10/26/04: Back in Bali

Hello everyone

Spent a wonderful time in Lombok...for the first time, I felt competent (slightly) getting around a place and we actually met some local, real people who really added to the experience. We're right in the middle of Ramadan right now so services start (and the prayer calls on the loud speakers on top of the mosques) at 3am to tell people to get up and pray (and...my guess...eat before dawn).

First up, we met a German woman, Andrea, and hired a driver together, a local man named Sharif, to take us around the island for a tour. It was a great experience. We went to the market (Deanna still can't eat chicken after the tour) which was a neat experience, then to a lot of the different craft villages. At one village, they showed us the whole basket/bamboo weaving process and how all the kids are taught the craft to carry on the tradition. When I was standing in the shop after the tour a little 8-year old girl took my hand and made a bamboo ring for my finger. She was incredibly cute...I'm not sure if she wanted money or just a courtesy to help people buy things in the shop, but what I was really thinking about was adopting her. I'm sure her mom and dad wouldn't mind. There are actually a lot of awesome, fun kids here. In another part of the island, it had started to rain and as we drove by and we saw 6 kids...four of them naked running for shelter. The funny thing was that a few had plastic bags covering their heads (I guess they know what's important) but nothing else on. Even our driver (a very serious type) laughed.

We traveled all around the island, and ended up in Kuta Beach (in Lombok) where there was a grand total of 5 tourists. Sharif backed our jeep up on the path and we got stuck in the sand near the beach. Forty minutes later, with the help of two local men, 6 local boys, another truck and some rope we were free. I think we all bonded having to push the truck out of the ditch over palm fronds and cocunut shells. I'm still covered in dirt from the experience.

The other real highlight was climbing Mt. Rinjani (an active volcano) in Lombok, near the city of Senaru. What really made the trip was our guide, a gentleman originally from Borneo, named Alyn (actually Mochammed) Syafari. He was incredible and actually got us up the 2700M climb with much encouragment, incredible cooking (really), and sometimes actually reaching back and pulling us behind him. I think over the first day, I drank about 8 liters of water and needed to pee exactly once. Let's just say there was a LOT of sweat. At camp the first night, we had to wake up at 3am to make the climb to the crater rim (in order to see the sunrise over the mountain). The stars were incredible...there wasn't a light for miles - you would have loved it Dad. As we climbed through the night with two flashlights for three people (I thought Deanna or I would fall off the mountain for sure) we sweated up the mountain and the view was absolutely 100% worth it. We're heading to Singapore in a few days and I'll send pictures when the connection is a bit faster. While we were on the rim, we saw some volcanic activity (smoke bursting through the volcano).

There were only two negatives - 1. the climb down and 2. lying to the guide. First, the climb down sucked. I twisted my knee a bit and took some magic pills that Deanna had just to make it down. It got to the point where I could either take a. huge steps or b. little, tinysteps but nothing in between. I swear I looked like Frankenstein learning to walk coming down the mountain...just sad. Second - Alyn was so awesome and open about his life - but we had told him that we were Canadien (the whole anti-American worry). I think he took us/me at face value that I was from Toronto - but every story I told him around the campfire was about California and Ohio and Minnesota - and every price I quoted in US dollars...I think I'm going to hell. But if you ever want to climb Rinjani, Bromo (in Java), take a trip to Borneo - please email Alyn at lintrack@lycos.com.

From Lombok, we headed to Bali (Ubud) to recover. Neither of us is walking well and riding 9 people + luggage in a van built for Balinese (read: tiny), it was very comfortable. I think the statute of limitations on soreness should run out in 5 days or less. I did get a massage here and it was awesome...although I seriously considered murdering the masseuse when she touched my (sore) right thigh.

Today we went and saw a Cremation ceremony. The pageantry of the whole process is amazing...there's a parade of sorts where they bring these huge bull figurines to the cemetary and then make lots of offering and then burn it all. It was an amazing experience (only 4 tourists there)...but we were absolutely badgered into buying sarongs (yes...I am a proud owner...pictures to come) to enter the cemetary. I've never been so scared of 60 year old women...they walked with us the entire parade with my woman poking me in the arm every 10 feet with "good price" and "you need to wear". We bargained her down from 250,000 Rp ($27) to 80,000 Rp ($9) and then ended up buying so they would just leave us alone. Deanna insists that we got taken. I did negotiate pictures with the old women as part of the deal and a lesson in how to tie the sarong.

Next Up:
Flying back to Singapore
Penang, Malaysia
Langwaki Island, Malaysia

Best to everyone and thanks so much for your replies...it's really, really nice to hear from home.