Jeep jaunting - day 2

Our second day on the road started with a bit of a downer and got quite surreal before normality returned later in the day.

When we had parked our heap of a jeep the previous evening we left the keys with the hotel reception in case they needed to move it during the night. They did move it but left the front wheels precariously teetering at the top of a ramp so that when I got in to move it the following morning it rolled forwards. The hand brake being unable to hold the weight of the car and a driver (no fat driver gags please . . . We've already said how knackered the car is).

This wouldn't have been a problem if it weren't for the Russian perched on his moped a few inches from my front bumper. By the time I realised that I was moving and reacted to get the brakes on I had managed to mangle his headlamp. Due to the state of our jeep I couldn't tell if we had damaged it or whether it was already like that to start with (the jeeps owner thought the latter). After much to-ing and fro-ing and a bit of a heated debate the hotel owner decided it was the Russian guys fault as he had told him several times not to park there. So with the issue settled we headed out for the central highlands of Bali.

Things didn't improve much once we got on the road. Somehow we missed the turning for the coast road bypass and got stuck in the gridlocked capital city of Denpasar. To make matters worse we got hopelessly lost and were unable to find any of the roads that we were on in any of the 4 maps at our disposal. After the best part of two hours we eventually made our way out of the city via the town of Sakah.

Sakah is famous for having a 10m high statue of a giant baby in the centre of town. Despite the fact that the statue was only erected in the early 90's no one is quite sure why it was built or what it symbolises. For some reason we kept thinking of George "he's just a big baby" Dawes!

It was at this point when I discovered that my camera, or rather the lens, had gone wonky. It's a bit of a long shot, but if there's anyone out there knows how to fix a Canon EF-S 17-85mm lens that wont auto-focus or allow proper control of the aperture then please let me know.

After being delayed by our little shunt and getting lost in Denpasar we eventually made our first planned stop at Gunung Kawi by about 3 in the afternoon. Gunung Kawi is a monument complex carved into a cliff face to commemorate the 11th century Balinese king Anak Wungsu.

We weren't that taken with the actual monuments themselves but thought that the location, in a rice terraced valley, was absolutely stunning.

Whilst we were there we were approached by an old croan who asked us if we wanted to see a waterfall. After a 5 minute trek across the rice terraces we eventually arrived at what could best be described as a small trickle of water obscured by some trees. Sensing our disappointment the old croan decided to liven things up by getting her tits out. She then appeared somewhat offended when her request for some money was refused.

We made our excuses and departed rather hastily to our next destination, Pura Tirta Empul, a sacred spring water temple a few kilometers up the road. Hindus from all over Bali come for holy water and ablutions in the bathing pools.

Although we really enjoyed our visits to both Gunung Kawi and Pura Tirta Empul at times it felt like you couldn't see the temple for the amount of hawkers (or pensioners breasts) getting in the way. It was a little trying at times, particularly after the morning we'd just had.

To end the day we headed into the heart of the central highlands and the volcano of Gunung Batur. We arrived on the outer crater rim at dusk just in time to take in the views before the sun set and the clouds rolled in.

The volcano is the most active in Bali and has had over 20 major eruptions in the last 200 years. Rather than return to Kuta we decided to stay in the village of Kedisan which is located inside the volcano's caldera on the shore of Lake Batur.

We're not sure what they're putting in the Pedigree Chum in the towns around Gunung Batur but the roads seemed to be full of kamikaze dogs which spent most of their time trying to get under the wheels of our jeep. It was a real challenge not to squash the poor mangy looking mutts.

Trendy Tailor

Someone needs to have a word with this guy . . .

Would you get him to make a suit for you?

Jeep jaunting - day 1

On Tuesday we hired a car for 3 days so that we could see some of the sights of Bali. For our sins we have been driving around in a knackered old Suzuki jeep with more parts of the vehicle broken than actually work. All the tires are completely bald, we have no rear view mirror, the seat belts don't work and it usually takes at least 3 attempts to get either of the front doors to shut. On the plus side it is very cheap to hire, 100,000 rupiah a day (about £6.66) . . . Which is the same it costs to hire an umbrella and two loungers for the day on Kuta beach.

For our first day on the road we headed to the Bukit Peninsular, the blob at the Southern most tip of the island. Our first destination was Nusa Dua which is a gated resort made up of a handful of luxury hotels, an exhibition centre and a golf and country club. It had a slightly odd atmosphere, a little bit like a sterilised, twilight zone version of Bali. We had intended to have a bit of a nose around some of the 5 star hotels but you had to go through some over the top security to get in, including an interior and under car search. It all felt like too much trouble so we moved on to our next destination Tanjung Benoa, a 4km long sand spit that runs into the sea. We didn't hang around there too long either as the beach was a bit grubby and there were a load of boats noisily buzzing up and down the shore. Not really our idea of a tropical beach paradise!

