Lombok



The lesser-known isle just a hop-skip from Bali in a Fokker is called Lombok. It is different from Bali in many, many ways... and in fact, seems to share nothing more than a geographic proximity!

The traditional culture of Lombok is Sasak, a local version of Islam, although with many notable exceptions to the Islam practiced by most Muslim-Indonesians. In the area we visited in the North, there were still people living in traditional Sasak villages, however, many have now moved to the larger centers in pursuit of money and a more modern way of life. We also saw a few motorcycles on the traditional footpaths!



The Sasak take their pinang chewing even more seriously than the people of Papua! There are special boxes and tools devoted to the consumption of this mouth-reddening 'delicacy'!



... however, like the Papuans... they start young!




Our trip... after hopping off the Fokker, we hopped onto some motorbikes (rented at the airport), and after a visit with the very friendly and helpful Renjani Trekking people in Mataram, were on our way to Senaru village in the North. The trip north was interesting; at times lush and green, then stark and arid... A few of the scenes we passed along the way:


The 'head-carrying' picture. I don't know how it is that I don't have a picture of the women carrying woven baskets atop their heads with incredible balance - they were everywhere!



These 'barn' rooves, as I came to refer to them are typical Lombok style.



We had to stop for gas only once along the way, at this 'gas station'!


Along the way, one of our travel-mates Lisa toppled off her motorcycle, and although she wasn’t seriously injured, she certainly wasn’t getting back on. So, we had a motorcycle with no rider in the middle of nowhere, and oviously, an imminent change in plans.

Our plan was to stay at the base of Mount Rinjani (the highest mountain in Indonesia besides Papua). I still hope to come back and climb this giant; when there is more time, and in the right season! As you can see, the views were spectacular!



This was the view from the breakfast table.




We stayed at the base of the mountain for one night anyway since it was certainly too late to start the trek back to find a doctor that could check out Lisa's arm. The next morning, after sending Lisa safely on her way with a Canadian we met who lives in the mountain village, and happened to be going exactly where she needed to go (isn't it wonderful how things just work out like that!?), Cecilia and I went for a nice hike that went from Rice Paddys to Waterfalls through traditional villages on ancient footpaths.

















After an invigorating bath at the waterfall whose waters are said to be therapeutic, we gathered up our things and headed to Senggigi to meet up with Lisa again. We opted for coastal road, which was windy but offered breath-taking views... of course, there were several construction zones along the way that made for an interesting jolting ride with two gals on a small scooter traversing potholes that all-but swallowed us up! Luckily we came out the other end of them all, a true test to my back-road dirt bikin' days! Oh, except that a heavy-equipment operator almost killed us with his swinging backhoe bucket! Just for that extra little adrenaline kick...

Because Lisa used to be the manager of a Sheraton hotel, she hooked us up with a great deal at the Sengiggi Sheraton, and we lived it up in true relaxation style for a few days on the beach! We used her 'injuries' as a good excuse to stay put, but really, this is just what the doctor ordered for all of us! Lots of beach. Lots of reading. Lots of lazing in the pool with the crocodiles. Aaah....






This goodness even included room service - WOW! (No, that is not the Indonesian pembantu with the tray of food! haha, sorry, Ceci!)

... and this was just the beginning...

Well, after getting off the boat at 5 am and doing a speed re-pack, I headed directly to the Sorong airport to begin my journey to Bali to meet up with friends, and start off on our tour around Lombok.

After several flight delays and cancellations, including an unplanned over-night in Makassar, I finally arrived in Bali. Because of my delayed arrival, we spent a lovely day touring around on rented motorcycles, the afternoon shopping at the Ubud market, and the evening at one of the traditional dance performances at a temple.

This was the first time our friend Cynthia had been to a cultural performance in Bali (a must-see for any visitor to Bali)... she chose the dance by the ticket-seller, and her instincts were right on... we saw several dances that are not the most famous in Bali, but very special, and certainly entertaining.



One new dance that I had never seen before was the 'Cendrawasih' (Bird of Paradise) dance, which I found a little confusing, since the Bird of Paradise is endemic to Papua, not Bali... but their movements were right on, and so closely approximated the mating dance of these birds, that I feel sure they have seen the original actors (ie. the birds themselves) perform it!






