Singapore

Singapore Island was once a safe haven for hundreds of pirate boats that preyed on passing ships, it was inhabited by traders, fisherman and robbers, I think I would have preferred it back then compared to the commerce driven city that it has become today. It’s undoubtedly an amazing place…. it’s neat, clean and organised and if you scratch a little under the surface you’ll find some interesting places. I spent a just under a week here and that was long enough, perhaps if I was a keen shopper I would have enjoyed it more but for me this island metropolis lacked some soul. Thankfully I was fortunate to have met a number of very nice locals during my stay and had some great company at many of the quality restaurant and bar areas that the city has to offer. “Sanitary” is the best word I could use to describe Singapore but I think a city is a little like a woman… better if they’re a little bit dirty, full of character and have plenty of attitude.

Mount Bromo

Picture perfect Mount Bromo is Indonesia’s best known volcano and is the feature of many postcards, interestingly it is only one of five volcanos that sit inside the huge Tengger Caldera and an eruption of Bromo in 2004 killed 2 people, who were hit by flying rocks. The nearby mountain village of Cemoro Lawang is the starting point for most visitors and it is littered with hotels catering for the swarm of tourists that arrive every day to see the sunrise over the smoking volcano. The only way to get to the volcano and the viewing point of Mount Penanjakanis is by 4WD or motorbike across the vast “sea of sand” that sits on the bottom of the Tengger Caldera. It seems every person in the surrounding villages owns a restored FJ 40 Toyota land cruiser and has a business as a tour operator, the road side to mount Penanjakanis is full to capacity with cruiser after cruiser, it’s a great sight in itself. I began the ride up to the viewing point at the ungodly hour of 3am, being on motorbike meant I was easily able to pass by the traffic jam of FJ40’s heading up the steep, winding road. The photos that you see of Bromo seem so serene but the viewing area is anything but, there must have been well over 100 people crammed in waiting to see the sunrise. It was worth the wait, the sunrise was spectacular and I managed to get plenty of photos, now it was time to have some real fun, getting down the hill to go for a ride in the black sand and climb Bromo itself.

I met a group of young guys on KLX 150’s, I thought they were locals so I asked if I could tag along for some dirt riding and they were more than happy for me to come. It turned out that they were from Sumatra and this was their first visit to Bromo so none of us had any idea of where the best riding was, nonetheless we set off to explore the sandy trails at full throttle. After a bit of dirt riding we headed up to the smoking crater of Bromo, it was very impressive indeed. As per usual I managed to slip past the safety barrier for some better photos and convinced a very patient Japanese gentleman to take a few pictures for me. The boys from Sumatra headed home when we got to the bottom and I hung around to explore a little more of the sea of sand.

I had to cross the Calderra again to reach the city of Surabuya, this time the bike was fully loaded and a little more unstable in the thicker pockets of sand. It was great fun and after a few km’s I reached a deteriorated road that led up to the top of the mountain. The road was in terrible condition and was more rubble than road but I had a ball riding up and passing 4wd’s crawling their way along. Once at the top the road condition improved greatly and it wound its way through the mountains until it eventually eventually merged with the highway to Surabaya, good bye wilderness hello city traffic. I negotiated the traffic jam into town spending more time on the dirt sidewalk to get around the slow moving vehicles than on the road itself. Surprisingly it didn’t take too long and my friend Yudi organised someone to meet me and escort me to his garage. The bike had a safe place to stay so I could relax, giving the bike a thorough clean and mechanical check was on the agenda but that could wait until tomorrow.

