Category Archives: Hiking

Day 139 – Surprises, good and bad

We had a lovely breakfast with Boston Cream donuts but couldn't help to notice that "Durian" is a regular flavour...

We had a lovely breakfast with Boston Cream donuts but couldn’t help to notice that “Durian” is a regular flavour…

The trip to Bukit Lawang, although only 80 km, took us all morning. This may have had to do with our extremely lazy getting up, or with the decadently long breakfast at Dunkin’ Donuts. But it surely had to do with the fact that it was Sunday, as well. Sunday meant that although Medan itself was quiet, the only road out that way was not. The region and Bukit Lawang are a common day trip for smog chocked Medanese.

Not even 10 meters beyond the welcome sign of Bukit Lawang we were swarmed by hawkers. “Can I help you?” “Which hotel?” … my tolerance for rubbish has worn mighty thin after 50 days in Indonesia, so we left it to brisk answers and avoided eye contact. For some reason the sale’s pitch under the pretence of altruism gets me extra riled up. Luckily, we got left alone after a couple of moments of our silence treatment to sort out accommodation ourselves.

The place that caught our fancy the most was called “Back to Nature”, supposedly sitting within 80 ha of privately preserved rainforest on the edge of the Gunung Leuser National Park. The Lonely Planet was a bit vague whether a road would lead to the place, so we called to find out. No, no road would lead there, but we could park our bike in town and a guide would pick us up from there. Hmm …

Suria, our guide, arrived just a couple of minutes later. He suggested we should have a bite to eat before heading out (it was noon by now). Hmm … How long to the place? Just 30 to 45 min. Ok … still, food sounded right. During lunch we tried to find out a bit more about what, where and how. The big ticket item, at least for Westerners, is the daily Orangutan feeding, a little bit into the park on the other side of the river. Thus hit the bombshell – not quite willing to get it out right away, we prodded Suria to find out that the feeding is closed until further notice. A big flood hit the village a week ago and the boat to ferry visitors across got washed away (more on that flood to come). Wow … what now?

There were two things we could do to still get a chance on seeing Orangutans here. One would be a guided hike into the national park, which would be way out of our budget and probably our available time as well. The other, with a small chance of a sighting, would be to still go to “Back to Nature”. Their garden has attracted some of the big apes and they get visited 2-3 times a week. Plus, it would still be a night in the jungle, something I had not done as of yet. Nina was doubtful to sad, but in the end went along. Maybe it was Suria’s inexhaustible cheerfulness filled with catchy one-liners that pushed her over the edge.

We went down this way just after a motorcycle came up. No way Rocinante would have made this

We went down this way just after a motorcycle came up. No way Rocinante would have made this

So we stored our bike and our gear at a place in the village and started walking along the river. We had what we thought we needed distributed between our and another borrowed backpack. Spoiler alert, we would have needed different things. A couple of hundred meters in I accepted that I would not have gotten Rocinante through here. A small bike coming up a staircase tipped me over the edge (if only I’d known). The path follows behind a row of houses and the wall of the gorge. The houses are strung along on the river’s edge. Where the houses ended, the walkway turned into a hiking path – ok, surely no way to get the bike here.

Behind the next bend, the hiking path abruptly ended in a broken staircase and the brown river hitting a cliff face on our side. This was the place where the boat over to the feeding station was moored until last week. Someone with a lorry’s inner tube had joined us a moment ago. With continued cheerfulness we were told that the tube is for us, the only way forward is through the water and it is about chest high. Great! Remember the things we packed for the day? Guess what, swim trunks and a change of pants were not among them! Our gear was carried over and we made it with newly soaked butts. It was warm alright, but having your only change of clothes wet is not the most charming of starts. “Is this the only place where we cross?” “Sure brother, don’t worry be happy! Welcome to the jungle!” On we went, but I had a certain suspicion. The map to the place showed two river crossings via cable bridges ahead. Rubber tube guy kept on following us …

