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Indonesia 1998 |
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(booked by
Tourasia, Wallisellen) |
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| The fifth visit in Indonesia
was in January (20th) and February (9th) 1998, but with a 3 day stopover in Singapore
before.Which means shopping (visit our tailor and more). Acclimatize is the right word,
the time shift ( 6 hours), temperature, humidity, hot food, etc. |
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In Singapore we stayed at
the Marriott Hotel at the Orchard Road for 3 nights. |
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We flew with Singapore
Airlines to Denpasar, Bali. Wow, was the Bandar Udara Ngurah Rai crowdy. So many people,
so many languages, but most of them on the way to Kuta, Legian or Jimbaran. We took the
taxi by ourselves, for the 30 minutes ride to Sanur. A lot was done here in Bali. The road
was in a good condition and something like a highway, many, many news buildings on the
road. |
We stayed at the Segara
Village, Jl. Segara Ayu Sanur, in the Sanur area for 4 nights. |
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We again tried the
restaurants outside the hotel and again we eat good and cheap at the Swastika I. The
grilled chili prawns were good at the Kul Kul, but the price much higher. Same at
the Abian Boga, but with lower quality too. |
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through Flores we flew with Merpati via Mataram and Bima to Labuan Bajo, West Flores. |
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After arrival, we got some
instructions at the Grand Komodo Office, before we visited the "harbor" from
where we could see the island of Komodo. Lunch up on a "hill" with a beautiful
view over Labuan Bajo and the bay. Our guide had some problems, was the food to expensive,
or our orders ? During the afternoon the ride up to Ruteng, in the Highland of western
Flores. |
In Ruteng we stayed at the
Wisma Dahlia, with clean rooms, personal mandy, but some smaller problems with power and
light. Diner was outside in a Chinese restaurant. We could order what we want. The meals
are much, much cheaper, or our orders ? |
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Early wake up the next
morning and a breakfast with coffee, tea, pan cakes and fresh fruits.On our way to Bajawa,
we stopped at a view point over the lake Ranamese. Interesting how black the surface looks
like, and the nearly perfect circular form the lake has. Later visiting the village of
Bena. A very large "mainstreet", a village shop, "ghosts" on every
roof, no, the sign of the family and up on the end of the village a view over the country,
many, many kilometers over the Sea of Savu.
Late in the afternoon, after "check-in" at the hotel a short ride to Pagal. Near
the village is a hot spring, with more then 40 degrees Celsius. An it's the bathroom of
the peoples of Pagal and this afternoon ours too. Many eyes had a look on us. Carefully
step by step we go into the "small lake" (about 7m length, 4m wide) of one the
springs. It's hot and we're getting red like lobsters. Oh's, ah's, laughing, discussion
.... touching the red skin from a small boy. Washing us from head to toe with our shower
and shampoo lotion, not only soap like the people of Pagal. A first question, my I try
yours. Why not, we gave them one of ours, because we had more, but only when all can use
it. First the children tried it, starts to play with foam and bubbles on their heads. |
In Bajawa, or Bejawa we
stayed at the Wisma Anggrek. The first impression, clean and nice rooms with personal
mandies. But when we came back after diner, wowwwwww. "Kakerlaken"! Up to 5 cm
in size. But to see only a short time, after switching the light on. But under the bed,
behind the cupboards. What to do ? OK, the door to the personal mandy closes good. Evening
toilet and then the hunting starts. With a flashlight and nothing more, under the bed,
behind the cupboards, the table, the chairs and ALL take the way to the dark personal
mandy. Closing the door. A last check and sleeping well in morpheus arms.
The next morning, first a careful look into the mandy. Nothing. Where were this insects
all gone ? No windows, through the toilet ?
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Breakfast ? A cup of coffee
or tea, some toast and orange marmalade. Before we start to Ende, we went to the morning
market. The guide bought some mangos, bananas, snake fruits and mineral water. He says,
you eat so cheap for lunch and diner, so we had a lot of money left. Normally we eat for
lunch only something small, the best we think is a soup, like a chicken soup, noodle soup.
That's something for the stomach, some salt, but against the thirstiness. With water you
pay RP 3000, were a diner, perhaps with a beer is more than RP 20000. The driving to Ende
or Endeh was short, so we had in the afternoon some time for a city tour. |
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| Today is Sunday.
No program. A day at the Nang Nesa beach. Hot was it there, and shadow rare. We need a lot
of suncreme, a lot of water for drinking and we played with the cubes "Yatzee".
Our driver and guide had to learn the game, but they were quick and fast. Our driver was
the winner of the day. He was the luckiest, or had he the best strategy ? Later more
people from Ende came to the beach. Ende is a mostly Islamic city. So they need two places
with shadow. The smaller free one for the ladies and the men, children uses our large one
too. They spoke only their local dialect, so it was not so easy to communicate with them.
