Java to Australia

Tues November 13th: Day 42

We arrived in Tajung Priok at about 7 p.m. and found a taxi to take us into Jakarta. The half-hour journey was one of the most nerve-shattering rides of our lives and it is hard to dwell on without breaking into a cold sweat. But we did arrive at Gambir Station in one piece, this being the starting point for out train journey towards Bali.

Booking trains in Indonesia is much like booking ferries. You can't do this except from the station from which the journey starts. If the train is full you just have to book seats on the next one. Our train was full so this meant a night in Jakarta. Meg, ever enterprising had noticed an Ibis Hotel on the way in. I had my eyes closed by that time. So we got a taxi, asked for the Ibis and off we went. The driver began very slowly, not seeming to know where he was going, and then seems to come up with a plan. We discovered later that there are 3 Ibis hotels and he has chosen the most distant (well, why not?). This hotel was full. We eventually found somewhere nearby which was just perfect and felt very relieved. Jakarta is not the kind of place for two naive white tourists to be seen hiking their bags around after dark.

By morning the legacy of the ferry journey had reached Jeff's stomach. However, with tickets for the 'Exzecutif' class train (air con, reclining seats, etc) we thought we could cope. Although it was a 12-hour journey it was not as bad as it could have been and we saw a lot of the countryside and small villages en route. The train passes through the rice paddies and we have learned quite a bit about growing rice now. The flooding of the fields is mainly to keep down the pests. Unfortunately the flooding also increases the amount of methane produced and this is a potent greenhouse gas. Virtually all the work is done by hand - apparently there is very little mechanisation that can be used on small paddies such as the ones we saw.

We arrived in Surabaya somewhat the worse for wear and quickly found a hotel near the station for the next days train. Meg went off to but the tickets while Jeff positioned himself within easy reach of the toilet. It was 9 p.m. and the station was apparently locked, although there were signs of life on the other side of the track. Meg saw a security guard slip into the station through a locked gate (and not re-lock it). So undaunted, braving the jeers and cat-calls from taxi drivers, she let herself in the gate, crossed the track, found the station master and purchased tickets. Colonial'

officials are still apparently in awe of mem-sahibs. (And it says a lot about station security).

Surabiya from our hotel

This train turned out to be a class down from the previous one but was only 8 hours to Bunyawangi – the ferry terminal to Bali.

Surabiya station

The scenery across East Java is much more interesting and sometimes quite spectacular.

The train climbs slowly up over the hills, through thick vegetation, and there are some excellent views of the mountains in the distance.

It is clear that the people living here are very, very poor.

It was a great relief to get to the bus station and stretch our legs. We were crowded onto a small bus and driven off to the ferry. While waiting for the ferry to leave we watched kids swimming in the harbour next to the ship. Passengers were dropping 1000 Rp notes into the water (about 6p) and it was a bit like feeding the ducks as they all rushed to get there first.

More worrying was that we had noticed a large brown organic object floating in the same water just a few minutes before ...

Seeing the island of Bali ahead of us with the Sun setting, was quite magical.

There followed a three hour bus journey – now upgraded to a slightly larger coach (the ferry fee is less for a small bus) through the dark to Denpasar, the main town on Bali. Without a toilet and without stopping this is something you needed to prepare for but we have learnt the ropes now.

We arrived at our hotel in Sanur at 10 p.m. and felt we had at last reached somewhere 'safe' where we could sleep, eat and rest without needing to look over our shoulders all the time. The hotel was excellent and after three days our wobbly tummies had pretty much settled.

Our stay in Bali was divided into two parts with three days by the coast and four up in the hills at Ubud. This turned out to be a good choice. Ubud is completely different and gives a much better insight into Bali life than the more touristy coastal resorts. We explored Ubud on foot and then took a 'tour' which involved a trip to the volcanic area where you get above the clouds and can see the various craters. Gunung Agung is the highest point in Bali and is an active volcano and this was easily visible in the distance.

View of the volcano

Our tour then provided us with mountain bikes and a downhill ride of some 40 km.

With only four on the tour (plus our guide, Made) we descended via back roads through villages and farms, and he was able to answer virtually every question we had – really good value. We saw a school – and went inside to meet the pupils on their lunch break – and stopped at a 'typical' Bali house complete with its temples (all Bali houses have temples!).

After about 10 km of descent the heavens opened and we continued through some of the heaviest rain we have ever experienced. But the rain was warm and once you are completely wet it no longer matters, so we continued along roads that became rivers until we reached the steepest parts. Without any functional brakes these were impossible to ride down so we walked (through the ankle-deep water). It was great fun but nice when we finally stopped.

A Bali Village School

Ridge walk in Ubud

One evening we met an English couple, Geoff and Sue, who had been travelling for some weeks around Indonesia. Their story confirmed, and reinforced, our view that Indonesia is not really a place for the inexperienced 'mature traveller'. Sue had contracted Dengue fever early on and how she had coped so well was a mystery to us. We would both have run for home. On our last day in Bali we shared a car with our new friends and toured the north of the Island.

Wild monkeys

And so on Saturday 22^nd November we took our flight from Denpasar to Perth just 52 days after leaving Cirencester. We stayed with friends where fine wine, good food (not a grain of rice in sight) and sunshine reminded us of why we wanted to come to Australia. There followed three wonderful days on our friends' farm in Nannup where we worked on the vines, planted trees (and were re-aquainted with Australian flies). Jeff even got to drive the Landrover. And whilst we ate breakfast we watched the kangaroos and listened to kookaburras.

The farm.

After a good rest and back in Perth, we were once more overwhelmed with the beauty of this city and the friendliness of its inhabitants.

Perth from ferry

The light in WA is of amazing clarity and everything is sharp, and vivid, with the colours perfect for an artist's palate. We walked around grinning from ear to ear, almost unable to believer our luck in just being here. Just looking at the sea overwhelms us, the white of the sand against the aquamarine sea .... this sounds like a travel ad.

After a few days we drove down south to Albany where we lived for a year back in 1997/8. There followed 10 days of catching up with friends, visiting old haunts and plenty of exercise and good food.

View from Mt Clarence.

Albany is a town of about 20,000 inhabitants which serves an enormous rural farming area and provides the port facilities for exporting woodchips and logs. It has wonderful natural beauty and is somewhere well worth visiting if you ever reach W.A. We love the place and would happily live here.

Little beach