Awakenings

Not many things in this world will motivate me to wake up at 3am, overhead crowd less glassy surf in the Outer Banks at first light falls in the probably category. However watching the sunrise beside an ancient volcanic mountain is in the definite. Mt Bromo is in east Java and from the view point a cross the valley I saw one of the most beautiful sites I have seen so far in my trip. We were on the top of this look out by about 4:45 it was about 40degrees and I was wearing 4 layers of shirts to stay warm ( I packed no jacket, other than a wind breaking/ rain jacket which I had on as well.) The sun came up around 5:30 emitting the most gorgeous palette of blues, purples, yellows and oranges. I gawked and took pictures amidst the other 100 plus sleepy eyes freezing spectators. On the other side of the view point you could see two active volcanoes, one of which was billowing big puffy white smoke and the other which released every 20 minutes or so a big plume of black smoke which drifted 100’s maybe 1000’s of feet high. After the sun came up, my group and I were taken to Bromo ( the white smoking one.)

You can walk up or take a horse, I walked up until it got steep and then hopped on a horse the rest of way. It was a pretty big crater that billowed white sulphuric smoke which made you cough your lungs out if you got a big whiff. The view of the surrounding valley was majestic, huge area of sand like volcanic debris lay in a valley between lush green plateaus. I would have stayed awake the entire night, to have been rewarded that breath taking vista.

The few days before Bromo I was in Yogyakarta. It is a sprawling city with no tall buildings, just endless short concrete and wooden structures, but all and all pleasant. While there I visited the large Buddhist temple Borbudor it is an amazing structure to behold, it is over 1000 years old, a pyramid like temple with many tiers, depicting in order the life of Siddhartha (Buddha) from birth to Enlightenment and on. The carvings etched into the stones are astonishingly detailed and still very visible. I watched a subdued sunset through clouds and behind a mountain. The feeling you get while walking amongst the walls is one of connection with something so holy, ancient and so revered by so many Buddhist and non Buddhists alike. You feel so at peace looking at the literal hundreds of Buddha figures and carvings. The only problem is like with all the other temples and attractions in Asia, it is a mad house of people trying to sell you everything imaginable that you would never want.

The day after the Buddhist temple I went to Prambanon a huge multi- temple complex built to honor the Hindu Gods ( not all of the countless ones, but the 7 main ones) It too was an amazing site, However it received sever damage due to a big earthquake that hit in 2006. You can walk up some of the temples and into the chamber (one in each) that housed holy sculptures of the god they honored. They are also several Buddhist temples in an outlying area nearby the Hindu complex, mostly in ruins with one being rebuilt Pranbanon too with it’s elaborate carvings is just a marvel of human devotion both to construct and to carving the first place but also to take the time to restore it.

That week was a truly unique look into the other religions of Indonesia, seeing mostly the Muslim side of day to day life, now as I move east the pattern is changing to more ancient religions. Sorry to say that pictures won’t be up for another week or so. The computer time in Bali (Where I am now) is not cheap, and I need lots to get through all these photos, but you’ll know when I do. Thanks for reading.

Mentawai Magic (Part 2/2)

We were staying at a home stay, you basically live with a local family, they have a hut and you have an adjoining hut, they cook your food and kind of tidy up after you a bit. Sounds nice in theory until you take into account the fact that you are on an island 2 hours from the main small island, 6 hours by fast boat from the mainland and any medical attention you require. Also you are on an island where Malaria is native, you have no electricity you bathe from a freshwater spring that has been pooled into a large well and your light sources are petrol lanterns, your food is cooked on a small petrol burning stove or over open flame and oh yea you get to sleep on a one and half inch mat on the floor (I slept on surfboard bags, way more comfortable than the mats) of the hut that is by no means safe from rats, bugs and your friendly possibly Malaria infected blood sucking mosquitoes. Did you bring your pills, DEET, and net? We did.

It was primitive, but if you like camping you would love this, it’s so much better. The Hut had a nice porch in front that was much bigger than the sleeping area, and shaded from the Sun during the entire day, we spent far more time under it than in The Hut, I even put up the hammock in one corner to chill and read in. As far as food is concerned you eat about the same thing everyday Breakfast: Rice, eggs, tea, Malaria pill, if Ade cooked we got pancakes with fruit in them and French Toast once. Lunch: Rice (Nasi) or Noodles (Mei) fish if it has been caught and if not egg some times all of it. Dinner could get interesting, Rice and or Noodles with egg, if Ade cooked we had beef brought in enough for 3 nights so we had a curry two nights and something else another, we even picked out a chicken that was running around the yard (there were nothing but chickens everywhere, interesting animals to watch I swear they are the most dramatic being in the animal kingdom.) I had asked the Aussies not to name it and I personally didn’t want to see it either, but it was brought around for our approval and they quickly decided it looked like a Samantha (turn out it was a male so Sam it was.) Sam was tasty enough when you have been eating nothing eggs for protein (this was before the beef).

