Sandakan -> Kinabatangan
29 gennaio 2023, Malaysia ⋅ 🌧 28 °C
9 a.m. - We got some proper coffee to go and the usual breakfast im the morning and were ready for new adventures.
10:30 a.m. - We left for the Kinabatangan river tour we booked the day before.
12 p.m. - At first we went by bus to the resort in Sepilok with is connected to the river tour company. We got some good lunch there and got ready for the next bus drive.
1 p.m. - We continued and left to Kinabatangan river also by bus.
3 p.m. - Later we arrived in the lodge located directly near the river. We got a private room again and had even two bathrooms. Afterwards we went for a little walk on the provided small canopy walk. There we already saw huge butterflies, literally as big as my hand, some silver langur and the bornean pygmy squirrel (smallest squirrel of the world) which looks like a small mouse.
4:30 p.m. - The safari was planed for 4 p.m. but unfortunately we had heavy rain and tried to sit out the rain. The safari was a bit disappointing. Most of the animals were hiding because of the rain. We saw some hornbill’s, two groups of proboscis monkeys, which was really cool and lots of macaque monkeys. I hate them the are everywhere, the are ugly, aggressive and basically the rats under the monkeys.
6 p.m. - We came back and chilled for a bit.
7 p.m. - Later we got some dinner. Huge buffet for all guest and the food as pretty good.
8:30 p.m. - Afterwards we signed up for a night safari. The guide said it was just a bit muddy so I tried to go with my trainers. After 5m I turned around and changed my foot wear to proper rubber boots. That was the best decision because it was not just a bit muddy it was flooded. We walked trough water and muddy almost to the knees. We also didn’t saw a lot just some birds sleeping in the tree. But the guides didn’t talked a lot so it was more or less just walking in the mud/water, thousands of mosquitos and a challenge to don’t fall. Another disappointment. So we decided to go on our own night safari on the canopy walk and it was way more interesting. We discovered some insects, a huge scorpion and just listened to the sound of the jungle.Leggi altro
Kinabatangan
30 gennaio 2023, Malaysia ⋅ 🌧 29 °C
5:30 a.m. - We woke up early for the morning safari and it rained again.
6:30 a.m. - The morning safari started and we didn’t saw a lot of wild life because of the rain. Just eagle and a hornbill.
7:30 a.m. - We got back and got breakfast. After breakfast my friends surprised me with a cake, some balloons and a birthday hat for my birthday. I had to wear the hat all day long no matter for what. Furthermore they bought me a pack of fags as a present haha. Honestly I didn’t expected that. Anyways it was very lovely and kind of them. Afterwards I found out that they decorated my hole bed with balloons. Sadly we had to say goodbye to Lars. He just stayed one night because he got a flight to Jakarta the next day. I am still very bad in goodbye’s but I learned most of the time it’s not a goodbye just a see you later. However it was sad because we traveled for about 3 weeks together.
9:30 a.m. - The plan was to go on a jungle trek. This time I chose the rubber boots from beginning. But our guide canceled the hike after 5min because of rain but there was no rain at all. He set another time to try a second time.
10:30 a.m. - We met up again and he wanted to cancel again because the weather was not predictable to him. He gave us the vibe that he just don’t want to do it and to convince us to no go. Anyways we wanted to go because we didn’t wanted to just sit around. The trek was round about 1h long. We didn’t saw anything and just walked in the water but at least we did some exercise. And it started to rain when we already were back at the lodge.
12:30 p.m. - We got another buffet for lunch and afterwards we had a deeptalk about life, metal health etc. Very interesting and emotional. Anyways the day started really bad so far and I was disappointed from the safari because you can see there wild pygmy elephants, orangutans and even crocodiles if you are lucky.
3:30 p.m. - We started our last river cruise a bit earlier than planned and went quite far down the river. Luckily we saw some cool birds like the stork billed kingfisher, hornbills and some others. Furthermore we also saw a lot of macaque monkeys with we skipped today and some proboscis monkeys again. Suddenly the ranger discovered a crocodile somewhere near to the shore. At first I thought he is joking but when we came closer I saw it. From far away it looks like a huge log in the water. We went really close to it and it was amazing. It was a huge one and just chilling in the river going with the current and we were near it. You could hear all the monkeys screaming to warn the others. It was breathtaking beautiful but a bit scary at the same time. I was already very happy and satisfied. The further we went down the river the more old orangutan nest’s we saw. Orangutans build every evening a new nest with leaves somewhere in the top of a tree. So I had the hope to see some wild orangutans and suddenly I discovered something brown in the trees. So I told the ranger to turn a round a have a closer look. It was actually a orangutan and not only one there were two. A mother orangutan and her almost grown our baby. I couldn’t imagine my luck. We could saw the just with our eyes but it was way better with binoculars. It was insane to see them so clear and just watch them. The mother taught the baby actually how to swing properly from one tree to the other. He tried and tried for a couple of times until it worked out and the mother was just watching and helping a bit. It was amazing so words needed. Another boat came to see the monkeys as well and the were stuck at the shore so we had to help them out.
6 p.m. - I was so happy when we went back to the lodge. So a day that started really bad turned out to one of the best in my life and it was my birthday as well. The rest of the evening we were just chatting with new arrivals and played some games. They even bought me a bottle of white wine and we just had a relaxed evening. Later we went for another night walk on the canopy walk but we saw nothing interesting that time.Leggi altro
Kinabatangan -> Sandakan
31 gennaio 2023, Malaysia
7:30 a.m. - Got some breakfast in the morning and chilled for bit before we had to leave.
8:30 a.m. - We left the lodge and drove back to Sandakan by bus.
11 a.m. - We arrived back in the hostel and I met Jonas there. I met him in Cameron Highlands and we did the trail 10 together but he was about to leave to go on the Kinabatangan river tour as well. Later we tried to figure out what to do. Because the plan was to go straight to Semporna but unfortunately on that day there was no bus in the afternoon so we had to stay another night in Sandakan and leave the next day.
1 p.m. - After lunch we didn’t do a lot. We figured out some plans for the following days, where to stay, diving etc. Otherwise we just hung around and did nothing.
7:30 p.m. - At some point we were hungry so we went out for dinner and afterwards did nothing again.Leggi altro
Sandakan -> Semporna
1 febbraio 2023, Malaysia ⋅ 🌧 30 °C
7 a.m. - We woke up early and got mentally and physically ready for a hole day of bus.
8 a.m. - We departure to Semporna and I slept as usual the hole ride. However I didn’t recognize that someone in the front spilled out some sweet drink and my hole backpack soaked everything up. So he was wet, dirty and smelled disgusting. Luckily my passport didn’t got wet.
