H2id j6ule k6igile! Loodan et pyhadeaeg on olnud m6nus ja et keegi liigsest s88gist plahvatanud pole :) Me Paologa veetsime j6ulud Yogyakartas, Jaava saarel, koos mu s6branna Johannaga. J22me siiakanti kuni uue aastani. Paraku ei ole siin head internetiyhendust, seega pikemalt kirjutan j2lle ilmselt alles jaanuaris. Seniks head vana aasta l6ppu!
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Merry Christmas everyone! I hope the holidays have been great and that no one has yet exploded from too much food :) Paolo and I spent Christmas in Yogyakarta, on the island of Java, with my friend Johanna. We will stay here until the New Year. Unfortunately the internet connection here is not great, so my next longer post will probably come in January. Until then, I wish you all a good ending to the year and a brilliant start to 2016!
laupäev, 26. detsember 2015
teisipäev, 22. detsember 2015
Gili saared ja palavik // Gili islands and fever
Senggigist l2ksime me Lomboki loodeossa et veeta j2rgnevad viis 88d tillukestel Gili saartel. Gili saari on kokku kolm (gili t2hendabki bahasa indoneesia keeles 'v2ike saar') - Gili Trawangan (suurim ja arenenum saartest, populaarne noorte seas kes pidutseda tahavad, asetseb yhtlasi maismaast k6ige kaugemal), Gili Meno (v2ikseim ja v2him arenenud Gili, tuntud kui vaikseim ja metsikuim saar) ning Gili Air (Lomboki maismaale l2him, ainus kolmest saarest kus kohalikud ka elavad, ning kuigi Trawanganist vaiksem, on seal siiski piisavalt teha ka). Gilid on tuntud kui paradiisisaared ning super puhkusesihtkoht. Saared on k6ik v2ga v2iksed, v2hem kui 2 kilomeetrit laiad, seal leidub vaid yksikuid teid (v6i 6igemini radasid) ning mootors6idukid on k6igil saartel keelatud. Ainsateks transpordiviisideks on jalgrattad, hobusekaarikud ning omaenda jalad. K6igil kolmel saarel leidub kilomeetrite viisi kauneid liivarandasid, ning k6ik kolm on ymbritsetud korallriffidega, v6imaldades suurep2rast snorgeldamist (ehk maski ja toruga veealuse maailma uudistamist) ja sukeldumist. Yhtlasi leidub seal hulgi v2ga m6nusaid ja l66gastavaid restorane ja kohvikuid, t2is bambusest m88blit ja lamamistoole, ning enamus hotellitubasid on tegelikult hoopis hubased rannahytid.
Seega pole mingi ime et see oli osa reisist mida ma olin pikisilmi oodanud, ning mist6ttu me planeerisime seal veeta tervelt viis 88d (pikim aeg mis me seni kuskil veetnud oleme). Ma ei jaksanud 2ra oodata, et saaks snorgeldada ja k6iki kolme saart avastada.
Paraku olid elul veidi teistsugused plaanid ning meie puhkus kujunes ettekujutatust hoopis erinevaks. Enamus ajast Gilidel veetsin ma k6rges palavikus ja hullu nohuga, suutmata eriti midagi teha. Mul 6nnestus ennast viimasel p2eval Senggigis kuidagi kylmetada, ilmselt kuna eelneval 88l oli ventilaator veidi liiga tugevalt sisse j22nud. J2rgneva p2eva kurnav rattaretk ei aidanud ka kindlasti kaasa, ning kui j6udis k2tte aeg Gilidele s6iduks, oli mul p6letavalt k6rge palavik ning v6imas p6skkoopap6letik.
Paranemine v6ttis aega neli p2eva, seega veetsime me enamus oma p2evadest jalutades (aeglaselt) Gili Airi saarel (kus me 88bisime) ning rannas lugedes. Yhtlasi syyes palju kanasuppi ning juues liitrite viisi ingveriteed, neelates paratsetamooli ning minnes varakult magama. Paolo, hea ja hooliv peika nagu ta on, veetis kogu oma aja minuga, saamata teha mitte midagi huvitavat ning pidades koguaeg minu halamist kuulama. Ta on parim!
Lohutust leidsime oma olukorras sellest, et ka ilm polnud eriti hea. Nagu mujalgi Indoneesias, oli ka Gilidel vihmahooaeg varakult pihta hakanud ning me kogesime oma sealsetel esimestel p2evadel eriti halba ilma - t6siseid 2ikesetorme tugeva paduvihmaga. Seega polnud haige olemine k6ige hullem, kuina me oleks nii v6i naa pidanud p2ris palju aega toas istuma.
Viimaseks p2evaks Gilidel oli mul l6puks enesetunne hea ning p2ev kujunes v2ga meeldivaks. Me otsustasime s6ita Gili Trawanganile, v6i Gili T-le nagu seda hellitavalt kutsutakse. P2rast nelja p2eva Gili Airil olime me saare otsast otsani l2bi k6ndinud ning vajasime vaheldust. Meil vedas sel p2eval ka ilmaga ning saime kyllaga p2ikest ning ei tilkagi vihma - t2iuslikud tingimused meie aktiivsemaks p2evaks. Nagu me paadilt maha olime roninud, l2ksime me otsima kust saaksime rentida jalgratast - v6i 6igemini tandemit (kaheinimese jalgratast). Paolo oli juba pikemat aega tahtnud kahekesti tandemjalgrattaga s6itmist proovida, ent ma olin varem v2hem entusiastlik olnud. Gilid olid aga sellise asja proovimiseks ideaalne koht, ning me saabusime missiooniga saart tandemil avastada. Me leidsime ilma suurema vaevata koha, mis neid rentis, ning kuigi ratas n2gi p2ris roostes ja nukker v2lja, olid ka k6ik teised seni saartel n2htud rattad samasugused, ning me rentisimegi ilma pikema jututa tandemi.