The other treat was the "Rabbit Dance", performed by young girls between the ages of 5-9... outstanding!




The next morning we all headed to the airport -- Lisa, Cecilia and I off to Lombok, while Sigit and Cynthia were headed for Flores... We shared a much-needed coffee (can you believe they have Starbucks in Indonesia!?), and set off!




(Cynthia, the coffee connoisseur)

Flying a Fokker

On an already shortened holiday, when given the choice:

20 minutes on a Fokker
OR
20 hours of bike, bus, ferry, mini-bus, and who knows what other obstacles

It seems like a no-brainer... and to tell you the honest truth, had I known it was a fokker, I would've made the snap decision even faster, just with the knowledge that then I could say "I flew a Fokker".





I have never been on such a short plane ride in my life! Anyway, that's how we got from Denpasar, Bali to Mataram, Lombok... caught our first glimpse of Mount Rinjani, and from there, started our Lombok adventure (which turned out to be somewhat of a mis-adventure - stay tuned)!





Read the fine print. Note the incongruency??? The worst thing they could hope to do is confuse people in an emergency situation; so which is it??? Is the life vest under my seat, or is it the seat itself!? No, this was not an April Fool's joke. Aaahhh... Indonesian air-carriers never cease to impress!

Does it not look like this woman is in the process of slicing up the brains of a large animal???


On our first day in Warsambin, as we were walking over to meet with the head of the district and the village head in order to coordinate/socialize the Kalabia program to them, we passed by a woman who was doing a funny wiggling dance while slicing up something that, upon first glance, looked to me to be brains! I asked. In fact, it was a 'sarang semut' (ants' nest), and the wiggly dance was the reaction to the ants, whose bit is like fire! Apparently the local villagers cut these nests from the trees, slice them up (and remove the ants, of course) and use them for medicinal purposes. The slices can be steeped in hot water and made into a healing tea, or eaten! According to the local shaman it's good for all manner of ailment, including cancer, asthma, intestinal issues, heart problems, or just as a general whole-body detoxifying cleanse, which probably means it's has anti-oxidant properties... but of course, no formal scientific testing has been done to investigate the medicinal properties as of yet!

I'll be having ants' nest tea before bed this eve!

Kali Biru
The Blue River

On our way home from Warsambin, we were invited to take the opportunity to stop by a local 'sacred site' called Kali Biru. The convergence of two rivers of differing temperatures forms a unique and refreshing area where the people of Warsambin not only go to hold various ceremonies, but also for recreation.

The two rivers, one whose source is icy cold, the other, tepid, come together rather abruptly, causing a huge increase in the flow speed of the river. To stand in the river exactly at the point of their convergence creates a very odd sensation as one second freezing water is rushing by you causing you to feel the cold deep in your bones, the next second, you are flooded with warmth. We enjoyed bathing in the crystal clear blue river while gazing up at the beautiful scenery of luscious green rainforest with all manner of avian life flocking around us (including white cockatoos, blue and green and red parrots, and other, less-conspicuous varieties).

Lead by a friend from the local village, we also tried a local scrub treatment, "Gosok"; using river stones to exfoliate while seated along the riverbank. A treat for me, especially after tromping around in the muddy mangroves with the kids earlier that day!

Kalabia
(the program)

I have written about the namesake, and the boat (this previous post has been updated), but what about the PROGRAM itself!?




You can check out this previous post for a little background. You'll notice, everything has been moved back of course, postponed, and delayed over and over again... As you can see from my latest posts, the Kalabia has now arrived in Raja Ampat and completed ONE program in Warsambin, Mayalibit.

Basically, the Kalabia Education Boat is going to tour around to the 89 villages within Raja Ampat delivering intensive 3-day education programs. We tried to push for longer programs, to make programming more complete and lessons more effective, however once we looked at the schedule and the number of villages, as well as how spread out they are, we decided we have to optimize our time and push for a three-day full program. The Kalabia will only be able to reach each village after TWO years even so!



There are three elements to the program itself. The youth/kids program, the adult program (which will involve fishermen and women, and will mainly function to support the other conservation initiatives in Raja Ampat, such as Marine Protected areas and Livelihoods programs) and a program for teachers to ensure the sustainability of Environmental Education in Raja Ampat. With the current setup, and because the entire program is completely new, we will begin by running only the youth program, with open sessions for adults and teachers. As the youth program is perfected, and the team gets more familiar with the material and program, we will begin to implement the more specific and tailored adult activities as well as teacher-training.



