The End

I am currently in Singapore airport headed back to California. It is quite familiar, as it should be considering I spent ofver 20 hours here last year. I am doing the usual: internet, artwaork, HD TV on the big screen, internet, shopping, sushi, internet, and hopefully a few beers.

I am trying to make sense of the last two months without much luck. My last two weeks in Lembongan were not like traveling at all. They were living in a town I wish I could move to. I keep reminding myself of all the places I have seen and countries I have been to during my travels. I can't make any headway, but I know it is coming to a close. I am sure the 16 hour flight I am about to take will help that, but who knows. With enough movies, free drinks, and sleep, I probably won't have any time for contemplation.

What I do know at this point in time is that I am so thankful for my journey and scared to hit the life that is my reality in the US. I have tried over the past two months to convey my thoughts and what I have seen and learned. However, I am not sure if I have accurately shown my happiness and health I have gained and maintained while abroad. My daily living in Indonesia constists of another language, interesting and exciting foods, little alcohol (I don't count Bintangs), phycial improvement and activity, no driving, and social interactions of true interest and learning from me and those whom I encounter. I cannot help but wonder how long it will be until I make the large leap I dream and talk about; how long it will be until I move here for an extended length of time; how long it will be until I am really fluent; just how long??????

Last Night in Town

I know my journey home began yesterday when I left Nusa Lembongan to head to the mailand. I chatted with a scuba instructor I had met last year and chatted briefly about dive sites in Bali and local divemasters we both know thorughout Bali. It was nice to feel like part of the "in crowd" for once. I know my diving experiences in Bali are very extraordiary and coveted by many divers throughout the world.

In Sanur, I had a slight mishap with the room I was staying in last night. I booked a room upon a recomendation after I couldnot find the # of where I wanted to stay. The owner said it was the last room above the cafe. It turned out to be an open air loft speaparted into two sections. One with a queen bed, the other with 3 day beds and a small TV. Ther ewas no door and the bathroom was shared downstairs. Relucctently, I accepted the room and went for a walk to start some of my last minute errands. I just couldn't be bothered to start walking down the street with my bags in hopes of finding something else. (This is the one downside I find while traveling alone; I never want to hunt for a room)When I returned, paid the 175, 000 rp (about $18-19) and found my bag had been moved, the mosquitoe net nicely draw and coils laid out to be burned. I couldn't sit arround there, so I went off in the other direction to take care of some photo printing to send back to Lembongan.

I took care of my errands, but kept feeling uneasy and upset. I realized I hated my room and needed to move. I found a better room for less money at the place I had wanted to stay (as I walked that far down the street). I knew I would be unhappy and unsettled if I did not move. So, they drove me back, I picked up my bags, and settled in for a nice night. I did some email, had my favorite diner Ayam Sate (chicken with peanut sauce), prepared my package to send back to Lembongan, and went to a local bar I liked down the street to have a final Bintang or two. Then I took a hot shower (first in 3 weeks) and sat on the balconey over looking the pool trying to collect my thoughts. In the morning I repacked my bag and headed to the airport. My last night in Bali turned out to be simple and perfect; a calm before a 20+ journey home to face the storm of life back in the US.

Full Moon Ceremony

Last night I was very fortuneate to go to ceremony with my friend Putu. It was for full moon, but it was extra special because it is the 6 month full moon. Every 6 months the full moon ceremony is extra special. Everyone in the village (and Bali) had to make a pillgramage to their respective temples to pray and make offerings.

I had to dress in traditional Balanise clothing. So, I went to Putu's house in the village to get dressed. It was a little like getting ready to go "Out Out" or even getting ready for prom. The women put on make-up and wear clothes that are very expensive. Her firend Wayan's blouse was 1 million rp (just over $100). Then there is the corset, the sarong, the sash, and the shoes. I just wore my flip-flops, but they has on very nice wooden heels. The men wear a sarong, a sash, a white shirt, and a udeng (sash around their head).

After we got dressed, we took her motorbike to the temple. I was on the back, tightly wraped in my sarong. I had to sit side saddle with my feet neatly crossed; I finally looked like all the local women on the back of a bike. Hundreds and hundred of people walked, rode bikes, or took their motorbike along with us. We had to stop to pick up the banana leaf flowers that Putu had prepared for the ceremony.

