Indonesia: Sea and Wind, Earth and Fire? - Liebe zur Erde... - Liebe zur Erde

Indonesia: Sea and Wind, Earth and Fire?

Here we spend - now again the two of us - a wonderfully peaceful time. On the Gili Islands off Lombok ( the neighboring island of Bali) is the word of the time "relax" - 11 days we are on Gili Meno and we can´t say what we did there else than actually look out on the sea.



Gili Meno is in the hectic and noisy Indonesia a small miracle: the island with its white sand beach can be surrounded in a 2 hours walk and has no traffic and no other means of transportation than horse-drawn carriages. At night, no barking dogs and the disco party noise from the neighboring island of Gili Tarawang (the locals call the  party island humorous Gili Trallala) penetrates the dark only as a distant rumbling through the palm groves. The white beach is full of pieces of coral from the reefs around there, where you are to see beautiful things, even if you are only snorkeling.




Most impressive are the large turtles that are nearly invisible on the sea floor or occasionally glide through the water.







Before us lies the volcano of Lombok , which is now in the rainy season usually shrouded in clouds. Some days, it rains almost continuously, then there are a few days of sun in a row. In general, however, we note that the large islands are more often in rain and clouds that rain down on the slopes, than is our little island in the sea.




Bali



we always see Bali only on the walkthrough, and Ubud seems to be our personal medical station - one of us at least is sick when we are here to stay for a day.




Bali is distinguished by its handicrafts, which seems to pervade the whole island. In addition, Bali is predominantly Hindu, and the whole tropical nature spirits and deities are still very much alive and are reflected in the art and sculptures: the whole island seems to be a single craft shop and temple. So, in an elementary way figures look out of every corner, every shop, every garden on you  - some remind to animal looking faces and I particularly marvel at the sculptures from the all black lava rock.







Above: monkey forest, Ubud




Two real highlights are Sulawesi and the Bromo volcano on Java, a sort of " Must see before you die" :



The northern tip of Sulawesi - which now in turn is predominantly Christian, houses on the north side the Bunaken National Park: one of the top 10 dive sites in the world. Since Andreas is diving, we make the trip here - and spend the time of our life here in the few days. Because you do not have to dive in order to experience the extremely impressive riffs world around here.




From my 3 Snorkeling tour ( the reef was virtually on the doorstep of our hotel, without strong currents and therefore relatively harmless, even if you are swimming alone) , I return with the phrase on the lips: If you are not religious - Here you will become so. The islands of the Bunaken National Park are in origin volcanic, with a base which breaks off abruptly and very steep, partly in one go down to 900 meters total, but it can also go down to 1800 m. Corals worlds formed at the base walls of the islands, which difficult find their equals elsewhere in the world and are home to an abundance of life forms, including around 3000 (!) Fish species. In addition, the unique perspective of 30 meters visible sight is under water, and simple snorkeling can be an experience. And yes - there are even manta rays, sharks, and who knows what else, but it's yet not a tourist been eaten ....













Java


A completely different world than a tropical paradise awaits us on Java, the main island of Indonesia and one of the most densely populated spots on earth. The volcanoes that line up like pearls on a string on the south coast, provide immensely fertile soil and not the earth itself, also the traffic is bursting everywhere out at the seams here. Java now in turn is Islamic - and Islam here has left not to much of neither of the tropical spirits nor from the creative beauty. The island is a business center, an economic engine: clean, loud, ugly. Only if one breaks in the more inaccessible areas, one discovers Java ( former) beauty: the magic of the rice terraces, the volcanoes in the background , which fog and cloud fields that draw up to great heights is a spectacle in the sky. Famous among many other volcanoes on Java is Bromo , to which the Tenegger Bromo National Park was created.




Its last eruption was in 2010/11 and today he delights the visitor with intense smoking and puffing . With all of the transport, which is possible suitable for the rip-off of tourists , one comes to below the crater rim and then has still independently climb a staircase up to the crater rim itself. In principle there  is a narrow path around the crater, you could walk around it so. Who has no difficultis with steepness and heights, and at the same time immune to the sulfur fumes ( sulfuric acid together with moisture in the lungs to breathe! ), can give the surrounding path a try. From the crater rim it goes steeply down until that opens up as a vertical mouth of the crater vent - a powerful sight !








Impressive to see are also the wonderful aesthetic terraced fields on the steep slopes: here bursts the fertility of the earth at the seams!





In the region there is also a recomended waterfall.


Again, this has also already become the tourist trap: who hires a supposedly necessary tour guide for 50 000 rp, is not only exposed to the fact that other vultures their way into the steep ravine to participate. They are pleased to sell minutes before one reach the waterfall, the own rain capes: because you have to go through the waterfall, which will soak you to the bones. No, when you return you will be aditionally rewarded with the news that the tour guide for the 80 minutes he joined us on the reported and partially paved road, charges 50 000 rp PER PERSON! - Well, we are used to these kind of cheating. Given the choice to get blankley nothing or keep the 50 000, he decided at the end when we left to the agreed amount .

 




Those traveling on Java should opt for the train: The seats in the business class are spacious and each has a socket so that you can also work. From out the train you can see the original village structures and agriculture , in the car / bus , however you drive hour after hour in heavy traffic and right and left unsightly concrete structures are around only, most small businesses .

Thus now my last days come which I spend in freedom, the journey is coming to an end. Still there is Java to traverse, then a stopover in Singapore. The end of January I will be back in Switzerland, Dornach - and then hopefully find the time to report on all the countries and impressions that have now come much too short. And as always after a long journey this time is also true : you can book us for picture- and storytelling evenings , and we are pleased to report our experiences!