The youth program is a series of highly-interactive activities focusing on conservation issues relevant to local communities. It is designed to provide unique, hands-on experiences where students investigate for themselves the natural environment around them, and are invited to think critically about threats to conservation of the same. Participants learn about the interconnected nature of the ecosystems with which they must live in harmony. Song, dance, story-telling and art are all incorporated into the program to make it accessible to all learning styles, and especially appropriate for the local culture which thrives on these methods of entertainment. Through increased understanding of the ecosystems of Raja Ampat, as well as their unique place in the world, students feel pride and a sense of ownership, which is the first step to caring about and protecting their corner of Raja Ampat.

THE FIRST TIME...
KALABIA MAIDEN PROGRAM VOYAGE
Warsambin, Teluk Mayalibit, Raja Ampat

The small village of Warsambin at the mouth of Mayalibit Bay could not have been a more appropriate location to begin the Kalabia program. Mayalibit Bay is home to the true native peoples of Raja Ampat, the first MPA declared in Raja Ampat, and also a wonderful community of warm-hearted, highly-traditional people. The language of the region, bahasa Maya, contributed the name Kalabia to our Education Vessel. Mayalibit itself is a saltwater bay jutting deep into the island of Waigeo (one of the 'four kings') accessed only by a narrow entrance, which contributes to the uniqueness of the area.




The three-day program was a resounding success with the entire community of Warsambin! Students were thrilled with this novel experience and formed cohesive groups, working as teams, while learning lessons imperative to the conservation of the stunning nature that surrounds them.



While exploring the various ecosystems close to their village, students not only had fun, but learned lessons that will stay with them for a lifetime!




The bonds formed between the participants and the members of the education team, even in a short, three-day period, were precious to experience. The team, even though this was the first time out of the starting gate (and two team members were unable to join us), succeeded in creating an energetic, positive atmosphere of learning and fun, while also supporting and sharing in local culture and tradition. One of my favourite activities was the spontaneous yosban (traditional singing/dancing) with which we closed out the activities on the final day with students.




Because the Kalabia was able to dock at the village, we were able to experience a high-degree of interaction with the local villagers; people were welcomed aboard the vessel at all times, relationships blossomed, and the boat itself became the center of activities for the village for large parts of the day... especially in the evenings, when we provided rare entertainment in the form of conservation films and slide-shows of village life.




I'd do it again... and will... next month!

Ever have one of those weeks where you have a 'to-do' list a mile long, but at the end of the week, although you've accomplished an enormous amount, you can't cross a single entry off that silly, nagging list!? Well, that's the kind of week I've had this week!

It seems like every single time I settled in to complete one of the tasks on my list, another, more urgent, yet unforeseen, task was presented to me! The daunting part is that all those things still have to get done, more or less immediately... yet we're off to the field on the maiden Program voyage of the Kalabia at 4 am tomorrow morning (hence the majority of the unexpected hiccups)!

I don't want to call this her (the Kalabia's) maiden program voyage, either, because actually (due to all the hiccups, and issues of having TWO separate organizations involved in the operations of the boat), our time for this particular trip has been drastically cut down; now we will only have time to complete one program in one village. It is imperative that we do this, however, before the inter-institutional meeting on the 18th where we will discuss the mechanism and logistics of operating the boat, and the program, between TWO organizations -- we need a shake-down run!

So, with the team also split in half (the 'boss', whose status quo is 'sick', is under-the-weather again, so can't participate, and another team member having been invited to the 'Indonesian Youth Leadership Award (YAY Valend!)), we're setting sail for Mayalibit Bay, the home to the original communities of Raja Ampat!

Wish us luck!

An Abandoned Safari Park

Along our 'off-the-beaten path' route one of our Saturdays in Bali, chapter two of our motorcycle adventures (undertaken in the search for the ultimate waves for Martin to surf): encountering an eerie and somewhat disturbing area.

Rotting crocodiles stink. I don't think anything stinks worse than a crocodile carcass in a state of decay!