Our two guys bringing our backpacks to safety first

Our two guys bringing our backpacks to safety first

Soon, we came upon the first cable – but instead of spanning the brown floods, it was blocking the path on our side, ending somewhere behind us in the water. Last bit through the water, yeah right! The flood that hit the village also destroyed sections of the path from here on and both cable bridges. To get there, we would need to cross 20m of river twice. I am still not sure what kept Nina from snapping right there. Instead we both embraced the sheer weirdness of the whole thing and went along. Down to our underwear we went. My only worry, and it was a huge one, was about our packs. Mine held all our major electronics – laptop, camera etc. and we had brought no waterproofing.  Turned out that my worries were well founded. Suria, while carrying the pack across, stepped into a hole and sunk in to the chest, holding the pack over his head for dear life. He made it …

Before we plonked ourselves into the rubber tube, we saw a couple of tourists (recognizable by the white skin) getting ready to raft down the river in a make-shift raft out of four inner tubes tied together. It looked like considerably more fun than trying to hike upstream through the river. We stored that information in the back of our minds for the way back tomorrow.

I was already on land again when the guys went back to get Flo

I was already on land again when the guys went back to get Flo

Then Nina, who was struggling with the strong current even in knee-high water, was dragged to the other side. It took both guys and some floating through the strongest current to make it. I was next and though I made it further than Nina on my own, the current was something to be wary off. Again, we both had wet undies and, this time, also wet shirts. Afterwards, Suria and Mekah (tube guy) needed a smoking break.

From here, it really wasn’t too far to the guest house anymore. It looked very charming with all the furniture made out of (drift)wood, overlooking the river. We got a welcome tea which tasted a lot like Christmas with spices like clove and aniseed. After already being dragged through the river three times, we didn’t feel like going for a swim and, instead, had a shower under the waterfall which turned out to be very, very cold.

Macaques taking a bath

Macaques taking a bath

Sitting around, reading, we were called by one of the staff as a group of macaques climbed along the other river side. It was cool to see monkeys in the wild. They even went for a swim in a separated puddle which had almost no current; surprisingly good swimmers, all of them.

I felt a bit restless so I went through the gardens on a little guided tour but without seeing any apes or monkeys. Ikbal, another staff guy, arrived with some supplies and stories about his own motorcycle.

It got dark when we had dinner so the generator was turned on. The whole place lit up beautifully!

Day 119 – Sulphur and torrent

The apporaching road

The apporaching road

We managed to leave Probolinggo rather early. This was recommended for a visit to the volcano Gunung Bromo as clouds tend to gather around the peak later in the day. Bromo is part of the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park (who would have guessed) and thus cost us another round of entrance fees. We had looked up the prices on the internet before going which is why we avoided going yesterday as prices are higher on the weekend. One ticket for foreigners is 217k which is even more expensive. Too expensive for us, we decided. Going as far as we could, having a look around and then leaving before entering the national park was the plan.

As so many plans, it’s only good until its first contact with reality. 🙂 The road up to the caldera was beautiful already and the ride very enjoyable. I took many pictures…maybe too many as my camera later died.

Arriving at the entrance gate, it sure cost 217k per person. Still too much for us. But the moment we turned around, we felt really bad. We discussed it another time, turned around again and Flo went in to the ticket booth to get tickets. Coming out again, he smiled and said “we came to a mutually agreeable arrangement” that was kind to our budget. No need to ask any further. 😉

All three, Batok, Bromo and the last one barely visible

All three, Batok, Bromo and the last one barely visible

Ten meters into the park, you get the first view onto Bromo. The caldera is a massive ashen plane, 10km across with the smoldering Bromo in the distance and the volcano Batok next to it. The plane is actually called Laotian Pasir which translates to Sea of Sand. The whole thing looks amazing; the local horses only add to the picture even if we had to decline a horse ride across the plane multiple times.

Having our own iron steed, we tackled the approach through the volcanic ash. Rocinante did well, we only wobbled once during a stretch of deep sand. Past the temple was a little “parking lot” from where we hiked up to the crater of Bromo.

The sound from the crater was unnerving ... a constant low rumble

The sound from the crater was unnerving … a constant low rumble

Many, many steps lead up to a stone fence which is the only thing separating you from a drop into the bubbling lake releasing plume after plume of sulphur clouds. It is eerie up there (and smelly) but also amazing. We had the place to ourselves and enjoyed the vast view back over the plane for a while. Here, my camera started to cry for help. It hadn’t been charged last night.

