Indonesia

Visited: May 1999

Duration of visit: 40 days

Capital city: Jakarta

Population: 212 million (1999)

• Beautiful green landscape, rice terraces, exotic palm trees and sandy beaches of Bali are spoiled by aggressive screaming Hello Mister and pushy selling.
• Boat trip from Lombok to Flores with a stopover in Komodo island.
• Climbing volcano Gunung Rinjani in Lombok.
• Funeral ceremonies of Torajan ethnic group in Sulawesi.
• Exploring remote and less visited Borneo island, where I drastically improved my knowledge of Indonesian language and ability to communicate with locals.

Indonesia is the country of extremes: hosting the most corrupted leader of all time – President Suharto; the country with the largest young population in the world – 165 million people under the age of 30: the largest Muslim population nation; the largest archipelago; the largest gold mine and the third largest copper mine in the world; the largest volcanic lake in the world – Lake Toba; the largest Buddhist temple in the world – Borobudur; the world’s most populous island Java; corpse lily – the largest flower in the world.

When I visited Indonesia in 1999, the country was living one of the worst economic crises with devaluated local currency rupiah. Overnight loss of value made it extremely cheap and affordable to travel around. I never paid more than 6,00 US$ for a decent room, a few bucks got me a dinner, a motorbike or any other services.

Indonesia was part of the Big Asian Tour from Australia, through South-Eastern Asia and China to India. During this 15-months long trip I visited most of the countries in the region and spent 40 days travelling around various of more than 17,000 islands in Indonesia.

Bali is one of the most popular islands in Southeast Asia due to its beautiful green landscape, rice terraces, exotic palm trees and sandy beaches. Conquered by Australian and European tourists, providing excellent infrastructure that combines with predominant Hinduism religion, offers an outstanding opportunity to enjoy the best of Indonesia, before it becomes too commercialized.

The island of Bali was my first contact with Asia. Filled up with anticipation, stories of other travelers and knowledge gained from books, Indonesia was a continuation of Australia’s visit with a small backpack, since the big one flew to Slovenia together with Australian souvenir – Aboriginal instrument digeridoo.

In midday heat and high humidity, it wasn’t easy to search a bus that would take me from Denpasar airport to the nearby town of Kuta. Taxi drivers demanded only 15,000 rupees (less than 2.00 US$), but I still decided to travel as locals, paying 30 times less for a minibus ride. Yes, Asia is much cheaper than Australia; Indonesia even more!

After all pictures, movies and commercials I had seen about Bali, my expectations were to find the real paradise on earth. My first impressions were not very positive. It is true that on many occasions I could write about kindness of locals, but I remember them much more for constant annoyance and screaming “Hello Mister! Hello Mister!” and intrusive offering of all possible products and services: hats, watches, souvenirs, weed, tours and similar stuff. After three days of constant harassment, the best feeling was when I was alone, in peace. Unfortunately, in Bali you can be alone only in a hotel or restaurant.

Many tourists, who stay in isolated resorts, explore the island on organize tours and don’t get in touch with everyday life at all, probably have very different experience, but that is not the way I travel around.

Indisputable charms of Bali are present in beautiful nature, colorful rice terraces, charming palm trees and peaceful Hindu customs. Hinduism includes many Indian spiritual ideas, cherishes the legends and beliefs of the Indian Puranas (literature), Hindu Epics and expresses its traditions through a unique set of festivals and customs associated with the local and ancestral spirits, as well as forms of animal sacrifice that are not common in India. I spotted many women honoring their beliefs and dedication to god every night, offering a small gift in the form of flowers and incense.

My personal highlight in Bali was renting a motorbike and mingle with an endless number of vehicles, mostly scooters or motorbikes. I drove through most of the southeastern part of Bali, visited old Hindu temples, beautiful nature, dotted with coconut palms, land shaped into rice terraces and of course deserted beaches.

Bali was probably the easiest introduction to Asia, since many Western commodities are available, people are used to foreign visitors and prices are still reasonable. However, I enjoyed much more the rest of my journey on other islands, that vary in religion, culture, food, habits and way of travelling.

After a week of bargaining, innumerous attempts of scams, offers for all possible services and unnecessary goods on every step, the intrusive locals pushed me to retreat to the less tourist-besieged archipelago Nusa Tenggara.

