We arrived in Jakarta. last nite after 3 days in Borneo watching wild Orangutan and Probiscus monkies. Staying in 1 month old Swiss-belinn hotel for$45/ nite with full breakfast. Used booking.com. Up grade from our weeks in campervans.At least4****.  We went to see dragons on Komodo island before that. Heading to Singapore. for a few days tomorrow then Kuala Lumpur for 2/3 days. Then about a week in south Thailand for r&r before going to Chang Mid. Meet Zach in Hon King May27 then will travel to China with him.We will come back to SE Asia when we leave China.Healthy and Happy.

UPDATE: This journey has moved so fluidly, we rarely have had a jostle to cause any stress. Unlike our younger days, Bobby’s new philosophy has been to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Then came the flight to Bali from Australia.  Despite the early arrival to Cairns Australia airport there was a long line of passengers waiting for check in. Mostly young backpacking types. Things were moving slowly. Finally it was our turn. The JETSTAR airline counter person said we couldn’t board the flight without proof of an exit ticket from Bali. But we are ‘winging it’! We told her we were taking a ferry. She replied we had to have written proof.The same imperative had obviously been given to a few other passengers and it was causing a last minute flurry. We were told we had 15 minutes to make arrangements. With no other choice, we bought a flight right then from Bali to Singapore. They were about double the cost because we stipulated the fares had to be flexible. We were assured they were fully refundable. They were refundable … But not fully. The airline charged $100 to refund the tickets and it took a couple of phone calls to make it happen. TRAVEL TIP: if you are heading to Bali and want an open-ended schedule ( within Visa restrictions) have a good mocked up exit ticket.
We’ve had heard nothing but praise and delight about Bali over the last 10 years. We expected heavenly beach paradises with silky sand and pristine water. We also heard about the cheap massages. We didn’t find this to be true. OK…The massages are a bargain. We stayed in Seminyak, hearing it was much calmer and nicer than Kuta. Our hotel Ramada Encore  was splendid in all aspects. I would return there in a minute for the gracious staff and amenities. We visited every beach from Nusa Dua to Double Six … Including Dreamland, Jimboran, Pandawa,Uluwatu. In my opinion Bali is for surfers… The waves impress, the rubbish the dilapidating surrounds do not. Check out my pictures — especially of Dreamland.

I would not recommend it for someone looking for peaceful beach getaway. The entirety of the Bali experience I wouldn’t trade however.  The Balinese hold onto their Hindu faith, even though the rest of Indonesia is Muslim. Temples are everywhere. From the magnificent & ancient Uluwatu and Tanah Lot to neighborhood and personal temples. I read there are over 10,000 on this relatively small island.

The people are special… They are kind,spiritual, and helpful. I admire their devotion to prayer and their daily offerings. Bobby observed that even the hawkers on the streets and the beaches– and there are throngs of them everywhere– have a certain charm.Traffic is insane! Motor scooters packing the narrow roads alongside large tourist buses,and tons of taxis. Weaving in, out and around. It’s typical to see a Mom and Dad and 2 children squeezed on one scooter! It takes forever to get a couple of miles in a taxi (teksi)Walking isn’t easy either. A person needs the magic of Moses to cross the streets. It’s also 80 degrees with 100% humidity in the day. Bobby and I never made it anywhere in Bali that wasn’t laden in heavy traffic. Ubud wasn’t a respite either. I did notice though the calmness of the drivers even amidst such crazy conditions. I never saw a sign of road rage and honking is more informational than scolding. We heard from several expatriates that the island has changed dramatically in the last few years. It seems obvious … the success of attracting tourists has contributed to it’s lost luster. Bali has long been the Aussie bargain playland, and even though property rates and rents have reportedly skyrocketed, most things are pretty cheap for the tourist. Even in view of the high volume tourism, Bobby and I found the working locals to be genuinely appreciative of tips, not in anyway expecting to receive one.