Tandemiga s6itmine ei olnud tegelikult tavalise jalgrattaga s6itmisest sugugi erinev, v2lja arvatud, et mul oli vaade Paolo seljale ning mul ei olnud tarvis otsustada kuhu poole p88rata. Kahjuks j2i meie s6it lyhikeseks kuna p2rast viit minutit proovis Paolo k2iku vahetada (!) ning kogu tandem lagunes koost 2ra. P2rast kogu tee tagasi jalutamist v6tsime me kaks (samuti roostes) tavalist jalgratast, ent mitte enne kui Paolo oli omanikuga paar s6na vahetanud - viimane kurtis, et tal on nyyd vaja varuosade jaoks raha kulutada, mille peale Paolo kostis et jalgrataste korrashoid on ta t88 osa.
Nyyd juba eraldi, v2ntasime me m88da rannikut edasi kuni peatusime yhes rannas et viimaks snorgeldada - midagi, mida ma olin nii v2ga tahtnud teha, ent polnud seni haiguse t6ttu saanud. Mul on ylimalt hea meel, et viimasel p2eval saime siiski snorgeldada, kuna see oli lihtsalt fantastiline! Me n2gime hulgi eriv2rvilisi ja kirjuid kalu ning lahedaid korallmoodustisi, ent k6ige parem hetk oli siis kui Paolo m2rkas hiigelsuurt merikilpkonna, kes m88da p6hja rahulikult vetikaid pugis, ymbritsetuna v2ikestest kaladest. Kumbki meist polnud varem merikilpkonna n2inud, ja seega oli eriti lahe kogemust n2ha teda nii l2hedalt ja oma looduslikus keskkonnas. Ma loodan v2ga, et meil 6nnestub oma reisi jooksul veel palju snorgeldada, sest veealusesse maailmasse vaadata on nii maagiline. Mulle meeldib hirmsasti ka korallriffi 22re kohal hulpida ja kuristikku vaadata ning ette kujutada kes seal kaugel elab.
P2rast rannapeatust saime me saarel veel natukene ringi s6ita enne kui pidime j2lle sadamasse suunduma et paadiga tagasi Gili Airile s6ita. Tagasis6idul tutvusime me yhe kena paariga, saksa tydruku ja hispaania poisiga, kes 88bisid meiega samas hotellis Gili Airil. Me veetsime terve 6htu nendega koos ning k2isime koos rannas s88mas. Oli v2ga meeldiv teiste r2ndajatega juttu puhuda ning muljeid jagada ning see tegi meie viimase 6htu Gilidel veelgi meeldivamaks.
Kahjuks l6ppes suurep2rane p2ev veidi muserdavalt - ilmnes, et Paolo hakkas haigeks j22ma, ning selle aja peale kui me magama l2ksime, oli tal korralik palavik! Ta oli kogu selle aja vastu pidanud mil mina haige olin, ja nii kui minu enesetunne paranes, tuli tema kord. Ja minu kord omakorda teda p6etada. V2hemalt oli meil piisavalt 6nne, et me m6lemad koos haiged ei olnud :D
Me oleme nyyd tagasi Senggigis yheks 88ks, p2rast mida l2hme me Balile, kust me lendame Jaava saarele Yogyakartasse, et veeta kymme p2eva mu s6branna Johanna juures. Seal veedame me ka j6ulud ja aastavahetuse - kummaline m6te siinses kuumas kliimas :)
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From Senggigi, we made our way to northeast Lombok to spend the following five nights on the Gili islands, the minuscule little islets just off the coast of Lombok. There are three Gilis (gili actually means 'small island' in Bahasa Indonesian) - Gili Trawangan (the largest and most developed, popular with young people who want to party, it is also the furthest away from the coast), Gili Meno (the smallest and least developed, known for being the quietest and wildest of the three), and Gili Air (closest to the mainland, the only Gili where locals actually live, it is quieter than Trawangan but still with enough to do). The Gilis have a reputation as paradise islands and an excellent holiday destination. The islands are all very small, less than 2km wide, with just few roads (more like paths actually) and no motorised traffic, which is forbidden on the islands. The only modes of transportation are bicycles, horse carts and your own legs. The islands all have kilometres of beautiful sandy beaches, and all are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs, allowing for excellent snorkelling and diving. There are a number of very laid-back and nice restaurants and cafes with bamboo furniture and deck chairs, and most hotels are in fact cool bungalows.
So it's no wonder that this was a part of our trip that I had really been looking forward to, and we planned to stay for as long as five nights (the longest we have stayed in any one place yet). I couldn't wait to do lots of snorkelling and to explore all three islands during our time there.