Nusa Tenggara includes the islands east of Bali, starting with Lombok and ending with Timor. This area is hiding some of the most beautiful parts of Indonesia, that appear in the form of volcanoes, coral reefs or white sandy beaches. After a few days of lazing on the beaches of the fast-growing tourist town Senggigi, I skipped the extremely popular Gili Islands and decided to climb volcano Gunung Rinjani.

With 3,726 meters above sea level Gunung Rinjani is the third highest peak in Indonesia and the highest mountain in Lombok island. The starting point for the ascent is a small village of Senaru at the foot of Rinjani. During the time of tourist shortage, due to the election campaign that was taking place in Indonesia, Senaru looked abandoned. The only foreigners were unexpectedly four Slovenes on a one-day trip from Senggigi. It was nice to catch up with fellow citizens and exchange a few words in my native language.

In a guesthouse where I slept, I hired camping equipment and a guide Lao. The next morning, we set off at 5:00am as there was a chance that the weather would turn bad in the afternoon and it would start raining. After ascending for the whole day, an hour before arriving to the shelter, the prediction came true and it started to rain. During the following days, the weather conditions were similar: sunny in the morning, rain in the afternoon. Drought period is no longer what it used to be a few years ago, the friendly locals explained me. I was wet every day, but thanks to sunny outbrakes I dried quickly.

Two-day ascent led us to the top of a crater, from where, at sunrise, a beautiful view of the surrounding islands and the green lagoon inside the crater opened up. A small volcano inside the lagoon (Gunung Ban) surprised with an eruption of lava and ashes in 1994; it still releases smoke even today.

The descent from the top of the crater to the lagoon is very dangerous, leading through wet, extremely steep path. Accustomed to everything, the locals in simple sandals with 25 kilograms of cargo on their shoulders, were running down as a joke and we followed them to the best of our ability.

Hot thermal springs in the immediate vicinity of the base camp provided relaxation for tired muscles, while my guide – porter Lah prepared a delicious dinner. Resting in the hot springs and looking at the picturesque lagoon of the volcano restored my strength.

Returning to the valley was the easiest part of the expedition, which was not spoiled even by continuous rainfall. I didn’t care for being wet as long as my step was solid. Every hour of decent the temperature was rising. I couldn’t identify anymore, if I was wet from the mist, rain or high humidity.

I continued my journey by a passenger’s boat that took me through Komodo Island to Flores. We were mixed international crowd of travelers, crew and a pilot, who were boarding one of the most basic vessels that would take us through an unforgettable adventure in the following days.

Our trip started with negotiations of a bribe with port officials, so several hours delay was expected.  Apparently, we were not allowed to sail from the port until all the fees were paid.

Since there were only seven of us (plus the crew) and the maximum capacity of the ship is 15 passengers, we enjoyed full comfort of the deck, which served as a lounge, dining room and bedroom for the next five days. The luxury of the bathroom was replaced by the so-called mandi (a barrel of water and a small container for pouring). Every day we swam twice over coral reefs, enjoyed the view of the romantic sunrises & sunsets and had fun watching other boats, where passengers were squeezing together like canned sardines.

During Day 1 the see was as calm as lake surface, but at night the ocean showed its power. We were tossed from one end of the deck to the other, most of the passengers vomited food eaten during dinner into the sea. It was already late, when big waves began to flood the deck, while the boat was moving abruptly from one side to another.

We were forced to move to a neglected, dark subdeck. Romantic murmur of the sea was replaced by hum of an old engine, the smell of salt was exchanged with the stench of gasoline. The night was long, I was hardly able to close my eyes.

We survived it all and were rewarded by visiting Komodo Island next day. Komodo Island is notable as the habitat of the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard on the Earth. Komodo dragons are huge lizards that can reach a size of up to 4 meters, weigh 130 kilograms and age 50 years. They are reminiscent of prehistoric creatures with dark, hard, jagged skin.

While walking around the island, I saw them resting in the shade and moving lazily. When they are so calm, you can approach them to only a few meters, but when they run after their prey (wild boar, bison or game) it is better to avoid them. With their strength, power and capabilities they dominate the ecosystems in which they live.

A few more dives among corals, fish, sea snakes and electric skates, and we were already anchored in the port of Labuan Bbajo on the island of Flores, from where I continued my voyage on land.

Road engineers in Flores were obviously not thinking long term, when placing the road and installing asphalt in the hilly landscape of the island, using as little effort as possible, instead of shaping the roads straight and giving scarce vehicles higher cruising speed. During dry season our bus needed four hours to cover 100 kilometers. From October to April, when heavy rain is a daily occurrence, the journey is even slower or questionable at all.

