Category: Year of the dragon

Our flight home is a late night departure affording me the opportunity to do some more sightseeing in the afternoon before we leave. We hire a driver and select an itinerary. We get lucky with Bright sunshine at the Ceking rice terraces.

Unfortunately the planned stop at Kintimani to see Bali’s volcano Mt Batur is foiled by heavy rain and low cloud resulting in a white out. Our driver suggests we substitute it with the Holy Water temple. While I was not particularly keen there was nothing else to do to fill in time. I am glad we did as it far exceeded expectations. Water bubbles up from an underground source and is channelled to an open bathing area where pilgrims bathe under a series of pipes. Fascinatingly the pilgrims are all westerners and the temple has life and movement. Definitely worth a visit.

We finish at Tegenung waterfall. Perhaps I have been a bit harsh with my judgement on Bali.

Dinner alfresco and my phone pings. I curse out loud, its an email to say that our trip to Komodo Island for tomorrow has been cancelled! As this our only window of opportunity, it is 8pm now and all the Komodo tours start a 5am we seem to be well and truly screwed over. My mind goes into overdrive. Walking through town I noticed half day tours to Rinca Island promoted, that could work. Google is fairly unhelpful but I resolve to push through and make it happen early tomorrow morning.

Reception is incredibly helpful the next morning and before we know it we have chartered our own speedboat leaving at 11am for a cost not much more than the original tour would have cost. Game on! Half an hour cruising takes us to our lunch spot at a pretty white sand beach on Kellar Island. A brief steep walk up the hill here affords grandstand views of the surrounding islands

Rinca is the second largest of the only five islands in the world that are home to the Komodo Dragon. There are 1400 of these uniquely ugly but fascinating remnants of the dinosaur age. They are the largest lizards in the world growing to 3 metres in length. They are apex predators, carnivorous and able to take down large animals such as goats a and deer and swallow and digest them whole. They are aggressive and can run at speeds up to 18kmph.

The infrastructure on Rinca is impressive with raised boardwalks and barriers the initial impression is a bit disappointing as it is a bit zoo like but we are treated to multiple sightings of these magnificent creatures. Out of the blue our guide asks if we want to see a dragon nest and before we know it we are off the boardwalk at ground level with 4 adult dragons lying around us and a juvenile scurrying in the distance. I am gripped from behind by my life partner who insistently tugs at my shirt wanting to go back. I am deaf to her entreaties and the guide reassures her she will be safe. We have a magic time wandering within a few metres of these massive reptiles and even Suzanne settles down and at the end of it acknowledges this is one of the more exhilarating life experiences.

Our day finishes with some snorkeling.

Checking in, the receptionist goes through the formalities, “no smoking in rooms as that attracts a penalty”. I pipe up and add “and no durian fruit”. His eyes open incredulously “yes, how did you know that” he asks? I have seen it as standard hotel policy throughout South East Asia. For those not in the know durian resembles an oversized green pineapple. It is described as tastes like heaven, smells like hell! When the fruit is cut into the smell is like advanced decomposing meat and the smell permeates everything.

Flores is a cheap 1 hour flight east of Bali. Larger than Bali it is green and sparsely populated and still relatively undiscovered by tourists. That, though is likely to change as they are about to start direct international flights from Australia. The vibe here is as much South Pacific as Indonesian and, of course this is the departure point for day trips to Komodo Island to see the unique Komodo Dragon, one of my bucket list items and an inspiration for this trip.

I leave the accommodation bookings to “she who must be obeyed”. She outdoes herself this time booking a villa with private pool at the Sudamala resort. At less than a quarter of the cost of anywhere else in the world this is luxury. Wow, this beautiful villa has a pool much larger than a plunge pool all privately enclosed and it is not long before we shed our sweaty clothes and take full advantage of the privacy and refreshing water.

We take in the capitol “city” here, Labuan Bajo which is a pleasant small green town around the harbour. A gentle stroll, lunch and a few photos before heading back to where our private pool beckons.

Darkness engulfs me an hour into the climb. My headtorch light scatters as a mist envelops me near the top. I develop a dry cough as do others around me. The mist is not fog it is sulphur gas emitted from the volcano. On with the gas mask and take a few deep breaths to get used to it. Back to walking and the confined breathing feels all wrong, I back off on my pace for a while and develop a routine and all is right with the world again.

Mt Ijen is our last stop at the far east of Java just a short ferry ride from Bali Island. We stay the night at a beautiful little cottage in idyllic surrounds. Beautiful gardens, pavilions, lily ponds, koi fish and a gushing stream which is apparently home to an otter which sadly we do not see. The room sports a four poster bed with romantic mosquito netting and an outdoor shower. In the afternoon the daily rain assumes monsoonal proportions so we laze on the bed and watch an old classic movie “Krakatoa East of Java” to get us further into the volcano mood.

