Java - Volcano Island

Java - Volcano Island

Volcanoes dominate Java - I'm not talking sleepy dormant ones - this is the most volcanically active place on earth -  a place where you really can feel the fire...

First port of call was Mount Ijen -  viewing and climbing volcanoes is one thing but working in one is a different story - let me introduce the sulphur miners of Ijen. 

Sleepy village where I stayed before going to Ijen

Not so sleepy village kids!

All the best day trips start early but 1am?!! But if you want to catch the mysterious blue flames at the bottom of the crater sleep has got to be sacrificed. 

Looking down into the crater

At the crater rim - it says only workers allowed no tourists!

Down at the bottom of the crater 

The miners at work

An hours hike took me to the craters edge - what lay below looked like a vision of hell.  Blue flames spurting out of the rock,  clouds of sulphurous gases and amongst it all the shadowy figures of the miners toiling away. The only way to get closer to the action was to head through the gates with the skull and crossbones painted on them and head down the steep path to the bottom of the crater. 

The blue flames - sulphur gases igniting on contact with air

I lifted it but didn't walk anywhere!

The shadowy figures...

Down there the full extent of the job became clear - the miners prising huge chunks of solidified sulphur from the crater and packing 60kg (that's not a  typo!) into their baskets to take to the collection area 

Life on the edge...

Close by you would hope - nah -  it's a 45 minute insanely steep and rocky walk up to the crater rim and then another 3km thankfully mostly downhill to the collection point  -  and you think your day is tough!!

Starting the long hike with his load...

Moving on up volcano alley I visited Mount Bromo which as you can see is still active -   the craters edge made for a spectacular hike! 

                                                  
After all that outdoor adventure it was time for some cities - Solo was my first stop then Yogyakarta. Think Sultans palaces, Batik, Street food and temples and you've got the picture

Market in Yogyakarta

Street food in Solo

Batik artist in Solo

Sleeping becak (cycle rickshaw) driver

Tea country north of Solo

Borobudur Temple Complex Yogyakarta

Dawn overlooking Merapi volcamo

Borobudur temple early morning

Surrounded by volcanoes

Prambanan Temple Complex Yogyakarta

Sultans body guard with his Kris (dagger) in his belt - he assured me it wasn't plastic!

There is some beautiful countryside on the outskirts of Yogyakarta and Solo

Crutches are no problem for an Asian motorcyclist!

Visit to the beach...

I also made a visit to an Animal  Project called Animal Friends Jogia in Yogyakarta Indonesia  - see my vet blog for more details      www.wandervetwork.blogspot.com 

Pretty soon my visa was up and it was time for a new adventure - I was Borneo bound! 

Bali Dreams

Bali beckoned - they call it the Island of the Gods - but to be honest  after 23 hours of traveling all we wanted was a bed!

The first leg of this 4 month adventure was going to be a fortnight's holiday before the backpacking began in earnest.  My daughters Tarin and Faith were with me so out with the crummy hostels and in with the posh hotels!

The next morning we were back on a plane but just for a short hop across the water to Lombok.  As we came into land the verdant rainforest and the shimmering blue Sea looked inviting.  We were staying at Puri Mas a small resort on the west coast of Lombok - the place oozed relaxation and activity levels amongst the McAllister clan were low! 

Balinese door to the pool

Sunbeds on the shore

Faith in yoga pose

Puri Mas gardens

     
Soon  enough it was time enough to move on - how do you get more relaxed than Puri Mas? - move to a tropical island without any cars or motorbikes - welcome to Gili  Meno!  Physical activity did go up tad as there was some great snorkeling from the beach and I spent a day diving.  Turtles are pretty common here and on our last afternoon  we spotted a big Green Turtle 'flying' over the coral reef. 

Outside our hotel on Gili Meno

Beachside dining...

Cocktail hour

Local sellers

Our boat to Bali...allegedly...

Before we knew what was happening half our holiday was over and we were heading to our last destination the town of Ubud back on Bali. Just a short speed boat ride across the Bali straits and a short bus ride to Ubud - easy - we'll be there is about 3 hours!  Wrong! Bad weather in the Bali Straits converted that into a  1 hour speed boat ride followed by a 2 hour wait at the port followed by a 2 hour bumpy bus ride to another port followed by a 5 hour ferry followed by a 1 hour taxi ride!

Ubud temple

Working in the paddy fields

Inside Ubud family temple

Hindu kittys

But Ubud was worth it - a funky little town with great food great culture and beautiful Hindu culture. My daughters enjoyed hitting the shops and we loved eating out in some fantastic restaurants. Ubud is place where a lot of ex-pats settle and there's a whole bunch of mystical spiritual stuff going on -  when in Ubud you really just have to go with the flow - the girls loved the yoga and we found much enlightenment at the Tibetan gong therapy class!!

Balinese art in the making

Temple monkey

Hanging out with the monkeys in Ubud

Our favourite monkey - he had kind eyes unlike most the others who were naughty!

Kids hanging out at the temple

Arriving with offerings at the temple

Tibetan Gong Therapy!

By this time the clock was well and truly ticking on the girls' time with me and it was a sad moment to see them leave in their airport  taxi...

Ubud paddy fields

Balimese Dance                                   

Morning offerings...

Cocktails on our last night in Bali

Next day it was back to backpacking... accommodation duly downgraded I set about planning my next couple of weeks - I had a flight booked for Borneo in 2 weeks so I started heading north... 

The rust bucket that took me to Java...

My last stop in Bali was the coastal town of Lovina - famous for its pods of dolphins. After an early morning cruise I was heading for the ferry and Indonesia's main island -  Java