We found a nicer beach that was more what we were looking for when we stumbled upon Geger Beach on the Southern coast of the peninsular.

We even got to find out how woeful the off road capabilities of our jeep were when a wrong turn sent us hurtling across the sand dunes and onto the beach.

Next we headed over to Ulu Watu which supposedly has one of the best surf breaks in Bali. Even though we still had our surfing sick notes we thought it would be nice to check out the beach and watch some of the more experienced surfers in action. However this proved quite difficult as the surf break was about half a mile out to sea. To make things even more difficult the view from the beach was also not particularly good as it was sandwiched into a tiny steep sided cove about 10m wide, which, to add to the fun was accessed via some wonky concrete steps.

We ended the day with a visit to Pura Luhur Ulu Watu, one of the most sacred Hindu temples in Bali. The temple is built on top of a Westward facing cliff and is legendary for its sunsets. Unfortunately it was gray and overcast the day we visited!

The jungle surrounding the temple is also home to a troupe of incredibly aggressive monkeys who would pinch anything they could get their thieving hairy little hands on. We saw them steal (and then eat) two wallets, a pair of sunglasses, a hat, an earring and a sandal. I even had one try to wrestle me for my camera bag!

As well as the temple and the mad monkeys, Pura Luhur Ulu Watu is also famous for the kecek dance which takes place every evening at sunset. The dance consists of about 50 men, stripped to the waist, who sit in a circle chanting "kecak-kecak-kecak" for an hour. Whilst this is happening about a dozen other people in masks act out scenes from the Hindu epic the Ramayana.

Even with a crib sheet detailing the plot neither of us had the foggiest idea what was going on. Still, it was strangely mesmerising. Particularly the finale where a man dressed as a giant white monkey proceeded to kick piles of burning straw into the audience! I can't see that one getting past the health and safety audit back home.

On the way back to Kuta we stopped for dinner at the fishing village of Jimbaran. The beach there is lined with restaurants that serve the catch of the day freshly BBQed over a coconut husk fire.

Bali Heck!

We arrived in Kuta, a beach resort in Southwestern Bali, a week ago and for various reasons we haven't done a fat lot since we got here.

Our first problem was accommodation, the budget end of the market is somewhat tricky and this has meant that we moved through 3 different hotels (plus saw countless others) in our first 4 days. Our first hotel, although ok, was overpriced and so we decided to move on after 2 nights when they wouldn't negotiate the rates. Also it had a topless octogenarian sun bather who put us off our breakfast when she got her fried eggs out every morning.

The next place we moved to is typical of the budget end of the market in Kuta, lovely from the outside and around the pool but grotty in the rooms. We got seduced by the exterior, checked in, realised it was a filthy hole and checked out the following morning.

We're now staying in a hotel called Suka Beach Inn. When we first arrived we thought that it would be way out of our price range as it had lovely gardens, architecture and pool. We needent have worried though as it only costs 110,000 Rupiah a night (about £7) as the rooms are best described as a bit rustic!

At least it's (fairly) clean, we have a balcony with a view over the pool and it's a bit of a bargain as the £7 room charge includes breakfast for 2!

The main reason for our lack of activity has been sick note related, and we've each got a good excuse. Kuta is one of the best places in Southeast Asia to surf and we were itching to have a go in some more pleasant conditions than the freezing waters of North Devon in the English "summer". However; I have managed to pick up a surfing related injury before even getting on a board. Whilst swimming in the NO SURFING section of the beach I was skewered square in the ribs by some pillock who lost control of his board. This has resulted in me spending the last 5 days hobbling around like bit of a cripple.

To make matters worse Liz has picked up a dose of the lurgy, so we're both out of action and in need of some help from Dr Kildare. If we were horses we'd have both been shot by now!

Despite our ills we still had a nice time chilling out on the beach and by the pool with our surfing action on hold until further notice.

Michael's Minahasa Highland Fling

Onong also helped us to arrange a mikrolet and driver so that we could spend a day touring the sights of the Minahasa Highlands. We had a really interesting day with our driver, Michael, and his uncle.

First stop was the "meat section" of Tomohon Market to see some of the more unusual local specialities from the butchers table. It included snake, bat, rat (on a stick just like in Monty Python's Life of Brian), monkey and even dog. Liz has banned me from putting any dog and monkey pictures on the blog so here's a some bats. . .

If you're wondering why they are all burnt, it's part of the de-furring process, they simply singe it off with a blow torch. I should point out that this happens after the animals are dead!

For those who are curious a whole dog will set you back 250,000 Rupiah, about £16. Michael did advise us that they only usually get dog in if there is a special occasion, like a party.

Then it was a drive and trek up Gunung Mahawu volcano which provided some more pleasant photo opportunities than the horrors of the market. The views from the top and the 2km walk around the rim were the highlight of the day.

For lunch we headed to Danau Tondano lake which lies 600m above sea level. The lake has many Fish restaurants on it's shores which breed freshwater lake fish ready for your plate.