It is up early for a 3 am start to reach Ijen crater rim for sunrise. The 2800 metre volcano is still active but quiet for now. The steep 3.4km hike takes me 75 minutes. Pleasingly, at the rim the sulphur fog has dissipated. It is a short wait for daylight and I am treated to a grandstand view of the volcano with its bright blue thermal acid lake. In the western part of the crater is another vantage point named Blue Flame. It is from fumaroles there that the sulphur cloud is produced.

The Dutch colonised this place for the spice trade. This climate and the fertile volcanic soil was perfect for growing cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Over the years successful imports from all around the world are thriving here. Ginger turmeric and galangal from India, vanilla from Madagascar, Saffron from Iran, cocoa, coffee and so the list goes on. This morning we spend a couple of hours on a local plantation which is a foodies and gardener’s paradise.

Two afternoons ago we arrived at Madakaripura Falls, only to be turned away as it is closed due to flooding. Yesterday we were given a reprieve and it was off to see them. The trip involves a 10 minute motorbike ride, not a favourite form of transport for me (especially without helmets!). Then a 2 km walk in involving multiple river crossings and walking under numerous falls. From a distance it looked rather underwhelming. How wrong could I be. At the end of of the canyon a series of spectacular falls generating a massive mist.

A surprisingly modern and comfortable train takes us from Jogjakarta to Surabaya in four short hours. It is a further 3 hours by car from the dirty and unattractive Surabaya rising up the mountain along winding narrow roads through verdant jungle. Our overnight base is 1900 metres above sea level at the cool misty Jiwa Jawa resort.

Three a.m. comes around quickly and after an unusually restless night I am well below par. Our jeep is waiting for us and it’s an often bumpy trip to Mt Bromo National Park for a sunrise lookout. Nothing is as I expected this morning. Being the off-peak season I expected a hardy few tourists but looking back out of the jeep is a line of headlights as far as the eye can see. Apparently we are part of a convoy of over 400 jeeps!

Being a national park I expected to find nothing but nature on arrival. I forgot that this is Indonesia and there are literally kilometres worth of brightly lit stalls selling anything from jackets to food and souvenirs all hustling and doing a roaring trade at 4 a.m.

Despite the crowds I find a nice patch of dirt below the lookout to taken in the daylight over the nearer Bromo Volcano and Mt Severus brooding higher n the distance.

Sated with the view and a “camera” full of pictures we drive down to the foot of Bromo for the 400 metre climb to the rim situated at 2300 metres. The climb up starts  across a long stretch of black volcanic sand that slopes gradually upwards. Although the altitude is not extreme the lower oxygen levels do play with our breathing. The walk is a 40 minute up hill push and is more arduous than the “easy” descriptor but the view from the rim looking down into the crater belching out a steady thick plumes of smoke and the sound of lava sloshing below like waves at a beach is magnificent. Face to face with the power of nature is humbling.

One third of the way my beautiful life partner declared herself “cooked”. To her credit she waved me on and I felt for her but understood her decision. The final part of the ascent is a steep 250 step climb. Three quarters of the way up I take a breather and am gobsmacked. Looking back slowly and steadily climbing to the foot of the stairs is the unmistakeable “Barbie” pink jacket Suzanne bought for this trip. Looking bedraggled she makes it all the way up. I love this woman and her determination. On the way back in the jeep she was heard to say “I wasn’t going to let the f***er beat me!

What a name, try saying it without rolling the “r”s! The sound alone evokes both history and mystery, perhaps something out of Indiana Jones! This magnificent Buddhist temple, the largest in the world has long been on my bucket list.

Constructed in the 8th century AD, damaged by earthquakes and eruptions then abandoned in the 11th century and left to the jungle. Rediscovered by Thomas Stamford Raffles, yes of Singapore fame, in the late 19th century. The first reconstruction took place over 100 years ago. Faced with subsidence it was comprehensively reconstructed over 10 years from 1985 with the assistance of UNESCO.

Bright sunshine sees us leaving Jogjakarta early in the morning for the 1 hour drive to Borobodur. Dominating the northern skyline is the dark conical volcano of Mt Merapi, threatening with thick plumes of white smoke. I wonder what it would be like living with the constant reminder of Indonesia’s most active volcano on your doorstep.

Arriving at Borobodur I am impressed by the modern, slick efficiency, modern western amenities and an efficiently organised system of guides. I am also surprised by the actual layout. I expected masses of stupas scattered throughout the jungle. Instead there are manicured lawns and pathways leading up a hill to a massive but coherent temple complex. It does not disappoint.