3 p.m. - We arrived in the afternoon and we checked in. The first thing I did was cleaned my backpack. Afterwards we finalized the diving. Eli just booked a day trip to Mabul which includes three dives and lunch. Lea booked a day of snorkeling and a night in the dorm. Femke and I booked two days of diving which includes six dives, accommodation and food. Afterwards we went for some coffee and Lea and I did the laundry. Unfortunately my clothes weren’t dry so I tried to dry the with the blower which worked not as good as expected.
8 p.m. - For dinner we went in a fancy restaurant where I got some tasty pasta.
P.S.: It was very weird and funny to see all the locals walking around with wheel barrow’s.Leggi altro
Semporna -> Mabul
2 febbraio 2023, Malaysia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C
6:30 a.m. - After I woke up I had a bit of stress because I had to pack my stuff I hang up to dry.
7:30 a.m. - We arrived at the diving center after a decent walk with all our luggage, dropped our bags there and went for breakfast. Afterwards the told us that they made a mistake and the dorm is fully booked so we got a free room upgrade to a privat room.
8 a.m. - We left form the pier and I recognize how poor the people in Semporna are. We saw all the huge floating slums it was insane. I wondered the day before where all the people come from because it isn’t a big city but was very crowded. Now I know because half of the population is living in the floating slums.
9 a.m. - After a nice boat ride we arrived at the island Mabul and got directly instructed where everything is and what the plan is for today. Afterwards we chose our diving equipment. I chose a long wet suite for the first time so I don’t freeze in the water but it was a pain in the ass to get inside. Then we got a short instruction to our divemaster and a short refreshing of the most important things. After that we were already on the boat and ready to dive. The first dive site is called Lobster Wall. It was a bit scary to dive again after almost two months. The maximum depth was 27m and the dive was just 35min long. I saw a lot of sea life, many turtles and nudibranch’s. I love them they are so cute and there are so many different ones. Furthermore the are very colorful. We also saw some eel’s and a octopus hiding in the corals. And we went into a small cave which was amazing. After the first dive we went back to the resort for recovery before the second dive. The second dive site is called Paradise. The maximum depth was 18m and the dive was 53min long. That was the longest I had so far and I really tried to improve my breathing and my buoyancy. The dive site was one of my favorites so far. There were so many small obstacles and a shipwreck full of marine life. We saw some eel’s, a blue spotted stingray, a crocodile flathead, nudibranch’s some turtles and even a black ghost pipefish. It’s insane how hard it is to discover a lot of the named animals because they a perfect in camouflage. Ether they look like stones, corals or other things.
1:30 p.m. - Then we had lunch break at the restaurant. We got some tasty food from the buffet before getting ready for the third dive.
2:20 p.m. - The third dive site was called D-Wall. The dive was 43min long and the maximum depth was 23m. We saw some scorpionfish, a yellow boxfish, a orangutan crab (one of my favorites), nudibranch’s and a huge turtle. As you can see Mabul and the surroundings are perfect for turtles and nudibranch’s. Unfortunately the current was very strong and one Malaysian guy of the other group was really annoying. He kept bumping into us and at some point he just joined our group. Furthermore he always had to film everything with his GoPro which was very annoying.
4 p.m. - We finished diving and chilled for a bit first because diving is exhausting.
5:30 p.m. - Later we went for a walk to discover the island. We walked first through a small local village where kids played football on the street. So I just started to play a bit with them, showed them some tricks and had a lot of fun. Somehow we found a sandy football pitch in the middle of the island. They had a proper football tournament with football shirts, a referee and sideline referee’s. Furthermore the location looked very pretty. Then we walked further and found a nice location for the sunset. It was a biz scary to walk over the wooden platform’s because it was unstable but the place was worth it. Nobody was there, we had hammocks and a great view on the sunset. We also saw many turtles coming up to the surface for air. It was very funny because you can only see their head. Afterwards we walked back to the resort chased by kids.
7 p.m. - Got got dinner in the resort and afterwards I went straight to bed and was knock out. Lea decided after the snorkeling to dive the next day as well.
P.S.: It’s very sad to see how much rubbish especially plastic is at the shore and the hole island. The locals just burn it from time to time.Leggi altro
Mabul -> Semporna
3 febbraio 2023, Malaysia
7:30 a.m. - I slept so freaking good and packed my bag after breakfast. We got another divemaster today and unfortunately the annoying Malaysian guy was in our group. Furthermore the weather wasn’t that good.
9 a.m. - We met up at the jetty and got ready for our first dive. The first dive site is called Kapilai House Reef. It was a 48min long dive with a maximum depth of 23m. This dive site is also definitely one of my favorites so far. We saw again some nudibranch’s, turtles, a blue spotted stingray, scorpionfish, octopus, loads of lionfish, a ghost pipefish, a stick pipefish, a school of barracuda, a mantis shrimp and some beautiful frog fish. As you can see loads of sea life. While diving there was twice a really load noise. It sounded like a gunshot and was hurtful for the ear’s. Our divemaster explained to us later that it was the sound of bomb fishing. When we came back to the surface it was already raining. This time we spent our recovery on the boat because we went further away to the island Kapilai. However it was very cold although I had the long wet suite. The second dive site is called Siu Siu Point. The dive was 50min long and the maximum depth was 21m. We had a stronger current than before and saw again some octopus, turtles, a ghost pipefish, a orangutan crab, nudibranch’s and a beautiful ribbon eel. The Malaysia guy was annoying as hell and I wonder how he can have 50+ dives. To only thing that was positive was that he agreed to share his videos and pictures at the end of the day.
1 p.m. - For lunch we went back to the resort and got some rest before we started our last dive. The dive site was called Panglima Reef. The dive was 52min long an the maximum depth was 20m. We had as well a strong current and we couldn’t spot a loft of marine life. We saw a orangutan crab, a lobster and many huge turtles to the end.
4:30 p.m. - After diving we had a little bit of time before we left back to Semporna. I got all the videos and pictures of the Malaysian guy. Unfortunately 80% of them where shit. Anyways the weather got better and we got some sun again before we left. On the way back on the boat Lea recognize that she forgot her charger and powerbank on Mabul and I realized that I forgot my mask. I was very sad about that and angry about myself.
5 p.m. - We arrived in Semporna and went to the diving office to ask if there is a possibility to get our stuff back. It was definitely not the first time that someone forgot something because they said it’s no problem to send our stuff from Semporna to Kota Kinabalu with the bus and we just ned to pick it up at the bus station. The plan sounded good and I had hope again.
