IndoStory1

We knew all along that leaving Australia wasn't going to be easy. The beauty that we were encountering just makes you want to never leave. But on the other hand, we were ready to start experiencing South East Asia. Since you can't swim in the waters around Northern Australia due to crocs and killer jellyfish the idea of playing in Bali's waves was a major attraction. In addition, New Zealand (see pics) and Australia (see pics) put a major dent in our wallets and we were well aware of how far the mighty US $$$ would stretch in Indonesia.

Our first stop was the tourist mecca of Bali. This small island is the only one with Hinduism as the religion - the rest of the islands are predominately Muslim. "To Westerners, Bali is both a tropical paradise and an example of the destructive effects of tourism. It has a rich culture, beautiful landscapes and coastline, several interesting towns, and hundreds of rural villiages" (LP). The picturesque rice fields, dramatic dense jungle and the massive volcanoes take your breath away.

Our first destination was Kuta Beach for a few days - drinking cheap Bintang beer, learning simple Indo phrases, watching surfers grace the waves and witnessing brilliant sunsets. As one might expect, with the tourist comes the hawkers. It takes awhile to learn how to handle them and how to just turn away when people are pulling on your shirt and yelling in your ear. You are forced to learn how to cope with the people wanting to sell you anything you can imagine. "You want massage? You want manicure? You want hair-braid? You want girlfriend? You want ticket to the moon?" It is almost too much to handle. People are coming at you from all directions. We quickly tired of this scene and moved to the other side of the island where we were able to relax and enjoy the sun and surf.

In mid-May we were blessed with the visit of Summer's mom, Janet (see pics). She came down ready to go with a fast paced itinerary making sure we got to do everything the island had to offer - tours with our private driver, visiting temples by day and watching traditional dances by night, learning how to make offerings to the Hindu Gods, white water rafting, massages, great dinners, shopping and stunning hotels. She allowed us to see much of Bali that our buget otherwise wouldn't have allowed.

Thank you Janet for making our time in Bali so special, the time we spent with eachother was very special.

The same day Janet left we had a group of friends arrive. Joe Zone, Melissa Scanlan, Matt Riley and Kate Cibelli (see pics) made the trans-Pacific flight ready for the ultimate holiday. We were sitting quite nicely in our private villa - beautifully furnished, our own pool and our own cooking staff - life doesn't get much better. We spent our days on the beaches, some days playing games in our own pool, shopped and explored Ubud, went white water rafting, had great dinners, pool-side BBQs with fresh fish and Joe and Shawn even went bungy jumping in the middle of a dance-club. So many special moments were shared - our vacation with them was true perfection. Thanks crew for coming to see us!!!

After these few weeks on Bali it was time for us to move on. We traveled to Lombok to meet up with Kellie (Summer's former roommate) and Ruthanne. The four of us spent a couple of days climbing Mt. Rinjani (see pics), the second highest point in Indonesia. It was an amazing feat, getting to the rim of a crater and taking in the view. We could see the Indian Ocean all around us with several small islands floating nearby, and dropping sharply below us, the massive crater with its sparkling crescent shape lake. The sites were breathtaking.

Afterwards, we didn't hang around too long on Lombok, instead we opted for a few days on the Gili Islands (where we had a booming time) before heading off on a four day/four night boat trip through Nusa Tengarra. We were not really sure what we were expecting but it definately wasn't the 'Princess Cruise Line'. It was quite an adventure - we made it through some stormy seas...feeling at times that we were on the SS Minnow. Lightening was electrifing the sky and the thunder made conversation impossible. The boat plowed forward as waves crashed over the front and the rain poured down. There were 10 of us on the deck in our thin sleep sheets praying for the sun to come out the next morning.

It was a happy moment when someone yelled "Look, a clearing!!!" The sun cracked the horizon and we began the long process of drying everything out. We stopped on the island of Komodo and saw some of the famous dragons in their natural environment. Fortunately it was mid-day so it was too hot for them to move much. You feel thrown back to the Jurasic period as these massive lizards slowly slithered through the ferns and giant palms.

The journey ended in Flores (Portuguese for Flowers), an island that is 95% Catholic, dramatically different than the rest of Indo. We learned about a small, tranquil island not far from the port. What was intended to be an overnight stay turned into a week of total relaxation. Walks along the beach, swims out to surrounding islands, hanging out in the hammock and afternoon fishing for fun - it was a perfect little plaradise at $4.50 US a day which included three meals. Not too bad of a set-up!

