TravelBio

The next morning I made a trip to the beach before renting a motorbike.  Since the hostel didn't seem exciting I cut my losses and planned to spend the night in Ubud, known as a major center of Balinese culture.  Before heading that way I drove south to the Bukit Peninsula, a hilly and surprisingly arid piece of land (the natural scenery changed considerably driving only 10 kilometers south of Kuta).  On the south coast I visited the temple of Uluwatu, perched perilously close to steep cliffs plunging to the ocean and affording amazing views. Uluwatu at sunset The views of the cliffs alone are worth the trip Be careful when visiting!  Monkeys who live near the temple like to steal tourists' food and even their belongings; I've been told they will give up stolen property for bananas.  But peanuts are their favorite, although the monkeys supposedly get very aggressive when it comes to nuts.  While I was there a monkey took my bottle of Gatora...

I doubt you have heard of many places I visited in Indonesia: Bengkulu, Bandarlampung, Bondowoso anyone?  Bali, on the other hand, is world famous.  It may even be more well known in the West than the country of Indonesia itself!  Although the island, just east of Java, is inundated with hype, I'd say Bali manages to live up to it. What is so great about Bali?  Well for starters there is no other culture quite like it anywhere else in the world.  Before the arrival of Islam much of the Indonesian archipelago practiced Hinduism, brought from the subcontinent by Indian traders.  A Hindu kingdom united Bali and eastern Java in the 11th century.  Over the following centuries, as Islamic kingdoms grew more powerful on Java, Hindus either converted or fled to Bali (the last royal exodus took place in the late 15th century). Bali, in red, is a small island separated from Java by a narrow channel The Muslims did not pursue the fleeing royal cour...

Oddly my train was leaving not from the central Yogya station, just 5 minutes' walk from my guesthouse, but a secondary station some 25 minutes away.  Rather than lug my backpack I opted for a traditional becak ride, my first and only Indonesian cyclo experience.  Those guys sure work hard! I felt bad for the guy, who had to be at least 50, struggling to pedal while I sat there relaxing with my heavy backpack! My next destination was Probolinggo, a small city (really a large town) in northeastern Java.  There wasn't any reason to stop in Probolinggo, aside from its location near Mount Bromo.  At 2,329 meters (7,641 feet), Bromo sits in a vast "lunar-like landscape of epic proportions" (Lonely Planet).  Bromo may not be the tallest mountain in the area, but it is the most visited in all of East Java. Most trains from Yogyakarta required a transfer in Surabaya, but luckily the one I was on continued to Probolinggo.  At the train s...

I woke up at 7:30 - typically an early start for me, but not for a trip to Borobudur and Prambanan.  Organized tours visiting both sites often leave before dawn!  I considered booking a group tour since they were so cheap.  A trip to Borobudur cost less than 10 dollars, and the combined excursion was only a few dollars more. But the tour companies were only providing transport to and from.  They simply drop off the group at the temple; you pay the entrance fee and take a self-guided tour.  I was disappointed that the tour didn't include a guide, and considering tourists can get to the temples by public transport, I decided to go on my own. A city bus station; I noticed a handful of tourists were also going to Borobudur on their own The trip wasn't overly taxing, but it did take up more time.  All told the city bus, waiting at the station, and the regional bus (with stops) to Borobudur took 1.5 hours.  Add in breakfast and fig...

After so many long, arduous Sumatran bus journeys I was excited to take the train.  My expectations weren't high; I just assumed it would be better than a 20 year old broken down bus plodding though never-ending holiday traffic.  And my first Indonesian train experience wasn't just better than the bus; it was great: an air-con compartment, a smooth ride, and large, comfy chairs.  It definitely beat out Thai trains, and wasn't far off my Eurorail train experience. To my surprise the train was comfortable, clean, and fast! Whereas Jakarta is the political and economic capital of Java, Yogyakarta is its cultural capital.  Yogyakarta, or Yogya (pronounced "jogja") for short, was the capital of a powerful Javanese sultanate and even the capital of Indonesia for 3 years during the revolution against Dutch colonial rule.  Once full independence was recognized Jakarta became the permanent seat of government. Yogya is the most important tourist d...