My Indonesian visa saga

Sometimes being organized doesn’t pay off the result you were expecting as this happened to me with my Indonesian Visa. As lovely as the country is and the people are genuine, helpful and happy the authorities are the complete opposite.
By entering the country you will only receive a tourist visa which is valid for one month and can be extended only once for a month. There were many stories going round on the web that visa are a pain in the neck and could cost you days of your trip so I decided to organise the 60 days in advance. This should be possible at foreign Indonesian Embassy with some effort (forms) but at least I could enjoy my 60 days without spending time at an Immigration office. How wrong could I be; with a lot of sweat and effort I was able to apply for a visa in Manila at the Indonesian Embassy. Only when I went through a 2hr chores to get the correct forms and payment arranged I was told that they couldn’t confirm that it would be granted a 60 days visa but at least a 30 days which I could extent during my trip. So when I collected my passport 5 days later I was (of course) very disappointed to see that it was only for 30 days. What a waste of my 2 afternoons as I could have arranged this when entering the country. 
So I parked this while traveling in The Philippines and my first 2 weeks in Indonesia but when I arrived in Yogyakarta this was the first thing on my mind to arrange. So on Friday morning I went with all the required papers to the immigration office with my travel companion who needed to do the same but I came out of the office ‘empty handed’ and very disappointed and deflated as I was told that Manila had granted me a social visa which you usually get when you want to stay for max 6 months and requires a local sponsor! I was gobsmacked as how was this possible without having a sponsor in the 1st place? I got 2 forms to be filled in by ‘the sponsor’ and could return on Monday to apply for the extension. That day I spend gathering information and looking for a sponsor but was put out of my misery by the very kind and extremely helpful guesthouse owner Tanto who called his ‘friend’ at the immigration office. The only legal way to get this sorted was to leave the country at the end of my month and enter it again to receive that well needed tourist visa which could be extended for another month. He told me that even after 20 years his German wife has many issues to extend her visa for the next five years! I was so sad, disappointed and angry that I really had to take a moment and reflect on this for the rest of the day. It felt I was betrayed by a country close to my heart (especially Java where my roots come from) but I knew I had to keep emotions and practicalities separate as the country is a paradise and the people are amazing.
I didn’t want to support or contribute to the corrupt system so trying to find a way to deal with this social visa was not going anywhere.
This meant that at the end of the 30 days I have to fly for the day to Kuala Lumpur and back to Indonesia to receive a new visa.
This was a hard lesson to learn about the Indonesian authorities and not to try to arrange to many things for my trip in advance as you never can be sure what’s around the corner or what challenge is waiting for you.

Two day Jungle trip into Taman National Gunung Leuser Park

So far I’ve done jungle treks in different countries during my trip but this one was the most exhausting and intriguing one. This jungle felt like a real jungle even if we didn’t get that ‘deep’ into the jungle for the 2 day trip. The aim was to see wildlife like Oerang Utangs, Thomas sleep monkeys, Gibbons (white and black), macaque . So I went with guide Sinar and 5 other travellers into the jungle with a small backpack and our camera’s. We started with a steep climb to enter the jungle, regularly Sinar showed us some flora like rattan, cinnamon, lemon grass or other useful plants for medication. Meanwhile we climbed or walked and he kept us entertained but we were all waiting for that moment to see our first Oerang Utang which we finally did and it was Suma with her baby.  Sinar told us that she was raised in the monkey sanctuary after she was released from a captured life with soldiers. Sinar used to work with Oerang Utangs so he knows most of them and their habits. So Suma came down from her tree and ‘posed’ for us hoping to get some food but one of rules is not to feed them anymore as they learned in the sanctuary to life an independent life. Later on we spotted Sandra in a tree and when we reached camp Jacky and her baby were there to give us some extra Oerang Utang camera shots. The camp was based on the other side of the river which we had to cross by swimming or with a tube. The camp was a patch on a corner of the river with lots of stones and some huts (kitchen and sleeping area) and our base for the night. We enjoyed a lovely Indonesian meal of vegetable curry, marinated chicken, rice, tempeh and kroepoek followed by lots of fruit, ginger tea and later on roasted peanuts. Our guide Sinar and his friend entertained us with some magician card games and he knew a lot of mind games with some matches. At 9pm he said it was time to go to bed so we all went to our hut (an area covered with plastic walls and roof) where we were positioned in a row on the floor with a sheet to cover our bodies. I slept really well and got up at 6.30am to have a tea and chat with Sinar outside and enjoy the beautiful views of the jungle.  Before we left the next day on a raft down the river we visited a waterfall on the other side of the river and had a swim followed by lunch. The journey down the river was fun but too short and not enough current to make it really exciting. 
Sinar, thank you for a great trip and showing me the Oerang Utans in their natural environment and entertaining me with your big smile and stories.

Suma

Thomas Leaf Monkey

Going back to my roots......

Most of you will understand what I mean with the above and that I’m visiting my late dad’s birth country Indonesia. He came to Holland when he was 17 years old with his family and adjusted to his new environment and enjoyed the rest of his life a Dutchie lifestyle with a hint of exotic spice.
So after more than 40 years I feel it’s time for me to find out where half of me has a finger in the cultural pot and find out if there are some hidden exotic spices to be added to my current flavors.

