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Friday, July 16, 2010
I leave Bali and Ubud in a minibus which collects a small pack of tourists that go almost all the islands Gili, known on the Lonely Planet and I begin to wonder if I'll enjoy the local wildlife n 'will be nothing very local.
In the minibus I meet a couple of Poles who go to Timor, with a first stop to find the Komodo dragons.
four hours later the ferry to reach the island of Lombok, I changed direction and decided to go to Flores, the island where I would go see the famous dragons.
I go down the boat and I change my ticket to Gili Islands for a ticket to Mataram, the main city of Lombok. The guy from the agency is trying by all means still sell me an organized tour to see the dragons, and spite, then unsuccessfully tried to sell me a ticket for the bus almost 3 times more expensive than local buses, but I agree with the local bus station with a small Bemo, these mini-mini-local buses and I reserve a bus for tomorrow morning, tonight's party is 10 minutes ago, the guy from the agency made me lose my time for this purpose. One night in a homestay, not so cheap but I did not blunder that is referenced in the guide, and inevitably, all prices quoted are immediately increased to tourists unwilling to bother to look elsewhere, after hours of travel and a backpack.
Diner in a small roadside snack, where I offer a plate has a kid come begging. I'm little surprised because my roommate, a Scotsman who comes every year work for a foundation to help children out of Bali and Lombok Street, Peduli Anak . He explained that there is full of beggar children in Indonesia. In Bali, child beggars are chased from Kuta and Ubud, the main tourist cities and all other tourist spots, and taken to Denpasar to not "disturb" the tourists. In Lombok, little tourist island, there are plenty of these child beggars in the streets. The last 2 arrivals in the association or bump my roommate, two girls are 3 years old, raped. The association between other fights so that the culprits be tried and sentenced even though this is not a priority for justice.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Bus leaves at 7am, a few hours drive to the other side of the island of Lombok, where a ferry takes 2 hours to the island of Sumbawa.
should arrive around 19h. The road runs along one side and a landscape of rice paddies poor, small huts on stilts that house from rain or sun intense few rice farmers, and small mountains that make these views so beautiful. Lunch break included in the price of the trip, excellent this time, for him against the bus will not restart. One patient 2h, while the 2 drivers are desperately trying to restart with 3 tools and a lot of willpower. Another bus arrives and we will use their battery to restart ours. The road is always so beautiful, too bad I'm stuck in this bus, I want to stop everywhere to discover and admire, I would return.
Bima It has finally arrived, a small town 2 hours from the east coast of Flores. A person who works for the government surprises me, waiting for the bus and direct passengers to a hotel or in a match up to the local rate of bemo I'd take tomorrow never seen it anywhere! Generally they are vendors that sell bus tickets price over-inflated, so it must negotiate, after it was done several hours of travel, then this home rather pleasant, and I know that later Bima remain a small town or I'd love to come back. But it is too late to continue our journey and reach Sape on the east of the island of Sumbawa and the pier to the island of Flores, I leave tomorrow morning after a night in this small city transit, which has yet looks very nice, the reception has been off the bus!
Sunday, July 18, 2010 Sunrise
still very early, a small local bus fully loaded with passengers, en route to Sape 2h Bima passing a small pass that discovers a splendid view of the east coast of the island. Again, beautiful scenery and excellent views of small rice paddies from the top of this mountain.
Arrive Sape has the ferry, I took a serving of rice with chicken wrapped in a banana leaf for lunch and I embark for eight to nine hours away.
I met John, a name he uses as more easy to remember his real name Russian backpacker with a small backpack of 40 liters of only 5 kg, it goes in Papua, hitchhiking. He has already made quite a journey this way, Indonesia and other countries, and it is apparently easier to travel in a truck with a guy who asks only talk to occupy his long hours of driving, or stop in small villages for a bite to eat at a local happy to welcome a abroad and even sleep in a corner of the house on the carpet foam strapped to his backpack.
Arrives in Labuan Bajo, the first city west of Flores, I go with the Polish companion find out and negotiate a boat to visit the islands of Komodo tomorrow. I found a boat at a good price we will share with 4 other people met on arrival date, and our journey takes us to Rinca, an island to 2 hours from Labuan Bajo against the 4 hour trip to the island of Komodo, too far for a visit that day, but with the same monsters if known.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Start early, after buying a portion of nasi (rice with 3 small pieces of chicken wrapped in a banana leaf). We're going to Rinca, the small boat of about ten meters, the view is still the paradise, several islands that emerge from the water, such as high mountains flooded by the sea, covered with low vegetation and green and a few trees and palms.