Life on an island is so amazingly laid back, being that the Mentawais lack inexpensive land accommodations, and most people opt for crazy expensive boat trips, there weren’t at any given time more than 30 people in our little village of Losmans (home stays) about 15-20 of those people are the locals and the rest surfers. We spent nights and days (when the wind was up) trading surf and travel stories with people from all over the world, playing cards, and drinking Bintang the only Indo brew (I picked up the a new nickname “Bintang Buff” to replace my B.B monicure.) When I felt like it I read books, I killed 3 and picked through a 4^th. Most days were spent surfing for 6-8 hours, I got to shoot from the water a few times, Craig had brought a water housing for his point and shoot camera, I also was able to take pictures from the boat which we had for 5 of our 10 days on the island.

The boat driven by Ade and Dode who stayed on the island with us and cooked us some of our meals, drove us around, surfed with us, hung out and taught us some Mentawai as well and some Indonesian. They both are incredible surfers, one watches the boat while the other surfers when we surf (what a job) then they switch up. The look on Dode’s face when he drops into a wave conveys more stoke on anyone persons face. No fear of razor sharp corals that slice through peoples flesh and then leave a painful infection due to the thousands of bacteria that live in the corals. Why should they fear that’s where they grew up surfing, perfect, never completely flat warm water surf, it’s all they know. They also took us out to some outer reefs to surf breaks that most pros know by heart, and seldom break unless 15-20 feet of swell passes over there rocky reefs.

Most evenings when we had the boat and a few when we didn’t we would go out to a break call “Bang Bang” and surf through sunset. Watching the sunset behind islands in the Indian Ocean with all the colors of in the world presented to me while sitting in the line up are memories that I will daydream back to for the rest of my days.

Transportation out in the Mentawais by far and away is the most hair raising potentially schedule altering experience every time without fail. When it came time to leave (I hate travel days) we were all packed up when I realized I misplaced my passport, found it after 10 minutes in a seldom used pocket in my backpack. Back on Ade’s small boat to Seibarut to catch the ferry and we ran smack into a huge rain squall, fortunately no wind to tip us over or impede our progress. After hanging around Ade’s family’s home for a while Ade went to find us a car or something to take surfers, boards, and gear to the ferry 30 minutes away. He didn’t find anything until 25 minutes before the ferry was set to cast off. 25 minutes to make it 30 minutes away and we had 5 motorbikes (scooters) one for the gear (it had a side car thingy) and the other four for people. My bike, loaded down with the weight of my and all my gear kept stalling out over big bumps in the roads, and lets just say that’s all the roads are, one big bump. Jared’s bike blew a tire, so Miko switched up and waited for Dode to come back and get him (why the only fluent one in Indo stayed behind I have no clue). Craig was the only one with no problems and arrived a bout 3 minutes before the ferry left and I got there with about 30 seconds to spare. So as the boat started to cast off it’s lines, we had all gear and 2 persons missing. After a 10 second panic Craig and I got them to bring the ferry back and wait for Jared, Miko, and boards. Turned out everyone got on safely and thanks to Dode’s dad Dedy’s help. When we got back to Padang at 6:30am we had to pay a little extra for delaying the boat.

Much to my delight Jan and Leo were waiting for us with a car to pick us up. We went back to Substance where it all began (My feet fully recovered) and met Harry (the owner). He took us to breakfast and let us shower at the shop, he arranged our flights with his travel agent and finally everything was smooth sailing again. To kill time around the shop I started photographing some local kids who were skating out front, I think it made there day to see pictures of themslevse skating. On the way to the airport we stopped by a friend of Miko and Harry, he’s the local ding repair dude and aspiring shaper who just can’t get his hands on materials in Padang.

The last few days (sat-mon) Craig, Jared and I have been in Jakarta, the capitol, recovering from the ordeals of island life. Fluffy beds, A/C, T.V and in a real hotel have been a welcomed return to civilized life. We all flew out on Monday to different locales forever changed, and more respectful of Indonesian surfing and the Indonesian peoples.

What I had read that inspired me to go to the Mentawais was completely true, it went something like: “It’s incredibly hard to get to, you have to bring everything with you, spend a little extra time and money, but it will be far and away the most rewarding part of an Indonesian experience” I would most certainly agree and go back.

Now I am in Yogyakarta, writing and getting pictures ready. Yogya is a great city to and I will write about it when I get to Bali on Friday.