6 p.m. - Afterwards we met up with Eli in the restaurant we were before and got some dinner before the night bus.
7:30 p.m. - Later we took the night bus to Kota Kinabalu. It was my first night bus and it was supposed to be 11h.Leggi altro
Semporna -> Kota Kinabalu
4 febbraio 2023, Malaysia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
5:30 a.m. - We arrived at the bus station in KK. I tried to sleep but it wasn’t comfortable and the always turned the lights on when they stopped somewhere. Furthermore at midnight the army stopped the bus and woke me up to control the bus. Altogether my hole body did hurt afterwards I got the best sleep from all of us. The hostel reception opened at 9 a.m. so we had some time to kill. We went into a restaurant for some breakfast and played some cards.
9:30 a.m. - We arrived in the hostel and checked in. Syah the employee there showed us around. the hostel was tiny but very cozy, open and familiar. Everyone went to sleep except of me. I used the time to sort out my gallery.
1:30 p.m. - We got some lunch and coincidentally met Syah at that place. We had a nice little chat and I found out that the brown medicine I got from the locals in Taman Negara to stop my bleeding after the leech bite was sea cucumber oil. Later in the afternoon we started to puzzle. It wasn’t a big one but quite challenging and some parts were missing. I decided to go for a walk by my own and ended up in a huge shopping mall where I found a pharmacy and bought some sea cucumber oil. Furthermore I learned in the Dji shop how to flight a drone. I would love to have a Dji mini 3. Perfect for traveling because it’s very small/compact and you can shot amazing stuff. Unfortunately the price is 700€ so way to expensive for me.
8:30 p.m. - Later I went out for dinner by my own because nobody was hungry. Anyways I wasn’t in mood for socializing because I got a bad headache. Furthermore I had a phone call with my family and I got the information that they decided to give our dog the final shot
because of her cancer she just suffering and already old. Probably the best for her but very sad. Was already looking forward to her reaction when I arrived at home again. Moreover it will be very weird at home without her. After that I went straight to bed.Leggi altro
Kota Kinabalu
5 febbraio 2023, Malaysia
9 a.m. - I used the time to write my penguins because I was almost a week behind.
10 a.m. - Eli, Lea and I went for some breakfast so we were ready for the day.
11:30 a.m. - Lea got a tattoo appointment so we went there. Moreover the Sunday market was just some roads from the tattoo studio. Eli and I checked it out. It was more or less a normal market. The only difference was that they sold a lot of plants and different animals. From cats, rabbits, hamsters to fish and birds. Afterwards we joined Lea at the studio. She got two tattoos, a turtle and a orangutan face which looked like a step. In the time she got her tattoo’s I read some of the book’s there about tattoo’s and got some inspiration for my future plans.
2:30 p.m. - After we coffee and snacks in a fancy café. And waited because Eli decided to get the same orangutan tattoo as Lea. I was very tempted to get one was well just for the memory because I traveled with these guys for a month. In the end I didn’t felt like it and it also doesn’t fit my style.
6 p.m. - Back in hostel we chilled a bit and played a round of “Settler’s of Catan”. Lea felt sick so she stayed in bed.
9 p.m. - We went out for some dinner with Syah and some others of the hostel. Honestly the restaurant was very bad. I had the worst pizza Hawaii in my life. I could already feel my stomach 10min after I finished my meal and it was expensive as well. Afterwards we went to a Irish bar where friends of Syah played live music and even Syah sang some songs. A friend of him joined us for a bit. She was very beautiful, also a singer, actor and teacher for kinds with autism + she is 24 and already a single mom. She’s perfect.
P.S.: It was very good to have some days of because when you travel you get so many impressions every day and sometimes it gets overwhelming and I ned to slow down.Leggi altro
Kota Kinabalu
6 febbraio 2023, Malaysia
9 a.m. - I did the same as the day before. Wrote some penguins stuff.
10:30 a.m. - Then we went for breakfast and we did laundry afterwards.
12 p.m. - Afterwards Lea and I went back to the bus station to pick up our stuff we forgot on Mabul. We got everything perfect in a small package back in a good condition. I was so happy that all worked out and it wasn’t even expensive.
1 p.m. - When we arrived back in the hostel Syah did a kind of card reading with me. I had to thought about a person and the he read the cards kind of. I had no clue. In the end it turned out that my sister and I do have a very good connection. Syah is talking a lot the hole day also a lot of trash so I don’t know exactly if he just did something or if it was a proper on.
3 p.m. - We went to Tanjung Aru beach. I played some football with local kids
which is always fun and just chilled at the beach. Later we had a heartbreaking goodbye because Lea got a flight to the Philippines. Afterwards we watched a beautiful sunset before we went back to the hostel.
7:30 p.m. - We went out for dinner to the food market where we were last time. Eli and I got again some good seafood and fish. And my dessert was a dragon fruit. I already know that I will miss all the exotic fruits and their taste back home. Afterwards we played again “Settler’s of Catan” and had another heartbreaking goodbye with Femke because she was leaving the next day earlier than Eli and I.
P.S.: If someone told me before that I will travel with a group of five for a month I would have said never but it came like this and we grew together like a family. I am glad for that but unfortunately that chapter ends and a new one begins.Leggi altro
Kota Kinabalu -> Singapore
7 febbraio 2023, Singapore
6:30 a.m. - I really don’t know why but I woke up at 5:30 a.m.
where Femke was about to leave. So I said again goodbye and gave her a last huge. Later I got ready for our flight.
7 a.m. - We arrived at the airport and did all the flight stuff. Afterwards I bought a coffee at Starbucks. I had to wait ages and it was quite expensive. Unfortunately I had no chance to finish it because it was to hot and I had to pass another security check + there was already the last call for boarding. I rather should order a Cappuccino or a Latte instead of a Americano.
8:40 a.m. - Departure to Singapur. I wrote the hole flight my penguins.
11 a.m. - We arrived in Singapur. The city looked already crazy from top with all the skyscrapers etc. After we picked up our bags and I changed the rest of my malaysian currency we went to the jewel building. It is a insane shopping mall with a lot of activities. They got some maze some climbing garden etc. Furthermore they have this huge waterfall in the middle of the building surrounded by plants. Not gonna lie it looks really insane. We got hungry and bought some snacks in a supermarket there. Afterwards we tried to find our way out of the airport to the center with the MRT. The airport itself is a maze because he is huge. Anyways we found the MRT and Eli wanted to eat in the metro. A friendly guy explained to us that this is forbidden and you get a fine of 500$ + we forgot that you have to wear a mask in public transport.
1:30 p.m. - We arrived in the area of my hostel where we found a food court for proper lunch.