When we arrived, many men were standing around the temple buying drinks or toys for their children. We went past and walked into the temple. 500+ people sat cross-legged waiting for the ceremony to begin. We walked through the thin make-shif aisle up to the front and sat one behind the other along the narrow pathway. We sat and sat for 25 minutes waiting to begin. We were right on time (or so I thought) for the 5 o'clock ceremony. Everyone we passed outside were waiting for this one to end, so they could attend one after.

Music began to play from the back instrumental gamelon with vocals as well. The priests went to each of the smaller structures withing the temple and blessed them with various waters, incenses, and plants. They then prepared the holy water. This took about 15 minutes. They went throughout the temple, sprinkling water on everyone. This is to clense them before praying.

An announcement came accross the loud speaker to begin the praying. They all chanted in unision and put their hands to their head in a praying mannner. They repeated this 3 mor times taking a flower that they brought and holding it between their hands. After each "prayer" they tucked the flower behind an ear or in the back of their head and got another. After the three flowers, they "prayed" once again with out one. The praying was finished.

The preiests again prepared the holy water and came around to each person. They sprinkled them and poured water into their hands. The person drank the water. They did this three times, then took a few peices of rice and stuck it to their foreheads and throuat around the Adam's Apple. When everyone did this (about 20 minutes) there was the ending announcement. The everyone rushed forward to collect their offerings or fruit and food. We, already at the front, were pushed to the back. Hundres of people then tried to squeeze through the opening 1.5 people wide. 400+ people were waiting outside patiently for their turn to attend ceremony.

I, surprizingly, had many friends there and was greated offen... much to the surprise of locals sitting around me. Additoinally, I was the only westerner in the temple. Many looked over the wall throughout the ceremony, but their view was probably of 500+ people sitting on the ground chanting. I, was blessed, drank the holy water, and recieved rice. I am very fortuneate to have had this experience. I am not about to convert to Hinuism, but I do respect my local friends beliefs much more now. While sitting on the dusty ground, trying not to be as fidgety as the 4 and 5 your-olds around me, I realized that this was the same as "church." That might sound funny for me not to have thought this already, but there was water, and praying, and preists, and eddiquitte, and obligation. I don't know if I could attend ceremony often, but now ve much more respect for religious beliefs.

Nusa Lembongan: It Feels Like Home

I have been on the island of Nusa Lembongan, my old stopping grounds from last summer, for the past 10 days. I was greeted with open arms by so many local Balanise and local Ex-Pats that live on the island. I wanted to spend my last days amongst friends, in a place that was familiar. My stay here has been even better than I could have expected.

After my first day of diving, I had a visit by the local Dr. He was very good, but informed me that I had an ear and throat infection, and a stomach infection as well. I could not dive for 3 days and was at risk of puncturing my ear drum. Saddly, I took a few days off of diving. I caught up on some reading and viisted with friends, while eagerly awaing my return to my favorite dive sites.

When I was healthy again, the dive boat was quite full, so I began "working" as a divemaster to help out the shop. This essentially meant that I helped with the guests and would not be charged for diving. I have now had 6 really great days of diving. I have seen at least on Mola Mola, the huge oceanic sunfish at least once in 5 out of 6 days. Altogether I think I have seen 10 on my trip here, and a few really long and close encounters. I also dove with 5 huge manta rays for about an hour. Additionally, I know that I have been blessed with good dives and I have been luckier than most.

I have also been busy maintaining my local friendships and learning about the culture. A friend of mine recently had twins, so I was able to visit his house and meet the entire family. I have been taking a few cooking lessons to learn how to make my favoirte dishes from the various restaurants. Today I am heading to the local ceremony in full Balanise dress. And in the morning I am visiting the local school to see how they run their kindergarden/first grade.

In the afternoons I like to run around the island, some days longer and farther than others. It has helped my keep my physical and mental sanity as I prepare to head home. Seeing the villages just before sunset as people are bringing in their seaweed baskets for the day is a very calming way to run. I will miss the shadows, the passing motorbikes with passengers laughing, the children running and shouting "hello, hello!!!", and of course, the dogs chasing me on the far side of the island because they hardly ever see a western person.

My journey is coming to an end, and I am begginding to see how diverse my trip has actually been. All in all, I am so pleased to be back here and my love of this island has grown even more. I am sure I will be back, as I am already devising ways to stay for a long time.

