Taman Festival – Abandoned Amusement Park – Bali, Indonesia

Just north of Sanur and about 30 minutes from the craziness of Kuta, is an abandoned amusement park.

Construction began in 1997, it was to have simulation games, 3D theatre performances, a crocodile pit, unique animals,mountain eruptions at planned intervals, and laser light shows at night.

Unfortunately, a bad economy prevented it from opening and the project was abandoned in 2000. There are rumors that the crocodiles were left in their pit and locals fed them live chickens until the crocs eventually ate each other.

Taman Festival Entrance

A man near the entrance collects a 10,000 Rupiah entrance fee and then you can wander the park with no restrictions. Some of the dilapidated buildings look quite dangerous, so proceed with care.

 

Before the fire.

 

The jungle began to take over and on Dec.10th, 2012, a fire ravaged one of the main buildings, leaving only a skeleton behind.

 

 

 

There are no rollercoasters or ferris wheels in this park, but incredible and sometimes creepy graffiti covers every wall in site.

Scary crumbling statues can be found throughout the large park.

The theatre is a dark and scary place with large holes in the floor. Be sure to use a flashlight if you dare to enter.

 

           Tip: Be sure to bring flashlights and plenty of bug spray.

 

Sea Turtle Release – Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

It has been over a year since my last post. Since then, I have left Myanmar and gotten engaged! I now live with my fiancee, Matt, in Bali. I have the horrible job of posting all about this relaxed and beautiful paradise.

First, moving to Bali has been such joy. Although I appreciate my time in Yangon, I love having little luxuries like electricity and water 24/7 again. Fast internet, western food, and healthy living are things I missed and definitely don’t take them for granted.

 Now, onto the fun of releasing baby turtles. From March to September, female turtles make the long journey to their birthplace on Kuta Beach. Yes, they return to where they were born 25 years before to lay their eggs.

Bali Sea Turtle Society (BSTS) takes the eggs from their nests and keep them safe from predators and tourists in their hatchery. The eggs hatch 45 to 90 days later.

BSTS then posts on their facebook page that they will be hosting a release at their hatchery on Kuta Beach. It usually happens at 4:30 PM, so everyone needs to arrive at 4PM to pick up a free token to exchange for a baby turtle. The place is easy to find on the beach promenade, as it has a giant sea turtle outside that contains the hatchery.

As I said, this is completely free, but you can donate money or purchase t-shirts or jewelry to support the hatchery. In exchange for your token, they give you a plastic container with sea water and a baby turtle inside. The turtles try desperately to escape to the ocean, so we had to put your hand over the top. But you shouldn’t handle the turtles!

We then walked down to a line on the beach and waited for the announcer to give the okay for release.After a short countdown, the turtles are all quickly moving across the sand to get to the ocean. It is important for them to be put on the sand and not in the ocean. They have to feel the sand to remember where to return when it is time to lay their eggs.

Advice: If you want pictures, have one person in your group NOT release a turtle. It is very difficult to keep the turtle inside of the container and maneuver a camera.

Trawangan, Gili Islands, Indonesia

To end my holiday and celebrate New Year’s, I headed for the Gili Islands east of Bali. This is a popular spot during this time of year, but luckily, I had booked my bungalow months in advance. My luck didn’t end there either. A very good friend from my days of living in San Sebastian, Spain was also in the area and joined me. I love these little coincidences, when I meet friends all around the world. I’m never really traveling alone.

There are two ways to get to the Gili Islands from Bali. The first is to take the slow moving ferry that stops in Lombok. The second is the much more expensive (around $100 return) speedboat with transport directly from the airport. We didn’t want to spend most of the day on a ferry, so we took the speedboat.

Trawangan is the largest of the Gili Islands, but that doesn’t make it big. We walked around the entire thing in about an hour. Our bungalows were so cute! A high tiled roof covered a pillow cushioned terrace with a hammock, giving it a truly Bali look, but inside was modern, air conditioned, and eclectically decorated.

December is rainy season in this part of Indonesia, but we did get long periods of sunshine. This was the perfect place to relax before going back to work.

Horse drawn carts, bicycles, or walking are the only transport around the island.

The restaurants had a relaxed atmosphere and creative culinary delights that I had been missing in Myanmar. We preferred eating at a particular spot on the beach, but I also couldn’t resist the Mexican restaurant in the middle of the island. It was the closest thing to authentic Mexican that I have had in years. Everything was unrealistically delicious or maybe it was just how happy I was.

We made it to our favorite beach restaurant just in time to grab a drink and watch the fireworks at midnight. I couldn’t imagine a better start to 2015.

After all of the magic of a spectacular New Year, I had to go back home to Myanmar. Maybe I’m getting too conservative, but this woman was wearing what looked like a bra and a diaper to the airport. I can understand why places demand a dress code.