2:30 p.m. - I arrived in the hostel didn’t liked the vibe and employees there from beginning on. Eli dropped his bag there because he couldn’t check in in his hostel.
3 p.m. - We went outside and walked to the Arab Street, Haji Lane and surroundings. It is a trendy hipster neighborhood with a lot of colorful bar’s, restaurants and shops. Furthermore some street art and the contrast from the old buildings with the skyscraper skyline looks amazing.
5 p.m. - Afterwards I went back to hostel and showered in a disgusting shower. The hole bathroom wasn’t clean and didn’t got cleaned once during my stay.
6:30 p.m. - Later I went out again to meet up with Eli. I took a two floor public bus to his hostel. It was the first time that I didn’t bought a sim card so it was harder to find the way and in general information. First I went into the false hostel but I was glad that he didn’t stayed there because it looked very nasty and smelled like shit. After I found the right one we met up with Victoria, a local girl and friend of Eli. We just walked around and Victoria showed us around. First we went to Boat Quay where we walked trough the bar street and had a look at the skyline. Afterwards we walked along the river until we had a good view on Marina Bay. Coincidentally we saw the Marina Bay Sands Lightshow from far away. We got hungry and walked to Lau Pa Sat a huge food court. There Victoria showed us the satay meat sticks. The are very famous, quite expensive but good. I tried the lamb and beef one’s. You eat it with rice cake and a delicious peanut sauce. Afterwards we just chilled there and had some interesting conversations until I took the last MRT to my hostel.
P.S.: The have a nice system for the public transport where you just have to tap your credit card before you enter and before you leave. The automated in general a lot of things.Leggi altro
Singapore
8 febbraio 2023, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
9:30 a.m. - I took the MRT in the morning to chinatown where I meet up with Eli. Most of Chinatown was still closed but we found ourselves some breakfast in a cute café where we had a tasty corn soup. Afterwards we checked out the Hindu temple there and suddenly we were part of a ceremony. We asked someone and figured out that the celebrated the 12 year old band of a married couple. It was amazing to see this all but also very funny that it is public and everyone can just walk in. Afterwards we went to a Chinese temple nearby. The loved the architecture it reminded me of a location in a film or a game. Later we went to the City Gallery which was also nearby. It was kind of a museum where you can learn a lot about the history of Singapore. How they build the city and especially their vision of the city with all the urbanization, going green, saving water/energy, technologies etc. I can highly recommend to visit it, very interesting, european countries can learn a lot and it is free.
1 p.m. - Later we went back to chinatown for food. Crazy how many people where there for food and how many options you got. There you get everything from a noodle soup with pork heart, zunge, stomach, skin etc, till dumplings and more normal food but not a lot of vegetarian options. Unfortunately all the places just accepted cash and I had to use my last cash because I had to pay the satay from yesterday also in cash. However we chose a food stall with a long queue in the hope they have good food. We had to wait quite long but it was worth it. We didn’t got disappointed the food was amazing. I found myself another Chinese speciality on our further way. I tried some dry and smoked meat. I have no idea if they eat it as a snack or whatever but it was very nice.
3 p.m. - We walked to the Sky Garden. It’s a huge skyscraper with a park on the levels 17-20 and on the 51 floor, the highest, the have a huge garden with different herbs. They even got thyme, mint and lemon balm which reminded me of home. Furthermore you have an amazing view over the hole center including the bay and it’s for free. Bevor travel I just drunk americano but while traveling I discovered cappuccino and the flat white for me.
5 p.m. - Our exploring got interrupted by a proper thunderstorm about 1h long with heavy rain, lightning and thunder. We had a nice place where we stayed dry with a good view on the bay and skyline which wasn’t visible because of the fog. However we waited a bit longer until the rain got less.
7 p.m. - We continued walking again. The next destination was the F1 pit building but unfortunately it was closed because of a festival or something. I was disappointed I mean there isn’t a lot to see except of the building but thats cool. At least I stand on the race circuit. Afterwards we walked over the helix bridge to the gardens by the bay where we watched the supertree light show. Then we walked through the Marina Bay Sands hotel and ended up on the roof of the shopping mall in front where we saw the rain oculus. The funny thing is that you can hear the voices from the opposite when you stand in front of it. Physics is impressive. Afterwards we went into the appel store from where we watched the Spectra light and water show but we didn’t heard the music and our angel to the show was great either so we decided to go again.
10 p.m. - We went again to Lau Pa Sat for dinner because its near by, cheap and they have delicious food.
P.S.: We walked 25 000 steps today.Leggi altro
Singapore
9 febbraio 2023, Singapore ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
9 a.m. - I was way to exhausted to take a shower the day before so I did it in the morning. Then I figured out a kind of a plan for me today. Afterwards I tried to get some breakfast without cash around the hostel which wasn’t easy. I ended up with shit açaí bowl and still hungry afterwards. I decided in the MRT to go to the Fort Canning park. There was almost nobody their so it was amazing to just walk around in the silence with the sound of the jungle. Singapore is in general very quiet and the traffic is also not bad for such a big city. I ended up in the Fort Canning tree tunnel which was a very touristic spot. There was a queue where people waited for idk how long to take some tourist photos. Not gonna lie but it was beautiful and I sneaked myself in to take some photos without waiting. Afterwards I walked pass the national museum which got a very european architecture style and got myself some coffee. I didn’t knew that I was at the SMU University so I randomly walked in there. Coincidentally I ended up in a study abroad information event. There were universities from all over the world, USA, UK, Asia and Europe. I saw the opportunity to get some more information about different universities so I talked to the most interesting ones as well as with the students. I even exchange some contacts how knows if I need it in autumn. Afterwards I went to the National Gallery Museum which wasn’t far away. Only the first two levels where for free and for the rest you had to pay as a foreign. I tried to smuggle me into some gallery without much success. However the building was better than the galleries itself.
1:30 p.m. - Afterwards I was very hungry so I searched for some food and the best I could find was a kebap in a random mall. Then I walked to the Gardens by the Bay to see it in daylight and I met up with Eli. We first went to Marina Barrage where we got a really nice view on the skyline from the other side of the bay. Afterwards we explored the garden by the bay at day light. I found a flower watch sponsored from AP and some cool Pokémon art. Then it started to rain again so we got some coffee and waited until the rain got less. I used the time time to call my dad because it was his birthday. Afterwards we continued out walk. The super trees look at the day less impressive than at night. We found some more art. A huge 7t baby balancing on one hand and a tiger made out of different rubbish pieces. Afterwards we explored the hole shopping mall. The mall is full of luxury stores. Richard Millie, AP, Rolex, Cartier etc. for watches and LV, Prada, Gucci, Bottega Veneta etc. for fashion. It’s mad. All of them have hat least two floors. Furthermore the Apple and LV store have even a extra crazy building in front of the mall in the water. Afterwards we went into the Art Science Museum but they already closed so we just walked around in the building. The had a very interesting gallery about mental health and they also sold nice books with that topic. Almost bought one.