Mentawai Magic (Part 1/2)

Without to much planning I plunged from urban, English speaking Singapore straight into the deep end of Indonesia where dirty busy streets replaced clean streets and where almost absolutely no one speaks my native tongue. Padang on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia blew my mind with how easy it was to feel completely lost. I must have been one frightful looking foreigner, as it turns out I did get bitten by mosquitoes in the jungles of Malaysia in fact I got eaten alive. However unlike most mosquito bites mine did not manifest themselves for an entire week by the second to last day of my Singapore trip I started to have bits appear on my feet and legs, by that night I had severe itching and on the day I flew to Padang I had inflamed, red itchy feet. By the time I landed my feet were at least 2 ½ times they’re normal size.

All the Aussie surfers in the airport were asking me what had happened to my feet at we were passing though customs, I paid for my visa and went through with no real hassles although the customs guy did ask me how I was after he looked me up and down and I just replied “Fine thanks, how are you”. As stated before I had some idea of how to get to the Mentawais, I knew what days the ferry’s left (Monday) I was there on Friday. Turns out that was about all my collective knowledge on the subject. I had no clue where to stay in Padang or in the “Wai’s” (shortened, not an actual nickname). I knew how to get to town and that was to take the bus, I figured I would find a place when I got there. So I hoped on the buck fifty bus and it was there that my trip and my health were saved when I met Miko.

All of a sudden on a packed bus (surprise surprise no white people, turns out not a lot go to Padang, unless you’re a surfer and they charter rides and boats so none of them were on the bus) this Indonesian dude wearing skater clothes and carrying a surfboard(short board) plops on in the only seat left on the bus (beside me). Taking as chance I asked (in English) where he was heading to surf, his reply in pretty good English was he was waiting in Padang till Sunday then going to the Mentawais with some friends. “Cool” I said “that’s my plan too but I’m not sure where to stay once I get out there.” After knowing me for only all of five minutes it was decided I should come and join along and stay with him and his friends. Seizing on what I saw as the opportunity of a lifetime I agreed and that’s where great friends were made and a trip of a life time was about to unfold. I must admit that trusting someone you just met with your life and your money was a little risky but if you can’t trust a fellow surfer who can you trust?

There were things that made Miko trustworthy in my mind, he too had never been to Padang or the Mentawais before either. Turns out that Miko is from Bail and pretty well known there too boot, his friend owns a surf shop in Padang (the only Surf shop in Padang “Substance”) and so we went there because Miko was told that they could help him out. Harry the owner was still in Bali but his employees helped us out big time, they found us a place to stay, gave us a drink, and took us to the hotel on mini-bikes. Jan and Leo turned out to never have met Miko but treated us both like brothers in about 5 minutes (seems to be the time it takes to make friends in Indo) Miko and I shared a room, he threw in for half no questions asked, which is a nother good sign of a trustworthy person in my book. So like I said it seems very little people speak very little English in Padang but everyone was already asking about my swelled up feet. Miko had had decided I must have contracted an allergy so that’s what he was telling everyone in Indonesian who asked, so I would here the world Allergia and just turn to whom ever asked and wave. So about 2 hours in Indonesian and I had already established a new nickname. Ends up that there was a doctor right across the the street from the hotel, who of course spoke no English, luckily for me, Miko never let me out of his sight and acted as my interpreter from start to finish. I got a prescription for two pills and a cream, one of the pills was an anti-biotic and the other I have no freaking clue but was instructed to take both at the same time. Figuring that they wouldn’t try kill the fat footed foreigner I obeyed and used all meds as directed.

Jan and Leo (from Substance) were so incredibly cool, they rented a car the next day out of their own pockets or the surf shops. They took us surfing at a local break Air Manis [Sweet Water=Air(odd ?)] where I stayed on the beach taking some shots and hiding my frightful feet from all the stares I got I must have been unsuccessful. They took us to lunch and around town, me to the Apotek fro meds and cream. We hung around the surf shop a bit, had dinner and called it an early night, seeing as how Miko didn’t try to kill me in my sleep or run off with all my gear in the middle of the first night my confidence in trusting him was solid at this point. The next morning we hit the same surf break for another session, Jan and I stayed in the car and napped. A bit later in the morning I got full on interrogated by a curious local who spoke English very well ( too much in fact, he won’t go away.) He did however know some funny catch phrases, he kept telling everyone to “F-Off man” in a Borat like accent that cracked me up. After lunch the indo crew set off to pick up Miko’s friends from the airport. I hung around the hotel room with my foot elevated to reduce the swelling and read a book (No Country for Old Men, which I can’t wait to see now.) Several hours later (almost half a book) Miko returned with two Aussie brothers Craig and Jared from Melbourne and who it would turn out are both really good guys . After dinner we all crashed out early our ferry the next day leaved at 8pm but there was a lot to do before then.