The ascent to Kelimutu volcano, the biggest attraction of Flores, is only an easy, short walk compared to climbing Gunung Rinjani on Lombok island. At half past three in the morning, a truck driver knocked on the door of my bungalow and instructed me to get ready for a drive to the top. I was freezing for an hour on a transformed truck, clinging to the fence and admiring the driver’s skills as he led us up the narrow, winding road to the top of volcano. Unprepared for the cold conditions, and even less so in the dark, I walked the last part to the top at 1,639 meters above sea level, with help of a guide, while freezing in a tropical country.

First sunrays illuminated three volcanic crater lakes that differ in color: turquoise, black and brown lakes lay at a distance of less than one hundred meters.

Changes in color and temperature are concluded to be related to volcanic activity and the resulting fluid flux at vents at the bottom of the lakes. Their colors constantly change, so in a few months they will probably appear completely different.

One of the locals served me a hot tea that drove blood through my veins immediately. A red glowing ball appeared from behind the hills to the east in magnificent sunrise, I listened to the singing of rare birds and enjoyed the peace at the top of Kelimutu volcano.

Local community believes Mount Kelimutu is sacred and donates fertility to nearby nature. Even if their believe may not always fulfill, the crater with colorful lakes is magnificent.

The second largest town of Flores – Maumere – introduced me to two extreme assets of Indonesian society:

Huge passenger ships for two to three thousand people, that sail between islands under the flag of the Pelni company. With a ticket for the cheapest economy class, I naively searched for a predesignated numbered berth on any of the five floors of this enormous passengers’ ship, before ended up on a wooden, open-air deck. It turned out to be one of the best spots for stargazing, avoiding crowded interiors, cigarette smoke and constant children crying.

During all-day ride, I felt like a movie star as all the annoying passengers wanted to greet me, talk to me and analyze me from head to toe. Water was raising almost up to the ankles in dirty toilets, rice was the only food available and at six in the morning a Muslim prayer sounded loudly out from the speakers, strategically located to cover all areas of the ship. Indonesia is the country with the largest number of Muslims in the world, therefore calling of Allah must be present everywhere.

Bemo or minibus, is a small van with seats for up to eight passengers transformed by longitudinal benches, in which resourceful drivers can accommodate up to 15 commuters. In Maumere area, giant speakers are installed under the benches, from which old disco hits from the eighties sound pretty exciting. To my surprise, no one complained about discomfort, loud music or dangerous driving of young chauffeurs. I joined the crowds and just enjoyed the discomfort of portable discotheque, squeezed among other local voyagers.

Funeral rituals of Torajans indigenous ethnic group in South Sulawesi are unique. Usually, two funerals are held for a deceased relative: the first immediately after death and the second – much more important – attended by hundreds of people and lasting for several days, when the family raises enough money for a lavish ceremony.

The ceremony is often held weeks, months, or even years after the death. In the belief that a deceased relative can take material wealth with him to another world, graves are very well provisioned. Depending on the position on the social scale, unreasonably large quantities of animals (especially pigs and buffaloes) are sacrificed to honor the deceased person.

At the medium-sized funeral that I attended, about 50 pigs and 15 buffalos were slaughtered, which of course means huge economic sacrifice for the family, despite the fact that many animals are donated by friends or neighbors. The brutal killing of animals in the central square, surrounded by traditional massive, buffalo horn-shaped roof houses known as tongkonan is not suitable for sensitive and compassionate visitors. The slaughter is accompanied by dancing, music, conversation and mingling. Young boys catch spurting blood in long bamboo tubes.

It was fun to watch all the ceremony with people dressed in traditional clothes, welcoming even foreign visitors, kids playing around, …. but when the slaughter started, it was time to run away. When pieces of meat are cooked in bamboo sticks and served together with rice, a giant feast in the village reaches its climax.

There are three methods of burial: the coffin may be laid in a cave, in a carved stone grave or hung on a cliff. If the dead people are wealthy, they are often buried in a stone grave carved high out of a rocky cliff. The grave is usually expensive and takes a few months to complete. If the deceased is a baby who has not begun to teeth yet, the coffin is usually hung from ropes on a cliff or from a tree. It is obvious that Torajans believe, that their family lives on in these tombs.

While many foreigners were leaving Indonesia during conflictive election campaign, I retreated to Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, far away from tourist crowds. In the following ten days, I met only two foreigners. I was forced me to use all knowledge of Indonesian language in conversation with the locals, since only few people were able to speak basic words in English.