Abandoned and left to their own devices when the 'Safari Park' went bankrupt, the crocodile population exploded! Check out this 'pile of dile':



But even though they are not being fed chunks of raw meat by park wardens as before, they have not adopted a canabalistic lifestyle... Apparently monkeys used to be the main attraction at this park, but we didn't see any signs of them swinging from the trees... in fact, we heard none of the usual bird song that is usually part of life in Bali either! I guess it's no wonder they are no more!



I hate to start into something that we undoubtedly become a rant, but stumbling upon this abandoned area, other than raising my sensibilities about the inhumane treatment of these poor, caged creatures, left to rot, also brought back a thought that I have seen over and over again, here in Indonesia, as well as at home; I am absolutely disgusted at this consumptive, unsustainable attitude and way of life... instead of repairing what's broken (not to mention taking care of things so they don't break in the first place, for that matter!), buy or build a new one; a bigger, better one! Throw the old away... don't think about the impact, or the fact that our poor planet can't TAKE any more of the pressure we're putting it under; can't take any more of our garbage! I can't believe the amount of garbage everywhere... even on the most remote beaches of Raja Ampat, and most recently, Bali, broken sandals, empty plastic containers of various shapes and sizes... We're claiming it all for ourselves, and our garbage... covering over natural areas with cement, introducing things that don't belong there into the mix! Sorry, I don't want this to turn into a tirade!

As we were leaving this dilapidated area, by means of another road, we see a big billboard sign for "Bali Safari Park... new, opening in October 2007"; only 5 kms from this one! Hope the stench from rotting crocodiles doesn't make them decide to move it another 5k down the road... I wonder if it, too, will look like this in another 5-10 years or so?





Funny... I am just going through posting a few old posts (this one was originally written while in Bali, Feb 18th)... some of the thoughts expressed above are more concisely discussed in "The Story of Stuff".

Wani

My latest new fruit sensation discovery is Wani, or 'White Mango' as it is translated. Delicious. Honestly, it has a very unique flavour, which carries just enough mango nuance to make it irresistible.



While we were waiting for the Kalabia to set off, we had a little time to explore Sanur, Bali, where our hotel was located (and known as the 'upper class Kuta'). There are a couple little fruit shops that will sell you whole fresh fruit, or chop it or juice it for you on the spot... this one was right next door to the hotel, so I got my fill of this magical new fruit while we were there!

The Story of Stuff



This is a great site, I'm diggin' it... right on.

Check it out!

Maiden Voyage of the Kalabia

Day One: Stormy tummy fun!
Day Two: Nothin’ but blue!
Day Three: Lost at sea!
Day Four: Can’t take any more!
Day Five: Still alive!
Day Six: More tummy tricks!
Day Seven: Feelin’ like unleaven
’d bread!
Day Eight: Home safe

I woke up on my birthday to the same unremarkable vista as the previous SIX days… open ocean. Honestly, knowing that the surface of the Earth is 70% ocean, and experiencing it are two COMPLETELY different things! On a map, Indonesia is all islands… and we were to be traveling right through the heart of it… I thought we would at least see a little scenery… nope! The progression of scenery changes were as follows: blustery grey rain-speckled water, steel-grey fog, blue calm, gray haze, gray sheets of rain, rolling ominous deep blue waves, whitecaps, the occasional glimpse of blue sky billowing white clouds and sunshine. Repeat daily. This was the view (well, of course, when it was raining and we were rocking and rolling, I didn't take my camera out, so this is the sun-shiny version of the view):



I came ready to see cetaceans… dolphins, porpoises, whales and the like… other than the unfavourable weather and scudding waves that obscured our sightings, when the weather WAS cooperating, sadly we spent more time identifying garbage than cetacean species! Well, we did see one bird:



and one half-decent sunset, on the last day:



(you can tell these photos were all taken from a boat, since i couldn't get the horizon level!)

At last we’re here! FINALLY, the boat that has been delayed over six months has finally arrived in Raja Ampat, and, with a few more repairs to hammer-out some issues discovered along the way, we should be up-and-running in no time! This will hopefully include fumigating the whole ship and eliminating the rat and cockroaches which woke me up with a start one night!



We had a small welcoming/launching ceremony in Saonek and Waisai, Raja Ampat. Just an official ‘we’re here’, and watch for us out at sea! And after a few days in Sorong, a supply trip to the new CI field station in Triton Bay, Kaimana, and a few more repairs… we should be off!