Leaving, our only remaining plan was a vague direction towards Malang and a desire to take the road on the south coast. Still on the slope we stopped for lunch which is even cheaper on Java than on other islands. It was the first time, durian was hanging from the roof. Durian is also known as the smelliest fruit in the world…it even stinks when it is still in its husk. We had the bad fortune of having other customers there who ordered durian as a snack. That cut our break short, I think.

Only photo from the safety of our place for the night

Only photo from the safety of our place for the night

Being only 60km from Malang now, we planned to go further today. However, we didn’t have a break from 2pm to 3pm which now should be known as “the time it rains” but only put on our waterproof jackets. Big mistake. A whole torrent came down, nothing the roadside gullies could deal with so the streets flooded within minutes. Serious flooding as the water stood higher here than on many river crossings we have done in the past. To make it worse, the traffic slowed to a stop as it narrowed down to only one lane. Passing the obstacle, we weren’t sure if it was an accident or a construction site.

Being completely soaked through from the hips downwards, including water standing in our boots, the decision to stay in Malang was easy. And we got very lucky: We found a super nice guest house that looks like something of an Ikea catalogue for 100k a night! That might be our cheapest night yet. Free tea and coffee was offered and we spent the afternoon lounging on the couches surfing the free wifi and enjoying being inside. And dry. Outside, there was a lightning storm directly above us with thunder so loud, I jumped each time.

Finally, the rain stopped so we went for dinner. Cities are just so convenient. Around two corners, a lovely place called “Noodles Inc” caught our eye. It was well frequented by posh young people and looked very modern. Hand-pulled noodles in a mie dish were yummy and quite spicy. I topped it off with a “chocolate cookie cream” drink which defeated my straw due to the cookie crumbles in it. 🙂

Day 105 – From rain forest back into savannah

Nice view for breakfast

Nice view for breakfast

Tete batu was even cool in the morning. But we decided to just see one waterfall before heading off to Kuta. Maybe we could have a beach day after all.

Driving up the rather washed-out road, we stopped at the house of a local with whom we had spoken yesterday. He pointed us in the right direction for the Air Terjun and we walked the last 200m there by ourselves. The place was way smaller than the waterfalls we had seen so far but it was still a lovely little place. One of the small falls produced a rainbow where the water hit the rocks and the locals had made a dam by the two biggest falls to retain the water. The thus created pool was deep enough to wash in.

All handcrafted organic rice here ...

All handcrafted organic rice here …

Coming back up we asked for a short guided tour and were taken through the village and along the rice fields for a good while. The sun was burning down again…I was really wishing for a pocket waterfall by this time so I could refresh myself whenever I wanted…

The tour ended with a walk through the aptly-named “monkey forest” where we saw many black and grey monkeys, some of them even carrying babies. Pictures are not nearly as impressive as we still don’t own a tele.

After this, we just packed the bike with the luggage we had left at our guest house (and realizing it was on the “monkey forest street”) and left the lovely town of Tete batu, full of nice people and great roadside “nanas” (pineapple).

As soon as we came further south, the landscape returned to the very dry savannah we have seen for so long now. I simply found it too hot to ride which made me grumpy which lead to a misunderstanding with Flo. We discussed things over food which helped and continued to Kuta, one of the beach towns in south Lombok. Unfortunately, neither Flo nor I took a particular liking to the town so instead of relaxing, I got properly homesick. I haven’t been homesick in a while and I guess exhaustion also played its part.

To compensate, we (against better judgement) tried pizza again for dinner and were only mildly disappointed with the average one we got.

Day 103 – Waterfalls

We had booked a half day hike for this morning. It was supposed to start at 8am but our guide turned up early so we left early as well. We started with the hike to the waterfall. There is an official path to get there but we took the unofficial road which leads along the artificial waterway and gave us great views over the valley with rice fields.

Beautiful place and enormous ...