Mount Ijen

I was looking forward to visiting Mount Ijen immensely, there are better known and perhaps more spectacular volcanos in Indonesia but what grabbed my attention here was the impressive stories I had heard about the Sulphur miners carrying huge loads of the yellow mineral the hill. It was a short hike to reach the summit of the mountain, only 3 km’s of reasonably steep dirt track and I was only a few hundred meters into the walk when I crossed paths with the first miner carrying sulphur down the hill. The miners all had the same quick, shuffling gait, you should see by their bent over posture and rush to get down the hill that they were carrying a very heavy weight. What these guys do is truly a Herculean effort, men that weigh not much more than 50 kg’s carry up to 75 kg’s of sulphur 700 meters from the bottom of the crater up a VERY steep goat track and then 3 ½ km down a dirt road to unload at the bottom of the hill. The Sulphur, once known as Brimstone is mined by hand at the bottom of the volcanos crater amongst thick plumes of sulphur fumes, no gas masks are worn and the bright yellow sulphur residue sticks to the faces of the miners. These men don’t have a comfortable pack or harness to carry the sulphur, they simply use a thin but strong piece of wood that sits across their shoulders with a wicker basket on each side. What amazed me was that even though many were grimacing in pain every one of them would smile and have a polite word as they went by, often asking if I had a cigarette to spare. I have seen infantry soldiers quit a pack march and sit on the side of the road after 5km while carrying 30 kg’s in a comfortable pack yet these guys just bear their burden without complaint…amazing. I chatted with quite a few of the miners on the way up and on the way down the hill, many have been doing this job for years and they showed me the scars and bruising on their shoulders from carrying the heavy weight day after day. There’s no OH&S officer on mount Ijen and the men get paid by weight so there is an incentive for them to break their bodies with heavier loads to get more money to feed their family.

Almost as amazing as the effort of the workers on the mountain is the volcano itself, the view from the top reveals a crater lake amongst clouds of Sulphur fumes in what resembles a lunar landscape of volcanic rock. Mount Ijen usually puts on a spectacular show of blue fire but due to some recent volcanic activity in recent weeks the blue flames couldn’t be seen while I was there. One of the miners took me down the track to show me how the sulphur was mined, steps were roughly cut into the rock in some places but for the majority it was a precarious walk down. The sulphur is channelled down through metal tubes where it oozes out as a liquid amongst thick fumes and cools until the hardened substance can be collected. I wasn’t wearing a mask and the taste of the sulphur fumes was very strong, breathing this toxic gas in on a daily basis greatly reduces the life expectancy of the miners that work here. It is quite paradoxical that such an alien landscape which fuels an occupation as brutal as sulphur mining could be so beautiful, the lake itself even had a tranquil feel about it.

Tulamben to Java

The ride from Ubud to Tulamben was quite pleasant, any other time I would have said amazing but I think I’ve been spoilt for great rides over the last few weeks, it took me through the winding forest roads of central Bali and then along the coastal road to the little coastal diving town of Tulamben. Tulamben is best known for the USAT Liberty Wreck which is one of Bali’s most visited dive sites, the 120 m long vessel was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 and was then stripped by the American military and sat on the beach until a volcanic eruption in 1963 shifted the ship back into the water. Much like riding, it doesn’t matter how often I dive It still gives me a lot of enjoyment, even though I had done over 1000 recreational and commercial dives last year I was still looking forward to getting in the water and diving the wreck.

I got to Tulamben in the afternoon and was expecting to dive the next day but when the offer of a night dive presented itself I couldn’t turn it down, the wreck has a large variety of coral and fish life (including pygmy seahorses) and when illuminated by the torch beam they came to life with vibrant colours. Over the next 2 days I dived the wreck 2 more times in the daytime and also dived some of the other sites in the area. The amazing thing about Tulamben is that there are so many impressive dive sites just a few meters off the shore, it’s easily the most accessible diving I have done. I enjoyed Tulamben because it gave me the chance to talk about a subject other than motorbikes for a few days and it was great hearing other peoples dive stories and hanging out in a town that is totally centered around diving. I’m sure in the peak season this quaint little seaside town would be bustling with diving tourists but at the moment there was only a handful of people so my dive buddies and I had free run of the town and the wreck,…perfect!

One of my friends from Tulamben had the problem of not being able to organise transport to the town of Lovina so somehow I managed to create enough space on the bike for a passenger and all our gear, the bike was pretty oddly weighted so the 75 km ride was a little wobbly but we made it in one piece. Lovina is a small resort town where tourists go to see dolphins, I had seen plenty of dolphins in Australia but I was in town so I went along for the sunrise cruise. We were the first ones out on the water so it was quite enjoyable watching the Dolphins swim as the sun peeked over the horizon but all of a sudden I looked up to see the silhouette of no less than 100 small boats heading toward our direction. Soon wherever a Dolphin surfaced a group of small but extremely noisy boats would scream full throttle to the area so the tourists on board could get a glimpse. I must admit I lost quite a bit of interest and was put off once we were surrounded by so many other boats, I was glad to head to shore, I guess I am lucky that in many places in Australia you can see wildlife in its natural habitat without being overrun by tourists.