The afternoon sees us on the other side of town at The largest Hindu Temple in South East Asia. Prambanan was built in the 7th century. Just as with Borobodur, the centuries leading to the last one were not kind to it effectively reducing it to rubble. As with Borobodur the reconstruction is nothing short of magnificent.

The plunge from an upgraded suite in a five star hotel to a standard room in a (barely) 3 star place in Yogyakarta is not pretty. For me the room is basic but not the worst I have ever stayed in by a long shot, especially in my back packing days. My life partner has a look like thunder on her face. Through the torrent of criticism the phrase uttered “I want to go home” grates against my consciousness. Then there is the thumbing of the bed sheets presumably looking for bed bugs. What to do? We have started on a guided private tour with a company that I have researched and gets excellent reviews. I go back to reception and inquire about the existence and availability of better rooms. I am sold a better room for the princely extra sum of $40 per night. This room passes muster (just) and we are back on track.

Indonesia is a country with 130 volcanoes. Geologically it is part of the “ring of fire”. Prone to tectonic plate shifts and earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Mt Merapi, an hour drive north of Jogjakarta has been quite active on Java. Major eruptions in 2006 and 2010 have reshaped the landscape and lava flows 11 months ago destroyed a number of villages with loss of life. As we drive up to the volcano it is remarkable how resilient the villagers are and the regeneration of vegetation on the fertile volcanic soil. The devastating forces of nature destroy but the fertile volcanic soil that results restores the balance just as quickly.

Heavily shrouded in cloud Merapi flirts with us revealing some of her flanks through transient breaks in cloud as we jump into the jeep to ascend her flanks.

One cannot ascend the peak and the main tourist complex is about halfway up. The whole area is run by the local villages and I cannot begrudge them the tourist fees. These people have repeatedly had their livelihoods wiped out by the volcano and they keep coming back! There are multiple places to go to, most of them kitsch creations that particularly appeal to a certain Asian tourist stereotype we tried to avoid these. Our first stop was the bunker which is as its name suggests an underground shelter from the thermoclastic volcanic events. As the name suggests these are bursts of superheated steam up to 2000 degrees Celsius. It was such an eruption that killed the tourists on White Island in New Zealand. In the 2010 eruption 2 people sought shelter in the bunker. This time it was lava and not steam and they were entombed and died.

Our final stop was the museum Sisa Hartaku a village chieftain complex again destroyed in 2010 here it was not lava but the thermoclastic cloud. The ruined structure is particularly poignant and demonstrative of the power of nature. The twisted molten metal tells the story.

The afternoon sees us back in Jogjakarta and through the enervating heat we visit he Taman Sari Water Castle. Damaged by earthquake in 1865 it has been restored to its former glory as a castle and water wonderland for the Sultan’s harem. From his vantage point he would watch the women bathe and select from the “smorgasbord” of beauty for the next concubine to pleasure him.

More and more airports, even in the developing world, have set up kiosks in arrival halls to purchase preordained fixed taxi fares to banish the rapacious taxi touts. Not here! We step out and face the wall of humid heat to the full on gamut of taxi madness. I always plan ahead, Google advises the appropriate price. I download the appropriate ride sharing app for Indonesia and what could go wrong? Firstly, the app reverts to Indonesian language upon landing. Secondly my bank’s credit card will refuse to pay on the app without a certification code which arrives late or not at all. Eventually after turning down the tout who quotes four times the going rate for one who settles on double the rate.

We have one day here and book a 3 hour walking tour. We are at the meeting place as the monsoonal rain teems down. We wait patiently and after 45 minutes abandon the trip and set off independently. The guide arrives an hour late and tracks us down. We are not in luck as she seems to be manic and difficult to understand. Her online reviews are impeccable but we had to excuse ourselves early and head off home.

My advice to any would be tourists here is not to bother with Jakarta. If you find yourself stuck here the highlight is the mosque which is apparently the third largest in the world. On returning to our luxury hotel booked, of course, by my life partner we found the rooftop bar and the best view we have seen all day enjoyed over a cocktail.

As I am writing this I was originally supposed to be in Syria right now. The Hamas attacks on October 7 put paid to that idea. With only 2 weeks off I toyed with Burma but civil war there literally killed that one off. Then I remembered my longstanding bucket list item of seeing Komodo dragons in the wild. It ticked a number of boxes being shorter, easier flights readily accessible from Australia.

Suzanne and I went to Bali in the 1980s and have no great urge to spend much time there so what else to do to fill 2 weeks? Borobodur on Java was similarly on my bucket list. This segued beautifully on to my discovering that Java is actually a fascinating island of jungles, waterfalls and volcanoes. The rest as they say is history and we have booked a full week here.