Unfortunately, life's a bit of a bitch and decided to kick our plans in the nuts. In the end I spent most of our time on the Gilis with a high fever and a nasty cold, unable to do much at all. I had somehow managed to get a cold on our last day in Senggigi, probably by having had the fan on too high the night before. The exertion of the mountainbiking the next day didn't do much to help the situation, so by the time we were on our way to the Gilis, I had a scorching hot fever and a hardcore sinus infection.
It took me four days to get any better, so most of our time was spent walking (slowly :D) around Gili Air (which is where we stayed) and reading on the beach. Plus eating lots of spicy chicken soup and drinking litres of ginger tea, popping Paracetamols, and going to bed early. Paolo, being a very kind and caring boyfriend, spent all his time with me, not being able to do anything exciting and having to listen to me complaining about how shitty I felt. He is the best!
We found consolation in our situation from the fact that the weather wasn't that great either. Like elsewhere in Indonesia, the rainy season had just started on the Gilis as well, and we experienced a particularly bad few days when we got there - serious thunderstorms with extremely heavy rain. So it wasn't all that bad being ill, since we would have had to stay indoors quite a bit anyway.
I finally felt good again in time for our last day on the islands, and it turned out to be a really good one. We decided to take the island hopper boat to see Gili Trawangan (since we had been stuck on Gili Air for four days in a row and had seen all of it by now), or Gili T as it's affectionately called. The weather that day was beautiful as well, with sunshine and no rain at all, so we had perfect conditions for our first more active day. As soon as we got off the boat, we went to look for a place to rent a bike, or to be precise, a tandem bike. Paolo had been wanting to try a tandem together for a while, but I hadn't been too keen to try it since I wasn't sure how safe I would feel. However, the Gilis were a perfect place to try something like that, since there is no motor traffic, so we arrived with a mission to explore the island on a tandem. We found a place with tandems quite quickly, and while the bike looked rusty and badly kept, so did all the other bikes we have seen on the islands, and we took the tandem anyway.
Riding a tandem was actually not different at all from riding a normal bike, except I got to look at Paolo's back while I rode and I had to make no decisions on where to turn lol. Unfortunately our voyage was cut short five minutes later when Paolo made the mistake of trying to change the gear (shocking!) and the whole tandem fell apart! Having walked all the way back to the bike rental place, we took two single bikes (also rusty), but not before Paolo had a small argument with the owner who was complaining that he now had to spend money for a spare part on the tandem, while Paolo countered that fixing the bikes was part of his job.
No longer tandem-ed together, we cycled along the coast and stopped at a beach to finally do some snorkelling, which I had so been looking forward to but not had had a chance to do yet. I am so glad we managed it on the last day because it was wonderful! We saw tons of colourful fish and cool coral formations, but the absolute highlight was when Paolo spotted a HUGE sea turtle, grazing gently among the seaweed, with a host of fishes attending her. Neither of us had seen a sea turtle before, and it was just amazing to see one so close and in its natural environment. I really hope we get to do lots more snorkelling on our trip to come, because it is just so magical to peer into the underwater world and to spy on all the life there. I also love looking down to where the coral reef falls into the abyss and to imagine what lives beyond there.
After the beach stop, we cycled some more and then had to already take the boat back to Gili Air. On the boat trip back, we made friends with another couple, a German girl and a Spanish guy, who were staying in the same hotel as us on Gili Air. We ended up spending the whole evening together, and went out for drinks and dinner on the beach. It was great to get to chat to other travellers and share impressions, and it made our final evening on the Gilis that much more enjoyable.
Unfortunately, the excellent day ended on a bit of a downer - it was becoming increasingly clear that Paolo was falling ill, and by the time we went to bed, he was hot with a fever! He had held out for so many days while I was sick, but as soon as I felt better, it was his turn. And mine to tend to him. We are lucky at least to not be ill at the same time :D
We are now back in Senggigi for one night before heading to Bali, from where we will catch a flight to Yogyakarta on Java island to spend ten days with my good friend Johanna. There we will also spend Christmas and New Year - which is a strange thought in this hot climate :)
Seega pole mingi ime et see oli osa reisist mida ma olin pikisilmi oodanud, ning mist6ttu me planeerisime seal veeta tervelt viis 88d (pikim aeg mis me seni kuskil veetnud oleme). Ma ei jaksanud 2ra oodata, et saaks snorgeldada ja k6iki kolme saart avastada.
Paraku olid elul veidi teistsugused plaanid ning meie puhkus kujunes ettekujutatust hoopis erinevaks. Enamus ajast Gilidel veetsin ma k6rges palavikus ja hullu nohuga, suutmata eriti midagi teha. Mul 6nnestus ennast viimasel p2eval Senggigis kuidagi kylmetada, ilmselt kuna eelneval 88l oli ventilaator veidi liiga tugevalt sisse j22nud. J2rgneva p2eva kurnav rattaretk ei aidanud ka kindlasti kaasa, ning kui j6udis k2tte aeg Gilidele s6iduks, oli mul p6letavalt k6rge palavik ning v6imas p6skkoopap6letik.
Paranemine v6ttis aega neli p2eva, seega veetsime me enamus oma p2evadest jalutades (aeglaselt) Gili Airi saarel (kus me 88bisime) ning rannas lugedes. Yhtlasi syyes palju kanasuppi ning juues liitrite viisi ingveriteed, neelates paratsetamooli ning minnes varakult magama. Paolo, hea ja hooliv peika nagu ta on, veetis kogu oma aja minuga, saamata teha mitte midagi huvitavat ning pidades koguaeg minu halamist kuulama. Ta on parim!
