Indonesia 1999

	Indonesia 1999
	(booked by Tourasia, Wallisellen)

The sixth visit in Indonesia was in January, February 1999, 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.With Singapore Airlines and an Airbus 300 we leave this always busy city.		In Singapore we stayed at the Meritus Negara Hotel at the Claymore Road.

As always we took/book our own taxi at the airport in Denpasar for the ride, transfer to the Sanur area. Once more, there was a warm welcome from the known Segara team members.		We stayed in Bali again at the Segara Village in the Sanur area. We no longer found the Hotel in any travel agent catalogues. So it's difficult to say how many stars the Segara has.
	We had planed a lot to do in Indonesia, and after the economic disaster, there were many open points, which we try to clear in the first days, the visit of Toni in Kediri, or the tour through Sumba.	First Merpati is flying one day later to Tambolaka, but at the same day for the returning. So a lot of discussion with the agent of Grand Komodo Tours, which day can be canceled on the tour. With Toni was everything open, can we come or not, and when how long.

The Merpati flight, after four days at the Segara, with the Fokker 27 to Tambolaka (Westsumba) was quiet. As always with flights to the East, there was a stopover at the Merpati "hub" in Bima, Sumbawa. After the Welcome on the airport, no better airfield (something like Birrfeld, Altenrhein is like a large airport) drive to Waikabubak.		In Waikabubak we stayed at the hotel Manandang, the best in town. Clean and nice rooms, a personal mandy with WC and shower. Last not always with water. The rooms are without aircondition, but thats no problem because Waikabubak is more in the "highlands" of Sumba. A simple, but good and tasty kitchen.
	Next day a "city" tour, with the main market, with nice and really cheap ikats. Good quality and colors from Rp 200000. In the afternoon a first view of one of this large stone tombs.
		At the second day a whole day tour in the Southwest of Sumba. Visit of the traditional village Kodi, and more smaller stone tombs in the afternoon.
Third day again a whole day tour to the Southwest. First butterflies, but later with a lot of fun the driving, no drifting through the wet meadows (heavy rain during the whole night before, but now sunny). Lunch on the place of the Pasola "Games" near Wanokaka and at the beach.
	Now it was planed to stay two nights at the Newa Sumba Resort at the Northwest coast. Thanks to Merpati we could only rest one day at the beach of the resort. But before we moved to the Newa, we are happy to see the beginning of a special court on the central place of Waikabubak.	A trial about murderer. A man has killed another man from another village. Normally in the past, this means war between those villages. Very impressive the move of both villages onto the place, with their supporters, other villages on the same side at the court, with their presents, chicken, pigs, water buffaloes and more. Every leader, or higher people was welcomed with a prepared betelnut "cocktail", this includes the governor and bishop of Nusa Tengara Timur, as well as the highest priest of the local religion.
Really relaxing the afternoon at the Newa beach. Three guests, our tour guide Chris and Gaspar our driver, with eleven from the Newa crew. The rooms, bungalows are built like this typical African safari lodges. But sometimes, there is in the garden of Eden something wrong. Small, but it hurts.
	Stress the next day. Driving across Sumba on its "Highway" to Waingapu. Often the street was so small, that is was impossible to cross with two cars. On the way, visiting the largest of this stone tombs. A monolithic bloc of 8m length, 4m wide and 3m high. And they must transport this bloc more then 50km. Back in this megalithic culture they had NO wheels!	In Waingapu we stayed at the hotel Merlin. the best in town, too. But one room without water (who knows why the tap is only dropping), the other room without working air-condition. Not very clean. The hotel crew was not very friendly and helpful.