The Program's Motto: Berlayar Sambil Belajar means 'Sailing While Learning'.

Balinese Offerings



We're in Bali again, only briefly, but I don't think I've ever written about this wonderful part of Bali. The Balinese have maintained a very strong culture, even in the face of a great degree of western exposure (or maybe, especially because of such intense tourism). One of the interesting traditions that strikes me every time we come to Bali, and something that is still going strong in Balinese Hinduism is the thrice-daily offering to the gods. These colourful, aromatic offerings are found on every street corner, in front of every shop, and home, and in every temple around the entire island.

Although Balinese Hinduism is a very complicated religion, complete with several gods and demons, deified ancestors, etc, I have noticed, that, with small exceptions, the offerings are usually quite similar (or so I thought!), and everyone is involved in making them, and offering them. Usually, in small tourist shops, when the women aren't busy, they can be seen making the small offering baskets and adornments from palm leaves. Banten (offerings) are gifts to bring pleasure to, or appease, the gods (or demons), and they also provide good karma for all those involved in making them.

The offerings vary according to the nature of the ceremony, and the god for whom they are intended! When I thought I was asking a simple question for an explanation of the meaning of the components of these offerings... I realized NOTHING is simple! Right down to the colour of the components hold strong symbology. Red, green and white are the colours associated with Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa, three of the 'high' Hindu gods. Usually offerings consist of a combination of incense, flowers, lemongrass, fabric, betel nuts, arak (liquor), holy water, palm-leaf decoration, and food. Rice seems to always be present as well, appropriate I guess, since it is said to symbolize life itself. The only other part of the explanation I understood was that the water is a symbol for power and purity... and imagine... I speak pretty darn good Indonesian after a year and a half living here!

I think it's these offerings, along with the frangipani, of course, that give Bali that unique smell that always tells me I'm in Bali, and automatically makes me breathe easier.

Durian

Yes, it's an Asian thing... And NO, even after a year and a half, it still holds no appeal for me! Not even just that, but I find it utterly repulsive! The Indonesians don't think so; they line up for Durian, whether fresh, candied, juiced, dried, or any of the other flavour-mimicking products, like durian bubble gum, durian chewey candies, durian throat lozenges, durian soda, durian lolipops... the list goes on...

I did get a laugh out of the extent to which Indonesians are obsessed with Durian... when I was in the drug store, and saw these durian-flavoured condoms on the shelf! Luckily they're just imitating the flavour, and not the spikey exterior as well! Yipes!



Oh well, at least they're confections aren't stinking up the streets like the real thing when they're in season!

Banana Smoothies

A delicious treat in any tropical country is the Banana Smoothie! I don't really consider it an Indonesian discovery/specialty, because of course, we made them almost every day in Ecuador, and I love making them at home as well!

On our last visit to Max Ammer's Papua Diving resort, Sorido Bay, we had smoothies on the jetty at sunset. Everyone enjoyed them immensely, including...

Soeharto



Indonesia's former dictator of 32 years died last week. It has been said that he was one of the most corrupt and brutal rulers of the 20th century, but still the nation is respectfully marking his passing, and the official 7 days of National Mourning have now come to an end.

It's not often anyone lives to the ripe-old age of 86, especially in Indonesia... and even with a team of 40 doctors treating him at the end, with multiple organ failure and a drawn-out illness, it was simply his time.

Suharto managed a stronghold on Indonesia’s economic, political, social and cultural establishments from 1965 until he was toppled by a democratic uprising during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis. Soeharto legitimized his dictatorship (or "authoritative style of rule", as it is called by some) with an economic success story for Indonesia, during which he won the heart of the poor the nation over... "Suharto loved me, Suharto took care of me", they say. Protests against his corrupt and repressive government in May 1998, then led to numerous allegations of human rights violation and corruption during his rulership and amongst his cronies.

The Soeharto corruption case has been postponed as the nation mourns. The government is seeking 1.4 billion dollars in returned assets and damages from Soeharto, and the Supersemar Foundation, a charity he previously chaired. The case - part of a renewed effort by the government to bring the former dictator to justice - alleges Soeharto oversaw the misallocation of money intended for student scholarships. The hearings are set to resume on February 12.

Oh yeah... and Happy Ground Hog's Day to my Canadian friends... did Wairton see his shadow this year???