Trawangan Fine Dining

The dining options on Gili Trawangan absolutely blew my mind. I thought I was back in California. The prices were kind of high, compared to Bali and of course to the rest of Indonesia. However, the choices were endless. There was only a strip of restautrants, hotels, and bunglows about 1.5 Km long. It included a pizza and beer bar, and Indain restaurant, a Sushi place, a local warung with great cheap Indo food, many menus with western "mexican" food like chimichangas, quacamole and burritos, a western place with a wine list of 30+ bottles, ... the list goes on.Every place had fresh firsh and sea food set out each night for BBQing. Most bars would have a chalkboar signd that saing something to the effect of "we have F***in Bloody strong mushrroms." There was the moive place that had a big screen that show 2 pirated ovies a night and they had huts with TVs and DVD players so you could watch one of 600 pirated DVDs and eat ast your leisure. Horizantal bar had big, plush lounge chairs in the bar and large mats for on the beach. they served great martinis.

Now, I of cousre, spent a little time each night at the Irish Bar, Tir Na Nog. I am sure you son't find that hard to believe... Kimberly in and Irish bar. The local Vodka and Orange was 7000 rp, or 10,000 for a double!!! theire menu was great and they served brick oven pizzas. they also showed football on the big screen whenever it was on.

But my favorite place was Scallywags. It was an Organic restaurant with the most amazing dishes. It was a bit upscale, but I could not get enough. I would pay about 50,000 for a frest juice and an organic salade with imported cheese. Parmesean, goat, motzzerella..... and the leaves were just amazing.

You may think this is a bit silly... my report on the food. But in some places, tourists really run the market. I was flabbergasted by the variety, understaning of the prices as the locals (or western buisness owners) really had to work to get certain items on the menus, appauled at how commonplace this was for such a remote island, and astonished at my willingness to go right back into my old habbits of eating the best foods simply bcause I can. America is a culture run by food, and unfortuneatly, although I welcomed it a bit after some of the places I have been in the past month, The Gilis cater to tourists who have that same mentality.

Gili Trawangan

There are three small islands of the northwestern coast of Lombok know as the Gilis. They are Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan from shore out, and smallest to biggest. They are know for having "no police," which means it is virtually the only place in Indonesia where there are drugs. It used to be a big backpackers party scence, but it is nothing like I expected. I went to Trawangan, the largest, with the most people, most established, and best place to party. By largest, it is ab out 10 km in circumference. The islands are also know for diving... most specifically because the locals have dynamite fished around the islands for years and there is no coral or fish left about 20 meters. However, deeper, it is still as amazing as any other sites in Indonesia I have been to. It is also a great area to see turtles, sharks, and manta rays.

Let me start by saying I have been here 4 nights already and I have been in bed by 9 o'clock. I guess the partying does happen, I have just been sick with a headcold, trying to get over it so I can dive. The atmosphere is quite laid back and it is easy to just laze the days away. I find myself wandering from one beachfront restaurant to another, lounging in their thatched huts against large, cushy pillows ordering fresh juices or Bintangs, reading or just watching the water.

It is quite exzpensive here, especially at the moment. It is high season and accomodation prices are up 100-200% from usual. It is quite hard to find a room, especially for less than 150,000 rp (or about $15). This is double that in Bali. Some people show up and do not find any accomodation at all. I have heard that they share rooms (8 in a room for 2) or sleep on the beach. I was sharing with a fellow traveller I met in Sumatra, but now I am without roommate and my housing costs have just doubled. I would like to stay for a while, as the first 4 days I have not really been able to dive, but I will see how long my cash holds out. There are no banks or ATMs here... just a few moneychangers that offer awful rates.

Yesterday, my dive did not go well and my ear was paifully blocked for about 5 hours. They always say not to dive with a cold, and I can tell you from experience... it is NOT fun. I had to postpone the dive course I wanted to take. But, I plan to do a few dives tomarrow and start my class, as my dive today went really well. After that, it is as many fun dives as I can do before my money runs dry!!!

Ubud: Shopping and Monkeys

I took the bus up to Ubud and stayed 3 days this year; last year I only came for the afternoon. It was such an odd feeling walking down the street and saying "I've eaten hear before," or "I bought a necklace here before." The town was as I remembered it, only there are more tourists this time around. I had high hopes of sitting at the pool each day and taking cooking classes. It turned into long, drawn out mornings recouporating from the previous evening ending in day-long shopping trips around the area. I realized its not such a good idea to do all your shopping mid trip, but I just couldn't help myself.