We ended our tour with a visit to Danau Linow, a bright green bubbling sulphurous lake. This place, although pretty, smelt really bad - like rancid eggy trumps! You should consider yourselves lucky that blog-aroma hasn't yet been invented!

Tomohon and the Minahasa Highlands

After not seeing the tarsiers we ended our stay on Sulawesi with 3 nights at Tomohon in the Minahasa Highlands. We actually stayed in the village of Kinilow, 5km outside of Tomohon, at a fantastic place called Onong's Palace. In terms of "bang for your buck" (our room cost about £13 a night) it was easily the best place we've stayed on our trip so far. The resort consisted of a handful of traditional wooden bungalows spread over a jungle covered hill. The setting was really stunning with views of the Gunung Lokon volcano across the valley.

It was the first time in over a week that we had hot water, a TV and 24 hour a day electricity. It felt like we had finally made it back into civilisation after the wilds, that first hot shower felt like absolute bliss!

I had intended to climb the 1580m peak of the Gunung Locon volcano on our first day there but Onong advised against it as it had been officially closed for the last 9 months due to ash and sulphur releases. Instead we headed into Tomohon town to re-connect with the outside world via the internet. The trip to the internet cafe provided a bit old world / new world juxtaposition, we went there on a horse and cart!

That evening we had a rather interesting time at the Pemandangan Restaurant, highly recommended by the Lonely Planet. The restaurant is situated on a cliff a few kilometers from our accommodation on the road to Manado. It had great views over Manado and Bunaken Island . . .

. . . but no food! Instead we had to a console ourselves with a couple of warm beers before catching a mikrolet (beat up Indonesian van) back for dinner at Onong's.

I Should Tangkoko . . . Or Maybe Not!

The second reason for us coming to Sulawesi was to try and see some Tarsiers.

Tarsiers are the worlds smallest primate and are only found on Sulawesi and in parts of the Philippines. They have huge boggly eyes, big flappy ears and unusually long fingers. They look something like a cross between an owl, E.T. and Gizmo from Gremlins. They may sound a little strange but they are possibly the cutest critter out there.

Apparently the best place to see tarsiers is the Tangkoko-Batuangas Dua Saudara Nature Reserve. So on Wednesday we left Bunaken Island and headed across the Northern most tip of Sulawesi to the Pulisan Jungle Beach Resort, which lies just outside the Tangkoko Reserve.

The accommodation at Pulisan was really nice. We had a lovely bungalow that was right on the beach front, looking out to sea across a jungle covered bay peppered with volcanoes. It was a really beautiful spot.

Sadly though the house reef, which lies just off shore, was destroyed in December when a 3 day tidal surge flattened the coral. This meant that most of the coral lay dead in the shallows or scattered across the beach. Handy for a few photos but not much good for snorkeling (or the fish).

We had intended to use Pulisan as a base for exploring the Tangkoko Reserve, but, and I'm not sure I can word this without offending the owner of Pulisan, the price of the excursion seemed like a bloody rip-off. The resort was really isolated, more so than at Bunaken Village, with no phone or internet connection to the outside world. The nearest road is a 15 minute trek through the jungle and the nearest town an hours drive away. This meant that unless you could get a signal on your mobile phone and had the number for a driver you were at the mercy of the resort owner for transport. This lack of competition for transport effectively meant that they could charge what they liked. The cost of the trip for 2 to Tangkoko was roughly £70 of which £10 was for the park entry and guide fee. This meant that the remaining £60 was for the 30 minute boat trip across the bay (in the resort owners boat). This seemed a complete joke to us. We could see the reserve across the bay and it was considerably less than the distance from Torquay to Brixham which costs a mere £6 return on the Western Lady! In the end we decided that we weren't going to be held ransom to the price so we didn't go and see the tarsiers. We'll have to make do with this picture instead . . .

In spite of our perception that the owner was charging extortionate prices for her excursions we still had a really nice stay at Pulisan. Instead of looking at tarsiers we spent our time exploring the coastline and relaxing on the beach.

Although the setup was very similar to on Bunaken, with all of the meals being taken in the resort, it didn't have that same clostraphobic feeling. The food was great and the staff were really friendly too. We particularly liked Bobby . . . the black macaque. He was a really friendly monkey adorned with a rather natty looking Hoxton fin type haircut!

One day though he got a little too friendly with one of the other guests when he escaped from his cage and jumped 6ft out of a palm tree onto a woman sun bathing. Here he is trying to get a little too close to me . . .

Pulisan also provided us with our first encounter with the traditional Indonesian bathroom known as a mandi. A mandi contains a large vat of water and a bucket. To flush the toilet you simply fill the bucket from the vat and pour it down the toilet bowl. If you want a shower it's bucket over the head time. No toilet paper in the loo? Bucket and your left hand (we always have a spare roll!).