Goodbye Indonesia

So that ends the Indonesian Rally. Looking back... it was a wonderful experience. Two thousand five hundred miles we sailed from Darwin to Singapore over a period of three months. We loved it. The people were amazing. They are so friendly, and the smiles. Always smiling, yet they had nothing. I mean nothing! The weather was warm without being oppressive, but the winds were disappointing for a sailing vessel. We motor sailed most of the way with only a few good sailing days, which we made the most of. We saw no rain for almost two months except one day at Lombok when we were ashore with all our hatches open, it poured for about an hour! All our bedding, mattresses and everything was soaked! No matter, within three hours next day all was dry and warm again!

Contrary to common rumour, the authorities were not a problem. This may have well been because we were with the rally, but everywhere we were made very welcome, almost embarrassingly so. They are desperate for tourists. The tourist dollar is the only form of income most villages have.

Some images of Indonesia.... 

Every night all along the coast at about5.30 hundreds of these fishing vessels head out to fish for the night. They use very strong lights and return about 0730 to get their catch to the morning markets. No question about the freshness!

A typical coastal village

The amazing thing about Indonesia, is the people. They are hard working, honest and very welcoming. They have nothing, but their smiles say it all....they are a beautiful people.

I like this life!!

A typical coastal cargo boat.

The sun goes down on another chapter of our voyage.

Kalimantan and the Orang-utans

Friday 23^rd September 2011 dawned bright and sunny...as usual around here! After a swim and a trip ashore to get all the fresh provisions, a quick preparation of the ship for sea, we left the lovely anchorage at Lovina Beach, and the rest of the Rally participants and headed off across the Java Sea to Southern Borneo for Kalimantan.

We are heading for Kumai where we are hoping to organise a boat to take us up the river to the home of the Dayak tribes who were until quite recently, head-hunters! The area is also sanctuary to the last of the planets remaining orang-utans.

We departed Bali at 1500 for the 500 mile trip. The first night was quite rough and we have to pass through the narrow channel east of Madura Island. Quite a bit of current and tugs with very large barges being towed at a distance behind made navigation a bit tricky! The next day was again fine and we sailed when we could and motor-sailed the rest of the time. We made pretty good progress arriving at the mouth of the Kumai River about 1400 on Sunday afternoon the 25^th September.

Its not too bad!!

Anna sets up her night shift arm chair. pretty good really.

Going up the river was quite an experience. Very shallow in places and very tidal. Beautiful thick bush all up the right hand side and a few villages on the left. We rounded the last corner and found to our surprise a port of some size..with maybe 25 ships of various sizes all either alongside or moored in the stream. But what blew us away was what we thought were all the high rise white buildings along the shore-line. They were white and it was not until we got closer that we realised there were no windows in them!! Then we heard it..the tremendously loud sound of birds. Man..it was amazing. We later found out that these buildings house all these birds..thousands of them who make bird’s nests which are a prized for the birds’ nest soup delicacy here in Asia. We were told its US$100 a kilogramme. So it is a major export industry.

We anchored in the stream. Took us a couple of shots as the tidal flow was very swift and the first time we ended up alongside another vessel! Then we went ashore to organise our river trip and have a look around. Typical Indonesian town. Very friendly people, but health and standards a bit below the mark!! Had a dinner then retired to Salanjo to get ready for the early departure for the trip to see the orang-utans.

We left about 0830 in our own little river boat, Anna, Jim and Geoff. We travelled up the river for 3 hours seeing the famous and scarce proboscis monkeys on the trees together with many beautiful birds and plenty of the gibbons and the common macaques monkey sharing the same branches. Nice lunch aboard then a visit to the eco hotel where we decided to stay the night rather than on a mattress on the deck of the river boat. Then on up to the reserve for the orang-utans. It was very interesting. Saw some females that had been in and around the park for some years as they had names and seemed to know the rangers. These creatures are becoming extinct as a result of both poaching and the destruction of the virgin forest by development and lumber activities.  The park is open so the orang-utans are free to come and go. It was on the second day in a different part of the park that the earth seemed to stand still. The forest went very quiet. A huge dark brown hulk swung effortlessly through the tops of the surrounding trees. Yes, it was the alpha male; and what a sight he made. It truly made the hair on the back of your neck stand for he was so big and majestic as he swung down to get some bananas from the ranger’s basket. Indeed he took the whole lot, basket and all!

James and Anna enjoying the ambiance of the forest. the monkeys and, of course, the urang-utans.

Lombok, the Gilis and Bali

                                 

    After the dragons Louise, Anna and I cruised the islands for a few days then headed off across the north of Sumbawa to Lombok. Sumbawa itself is pretty large and it took three days of sailing in the day and pulling into a bay, or harbour at night to get across the top of this island to Lombok.