Beautiful place and enormous …

We basically stayed on the same height line until we could see and hear the first waterfall. Apart from the waterfall, we could also hear something resembling thunder. Rani told us that those are eruptions within Rinjani, though, when the magma hits the water of the crater lakes. That was not the most reassuring of all explanations.

Going down to Air Tejung Sendang Gile, the view was lovely. The water falls down in two steps from a steep wall that is completely covered in green; ferns and jungle creepers. It has been ages since we saw the last waterfall…probably back in NZ.

You shouldn’t go underneath the water (it is falling down about 60 meters) but you can still get close enough to get wet from the spray. A couple of photos and a biscuit break later, we started for the second and more important waterfall. Again, you follow the artificial waterway and even cross an aqueduct with a drop on both sides before you have to cross the river twice to get to the place. The river is quite cold and the water is so clear that you can see everything. Rani helped me through the crossings; it’s just a bit hard crossing with bare feet rather than in water shoes as the rocks make footing uneven. It was much fun nevertheless. Continue reading →

Day 93 – Mon-three-versary!

cool fruit

cool fruit

What a day this was! It started golden already, waking up as the fishermen returned with their morning catch. The surf was still there, the view was too and the hills gave us shade from the sun long enough to get all our gear packed before the sun hits the beach. As promised our breakfast was waiting for us at Blasius’ place at 7 am. Dried banana baked in a dough mantle that looked a bit like croissants, tea and “kopi” to go with them. I love the local coffee, by the way. A lot like greek coffee, the ground and sugar are all mixed together and served unfiltered. To round it off we got offered sawo. The green fruit is eaten like a fig, broken apart and the inside that tastes a bit like sour banana with the texture of ripe pear is then nibbled out. The fruit was good, but it left a bizarre gum-like residue on the lips, like sap.

Very welcoming.

Very welcoming.

After breakfast Blasius took us and his middle son with him to his parents’ house to introduce us. We had a lovely welcome there, another round of coffee and a round of family photos. When Blasius told us that his dad is growing cocoa, amongst other things, I asked him if he had ever tried the cocoa (knowing that a lot of producers don’t know how the end product, chocolate, tastes like). He was a bit confused, nodded and wandered off. He came back with two fresh ripe cocoa pods, opened one and took a segment with bean in his mouth. We did the same and started munching away, chewing the bitter bean … when he spit the cleaned bean right back out! Turns out that one can eat the sweet sour fruity skin of the bean, which is quite good. The bean is disgusting of course, until dried, roasted and mixed with heaps of sugar …

After the visit it was time to leave and I asked what we owed for the dinner and breakfast and he said whatever we were ok to give. Ah, what a terrible burden! I gave 100k rupiah, and he seemed genuinely happy with this. After a sec, I added another 50k (all together $17.50 NZ). We did not have to pay for accommodation and the food was excellent, plus the kindness we received!

On our way down we saw 15 calmly crossing the road. Magical!

On our way down we saw 15 calmly crossing the road. Magical!

The road to Moni and on up Kelimutu was a beautiful mountain road. We had to stop for 15 minutes at a work site, but it was only a couple of turns and we could move to the shade to sit it out. The Trans-Flores Highway is great, reminding me a lot of NZ roads (although a tad less repaired). After a brief lunch in Moni, we headed up the volcano(es). From the car park it is only a 1.5 km walk to the viewing platforms. It is all about the three candela lakes here, each one a different colour and all visible from a single point. On the way we spotted macaques, shy as they should be, on the track. Wohoo, wild monkeys!

Up top we met Lili and Sebastian, a couple of French backpackers. We had a good chat and were able to fully NZ-geek-out when Lili told us about her working holiday visa and her soon to start NZ year 🙂

satisfyingly green

satisfyingly green

The road down from here to Ende leads through a super narrow valley, beautiful rice fields or rivers at the bottom of them and overall a riding highlight on this trip so far. One of these roads that deserve a youtube GoPro clip. The only downside was another road closure for half an hour and two work sites with muddy roads, but nothing too wild. When the road opened again, we got spilled through the work site in a frantic rush of motorcycles and down and out towards dusky Ende. Once there, a wrong turn got us into a police station, and after we got swarmed by officers we got a final escort through the one-way jungle to our guesthouse.

