Ferry to Lombok

Took the ferry over to Lombok for a couple of days.  I was able to get one of the faster boats and it took less than 3 hours in the calm sea, and was $4.

This is one of the slower older ferries.

The happy traveler

Bathroom was ok; someone took a bath in here while I was peeing.

Friendly American Bob with his local wife Tiffany.  Bob lives here doing solar energy installations.

Everyone finds time to sleep on deck

Watching Indo action movies inside - very LOUD

Fishing in Lembar harbour in Lombok

At the ferry terminal you have to bargain very hard to get into town.  Paid $2 for a ride and then we picked up 3 Danes and 1 Latvian who bargained harder and paid $1.

The Latvian had an iPhone with GPS - I have to get something like this.  You are not lost when you have GPS in your pocket and maybe I'll see if I can buy something cheaper (than an $800 iPhone) in Singapore??  Good luck Peter....time to join the young people with all their latest toys.

The Germans in Bali

Last May I spent a month in Berlin where I fell in love with the German people.  Two German fellows were sitting next to me on my flight to Bali. 

Childhood friends here to celebrate their 30th birthdays, planning their adventure moment-to-moment, and we had a few beers together that evening.  Picked up a bag of beer at the airport store when we first arrived, and then while in traffic Simon and Sebestien jumped out of the taxi and bought more, another couple of beers from the hotel concierge, beer at the beach, more beer at our dinner place, beers at the pool hall where Sebestien played it cool with the local hustler, at the store on the way home, a few more from the hotel concierge....

Then I go to bed at about 1am and they head down to the beach for some swimming and the 24-hour beer store.  They next morning they were still the two nicest guys I have met in a long time.

Sebestien is thoughtful and introspective; Simon is a character from an old German movie.

Legian Beach Bali

Walking around the world

Ignacio Dean Mouliaá is walking around the world and I said hello to him in Jakarta.

By the time I ran into him he had already done a lot of walking...starting in Madrid, crossing France, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria and Turkey. He entered Asia by the Bosphorus Strait, and walked through Georgia, Azerbaijan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates (where he took a ferry to India), Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia...and finally Jakarta....

Here is his website: http://earthwidewalk.tumblr.com/miproyecto

Jakarta traffic

Crazy traffic in Jakarta.  It is busy, packed, jammed, endless endless traffic but amazingly everyone really gets along well on the road and it is rare to see anything larger than a scratch on the seemingly brand new cars. 

Click here for a video

Click here for a video

The red car in the second video is my trusty tour guide and video director Rina Sr.  She will pick me up on the other side of the crossing.

Last day in Jakarta

Even on my last full day in Jakarta it was packed full from 7am to 11pm.  Breakfast date across town at a Chinese porridge (congee) place, museums after that, some official business with Rina Sr. at a German language school, and a day trip to Bogor to see the wonderful park there. 

Breakfast with all the fixings.  Marinated pigs ears to add to your Chicken congee.

Breakfast companions....Takarina and Sian.

Check out the sweets bag...it is a "used" ledger sheet from someone's business.  Classic...

After breakfast we visited Rina Sr's brother-in-laws warehouse.

Preparing the garlic to sell wholesale to customers.

Finally they put me to work.

Bananas for sale across the street

Dried fish.....many many kinds.

We visited the Railway tracks to see how some others lived their lives.

This guy was just hanging out....

After a super long day of seeing the sights, I was handed off that evening to Rina Jr, Anita, and  Susy for dinner and some drinks at the Indonesian Grand.  It was a nice ending to a really wonderful week of Indonesian hospitality.  

There were some nice good-byes to my new friends in Jakarta.  Hope to see them in Vancouver one day to take them on a culinary tour of my city.  It will be hard to top the hospitality I received but I will be up to the challenge and looking forward to it.

The long way to Bandung

Took a long drive with Rina Sr. and Susy on Tuesday.  After a 7:30 am breakfast we took the long way to Bandung.  It was a great way to see the countryside.  For sure in Indonesia the action and the traffic never stop.

Tea with bay leaf, ginger, cinnamon, and rock sugar

Breakfast egg

Breakfast rice....and chicken and egg....very delicious

In Indonesia there is always someone ready to direct traffic when you need it.  Whistles are ready to go...same with your money.  There is a traffic money bucket next to the seat stuffed with bills.

At the hot springs it was a wet t-shirt contest for the local girls

Hot and steamy !!

Challenging lunch.....and ate it all

Young rubber tree farm

Tapping the rubber tree

The sulphur crater.....we saw everything today.....

And of course there was dinner again.  A very long day, seeing many things I just would of not seen except for the help of the local ambassadors.

On the drive home I discovered there is no speed limit on the dark smoky Indonesian highway.  And not too many cars passed us.....

The next day was a stay-in-the-hostel-day and recuperate.  Still have some jet lag to battle with.  Everyone in the hostel does their best to keep it quiet and you get a great nights sleep.

Noodles and Soup and 10 other dishes

Next morning Rina Jr. takes me to meet Rina Sr. at their company office.  After that we take off for lunch and we have a picnic in the car.

Food carts - 8 of them in a row

Noodles - Bakmi

Indonesian Meatballs with Chili Sauce

After lunch it was another marathon tour - Rina Jr. took me to one of their companies construction sites - and after that we hit *all* the big shopping malls.  Had the greatest coffee of my short life in the "Grand Indonesia" mall.  It was a Starbucks coffee, but it was truly Indonesian.  Met up later with Rina Sr. and gathered for dinner later with some of the Ambassador's friends.

Can I take a picture of your dinner?

Anita, Susie, and Rina Jr.

Getting the Beef Rendang

Indonesian Ambassador

Rina Jr. taking a break on the back of a bicycle

My co-worker and friend Rina's younger sister (also named Rina) came out to fetch me at the airport just after Noon.  Next she did the impossible and marched me across Jakarta and kept me out of bed until 11pm.  I know now there is no better remedy for that first day jet lag.

Three on a motorcycle

Visited the docks

Holding Hands

Walking on Broken Glass

Rina Jr's cell phone takes great pics !!  Maybe I need a new camera.....