North Bali bound - Pemuteran here we come!

Tues 10^th May

As our final Indonesian destination is only a three hour drive away from Ubud, we thought we could kill two birds with one stone by incorporating a side trip to various temples and some of Bali’s other attractions on our way there. We figured it would make the trip a little more interesting and our driver was more than happy to do this.

Talk about a good idea!  We took in the Hindu temples at Pura Taman Ayun, Pura Lunur Batukau and Pura Ulun Danu.  Really loved Pura Lunur Batukau only because it was so peaceful and serene here. There were only a handful of tourists including us and the beautiful lakeside setting made me feel quite spiritual. There were a few Indonesians making offerings at the temple which added to the atmosphere and serenity of the place. Never mind Ubud, if I wanted to find myself and get spiritual enlightenment, I would go here, no questions. 

Pura Ulun Danu however was another story. Full of tourists and tacky little shops, it would have been beautiful and serene but I think this had long gone. There was even a photo shoot going on with a few models being told to “make love to the camera” by an Indonesian David Bailey type so there they were, wearing what looked like wedding gowns with one on a boat desperately trying not to fall off and another reclining like a dying swan on the beach. Perfect smiles set. Beautiful.

Bali Botanical Gardens was also worth a visit. We marveled at the fantastic exotic plants and flowers although a lot of the orchids in the orchid house had not flowered yet. Shame as I can imagine them to be absolutely stunning. A few were out but it would have been great to see some more.

Lunch was at a local warung near Pura Ulun Danu where our driver had lunch with us. We had Indonesian teenagers eating to our right and a motorbike repair shop to our left and the food was absolutely delicious.  I’m not sure what our driver was expecting when we said we would treat him to lunch but I bet he was hoping for the Bali equivalent of the Ivy or at least a 'restaurant panoramique' but instead we take him to a warung!  Never mind. I think he enjoyed it all the same as testified by all the empty plates.            

                                                                                                           

We then drove through yet more breathtaking rice terraces, visited a coffee plantation and the beautiful mountain areas around Munduk. Absolutely stunning.  This is the Bali I wanted to see.

And at around 4pm we arrived here at our resort in Pemuteran where it’s rather nice.  There are only a handful of resorts here on the beach, a few warungs outside the resorts and a small town. Fantastic. This is what some parts of southern Bali probably looked like around 30 years ago before the mass influx of tourism. Sadly, I can see this place going the same way although I am hoping it doesn’t for a while yet.

We are at the Taman Sari Resort where it is all rather lovely. Beautiful manicured lawns and gardens, villas, suites and rooms. It is the sort of place where you can imagine some celebrity would go to recuperate from their plastic surgery in secret as a lot of the villas are secluded and this place is so peaceful.  Not being a celebrity and not having had plastic surgery we are in the cheap seats but very nice all the same!

Mat is doing his diving at Reef Seen which is a five minute walk from here and apparently highly regarded. More importantly, they have baby turtles!

Pemuteran is home to the Reef Seen Turtle Project where turtle eggs and small turtles are looked after until they are ready for release in the ocean. It’s a non-profit organisation and helps with turtle conservation. The baby turtles are soooo cute, I think we may end up with one in our hand carry as Mat is beyond in love with them. I prefer Badi the badass big turtle they have who loves and almost begs you to stroke his shell. Apparently, Badi is too tame now to be released back into the ocean so they are keeping him at the sanctuary.

There is also an artificial reef that they have set up here to encourage coral growth. I haven’t ventured out to see it yet but Mat wholeheartedly approves.

I think we are going to like it here.

Ubud - Eat, Pray, Leave

Sun-Mon (8-9 May)

Firstly, has someone closed France? As in its borders? Anyone? Marc, do you know? Are they not letting its citizens in so they are having to go elsewhere? Like here in Bali for example? Have we missed something in the news? Everywhere we go we are hearing French being spoken and French accents trying to speak English. They are everywhere. Even the couple next door are French. I hadn’t realised the French liked Bali so much!

Anyway, our first full day in Ubud completed (Sun 8^th May) and I’m still a little unsure as to what I think of the place. I feel a bit like Switzerland - neutral and neither here nor there about it. Although it is very nice here. We arrived at Denpassar airport around 11.30 Saturday night and got to our hotel just before 1am.

Mat and I had purposely avoided the southern Bali holiday hotspots of Kuta, Legian etc because we wanted to avoid the tourist crowds and the hedonism that goes with it.  We sort of have and we haven’t here. Ubud is so far removed from the Indonesia that we have been experiencing these last two weeks my head is a little bit discombobulated.  Parts of Monkey Forest road and its surrounding street have so many little chi-chi shops it looks a bit like Weybridge high street. 