7:30 p.m. - We went for the third time to Lau Pa Sat for dinner. On the way I got some cash out because I wanted Satay one last time. At the most popular store the queue was 50min long so I chose the less popular one and even there I had to wait long. In the end the forgot my order and I got some free stuff. So I ended up eating 30 meat sticks 2 rice cake’s and 3 peanut sauces. I almost finished all but I was very close to through up.
9 p.m. - After dinner we went back to Marina Bay Sands hotel to see the Spectra light and water show. We got a nice spot in the front. No doubt the show was very impressive and definitely a must seen. Then it was time to say goodbye to Eli. Now everyone of us five went in other directions. In the evening I had to fill out some stuff for Indonesia.
P.S.: I walked 20,6km that day even more than the day before.Leggi altro
Singapore -> Jakarta
10 febbraio 2023, Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
8 a.m. - I packed my backpack and got ready for my flight. Afterwards I got some breakfast around the corner.
9 a.m. - I took the MRT to the airport which was quite easy and then the airport transfer to my terminal.
10 a.m. - It was my first time that I did self check in and self luggage drop of. It was very easy and way faster than waiting in the queue. The hole process with check in security check etc. was so easy and fast that I had enough time to chill at my gate. First I changed the rest of my Singapore doller to Indonesian rupiah. Afterwards I waited in one of the really comfortably lodge’s. Honestly the best airport I have been so far.
11:50 a.m. - I departure to Jakarta and I sneaked my self a window seat because the airplane was just half full. Between it took ages to get to the starting point. First we had to drive almost around the hole airport.
12:45 p.m. - I arrived at 12:45 Indonesian time. The timezone is again the same as in Thailand so -6h to home. The hole immigration process the have is a pain in the ass. Fucking slow and bad organized. Anyways I bought my visa for 30€ and continued to the actual immigration where I got my stamp. It was very confusing and I also had to show for the first time my vaccination. All in all very chaotic. When I left the airport I got screamed at with offers for a taxi and sim cards. It was very exhausting also because the accept not a no. Obviously everything was way to overpriced and I ignored everything. I just booked a grab for less than half the price to the hostel.
3 p.m. - I arrived in the hostel and did the hole check in stuff. Afterwards I found an Indonesian lonely planet in the social area and I informed myself a bit.
5:30 p.m. - Later I went out for food. I got some food in a restaurant of the lonely planet not far away. It was more a tea house but the food was alright. Between cigarettes are fucking cheap hear but the smell weird for me. Anyways I bought a pack and gave it to a random local. After dinner I wanted to explore the city a bit but it started to rain heavily so I went straight back to the hostel. Took a shower and went to bed early.
P.S.: If you buy a sim card buy always the cheapest and top up by ourselves in the app or in the store.Leggi altro
Jakarta
11 febbraio 2023, Indonesia
10 a.m. - I got some indonesian breakfast just around the corner of the hostel. It looked not very trustful bit it tasted good and was cheap. There I met an USA guy named Nick. Afterwards we went to a coffee place, they sold just coffee but didn’t had a coffee machine. Just powder coffee. You can’t imagine.
12 p.m. - Later I met up with Robyn from Langkawi. She arrived in the night from Manila. We decided to go to the national monument first. The have a museum inside which told a lot about the history of Indonesia especially about the colonial stuff. But how they got muslims was quite confusing. There were a lot of school classes and they asked us a lot of questions and we took some photos. Furthermore we recorded kind of a interview with them which was very weird but funny. Afterwards I bought a sim card because the store was very close.
3 p.m. - Then we went for some lunch in the area and went to the national library afterwards. It’s in a skyscraper and on top the have a balcony from where you have a great view over the national monument. There we met Nick again. Unfortunately they closed a couple of minutes after we arrived and we also couldn’t go to the national museum, which was near by, because it was also closed. So we went back to the hostel and Robyn thought me the rules of chess. We played a game. I lost of course but it was fun and want to get better definitely. So I downloaded Chess.com to learn it properly and play some games.
7:30 p.m. - We went out for dinner a Indonesian local from our hostel. We went to chinatown in a food court but unfortunately most of the places closed already at 8 p.m. So we hadn’t had a lot options. Anyways I got a interesting Indonesian salat with peanut sauce called Gado Gado. We walked around the area afterwards to see a bit of the neighborhood. We just escaped the next thunderstorm as we arrived in the hostel.
P.S.: There was a Indian guy in our hostel how is traveling since 15 years with his bicycle through the world, he was already in 134 countries, to spread information about aids.Leggi altro
Jakarta -> Bandung
12 febbraio 2023, Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 23 °C
10 a.m. - After we got ready for check out we went to the old town to check out the old buildings for the dutch colonialism. On our way to the old town we passed by a shop which sold exotic animals, monkeys, birds etc. The were all in to small cages and definitely not kept in a species-appropriate manner. In the old town we found the café Bativa where we got some breakfast. It was in an old building and the interior gave me the vibe of the colonial time. We had a great view on a square and the museum’s there but it was quite expensive for what you got. After breakfast we wanted to continue our exploring but we got stopped from all the school classes there. They got the assignment to talk to us to improve their english and we had to take a lot of photos and signatures again. Even more than the day before. At some point it got a little bit much and we had to catch a train anyways so we had a good excuse.
12:15 p.m. - We got a cab to the Gambir train station.
1:15 p.m. - The train departure to Bandung. It was my first train while traveling and the experience was great. The seats weren’t as comfortable as the ones in the bus but we drove through a beautiful scenery. A scenery of local villages in the nature, gorgeous rice fields, other farms etc.
5 p.m. - We arrived in Bandung, cab to hostel and met some people we know from Jakarta. Furthermore we did some research of what we want to do and booked a tour for the next day.
6:30 p.m. - Later we went to a food market close to our accommodation. Unfortunately the had more or less just DimSum and a lot of sneaker stores which sold faked hypebeast sneakers. The food we got there was not the best but better than nothing. The rest of the evening was chilled with the other guys from the hostel.
P.S.: The traffic in Jakarta is horrible.Leggi altro
Bandung
13 febbraio 2023, Indonesia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
8 a.m. - The hostel provided some simple breakfast and afterwards I got ready for the day.
