Beautiful Bali but for how much longer?

The Twin Lakes

A Hindu temple

Lake Braton

We arrived in Ubud after a stunning drive over the mountains visiting the Twin lakes and the temples at Lake Bratan. I couldn't recognise a single feature of Ubud as it was full of shops, hotels and restaurants. I remember it being full of temples and a fruit and vegetable market but it had changed beyond recognition somehow retaining its charm and cultural and spiritual ambience. We stayed in a lovely homestay with it's own family temple and wandering around the streets you can understand why people fall under Ubud's spell. We went to the watch the Balinese dancing which has now been reduced to a manageable hour and a half rather than the epic three hours, Andrew and I sat through! We walked through the padi fields, visited temples including the vast Goa Gajah Temple that is only partially excavated, ate in exquisite tastefully decorated restaurants  and bought more ikat sarongs which are hand woven in Bali (which Lisa and I love) It was charming and full of  French and Canadian Quebecois tourists and women searching for "something". The film/book  Eat Pray Love, was set in Ubud but since I haven't seen it I've no idea what impact it has had except that there are many spas, botox clinics, yoga centres and spiritual places to find "oneself" in.

Our Homestay's temple

Goa Gajah Cave

Offerings for the Gods

The market

Another Temple!

The Balinese Dancers

We got a mini-bus to the airport from Ubud and that is when I realised how much Bali has changed. I was so relieved that we had come in by ferry from the north. It is completely built up with hotels, shops, malls, businesses selling anything and everything. Fortunately we only drove through it but I could not have stayed one night there. Please Bali, don't lose your charm.

Bromo and Ijen Volcanoes in Java

The day of Lisa's birthday was spent in a mini - bus travelling through a busy main road heading towards the east coast. We changed buses about 8 pm and then headed up the mountains not seeing a thing except hairpin bends. We arrived at our very basic homestay about 10, put on our thermals, had a cup of tea and got into bed and rose again at 4 am for the sunrise over Bromo. We joined hundreds of jeeps all heading the same direction for the sunrise and even though It was wonderful it wasn't quite the same when one had to fight to get a view for a photograph. We, and the hundreds of others, then went to climb the volcano, which was made easy by concrete steps and horse-rides for those who were willing to pay. The Tenggerese people, who live in the mountains, ride horses, grow vegetables and wear lovely sarongs .

The crater

Lisa too close to the edge

 Straight after breakfast we headed off to our next destination which was the Ijen Volcano. We went through some beautiful countryside and rainforest as we headed into the National Park. The journey took all day and again we stayed in a basic hostel and started our day at 4 am. This time however we were nearly on our own accompanied by a few sulphur miners on their way to start their days work. It was amazing and took about 2 hours climbing up by foot and we reached the crater by sunrise. The miners continued their descent into the crater and cut 100 kg of sulphur , packed it into their 2 baskets before climbing up and then down again before it was weighed and the process started again. They do two trips a day and earn $10 which is a good wage in Indonesia but they certainly earn it. There were hardly any tourists and it was incredible and well worth a visit  if you are in Java.

Me not too near the edge!

The miners

A well deserved rest

Weighing

Borobudur and Prambanan

Lisa and I returned on Thursday night to Sabah - only just getting on the plane with all our purchases. I was wearing a skirt over trousers, Lisa's hiking boots, a couple of sarongs for scarves, not to mention the raincoat and sweatshirt tied around my waist! Anyway we are back in Ranau now and looking at our photos and thinking what alot we took  and what a wonderful time we had. So I must put some up before I forget where we have been and what we did.
 One of the first days in Yogakarta was spent visiting Borobudur and Prambanan Temples. Tanya had visited the temples seven years ago and I remember her photos really well and wanting to visit them but never thought I would. I'm not going to write lots of details about them as you can all look up Wikipedia too like me! 

One of the 504 Buddhas

Borobudur Temple is a 9th Century  Mahayana Buddhist Temple and consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the centre of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside a perforated stupa. ( thanks Wikipedia) Apart from that I can tell you that it is a huge tourist attraction and pilgrimage for Indonesians. There were lots of school children visiting and they all seemed to want to have their photos taken with random white tourists. It is a UNESCO Site and underwent a huge restoration and opening in 1982 after being abandoned for many years.

A relief panel

The next stop was the Hindu Temples at Prambanan which was just as popular with Indonesians. This was again built in the 9th Century and has been abandoned, restored and then recently in 2006  suffered a lot of damage from an earthquake.

Hard hat in case of earthquakes!

Restoration continues

 Both of the temples were wonderful and well worth visiting . They were very  popular with the locals and there was no respectful quietness and it was as if we were all at a funfair which was rather nice!

Bali after 27 and 3/4 Years

Lisa in Bali

Yes here I am back in Bali not really intending to be here but we just followed the flow and it seemed the most logical thing to do. Andrew and I stayed here over 27 years ago whilst backpacking around South-East Asia and I was worried that it might have changed beyond recognition but so far it  has retained all the charm, tasteful decor and amazing scenery as before. We are staying on the north of the island in a sleepy tourist town called Lovina in a charming hotel with a lovely garden. Today we head off over the mountains to Ubud where our last few days will be spent. In a strange quirck of fate, Bali was when I first suspected that I might be pregnant with Lisa and so we celebrated her 27th  birthday last week where she spent her early days!! These are just a few photos of our wonderful trip but get ready for the deluge next week when we return to Sabah.