KOMODO ISLAND
There are islands right off the shores of Bali that may have those perfect beaches.. We heard raves about Gili Air…But our primary objective was to see the rare and reclusive Komodo dragon. The dragon is found on Rinca and Komodo Islands ( east of Bali) in the Flores Sea. The Komodo Dragon is the largest lizard in the world and is direct link to prehistoric dinosaurs. We flew about 1 1/2 hours from Denpasar, Bali to LaBuan Bajo on the Island of Flores. From the first moment, Flores was  an amazing contrast to the frenetic Bali. I can’t adequately communicate in words or photos  the beauty of the sea and the islands. It is as if you are viewing a surreal painting misted with pink and coral colors on the horizon. It looks too beautiful to be tangible.  The only way to the home of the Dragon is by boat. Ours was Traditional wooden fishing boat about 10 x 50 which sped at a rather decent clip over the glassy water. We began the adventure before dawn accompanied by our guide, Kamil, the captain and co-captain/cook. When Kamil( who grew up in Labuan Bajo)  was contacted by the tour company we had hired. he called his friends to complete the package. The boat captain used his father’s boat, his brother was the assistant and the cook… It’s all a family affair. By the way, the cook put out a tasty spread of fresh fish, rice, vegtables and fruit. It was up to par with any good local restaurant. The dessert of deep fried bananas was simply delicious.

Heading to the Komodo Dragon’s territory, we passed many islands of vastly contrasting topography: irregular coastlines, dry savannas, monsoon forests, rugged hillsides, white sandy beaches in secluded inlets. A scattered few islands had fishing villages on their shores. Rising above the the villager’s huts, were the glittering domes of the mosques. With the exception of the island of Flores, the majority of the Indonesian island’s population are devoutly Muslim. Flores is 95% Catholic. There was no guarantee we would see the Dragon. I read several websites that emphasized the reclusive nature of the reptile, so in the back of my mind, I had concerns about being disappointed. All those fears were quickly put to rest! We docked on the rickety pier at Rinca Island and followed our guide and the Komodo National Park ranger a mere few hundred feet. Two awesome dragons were soaking in the hot sun near the Ranger station. There had been a heavy downpour the night before and since the dragons don’t like mud they were drawn to seek dryer land and direct sunlight. The Ranger held a thick,long,forked stick as protection if a Dragon became aggressive. We were told they have tremendous physical strength and great speed moving forward, but they aren’t able to turn around quickly. They most often lie in wait, camouflaged by brush, for their prey. Their bite is toxic. We saw 2 Timor deer sitting on shore, both with nasty wounds on their necks. They had been bitten by a dragon and were essentially waiting for death. Our ranger said it took 5 days. When they die, the Dragons will be drawn to the smell and devour the carcasses. We saw 4 dragons on Rinca Island and 5 on Komodo Island. Both islands are part of Komodo National Park and are about 1 1/2 hours apart by wooden boat. We were thrilled with the results of our day! It ranks as one of the beat experiences we’ve had on our ZWT so far….along with our visit to Borneo and the Oranguntans!

From the Komodo adventure,we touched bases back in Bali inorder to make arrangements for our flight to Indonesia’s Kalamantan state in Borneo. Our focus in Borneo was to visit the Tanjung Putting National Park where the endangered Orangutan are protected in the wild. The plan was to cruise from Kumai Harbor to the Rimba Ecolodge located 3 hours up the Sekonyer River on a traditional wooden Klotok boat.

Both sides of the river were swathed in jungle as the river became more and more narrow.  We were treated to a hearty Indonesian lunch by the kotok’s cook,a young femme fatale named Devi. Every time we came near another cruising Klotok, the men would call for Devi and commence waving,winking, and flirting. Our guide was Erwin, a 36 year old from Java who’d dreamed as a child of living amidst the Orangutans. He was a very lucky young man having survived the sinking of a ferry in the Java Sea a few years back. He escaped the sinking ferry when the windows exploded from the water pressure and he squeezed through the jagged glass to swim to the water ‘s surface. Initially, he was depending on his life jacket for floatation but later encountered other survivors crowded on a lifeboat. They drifted in the middle of the sea for 4 days before being rescued. He said several people died while waiting, but they kept their bodies tied to the raft hoping they would have a proper burial. Erwin kept his promise however, and made it to his brother’s wedding 2 days after he was rescued!

It was dusk as our Klotok was getting closer to the location of our lodge. Again our good fortune kicked into action and we saw a wild orangutan in the trees surrounding the lodge. Dusk is magic for monkeys…. We saw trees full of Probiscus monkeys leaping from branch to branch. The lighting at sunset made photography more difficult. The next day was a treasure trove for Orangutans.