9:15 a.m. - Our little group of four got picked up from the tour guide.
11 a.m. - We drove quite far outside in the mountains where we arrived at the Kawah Puthi vulcano. He is not active since years so you can go in the crater which is 2400m above the sea level. I went im shorts and it was freezing, especially the wind was really bad. In the crater is a bluish lake which changes color depending on the concentration of sulfur and the temperature. The sand and rocks surrounding the lake have been also leached into whitish colours through interaction with the acidic lake waters. We spend there around 30min walking around and exploring the crater. Afterwards we visited a coffee plantation where our guide explained us how to make the finished coffee beans we know from the supermarket. Furthermore how to get the most expensive coffee of the world, the Kopi Luwak coffee, which is originally from Java. Coffee beans, as we buy them in the store, can be produced in several ways. After harvesting, the fruits of the coffee plant, called coffee cherries, are processed in a special way. The preparation exposes the bean inside the fruit. The beans are then sent to coffee roasters, who - as the name suggests - roast and grind the beans in a complex process. Only then can coffee be brewed from them. A distinction is made between dry preparation and wet preparation. In wet processing, the coffee cherries are soaked in water for several days to dissolve the pulp through fermentation. This fermentation process has an essential effect on the taste and quality of the coffee beans. It is precisely this fermentation process that makes the difference between Kopi Luwak and other coffees. Indonesian creeping cats have a preference for coffee cherries. They eat the fruit, but unfortunately they can only digest the pulp and not the coffee bean inside. The beans go through the animal's entire digestive process before they eventually excrete them. Due to the moist environment in the intestines and the right enzymes, the digestion also triggers a fermentation process. This special fermentation gives the cat coffee its typical gentle aroma. Moreover he showed us the cinnamon tree.. Basically the just cut the skin of the tree, dry them and then you have cinnamon. Afterwards we got lunch.
1 p.m. - In the afternoon we went to the tea fields. I was already at some in Cameron Highlands and those are the same but I learned something new. The farmers can harvest the leaves every two months until a certain point where they need to cut them down. Afterwards I takes two years until they can harvest again. Black, green, white tea is from the same plant they just use different aged leaves. The youngest and smallest one is used for white tea and is harvested by hand. The next leave is used for green tea and the third for black tea. Both get harvested by machine. Later we went to a natural hotspring. The weather so far was alright, cloudy but no rain. But when we arrived at the hotspring it started to pour down rain. However perfect wether for a hotspring. There were two different ones, a smaller but hot hot one and a bigger one with a pleasant heat. Although the smell of sulfur is disgusting it was very relaxing and we spent 2h there.
4:30 p.m. - After that we went to a café where we got the opportunity to try a cup of Luwak coffee with a great view. Of course I did. It was a good coffee to be honest and it tasted a bit different than the normal one but not very special. Furthermore I probably wouldn’t tasted the different if I didn’t knew.
6:30 p.m. - We arrived in the hostel and figured out that we leave the next day in the morning. So I already packed my stuff and picked up the laundry.
8 p.m. - We went out for dinner in a local restaurant. The guy from the hostel recommended it and they had a lot of vegetarian options. The food was amazing and I didn’t even paid 1€ for a hole meal.Leggi altro
Bandung -> Yogyakarta
14 febbraio 2023, Indonesia
5:30 a.m. - I woke up and got ready for another travel day. Before we left we got some toast with peanut butter and afterwards got a cab to the train station.
7 a.m. - We departure to Yogyakarta. We had a really long train ride before us bit that didn’t matter because the scenery was even even better than the first one.
2:30 p.m. - We arrived in Yogyakarta and walked to the hostel. We got some recommendations for the hostel we stayed in so I had high expectations.
4:30 p.m. - I went for a walk by my own and had a phone call with my sister. I explored a bit the neighborhood, apparently there is a lot of street art and all the little paths are decorated with plants, met some lovely people and ended up on the main street. Then there came this guy to me and began to talk to me. He was very friendly and at some point he mentioned a Batik gallery. He told me that the 25 best artists of Indonesia got a gallery her and apparently it is the last day before they move to another place. I had no idea what Batik is so he took me to the gallery and the guys there explained me everything about it. I got some tea and they showed me the technic and some painting’s. To make it short I wanted to buy some souvenirs for my parents anyway. First I thought to buy some Luwak coffee but then I decided rather to buy some art, which lasts longer, instead of buying some coffee beans which last for some cups of coffee. So they kinda convinced me to buy one of the paintings for my parents. It was really expansive although I got the student price.
7 p.m. - Afterwards I went back to the hostel and did some research about batik painting. One of the first blogs I found described exactly what happened to me in the late afternoon and said its a scam. It might have been a scam. However Laura, the owner of our hostel, said its a real Batik painting but I definitely paid to much. Anyways I got some free dinner at the hostel and realized that I forgot my small backpack in the hostel in Bandung.Leggi altro
Yogyakarta
15 febbraio 2023, Indonesia
8:30 a.m. - After I woke up I checked out the free breakfast in the hostel and we figured out a plan for today because unfortunately the weather was rainy.
10 a.m. - We started walking in the direction of „The palace“ when a local man pulled us over and took us to a puppet place. Puppet‘s and Batik paintings play a big role in Yogyakarta because of the tradition, the uniqueness and the history. They gave us a explanation about the history of the puppets and the cultural standing. It was definitely very interesting and I did knew that this was kind of a religion at some point. We continued our exploring and ended up at the water palace. Definitely the highlight of the day. The ruins and the old swimming pool was definitely a vibe. Afterwards we went to the real palace and walked through the museum’s and buildings there. However everything around there was very confusing. There wasn’t a structure or any explanation and it was raining the hole day a bit.
2:30 p.m. - We walked back in the direction of the centre and I got some very tasty noodle’s for lunch and a cappuccino afterwards.
3:30 p.m. - Afterwards we went back to hostel and just chilled out for a bit. The weather wasn’t great and we were tired so it wasn’t too bad.
6:30 p.m. - I went for the dinner at the hostel again and had some nice chat’s with other guests in the hostel and Laura gave us some recommendations what to do. She is very well informed about the tourist situation in Java and got some good connections.Leggi altro
Yogyakarta
16 febbraio 2023, Indonesia
8 a.m. - I woke up quite early and got some breakfast. Robyn was still sleeping because she went out the night before.
9:30 a.m. - I rented a scooter and got ready to go east of Yogyakarta to explore the area and the recommendations from Laura.