Accommodation: Puri Sayang Bungalows – Really cute bungalows, lovely staff, and close to all the action, but in a quiet neighborhood. Contact: purisayangtrawangan@gmail.com

Labuan Bajo, Komodo Island, Indonesia

I flew to Labuan Bajo in the hopes of seeing some manta rays and komodo dragons. It’s a little town with a pretty bay and one main road that loops from town to the airport. There isn’t much to do besides eat, dive, and see dragons.

I splurged and stayed in a big hotel with a nice pool. When I walked into town, I saw someone had tied their chicken up while they shopped for groceries. 

I bought a package on the fastest speedboat on the island to go diving for mantas and then visit komodo afterward. I was not disappointed. The manta rays swam so close! They sometimes swam right over me. For Christmas, my mom got me this diving camera, I hadn’t figured out the time stamps before going down, so the dates are a bit off.

  

After three successful dives, I moved on to Komodo Island. We were met on the dock by a local man who would be my guide. He had spent his whole life on this island and carried a long Y-shaped stick to keep the dragons away. I walked through the park entrance guarded by two giant komodo dragon statues.

Within minutes I saw deer, monkeys, wild boars, and komodo dragons! I saw about fifteen that day; I was told this was very lucky. They lounged lazily in the sun, but I stayed away, knowing they can move fast when needed. Their mouths are so full of bacteria, that one bite from them can be deadly in a matter of days. The guide told me one story about a man who was bit on the island. The komodo dragon followed the man everywhere while they tried to treat him. It was waiting for him to die, so he could eat him. They caught the dragon and moved it to a sister island, but it immediately came back. They are patient and determined hunters.

        

We walked up a large hill to get a view of the island. This was a place I had never dreamed I would see. It was just something in National Geographic. Every year, I’m surprised by everything I get to see and do.

 

Advice: Dive Centers and Excursions to Komodo Island: There are many up and down the main street. Blue Marlin Dive Komodo was slightly more expensive because they did Komodo Island and diving with Manta Rays on the same trip. They also had the fastest boat, so the ride time was very short. It was definitely worth the extra money.
Blue Marlin Dive Komodo: http://www.bluemarlinkomodo.com – +62 (0) 812 3775 7892 – My excursion was $120, not including park fees.

Ijen, Indonesia

At noon, my group and I left Mount Bromo to drive to the sulfur mines in Ijen. It was dark when we pulled up at the hotel 9 hours later. We were told to be awake and ready to hike at 1:00 A.M.

After a short bus ride, we were dropped at the base of the path to Ijen volcano.

Inside the Ijen volcano is a turquoise lake of sulfuric acid. It is measured as the most acidic lake in the world. This is also the site of sulfur mines. The sulfur is collected in baskets by local men and carried out of the crater and an additional 3 kilometers down the volcano. Each load weighs 150 to 200 pounds. Most men can make two trips in a day. The gases become too dangerous after 9:00 A.M. The men make about $13 a day at the cost of long term respiratory problems and hunched backs from the weight of the baskets.

The hike up and into the crater takes 2 to 3 hours and the reason for leaving so early in the morning is to catch site of the blue flame. Sulfur burns in the volcano at 1,112 degrees F creating blue flames that can be 5 meters high. The flames can’t be seen after sunrise, so they have to be caught at night.

The hike up to the crater wasn’t too hard, but I didn’t bring a headlamp, so treacherous ditches and tree roots were a constant obstacle. The hard part was when I entered the crater. It is a 60 degree decline. I carefully maneuvered down the path, crawling over large boulders and trying not to slip on loose gravel. Miners were already walking out of the crater with their heavy loads. The path is only wide enough for one person most of the time, so I tried to flatten myself against the rocks and stay out of the way. It has to be so irritating to try and do your job and have so many tourists in the way.

The light of dawn began to brighten the sky and I tried to speed up my descent. I saw the blue flames in their last 15 minutes of viewing. They are such a cool spectacle of nature, the photos don’t do them justice. I couldn’t get a good shot.

As daylight broke, I was free to walk around and watch the miners at work. I had brought a bandana to cover my face from the fumes, some websites even recommended gas masks. I found neither necessary. The fumes didn’t bother me at all.

The lake of sulfuric acid. I was careful not to fall in.

I had read the miners liked clove cigarettes. I bought a pack before the hike and offered it to any miner I snapped a picture of. I hate giving something away that doesn’t benefit their health, but they are adults and I think handing them food might come off as insulting. A friend tried offering her Marlboro cigarettes, but they refused; they only wanted cloves.

This is what I hiked down at night. I can’t believe the miners do this twice a day with those heavy baskets.

I can’t believe the miners make two trips into the volcano a day, I was exhausted after reaching the base and I was carrying nothing. This was how I spent Christmas Day.

Advice: I booked a Bromo and IJen excursion through my hotel. When you try to book online before arrival, they give you ridiculously inflated prices. It is best to book after you arrive in Indonesia. Booking through your hotel insures that they select a good tour because if it is poor, it reflects on them through reviews. Make sure that EVERYTHING that is promised is written on your receipt (Jeep transfer for sunrise, accommodation, any meals included, park entrance fees, etc.