Lohutust leidsime oma olukorras sellest, et ka ilm polnud eriti hea. Nagu mujalgi Indoneesias, oli ka Gilidel vihmahooaeg varakult pihta hakanud ning me kogesime oma sealsetel esimestel p2evadel eriti halba ilma - t6siseid 2ikesetorme tugeva paduvihmaga. Seega polnud haige olemine k6ige hullem, kuina me oleks nii v6i naa pidanud p2ris palju aega toas istuma.
Viimaseks p2evaks Gilidel oli mul l6puks enesetunne hea ning p2ev kujunes v2ga meeldivaks. Me otsustasime s6ita Gili Trawanganile, v6i Gili T-le nagu seda hellitavalt kutsutakse. P2rast nelja p2eva Gili Airil olime me saare otsast otsani l2bi k6ndinud ning vajasime vaheldust. Meil vedas sel p2eval ka ilmaga ning saime kyllaga p2ikest ning ei tilkagi vihma - t2iuslikud tingimused meie aktiivsemaks p2evaks. Nagu me paadilt maha olime roninud, l2ksime me otsima kust saaksime rentida jalgratast - v6i 6igemini tandemit (kaheinimese jalgratast). Paolo oli juba pikemat aega tahtnud kahekesti tandemjalgrattaga s6itmist proovida, ent ma olin varem v2hem entusiastlik olnud. Gilid olid aga sellise asja proovimiseks ideaalne koht, ning me saabusime missiooniga saart tandemil avastada. Me leidsime ilma suurema vaevata koha, mis neid rentis, ning kuigi ratas n2gi p2ris roostes ja nukker v2lja, olid ka k6ik teised seni saartel n2htud rattad samasugused, ning me rentisimegi ilma pikema jututa tandemi.
Tandemiga s6itmine ei olnud tegelikult tavalise jalgrattaga s6itmisest sugugi erinev, v2lja arvatud, et mul oli vaade Paolo seljale ning mul ei olnud tarvis otsustada kuhu poole p88rata. Kahjuks j2i meie s6it lyhikeseks kuna p2rast viit minutit proovis Paolo k2iku vahetada (!) ning kogu tandem lagunes koost 2ra. P2rast kogu tee tagasi jalutamist v6tsime me kaks (samuti roostes) tavalist jalgratast, ent mitte enne kui Paolo oli omanikuga paar s6na vahetanud - viimane kurtis, et tal on nyyd vaja varuosade jaoks raha kulutada, mille peale Paolo kostis et jalgrataste korrashoid on ta t88 osa.
Nyyd juba eraldi, v2ntasime me m88da rannikut edasi kuni peatusime yhes rannas et viimaks snorgeldada - midagi, mida ma olin nii v2ga tahtnud teha, ent polnud seni haiguse t6ttu saanud. Mul on ylimalt hea meel, et viimasel p2eval saime siiski snorgeldada, kuna see oli lihtsalt fantastiline! Me n2gime hulgi eriv2rvilisi ja kirjuid kalu ning lahedaid korallmoodustisi, ent k6ige parem hetk oli siis kui Paolo m2rkas hiigelsuurt merikilpkonna, kes m88da p6hja rahulikult vetikaid pugis, ymbritsetuna v2ikestest kaladest. Kumbki meist polnud varem merikilpkonna n2inud, ja seega oli eriti lahe kogemust n2ha teda nii l2hedalt ja oma looduslikus keskkonnas. Ma loodan v2ga, et meil 6nnestub oma reisi jooksul veel palju snorgeldada, sest veealusesse maailmasse vaadata on nii maagiline. Mulle meeldib hirmsasti ka korallriffi 22re kohal hulpida ja kuristikku vaadata ning ette kujutada kes seal kaugel elab.
P2rast rannapeatust saime me saarel veel natukene ringi s6ita enne kui pidime j2lle sadamasse suunduma et paadiga tagasi Gili Airile s6ita. Tagasis6idul tutvusime me yhe kena paariga, saksa tydruku ja hispaania poisiga, kes 88bisid meiega samas hotellis Gili Airil. Me veetsime terve 6htu nendega koos ning k2isime koos rannas s88mas. Oli v2ga meeldiv teiste r2ndajatega juttu puhuda ning muljeid jagada ning see tegi meie viimase 6htu Gilidel veelgi meeldivamaks.
Kahjuks l6ppes suurep2rane p2ev veidi muserdavalt - ilmnes, et Paolo hakkas haigeks j22ma, ning selle aja peale kui me magama l2ksime, oli tal korralik palavik! Ta oli kogu selle aja vastu pidanud mil mina haige olin, ja nii kui minu enesetunne paranes, tuli tema kord. Ja minu kord omakorda teda p6etada. V2hemalt oli meil piisavalt 6nne, et me m6lemad koos haiged ei olnud :D
Me oleme nyyd tagasi Senggigis yheks 88ks, p2rast mida l2hme me Balile, kust me lendame Jaava saarele Yogyakartasse, et veeta kymme p2eva mu s6branna Johanna juures. Seal veedame me ka j6ulud ja aastavahetuse - kummaline m6te siinses kuumas kliimas :)
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From Senggigi, we made our way to northeast Lombok to spend the following five nights on the Gili islands, the minuscule little islets just off the coast of Lombok. There are three Gilis (gili actually means 'small island' in Bahasa Indonesian) - Gili Trawangan (the largest and most developed, popular with young people who want to party, it is also the furthest away from the coast), Gili Meno (the smallest and least developed, known for being the quietest and wildest of the three), and Gili Air (closest to the mainland, the only Gili where locals actually live, it is quieter than Trawangan but still with enough to do). The Gilis have a reputation as paradise islands and an excellent holiday destination. The islands are all very small, less than 2km wide, with just few roads (more like paths actually) and no motorised traffic, which is forbidden on the islands. The only modes of transportation are bicycles, horse carts and your own legs. The islands all have kilometres of beautiful sandy beaches, and all are surrounded by beautiful coral reefs, allowing for excellent snorkelling and diving. There are a number of very laid-back and nice restaurants and cafes with bamboo furniture and deck chairs, and most hotels are in fact cool bungalows.