10 a.m. - We arrived at the huge temple Prambanan. The tickets for Prambanan and Borobudur were still very expensive after the student discount. Although we were there quite early there were already a lot of school classes and we had to make again a lot of photos. While walking around in Prambanan we met Jakob a german guy and connected with him. Prambanan was very busy but there are more a bit smaller temple’s when you walk further and there is nobody. The architecture is very impressive if you think about when they build it.
1 p.m. - After we saw all temple’s we went for lunch to one of the restaurants Laura recommended and met there up with Brian another guy from our hostel. He met up with a local guy from Couchsurfing. Afterwards we went to another restaurant near by where we got some coffee. The restaurant was fancy and expensive but the have a beautiful infinity pool with a great view on Prambanan. Brian is a photographer and he is carrying around always his equipment so he asked if he can take a shot in the pool but unfortunately the pool wasn’t there for swimming. Anyways this American guy didn’t gave a fuck and was in the pool as soon as nobody looked.
4 p.m. - Afterwards the local guy showed us some places and we drove some crazy roads. A lot of the sights there a very expensive so we decided to go to another on which was free. I still don’t know exactly what it was but there were again loads of school classes and I had to take a huge amount of photos with a big girl group. I took so many individual pictures with posing. Now I know how a celebrity feels like and I also know that I don’t want to be famous because it gets annoying and exhausting. Afterwards they told me that I look like a celebrity how is famous there and that was the reason. The nice thing about the spot were to amazing owls there. They even sat on my shoulders. On the way to the accommodation we got into heavy rain and were wet when we arrived.
6:30 p.m. - We got some dinner all together and had a chill evening.Leggi altro
Yogyakarta
17 febbraio 2023, Indonesia
8:30 a.m. - I got the free breakfast in the hostel and kinda planned the day.
9:30 a.m. - Brian, Robin and I left into the direction of Borobudur.
10:30 a.m. - On the way was the Grojogang Watu waterfall where we made a little stop for some shot’s with the drone. Afterwards we continued to Borobudur and somehow we endet up in some kind of motorbike gang. All these kids were blocking the streets, screaming and honking.
11:30 a.m. - Anyways we arrived at Borobudur. Brian tried to get in with a already expired ticket but obviously it didn’t work out. So he waited somewhere else. Robin and I met up with Jakob inside and we got a guide to learn actually something about the history. Luckily we had a good timing because it was almost empty. The guide told us thats because it was Friday so there are no school classes and everyone else is in the mosque for prayer. We learned a lot about the history of the temple, how it was build, restored etc. It was very interesting but to be honest I didn’t understood everything the guide tried to tell us. Furthermore I was melting because all the volcano stones reflected the heat.
2:30 p.m. - After our tour we met up with Brian again. He went into a local café where he talked to some locals and we joined. Planned was to just stay there for a coffee and a bit of rest and go then to the Chicken Church but unfortunately it started to rain again. So instead we just chilled there, got some nice shots with the great rice field view, tried some coffee cherry wine kind of drink, and got really nice fried tempe. Robin and I booked a cooking class for the early evening but we didn’t wanted to drive 1:30h back in the rain. Apparently we had no choice but the way back was very beautiful and adventurous. We drove a smaller street through the mountains and the further we got back to the center the less got the rain.
5 p.m. - We were a bit late for the Via Via cooking class but Lala out Chef wasn’t mad. In total we were three people and we cooked two and a half dishes. One dish was a fried tuna with a sweet and sour sauce + rice, the second one was a classic vegetable curry and we also made some caramel tempe. I got all the recipes to cook it at home also except of the caramel tempe. I really enjoyed that we were such a small group and I had a lot if fun + the food was amazing a bit much for three person but we almost ate everything.
caramel tempe:
fried garlic, fried shallots, soya ketchup, chili, palm sugar, lime leaf, 1 tl sugar, 2 tl water -> caramel sauce + fried tempe
8 p.m. - We got back and I took a shower, packed my stuff and had a call with my mom.
11:30 p.m. - Later Brian and I walk to the train station because we had a night train to Malang.Leggi altro
Yogyakarta -> Malang -> Lumajang
18 febbraio 2023, Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
00:30 a.m. - The train departure to Malang. It was my first night train and I booked business class to get at least a bit sleep. In the end it didn’t changed anything the night was horrible. Uncomfortable seat and the worst was the light all night. They didn’t switched it off.
6:30 a.m. - We arrived in Malang an searched a place to drop of our bags for the morning because Laura recommended us to go to Lumajang and stay there. We ended up dropping our bags at the Mador hostel. We use their hole facilities and didn’t even stayed there.
8:15 a.m. - We went to the only highlight in Malang the rainbow village. The government decided to paint a hole slum village colorful so it gets an attraction and the entrance fee is for the people how life there. It’s amazing to walk through very beautiful and the people there are very friendly and nice. Furthermore it was my first time seeing a cock fight. I don’t understand what people like about that. Afterwards we went to the blue village right across the street which was my absolute favorite. It’s similar to to the on in Morocco and absolutely gorgeous. We got some nice shots there for locals and Brian went for a crazy shot on a pipe over the river and I had to flight the drone for the first time after I learned the basics in Borneo.
11 a.m. - Afterwards we went for lunch and got ready for the local bus to Lumajang.
1 p.m. - If Laura wouldn’t have told us about the local bus station and the bus you would never find it. However we arrived there and had a good timing we just had to wait 15min until the bus left. It was really a local experience. We were literally the only foreigners in the bus and everyone was starring at us but they were really friendly and the hole bus drive was a lot of fun. It was even allowed to smoke in the bus. The bus took ages because he stopped a lot and drove very slow but we saw a lot of the nature there.
4 p.m. - We showed the driver where our homestay was and the dropped us off almost right in front. The first thing that in recognized when we arrived is that the neighbor’s of our homestay have a monkey as a pet. We wanted to use our time as efficient as possible and lend a really shit scooter from our homestay to drive to one of a lot of gorgeous waterfalls around the area. The Kapas Biru waterfall. We underestimated the hike to the waterfall. It was longer that expected and very steep especially at the beginning. However the waterfall is breathtaking and except of some local kids how camped there we were the only ones. We wanted to see a nice sunset so we walked very fast back and it was hard especially because if the humidity. Unfortunately it was cloudy and we didn’t found a nice spot to see the sunset and somehow we endet up in a random village really close to the still active volcano Semeru.
