Mountains of Java

Our last couple of nights up in Java were spent in the mountains.  Again incredibly beautiful jungle.  Our first night was at Seloliman Nature Preserve which is a little environmental education complex situated in the middle of the rain forest on the side of a mountain.  The bungalows were awesome...I had the Tiger suite complete with furniture from local wood, mosquito nets, and an outdoor bathroom/shower.  The Preserve is all about teaching local farmers, residents, and tourists about organic farming and respect for the jungle and its wildlife.  Really cool spot since it was secluded on the mountain and the whole operation is totally sustainable including all of the food that is grown on site.  The area was also home to some amazing rice paddies.  Overall a very cool spot off the beaten path and one night was not nearly enough.  The only drawback was the gigantic spider in my room!

From the Preserve we headed further into the mountains up to Mt. Bromo which is one of the largest active volcanoes in Indonesia.  We had one night there but there wasn't much sleep to be had since we had to wake up at 3:30 to make our way to the top of Bromo.  I love my sleep but it was worth the early morning!

At 3:30 we hopped into some ancient Jeep 4x4's and drove up the mountain in the dark on roads covered in fine white ash.  After a short ride we hike a ways up to a viewpoint looking down over the mountain and into the valley.  We were so high that we were above the cloud-line and watched the sunrise over the mountains and sea of clouds below.  No doubt the best and most unique sunrise I have ever seen.

After another Jeep ride to the base of the crater we hiked through what looked like a desert in the Middle East although it was not sand but dunes of ash.  In the middle of this desert was a Hindu temple standing all alone before the many steps up to the crater of Mt. Bromo.  The whole journey to the top felt very surreal as there were still not many tourists and it felt like we were actually in another country altogether.  Finally on a precarious ledge overlooking the crater you can look down at the volcano and the sulfuric smoke pouring out of the top.  Bromo was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip and something I will never forget.

It was a great way to leave Java as the next day we head to Bali by ferry.  Really looking forward to Bali as the pace will be a bit slower there and I can hit the beach again!  The party scene shouldn't be too bad either...

Heart of Java - Yogyakarta

After another full day of travelling we found ourselves in Yogya which is a university city with about 3.1 million people.  It is considered the cultural center of the Java region and is known for it's regional cuisine of noodle and rice dishes.

Our first night there we went to a square where thousands of locals hang out at night.  I don't think I saw any other tourists other than our group.  The bizarre attraction there are the rickshaws that you can rent to ride around the square with dozens of other cars that are all lit up with Christmas lights.  Although I was hoping for the rickshaw with Sponge Bob lights, we settled for another and took it for a spin.  Hilarious.  All of these rickshaws dodging cars and motorbikes on the road while they blast Western rap music.  One of the stranger things I have seen but a cool look into the local culture of Yogya.

The main attractions of Yogya are the temples however.  Right outside the city is the world's largest buddhist temple and another Hindu temple that is equally impressive.  The buddhist temple was a previous Wonder of the World.  Both were built around 1,200 years ago.  Awesome.  The pictures speak for themselves.

Buddhist

Stylin in my sarong at the Buddhist Temple

Hindu

Tonight we're going to see what the nightlife of Yogya has to offer before we head up to the mountains tomorrow to ascend the Mt. Bromo volcano.

West Java - Indonesia

After nearly missing my flight to Jakarta after our night out in Singapore, I finally reached the last country of the trip: Indonesia.  After travelling about 10 hours we made it to Pangandaran on the West coast of Java.  It is a small town that once thrived off of beach tourism but struggled since the tsunami of 2004.  The town itself is sandwiched between two beaches: one on the west for sunset and one on the east for sunrise.  Although it is cool to have beaches on both sides, they were a little disappointing as they were kind of dirty and many of the shops there are now closed.  The people there were some of the friendliest yet and the laid-back beach town feel was very noticeable.

The highlight of Pangandaran is nature.  A local guide named Aep took us out on a few treks where we saw some of the most exotic wildlife and locations I have ever seen.  To start our tour Aep, made deer sounds and   dozens of deer grazing in a local field came over and he gave them a kiss!  Super strange but impressive.  The guy is definitely an animal lover.

At one point we went into a cave that was pitchblack and Aep started making his animal calls again.  When he told us to turn our lights on we were in the middle of a group of about 4 porcupines.  Aside from that we encountered bats in a Japanese WWII bunker, macaque monkeys, monitor lizards up to about 6 feet, and even scorpions; one of which actually ended up in my mouth...live.

 

The other highlight was the Green Canyon tour.  You get there by taking a boat up a river with emerald green water lined with lush tropical palms and plants.  The banks of the river then rise up to about 100ft of sheer rock on each side.  Natural spring water drips down from the tops of the walls down into the emerald water below.  At the end is a waterfall that can only be accessed by swimming and climbing over rocks for about an hour.  The canyon surrounding the river was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen.  A truly unique experience and a must do for anyone travelling in Indo.

Entrance to Canyon

Singapore Sling

Singapore is an interesting place.  It looks and feels like a mix between Tokyo and Las Vegas.  Really modern  architecture and lots to see and do with a few casinos sprinkled in between.  It is actually illegal to bring chewing gum into the country or even buy it on the streets!  Again they have very strict drug laws that are punishable by death and they also restrict people smoking on the street among many other things.  For this reason, citizens are very proud of how clean the city is since there are no cigarette butts or gum on the ground.

Unfortunately Singapore was my first group's last stop so I really only had a day to explore.  I checked out the spitting Merlion statue, the Singapore Flyer ferris wheel and the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and Casino that looks like a large boat suspended in the air.  Marina Bay was pretty impressive and if you gamble you definitely should check it out at some point.  The top of the boat structure has a pool overlooking the Singapore Flyer and the rest of the city.