The most striking thing for me is the sheer number of tourists here - and this is supposed to be a quieter part of Bali. I have mentioned the French but in addition there are dozens of Americans, Australians, Italians, Brits, Japanese, Spanish and a load more besides. There is no distinct demographic either as Ubud seems to attract a real mish-mash of people. I can see why as it is a very easy destination to settle into. Tranquil rice terraces, temples and shrines galore, more hotels & villas than you can dream of, even more spas, shopping mania, loads of restaurants and bars and of course, Indonesian friendliness and charm. Although I do feel the Indonesians we have been meeting here seem a little more distant, still friendly but a bit more jaded perhaps.

We are staying at Okawati Hotel. It’s ok but I think in it’s time it would have been more splendid. Lots of stone carvings and statues, nice garden and pool, friendly staff but all a little 1980s for my taste although I am sure some would call it ‘vintage’. Apparently, Okawati (the lady who owns it) was one of the pioneers of the homestay here in Ubud and her hotel just grew from there. It is very well set, a 2 minute walk down a couple of little roads off the Monkey Forest Road so still central Ubud but away from the hustle and bustle and noise. And the breakfasts are to die for and delivered on to our balcony on time too. Lovely. 

Speaking of food, we have had some great meals here. Given the number of tourists, competition is fierce and so the quality of warungs and restaurants here are very good. Our satay meal on Saturday night was absolutely delicious. And we discovered a warung off one of the main streets where you choose how much you want to eat and a lady decides how much you should pay. Love it - price dependent on whether you have had big boy portions or not. Mat and I were on the lower scale just in case you were wondering!

The other noteworthy observation here in Ubud is the deep sense of religion and spirituality about the place. As I have mentioned there are Hindu temples galore and shrines every few yards and bundles of offerings to the gods every few steps. All in between the gods of Paul Smith, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Billabong to name but a few...

Om santi, santi, om.....

This ‘Eat Pray Love’ book/film has a lot to answer for. There are so many western ladies here travelling alone and being all ‘om’ and looking to get ‘spiritual’ amongst the rice terraces with their very own Javier Bardem it’s incredible. Ladies of a certain age, younger ladies wanting some R&R from the excesses of Kuta and ladies wanting their chakras realigned...in more ways than one!

You can spot them a mile away. Wearing clothing with Hindu gods on, carrying a yoga mat and that air of ‘peace’ and ‘finding themselves’ about them.  There is even a ‘Bali Happy Movement’ here.  It’s all a bit disappearing up your own backside if you ask me but each to their own.

           

As Mat pointed out, given the ratio of single women to men here, Ubud is a single blokes dream destination. I’m feeling vulnerable right now... Om...

We spent Monday morning by going on a long walk through the Monkey Forest and surrounding villages around Ubud. It was good to leave the crowds behind but it all got a bit too hot towards the end. I was glad to be wearing my hat otherwise I’m sure I would have fainted as the heat here is unrelenting.   

The macaques in the Monkey Forest were very cute to watch but one of them got a little too friendly with Mat as it scampered about on his head and wouldn’t let go! It started gnawing at his hand too which was a little worrying but fortunately Mat’s skin wasn’t punctured in any way and he was able to shake the macaque off. Budget George Clooney attracts simians too!

The rest of the day was spent relaxing by the pool, more spa treatments for me and more toot buying. I’m hoping our last few days in northern Bali will be more tranquil.

Beautiful Borobudur to downpour, becak to batik

Saturday 7th May
Yogyakarta airport
21.36-ish
Waiting for our Bali flight

 
Borobudur is simply stunning. We set off quite early for our visit (Fri 6th May) with our driver but not at sunrise as I wasn’t going to have another too early morning! I was getting fed up with these early starts for now. I figured just before 8am was fine especially as it was only an hour’s drive away from our hotel.

When we got there, we were pleasantly surprised to find that tourist wise, Borobudur was rather empty. In fact, there were more workers scraping away volcanic ash from its walls (from Gunung (Mount) Merapi’s recent eruption) than tourists. Result!

In the searing heat, Mat and I were able to admire Borobudur’s awesome bas reliefs in relative peace. We took a ridiculous number of photos between us with our respective cameras and can only hope that a few turn out ok for our memories as the intricacy of some of the stone carvings were beautiful.  To respect Buddhist tradition, we were made to wear sarongs over our clothes so some of the photos of us look decidedly dodgy as they had a tendency to fall off or ride up.

We didn’t quite reach our ‘nirvana’ at Borobudur as the top layer was sealed off due to all the volcanic ash but we were still able to get a good look, just not scramble around in it.

The other main highlight at Borobudur, however, was witnessing yet again Mat’s ability to attract a ridiculously high number of Indonesians wanting to have their photo taken with him.                       
Friday was the last day of school for Indonesian summer break-up so there were quite a few teenagers at Borobudur celebrating this.  Budget George Clooney struck again and at some points, I felt a bit like the token camera person so many people were asking to have their photo taken with Mat. Many of the girls were swooning over him to the point that some were saying, “heee eees bee-youu-tee-fuull”.  I kid you not! 

