without fuss I get a taxi to Kuta. I experience a small culture shock, but probably in reverse to most people. It’s rather nice seeing vehicles of different makes (including European cars), proper roads, pavements, curb stones and courteous driving – things I have not seen for 2 months. Kuta is certainly more developed than I had expected, which is a welcome surprise today, but I hope it remains so during my month in Indonesia. I am sure as I visit Lombok and Java the development will reduce significantly and hassles will increase.

I check into the Hotel Sorga off Poppies Gang I. It’s a lovely bright hotel, with lots of facilities including a pool, which my spotless room overlooks. The room is great value and a little taste of luxury that will be a nice introduction to backpacking for my girlfriend who is arriving in 3 days.

I take a walk down by the beach. The wet season’s winds are blowing a gale onto the shore, but dozens of surfers are working hard in catching the waves. I’m looking forward to getting in myself tomorrow.

There is no sunshine but the temperature is high, just like the humidity.

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Kochi, India to Singapore and onto Bali, Indonesia

A taxi takes me across Kochi to the airport where I catch a late night flight to Singapore. I’m restless during the flights and I don’t get much sleep. There’s little legroom on this budget flight.

As Singapore airport I get my first taste of Southeast Asia – efficient, clean and punctual, well at least compared to India. Goodbye India and hello Southeast Asia. After changing terminals I blink curiously at the first taste of the modern world I have seen in 2 months.

My second flight to Bali is much more agreeable with great service and food. The airport is cheerful also. The airport officials are friendly and I don’t get quizzed about my purpose in Indonesia and certainly don’t have to prove my onward ticket, like Trailfinders in the UK insisted I would.

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Pangandaran, Java, Indonesia

When we get upstairs to our room it is excellent, one of the best we have stayed in during our time in Indonesia. We quickly settle in and drop off our bags of laundry.

We head out for a walk and make our way down the beach. This is a nice town, clearly popular with Indonesian tourists rather than foreign visitors, but there are a few western orientated restaurant/bars. There are some signs of the tsunami that hit here several years ago, which is still on my mind after the lady from the travel agent mentioned it. We see several large and fairly new buildings with the windows blown out. There are also several large walled areas which look as though the buildings inside have been flattened and the remaining bricks have been piled for later use. I also see a few old buildings with the ceilings bent up, and roadside areas that have clearly been washed away.

We walk back up the beach and stop at the Bamboo cafe. We get chatting to a nice Indonesian guy who is waiting for high-tide so he can go surfing. We talk about a lot of things. He works on a cruise ship around Europe. He comes home for a few months of the year to relax and wait for the surf it seems. He mentions that there is some discrimination on the boats he works on, saying that Europeans are paid more than him for the same job, and that Muslim crew cannot work on the bridge. This later statement doesn’t seem right at all. The pay scales I can understand, although not altogether agree with, as the costs of living in Europe are obviously higher than in Asia, and it is fair to have a crew made of various nationalities. Maybe his comment about the Muslim bridge crew is from experience rather than rules. Perhaps Muslim crew find they cannot gain jobs on the bridge, rather than simply not being allowed to be appointed to them. Whichever way, I feel bad that such discrimination exists, but I’m happy that he and his fellow countrymen are able to find such well paid and rewarding work. He also mentions that he often works at his friend’s money changing business, which largely caters for Indonesians returning home from working abroad with pay cheques that need cashing. This is also good news, although it’s always a shame that people need to leave their homeland to find good employment. But, at least to me, it seems good that the people of Indonesia have this option. In my experience they are hard working, honest and incredible friendly and helpful people, maybe more so on Java than the other major islands we have visited.

We get a take away (the first on the trip) and relax with a movie that evening. A little taste of home, and it’s nice enjoying the laptop that was such a funny experience to buy.

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