First night, we stayed in Sanur, hotel was nice (finally a double room with ensuite, oh my god!!) and the town itself is not as touristy as other places. We then went to Kuta, which occasionally feels a bit like Ibiza for the budget traveller. It`s a very touristy area and everyone rips you off where they can (fair enough!) - example: we took a taxi to our hotel and he said "you can find your hotel round the corner" - well there was a corner, but no hotel. When we asked the locals they said it s another hour to walk. (WTF?!!) - But we learnt our lesson (one of many...!)
BUT - the long walk (and we did not dare taking another taxi!) was worth it, the hotel is really nice, and we feel like posh backpackers. We stay in Balisani Padma (for 11 Dollars!), swimming pool with bar, really BIG rooms with balcony and a minibar. What a paradise!! However, when you walk through the streets you always get the same questions "brum brum? wanna rent a motorbike? yes massage?" - they try to sell you everything and anything. "no thanks" does not count as they repeat it all over again.
We then headed to Denpassar to catch a bus to Probolingo, where Gunung Bromo, an active vulcano can be seen! We took one of the local busses with air-con (well, it did not work, so we just tried not to pass out!) which takes around 9 hours to arrive in Probolingo, the village where you start your journey to Gunung Bromo, an active volcano. After a dreadful few hour journey, we took a ferry to cross to Java (where we saw a few sailors with boats that seemed like "self made" ones). After a few more hours, a heavy thunderstorm and lighting hit us and when we stopped for dinner all the electricity went off (and we nearly wetted our pants!). We can say that "thunderstorms" here are different to what we know from Europe...SCARY MAN!!
Anyway, in Probolingo they dropped us off a different stop to all other (local) people where the bus driver introduced us to his friend (and left us there!) who tried to sell us a tour. Well, in the end we were not convinced and stayed one night in Probolingo (our hostel was a real shithole) where we woke up at 2am cause a big carneval celebration went ahead (just in front of our hostel of course!). The next day we checked out a few other places and finally went with another tour operator. We stayed one night in Joshis Guesthouse, absolutely great, although awful decoration. It is run by a German lady and her indonesian husband (strange combination). Food was excellent and the room was nice. We then got off at 4am (for a change!) to see the sun rise of Gunung Bromo, absolutely AMAZING!!!
We were both really stunned by the beauty of nature...After that our jeep driver (Michael Schumacher is nothing compared to him!) drove us to the actual volcano (well not literally in there!) where we could walk to the edge (try not to slip...) with other stunning views of the mountains, the landscape of Bromo....A picture to die for...
After our great day trip we had a pick up with 3 other Germans from Berlin to go to Borobodur / Yogyakarta. We had a personal driver who drove just the 5 of us (for 9 hours!) to Yogya. Oh my God - Indonesians know how to drive...after Gunung Bromo THIS driver was even "better". No rules, just like a battlefield - overtaking wherever, whenever and whatever. Although air-conditioned, we were sweating like it had 30 degrees in the car - I guess this is their way to drive but seriously, worse than Naples!! :)
We finally arrived after another LONG and stressful journey where we stayed in Yogya to go to Borrobodur the next day. We made our own way there and the temple, which is the biggest Buddhist temple in the world, was another big highlight. Absolutely worth it, but a shame we did not know much what it meant (well, wikipedia should do). We also saw a few monks who did their prayers, and we were amazed about this really peaceful place.
After these hightlights, we had our personal highlight, although we did not know (yet). Of course, the two tourists decided to go for the cheaper economy train to Jakarta for 2 Euros per person and 11 hours. Too good to be true. Well, true it was but good...no. We realised that the train has a certain number of seats and approximately double the numer of passengers. Which means, 1/3 sat on the floor (dirty with all the rubbish lying around) and the rest is squeezed together. We even needed to pay somebody who worked on the train to get a seat (seperate ones). Very sceptical about the whole thing, the party started..."rocco rocco rocco (which means smoke/cigarettes)....kopi kopi kopi (which means coffee)" - a few dozen people walked from one side to the other trying to sell ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING...it was loud, everyone smoked, and us two, the only tourists who are on the train. GREAT IDEA! ...the hours passed...and the train stood still...for hours...after a while we realised that we were delayed..for 6 hours! CAN IT BE ANY WORSE?? Yes it can. People started to beg for money and what was worst, SING for money, with a lound amp and a voice to run away...! It was all very surreal, absurd, unbelievable. We counted the minutes...After a neverending journey we finally reached Jakarta, after we have seen many slums, tents and wrecked houses where people are living, tons of rubbish everywhere. Not a nice pictures, but reality.
A very nice woman helped us to get a local bus to Gambir station, where we wanted to find accomondation...We thought it was all over, but then a gang (called 2000 - 2000 guys who run a kind of Camorra metropole here) got on the bus, saying something in indonesia, scary guys with bruises on the arms. We got told to give them money, otherwise we get into trouble. Well, that s welcome to the capital! Anyway, after a last night in Indonesia/Jakarta we took the plane to Malaysia...and we feel so much better, safer and comfy here to be honest.
Raf & Mel (safe again)
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