Bali and Ubud

It took me a long day and a half for arrive to Bali. I remember that I had to take a train from Probolingo to the east point of Java and then take a Ferry during the night and cross to the next island. After that, I also had to take an overnight bemo, full of men, with the luggage on our legs, to arrive to station of Denpasar…. Anyone was there at 1am, so before the sunrise I walked around this dessert city till find a cheap hotel.

Bali is awesome. The weather is incredibly good, the beaches are perfect for learn, practise and improve surfing because there are for all levels. I spent most of the days driving a motorbike for 4$ per day, surfing per 5$, and eating chicken rice and vegetables for a ridiculous price. Also here, most of the people is not Muslim, they are busiest, so that means that are really friendly, I don’t know why.

Kuta Bali, Uluwato, Balangan, Panang Panang, Bingin, Canguu and Medewi, all of them the typical surf spots, where were I spent all my days. 

 One special day in Bali.

Without think too much, we were agreed in the decision to take the motorbikes and drive to Ubud, the cultural city of Bali. My first impression was that we’ll not be able to arrive. Ivys has never driven a motorbike before and when he has pressed the gas, he crashed against the flowers…. J

After two hour drive we arrived alive!! Monkey temple is our first stop. A lot of fun looking monkey’s skills movements stealing all bananas, papaya, chocolate bars and some sunglasses. The temple was really worth. You get completely the feeling of be inside Indiana Jones.

The next attraction will be the rice fields but, where are they?

Now is when the adventurer guard soul come to rescue us. Effectively we got lost in the roads but a nice man pick us up and guide until this magnificent fields. He made us stop the motorbikes in a desolate terrace where instantly I thought that he wanted to stole us or be our guide. Obviously like everyone in this country see the tourists like a dollar note…

Being polite and enjoying the situation we use the moment for take hundreds of pictures, stare at the different levels of terrace, ask all that we wanted to know, get a class of vegetation, learn the processing of the rice plantation being covered of the symbolic aura that involves this area. 

We recognise that the guy was so friendly and kindly and he explain us hundreds of interesting things. Although, I couldn’t wait for ask him how much money he wanted for all of that. The answer was just the volunteer.

Despite of that he brought us to traditional coffee plantation of Lumak where we did a tastes of different coffees, teas and chocolates. It was a memorable experience. Finally at the end of the afternoon he brought us to the highest tree in Bali where we could take pictures as a real monkeys hanging up.

Later, it arrived the surprised because as I gave him some money as voluntary, he asked for more and he told us the price of that tour, it was excessive. Nevertheless I would give that amount of money so we had to bargain for a wide.

We arrived with a huge smile to the hostel and the day finished in the famous Sky Garden where 5-6 is free beers, 7-9 all can you eat food and 9-10 free cocktails part time!!!

Gunung Bromo volcano.

After say good bye to Bella and Jan in the bus station I went straight on to Probolingo village. Apparently, I could take a bemo there for arrive to the base of Gunung Bromo volcano.

Like every time in Java I had to take the bus for move into. My obsession was to travel with the locals, I mean, with the public buses that use the Indonesian people. That one was an overnight bus from 6pm to 5am. Although, I was prepared for suffer, the bus was one of the craziest than I’ve never taken. In every two seats we travelled three people and I had to go in the middle of a couple. Also the corridor was full of bags, food packs and alive chickens…

Here occurred what I wanted to explain few posts before. In the middle of the night, around 1am, happened that when I was trying to sleep I started to think about Karma, the destiny, the energy, the good things that I did and the good thing that I got by fortune.

In resume, I guessed that something unfortunately had to occur me, don’t ask me why.

Three minutes after one guy left the bus and I felt that something was running bad. I felt that he had stolen my mobile and I didn’t realize… Should that confirm that Karma is present in our lives? Do I have to have faith in destiny? I just want to keep in my mind that it was a big coincidence and an enormous weird energy in these instant.

I arrived to Probolingo three hours early. It was 2pm and nothing opened in the street. I found the place where the bemos leave and I joined the two locals around there until 7pm. It was a comfortable bamboo bench.

The most annoying moment arrived that morning when I had to negotiate during three hours for get a driver who could drive us for less than 12 people or less than 300.000 rupiah (30$)0in total. The roles in the Indonesian villages are the roles and if you don’t like, get out from here, they told me…

Bromo was ok. 2km walking through the sand desert and a short climb for get to the crater. There I had my own adventure going down a little bit. It was worthy for the picture that I got.

Like everyone knows… the fun is how to get to the places not the place.

 

 

 

 

Yogyakarta and their temples.

