Hitting up Mount Royal with Cheese (Gunung Agung)

May 6th, 2012
the crater at sunrise

Midnight starts never really seem like starts. It is kind of like being zombified, and then aggregating for the common cause of all zombie wisdom. In this case, we were grouping together to climb up Mount Agung, the highest volcano in Bali. By the time all was said and done our group had swung radically from 19 with 4 cars to 8 people in one car. It could have been the fact that the rain was coming down in sheets, but those who had arrived were determined to reach the top of the mountain by morning. 

Click to continue reading “Hitting up Mount Royal with Cheese (Gunung Agung)”

The Lava Fields of Batur

March 28th, 2012
batur caldera panorama

I tried to convince Kiky to bike up to Kintamani, a town along the ridge that makes the Batur Caldera on Bali, but she would have none of it. Being who she is, she wanted to see what she was getting into, especially knowing that I am slightly prone to exaggeration. After an hour of motorcycling continuously uphill, both of us were relieved that we chose to use the motorcycle first: her for knowing what is to come next time we decide to bike it, and me because I avoided trouble caused through my handicap of measuring difficulty properly.

Click to continue reading “The Lava Fields of Batur”

Climbing Gunung Lesong

March 27th, 2012
cimg8401

Finally, the rainy season looks like it is coming to an end. For us mountain goats, that means we can start hitting up the local peaks and getting some good exercise under our belts. While the peak of Gunung Agung (Bali’s tallest volcano) has been calling to me for the last few months, the threat of rain made it hard to find a guide who would take us up. So I looked to the central mountains and found one which would become our first Bali  Peak: Gunung Lesong.

Click to continue reading “Climbing Gunung Lesong”

The Waterfall That We Always Skipped

February 10th, 2012
kiky meditating at Bisappu

Along the road to Bira, I have always wondered what Bisappu Waterfall was like. About 3 hours into the trip out of Makassar, you pass a brown sign that has become crooked by a collision with a truck. According to this sign, a mere 5km away lies a waterfall of note. Despite my love for waterfalls and perpetual desire to explore further afield, I had never actually made it to this place. Each time there was something in the way: a need to get to Makassar before lunch, or leaving too late from Bira. This time though, some travelers whom we had met down in Bira sprung for the idea of going to Bisappu waterfall, and so we were committed.

Click to continue reading “The Waterfall That We Always Skipped”

Bira Adventure in February

February 10th, 2012
in Passoa cave

Each time I think I may get used to the road trip down to Bira, but there is always a surprise in store. This time, the driver despite many pleas to slow down raced across the South Sulawesi countryside, his mind more on getting a picture of his new long distance fling than on driving. We made it to the entrance to Bira, then the car gave a sudden crash. As I got out to look, I noticed the wheel had fallen completely off the axle. The last km to our hotel was in high spirits, as we could only imagine what trauma we may have had to endure if we had lost the wheel while driving.

Click to continue reading “Bira Adventure in February”

Farther Adventures in Bira

January 7th, 2012
between the palms

Now that it has been two weeks since we left South Sulawesi, I can see that I am already missing much of the natural scenery in and around the Bira area. This place is still wild, with lots to explore and discover. Perhaps over the coming years, I can get some more opportunities to explore further.

Click to continue reading “Farther Adventures in Bira”

Fireplay to Bring on the New Year

January 1st, 2012

The new year was brought in with small concerns for my safety, general excitement of times to come, and a whole lot of noise. Despite living in Makassar for a couple years, I had never actually had a New Year’s eve in this city, and so I was not really prepared for what ensued.

Click to continue reading “Fireplay to Bring on the New Year”

Troubles in Paradise

December 17th, 2011

Hearing the story Pak Gappar, the fellow who helped us buy land down in Ara, explains a lot. When we arrived we noticed that the fence had been torn down, and all the fruit trees we planted had disappeared. Why had this happened?

Pak Gappar said that soon after we left, somebody else had laid claim to the land. They started by pulling up the fence and putting in their own barbed wire fence to state that is was in fact theirs. Next they proceeded to tear up the fruit trees that we had planted their after we had left. What ensued likely is a good experience in village politics across Indonesia.

Click to continue reading “Troubles in Paradise”

Change is in the Wind…..

December 16th, 2011

The last week or so has been a whirlwind of activity, ultimately determining what we are going to be doing for the next year. The results certainly came out of left field, and are no less exciting than what we had anticipated.


a new hotel has popped up, and we decided to check it out.

Click to continue reading “Change is in the Wind…..”

The Road to Bira

December 15th, 2011

I have always been amazed at the productivity of humans. Cities particularly change quickly, but the lightning fast pace of change in places like Makassar is beyond comprehension. In the past 4 years the city has gone from a few tall buildings to several dozen in a short time frame. The cities roads have also become more choked with traffic, a problem common throughout Indonesia.

Click to continue reading “The Road to Bira”


WordPress Loves AJAX