Had I known Mat would attract this much attention, I could have made a TON of money touting him to Indonesian TV so much sooner!  It did get silly at some points where we couldn’t even go over to parts of Borobudur without a giggly teenager asking for a photo. We are still trying to work out whether they thought he was someone else but I was watching other men who sort of resembled him and they weren’t getting chased for photos. It was all very bizarre. I didn’t quite get a diva moment from Mat but he came close... Watch out Mariah!  I, on the other hand, didn’t get a look in. Obviously. What with me looking like I come from Java and the like. Never mind.

After Borobudur, we went to Kaliadam which is the area nearest to Mount Merapi. Our driver thought it would be interesting for us to visit so that we could see the effects the volcanic eruption of Merapi has had. It wasn’t the most cheerful of visits given the devastation erupting volcanoes cause and leave behind but it was interesting to see how the landscape had changed and how communities had re-formed so soon again as the last eruption was only 6 months ago.

Apparently some lava is still being emitted but we didn’t go too near. Instead, we had a couple of scooter rides up to near the summit. We rode pillion behind a couple of likely lads with me holding on for dear life to my driver.  Although it was good fun, it wasn’t worth the 20,000 rupiah (yes just over a pound but not the point) each we got asked to pay for it. Talk about royally getting ripped off! And I had some of them laughing at me. Probably because I looked absolutely terrified and a little silly on this thing and as Mat said, probably because they knew they were charging us double the price for the privilege.

Lunch was at this very strange restaurant which consisted of a bunch of buildings on stilts over giant fish ponds.  Most of the fish ponds were decorative and full of koi, goldfish, catfish etc but as Mat pointed out and having looked at the menu, should you fancy any of the fish swimming around underneath, it was ‘fished’ out for you!

Our waiter spoke no English so couldn’t explain any of the menu so I ended up having some random fish dish which wasn’t very tasty at all. It had been fried to dryness and the sauce I had chosen to go with it was so spicy hot I couldn’t eat it. Mat’s chicken dish was no better. Probably our most disappointing meal in Indonesia so far.  We would have been happy with a little warung but our driver thought we would like this place for some reason.

Our final destination was Prambanan, the massive Hindu temple here. Except it wasn’t so much as a visit as more of a soaking. Where we had absolutely blazing sunshine for most of the day, by around half three a massive tropical rainstorm decided to unleash itself. We sheltered in the main waiting area with other visitors but after around 20 minutes of waiting for the rain to ease, Mat and I figured that our feet would get wet anyway wandering around the site and as we had umbrellas we just went out in it. It wasn’t cold anyway and I was fed up with waiting.

It was quite comical at times as the rain was so strong but whether it was the weather or not, I wasn’t as impressed with Prambanan as Borobudur. It was still worth the visit but not as awe-inspiring in my opinion. Just call me a Philistine! I can take it.

Our random toot buying has also increased and to add to the random pieces we have at home Mat felt compelled to buy a small stone stupa for our garden. The lady we bought it from must have thought we were mad as we chose the one that had been out in all weathers covered in moss - the least pretty one. She was getting out all these perfect ones but no, we wanted the lived in look thanks! She wrapped it in newspaper and a bamboo cage to protect it and as we were walking through our hotel, one of the other guests thought we had bought a live chicken!

We did have plans to venture out to a Javan restaurant for our evening meal but as the rains had brought the local frogs hopping about on the street and flooded some roads,  I didn’t really fancy slipping and sliding on the way there and making my cold worse and so we had our Javan feast back at the hotel. It was absolutely delicious.
During the evening, we were very amused by the antics of the staff trying to retrieve the house kitten. It had escaped where it normally lives and you should have seen how this tiny fur ball was running rings around the staff who just couldn’t catch him/her! Even Mat had a go but she was refusing to budge from underneath any of the wooden furniture which was too heavy to move.  Apart from a tiny mewing sound every now and again we never did see him/her again.    

Most of today has been spent visiting Yogyakara’s other two main historical sites - the Sultan’s Palace and the Taman Sari (the Water Castle). Again, call me a Philistine but they were alright - good to visit but I wouldn’t go mad over them.  I think the most memorable thing for me was seeing that the Sultan had batik oven gloves - very cool!

The rest of the day was spent wandering around Yogya’s markets and batik vendors. In between stops we thought we would catch a becak to rest our weary feet. Trust us to get the two most unfit becak drivers in Yogya! I thought we were going to kill them they were getting so slow and breathless. They got us to where we wanted to go but I bet they were glad when my well fed backside got off! 

Our batik shopping in the end wasn’t too bad and didn’t involve oily salesmen. It did involve having to walk through very heavily crowded areas full of shoppers which at times got a little overwhelming especially with the traffic fumes.  However it was worth it as we got a beautiful batik bedspread and no hassle.

And now we are at the airport wating to board our Bali bound flight. Unsurprisingly, it’s delayed which is giving me the opportunity to observe fellow passengers bound for Bali and I’m a little nervous about whether it’s going to be my cup of tea.

