Some of the great photos of Indonesia are now on the blog (adam.nomadlife.org) and the hundreds others, including some cool videos, are on the flickr site (www.flickr.com/adamsphotos) along with over 10,000 other photos. Eat your heart out!
It has been over 3 weeks since Chinese New Year - it ended with a bit of a bang, and not just the fireworks. Andrea and I went out to the countryside to visit a friend's friend's family who lived in a fairly poor, rural village of just a handful of small traditional houses. We set off the obligatory firecrackers, watched a local comedy performance, ate fairly unedible local food, drank plenty of alcohol and then clamboured up the hillside behind the house to a watchtower that is what remains of the Great Wall. It was a fairly memorable experience and nice to get into the local chinese way of life, even if it is painful on the liver!
Beijing finally broke its precipitation duck getting some snow around two week ago. It went 110 days or so without any rain or snow; which was pretty impressive, and certainly not enough to solve the drought situation which threatens to raise food prices even more. On Saturday it started snowing again and I got on a plane to come to Hong Kong for a couple of days. It was warm enough to wear a t-shirt and relax in the sun. I ventured to Hong Kong Park where I found an aviary, which is an undiscovered secret garden. a few minutes walk from downtown, literally, there is a tiny piece of rainforest with 600 birds from across Asia. The sounds of the birds, the joy of the children, the flowing water, and the fresh air from the trees made it a wonderful afternoon. And it was free. Another great legacy from the British. Hong Kong does make me feel proud. London too.
Today, at lunch in between meetings, I say overlooking the ocean at a trendy cafe, eating fancy (i.e. small portions of) food and enjoying the warmth and sunshine. A few more weeks to wait for the sun in Beijing; but there is no ocean or breeze. There is not quite the intimidation you feel in HK, dwarfed by the size of the buildings and variety of architecture that are everywhere, with the dramatic backdrop of the hills and port. Of course Hong Kong also has a huge number of very nice bars and cafes, conveniently quite close to the office. I recommend Life especially their African Stew and Carrot Cake. Not particularly cheap, but fantastic!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Ash billowing from Bromo at dawn 1
At dawn, as the sun rose and we waited, shivering, we were rewarded with this impressive view.
Ash billowing from Bromo at dawn 2
Plumes of ash billow out of a volcano and drift overhead. Nature rules.
Ash erupting from Bromo 4
Seeing an erupting volcano is pretty impressive. Thankfully it was just ash!
Black dominates everything making it look like hell around Bromo
When 2-3 feet of ash covers everything on the floor and growing and in the air; one considers if hell might look similar. Dark, black and depressing.
Mast in the ash cloud
Sunlight through the ash clouds aligned with the top of the Mast makes this a scary image.
Landscape around base of Bromo mars-like
With the ash floating above the edge of the crater, one could be forgiven for thinking this was shot on another planet
White houses in black landscape amid ashfall around Bromo
Incredible comparison between the white buildings covered in ash and the sun scraping through the ash clouds that dominate everything.
Kawah Ijen 2
The sulphuric lake that rewards a tough trek up to the top of the volcano in Eastern Java
Ijen panorama
An incredible steaming volcano from sulphur bubbling to the surface of the lake in the crater. Locals collect the sulphur blocks and carry them down the mountain. It is back-breaking work in every sense of the word.
South side of Gungung Batur strewn with old lava flows
Up close lava viewing opportunities-a-plenty along with fun motorcycling through the dried up lava flows and around and around the volcano through idyllic villages and fields.
Gunung Batur and Danau Batur panorama
An amazing Volcano in a massive Crater of another Volcano. The lake in one side of that crater as well as the other Volcanoes in the background just add to the extraordinary view.
Kids in Penginapan Village
A nice photo of some Indonesia kids that we came across in the amazing "village of two halves" which was split between a densely packed agricultural half and a beautiful model village that was full of quaint little houses with gardens and paths between them.
Friday, February 04, 2011
A Ghost Town
It's Chinese New Year. Of the 20 million people in Beijing probably a third have left town to see their families and the other two thirds are holed-up inside eating, drinking and watching TV for several days. This means the roads are pretty empty, a rarity that is worth enjoying on our bikes! Most restaurants have closed for 2 days, and a lot of shops too. It just shows how seriously the Chinese take tradition -visiting friends and family, giving gifts and feasting.