Another long trip until arrive to Yogyakarta because in those days it was public holidays and all tickets for the train were sold, I arrived to the most cultural and artist city in Java.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Vjgjm85Q0&feature=youtube_gdata

Characterized for Malioboro street. Here you can find all kind of shops, supermarkets, malls, restaurants, Indonesian food stands and a lot of people asking you for see their Batiks (supposedly all of them are the official, but is not like this. All of them are fakes less in the Official School of Batik Art. The enigma is where is this place.

As long as you arrive to Malioboro and start to walk, waves of people come to you to notice that the Batik National Exposition finish tomorrow and you should have a look or, others come and say to you that they know where the authentic school of Batiks is, or maybe they just want to be friendly with you, give you some tips of Yogyakarta and explain you a little of their culture for at the end bring you to some Batik shop exposition. Despite the advice of LoneyPlanet to don’t go there, I wanted to have this wrinkled experience. I followed one of them and I entered to one kind of exposition, all the walls where full of paintings.

He offered me a tea, water, to see the painting blab la bla. I were curious to know for the process of confection, he explain me all the methods, features, the way to get the colours, etc. Obviously I make myself really interested to buy one just to get all those information and at the end he put me the price, it was too much… after intense negotiation I left without buy it and you can’t imagine how he got angry!!! It was really funny but scaring in the same time...

In one of the numerous passageway I found my cheap accommodation. Nothing of the other word, but with a big terrace where is possible to have your scramble eggs or pancake for breakfast. There I met Bella and Jan. We made a good team for stare at the sunrise in the hill next to Borobudur temple and go to take some pictures in the magic and spectacular temple.

Just a pinch of history for keep in mind. Borobudur temple id a Buddhist monument with more than 1200 years. It’s surrounded for green rice fields and traditional rice-growing kampong, all overlooked by soaring volcanic peaks. This enigmatic and mystical temple has more than 60.000 cubic metres of stone. The name means ‘Buddhist Monastery on the Hill’. This temple is famous because has repeatedly suffered attack from forces of nature such a volcanos eruptions and earthquakes and numerous attacks of human hands.

Looking for the intent of find a good temple with less people, the next day I faced renting a bicycle and riding under the sun for twenty km way for see more piles of stones. Prambanan is one of the other Unesco Word Heritage list in 1991.

There is not too much to do from my view point because I didn’t want to spend a lot of money climbing Gunung Merapi for see the sunrise that probably could be really beautiful. Neither in Yogya city is worth to the Kraton or Museum Kareta. The best thing is get soak up for the soul of the streets, the live music, the ‘nasi goreng’ (fried rice with vegetables and egg), the shopping stand and the performances dances.

 

 

Let’s go back to the nature!!!

BATU KARAS (passion for surfing start here)

From the trans Jakarta bus, that was full of people like Metro in Barcelona in rush hour, to the buses station was a big work out. The reason was that I had to hold my backpacks up without any possible movement in the boiling and filled bus. Then the auto bus that will bring me to Pangandaran. You can imagine how that public bus was: seating three in a seat of two, bugs and luggage in the middle of the corridor, no air conditioner, broken windows, smelly and everyone trying to get a conversation with me because they were surprised for see one tourist in this kind of bus.

My plan was spend the night in the bus, although I arrived at 1am. In the middle of the nothing, just small station, two bars closing and the typical locals asking you constantly for bring you to some place by motorbike (ojek) or minibus (bemo). I didn’t think twice and I went to seat down in front of and ATM and take a rest until the sunrise, where a drunk Indonesian girl stopped in front of me and proposed me to give me massage and fuck me for free. Trust me that I said no! Hahaha.

Why? Because is not what I’m looking for. I don’t have religion but in my philosophy of life, nothing is really pleasant when is easy to catch it.

Anyway, my first night in the street was successfully!!! Just two more hours by bemo and one by ojek for arrived to Batu Karas.

This is an idyllic village and surfing hot spot. Is the most enjoyable place where I’ve been in all Java. Just two beaches separated by a wooded promontory. I’ve never forgotten the nice, huge, wood, bungalow where I spent three nights, just having good surf with longboards, eating, reading, sleeping and talking about surf with the locals. This was what I was looking for!!!!!

Three of the four days I spent in the water. The other one I rented a motorbike and I visited the surrounded villages, the terraces of rice fields, Panangdaran beach, a small school where unexpectedly I stopped for teach some games for one hour and the Green Canyon, where boats buzz up the jungle-fringed, emerald-green river to a waterfall and a beautiful canyon where there’s swimming.