Day 85 – Mt Tatamailau/ Ramelau

Uargh...usually that's too early. What you are willing to do for a sunrise

Uargh…usually that’s too early. What you are willing to do for a sunrise

To be able to see the sunrise from the summit requires you to get up early. Very early. The alarm clock went off at 2:45am so we could start at 3am. Right on time we were sitting on the veranda, waiting for our guide Aldo. Then we waited. And waited. When he hadn’t shown up by 3:20am, Flo checked that we had the hiking track on our GPS and we started without a guide. Hato Builico is about 1933 meters above sea level while the top of Mt Tatamailau, the highest point in Timor-Leste, is at 2986m.

Hiking in the dark was quite the adventure. We were lucky in so far as the moon was full and shedding much light as well. But still, you don’t see much more than what your headlamp shows you. If you turn the lamp off though, you could see many stars and off course the full moon so we took the time to take two long exposure photos in the dark.

View up the road with long exposure of the night sky. You can see a couple of the stars

View up the road with long exposure of the night sky. You can see a couple of the stars

First, we followed the “road” through the village and up to the entrance of the hiking track. Road is in quotation marks as it was a mixture between broken up asphalt, rough dirt and gravel. At one point, while following the asphalt, the road just disappeared into a drop. We took a picture of it on the way back.

The entrance to the hiking track is marked by a gate. This gate is an entrance monument for the pilgrimage up the mountain with Francis of Assis on it. Right behind the gate, steps start to lead up the mountain for a while. After a long series of stairs, the path turns into a dirt track that steeply climbs the mountain. Then it turns into goat tracks which zigzag up the side. One of the tracks had been “barred” with a branch; we took the advice and continued straight on.

First glimpse of the red sun

First glimpse of the red sun

At 5am, the birds all started to sing on cue as the first light appeared on the horizon. A red shimmer started to glow while we made our way towards the ridge. Our headlamps were unnecessary at this point. On the ridge, there was a nice little cleared area with a perfect view onto the horizon where we stopped and watched the red sun rise about all the smaller mountains in the vicinity. The views were grand; not only with the sun rising but also with the morning fog still hanging in the lower valleys. It looked as if we were the only people around for miles.

Sitting down to watch the sunset was lovely but also really, really cold. As soon as we stopped at such an exposed place, I began to shiver so Flo and I put on all the cloths we had brought including hats and fleece snoods. Looking like in the middle of winter we waited for this summer day to begin.

The statue isn't actually that big

The statue isn’t actually that big

After the sun had come up, we hiked the last part up to the platform to a statue of the Virgin Mary. The statue looks big on photos but is only about 1,50m in real life. Unexpectedly, there was a local up there, recording our arrival for the ministry of tourism.

From the platform, you can see far into every direction. Ramelau is pretty much in the center so you could see the ocean on two sides of the island of Timor. Indonesia/West Timor was visible in the west while Maubisse, Baucau and even the bay of Dili could be made out in the distance.

Standing on the highest point, looking over all the land stretching out to your feet was quite awe inspiring.

On the way back down, Flo and I were reminiscing about all the places we had been to already and struck with the idea of what is yet to come.

We took a different goat track down and realized that there had been a landslip at one point so that from there onwards, it was unpassable. Luckily, there were still zigzag tracks down to the other path that we had come up on. These were steep and slippery though so I was especially careful.

Now we could see what we climbed up in the dark

Now we could see what we climbed up in the dark

Now, with the sun up, we could see the surroundings of what we climbed in the dark which made retracing our steps a bit more fun than it usually is.

At about 10am, we were back at our guest house. We packed quickly and then sat down on the veranda for a break. Aldo appeared shortly but seemed to be too embarrassed to talk to us. He confirmed that he had overslept and then was not to be seen again. I guess he still felt bad about the $15 he could have earned as a guide…

Flo said he felt well enough to drive so we hopped on the bike, said our good-byes and took the long 18km of cobblestone road back out. Winding along three valleys, we didn’t stop much today as we already had a 6 hours hike behind us.