Some anecdotal proof that China is getting richer: there are way less firecrackers this year and much more actual fireworks (which are more expensive). Further proof comes from the stacks and stacks of fruit in fancy boxes that are piled up in supermarkets and on carts on street corners ready for purchase - fruit is one of the various things (along with money, alcohol and sweets) that are given as gifts when going to friends for meals at this time, but since winter is not a good season for fruit, a lot of it is imported and thus expensive but this is not a barrier any more. Further evidence comes from the huge amounts of wine that the Chinese are buying from supermarkets for the occasion as well. Though much of it is still cheap, there is still the strong desire to buy the most expensive (or expensive-looking) bottle to impress business partners (who it is also customary to visit over the week-long festival).
The one time people leave their houses is to go to Fairs, which in theory are called Temple Fairs, and are supposed to take place at Temples, but now tend to take place in parks and revolve around eating snacks, playing games (the kind that you can win prizes from) and buying stuff (mostly crap). Tens of thousands pile into these outdoor fairs every day leaving an insane amount of rubbish. Most of the food is fairly mundane, though some concoctions are a bit strange. Most of it comes on sticks or in plastic bowls. I hate to think how much the environment suffers, or the waistlines of the kids. Andrea and I quite enjoy seeing the awful attempts of boys to impress their girlfriends at the various stalls. Almost all fail miserably as the chances of winning anything apart from the tiniest teddy bear is insanely low. Doesn't stop them though...
Some anecdotal proof that China is getting richer: there are way less firecrackers this year and much more actual fireworks (which are more expensive). Further proof comes from the stacks and stacks of fruit in fancy boxes that are piled up in supermarkets and on carts on street corners ready for purchase - fruit is one of the various things (along with money, alcohol and sweets) that are given as gifts when going to friends for meals at this time, but since winter is not a good season for fruit, a lot of it is imported and thus expensive but this is not a barrier any more. Further evidence comes from the huge amounts of wine that the Chinese are buying from supermarkets for the occasion as well. Though much of it is still cheap, there is still the strong desire to buy the most expensive (or expensive-looking) bottle to impress business partners (who it is also customary to visit over the week-long festival).
The one time people leave their houses is to go to Fairs, which in theory are called Temple Fairs, and are supposed to take place at Temples, but now tend to take place in parks and revolve around eating snacks, playing games (the kind that you can win prizes from) and buying stuff (mostly crap). Tens of thousands pile into these outdoor fairs every day leaving an insane amount of rubbish. Most of the food is fairly mundane, though some concoctions are a bit strange. Most of it comes on sticks or in plastic bowls. I hate to think how much the environment suffers, or the waistlines of the kids. Andrea and I quite enjoy seeing the awful attempts of boys to impress their girlfriends at the various stalls. Almost all fail miserably as the chances of winning anything apart from the tiniest teddy bear is insanely low. Doesn't stop them though...
Saturday, January 29, 2011
How long until one misses the rain?
Precipitation is down 90% from average levels and there has been no rain or snow for months, literally -over 3 months now, and closing in on 100 days!
Every day is clear with blue skies and temperatures between minus 10 and zero. At what point does one miss the rain? I am not a farmer, so I don't mind -though I do consume food and prices continue to go up due to droughts. It certainly makes it nice and easy to cycle to work and even back from bars late at night.
Today, finally, Andrea and I went to Tesco. In the opposite direction to our nearby Carrefour, it is only a few seconds further in traveling time, but it is not a place I will be going back to. The bakery was absolutely appalling. It had only a measly 6 products that were supposedly freshly baked, yet, at midday today, 5 of the products were from yesterday, apart from the french bread. There was only one aisle of imported goods, which is not very helpful; and there was not a big collection of vegetables though. There were not many signs in English, and none of the products had any English names (Carrefour does). In fact, it is not just me that is not impressed; the store was practically empty compared to Carrefour which normally is packed on a saturday. Clearly the people are voting with their feet. And Tesco on the East 4th ring road is not a Tesco many people want to go to. Having said all this, there is also a Wal-Mart 200 meters away, and that is just as bad as Tesco. At least Tesco has some of its own-label products which is something that Carrefour does not have.
