Southeast Asia and Home for the Holidays

Tropical Paradise

I want to start off by wishing all of you a happy New Year. May everyone enjoy much health, prosperity, peace, and well-being in 2008!

I was able to enjoy the Christmas and New Year's holiday with friends and family at home in Los Angeles before heading back to Asia. More on that later.

I'd promised to update the story about my trip to Indonesia so here it is in a nutshell:

Hindu Temple, Bali

The plan was to fly into Denpasar, Bali and spend a week on the island. On Bali I was able to visit the popular resort areas of Kuta, Sanur and Nusa Dua. Visits to Hindu temples, indigenous cultural performances, exotic cuisine, and rest and relaxation were all on the menu.

Ready to ride at Dewata Harley-Davidson, Kuta, Bali

While passing by the Bali Harley-Davidson dealership on the way in from the airport, I already knew that I'd have to ride a motorcycle. The islands are full of small displacement bikes and I'd get a whole new impression by getting myself out into the stream of traffic with the local population. I think the normal route to renting a bike in Bali would be to go on an organized tour. I chose to just ride baby...

I don't think that Harley rentals are common in Indonesia although the infrustructure is there. If you ride then you can easily rent with some preparation.

Make sure you have a current license and also an international driving license showing that you are large displacement motorcycle qualified. Bring gear with you or borrow and purchase gear at the dealer. Should there be any questions about experience and ability you may have to perform a short riding test. Insurance is included in the rental. It also helps to have an understanding of the local riding style and rules of the road! And by all means... have a sense of adventure!

For more Bali motorcycling information click on this link: Dewata Harley-Davidson

Kintamani Caldera with volcano, Bali

After the visit to Bali, an overland excursion was undertaken to really get to know the island of Java. Now I've been to Indonesia before but only experienced it from the most populous and tourist-oriented places. While the trip took me to many of those same places, I received a new-found respect for the beauty, culture, history, and geology of these fascinating islands. Java is a large and densely populated island dotted with rice fields, palm trees, exotic fruits , rare wildlife, and stunning geography.

Local temple resident, Bali

Mountainside Terraces near Malang, East Java

The people are warm and friendly, and never more so than when I scaled the mighty Borobudur temple in Central Java near the city of Yogyakarta. A temple of Bhuddist origin in this predominantly Muslim country with magnificent views of the mountains surrounding it, Borobudur is a must-see on an Indonesian itinerary. While at the temple and especially at the top, many visitors noticed that I wasn't "local". They were keen to speak English with me and fascinated to know that I came from Los Angeles. They wanted to know about L.A., but even more so about how I felt about the people and Indonesia in general. I really enjoyed these brief exchanges and photo opportunities (it did make me feel like a celebrity of sorts) and I viewed the exchanges as a way to build bridges with other cultures apart from the all the stereotypes we have about each other when viewed from afar.

View from the Borobudur Temple, Central Java

Street Life, Yogyakarta, Central Java

Continuing west from Yogyakarta we stopped in Baturaden, another majestic mountain retreat and then on to the city of Bandung and the resort area of Lembang. Rest and relaxation and visiting with relatives occupied my time and then it was off to the metropolis of Jakarta and then back to the USA.

Baturaden, Central Java

Mt. Slamet Volcano, Baturaden, Central Java

The politics of the world have taken a toll on Indonesian tourism and that much is evident from my own memories and past experiences. I didn't see as many western tourists as I had in the past. True, tourism is experiencing a slow resurgence, but the 2002 Bali bombings act like a lingering hangover. The Balinese are a warm and hospitable people as are the people of Java. Indonesia is doing quite a bit to maintain a safe atmosphere and the recent United Nations World Climate Conference went off without a hitch on Bali.

If you are looking for a different, exotic, and eye-opening journey, I cannot recommend Bali and Java enough.