There are quite a few women here wearing very little which doesn’t really bother me but given it is a muslim country, I find a little disrespectful. It’s not exactly Malibu beach here either - it’s an airport. And wearing bikini dresses - a bikini top that turns into a dress (nice) is not flattering on anyone let alone a woman of a certain age.  And the pièce de resistance, a man who is so morbidly obese his belly resembles a ginormous, sunburnt orange beach ball walking around with his shirt fully undone showing off his belly like it was a prize marrow he had just won. Oh. My. God.  Everyone is just staring at him. And he is loving it, walking around with his mate and his bottle of beer like they owned the place. Not quite sure where they are from but they weren’t Indonesian that’s for sure.

I know it sounds snobby but I’m really hoping that Bali is not full of people like this. I don’t think I could bear it.  Knowing my luck, massive belly man will probably be sat next to me on the plane. Alright darlin?!

Java - voom

And, relax. Finally in Java, specifically Yogyakarta. In a gorgeous little hotel called Rumah Mertua. It's a little bit lovely here. I think I might stay. For good...if only.

We are just behind the Hyatt Regency and their gi-normous golf courses although I think I would rather stay here. It is a bit more us. Small, subtle with lots of nice little touches and dare I say a little more tasteful.

We are about 6km north from Yogyakarta centre - effectively just hitting the suburbs hence all the greenery here and shiny, fat houses belonging to wealthy businessman and the like.

I'm very much liking Yogyakarta so far. Apart from losing one night here last night because of Merparti (Mat came up with, "it's Merparti and I'll cry if I want to" - I told him to get his coat), we didn't lose too much of today as Java is one hour behind Sulawesi and the flight only took an hour and a half anyway. I am never flying Merparti again regardless of convenient flight times. I would rather lose one day of my holiday and go on another carrier. You should have seen the state of their planes (inside and out) and as for the landing this morning... Well! Anyway, I have moved on and the complaint letter mentally written. 

We took a nap this morning and afterwards ventured into Yogya centre for lunch. I previously mentioned that Manado was an assault to the senses - Yogya is a punch in the face that gives you a hug afterwards. It's very Asian city full on, yet stranglely organised in a chaotic, messy kind of way.  

It is also very evident where the Indonesian government spends some of their money. We had a few Sulawesians tell us about how central government based in Java tends to forget them. And we have been told by Javans about how other islands are resentful of how Java is.  Looking at the roads here and the general upkeep and infrastructure of the place, it is easy to see why. You can actually walk on some of the pavements and the roads don't have 2ft deep pot holes you have to try and drive over! There is still a lot of poverty and I get the impression that there is no sense of community here unlike Rantepao where there was a feeling that people would help each other.

We also encountered our first beggars here since arriving in Indonesia - small, old ladies and grubby children. Quite sad really.  And of course the ubiquitous batik salesman who also happens to have or to know a handicrafts shop. "I show you". Where do they come from? They just suddenly appear like a bad smell. We do shake them off but I find them such hard work, they really do my head in.

We finally ate at a couple of decent warungs today for lunch. Chicken satay for Mat and lumpia (veggie spring rolls) for me. Absolutely delicious and a grand total of £1.75 for both of us including fresh mango juice drink for me. Lovely. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent bimbling around town as we are saving all the old and ancient monuments and relics for the next couple of days. We visited the spice market where we got some bargain rendang powder. Walked over to the bird market but they were just shutting so we moved on to a cafe behind the 'water castle' as I wasn't feeling a hundred percent (I have a slight cold). While drinking tea we got chatting to an Austrian who had married an Indonesian girl and a young guy who was playing 'My Way' and 'Memories' on his flute while granny and his mum sat on rocking chairs out front near the porch. They were very cool.

The way back to the hotel was even more eventful. We ended up in a taxi being driven by a man who either had a terrible acid reflux problem or had just bad manners or both as every 30 seconds throughout a 15 minute journey he was burping. Full on, loud froggy burps! Oh my god, you should have heard it! AND because he got bored waiting at the lights and traffic was a little heavy, he turned the tv on and started watching it. Yep. He had a little tv in his car where most people have a stereo.

The rest of the evening was spent by me in the spa being head and shoulder massaged and foot reflexologied by a therapist called Barri (yes, with an 'i') who looked ever so slight but had hands of flexible steel. He was good!  

Mat did a little more exploring and managed to find a laundry place to do all our dirty washing so far for the price of washing one pair trousers here.

And so to bed. An evening meal here of beef rendang for Mat and chilli shrimps for me has made me very content.  Borobudor tomorrow and lots of Buddhist temples - looking forward to it!

The Terminal

Makassar Airport
VIP Executive Lounge
Sulawesi (still!)
21.02

Yes, you read the above correctly. We're still in Sulawesi. Or specifically Makassar Airport 'VIP Executive Lounge' making use of their free wifi-fi, nice comfy chairs and free food and drink where we are the most casually dressed here and there's lots of well fed business people. 

We are waiting to check-in to our 'VIP room by the hour' next door (how dirty does that sound?!) and we can't check in till 22.00 as the maximum you are allowed to stay in the room is 6 hours. And as we need to check in for our flight at 4am tomorrow this was the latest time they would let us in for the 6 hours. Tu comprendre?! We did offer to pay for 9 hours but apparently rules are rules. Oh. My. God.  We have had SUCH a palaver this evening.  Mat and I feel a little bit like Tom Hanks did in The Terminal.