The last few weeks have been pleasant enough; dominated by the cold, a cough I picked up, and work. Soon Chinese New Year will take over, with fireworks and red all over the place. It also means some time off, though when it is this cold, we're not sure what to do! Maybe, just maybe, the weather will get a little warmer for a day or two, as the forecast is hinting at. Still, though it is called the 'Spring Festival', this is a misnomer. Spring is still a month or two (or more!) away yet!
By the way, lots of my photos are up online now from Indonesia. Some good volcano ones too. Check them at at www.flickr.com/adamsphotos
Every day is clear with blue skies and temperatures between minus 10 and zero. At what point does one miss the rain? I am not a farmer, so I don't mind -though I do consume food and prices continue to go up due to droughts. It certainly makes it nice and easy to cycle to work and even back from bars late at night.
Today, finally, Andrea and I went to Tesco. In the opposite direction to our nearby Carrefour, it is only a few seconds further in traveling time, but it is not a place I will be going back to. The bakery was absolutely appalling. It had only a measly 6 products that were supposedly freshly baked, yet, at midday today, 5 of the products were from yesterday, apart from the french bread. There was only one aisle of imported goods, which is not very helpful; and there was not a big collection of vegetables though. There were not many signs in English, and none of the products had any English names (Carrefour does). In fact, it is not just me that is not impressed; the store was practically empty compared to Carrefour which normally is packed on a saturday. Clearly the people are voting with their feet. And Tesco on the East 4th ring road is not a Tesco many people want to go to. Having said all this, there is also a Wal-Mart 200 meters away, and that is just as bad as Tesco. At least Tesco has some of its own-label products which is something that Carrefour does not have.
The last few weeks have been pleasant enough; dominated by the cold, a cough I picked up, and work. Soon Chinese New Year will take over, with fireworks and red all over the place. It also means some time off, though when it is this cold, we're not sure what to do! Maybe, just maybe, the weather will get a little warmer for a day or two, as the forecast is hinting at. Still, though it is called the 'Spring Festival', this is a misnomer. Spring is still a month or two (or more!) away yet!
By the way, lots of my photos are up online now from Indonesia. Some good volcano ones too. Check them at at www.flickr.com/adamsphotos
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Want a mushroom?
That was one of the first questions i was asked a few nights ago as I walked
into one of at least fifty bars and cafes in Gili Trawangan, a 2-hour boat
ride east of Bali. Gili T as it is known is one of three beautiful, tiny,
islands that are just 10-minutes from Lombok, another large (Bali-sized)
island full of countryside and volcanoes. After turning down the man's offer
from some 'shrooms as they are known, I got a beer and chatted to some Irish
guys who were drinking some concoction of mushrooms. I saw them the next day
when I was scuba-diving and received confirmation they had a pretty powerful
effect!
into one of at least fifty bars and cafes in Gili Trawangan, a 2-hour boat
ride east of Bali. Gili T as it is known is one of three beautiful, tiny,
islands that are just 10-minutes from Lombok, another large (Bali-sized)
island full of countryside and volcanoes. After turning down the man's offer
from some 'shrooms as they are known, I got a beer and chatted to some Irish
guys who were drinking some concoction of mushrooms. I saw them the next day
when I was scuba-diving and received confirmation they had a pretty powerful
effect!
Despite the large number of tourists packed onto the island and filling out
the multitude of guesthouses, none of which had more than ten rooms it
seemed, the island is beautiful, the rain held off, and there was a lot of
fun to be had in the evenings after enjoying the beach and underwater
sights. Unfortunately underwater Gili is no big deal -but then my standards
are high after being fortunate enough to dive at some of the World's most
beautiful places in Asia. If you want a nice beach, some great bars, and
some cheap accommodation (even the super luxurious was only 100 dollars a
night) then head to the Gili islands. If you do you might well catch some
Australians, who dominate the Bali area, and tend to have a beer in hand at
8am in the morning, no matter whether they are getting on a boat, or in a
clinic!
