Indonesia 3 — The Great Sojourn

Picture Indonesia (Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Java, Sumatra)

Ubud, Kuta, Sumbawa Besar, Bima, Lake Toba, Gili Trawangan, Mt. Batur, Mt. Agung, Ende, Maumere, Jakarta, Surabaya, Medan, Bogor, Bandar, Lampung, Padang, Denpasar, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Bengkulu, Probolinggo, Bukittinggi, Sungai, Penuh, Bajawa, Komodo Island, Rinca Island, Mt. Rinjani, Mt. Merapi

Kelimutu, Kalinda, Mt. Krakatoa, Krui, Lake Bratan, Bedugul, Seminyak, Pura Sbatu, Trunyan, Lake Batur, Uluwatu, Mt. Bromo, Kawah Ijen, Bondowoso, Borobudur, Prambanan, Mt. Kerinci, Labuan Bajo, Ruteng, Sape, Poto Tano, Mataram, Sengigi, Kuta (Lombok), Senaru, Lembar, Legian, Jimbaran, Tegallalang, Kitamani, Gianyar…

Indonesia 3by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020

66 - Selamat Tinggal Indonesia!

Indonesia became my friendliness baseline, my initial reference point for cultural warmth and hospitality. The people are most definitely one of the highlights. It wasn’t all peaches and sunshine. There were, as everywhere, bad apples. I fondly remember the gentleman who knew I was walking in the dark by myself toward Mt. Bromo down the wrong path but refused to help because I had no interest in paying for a horsey ride. A-hole. Such encounters were the exception, not the rule, and in no way tarnished my overall experience. If anything, such experiences were a gift. I can’t help but chortle at the memories.

Disappointments? I had a few. I’ve mentioned the immigration cluster-fuckage many times. Beyond that? Well, the surprising level of development and tourism infrastructure…

Batch 12, Indonesia 3by Mr. Nos T. O'maniacMarch 1, 2020Indonesia, Bali, Ubud

65 - Kindertehuis (Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia)

Buuuuuuut… it’s far better to regret the things you did do, as opposed to the things you didn’t, eh? When was I ever going to be on the edge of the Sumatran jungle again? It’s unanimous, I was indeed a schmuck for this indiscretion.

I did, however, embark on a quest for the lost Café of Internet. Like my quest to execute a jungle quest, it ended in frustration. For internetting, I had two options—a shop in town or a place on the outskirts past an upscale hotel. Due to the unstable nature of the electrical grid, I was directed toward the latter. Why, exactly, I can’t recall. Perhaps, my informant intuited generator power at the out-of-town establishment. The “lost” cafe was allegedly a twenty-minute walk from my guesthouse.