I’ve started in Sumatra and so far I feel very much at home as there are so many familiar things; the food is something I’m used to so when I see the menu I know what most of it is and how it taste; there are still a lot of Dutch words in their vocabulary and signs everywhere which after The Dutch left the Indonesians kept. Many times when I walk around I can see ‘a dad lookalike’ which is sometimes emotional and confrontational but most of the time beautiful and comforting.  I recognize many habits of my dad in the Indonesian lifestyle so now I can see that he kept part of his roots during his life.  We (the Indonesians) and me both look at each other and know we have more in common than the other Westeners so in return I receive a big smile or they say “you look like us”. I know that learning Bahasa Indonesia would gain me even more credit and access to the locals so I’m trying to get that into my head as soon as possible. In Sumatra many people speak English or even basic Dutch as many of them still have family in The Netherlands and travel back and forwards on a regular basis.
I’ve covered so far Medan, Bukit Lawang and Lake Toba which are three very different destinations but my presence was everywhere very welcoming from the Indonesians and I look forward to spend more time in this country which feels a bit like home….

Queen of the jungle

Bye bye The Philippines

After three weeks I had to say goodbye to this most amazing, surprisingly, beautiful, divers, tropical, sunny country which wasn’t included in my initial travel itinerary but brought under my attention during my trip. I am so please I did visit it – to short – but at least I got a taster of the country which I will add to my ‘countries to visit’ list.

The country is heavily over populated as the Philippinos find families very important (most of them are Catholic) so they’ll have at least 4 -9 children. Another reason is that in this country the poorer part of the population needs the support from their children when they get older. Despite that the people are organized, willing to help you so things happen and most of it on time. There’s enough transportation to get you where you want with tricycles, jeepneys, bus, train, ferry, boat, van, taxi, motorbikes and planes. The streets are clean everywhere as you’ll see people sweep the streets many times a day; collect litter and recycle this; there are signs not to dump any waste; or asked to be environmentally conscious by signs in the street or in your hotel. But most of all the people are why I do like it so much and who make your stay a dream. It seems that they’re always happy and have a big smile on their face so when you asked them something they most of the time start with laughter before answering your question.  There is always someone who will help you or if they see that you look lost they will come over and say: where do you need to go? Once my travel companion hurt her leg while on a motor bike and people literally were pointing at her leg or stopping her to ask what happened and suggestion she had to go to the hospital. In the end she just had to put a band aid over it to avoid all these questions.
Many times people walked with me to a train station and waited till I bought a ticket to make sure I was safe and heading for the right direction. I never felt unsafe, vulnerable or that someone wanted to pull my leg, you could even negotiate reasonably with the taxi drivers regarding your fare.
I could go on for a long time but it all comes down to this; The Philippines and its habitants is an amazing destination and I LOVE it so will return at some point with lots of time and a big smile on my face to enjoy this part of the world again.

The Negros

My final destination in the Philippines is the Negros in the Visayan Island group. Here you’ll find dive and snorkel spots, remote beaches and laid back towns.
I stayed in Dumaguete for a couple of days to get a feel of the area and to find out what to do. From there I went on a snorkelling trip to Apo Island which is famous for its turtles….and yes I did see and swam with many of them including colourful fish and beautiful coral reefs.
From there I was planning to visit at least 3 other destinations before heading to my next country Indonesia but when I arrived on Siquijor I was sold and knew I wouldn't get any further till I had to leave. This Island is just 45 minutes from Dumaguete but a real gem and a backpacker’s paradise with cheap accommodation. The breath-taking scenery has a South-American / tropical feeling but the Island is also renewed for its witches and healers. I stayed at a place with the most amazing view from the beach fronted communal area where I’m sure the Bounty commercial was shot many years ago. In the evening its quiet and with almost a full moon the beach and sea just looked magical. After my first night it wasn’t hard for my fellow travellers to persuade me to stay here instead of going to Bohol which was my initial plan. I enjoyed Siquijor by exploring it on a motorbike and relaxing in a hammock on the beach. Travelling on the motorbike made it possible to see the inland of the Island, people were pleased to see some tourists and were waiving or inviting you for a chat and drink. Most villages were a cluster of houses on the main road with always a church, little wooden convenient shop, petrol stall and basketball field (they love this sport and everyone plays it on a daily basis). The Philippino/Australian owners of my guesthouse said that many people stay here for at least 1 or 2 weeks and it’s easy to understand why….

Apo Island

Siquijor island...

Sunset at Siquijor

Boat trip in El Nido

Following my Island trip I stayed one night in Coron which is very busy with many restaurants, bars and shops. There isn’t a beach near the town centre so you need to travel a bit to have a swim and beaches. The place tried to quick to accommodate the numbers of tourists which resulted in badly designed and build buildings. In Coron I took a small Bangka to El Nido, the boat trip took 7 hours but it was fun and the rest of the tourists or locals on the boat chatted to each other to kill the time. The views were beautiful as sometimes we passed a little paradise beach or Island and even spotted one dolphin.