There are no real stores on the main island of Seibarut, so if you want to eat and survive you bring it ALL with you. Also you stay in what is called a “losmen” ( a local families second home kinda like a B&B.) After a short surf and a quick brunch we had the interesting experience of purchasing every single thing 4 people could possibly need for 10 days. Lots of rice, noodles (by the end I was ready to puke at the sight of a grain of rice or noodle or eggs.) egg, water (we bought 190 litres) and a ton of misc. everything elses. All of our food got packed up and taken to the ferry ahead of us along with out 10, 10 gallon jugs o-agua under the name ADE a mentawaiian kid who was to be our means of transport. The ferry was a trip and a half, there are but so many sleeper cabins that fit 6 some with 4 (our was 6) everyone else sleeps on the first deck, along with all the cargo (and there was a lot) the rest of the overcrowded ferry sleep on the floor(hallway) of the second floor (ours). Lets just say that midnight trips to the bathroom were next to impossible to accomplish with out stepping on someone’s something. The water was just choppy enough to cause some amongst us (not I) to spend some time leaning over the railing on the back deck. The boat was rocking and squeaking all night and around 1am the two things of eggs (60) landed on me and my bed, luckily only 2 broke on my bed and my arm.

Come morning we chugged into the port of Mauraseibarut, it was a circus everyone was awaiting the ferry and all their supplies for a week, it seemed like the only island population had come to greet us (they just wanted their stuff). It also seemed like I had finally made some progress with foot rehabilitation, and we boarded a smaller boat(Ade’s dads or one he rented something like that) and by smaller I mean picture a “vessel” two and a half times a canoe about twice as wide and one and half times the height. Lets just say that it was a wet ride, the gear bone dry, the passengers soaking but we got there no problem.

We had arrived at our small island where the waves were, but the adventures didn’t end with the boat rides, in fact they were just beginning

Singapore Stylin

Sitting in a Karaoke bar after hours in Singapore listening to a trio of increasingly drunker young Singaporean dudes, with my bevy of British babes; I want to pull my hair out, whats worse I'm out of cash, so no cold brews to help me make it through the audible onslaught of verbal punishment I'm being tortured with. Half the evenings songs were in what I believe to be Chinese, oddly enough we walked in on them signing English tunes, that all stopped when East met West. The one thing about last nights musical maelstrom, is it doesn't get more Asian in my mind than that. Singapore has been a great traveling break, modern enough to have tons to see and do and for Asia it is exceedingly clean and well kept with a wide array of cultures as to not be stuck in any one single identity. Malaysia was mostly Muslim and Hindu. Walking out of the train station within about 2 minutes you start to realize that Islam no longer reigns. The women of Singapore assume a great sense of style, shorter skirts replace full length dresses, blouses replace berkas and fashionable hair abounds in the streets. The guys wear a very Asian/punk mix style with weird t-shirts, shorts or jeans with old school converses and spiked hair.

The food scene is great the best value by far is to fore go the real restaurants and forage in the hawker markets/ food courts. No threat of food borne disease as they are all government controlled and have health ratings. The food is amazingly tasty and cheap, I ate half my meals there tasting the best Asia has to offer.

I did a lot of sight seeing but not a lot of picture taking, I dislike the clutter of modern cities for photographs. It's easy getting caught up in the tourist motif in Singapore shopping for cheap clothes for the women and electronics for the guys. It is hot as hell, being that Singapore sits right above the Equator, you learn real quick to find the shady side of the street and stay there.

I used city life here mainly for catching up with the world, talking to many of you on the phone. Also I nursed bites, bumps and bruises acquired unwillingly from the jungle, and to rest up before heading into the wilds of Sumatra. The other day the ladies and I went to Santosa Island, some touristy resorty theme parky B.S of an Island getaway. Attractions were quiet advanced however no roller coasters but nice clean beaches to stretch out on. Also caught the laser light show, that was so horribly but interestingly Asian.

I stay at a great Backpacker hostel equipped with a pub below it which had live music every night called the Prince of Wales owned by an Aussie expat and run by a great staff. P.O.W as it is called was located in Little India, Little India's in all areas of Asia seem to be my favorite type of areas, people are friendly and the shops are really crazy to walk through. The streets of Little India's always have a very fragrant smell about them also.

Singapore is fun, but greatly expensive, I enjoyed every penny and moment spent here and if someone would pay me to live and work here I would put a lot of thought into accepting. They would have to pay me a whole lot but I would honestly probably do it. I will return to Singapore someday, when I'm a more wealthy man and truly do it up right out here. Well Tomorrow (Saturday the 02 of August) I am off to Sumatra, write you all from there. Check out what few Singapore photos there are.