But we learn them "Yatzee" too. A funny afternoon! |
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In Ende we stayed at the Dwi
Putra hotel for two nights. This time in the other room we had some problems with
insects. Millions of them crawl out of the wooden mandy door. |
| Something was wrong with the
diner last evening. My stomach. Cramps. And fever ? But nothing more. Only a cup of tea
for breakfast, normal I drink coffee. Later a piece of toast. That helps. |
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Today's ride goes up again
in the Highlands from central Flores. A wild and dry region until we reached the valley of
the Sisters of Detasuko or Detusoko, or ... This Missionary place as many different names.
They were very proud, because in the early 90's, when the Pope visits Indonesia, he stayed
here for one night. But they wait until today for some money to rebuild the houses after
the very heavy Earthquake ( 8.2 ? ) one year later in the bay of Maumere, with a Tsunami
of more then 20 m! |
In Detasuko we stayed at the
Missionary Guest House for one half night.Again a good diner from the Sisters and they
sell beer too. After sunset it got cool up here in the higher regions. |
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Short before diner a bus
arrives, with about 20 tourist. Wow were their valises heavy. Later we heard about their
three day tour out of Bali. Sorry, but I must say, real Neckermänner. No help with the
luggage. The driver and guide must bring all by themselves to the rooms. Heavy work and
they were real tired after.
This would be fun tomorrow early for breakfast and the walk onto the Kelimutu. |
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We won! We're 30 minutes
earlier with breakfast, early with the departure from the Missionary Guest House and we're
the first on the entry to the Taman National Kelimutu, and first on the car parking lot
too. This time we had to walk up much more, not only the last stairs, so we need more than
an hour. |
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But again the same feelings
like last time.You, or I and God, or the nature (wilderness) around, the silence, the cool
and fresh air, the knowledge standing on an active vulcan, the ...
it is very difficult to say it in words. |
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In time for the sunrise the
group arrives too, end of silence, laughter everywhere, jokes, discussion .... one word
horrible. But we had time, we had only one more point today, a short stop in Moni for a
lunch and the ride to Maumere.One hour later they strolled back to their bus. Silence
again, here or there some whispering of the others. Freedom again. |
Time to
wonder about the black lake, with his mirroring of the few trees, the rocks, searching for
the own shadow on the wall. The blue lake, with the winds playing with the yellow
sulfide stripes, areas. The heat from the currently brown lake, with much more red then
last time. The trees, bushes, gras, but no animals, not even one ant. Sometimes a bird, a
humming insect, nothing else. An area of death ? |
| Hot, hotter, hottest, or is
there an other word for heat, perhaps a bakery oven ? 39 degrees Celsius but dry air and
no air condition in our car. We all need more then one stop for some refreshing, something
to drink, like fresh coconut milk. Better was it, when we're down at the Sea.The rest of
the afternoon we stayed at the beach of the Sea World. |
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We stayed again at the Sea
World Club in Maumere for two nights. |
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After breakfast a tour in
the "outback" of Maumere. Heat again. Before returning to the Sea World a short
visit in the weaving village of Batu Blapi. |
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The kitchen team of the Sea
World prepares a Flores specialty for us for diner. First they "sell" it as
chicken. But with this "big" bones ? No, it was a young dog. Taste like a mix of
chicken and turkey. But again an exquisite diner we could eat at the Sea World. |
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We had to fly back to Bali
with Merpati from Maumere, Bandar Udara Wai Oti, via Bima, Mataram, after a good week,
many jokes with driver and guide, with lot of new and deep experiences. |
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We stayed again at the
Segara Village, Jl. Segara Ayu Sanur, in the Sanur area for 3 nights.This time a special
welcome home at the hotel, a lot of discussion with the well known teammembers, but too
with the people of the restaurants at Swastika I and Kul Kul. They knew we traveled
through Flores and they told us about some troubles in Ende, were people burnt down some
shops of Chinese people. |
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To fast, it was time to
leave, only with a Merpati flight to Mataram Bandar Udara Selaparang. |
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We stayed at the Sheraton
Senggigi Beach Resort, Jl. Raya Senggigi km 8, Mataram, Lombok, for 4 nights. |
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We've done nothing special,
resting. For one day we hired a car with driver and did a ride down to the south coast. We
stayed there at the beach near a village/area called Kuta. The beach is called Tanjung
Aan. |
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Because the Mataram airport,
Bandar Udara Selaparang is now an international airport, you can fly with a Fokker 100
from SilkAir directly to Singapore, where you have good connections for intercontinental
flights.OK, it is not heavy traffic, only 5 flights per week, but the future ? |
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