It happened to Rinca, and we cross the first Komodo dragons on the site of the home. Some of them are accustomed to come and stay near the site to enjoy food as their give the Rangers who visit the island. An old dragon is lying under the kitchen, I see his head and apparent odds lean really reminiscent of the dragon fantasy films. A huge dragon sleep also near the kitchen, 2 meters long, 80 kilos. The longest of them would be 3 meters long, they live a 50aine years, they are carnivorous and sometimes a buffalo feast, but mostly monkeys, wild fowl, and they are dangerous as well that 'apparently very sleepy, they are like lizards and can get to run very suddenly and quickly go.
rangers were forced to be bitten and taken to the hospital, only the nearest hospital is in Bali, by helicopter, there is no hospital on the island of Flores. We did a little hiking, the view is magnificent when it dominates the island and see the surrounding islands Rinca, we cross a buffalo, the ear was cut half and half has passed through the stomach of a dragon.
On our return to the site of the rangers, a male 2 meters, probably 80 kilos, with mates a female half as wide as he, he crushed all his weight. Another male is behind them, and it will be removed 10 minutes later by the false lazy male that crushed his bride.
photographer desiring a photo fetish bent on throwing small stones and sticks to another dragon bearing down on him for it, but the sloth moves only a few meters whenever he finally decides to stand up, certainly in full digestion. The photographer eventually sweaty and happy after his photo 1 / 2 hour hard on the male dragon who has asked not to eat the scraps from the kitchen Rangers and could well have him eat a calf drink ^ ^.
It takes the boat and made a stop on the shore of a small island, where you can feast your eyes during a small diving mask and snorkel, coral and fish of all colors with 1 meter of bottom.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
I stay one day in Labuan Bajo, passing through a fish market, then I'll drink coffee and eat the banana fritters that cost nothing, and I quickly stall are so good, next to an old guy happy that I articulate two words in the dialect of Flores, yet different from the Indonesian language. A child cries and throws stones to his father who excites his cock by rubbing it vigorously and holding him face another cock, then he launches a fight that ended early when his own cock, for whom the child was crying, trying to flee.
The Indonesians were all cock they cajole their show, are facing other to excite them and prepare them for future battles. Not just a story of money, just bet a few tickets, but also a pride of having a cock beautiful, strong and recognized. The French rooster him, cooked wine is good ^ ^.
evening walk, walk on a winding road to a small bay 1 / 2 hour walk from Labuan Bajo, a small paradise which hosts a dozen homes, fishermen. At the end of the long pier, the fishermen sitting on the board gives me a line, sunset postcard. Fish that eat the pieces of bait on the hook are beautiful, some triangular 20 cm, white yellow and black for other purposes and 40cm long ... I do not really want to eat them.
I come home late, a lot of emails and writing on the blog. So I consulted a strong earthquake shook the ground. My reflex is to think that a truck has just passed beside the cabin Wood and shook on its foundations, but no, the ground is a concrete slab and walls of stone, and the boss of me cyber nods her head while my eyes questioned, and I began to realize that it was indeed an earthquake.
I return after talking with the guys hacking cyber talking to me all the stars, hackers, Indonesia, hackers in progress but not yet at the level of those in China who hold all the records. A friend had also mentioned a friend of his Indonesian programmer and hacker, who now lives in a villa and drives a Porche, all paid for with hacking.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
I take the ferry after a small cafe, and a supply of banana fritters and donuts premises very fat and warm. 9am ferry or full of young people come talk to me, happy to talk and work on their English and to meet a tourist who is traveling alone, I would get a lot of emails on my return from Indonesia. A long journey yet so nice to meet, nap, lunch with a serving of rice, lulled by the slow pitch of the boat, the little wind, heat and moisture from the sea air. I arrive
Sape, a small town east of the island of Sumbawa. The trucks are all the ferry left without that I find one that would have a place to bring me back to Bali.
I take a local bus to Bima. Erfani, the young guy who takes care of "load" the bus customers ("load" is the right word so the bus is filled to the brim), I made room on the roof, and I feast for 2 hours, this landscape that I had had the insight that between-go (and some branches are too low which passes under the bus).
An excellent view by passing a small hill, paddy fields, small villages, farmers who dry their rice on a sheet beside the road. Erfan sleep like every night, the bus has Bima, until the next morning to recharge again bus customers who wish to join Sape to take the ferry. Diner a bakso, noodles and meatballs, chicken and shower just before the power failure during 1h throughout the city, which also cut the water pump from the hotel.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Breakfast included, as in almost all hotels in Indonesia, here's a thermos of hot water on the small table in front of my room, a bag of coffee powder and 2 wafers.