A brief stint in the Gilis led to a last day on vacation in Lombok's
capital, Mataram, which involved checking out the Mall since it was
pouring with rain and another motorbike ride out to a temple and to
Sengigi which is an old-school beach resort with a bunch of hotels and
restaurants along a strip of main road which is parallel to a
wonderful beach. Delightful in its own way I suppose, there were some
great restaurants -and hotel deals- to be had. Once again I
experienced the joys of renting a motorbike, and the challenge of
driving in a busy and crowded city packed with all kinds of transport
(including horse and carts) driving at various speeds. We did not have
time to hang out with the locals on the cliff roads, unfortunately, as
thrilling as it looked just sitting on bikes looking out to sea...
Other thoughts on Indonesia was that there was minimal language
difficulties, through transportation is slower than expected since
most people have their own transport, public transport is not as
necessary as maybe it once was. There were some surprises, like the
Executive class in the train, which was very plush with power sockets
by every seat for only a small amount more than regular class, and was
over half full of locals, who evidently quite like travelling in
style. There was very regular calls to prayer that were most notable
in the morning and evening, but though quite a few women wore
headscarfs, almost none wore Burhkas and a lot wore no head covering
at all, which is not what I was expecting.
To round out the top 3 of the vacation -after the smoking volcano (the
first we visited) and the motorcycle trip around the third volcano we
visited- I need to mention the village of two halves that was at the
bottom of the second volcano (you may recall, this was the one with
the turquoise lake at the top). A week ago, we spent a night in a
so-called homestay before the trek up the volcano, although the
homestay was the least homestay-like homestay I have ever heard of
with awful service, poor accommodation and tour group central. Yet,
100m down the road was a small village which at first glance was
nothing special, only remarkable as it seemed well laid out with small
alleys and all the houses in a line with small gardens. Yet, as we
walked further in we found that each house had put immense effort into
their tiny gardens and were growing crops, sometimes on 2 square
meters of land, sometimes just 1 tomato plant was being grown out of a
solitary plant pot. Each house was very individidualized with some
being quite well decorated, although others being total dumps. A
stroll through this quite quaint and somewhat strange village was
incredible -there were public bathrooms and a mosque and school to add
character- yet it was the tiny alleys, the small gardens, the
individualized houses and the people (kids, adults, dogs and all) that
packed out the alleys that made it special.
And then we got to the river that ran along the edge of the village,
or so we thought. In actual fact the river just separated the living
part of the village from the working part of the village. Across the
river was like going back 100 years. Everything here was muddy paths
and wooden barns (the other half of the village was mostly concrete
paths and brick buildings) packed with animals, and again densely
arranged. The fences surrounding the barns were perfectly built
without an inch of room for an animal to escape -for everything was so
close together, one escape could cause chaos. It was fascinating. A
village of two halves -the living and the working; yet both parts
exquisitely deisgned, quaint, picturesque and funtional. Probably the
most interesting village I have been to in a long while, and all
discovered on accident.
And so another warm vacation ends, and it is back to freezing Beijing.
When a motorbike points at a Volcano
First we were warned of the dangers of driving motorbikes into the north of Bali with stories of corrupt police officers questioning licenses (solution: pretend to be unable to speak English and shove a 5 dollar note their way) or gas fillers disabling the choke and charging a small fortune to fix it; then we put on our helmets and headed north. We managed to spend at least ten minutes gazing at the very unimpressive Gunung Kawa (some stone statues) which may impress some, but pale in comparison to sights seen elsewhere in Asia, and waited out a rainstorm drinking free coffee (not the Lawak coffee though which is too rare for them to offer for free; reason being it is made of coffee beans that have been eaten and excreted by a local animal which give the coffee a very special taste apparently, and take a long time to find and collect) and tea at local plantations. In mid-afternoon we arrived at Gunung Batur.
At first, there was nothing to see. We were at the edge of a crater, and the spot where we arrived was shrouded in mist and cloud, but as we descended down into the crater we could see a volcano cone in the middle, itself covered in cloud. Finding a hotel, we immediately set off and ended up driving around the central cone on a poor road, but one that took us through the remains of previous lava flows which were truly impressive. There was evidence of off-road tracks that local youth must have great fun playing on up and down the rocks, but I managed to resist driving over them as time was getting on. We just about managed to get back to the top of the crater, where we had been several hours earlier, but now with the mist cleared, to get beautiful dusk views of the crater, the cone in the middle and the lake at one end.