The day had started off well with a nice breakfast at Hotel Luta and as we bade farewell to Toraja land both Mat and I were really looking forward to Java. The drive up didn't seem as bad as going down although it was still bone jarring. We went via a waterfall and a butterfly farm (shut) and arrived here at the airport in loads of time, got checked in and mooched about in the shops.

Except Merpati Airlines for whatever rubbish reason decided to cancel our flight. And the next one they could put us on wasn't until 5am tomorrow. "But it's ok sir, we will put you in a nice hotel with free everything".  Yeah, whatever.  We don't want ''a nice hotel with free everything'', we wan't to be in Yogyakarta.  Unfortunately, there were no other flights available so we had no choice but to spend one more night in Sulawesi.  


Luggage retrieved and taxi called, I had a bad feeling about this 'nice hotel'. We arrived there with a load of other unhappy passengers and promptly given our room key. Sorry but I don't even remember the name of the hotel because as soon as we opened the door to our room we left straight away, back straight into the taxi and back to the airport. It was awful.  Damp, stained sheets and walls, smelly, litter outside the door and the BIGGEST spider on the wall.  It had hair on its legs for god sake!!  Mat and I can slum it with the best of them but this was a step too far. Especially when it wasn't even our fault we were there.  We made a fuss. Or rather Mat did. I was beyond making a fuss and getting a little upset.  And so here we are.

Anyway, it's one night lost in Yogyakarta and at least our 'hourly room' is nice and clean and 5 minutes above check-in.  And no airplane noise either as they don't have flights beyond 22.00.


It's never simple with us is it?! Just in case you were wondering, I'm feeling a little better after my animal sacrifice trauma yesterday although I still can't eat beef or pork or buffalo. I can hear my Dad telling me to get a grip now...


Anyway, I better go. They are cleaning around me.  Hopefully, I will be blogging from Java tomorrow!




 

Buffal.... Oh! :-(

Well, the traditional Torajan funeral happened today. And frankly, I am still a little traumatised from it. Seriously. I think even Mat is still affected by it.       

The rituals, costumes, dancing and ceremony was completely fascinating - it really did feel like we were watching a documentary unfold in front of our eyes as the elderly lady that passed away was being honored. But the animal sacrifice was just too much for me and even Mat at some points.

I thought I could take it. I really did. I thought by averting my eyes I could deal with it all. But even that didn’t help. It was all a little overwhelming.

I know these rituals have been going on for hundreds of years if not thousands and very much part of Torajan traditions. I know animal sacrifice is very much a part of many traditions. But I felt ever so sorry for the poor buffalo. And the pigs. In fact, I’m feeling a little tearful now just thinking about what happened to them. I’m such a wet blanket.

If you are really interested in finding out what happens, Google it. I don’t think I could describe it here. Also, I don’t think I can eat buffalo ever again. Or beef. Or pork for that matter. Frikkin hell, at the rate I am going, don’t be surprised if I turn veggie :-(

Also, Mat and I are completely embarrassed by some of the tourists that were there. We tried to distance ourselves from them and their appalling behaviour and even now we still can’t believe how some of them were carrying on. We like to think that the son of the lady who’s funeral it was knew that we were being respectful and we felt that he acknowledged this. But by merely being tourists ourselves, did we get tarnished with the same brush? I really hope not as I would hate to be thought of as ignorant and thoughtless like some of the idiots we saw today.  

For example; we were invited to this funeral regardless of whether it came from a guide or not and tradition dictates that a gift is given to the family - usually sugar and cigarettes as a mark of respect.  Gifts not expensive for a westerner and readily available in shops here. Did some of them bring any? No.  Do people not read up on things they are about to see?
The huts built to greet guests with tea and coffee require footwear to be taken off. Did some of them do so? No. Only when they were asked by elders (and me) did footwear come off. They must have thought I was a gobby cow but who cares.     
Did they even acknowledge the family member that was amongst them? No.
Did they not realise that standing in the middle of the ceremonial square to take better photos and video of the whole thing that they were getting in the way of the whole ceremony? No. Thankfully they were moved away - fast.
Did they realise that it may have been deemed a little disrespectful to have a photo taken in front of the coffin carrying part like they were on a beach? No.
Why would you film at length a buffalo being slaughtered? Take a picture fair enough but a video?! For what reason? To show your mates on your widescreen back home?

I could go on. Other people’s behaviour never ceases to astound me.  But how different were we by even being there? Yes we stayed at the sidelines observing from a respectful distance but the Torajans didn’t dissuade people from attending. It’s a win-win for them as they get gifts and prestige. Maybe it's just me?

Anyway, loads more to write but I better stop because I’m going off-piste with this blog and I am tired. And I have my lovely QUIET room to sleep in. Good move changing hotels.  Anyway, I’m off. Sulawesi - goodbye and thank you. Java island here we come!