So it's no wonder that this was a part of our trip that I had really been looking forward to, and we planned to stay for as long as five nights (the longest we have stayed in any one place yet). I couldn't wait to do lots of snorkelling and to explore all three islands during our time there.
Unfortunately, life's a bit of a bitch and decided to kick our plans in the nuts. In the end I spent most of our time on the Gilis with a high fever and a nasty cold, unable to do much at all. I had somehow managed to get a cold on our last day in Senggigi, probably by having had the fan on too high the night before. The exertion of the mountainbiking the next day didn't do much to help the situation, so by the time we were on our way to the Gilis, I had a scorching hot fever and a hardcore sinus infection.
It took me four days to get any better, so most of our time was spent walking (slowly :D) around Gili Air (which is where we stayed) and reading on the beach. Plus eating lots of spicy chicken soup and drinking litres of ginger tea, popping Paracetamols, and going to bed early. Paolo, being a very kind and caring boyfriend, spent all his time with me, not being able to do anything exciting and having to listen to me complaining about how shitty I felt. He is the best!
We found consolation in our situation from the fact that the weather wasn't that great either. Like elsewhere in Indonesia, the rainy season had just started on the Gilis as well, and we experienced a particularly bad few days when we got there - serious thunderstorms with extremely heavy rain. So it wasn't all that bad being ill, since we would have had to stay indoors quite a bit anyway.
I finally felt good again in time for our last day on the islands, and it turned out to be a really good one. We decided to take the island hopper boat to see Gili Trawangan (since we had been stuck on Gili Air for four days in a row and had seen all of it by now), or Gili T as it's affectionately called. The weather that day was beautiful as well, with sunshine and no rain at all, so we had perfect conditions for our first more active day. As soon as we got off the boat, we went to look for a place to rent a bike, or to be precise, a tandem bike. Paolo had been wanting to try a tandem together for a while, but I hadn't been too keen to try it since I wasn't sure how safe I would feel. However, the Gilis were a perfect place to try something like that, since there is no motor traffic, so we arrived with a mission to explore the island on a tandem. We found a place with tandems quite quickly, and while the bike looked rusty and badly kept, so did all the other bikes we have seen on the islands, and we took the tandem anyway.
Riding a tandem was actually not different at all from riding a normal bike, except I got to look at Paolo's back while I rode and I had to make no decisions on where to turn lol. Unfortunately our voyage was cut short five minutes later when Paolo made the mistake of trying to change the gear (shocking!) and the whole tandem fell apart! Having walked all the way back to the bike rental place, we took two single bikes (also rusty), but not before Paolo had a small argument with the owner who was complaining that he now had to spend money for a spare part on the tandem, while Paolo countered that fixing the bikes was part of his job.
No longer tandem-ed together, we cycled along the coast and stopped at a beach to finally do some snorkelling, which I had so been looking forward to but not had had a chance to do yet. I am so glad we managed it on the last day because it was wonderful! We saw tons of colourful fish and cool coral formations, but the absolute highlight was when Paolo spotted a HUGE sea turtle, grazing gently among the seaweed, with a host of fishes attending her. Neither of us had seen a sea turtle before, and it was just amazing to see one so close and in its natural environment. I really hope we get to do lots more snorkelling on our trip to come, because it is just so magical to peer into the underwater world and to spy on all the life there. I also love looking down to where the coral reef falls into the abyss and to imagine what lives beyond there.
After the beach stop, we cycled some more and then had to already take the boat back to Gili Air. On the boat trip back, we made friends with another couple, a German girl and a Spanish guy, who were staying in the same hotel as us on Gili Air. We ended up spending the whole evening together, and went out for drinks and dinner on the beach. It was great to get to chat to other travellers and share impressions, and it made our final evening on the Gilis that much more enjoyable.