7 p.m. - Afterwards we got dinner and went back to the hostel where we met Susan and Oleta they stayed also at Laura’s place and did the same as we did. So we decided to continue together. Furthermore we met the owner Ariez and he invited us to show us around the day after.Leggi altro
Lumajang -> Cemorolawang (Bromo)
19 febbraio 2023, Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C
5 a.m. - We woke up early for sunrise. Ariez brought us all to a very beautiful place where you can see the volcano Semeru in the morning light. It was simply breathtaking. Afterwards he brought us to another gorgeous spot even closer at the volcano. Afterwards we went even further and ended up in a pine forest. All these destinations definitely hidden gems and the roads there are also fun to ride. I can’t describe this morning in words simply unreal.
9 a.m. - Later we got back and got some nice free Indonesian breakfast.
10:30 a.m. - Afterwards we went to the best waterfall in the area Tumpak Sewu. I have never seen in my life such a gorgeous waterfall it’s insane. Looks incredible from the top and when you stand in the waterfall. The hike down is also steep and you definitely get wet. However definitely worth it and there are no words needed to describe the beauty just look at the pictures.
1:30 p.m. - We came back and got ready to leave.
2:30 p.m. - Later we left with Aris to Bromo on the way we passed a village which got destroyed by lava from 2021 and 2022 eruption of Semeru. It was horrible to see all the destroyed house’s, nature and all the dried lava. Afterwards we went to monkey forest where we just saw one huge monkey but a lot of bats and I got destroyed by mosquitoes.
8:30 p.m. - We arrived in the village Cemorolawang directly near the crater where we stayed in a homestay. It was so fucking cold up there in the mountains I had goosebumps at my balls. Later it was time to say goodbye to Ariez which was quite sad because we got very good friends in those two days and he is an amazing person.Leggi altro
Cemorolawang (Bromo)
20 febbraio 2023, Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
3 a.m. - We woke up early and hike 1.5h in the dark to a sunrise point. It was freezing cold with 12 degrees.
4:30 a.m. - We arrived at the viewpoint and on the way we passed so many jeeps from the tour’s it was insane. Furthermore there were so many locals tourists and everyone was dying on the way up. It was funny and sad at the same time. One of them even had a fucking oxygen tank. Anyways we secured a nice spot to shoot some stuff and enjoyed the sunrise. We had really good wether conditions it was just insane. At some point all the tours left and we were there alone. It was funny to see all the jeeps invading the crater they looked like ants. Afterwards we walked back and even the way back was just beautiful.
7:30 a.m. - We arrived back at the homestay and got some breakfast. We decided to go in the afternoon to the crater so we could get some rest before.
12:30 p.m. - We got some lunch and got ready for the crater.
1:30 p.m. - Our host showed us the “secret” way to the crater so we don’t have to pay entrance fee. We tried it twice and got caught both times unfortunately from a ranger. So we had no other choice to by the ticket. We walked up Bromo and walked along the ridge of the crater. It quite smoky but still breathtaking and we were the only ones because all the tours were already gone. I am so glad that we did everything without a tour and just could do whatever we wanted and spend as much time was we wanted. Unfortunately it started to rain and we had to leave.
4:30 p.m. - We arrived back at the homestay, looked at some photos and edited some of them. Furthermore we decided to go tomorrow again so we can get the most out of our time and the ticket.
7 p.m. - We got dinner and Brian and I decided to go to the other side of the crater tomorrow for sunrise. We just had to organize a proper motorbike which was harder than we thought.
10 p.m. - We managed to get a dope manual motorbike for tomorrow and went to sleep.Leggi altro
Cemorolawang (Bromo) -> Banyuwangi (Ijen
21 febbraio 2023, Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
4 a.m. - We woke up early again and Brian and I drove with the motorbike to the other viewpoint at the other side. The ride was crazy because it was so dark and we had to drive through the crater on a sandy road but we made it.
4:50 a.m. - We arrived and it was fucking cold, my hands were literally dying. We walked up further and found an amazing spot. The conditions were amazing again and I enjoyed the gorgeous sunrise. Furthermore we got some more crazy shoots. It was even better than yesterday and just gorgeous. Later we went down in the crater and I taught Brian how to drive a manual motorbike. We just had fun and drove around got some crazy shoots with the drone with the amazing background. Afterwards we went to Bromo again and had even better conditions than the day before. There was almost no smoke and no people so we could get some amazing drone shots. I walked almost half around the hole crater ridge of a still active volcano. Incredible. We met the girls at the crater and Oleta tried to drive the motorbike. She did really well until she got into the loose sand were she slipped out and fell. She was alright and the bike to but the loose sand is really dangerous and they didn’t gave us a helmet. However we got some more shots with the motorbike and found a nice jump where we filmed some more stuff. It was so much fun to drive around in a volcano, jump and just fucking send it. In the end it was stupid because we did have any safety equipment and it was dangerous no doubt. Unfortunately we had to get back because we had a transport to our next destination.
10 a.m. - We left from the village to Banyuwangi.
5:30 p.m. - We arrived in the Hati homestay after ages somewhere near Ijen and relaxed a bit.
7 p.m. - We got dinner and went to bed early because the next day we had to get up early again.Leggi altro
Banyuwangi (Ijen) -> Permuteran
22 febbraio 2023, Indonesia ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C
3 a.m. - Another early morning. I am getting used to it. We drove to the parking slots from where we started hiking.
3:40 - We started hiking in the dark once again. The hike was pretty hard. The beginning and the ending was easy but the middle part was very steep. There were everywhere “taxis” where three locals pull you up the mountain. Some people did it and it just looked hilarious and looked like modern slavery. When we arrived at the top we saw a but of a sunrise but unfortunately you can’t see the blue fire at the moment because the volcano is to active. We walked around the crater and it’s was once again gorgeous. The acid blue lake is so beautiful also the nature around there. We had to wear gas mask’s because of the toxic gases. It was breathtaking to see the crater gets enlightened in the morning sun. We once again we got nice shots and enjoyed the beautiful nature. It literally looked like we are on another planet. Apparently they mine sulfur there. The miners work in the worst conditions you can imagine. No mask’s in the heat incredible. Hard physical work and the just get 1k for 1kg of sulfur. Thats less that 10cents. Sulfur is used in beauty products and in some ingredients for example to whitening sugar.
8:45 a.m. - We arrived back at the homestay got breakfast and ready to leave.
10:30 a.m. - We left to the harbor in Banyuwangi to get the ferry to Bali.
12 p.m. - We took the ferry to Bali got some lunch and decided to stay in the area to get some rest because the last week was full of activities and just 2-3h of sleep.
4 p.m. - We arrived at the Molleh guesthouse in Pemuteran. Really nice guesthouse with an outdoor rain shower so the perfect Bali vibes.
7:30 p.m. - There are literally just old people and it is really quite so perfect to get some rest and chill for a bit. After dinner I went early to bed.Leggi altro