The next day we hit a small path that went up the opposite side of the crater through numerous small villages and up very steep paths that pushed our motorbikes to the limit to get more stunning views. At the top we continued around the outside of the crater; drove back down to the middle and up again and headed back to Ubud, via more tea and coffee samplings. It was a fantastic overnight trip -the freedom of the motorbikes, the countryside roads and the small paths around the volcano were incredible; probably the second highlight of the trip after the smoking volcano of Bromo a few days earlier. To top it all off, as we rolled into Ubud we went down a side-street and ended up watching a cock fight. Both Dad and I were surprised the the fight was over so quickly. Then we noticed each Cock had a knife tied to one of its feet which explained things. Anyway, two fights, a lot of blood and some interesting video footage later, we headed back for a night in another incredible hotel-cum-house-cum-temple.
At first, there was nothing to see. We were at the edge of a crater, and the spot where we arrived was shrouded in mist and cloud, but as we descended down into the crater we could see a volcano cone in the middle, itself covered in cloud. Finding a hotel, we immediately set off and ended up driving around the central cone on a poor road, but one that took us through the remains of previous lava flows which were truly impressive. There was evidence of off-road tracks that local youth must have great fun playing on up and down the rocks, but I managed to resist driving over them as time was getting on. We just about managed to get back to the top of the crater, where we had been several hours earlier, but now with the mist cleared, to get beautiful dusk views of the crater, the cone in the middle and the lake at one end.
The next day we hit a small path that went up the opposite side of the crater through numerous small villages and up very steep paths that pushed our motorbikes to the limit to get more stunning views. At the top we continued around the outside of the crater; drove back down to the middle and up again and headed back to Ubud, via more tea and coffee samplings. It was a fantastic overnight trip -the freedom of the motorbikes, the countryside roads and the small paths around the volcano were incredible; probably the second highlight of the trip after the smoking volcano of Bromo a few days earlier. To top it all off, as we rolled into Ubud we went down a side-street and ended up watching a cock fight. Both Dad and I were surprised the the fight was over so quickly. Then we noticed each Cock had a knife tied to one of its feet which explained things. Anyway, two fights, a lot of blood and some interesting video footage later, we headed back for a night in another incredible hotel-cum-house-cum-temple.
Monday, December 27, 2010
What is the difference between a temple and a house?
This is a question I am becoming unable to answer after a few days exploring the countryside of Bali. Villagers have impressive walls around their houses and amazing archways that you enter to get into their compound. Once inside you find several temples and small pillars, ornaments and other objects that tend to be gold. Hiding behind them, somewhere is the living quarters -probably extending quite a way back, since the houses seem to have plenty of land. In between will be a water feature and plenty of plants as well as offerings that are laid fresh every day.
We have seen this everywhere, and it extends to hotels too -most of which also seem to be temples at first glance. And when we actually find a temple that is a temple and not a house -and though there might be thousands of houses in an area, there are still hundreds of temples- the temple is deserted, but still impressive. There is clearly no shortage of stone in Bali. We have been taken aback with how beautiful the area is, and now I understand the popularity and legend that has arisen over Bali.
Yet, despite over 20 years of regular and extensive tourism, this large island (over 130 km wide, and over 40 km long), does not seem to have been that affected. Granted we have seen minimal poverty (presumably other parts of Indonesia are much worse) and the government seems to have invested in the road system (still only single lanes, but they are all tarmac), but most people are living their usual, rural life. All over we saw people working in the fields, carrying bushels of something-or-other on their backs as they walked along the roads, and children kicking balls in the roads. Yes, a lot of people are getting an income from tourism, working in cafes, restaurants or hotels, or as tour guides or ticket agents, but it does not seem to have changed the way of life dramatically for most people. This is not exactly what I was expecting.
Then again, Ubud, the 'other half of the Bali duopoly' as the Lonely Planet calls it (Kuta is the beach half and Ubud is the culture/countryside half), is also not what I expected. Initially thinking that a village would be a village I was disappointed to find several long streets packed with motorbikes, cafes and guesthouses. But behind these, most of the guesthouses look out onto paddy fields, and quickly one can escape the 'village' to explore. Has tourism growth here been responsible? Compared to most other places, it seems so. Has it affected the locals? It does not seem that it has.