The last part of this journey in Indonesia was spent on the island of Sulawesi, some of the first serious travel we came across. The island is huge, about the size of California. Transportation is difficult due to few Indonesians speaking English, decrepit roads, random security/military checks and local busses that were virtually falling apart. But, every journey's destination was worth the travel in between.

Our first stop was in the Tana Toraja region. The Dutch Missionaries worked diligently in the early 20th century giving it a strong Christian influence. The people have adopted some of the beliefs but have also held onto some of their Animist traditions (the ancient religion of much of SE Asia). We were fortunate enough to have been invited into a home during a funeral ceremony. The funerals are only once a year (June-August) so the body is preserved and kept in their home until this time (and if it's a lower income family, the body hangs out with them until there is enough money for the funeral - sometimes several years). One of the family members has the honor of taking care of the body until it's time for the funeral. Depending on the family's cast level will determine the amount of animals that are slaughtered for the ceremony. We were invited to a middle cast family's funeral. This meant that there were about 50 buffalo and 500 pigs that were sacrificed. Approximately 800 guests from the surrounding villages were in attendance. The family was very gracious serving everyone the local coffee (it's exported to Starbucks), sour palm wine and of course a feast of buffalo and pig. The sacrificed animals are on display, left in the sun and then sliced up for the big meal. We were included in their generous offer but only took them up on the coffee and wine.

We continued our journey into Northern Sulawesi. The main city, Poso, is where we had hoped to spend some time but much to our dismay, the city and its surrounding villages are very troubled -- the Muslims and Christians are at an evil war with one another. They continue to fight over religious/political disagreements from years previous and now the feelings are being passed down to each generation. Our bus had to be escorted by men and children (boys 10-12 years of age) with machine guns who helped us through the endless series of checkpoints. Each little village sets up thier own road blocks with trash cans, tires and logs in the street. Basically anything that would slow down a speeding truck aimed at causing destruction in the village center. Its a sad sight to see the burned down buildings - leveled homes, mosques, and churches.

After a few bus trips and a dodgy boat ride we finally made it to paradise - the Togean Islands - a safe haven in a tranquil setting with scuba diving, snorkeling and undisturbed relaxation on the beach. The underwater world is spectacular. Along with coral dives with crystal clear water we were able to experience a B24 Bomber sitting at 100 feet below the ocean surface. We had a beachfront cottage - with evening electricity, fresh water brought in every other day and delightful fish and rice meals. Life was very simple where you sleep-in, wake up to a nice cup of tea, go for a snorkel or dive, maybe nap in the hammock in the afternoon and then show up for the 'mandatory' game of sand-volleyball at sunset.

Unfortunately the time to leave Indonesia came too quickly. They only provide a 60 day visa for Americans so we jumped on a boat to the mainland and then hailed a bus to Manado, the northern most city on the island. The highlight of this area was the special attention from the locals. We made some friends and enjoyed home-cooked meals of the local tradition; corn soup as well as playing badmitten until late in the evening. But, it was time to catch our scheduled flight to our next adventure, Thailand.

We have learned quite a bit in this country. The Indonesian people are delightfully friendly and extremely open hearted. Unfortunately, it's a country that is suffering and not just economically. It has experienced some nightmares in recent years: "ethnic cleansing, cannibalism, mob massacres, military slaughter of civilians...Factories are spewing out toxins unchecked, illegal loggers are slicing through national parks, poachers and hunters are decimating the country's wildlife, and at sea, pollution, uncontrolled fishing and the use of dynamite threaten to empty Indonesia's waters of marine life". (Time Asia - 5/28/2001). There is hope - we have met several travelers that are here on assignments - educating the people on the importance of the country's future verses the immediate satisfaction of 'money'.

We feel very blessed to have had the time in Indonesia and leave with an excitement knowing we are returning to the island of Sumatra in a few months. Our departure for Thailand is quite exciting, especially since we are meeting up with some San Francisco friends. Another new chapter in our travels shall begin.

There is no doubt that Indonesia will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

Next Adventure: Bizarre Bangkok, Thailand