Megamalls to Mountains

Bit of an epic blog post this one as this is the first time in about 3 days we have had decent internet connection. But have been blogging away regularly - just hope this posts! 

 

Friday 29th April
Manado
Sulawesi
22.36

We arrived by boat to Manado around 4pm-ish and by the time we got driven to the centre and checked into our hotel it was gone 5pm. And in time to see the hour before the glide up the aisle!

Not being into anything remotely royal or celebrity, Mat had the right raving hump that  I wanted to see THE dress. It didn’t help that the Indonesian channel covering the royal wedding had a couple of English ‘special guests’ to comment on the wedding and they were coming out with so much drivel I had to mute them. I had absolutely no idea who these two ‘experts’ were but they could have been a couple of tourists who looked the part and plonked in front of the camera for all we knew.

Didn’t she look beautiful? Although I was a little surprised at how ‘traditional’ and a little plain her dress looked. I thought she would have gone for something more like her sister’s sexy bridesmaid dress (is she a hottie or what?!).

Anyway, once I had seen Princess Catherine do her thing, Mat dragged me out of our hotel to explore Manado. I’m sure there are picturesque parts to it but we certainly didn’t see any and as we are only here this one evening we probably won’t either.

Big, sprawling, and noisy it’s everything Bunaken isn’t and a bit of an assault to the senses. We ended up at ‘Megamall Manado’ as we had been told it was a must visit. Typical Essex girl ending up at a shopping mall on a Friday night!  It was h-u-g-e and puts Lakeside to shame. Mat and I didn’t even dent it with our visit as we only saw one section of it and to be perfectly honest that was enough.
It was ever so noisy with lots of flashing lights, neon and the pow, pow, pow of computer games from the gaming section.  We would have sought refuge outside except there was a concert going on where Sulawesi’s answer to Guns and Roses was going all ‘rock’ on us and then when the Avril Lavigne wannabe started singing it was time to run before our ears started bleeding.

We headed out to the sea front in search of warungs for a bite to eat as recommended by Lonely Planet but these warungs were nowhere to be found. Typical Lonely Planet mis-information although to be fair to them, we think the warungs may have been moved on or dismantled.  We eventually stumbled upon ‘The Club’ restaurant which turned out to be quite a nice place. Good food and drink and possibly the most over-attentive waiter in Manado. My god, if he could have got any closer to us he would have joined us for dinner sitting on Mat’s lap!  I think he was just being helpful but oh my life!

Before I go, I need to tell you about our hotel room. Hotel Minihasa in its heyday in the 1970s would have looked amazing and to a certain extent it still does and it has all the facilities - pool, gym, sauna etc.

It is quite possibly the tallest hotel I have seen in a long while but not in a ‘tower’ way, more of a lets add something else to it way so an extension just gets added on to the plant and shrubbery mountain it sits on.  The pool bit at the top looks nice but I haven’t ventured up yet as I may need climbing shoes and a rope to get there it is so high up!

 
And as for our room - well. Talk about an homage to the seventies with its sunken lounge area and raised super king sized bed.  It’s brilliant!  All I need is Burt Reynolds and his hairy chest complete with medallion and 1977 here we come! Boom chikka wah wah!

And so to sleep. We have an early plane to catch. Bonne nuit and all that.
   


Saturday 30th April
Rantepao
Tana Toraja
Southern Sulawesi
22.47                                               

What an epically tiring day.  Really glad it’s over and I’m installed in a nice comfy bed although the mattress is so high I feel abit like the princess and the pea!  Nice and clean room at the Hotel Indra Toraja after a bit of a room swap earlier. Mat and I wasn’t feeling the love in their deluxe room because of the damp smell and general claustrophobia of it but this superior is much nicer. We did consider their ‘suite’ but having seen it, we didn’t think we needed a dining room area for the extra price! Very random.
                           
We left Manado to catch our 6.45am flight to Makassar. From Makassar we met our main guide/tour organiser Dodo - ‘the Pen Man of Makassar’ (long story) who in turn introduced us to our driver Mr Tan who again introduced us to Yatim our other guide here for the Toraja tours. Honestly, its like meeting characters from a film but its all worked out ok so far. Especially when all the organising was done by Mat online from recommendations from various travel forums.

The flight from Manado to Makassar only took an hour but the drive to Makassar to here took nine (9) hours.  Yep, you read that correctly. Nine hours. The only flights currently accepted at the airport near to here are private ones and as our jet is currently in the garage, sadly we had to opt for the drive down. 

The only reason the 200 miles or so drive took so long was because there is only one usable road down and vehicles at most points don’t go very fast. And it’s full of massive potholes, stretches being repaired, scooters, motorbikes, buses, coaches, animals, cement lorries and various pedestrians of all ages. Thank goodness Mr Tan is a good driver and the mini-van we were in comfortable as it was all a little bone jarring and nerve wracking at times! We had a few stop-overs and lunch in a town called Pare Pare but I was still astounded at how long it took. That new M6 toll is heaven sent I tell you and I’m never going to moan about it ever again.