The other intriguing element to Ubud is the range of accommodation. There is plenty of mid-range accommodation of around 20-40 dollars a night (often with swimming pools), but limited below that, which is pretty expensive for backpackers. But most westerners here are not backpackers (who might only stick to the beaches with more nightlife) but mature travellers or families. Indeed, most rooms come with a double bed and a spare bed; and there is an outrageous plethora of expensive resorts around Ubud -some are several kms away- which cost upwards of 300 dollars a night with gorgeous views and various perks. As can be expected, there are quite a few british people here, but they are totally outnumbered by the Australians, on the streets at least. I do wonder who make up the patrons of the upmarket resorts? In the big scheme of things, I suppose they are not that expensive, it's just they seem unnecessary. Most of the accommodation in Ubud is wonderful, our's is exceptionally so. The rooms really do feel a part of a family's house with most hotels having only 10 rooms meaning you feel like being in a homely environment; and if you are lucky, like we are, one that is quiet and away from the noise of the motorbikes storming past all day long!
We have seen this everywhere, and it extends to hotels too -most of which also seem to be temples at first glance. And when we actually find a temple that is a temple and not a house -and though there might be thousands of houses in an area, there are still hundreds of temples- the temple is deserted, but still impressive. There is clearly no shortage of stone in Bali. We have been taken aback with how beautiful the area is, and now I understand the popularity and legend that has arisen over Bali.
Yet, despite over 20 years of regular and extensive tourism, this large island (over 130 km wide, and over 40 km long), does not seem to have been that affected. Granted we have seen minimal poverty (presumably other parts of Indonesia are much worse) and the government seems to have invested in the road system (still only single lanes, but they are all tarmac), but most people are living their usual, rural life. All over we saw people working in the fields, carrying bushels of something-or-other on their backs as they walked along the roads, and children kicking balls in the roads. Yes, a lot of people are getting an income from tourism, working in cafes, restaurants or hotels, or as tour guides or ticket agents, but it does not seem to have changed the way of life dramatically for most people. This is not exactly what I was expecting.
Then again, Ubud, the 'other half of the Bali duopoly' as the Lonely Planet calls it (Kuta is the beach half and Ubud is the culture/countryside half), is also not what I expected. Initially thinking that a village would be a village I was disappointed to find several long streets packed with motorbikes, cafes and guesthouses. But behind these, most of the guesthouses look out onto paddy fields, and quickly one can escape the 'village' to explore. Has tourism growth here been responsible? Compared to most other places, it seems so. Has it affected the locals? It does not seem that it has.
The other intriguing element to Ubud is the range of accommodation. There is plenty of mid-range accommodation of around 20-40 dollars a night (often with swimming pools), but limited below that, which is pretty expensive for backpackers. But most westerners here are not backpackers (who might only stick to the beaches with more nightlife) but mature travellers or families. Indeed, most rooms come with a double bed and a spare bed; and there is an outrageous plethora of expensive resorts around Ubud -some are several kms away- which cost upwards of 300 dollars a night with gorgeous views and various perks. As can be expected, there are quite a few british people here, but they are totally outnumbered by the Australians, on the streets at least. I do wonder who make up the patrons of the upmarket resorts? In the big scheme of things, I suppose they are not that expensive, it's just they seem unnecessary. Most of the accommodation in Ubud is wonderful, our's is exceptionally so. The rooms really do feel a part of a family's house with most hotels having only 10 rooms meaning you feel like being in a homely environment; and if you are lucky, like we are, one that is quiet and away from the noise of the motorbikes storming past all day long!
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Re: Black snow and a vision of hell
p.s. the BBC has a photo show of Bromo and me and Dad are in the photos!
Check out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12074769
In the middle is me in a black jacket looking behind me to talk to Dad who is wearing a beige cap -you can just make us out. Our photos are better though -will upload them soon.
Check out: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12074769
In the middle is me in a black jacket looking behind me to talk to Dad who is wearing a beige cap -you can just make us out. Our photos are better though -will upload them soon.
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