Unfortunately, the excellent day ended on a bit of a downer - it was becoming increasingly clear that Paolo was falling ill, and by the time we went to bed, he was hot with a fever! He had held out for so many days while I was sick, but as soon as I felt better, it was his turn. And mine to tend to him. We are lucky at least to not be ill at the same time :D
We are now back in Senggigi for one night before heading to Bali, from where we will catch a flight to Yogyakarta on Java island to spend ten days with my good friend Johanna. There we will also spend Christmas and New Year - which is a strange thought in this hot climate :)
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| Teel Gili Airile // On the way to Gili Air |
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| Suvalises poes myydi raamatuid, ja leidus ka riiul v2idetavalt eestikeelsete raamatutega (kuigi ungari, vene, poola jm keelsete raamatute k6rval oli ainus tegelikult eestikeelne teos hiigelsuur Hrustshevi biograafia) // A random store sold books and we found a supposedly Estonian shelf (although among the Hungarian, Russian, Polish and other books the only one actually in Estonian was a huge biography of Nikita Khrushchev) |
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| Gili hobuj6ud // Gili horsepower |
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| Niisama lehm rannas // Just a cow on a beach |
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| Vot nii k6vasti sadas - juhin t2helepanu faktile et kymne minutiga ujus terve t2nav // This is how much it rained - note the street under water, just after ten minutes of rain |
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| Kaunis tykk surnud koralli // Beautiful dead coral |
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| Puut88koda kus tehti vanadest paatidest lahedaid riiuleid // Wood workshop where they cleverly reused old boats |
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| Grillitud kala banaanilehtede sees, v2ga maitsev oli // Fish grilled in banana leaves, yum |
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| Kurikuulus tandem vahetult p2rast koost lagunemist // The notorious tandem just after collapsing |
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| Gili Trawangan, taamal paistab Lombok // Gili Trawangan, with Lombok seen in the background |
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| Kohalikud poisid // Local boys |
laupäev, 19. detsember 2015
Kolm aktiivset p2eva Lombokil // Three active days in Lombok
Kui meie lend Kuala Lumpurist hilis6htul Balile j6udis, ei olnud meil aega paljuks muuks kui kiireks 6htus88giks ja hostelisse magama minekuks, kuna j2rgmisel p2eval pidime me kell viis hommikul yles 2rkama, et bussi ja laevaga naabersaarele Lombokile s6ita.
Kui Bali on yks maailma kuulsamaid turismisihtkohti, on Lombok (mis on vaid lyhikese laevas6idu kaugusel) oma kuulsama naabri k6rval kuni viimase ajani ysna tundmatuks j22nud (kui v2lja arvata Lomboki ranniku22rsed kolm v2ikest Gili saart, mis on populaarsed olnud juba kymneid aastaid). Lomboki turismikultuuri aeglane areng on kergesti n2htav kui vaadata peamisest turismilinnast, l22neranniku Senggigist, v2ljaspoole - kus turismi2risid on v2ga piiratus koguses. Me ise olime enda majutuse broneerinud Senggigisse, kust saaksime Lombokit avastada enne Gili saartele minemist.
Veedetud aeg Lombokis oli meie senise reisi ilmselt k6ige aktiivsem periood, ja me olime oma seal veedetud p2evadega v2ga rahul. P2rast l6unauinakut et eelmise 88 unev6lga tasa teha (siestade pidamine on meil siinses kliimas ysna harjumusp2raseks muutunud), l2ksime me Senggigit avastama. Asula asetseb peatee ymber, mille kummalgi pool on kyllaga restorane, hotelle ja turismi2risid. Peatee oli v6rdlemisi rahulik (eriti p2rast Sri Lankal kogetut!), kuna liiklust on Lombokil yleyldse v2he - busse ja rekkasid ei ole siin peaaegu yldse, seevastu on siin terve meri mopeede (neid v2ikese v6imsusega motikaid), mis on siin absoluutselt k6ige olulisem liiklusvahend.
Me l2ksime yhtlasi ka Senggigi randa ujuma ja jalutama. Rand oli v2ga vaikne, v2heste inimestega, ning merevesi n2is v2ga kutsuv v2lja. Kui me sisse l2ksime, saime me aga halva yllatuse osalisteks - vesi oli prygi t2is. Plastik, pudelid, vanad kalav6rgud jms. Igal pool olid v2ikesed veealused prygihunnikud. Ilmselgelt j2tsime me oma supluse lyhikeseks. Igal pool olev prygi on tegelikult olnud yks meie senise reisi ebameeldivamaid osasid. Olukord on olnud sama nii siin kui Sri Lankal - inimesed viskavad prygi kuhu juhtub, sealhulgas omaenda koduaeda. Sedasorti l2henemine muutub m6istetavamaks kui m2rgata, et prygikaste ei ole mitte kuskil, v2lja arvatud suuremates linnades ja asulates. V2iksemate kylade ja maakohtade inimestel ei olegi mitte mingit v6imalust oma prygist lahti saada, seet6ttu ei saa ka neid hukka m6ista kui nad selle lihtsalt maha viskavad. Tahes-tahtmata ei saa me lahti kurvast ja vastikust tundest, kui n2eme muidu kauneid kohti reostatutena, ning raske on m6ista kuidas kohalikele ei ole vastukarva prygi sees elada ja lasta oma lastel seal m2ngida. Kuid kui nad ei ole kunagi mingit alternatiivi n2inud, ei olegi imekspandav et nad ei tegele valitsusele surve avaldamisega et nad olukorda parandaks (aga kes teab, ehk tegelevadki, aga 2kki lihtsalt valitsevale klassile ei ole sellest teemast sooja ega kylma). Ma lugesin kyll kohalikust ajakirjast Lomboki l6unarannikul kohaliku kogukonna poolt organiseeritud (kyll v2lismaalaste eesvedamisel, aga siiski) rannapuhastamise initsiatiivist. Loodetavasti on sellised yritused kohalikele pretsedendiks ning eeskujuks, et julgeda olukord oma k2tesse v6tta, kui valitsusele loota ei saa.