El Nido is lovely, it’s a village with one main road along the beach which hosts most of the guesthouses and restaurants. This area is famous for its black limestone so the views are big black limestone Islands or rock formations in the sea. It has a bit of a hippi-esque feeling and most of the locals were born on the island and made tourism as their profession. In the evening this place has a relaxed atmosphere were no loud music is aloud and you can have your dinner with your feet in the sand on the beach. You could easily stay here for a week and not get bored as there are many boat trips, hiking options, lovely beaches, climbing facilities and the restaurants to fill your tummy.

I only had 3 days here so I explored the area on a mountain bike -which I regretted when cycling in 35degrees- to Las Cabanas beach. Climbed the big limestone rock in the morning with guide Lance and was rewarded after 45 minutes with amazing views of El Nido.

El Nido view

The rest of the day I spend exploring many Islands on a speedboat as most trips are with a Bangka which is a lot slower but can’t reach all islands. This trip is a bit more expensive but worth the fun which I enjoyed with two French guys called Pierre and Laurent and captain Nonong. We started with Cadlao Lagoon, Cadlao long beach and Helicopter Island, followed by the stunning deserted beach of Martinloc, Binanqculan and had lunch at Tapiutan. Lunch was bbq chicken and barracuda with rice, salad and adobago sauce. Captain Nonong is also a bit of a chef so I had seconds as it was just delicious but maybe the view of this deserted island helped too. We continued in the pouring rain to Secret Beach, Shimizu and finished with the Big and Small lagoon. Arriving with a speedboat when all the other Bangka’s were moored in the water was sometimes a bit Footballers wives but the smile and laughter of Captain Nonong was priceless as he is so proud to work with the only speedboat in town! That day I jumped into the water many times to spot a wide variety of colourful fishes, turtle, stingray and a lobster. Unfortunately there were many jellyfish so you had to look up a lot instead of down for not hitting on of these ugly purple looking jellies. There were little ones is the water which made your skin itch and tingly a bit. This was the end of Palawan for me as with a night bus to Puerto Princesa I took a flight to my next destination The Negros.

Black limestone formations

A paradise treat for Angel

A paradise treat for Angel I was finally leaving Manila for a 14 days ‘taster’ of the Islands with a fairly busy schedule ahead. I took a propeller Cebupacific plane from Manila airport to Coron which is the largest island in the Palawan province. On arrival I took the mini-van to the town centre and was planning to stay there for 2 days before moving on to the next island. However, when I left the mini-van and retrieved my bag the driver and travel agent lady (Jenny) said that they were heading for the harbour to take a boat to Sangat Island and if I was interested to join? This island is a black limestone one with white beaches and has diving and snorkeling facilities. It wasn’t cheap but the thought of some rest and white beaches got the overhand and within 10 minutes I decided to change my plans and jumped back into the car. We entered a small wooden boat and left in the complete dark with only the 1/3 moon and many stars. For the next hour we went in almost complete silence (from the passengers) only the motor making a noise but enjoying the views. Even in the dark it was beautiful; the moonlight put a glitter on the waves and due to a flashlight we could see fish jumping from the water. I’ve noticed that I had a big smile on my face and knew that I’ve made the right decision to jump this ship for Sangat Island. Only the next morning I could enjoy the views and see what I’ve signed up for, I’m staying in a wooden hut facing the sea and it’s amazing views. The monkeys walk around your hut but run off when you come near so no wonder it is suggest to leave your doors closed to make sure they won’t gain entry and explore your room. The place has big open air restaurant for all your meals and they just finished the outdoor bar around a massive rock which will be opened in a few days but was already open for beers, chats and music.

Sangat Island

The rock bar

My first day I spend chatting to the other visitors on this island, been snorkeling for hours and seen many colourful fish and reefs just meters away from my hut, went to the WWI shipwreck for some more snorkeling. The rest of the day I’m resting in my hammock or eating more food. They prepare 3 times a day amazing fresh food starting with breakfast; fresh fruit, home made bread, crisp bacon, eggs and cheese, lunch; bbq-ed fish kebabs, chicken legs, roasted vegetables, and a fresh salad, dinner; pork rendang, grilled fish, green pumpkin curry, rice and salad. The staff are all Philippinoos with 2 lost Brits (dive instructor and receptionist) and are the sweetest and loveliest people I’ve met so far but how could you not be when working on an island like this? Every day most of them commute in with a 20 minute boat ride from the mainland and say they feel like one big family. Anida is the resort dog – a female rotweiler- but as sweet as the sugar coated bananas you get as afternoon snack and always happy to see you. So I had a problem as how long can I stay on this island and still catch my next flight to the next set of Islands? Well I wasn’t the only one with this problem as on arrival I met a Dutch guy who was still there after 4 days and indecisive if he was leaving or not the next day. I’m one of the few who is carrying my bag with my valuables with me as they say you can leave your valuables in your hut as nobody can leave this island unnoticed! It was a great two day treat and taster of this part of the Philippines (Palawan)

Paradise