One of our more funny stop-overs was at ‘Erotic Mountain’ so called because it looks like, ahem, sorry to be crude, a woman lying with her legs apart. Nice. It kinda did you know but I wouldn’t advise Googling for images as you never know what you might get!

Anyway, being in Toraja land we are very much looking forward to learning about, meeting and seeing these guys. 

We have seen quite a few of the impressive tongkanans on the way up here and Mat’s got his big, posh Canon at the ready for some good piccies. Apparently, we could be lucky and there may be a funeral for us to attend while we are so here’s hoping. It’s really bad I know to actually be looking forward to a funeral but given we’ve come all the way down here, it would be good to attend one especially as the Torajans spend their whole lives preparing for it and the whole ceremony is supposedly really interesting.

Just hoping that the weather isn’t going to be as wet as today which has been awful. A complete deluge. As we were mostly travelling it didn’t really affect us but fingers crossed for our tour tomorrow.


Sunday 1st May
Rantepao
Tana Toraja
Southern Sulawesi
16.03

I can’t believe it is the first of May already. Doesn’t time fly? We have just got back from a full day of sight-seeing with our guide and driver. Really fascinating day where we learnt loads of Tana Toraja stuff although I am a little ‘graved’ out. I think Mat feels the same. I know that historically and archaeologically it is all important and significant but right now I feel a bit like that boy from ‘Sixth Sense’ when he says he sees dead people. 

I think I have seen more graves in mountains and trees, hanging coffins, skeletons and skulls today than I ever will. And these were just from a few hundred years ago to about 2008. Not even an actual funeral attended yet!  Our man is still on death-alert and our schedule here is dependent on that.    Blimey, what with all my cancer experiences, it’s a good job I’m not too sensitive about these things!

Anyway, the weather held out although we did get a little showered on but nothing major. We got to see some amazing scenery and lots of water buffalo. During our wanders Mat kept getting Indonesians asking if they could have their photo taken with him what with him being all tall, white and blue-eyed. I think that’s the reason and not because he looks a little bit like Harry Potter but you never know...
I mistakenly ended up in one photo with him and the group chased Mat again and requested another photo with him without asking me to be in it!  Charming.    

I have had quite a few Indonesians chat away to me only to be disappointed when I say I no speak Bahasa. Apparently, a lot of them think I am from Java - not quite sure why but Java being the most cosmopolitan part of Indonesia, I think its my short hair that’s doing it. I have yet to see women here with hair as short as mine.

Never mind taking photos of Mat, the children we have been meeting have been absolutely adorable and very friendly although they run away past the first ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’. I may end up with one in my rucksack as they are so cute.

Tourist wise, the whole region is fairly quiet at the moment with only a handful of non-Indonesians including us wandering around. The roads are bad enough now so I can only imagine what it is like during the summer months when it is full capacity here. We have been told that Toraja has three seasons - dry, wet and tourist! I think it would drive me insane being here during the height of the tourist season. It is bad enough negotiating the tiny roads now when you have to let other vehicles through every five minutes, so I can only imagine the frustration in the summer months with the intense heat and other visitors milling about. Everything also doubles/triples in price but needs must and all that for the Torajans.

Mat has gone for an explore round the town looking for ear plugs and I am going for a massage. We forgot to bring our ear plugs and when you get some wally that has drilled holes in his scooter exhaust fronting up like it’s a motorbike it is VERY NOISY especially as there is no double glazing in the hotel.  We can’t really do anything about it as motorbikes/scooters are the main form of transport round here but just want to avoid another episode of the Rantepao ‘yoot’ giving it large like last night. I think it was because it was Saturday night and you know what boys and girls are like when they are trying to impress each other.

Anyway, not quite sure when this is going to be posted as internet connection here is really bad.  Over and out for now.

Mat’s just got back and apparently no ear plugs - he was told that Indonesians round here just stick tissues in their ears!

22.36

Just back from a delicious meal at a local restaurant recommended by LP. We will probably go back there tomorrow to sample traditional Torajan food as they needed at least 2 hours notice apparently to prepare it. I’m quite looking forward to tasting buffalo as I have never had it.

Had an embarrassing experience at my massage earlier. I was expecting a foot massage but the lady mis-heard ‘full massage’ and must have thought I looked a complete fool as I lay there fully clothed with my trousers rolled up to my knees. I think she was trying not to laugh as she discretely told me to disrobe and I got all weirded out as I thought how strange for a foot massage until I realised what was going on! Anyway, it was great all the same.

Also, I wont be needing the ear plugs tonight as it is all quiet outside. Apart from the odd puut puut of a bike and the rain (yet again!), its peaceful. Fantastic. Another early start tomorrow so I’m off for some zeds now. Bonne nuit.