P2rast m6nev6rra ebameeldivat suplust saime me rannas nautida v6imsat 2ikesetormi Bali kohal. Vihmaperiood algab Indoneesias tavaliselt detsembri l6pus, ent sel aastal on see paar n2dalat varem saabunud, mist6ttu on enamus meie p2evadest siin olnud pilves ja kohati vihmased, ja yhtlasi oleme me saanud n2ha peaaegu igal 6htul troopilisi 2ikesetorme, mis on p2ris lahe olnud. P2ike on siinsel laiuskraadil nii tugev, et pilves ilm on tegelikult p2ris meeldiv.
J2rgmisel p2eval rentisime me mopeedi (absurdse 3 euro eest). Kumbki meist polnud varem kunagi mopeediga s6itnud (ka Paolo mitte, vaatamata sellele, et ta Roomas yles kasvanud on), seega oli s6it ise juba paras kogemus. Paolo juhtis ning leidis s6itmise olevat lihtne ja meeldiv, eriti siinse v2hese liiklusega. M88da Lomboki rannikut p6hja poole s6ita oli puhas lust ning vaated olid imekaunid. Me peatusime ilusas lahes et ujuda, ning olime rannas peaaegu ihuyksi. P2rast veel veidi ringi s6itmist, peatusime me kohalikus kohas l6unas88giks, kus pidime oma soovid kehakeele abil teatavaks tegema, kuna turismitsoonist v2ljaspool inglise keelega enam hakkama ei saa. Seej2rel s6itsime veidi sisemaa suunas, et yhte koske n2ha, ja pidimegi juba tagasi Senggigi poole s6itma, et ei peaks pimedas s6itma. Mopeedis6it oli ylil6bus - h2sti kulutatud kolm eurot!
J2rgmiseks p2evaks oli Paolo meid maastikurattas6idule broneerinud. Ma ise ei ole suur maastikurattas6idu armastaja (kuna ma olen argpyks ja kardan kiiresti allam2ge s6itmist), aga meile kinnitati, et tegemist ei ole 'p2ris' maastikurattas6iduga, vaid et reaalsuses s6idame me lihtsalt m88da kruusateid. Ytleme nii, et see ei vastanud p2ris t6ele! Meie autojuht ja giid v6tsid meid hommikul peale et alguspunkti s6ita, ning esimesed 10 minutit s6itu olid v2ga meeldivad, ent seej2rel halvenes olukord kiiresti. Juba niisama maastikurattaga ylesm2ge s6ita on kurnav tegevus, ent s6it 30-kraadises kuumuses ja niiskuses, p2ike pealaele paistmas on midagi sellist, mida ma varem polnud kogenud. Nii Paolo kui ma ise olime juba p2rast esimest 15st minutit n2ost punased ja yleni higised. Giid tundus t2itsa meie yle muret tundvat haha. P2rast veel ylesm2ge s6itmist hakkasime me alla minema, mis oli minu jaoks veel hirmsam! Tegemist oli t2iesti 'p2ris' maastikuratta radadega, mis olid v2ga j2rsud, kitsad ja mudased, ning mul polnud aimugi kuidas nendest alla s6ita. Kogu aja m6tlesin ma ainult sellele, et meie tervisekindlustus ei kata ekstreemspordi ajal saadud vigastusi haha. Samal ajal kui mina selliste asjade yle pabistasin, oli Paolol l6bu laialt ning tema nautis t2iel rinnal rattas6itu Indoneesia dzunglis. Kui ma siiski l6puks elusa ja tervena alla j6udsin, l2ksime me kohe teisele raundile. 6nneks oli see v2hem hirmu2ratavam, ning retke l6puks s6itsime me juba lamedatel kylade- ja riisip6ldude vahelistel radadal - mis oli l6puks ka mulle meeldiv. Retke l6pus otsustasime me tagasis6iduks autot mitte kasutada ning 10-kilomeetrise distantsi ise jalgratastega s6ita. J2llegi, Lomboki rahuliku liiklusega, oli see v2ga meeldiv tegevus. Retke l6puks olime me aga m6lemad omadega t2iesti l2bi. Mitte ainult fyysilise pingutuse, vaid eelk6ige suure kuumuse t6ttu. Siinses kliimas on karmima spordi tegemine ikka t2iesti meeletu ning ma pole kindel, et ma seda veelkord prooviks.
Me taastusime hommikusest pingutusest j2rjekordse l6unauinakuga ning seej2rel v6tsime me siinsetest taskukohastest massaazhihindadest viimast, lepitades oma kehasid l66gastava mudimisega, tasakaalustamaks nende varasemat kuritarvitamist.
Sellega saigi meie Senggigis veedetud aeg l2bi. J2rgmisel p2eval s6itsime me laevaga Gili Airile, yhele kuulsatest Gili saartest Lomboki looderanniku l2hedal. Siin veedame me viis p2eva ning j2rgmisel korral kirjutan sellest, kuidas me siin aega veedame.
(Pildid nagu ikka p2rast inglisekeelset teksti)
////////////////////////////////
After our plane from Kuala Lumpur arrived in Bali airport in the late evening, we didn't have time to do anything more than to have a quick dinner and go to sleep in our hostel, since the next day we had a very early wakeup at 5am to catch a shuttle and a ferry to Lombok, the neighbouring island.