Louise checking the minimum size requirements...there are none!

We purchased a few fish and lobsters from the locals as we cruised.

      We first went out to Gili Trawangan on the north-west corner of Lombok where Lou’s friends we had met in Queenstown, Bas and Georgie were caretaking/managing A J Hackett’s resort property. Man, we had a good time there with them. We lost Lou at Trawagan from where she was returning to the cold winter of Queenstown and her hotel business at Queenstown House, and we returned to the official anchorage of sail Indonesia, Medina Beach on the North West corner of Lombok. A pretty and sheltered spot in a cove in the fringing reef. We had a good time there.

It was here that our mates Chrissy Asher and Susie Williams were meeting us so Anna took a car down to Senggigi to meet them and stayed with them a couple of nights at the Senggigi Sheraton. My sister Sally and Chris also joined us here. We all went on a bus trip around the main features of Lombok and visited the main city of Mataram returning for a night at the local resort where we had the place to ourselves. It feels a bit eerie to have this beautifully lit pool and dining facility and 18 staff and just the 6 of us. Easy to believe it was our own private mansion! But back to the boat and next day off to Gili Air then on to Gili Trawangan...to meet up again with Georgie and Bas!

More drinks on Salanjo, then another night ashore.my health could not take too much more of their hospitality!!
Bas and Georgie and their mates Debs and Wild Man took us on the resort’s vessel to the luxious resort of Tugu on the northern end of Lombok. What a great day!!Great place..great hosts..great fun!

Bas and Georgie's Resort vessel.

Chris and sally with us for lunch on Bali half way to Ubud overlooking the famous lake in the crater of the volcanoe.

The Lombok  / Bali team.

All on our sides at Gili Trawagan with Bas and Georgie

                                 










We have to keep moving though, so next morning, off to the Gilis at the south west end of Lombok for a little explore. They were really nice islands, not too much tourism yet. We walked to a little lodge built by a Swedish couple, visited their fairly basic bungalows and had coke with the local family who run it when in season. The season is fairly short around here...two months, July and August. This will grow as the place becomes more popular. The next day we had a good breeze for a decent sail from the south west corner of Lombok right across the top of Bali Island to Lovina Beach on the north coast of Bali. This is a really nice little spot. Here were some nice little restaurants; we were able to watch some RWC rugby...especially the Ireland versus Australia pool game! We took a car to some waterfalls at Gip Gip then a nice lunch at Singaraja. The next day we went west for some diving and another great lunch, then it was time to say good bye to Susie and Chrissy who were heading back to Legian beach to finish some shopping, pack and fly home. We had a great time for the 10 days they were here but time keeps moving on! So the four of us, that’s Sally and Chris, Anna and I took another car and headed for Mt Batur, the temple there and a nice lunch overlooking the mountain lake formed by the volcano. Then we went on to Ubud. This is said to be the cultural centre of Bali. We found it a bit touristy, but there were places that were just magic...and we found some of these too! We really loved it. The next morning after Sally and Anna had had a bit more browsing in the shops we headed off to Denpasar to drop Sally and Chris off at the airport. Their time had come and gone..and Anna and I found ourselves alone again..as the song says..! We had rented the same driver and car for three days and had two more to go so we had a look at the beaches you read about in Bali..Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. We like the last two and Anna spent the afternoon there browsing the shops while I had another massage. It’s all just one long beach really..but they are different in that the clientele is different at each, and hence the type of shops and hotels etc change as you progress up the beach. We liked Legian and the shops at Seminyak! For the evening we went over to Sanur..and that was pretty special. We enjoyed walking around there and along the boardwalk in the morning. A lovely spot!

Driving back north we visited a number of little villages with jewellery and art for sale. We found the villages in the country so appealing we have promised ourselves a month or so here in Bali one day!

Back in Lovina Beach, we picked up Jim Dance again as our third crew member and headed off for the 400 mile sail to Kalimantan and the orang-utans.

Dragons at Komodo Island and Rinca



These dragons have two penises...so its little wonder he looks a bit stuffed!!    Louise has that look in her eye as she watches in admiration...I think..or is it horror! 

These dragons can run. At one point one felt he was surrounded by us and just took off staright at one of the group. I really did think she was going to be a victim!!  but at the last minute one of the rangers lunged at the beast with a forked stick and managed to pin its head to the ground for a few split seconds while another ranger grabbed the lady who seemed to be stguck to the ground with pure fear!!

I dont think James knows the dragon is actually moving towards him. Anna is taking a bit long to take this photo for my liking!!