The next day I headed for the town of Gilimanuk to catch the ferry to Java, once again I had a passenger until we arrived at the dive site of Menjangan where we said our goodbyes. I continued alone to Gilimanuk and as I was pulling into the ferry terminal I was halted at the police checkpoint, I was a little tentative because I’ve previously had to pay a fine/bribe for not having my paperwork on me, in this case however I had everything required and after thoroughly checking the papers the officer ended up being quite pleasant. The ferry to Java was the simplest to catch yet and by far the cheapest, only 39,000 Rupiah (AU$3.90), it was a short trip and after an hour of chatting to some friendly locaIs I was back on the bike. I had been warned about the horrendous traffic congestion in Java but the East side of the island wasn’t too bad, I headed straight toward the hills to visit Mount Ijen, an active volcano where Sulphur is mined.

Bali

Bali has been one of the biggest surprises of my trip so far, perhaps I had heard too many stories about the ugly tourist scene in Kuta but I was expecting to arrive at a tourist mecca that offered little in the way of exploring.  What I discovered was a little island paradise covered in natural beauty with a diverse variety of culture and a welcoming attitude from the locals, the beaches fuel a thriving surfing community that contrasts perfectly with the holistic feel of the towns and villages around the forested Ubud area. Ubud was the perfect place to base myself for the 3 weeks I spent in Bali, many view it as the cultural centre of the small island and despite being a tourist hotspot it has a peaceful aura about it. Most travellers visiting the area gladly embrace the local lifestyle and it seems many are on a journey of self-discovery that involves immersing themselves in Ubuds’ yoga and spiritual scene by day and hanging out in trendy bars and cafes at night while waiting for a spiritual awakening. I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to ride the Balinese hinterland with some local friends and I felt as though I got to experience a taste of the true spirit of the island while visiting these more remote  areas, perhaps I was on my own journey of self-discovery, however I was happy to find what I was looking for while riding the dirt roads, beaches and black lava sand of Bali

Not being the type to sit around and relax for too long, I soon set about exploring the multitude of temples that Bali has to offer, each one was as impressive as the next and the task took up more than a few days. As with most other places I have visited having the bike here was a huge benefit, being able to explore at my own pace made the task much more enjoyable and having the freedom to go where I wanted meant that I got to see many of the lesser known but equally impressive sights. As spectacular as the temples and traditional dancing were, I was soon getting concerned that I was having a cultural overload…. the solution? Two days at Kuta beach. I must admit I didn’t over indulge too much in the hedonistic holiday lifestyle that Kuta is known for but I did enjoy more than a few drinks and a little bit of surfing practice. Kuta actually wasn’t as bad as many had described it but after a few days I was keen to get away from the throng of people and traffic and return to Ubud for a little relaxation. I ran into a bit of luck, a friend hooked me up with 2 free nights at Puri Sebatu resort, I believe it may have been where Julia Roberts stayed in the film “Eat, Pray, Love”, I have neither read the book nor seen the movie but nonetheless this was a spectacular place to stay, the bed room had impressive views over the rice terraces and the bathroom was palatial in size, one night alone was equal to a month at my homestay in Ubud.

Life in Ubud was great but I felt as though I was slipping into the routine and comfort of everyday life here, I certainly couldn’t let that happen, it was time to continue my nomadic 2 wheel vagabond existence and move on. It took me a little while to pack my gear because I had gotten quite comfortable in my modest little room but the bike was soon ready to go and I was feeling good about getting on the road again. All I had to do was pack up my bike cover and I was on my way, I was almost done when I smelt a horrendous odour, I looked down and realised I had dragged the cover through a steaming pile of dog turd….. Great! Apparently my landlady had decided that out of sight was out of mind and rather than remove the offending item she just sprinkled sand over it, instantly turning it into a well camouflaged booby trap. After half an hour of cleaning the bike cover as best I could it was time for take 2, I was back on the road and heading for Tulamben for a few days of diving before making my way to Java.

 

 

 
 

 

 
 
 

 
 

 
 

 

 

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