A Fruit Salad Birthday Cake with our Polish friends

The first few days in Java

Prambanan Temples

On our rickshaw

Some of the material we bought!

This is going to be a very short and sweet post this week until I manage to get a longer time on internet. All is  fine in Java and Lisa and I met up on Thursday night in Jakarta with me arriving in a very smart car with a driver- too long a story to relate but I was befriended by a young Indonesian girl in the bus who happened to have rich parents!.Lisa and I decided to escape the very busy city of Jakarta the next day and head towards Yogjakarta but unfortunately due to a Budhist holiday all the trains were booked.  Not to worry, we headed off to Bandung a city about 3 hours from Jakarta and spent the night there. The next day we left at 7 am and got the train to Yogjakarta which was about 8 hours. The scenery was beautiful and we travelled through lots of padi fields, amazing terracing, lovely little villages and mountains until we finally reached our destination. It was still the holiday weekend and Yogjakarta was SO busy full of people who had come to celebrate the Budhist celebration. We wandered around for ages looking for somewhere to stay but everywhere was fully booked. Eventually to cut a long story short we ended up sharing a hotel room with 3 very charming Polish travellers who we seem to be travelling with now!
  Anyway, my time is running out and so the story will continue of our visits to the amazing Borobudur and Prambanan temples today and of the shopping frenzy that Lisa and I seem to have found ourselves in!! Tomorrow we are heading off to the volcanoes Bromo and Ijen and then hopefully Bali. Will hopefully catch up soon.

Yogjakarta

Batik

Yes another holiday approaching!

Isn't nature amazing

nepenthes

A baby one

 I would not call myself politically motivated in any way. I have lived quite happily in France for over 20 years without feeling the least bit upset of not being a part of the voting system. I've only voted once in Britain which was during the Thatcher years and when she won again I decided to leave rather than stay and fight Conservatism. We in Britain and France have a certain cynicism about politics. We all know that our politicians are not pure or perfect. We are allowed to criticise and make fun of them and not fear for our lives. My children were in many "manifestations" during their Lycée years demonstrating about government policies that either did or didn't concern them. I wasn't worried about them and was pleased to see them expressing their views. Interviews on the television and radio are usually challenging and lively occasions and if the interviewer isn't probing and asking difficult questions we wonder why. I certainly have taken it for granted until recently. I am under no delusions about how free the press is in Western Europe and I do not think our politicians are any better than any others, however freedom of press is a gift to treasure.

A rafflesia

   Last week I have been trying to finish an assignment for a course that I am attempting to do. I am the queen of procrastinators and with all my visitors I have had the perfect excuse not to do anything. However since Naomi left I have had no excuse and have forced myself to do something. I think I have nearly finished but who knows if it is up to standard. I have to have it all finished before Thursday because I am going away to Java to meet Lisa in Jakarta. I know I can hear you all saying "what another holiday and another daughter". Yes, it is the mid-year school holiday which coincides with Kaamatan, the rice harvest festival celebration. Sadly I will miss it this year but I wanted to visit Indonesia before I leave and thanks to Air Asia's very cheap flights, I can fly direct from KK. Lisa seems to have had a great time in Australia and New Zealand since I saw her in Singapore, travelling all over the place and it will be great to catch up on all her adventures while exploring some of Java.
 

The Thirteenth General Election approaches

The winning Dusun dancers

Yes there is certainly election fever in the air. Last night I could hear a rally going on until quite late and everywhere there are placards and flags for each of the candidates and parties. On Tuesday the 4 primary schools in Ranau had their competition for their extra-curricular activites such as traditional dancing, singing, storytelling etc.. This is normally quite a low key affair but this year we were honoured with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism's presence, which gives an indication of how much the government must be panicking.  Datuk Masidi Manjun is a local Ranau boy who certainly has made good and as with all politicians he makes appearances in Ranau when he thinks the publicity is good enough. For example the last time I saw him was handing out "money" in the street with the TV cameras rolling and as soon as they stopped he got into his car and drove away. Anyway, he arrived only half an hour late, and I was invited to be in the line of welcoming people while the gongs and Dusun dancers did their show. I have no amazing story to tell except that he shook my hand and said hello and then sat at the front on the big sofas and spent the whole time on his smart phone and mini ipad sending messages! He delivered a short speech and promised lots of money for the schools and left again with his army of "helpers".

Datuk Masidi is the one in the huge photo!

As you enter Ranau

Last week the Prime Minister of Malaysia descended from the sky literally in a group of four helicopters, delivered a speech and then ascended off to another town. The government are certainly concerned that they may not win this time. On the radio, controlled by the government of course, there are speeches about doom and gloom if anyone dares to vote against them. Playing on people's fear may work but we shall see.The same party have been in power for over 50 years and I think people, certainly in Sabah, have decided it is time for a change. The Sabahans feel they have not gained very much from being a part of Malaysia and peninsula Malaysia have gained a lot of wealth from Sabah. For the first time I have heard teachers openly speaking against the government. So I am standing on the sideline watching with interest to see what happens on Sunday. We have been told we will have a holiday on Monday but this weekend I am not moving!