The street food and nightlife are also highlights of the city.  Even though the city is fairly conservative those people definitely appreciate the party.  Canals run through the modern buildings downtown and thousands of people walk the canal and pop in and out of local bars and clubs.

Seeing as it was my group's last night together before some of us continued on to Indonesia while others went home, our group leader organized a group dinner.  I thought it was a joke at first but we somehow ended up at Hooters whose claim to fame is the first of its kind in Asia.  Felt like home but not as many blondes!  Had a terrible burger that tasted just as bad as in the US.  That dinner marked the first Western food I ate of the trip...can't believe it was Hooters!

Asian Hooters!

Despite the burger, dinner and our last night out with the group was a blast.  We brown-bagged our booze on the canal and went to a small club where the dance floor was put to a serious test.  Sad to lose those of the group that were not continuing on to Indonesia.  Couldn't have asked for a better group to explore Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Melaka - Melting Pot of Cusines

Melaka is in Southern Malaysia and is about 120 miles from the equator. HOT!  But it's only going to get hotter as I head further South.  Melaka is know for it's cuisine as it blends all of the cultures I mentioned in my previous post.  Satay is a particular specialty where you sit around a table with a propane tank and the boiling spiced peanut sauce is at the center of the table.  At Capitol Satay they have over 80 different kinds of skewers that start raw until you cook in the peanut sauce.  Kind of like asian fondue.  Options are chicken, beef, squid, prawns that are about a foot long, and many other possibilities, many of which were total mysteries!  Just had that for dinner tonight...we'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Melaka itself was colonized by the Dutch and has a large river that runs though it that resembles some of the canals in Amsterdam.  Low-key bars and restaurants line the banks of the river where boats pass up and down.

Apart from a couple of churches, there is a beautiful mosque and temple although I have to admit I am a bit templed and mosqued out.  The highlights of Melaka really are the food.  Tons of street vendors selling everything you can think of.  In general, probably some of the best food of the trip and most different from anything I have ever had before.  One of the stranger things I have found in Melaka and some of the other cities is the durian fruit.  It is described as smelling like stinky socks and is actually prohibited from being carried on public transportation!  Supposedly the taste is good so I may give one a try one of these days.

Malaysian Rickshaw with Scorpion on top

Really looking forward to the next stop in Singapore.  Sadly the group will be split and then new travelers will join up in Jakarta.  Hoping for a good group!

Malaysia's Capital - Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is normally called KL by the locals.  It feels HUGE but is actually only about 2 million people.  It is also by far the most modern city yet.  Lots of the buildings feature modern architecture and KL is also home to the world's third tallest towers.  Really impressive and beautiful by night.

Mosque in Center of KL

KL Towers by night

The diversity of the city was also very apparent.  There are many Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indians, and Westerners all bustling about the streets.

One of my favorite attractions in KL was the Batu Caves which are just outside the city.  You have to ascend about 500 steps past a giant golden statue into the mouth of a cave.  The cave is hundreds of feet tall in some areas and has big stalactites and stalagmites all surrounding Hindu statues that were carved directly into the cave.  At the end of the cave, there is a Hindu temple where the cave opens up to the sky again with wild monkeys climbing about the vertical walls.  Some even had babies holding on to their stomachs as they climbed.  You have to keep an eye on those little guys because they will climb down and try to steal anything they can from you.  Batu Caves was a really special place and I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting KL.

The actual city of KL reminded my in certain ways of Vegas.  Lots of neon lights and plenty of progressive architecture to keep you engaged.  The heat there was also reminiscent of Las Vegas.  REALLY hot!  Once things cool down at night, the night markets open up and whole streets are set-up with tables for visitors to sit down and enjoy the delicious street food from the many cultures represented in KL.

Next stop is Melaka in Southern Malaysia, about 120km from the equator.  I hear they are know for their food there so I'm hoping try as much as possible.

Sober?  Actually yes.

Onward to Malaysia!

Sorry for the delay on the posts...my camera got a virus from an internet cafe so I had no pics!

So this morning we drove a few hours from Krabi to the Thailand-Malaysia border.  We had to walk across but the crossing was pretty uneventful.  The only thing of note was that there was a large warning sign declaring that possessing drugs in Malaysia is punishable by the death penalty!  Malaysia is much more strict than Thailand and many of the other countries in SE Asia.  Malaysia literally mean "Mountain Asia" and hosts about 26 million people.  Islam is the dominant religion at about 60%.  The remaining 40% is mostly Hindu and Buddhist.

After crossing the border, we drove a couple more hours to Penang which is an island off of the Western Coast of Malaysia.  It has many luxury high rises and modern construction on one part of the island and then an older historic center in a neighborhood called George Town.  This was at one time an English colony so many of the streets, signs, statues, etc. are all in English or revolve around historical western figures.

Golden Buddha at Burmese Buddhist Temple

45 m Gold Plated Thai Buddha

It's also possible to go up Penang hill via funicular which is about 800m above the city.  Scenic views and a Hindu temple and mosque await at the top.

View from Penang Hill

Python Head

The group is getting along fine so far considering spending the past week together.  Our guide, Khag, is a good-humored Thai woman from Bangkok who maybe not so surprisingly has a deep love for karaoke!  We actually went out for karaoke one night in Penang and had a good time.  Liz, in your honor, I sang Sweet Child Of Mine with an Aussie buddy and ripped it up.

Overall, feel very lucky with the group dynamic and even though we are all very different, we seem to have a blast together.  Khag is always the life of the party and sometimes the instigator!