In Maubisse, we had a lovely lunch in the same café as yesterday. Coffee was one of the main selling points for Flo and also, the food had been good and much. I took a coke instead of coffee to wake myself up again as I could read the signs: Flo was eager to get back to Dili today instead of staying in Maubisse for the night.

Another four hours of driving later, we finally made it through all the road words again and were back in Dili. Herman and the other volunteers we asked were busy so we had time to wash clothes before heading off to bed at 8pm. I for my part was knackered at that stage.

Day 81 – Jaco the ripper

Flo was up for the sunrise

Flo was up for the sunrise

It was time to dare. We were warned about this road, but no one can really tell you what you can ride in the end. So we decided to lighten our bike and give it a try, ready to stop or turn around if necessary. It turns out, we could have thought this through a lot better, but so is life.

After we pimped our included breakfast of canned butter and buns with some of our jam we felt ready to go. The caretakers of the mansion turned hotel were nice enough to allow us to store our gear in their living room and just with the two of us and a backpack, we felt as prepared as we could have been.

This is where we stopped. The track only got worse and we didn't wanna push it too much. Hiking along, we realized that we had stopped just in the right moment

This is where we stopped. The track only got worse and we didn’t wanna push it too much. Hiking along, we realized that we had stopped just in the right moment

The trip was downhill for as much of the 8 km trip as we managed to get down. The road was bad, fist sized rocks buried in dusty silt on a 20 degree angle. But the real deal breaker was when the road stared going a bit uphill again from a lower part of Tutuala maybe 2 km in: The bed of a mountain stream looks as much like a road as this. We made the call, asked a family to park our bike there and walk down. We forgot to take anything to secure our gear, so we took a leap of faith in them (nothing has been touched even 7 hrs later). Further, we left our hiking shoes with the rest of the gear, so we started walking in motorcycle boots …

It took us two and a half hours to get all the way down from the plateau to the water. The decision to leave the bike was definitively the right one. The “road” is for Hilluxs and trail bikes, or one could smash a local 125 with no care for tomorrow down there. What did we find at the end of the world? Three more Germans, waiting on the fishermen to be ferried over as well …

Knowing that the way we left our things would make it necessary to get out again today (estimated 3 hrs hike), we tried to communicate to the fisherman that we wanted to get picked up again by 1pm. This was made harder by the others who wanted to stay all day. Needs must, a $10 return ride in a fishermen’s boat is the only way to get to and from the uninhabited island.

That looks like a postcard

That looks like a postcard

Ah, so you may ask why do all that? Well, Jaco has the most beautiful beach I have been on in my life. And we had to share it with mere 3 other humans, which could be considered bad luck on a weekday. Plus, the marine life around here is supposed to be stunning as well – which was a bit hampered by our lack of gear. We got to borrow one set in the end and got to chase big fish in the pristine aquamarine water.

Our pick up came in the end, but maybe ¾ of an hour later than we would have hoped for, leaving us waiting desperate for shade on the beach. We used Nina’s sarong for some cover, which turned out to be a life saver.

Back on Timor proper we found a nun awaiting the return of her volunteers from the island. They had a ride, but she was unsure when they would go back, so we bit the bullet and started walking again – no lunch, one banana and 1.2 litres of water from the generous fishermen between us. Not the best of prerequisites for a 6 km hike climbing about 800m …

Hitching a ride on the back of a truck. By this point, Flo already realized how sun burnt he is

Hitching a ride on the back of a truck. By this point, Flo already realized how sun burnt he is

I started showing signs of a bad sunburn on my arms and legs, even though we used 30+ sunscreen at regular intervals. Only later that day I realised that this is another known side effect of the doxycycline we are using as malaria prophylaxis. I therefor walked covered up with Nina’s sarong as a sort of chador. About two thirds up came our much needed boost: The nun arrived with her wards in a Hillux, and we got a lift the last third of the way on the back of the truck.

After picking up our gear at 4:30 pm, getting my phone back that I forgot in our room that morning (the ladies of the house were soo lovely and brought it out first thing when we came back) it was time to get on the road once more with one final goal for the day: Find cheap accommodation. How cheap? Well, it also turned out that we were a bit low on cash. To have enough money for fuel back, we could not spend more than $20 US. We had heard of guest houses on the beach in Com, about 50 km from Tutuala on the direct route, or 80 km along “proper” roads.