Monday 2nd  May
Rantepao
Tana Toraja
Southern Sulawesi
17.04
   

Blimey. We walk into our room, turn the TV on and breaking news is that Osama Bin Laden is dead. Wow. We’re not quite sure of the facts as we can’t find an English speaking news channel but we have worked out enough to know from Indonesian news that he is dead and the Americans somehow are involved. Talk about reality crashing into our world!

We had another good day sight-seeing today.  Not so many graves but more picturesque villages and absolutely stunning scenery. Mile upon mile of amazing views of rice terraces, mountains and forests. It’s days like this that I am happy to be alive and grateful that I am lucky enough to be able to see and experience such incredible vistas. As our guide Yatim said, ‘it’s like paradise’.  I don’t think any of our photos will do any of the views we saw justice. As we were venturing higher and higher up into the mountains, it got a little hairy on the tiny mountain roads which were even narrower and more pot-holed.  As I have said previously, it’s a good job Mr Tan is a good driver!  It all got a bit white knuckle ride at some points.

The weather now is atrocious. Absolutely bucketing it down. No wonder everything is so lush and green up here - it is all this frikkin rain!  Bright sunshine for half the day and then rain. We were supposed to go trekking earlier but our guide cancelled it as he didn’t want us ending up like buffalos i.e. in the mud and for that I was grateful. I think if Mat was on his own he would have gone for it but as he is with me, you can forget it. I’m quite happy to be trekking in the mini-van thank you very much even though it is a little bone jarring at times!

We saw a couple at a rest stop in the mountains while we were having drinks and I did feel a little sorry for the girl in the couple.  She looked such a fragile thing (I think she was Japanese) and I got the impression she would rather not have been trekking. She looked a bit fed up and hot and I did feel for her as they set off amongst the rice terraces and forests just as the heavens opened big stylee. Oh dear. Ever practical, Mat was more concerned about them having covers for their rucksacks!   

This morning was blazing sunshine and we spent part of it at Rantepao’s main market, Pasar Bolu. As It’s only held every six days our guide felt that we had to experience it. It felt like the whole of Tana Toraja was there today especially in the livestock market. What an eye opener and every vegetarian and animal rights person’s nightmare.

The Torajans view buffalo as almost sacred and the bigger the buffalo the more prestige a family has who own it. Pigs too are highly regarded and are seen as a symbol of the mother - nurturing and producer of many babies. Obviously, both are seen as quite tasty food too!

At the market, the buffalo seemed to be well taken care of as some can fetch thousands of pounds but it was the pigs I felt sorry for. Some of them were trussed up on crates waiting to be taken away and some of the squealing was horrific. And as for walking around the buffalo ring - I was a bit scared as some of them were huge but they were docile enough although the rings through their noses helped with restraining them.

Mat also got lots of giggly girls fawning over him again. Some didn’t even ask permission to take his photo and just snapped away on their camera phones. Others deliberately brushed past him.  It is really incredible all the attention he is receiving. It’s like being with a budget George Clooney the way some of the ladies are carrying on. He is being very blasé about it but I’m sure he is secretly loving it all.  Me? I’m still being asked if I’m Indonesian and not getting a look in at all!

Also, we have moved hotels. It was all going well until about 5am this morning when a load of motorbike horns woke us up again. Not impressed we first moved to the suite at the Indra Toraja but our guide suggested this hotel - the Luta Resort Toraja which is just around the corner.

It’s all a bit swanky swish as it’s new and apparently would have been Indra Toraja’s new extension upgrade until new management took over. We managed to get a deluxe room for the price of a standard by playing hardball although management didn’t have much choice as we pointed out that they weren’t exactly full occupancy at the moment.

They tried to offer us the presidential suite but we thought this would have been a little OTT for a couple more days here!  It’s seriously lovely here and the best bit is we are right at the back by the river, so no motorbike noise. We had a little explore earlier and made friends with the hotel parrot by the infinity pool and even sneaked into the presidential suite for a nosey! The door was open and there was no one around. Did it look like Barack Obama would stay in there? Probably but the highlight for me was the bar area as I could just see myself propping it up doing my best Peggy Mitchell impression, “get outta my pub!”

Anyway, Rocky 3 is on and I love a bit of ‘eye of the tiger’ so over and out for now!

21:58

Back at Hotel Luta. Had our Torajan dinner at restaurant Remiko which consisted of buffalo with coconut cooked in a bamboo tube and buffaloo with 'black spice'. Both served with black rice. We're still not sure what this 'black spice' is and overall it was ok but I'm still not sure I would seek out Torajan food. 

It all seemed a bit heavy to me. The buffalo tasted just like tender beef and the black rice was a little off-putting. It looked like a lump of tar on my plate and didn't really taste of anything. Luckily there wasn't a power cut as Mat wouldn't have seen his food what with the black rice and buffalo with black spice on his plate! 

Also, word on the street is that there is a funeral ceremony going on tomorrow so Mat and I and about every other tourist here in Toraja will be probably be there bearing gifts of sugar and cigarettes - standard Torajan gifts supposedly. Hope it is interesting. 

Off to get some sleep now - hopefully without motorbike noise disturbance! Bonne nuit :-)