At the sixth day, we first did a short citytour in Waingapu. Visiting a friend of Chris, who sells ikats. Good quality, colors and design, but very expensive, US$ 250 and onwards, and he takes only dollars. First we thought, strange. After a ride to the village Rende in the South. The road down there was in to good condition. Onroad, we saw two very large, new looking restaurants. A disappointment the arrival in Rende. No children, like in the other villages, nobody seems to working, nobody we could see, quietness, like an empty museum village. Later the village chef welcomes us, but he was very surprised to have some "guest" today.He talks something about a hard life, shows us the village, how to make the ikats, the colors, the cotton, the weaving and last the selling. Horrible the prices. A small one, not the best quality he wants to sell for more the Rp 2.5 million, or US$ 250. No discussion, no bargain. Only a small discount when we buy more then one. No Business. Now the village chef was angry. The last he said, it's cheap for you, it's not so much in dollars or Yen.On the way back a small lunch, chickensoup. Chris told as, in the past, they visited another village, but that's many years ago. If we want to try it, to get an ikat. In the village we're welcomed by a very aggressive turkey. But else, back to normal, children greeting us, people working in front of their houses. But only very small ikats ( 20x30cm). Ok, back to the hotel and trying to take a shower. In the evening Chris told us, why there is such a good road, why the prices are so high. Every second week one of the large cruiser, mostly with American or Japanese people, stops at the harbor of Waingapu. They offer a daily tour to Rende, with lunch and diner.		1. Remark: In Singapore, Indonesia and the most other Asian countries, you never paid the first price of the seller. You bargain! That's the style there to buy something. It is like a ceremony and always a social event too. We learned to do a strong "fight" for the price. But we're already aren't able to bid down the price to the level of the local people.We think, it is the wrongest you can do, ask for the price and the paid with your "creditcard". Most of the products aren't produced for the tourist. No, the local people need it for the "daily" life. 2. Remark: Mostly the children in the villages asking for sugar, candy, chewing gums, rarely for money. We never spend them this. We have always small boxes with colored pencils for the children (boys and girls !). But we warn you, take a lot with you. In the afternoon, when there is no school, count with up to 50 children in a single village. For the adults some pens (hot desired), for the ladies sometimes hair grips or pins. Most villages, or point of interests has a guest book. Write your name down, spend a few Rupies, try to talk with the "bookholder". When he is smoking and you had a funny time with him, spend him a few cigarettes, doesn't matter what kind of brand, but without cloves. Perhaps he calls a friend or two, offer them a cigarette too.
	Early wakeup the next morning. The last day on Sumba. Hotel checkout and then check-in at the airport. Then waiting, waiting and more waiting, until the plane, again a Fokker 27 from Merpati arrives from Kupang. With stops in Bima and Mataram we arrived late in the afternoon the Segara Village on Bali.	In the past we never bought souvenirs at the airports in Indonesia, to expensive. But the airport shop in Bima had ikats for only Rp 130000. Good quality, colors and design, but from Sumbawa and not Sumba.
Bad news from Toni, he must travel to Europe, but he offers us one of his drivers, to do our/his tour in Eastjava. Or we can see us on the day of the departure on Bali itself.We could give back our tickets to Surabaya and we could stay the whole time at the Segara.
	Later Toni picked us up and invited us at the Bali Hyatt, where we meet his mother too. It was a long breakfast, we had a lot to talk, because last time I saw him was in 1980. Also for his mother, she's in the mid seventies, the three month was an adventure.
Most time we relaxed at the pool or beach of the Segara. Take some Balinese massages. Once we've done a full day tour to the north coast. Nothing special the area of Singaraja, but the landscapes onroad, the Git Git waterfall, Bedugul, lake Batur always a eye worth. This time in Denpasar was a Cremation Ceremony. Father and son. A lot of work for the family, the friends and the priest to prepare the highly decorated coffins. They look so easily, but is was a hard work for the mans to carry the coffins to the "buring" place at the border of the forest and the cemetery. It needs a lot of energy (gasoil) for the cremation. Later in the evening, we saw the people to bring the ashes to the Sea, near the Segara Village, because there is one of this Holy Places in Bali.		We most had diner outside the Segara Village. Depending on the weather conditions we walked to the restaurants or took a taxi. We eat at the Swastika I (again good, tasty, friendly and cheap), the Kul Kul (good and tasty, specially the grilled king prawns with chili sauce).Once at the Abian Boga (good show, but expensive).
	Faster then we thought, it was time to leave and travel to Lombok, again with Merpati and a Fokker 27.
Relaxing at the pool or the beach, let do some wellness in the spa, good, tasty food for lunch and diner in the different restaurants. Not so cheap, but always a few days worth.		We stayed the first time at the Sheraton Senggig Beach Resort, Jl. Raya Senggigi km 8, Mataram, Lombok.
	We've done only one full day tour. With a minivan down to the ferry harbor of Lembar. Onwards with a small fisherman's boat out in the Lombok Strait to the Gili Nanggu. Relaxing there, swimming, a tour around the island (one hour, but you need good shoes). Searching for red corals, crabs (up to more then a handful). Lunch under the roof of a guest house, due to a typical tropical short rain. One the way back we had a very full boat, because the "fisher" of an Australian group does came back in the afternoon. More rain on the way back. Wow, was it could during the boat ride. Back at Lembar, behind a car and tree a strip and change into dry clothes for the way back to the hotel.
		With a Fokker 100 from SilkAir we must leave Lombok far to fast. But with the good connection in Singapore to the Swissair flight, you get some candy, because it's possible to stay til the late afternoon at the pool. Ask an you can hold a room to shower before it's finally time to say Good-bye.