I did make it back to the monkey forest. They were just a mean and scarry as ever. One man got pick-pocketed by a monkey. By this I mean, a larger male monkey reached into this guys pocket and took his wallet. He then began to take out and taste each credit card and all the cash. The man started shouting, "he's got my driver's liscence!! I don't care about the money, I just want my credit cards." Onlookers replied "give him some food in trade," and "I guess the monkey wants a tip," as he was chewing on 50,000 rp bills and sicarding them casually to the ground. No one had a banana and he and his wife causally began to yell for help. The wife then ran to get a handler (men trained to deal with the monkeys). The monkey started backing further and further away, randomly dropping items from the wallet, as the crowd grew, laughed, and followed behind. All the while, the man continued to call out obsenities and "give me my wallet," directly to the monkey. The handler came and retrieved about half of the man's things. Then the monkey ran off the path into the forest. The handler followed and returned with all the possessions about 5 minutes later.

I also cam to a small pool of water, with a few flimsy braches about. Here there were monkeys jumping off the branches into the water and swimming around. It look like they were palying "King of the raft" on the branch, fighting to stay on the longgest. It also appeared that they would use the branch as a diving board. When the hit the water they would swim, face in the water, like an otter to the other side. About 7-9 monkeys were swimming in total, and a few more were just wading around the edges, washing their faces and drinking.

I also came across many, many mothers nursing. All the babies in the area seemed to be about the same size and age. I think only a few months. It was so nice to see the family habbits and culture amongst these animals. Brothers and sisters would play and "ruff house" together. Moms and dads would dutifully pick insects off each other and their children. Some famillies seemed closer than others.

My trip to Ubud this year was even better than last. I had tradditional Balinese raost duck dinner and learned the propper way to barter. I stocked up on goodies and hopefully got a few good pictures as well.

Back to Bali

On Friday, I took the minivan from Gapang Beach on Pulau Weh to the ferry, the ferry back to Banda Ache, a night bus back to Medan, a free car ride from a guys brother I met on the bus to the airport, a plane to Jakarta, 5 hours later a plane to Bali, and then a taxi to the east coast town of Sanur which was my home base last summer. 30 hours in total and I felt totaly at home in Sanur. I had a nice meal, went to a bar for a drink (imagine a real bar that serves alcohol), and then went back to my room for a hot shower and some TV. In the morning I did some internet that was actually faster than 1 page every 10 minutes, walked to the bach and had some lunch, and absorbed my new, yet reminicent surroundings.

The feeling of being back in Bali is not quite like deja vu, but it is so comforting. Most things look the same as I remember, but there has been some construction and new things to see. I could have driven myself if I had a car. Streets, sounds, people, prices... all look so familiar. I feel so confident walking down the street knowing where I need to be and how much the proper price is.

However, the change from Sumatra isquite dramatic. There were no tourists in Sumatra. Menus listed possibilities for dinner, but often only half was available. I'd have to often ask myslef, "Where in the world am I?" Quiet had a different meaning. But in Bali, there are westerners everywhere. Anything and everything can be gotten for a pretty good price. I knw where I am and how to get where I want to go. Quiet was an illusion I held close to my heart for the past year. Although there are some simple, secluded places in Bali (or so I thought), there is no comparison to the remoteness of Sumatra.

I am so glad to be back, and even more appreciative of where I have just come from.

Pulau Weh

I took a minivan back to Medan. There I got money, did about 30 minutes worth of email, and bought as many alcholol bottles that would fit into my backpack. I then climbed onto another nightbus and headed north to Banda Ache... the nothern tip of Sumatra. This area is recovering from many years of violent conflict between the Indonesian government and the very strick mulim governemnt of Banda Ache. The conflict ended when the tusnami hit the area (the same one that hit western Thailand) and destroyed just about everything.

The ride was about 12 hours and very pleasant compared to the mountainous, no-road climb through central Sumatra. I arrived about 6:30 in the mornign and took a becak (motorbike fitted with a sidecar) to the ferry. I waited through a downpour for the 9:30 departure to Pulau Weh; a small island off the north tip of Sumatra.