Kalimantan is at the center of a dispute between various interests of foreign investors and local dignitaries after the discovery of oil and natural gas. The original inhabitants of the Dayak tribe were forced to retreat deeper into the interior of the rainforest. There are many reasons for aggressive political campaign, conflict of interest and strong opposition to the current leaders.

On the last day of election campaign, the streets of Banjarmasin were flooded with fanatics of the most popular party PDI. During unprecedented procession, it became clear to me, how the elections rally in Indonesia are conducted.

Thousands of political fanatics dressed in red T-shirts huddled in passing cars, trucks, motorcycles or carts. At a first glance, they looked like hooligans. When I wanted to photograph them, they relaxed, forgot about politics and shouted at me: “Ronaldo, Ronaldo!”. Thanks to my haircut I felt worshiped almost as their party president. For a moment, I caught the attention of just about every security guard, soldier or protester who wanted to be on my photo.

On the election day all political activity stopped completely. The official results were announced only two months later, when even the most ardent fanatics forgot what it was all about.

If roads along the Kalimantan coast are among the best in all of Indonesia, in the interior of the inland they are virtually non-existent. Navigating on large boats and small canoes, I traveled along the river to the only major settlement, Melak. From there on, my plan was to rent a motorbike to visit Dayak tribe in the nearby villages.

Dayak people are one of the native groups of Borneo that due to the huge territory and isolation, while spreading around the islands, started to segregate in many subgroups, speaking over 170 different languages, adopting different religions. They live in so called long-houses and wear large earrings in their ears.

The superstructures sometimes exceed 200 meters in length; somehow function as a small village. Long-houses are divided into independent household apartments, equipped with communal areas for cooking, ceremonies, socializing and blacksmithing.

The only person in Melak willing to rent a motorbike to me, was a kind owner of a guesthouse where I was staying. We soon agreed on details and I kicked off on an old Honda motorcycle, chasing new adventures on an extremely bad road.

The main half-paved road lasted for an hour. The macadam road and later dirt track continue to lead me through the bush that turned out into landscape without a trace of life. My motorbike soon started to lose balance, I was leaning on the left and right until I almost lost control and stopped with the rear tire exhaled. The situation looked hopeless, I cursed on the innocent hotel owner and his old creep, which put me in an unenviable position.

After about thirty minutes of pushing the motorcycle, I reached the first house. They offered me a pump, but it didn’t help as the tire stayed flat. I convinced a small boy, who had nothing to do anyway, to take me to a mechanic, where we patched the tube.

Without any major problems, I found Dayak longhouse – a fifty-meter-long hut on pillars, which offers a home to approximately twenty families. During the day it was almost empty; just a few kids were playing around.

I was looking for elderly members of Dayak community, who could explain me about headhunting traditions, but it was getting late. Fearing that the engine or a tire would break down again, I abandoned the idea of continuing a ride to visit Long Eared Dayak tribe and started to drive back to Melak.

Less than 100 meters before arriving at the hotel, my motorcycle started to shake again, I almost fell of, a huge explosion under my seat scared the shit out of me. Everybody ran to the street and watched in amazement as Mister on a motorbike blew his rear tire in two parts. I was so pissed off that I just left the bike on the side of the road and walked back to the hotel.

All enraged, I rushed at every passer-by with a serious look, addressed them with a wide portfolio of Slovenian slang words. You don’t want to know how my communication with the hotel-motorbike owner ended, but I don’t believe I made it easy for future travelers to rent a motorbike in Melak.

My last stop in Indonesia was North of Sulawesi from where a travelled on a slow boat to the Philippines. Two days aboard a cargo-passenger boat in the company of religious pilgrims and a few other travelers passed quickly. The food was basic, very little comfort, but the sea was most of the time calm. I arrived to the Philippine island Mindanao safely.

Indonesia was my first Asian country on a long journey through the continent. Extremely cheap, lacking visitors due to political and economic crisis, I was probably in a unique position to explore it without being surrounded by thousands of other tourists, especially outside of Bali.

Considering the differences among people, islands, religious, nature and languages, it is not easy to treat the country as a single unit. There are big variations among the islands, people, religions, languages and interests in receive foreign visitors.

After landing on Bali, I continued toward Lombok, Flores and Sulawesi, finishing in remote Kalimantan, the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. I didn’t have time to visit two major islands, Sumatra and Java, which offers me a perfect to return to Indonesia one day, to continue the exploration.