I felt adventurous, so we stocked up on 50c instant noodles and bananas sold at a cock fight we passed and took the direct route. The unsealed track was a rollercoaster ride through smoothed ruts up to 50cm deep, but actually quite nice. Until we hit a small step in the landscape and the road went up a coral limestone cliff. Nina got off and I managed the 50m over jutting limestone of up to head sizes. We almost gave up at the second such step when I saw on the GPS that the road would turn “sealed” right around the corner. One last solo balance act later we were on top of the plateau on a good sealed track.

Lovely little farms in the evening light on our way to Com

Lovely little farms in the evening light on our way to Com

The last hurdle was the drop back down from the plateau to the coast. The road surface was 50-70% gone, but the beautiful village stretching the hill from the escarpment down to the sea made up for the bumpy ride. Villages in limestone cliffs, with springs and ancient trees growing over the rocks are just stunning.

We got to camp for $16 in the empty Com Beach Resort after waving our $20 note and putting on the sad puppy face. This place was bizarre. A proper resort style complex, with no staff or customers in sight. Just the buildings and furniture. I wonder who thought this would work out here …

In the evening we got to treat our sunburn (Nina’s back is burnt as well) with proper gel for burns and had a taste of the instant noodles. They didn’t taste too bad but something in them made the gum of your mouth hurt like a bruise you might get at a dentist’s…weird.

Day 76 – There and back again

Flo woke me up quite urgently because the sun was rising right outside of our room. I stumbled out, into the hammock and we watched the sunrise.

From bed to hammock, that is as far as Nina got.

From bed to hammock, that is as far as Nina got.

A quick check of the clock told us that it was 6.30am and breakfast would be served at 7am.

I never have a problem with breakfasts (being vegetarian) and this one was great. Fresh bananas and pieces of oranges next to omelettes and hard-boiled eggs. As a baseline, there are always small, round bread rolls with jam, honey, peanut butter or marmite. It was delicious and I stuffed myself. Right after breakfast, we realized that we’ve forgotten to take our doxycycline today. So back to the table and more food…oh, the pains. 😉

We packed a daypack for hiking and went to talk to Barry about hiking to Mario’s place. Mario’s place is on the opposite side of the island with a hike leading across to it.

Like a map for a treasure hunt ;)

Like a map for a treasure hunt 😉

Barry gave us a basic map of the track (no markings) and we packed our lunch in the kitchen before heading off.

The first 1 ½ hours are along the road. Despite us leaving in the early morning, it was hot and the track was lacking trees for shade. However, the view back down to Beloi and the bay was great.

Finally, we came to the first real turn and the track went off into a forested part, leading past limestone walls and caves. Some of them are gigantic, with roots from trees hanging down. Immediately, it was cooler and the slight breeze refreshing. A couple of goats could be seen at both sides of the path. Continue reading →

Day 55 – It’s over 9000!

Exactly 10.000km!

Exactly 10.000km!

… 10.000 km actually. Still in Kakadu, 5 km before the Mamukala bird watching area, we have completed the first 10.000.000 meter of this trip, in the 2nd country along our way. Not bad, eh?

Over all, this was a pretty sweet day for us. We got up at quarter past six and had everything ready even before the bakery opened at 8am to get breakfast. As a bonus, I got a smile out of the lady at the petrol station for mentioning our next destination: She was from East Timor and was genuinely excited that we decided to go and visit her home country.

Posing with the bike

Posing with the bike

First destination for the day was Ubirr and surroundings. A nice curvy road led us to the border between Kakadu national park and Arnhem Land. Border is meant quite literally, since travel past the border store into Arnhem Land is restricted and requires a permit from the traditional owners. Geographically, the border is marked by the Arnhem Land limestone escarpment and the East Alligator River.

The road follows the escarpment for a bit, offering a great change of scenery from the monotonous savannah so far. It turns out, exploring the Kakadu National Park via the Kakadu and Arnhem Highways is a sure way to be bored out of your scull. There are great things to see a couple of km off on side tracks, but so far most of it was locked away from us behind corrugated sandy 4wd tracks.