It was a Friday, and from what I had heard, accomodation can be limited and more a\expensive, as my NGOs, who live in the area and are helping to rebuild, like to weekend on this remote and quite island. I knew prices would be a bit higher, as the island is remote and NGOs typically have more money and are the majority of tourism in the area. the 45 minute minivan ride from the ferry to Iboh was 50,000 rp!!!! All the westerners on the boat (about 12) shared the same van. We all went to the same Ibioh Beach and scrambled for accomodation once we stopped. I had heard many recomendations that this, of the two main beaches, was the place to stay. There were 4-6 bungalow opperations to choose from, all with pretty rustic accomadation. They were spread out about along a 1-2 km footpath that went up and down along the woods, about 30 meters above the water. In the middle, there was the small beach; it contained a dive shop, the remains of the old dive shop, a restaurant, a snorkle-gear rental hut that also sold surongs and flip-flops, and the town well, which served as the water source and mani (bath) for most of the bungalows in the area.

I kept moving past the beach, up the next hill, and found a bungalow with attached mani at O'ong's. It was run by a brother and sister and overlooked a great piece of water. I was satisfied for the moment and tried to relax into my new, quite, basic surroundings. I snorkeled of the rocks in the afternoon, and set up a pick-up in the morning to dive with the dive shop on Gapang Beach- the beach I did not choose. I had a sunset cocktail (imported Vodka from Medan) in the hammock on the balcony. I really thought I could stay there forever.

The next day I got picked up by motorbike and headed for Gapang. I did 2 dives and got dropped off by boat back on the beach in Ibioh. The dives were pretty good, but more importantly I felt at home 26 meters under the water. It had been so long since my last dive I almost forgot how much I love it. In Ibioh, things were quite. There was no chicken (let alone and meat) to be found on the menu and the one restaurant in town, and a Bintang (the Indonesian beer) was 20,000 rp for a CAN!!! A 22 oz. bottle normally costs between 16-20,000 rp. Things were not looking so good. I spent sunset on the balcony again, and my bar bill ran me 100,000 rp for 5 little beers. That night I got eaten alive. I could not tell if it was mosquitoes or bed bugs, but when I woke up, I packed my bag. The boat picked me up for the first dive and dropped me off at the beach. During the surface interval I got my things and took a motorbike and moved to Gapang.

In Gapang, it was just as quite. Accomadation started at the main road. There were two places with about 25 bungalows along the little road (about 200 meters), then the road stopped and turned to sand at the beach. There were a few restaurants and the dive shop along this longer, more proper beach. In all, there were about 20 westerners all togther the week I was there. The move lightened my mood and I began to really enjoy living on Pulau Weh.

I would walk to the dive shop at about 9:45 for the first dive each morning. I'd get some lunch and shower at the dive shop. At the main road was a local place that server excellent curry and Padang food. I tried to go around 1, right after she had finished cooking. At 2, I'd walk back to the beach for the second dive. Things were quiet and peaceful, but there was no internet (that I was able to use) and sometimes could not get exactly what was on the menu. All in all, life was good.

I needed to buy plane tickets on the internet, so I took a day off diving and took a motorbike into Sebang, the main city. The only trouble was that the shops randomly closed in the afternoon sometime between 11 and 4. Each shop at a different time, for a differnt length of time. Internet, did not turn out to be as easy as I hoped. Consequently, I also drove along the secluded east coast and saw some amazing beaches in complete privacy. When I did get to the internet, it took me 2 hours to make A plane ticket reservation on AirAsia. I could not check email, or post to the blog. Although frustrated, I did complete my mission and saw Pulau Weh to a deeper and fuller extent.

The rest of the week was supposed to be for diving. But a bout of food poisoning left me in bed for a day and a half. Altogether I did 8 dives on Pulau Weh and loved my 7 days there. I was unable to dive the deep wreck, as it was undiveable at the time. I know that I will return to and dive there again.

Bewkit Lewang: The Jungle

On the bumpy mini-van ride, a local got on about 25 km before the town. His English was good and he let me practice my Indonesian with him. He spoke of the town, the orang-atangs, and accomodation. He was, what guides in the Bewkit Lewang call, "hunting." About 4 years agoin in November, the river in the middle of the town flooded. It was a flash flood that killed many people and destroyed half the town. Only some of it has since been rebuilt, but visiting the National Park and the Orangutang rehabilitation center is the only source of income for the town. Unfortunately, there are too many guides for the amount of tourists. So, they will take the bus to Medan or somewhere in between and ride back into the town, chatting up tourists, hoping to get clients. It is a rather good buisness tactic, but is made me really uncomfortable.

(to be continued...)