I am waiting for my bag for the next bus Dompu halfway before Uh'U, 1 departure every hour. The inhabitants of this city make it pleasant to wait in the street chatting with everyone. I takes the bus for 2 hours by road, this little country road, which serves as national, which crosses the island of Sumbawa, a very hilly landscape, some peaks of small mountains in the clouds, bright sun, the rice Below, salt marshes, the wives of fishermen who are trying to sell their fresh fish coming through the window when the bus drop off a passenger, the old Indonesian sitting beside me, smoking a Gitane local adds a splash of clove, excellent, which leaves a sweet taste on the lips, Mothers with children on their knees, we're all claws against each other and I'm lucky to be seated, unlike other standing tight, or on the roof, sitting on cardboard boxes.
Arrive Dompu, I paid 15,000 rupiah normal price while sympathizing with the 2 guys who takes care of passengers and luggage on the roof. A link on a motorcycle taxi to a junction where another small local bus leaving soon for Uh'U, but his driver wants to sell me a ticket for 2 times the price, and changed his mind 10 minutes later, perhaps because I asked, looking surprised, it was really a Muslim (their home being so generous usually), or because the bus is almost empty and I began to negotiate the route with a guy on a scooter. Head to the south coast of Sumbawa, my neighbor bus speaks English and offers me to stop in the village where I met his family and where he lives simply, people still adorable, and it takes me scooter up Uh'U Lakey, the famous beach of 3 kilometers Uh'U.
Uh'U Lakey is really isolated, after an unused road, and only a few surfers come here. I just rent a small bungalow with a beautiful huge bed for a good price, there are not many tourists at this time, ideal for bargain prices. It's just opposite a small beach, where I am surprised to eat a gado-gado, the plate of rice and vegetables for 3 times the price, everything is more expensive here, like the economy goreng (fried rice) to 15,000 rupiah in the evening.
No running water in the hotel, or too little. The main pump that supplies water to the hamlet the little hill next door is down and the backup pump supplying current with low output for a shower, then shower and bucket of water has the Indonesian as I usually do ^ ^.
Interesting here, the waves! And I had never seen such beautiful. On the spot right in front of my room, the wave breaks at the same spot, 300 meters from the beach. The waves are beautiful, I spend bar with a bodyboard that I found for rent and I enjoy especially fun to see surfers in the beautiful figures on a long distance. Almost every time a wave breaks, 2 surfers are, one on each side, a great place to surf.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Back Bima to rent a bike and explore the surrounding countryside. I boarded a bus and sit in the back, it is still full, and the guy just trying to sell me a ticket for double the price, and jokingly, I get to have great prices, c is where the stuff that makes it nice to be here, no-brainer with the shark tourism. A pleasant journey yet, to sympathize with the people around me even if they do not speak English, there are always 2 or 3 words we can understand to begin with. I arrive in Bima, guys all excited trying to sell me a ticket for Sape like all tourists usually just passing through, and I take a small room. Unfortunately, all bikes are already leased. I'm going to tour the town, and it's really nice and welcoming, no tourist ever comes here, so there's not all vendors who jump on me as often, people are very warm, every time I stop even for a minute, I discuss or shaking a hand with a smile. Dinner in a small restaurant with a plate of rice, vegetables and temple, these seeds of soybeans agglomerated into crisp fritters.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
A tower in the city where I finally found the only provider that is compatible with my Visa card, but I am reassured after getting tickets because so many times Distributors are down, or there are power cuts, or ... or ... . Returning to my hotel, even meetings, reunions and even the day before. Yet it is unusual to see local in their store, but they did offer me to buy anything. I climb into
top of a hill overlooking the town of Bima, although the Muslim midday prayers fill the city, through the speakers to sound too loud and completely saturated.