Entrance to Bromo was 217,500 RP when I was there. IJen’s Blue Flame was around 150,000 RP (if I remember correctly). I believe I spent around $150-$200 USD for the entire trip including all transportation from Yogyakarta to Bali, accommodation, and park fees.

Mount Bromo, Indonesia

From Yogyakarta, I joined a small tour to take me to the active volcano, Mount Bromo. I got in the van early in the morning and was surprised to be traveling with all Spanish speakers. It made me realize how much Spanish I have forgotten in the two years of living in Asia, but I tried to keep up (unsuccessfully most of the time). It is so frustrating to spend so much time learning a language and then to forget so quickly.

I had a lovely group and we drove all day and into the night to reach the base of Mount Bromo. It was cold when we got out of the car that night and we were shown to pleasant, but unheated cabins. We were told to be awake at some ungodly hour to be whisked away in a jeep for a view of sunrise. I crawled under the many covers on my bed and tried to warm up enough to sleep for a few hours.

After hearing a loud pounding on my door, I left my room and climbed into the jeep. We drove up over large bumps and dips to get to the edge of the massive crater containing Mount Bromo and a few other volcanoes.

We passed dozens of parked jeeps and pulled to a stop at the base of a path. It was so dark, we were all using headlamps or cellphones to get up to the edge of the crater. There were only a couple of people standing at the viewing point, but within minutes of us arriving, there were over a hundred. It was difficult to find a spot that wouldn’t have people in the anticipated sunrise picture.

Over the next thirty minutes, the colors from the first lights of the sun painted the sky and clouds. It seemed to change every minute. And the contents of the crater were revealed.

After sunrise, we piled back in the jeep to be taken inside of the crater. We drove over and down the edge and then everything was flat and sandy. Black sand. We parked with over a hundred jeeps this time and tourists were all flooding towards Mount Bromo. Most were walking, but some were riding small horses. I preferred to walk.

Vendors dotted the path up to the volcano, selling drinks, noodles, or fruit. The terrain was odd. What looked like dried out rivers, cut through the land as the incline grew.

The path became more and more congested by the time we reached the staircase up the side of the volcano. As I walked above the fog, the sunlight made a halo of rainbows behind my shadow. 

I had to take a few breaks on the way up, but eventually made it to the top. I looked out over the crater at all of the other tourists making their way up and then turned to see the active volcano sending plumes of smoke into the air. 

This was a great way to spend my Christmas Eve. 

Advice: I booked a Bromo and IJen excursion through my hotel. When you try to book online before arrival, they give you ridiculously inflated prices. It is best to book after you arrive in Indonesia. Booking through your hotel insures that they select a good tour because if it is poor, it reflects on them through reviews. Make sure that EVERYTHING that is promised is written on your receipt (Jeep transfer for sunrise, accommodation, any meals included, park entrance fees, etc).
Entrance to Bromo was 217,500 RP when I was there. IJen’s Blue Flame was around 150,000 RP (if I remember correctly). I believe I spent around $150-$200 USD for the entire trip including all transportation from Yogyakarta to Bali, accommodation, and park fees.

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

I started my Indonesian holiday in Yogyakarta. I had two goals, to see the temple of Borobodur and Prambanan. I didn’t have much time and needed to get all of my medical check ups that I couldn’t get in Myanmar.

I visited the Borobodur first. It was built in the 9th century and is the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

I made new friends. Everyone wanted a picture with the ‘white foreigner’. I always take pictures with people when asked. I’ve met so many westerners that get annoyed with it, but I try to remind them, ‘How many times do we take pictures of people in their daily lives without permission?’ I think I was asked over a hundred times that day. It does take extra time, but I love feeling special enough that someone wants a picture.

Next there was a quick stop at Candi Mendut. The temple is part of the pilgrimage to Borobodur, but slightly older.

I couldn’t figure out these garbage cans. They’re cement and attached to the ground, so someone has to reach in and pull everything out. Not very practical, but I guess they would withstand a monsoon.

The last stop of the day was at the Hindi temple of Prambanan. This temple was also built in the 9th century, but abandoned around 930 AD. The temple fell apart after an earthquake, but locals respected it because of legends about its forgotten history. Then the Dutch and locals looted the temple of statues and stones for garden ornaments and foundations in the 1800s. Restorations didn’t begin until the 1930s.

Advice: I hired a driver of a nice air-conditioned van holding 10 passengers to Borobodur and Prambanan from my hostel. I left around 5AM and didn’t do the sunrise viewpoint. I returned around 3PM. The total cost was IDR 555,000

Accommodation: Venezia Garden – Private rooms and dorm. Really nice atmosphere and in a quiet part in the tourist area. They are wonderful with organizing all of your tours throughout Bali and Java as well. $8 a night for dorm. There are also really pretty private rooms. Address: Jl. Surami, No.55, Yogyakarta, 55153, http://www.venezia-homestay.com/

Visa fee: Upon arrival, had just gone up to $35 USD.