This changed today: We started with a short walk from the Border Store along the river, croc spotting and through the nice cool Manngarree Monsoon Forest. Saltwater Crocodiles were shy, but we saw hundreds of cute flying foxes hanging from the trees. The walk was made even more pleasant by Frederike and Lars, who joined us once more.

Flo looking at the super green flood plain

Flo looking at the super green flood plain

Next stop was Ubirr itself, which we hit in time for the 11 am guided rock art tour. The style of the ranger turned out to be not quite our cup of tea, but we ducked ahead and got the highlight of the park (for us) almost to ourselves as a reward. Climbing some 250m up the Nardab Lookout on top of a limestone cliff, we got a mind boggling 360° view of everything that makes the Kakadu: Savannah, bush fires, river lands and billabongs, rocky cliffs, monsoon forest and the perfectly flat and pool table green expanse of a flood plain right at our feet. Jackpot!

Despite the lunch pack being ready on the bike, we could not resist the authentic Thai cuisine offered at the Border Store. Lunch packs can be dinner, right?

Goose posing

Goose posing

We cut the next bit of croc-watching short to head off to our final destination in Kakadu: The above mentioned Mamukala wetlands. This wetland is cut off from the South Alligator River during the dry season and holds a good bit of water that can only escape via evaporation. Now, during Gurrung (mid-August to September) thousands of birds, mainly geese, flock to this wetland to fatten up. It was in deed quite spectacular, the noise, the diving geese and seemingly endless supply of waterlilies.

So that is it than. On our way to Darwin, we gave in to the weakness once more and cut the gravel trip to the Shady Camp short by staying in the pool-providing Stuart Wilderness Lodge. It is going to be the last night of camping for a good wile. Beyond Darwin, where lovely Celia and Tig have offered us shelter, we also got a place to sort ourselves out in Dili, thanks to my former colleague Joseph.

Day 53 – Tornadoes and cathedrals

Yes, they are that big now

Yes, they are that big now

Ok, hands down, I think we are at peak termite mound now. I have mentioned before that the mounds have been constantly rising in height coming north. They are now up to 3m high fortresses. I am not sure if these actually are the famed cathedral termites building those, but the title sure would fit.

The day started earlier smooth as can be for us. We got everything packed by 9am and were ready to go explore the swimming holes of the area. Although early, by the time we reached the upper pool and waterfall, it was sure warm enough for the first swim. Splashing around in the first pool, we meet Frederike and Lars again and got talking some more. We were good around the same time and hiked the 1 km back down together. The lower pool was crowded enough to evoke images of public swimming pools during the summer break back home, so all of us skipped the second swim and headed straight for the car park.

We parted with them exchanging the remaining route, which is pretty similar for both of us. Maybe we would meet again?

Ok, was that 35°C or 36°C in the shade again?

Ok, was that 35°C or 36°C in the shade again?

Off into Kakadu National Park we went, after a brief but nice lunch stop in Pine Creek. The savannah around us is very different and now at the end of the dry scorched brown like parchment, if not blackened and scarred by bushfires. The thermometer rose to 36°C in the shade and there was very little wind going.

Except for Nina’s pants, which are waiting for us in Darwin, we are in full summer gear now. One base layer and summer suit. The Compañero is holding up well, I’d say, at least as good as can be expected. The last escalation layer left is soaking our base layers in water before starting.

The Kakadu Highway is the first nice curvy road since we left the Flinders, but other than that there are not many roadside attractions. Brown grass, some trees, termites and … oh, and the occasional mini tornado. No kidding here: maybe every half an hour we see a wind hose / mini tornado blowing up leaves and dust in a nice little whirlwind.

The campgrounds are either out of reach behind heavily corrugated roads or hellish dustbowls. When we saw Frederike and Lars just coming out of campground #3, we gave in to the lure of a pool and facilities and joined them on their way to Cooinda Resort and Campground. The $36 we had to fork off to the toll troll bought us a nice cool afternoon in one of the two pools with even nicer company.

The killer at the end: We even got invited to dinner – thanks heaps to our benevolent Kiel’ensians.