I took the night bus to arrive tomorrow morning at Mataram on Lombok island. I hurt my coup planned for dinner because it was 1am the bus stops for lunch and had the slab. I had to sleep ... 1 / 2 hour after leaving this place as a fan too cold air conditioning set to "freezing" I can not block, and under the drops of rainwater through the roof of the bus and come up above my head, a bad place, and I settle to the bottom Bus, ideal for pioncer on 2 seats free and stirred all the time (back of the bus route and could force), and especially over the hot engine. I even made climbing the toilet, why the position, then there are 2 large buckets filled with ground water that can be flush, but prevent them from entering and laying the feet on the ground that the bus bearing down on this small winding road full of holes, and that the ceiling is too low to stand, above the Turkish toilet?!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Arrive 8am, still not slept more than an hour. the road is really rotten even when bitumen full of tight turns, climbs slopes, and our driver, I mean our driver, easily avoiding the vehicles that crossed by short, crisp shots of flying and big honking for them to depart and not to reduce its high rate of "cruise".
arrives at the bus station in Mataram, as usual 20 people for selling tickets to all directions around possible, and I quickly get rid of it with my traditional morning good spirits when I did not slept. Back Oka, a homestay family run Hindu or I rent a bike when I first get some sleep. A look at the ominous sky, I go visit a temple where come to practice just as much Hindu as Muslim. Then I go hoping to find a small local market but I only find small roads and a landscape of contrasts few rays of sunlight pass through knotting heavy and gray.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Check a motorcycle ride to an island, sometimes I find tourists to share a boat and reach it, a little place known for great snorkeling, but I finally arrive at the pier for the ferry, talks with a guy who wants to sell me a ticket to Kuta for tomorrow while he is on a bus route from Surabaya in Java, 2 days bus by a seller diehards. Back to Mataram, after a break of 2 hours under a small shelter of these rice farmers on a roadside, because the rain is like that of Guyana, in 2 seconds I'm soaked to the bone.
Tuesday 27 juilet 2010
I discuss with my roommates who will benefit from Lombok scooter, then I would take advantage of that rain. Other neighbors travelers share their adventures in China, Tibet, Iraq, ... I take the minibus direct to Kuta I booked 150,000 rupiah yesterday, thinking to pay a little more than if I had to negotiate the 4 or 5 that I bemos the take to finally arrive in Kuta, but I realized that I spent nearly 50,000 more in the end. I met a French couple returning from the islands Gili Trawangan, I thought this island to join at the beginning of this adventure to the Dragons and I am very happy with my choice after they told the orgy m'aient tourist these islands. Nice to speak French and no longer be restricted to my poor English vocabulary, although I still do not play cards ^ ^.
As I suspected, Gili Trawangan is the meeting point for tourists who love the fiesta among tourists who want to try magic mushrooms, to smoke pot Indonesian police without fear, absent from the island, while it is risking the death penalty in Indonesia, and enjoy diving and snorkeling during the day.
Arriving by ferry on the island of Bali, the ticket I have is a bus which will drop all the tourists take turns in the 4 main areas of Bali, 3 hours journey, and I regret even more to have paid too much, because I just learned that a local bus go straight to Kuta 1h ^ ^
arrives and then finally in Kuta, as I feared, I can not find chamber was less than 150,000 rupiah in the neighborhood where I am, 14 euros, I find cheaper and would change tomorrow. A small snack
Indonesian meal in a dark street a local price between 2 buildings, rare to find it in this neighborhood, and obviously the guys, Indonesians who are working here are surprised to see a tourist to eat with them.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
I find a room a bit cheaper, but it will be hard to beat in this town too touristy, but it is even impossible to negotiate prices, as when I tried for my new room and the guy said with a smile that his fixed price is enough for the room is rented easily and he finds his account is much different from Indonesia I know.
No way around it given the time that does not dry and I'm leaving tomorrow, I have to do my laundry, there still expensive compared to usual, Kuta is really a sort of side of Azure regarding prices and local business. I can find some cons for secondhand books in French with a bit more choice than usual. The friend I met in Kuta by the site of couchsurfing, which is manager of a tourist agency, explained that he rents his furnished room in Kuta for Rp 1,500,000, 140 euros. The guy selling a few DVDs, with whom I dined last night on the Indonesian snack pay him, 500,000 rupiah his room, 45 euros per month, also in Kuta. A guy with whom I had dinner in Labuan Bajo, English teacher, told me earn 2.5 million rupiah a month, 240 euros, and the guy from cyber cafe in the same town told me to be about 2,000,000 rupiah per month . It's pretty good information on the contrast between tourists and locals.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
I go to the airport to my plane. Problem, I changed all my rupiah, accustomed to no longer charge after registering my luggage, but the record, I am asked to pay for my luggage, and I should also pay a fee to leave the airport join and departure lounges!
off on this track along the sea and overlooking the Java Sea and on some islands which I do often see the top of ancient volcanoes that protrude above the clouds. Bali will not fail me, but Indonesia may be the place I would have preferred in my journey, certainly for its Indonesian!
photos in Indonesia