While Bali is one of the most famous tourism destinations in the world, Lombok (which is only a quick boat ride away) has gone largely unnoticed by tourists until recently - with the exception of the three small Gili islands off the coast of Lombok, which have been a top destination for decades. The slow arrival of tourism in mainland Lombok is quite evident, with there being few services for visitors outside of the main tourism town of Senggigi on the Western coast. We had booked to stay in Senggigi for three nights to explore Lombok before heading to the Gili islands.
Our time in Lombok was probably the most active and full-on few days we have had so far, and we really loved being there. After an afternoon nap (we are having a lot of these here lol) to make up for the lack of sleep the night before, we walked around Senggigi a bit. The town is concentrated along the main road, with restaurants and hotels and tour providers on either side. The road was quite quiet (especially in comparison to Sri Lanka), since there isn't that much traffic on the island - next to no buses or lorries, the majority of the traffic is instead made up of of scooters. Everyone here has a scooter and it is absolutely the main mode of transport.
We also went for a walk and a swim on Senggigi beach. The beach was very quiet, with very few people there, and the water looked very inviting. When we went in, though, we got an unpleasant surprise - the water was full of rubbish. Plastic, bottles, old fishing nets. There were little underwater clusters of rubbish everywhere. Needless to say, we got out of the water pretty quickly. The constant rubbish everywhere has actually been one of the less pleasant aspects of our trip so far. It has been the same here and in Sri Lanka - people throw rubbish wherever, up to and including in their own back garden. This kind of attitude is understandable, however, when realising that there are absolutely no bins anywhere, apart from major cities and bigger towns. The people in the countryside or in smaller villages have no means of getting rid of their waste, so you can't judge them too hard when they just throw it on the ground. We can't help but feel sad and disgusted though, when otherwise beautiful places are just covered in plastic and other waste, and it is astonishing how the locals are not bothered about living and letting their kids play among rubbish. But if they've never known any other alternative, no wonder that they are not lobbying their government to fix it (or who knows, maybe they are, and perhaps the people at the top just can't be bothered with things like that). I did read about a community-organised (led by expats, but still) beach cleanup initiative in Southern Lombok, so hopefully these kinds of activities will set a precedent to inspire locals to take matters into their own hands if they can't rely on their government to do so.
After the somewhat unpleasant dip in the sea, we were treated to a cool view of a thunderstorm near Bali, which was visible from the beach. The rainy season in Indonesia usually starts in the end of December, but this year it has arrived a few weeks early, and the days here have mostly been cloudy with some rain, and we have seen quite a few tropical storms, which has been pretty cool. The sun is hardcore enough here that an overcast sky is actually quite pleasant.
The following day, we rented a scooter (for a ridiculous 3 EUR per day). Neither of us had never ridden a scooter before (not even Paolo, despite him having grown up in Rome), so it was an experience in itself to ride around on one. Paolo rode, and found it quite easy, especially considering the very sparse traffic. It was a joy to ride along the coast towards the north of Lombok, and to take in all the beautiful views. We stopped at a beautiful bay for a swim and a rest, and we had the whole beach nearly to ourselves. We then rode around some more, stopped for a very spicy lunch at a local place where the people did not speak a word of English and we had to make ourselves understood using only body language, which was fun! We then rode inland a bit to see a beautiful waterfall, after which we turned back toward Senggigi for a rest and some dinner. Riding around was lots of fun - 3 EUR definitely well spent!
For the following day, Paolo had booked us onto a cycling trip on mountain bikes. I'm not really that into mountainbiking (since I'm a bit of a wuss and scared of going downhill fast), but we had been assured that it would not be real mountainbiking, but instead just cycling on off-road paths. Well, I was about to be in for a surprise! We were picked up by our driver and guide in the morning, and we started cycling along with him and two other stewards. At first pleasant, the trip very soon became torture. The physical effort of going uphill on a mountainbike is already quite grueling, but to do so in 30 degree heat and extreme humidity, with the sun shining on you is really something I had never experienced before. Both Paolo and I were red in the face and sweating like crazy after just 15 minutes. The guide started to look worried very fast lol. After some more uphill, we started our downhill path, which for me was terrifying! Proper MTB downhill narrow, muddy tracks, and me not knowing at all what to do. And all the time thinking that our insurance won't cover any injuries sustained doing extreme sports! :D While I was worrying about things like that, Paolo was having a time of his life, beaming with joy at the opportunity of cycling in Indonesia. I did finally make it down, alive and unhurt, and we then went for round two. Luckily it was a bit less terrifying than the start, and by the end of the trip, we were cycling along flat country roads among rice paddies and small villages - definitely my favourite part! We then opted to skip the minibus transfer back to our hotel and instead cycle the 10km back along the main road. Again, with the calm traffic of Lombok, this was very pleasant. By the end of it all though, we were absolutely exhausted. Not only tired from the physical exertion, but mainly from the extreme heat of the day. Strenuous sport in this climate is just mental, and I'm not sure I would do it again.
We recovered from the stress of the morning by having another afternoon nap, and then taking advantage of the very affordable massage prices, we both got a soothing rub to reconcile with our bodies, after having put them through hell earlier.
And that was it for our time in Senggigi. The next day we took a boat to Gili Air, one of the famous Gili Islands off the northwestern coast of Lombok. We will spend five nights here, and I'll write about our time here in the next post.
Kui Bali on yks maailma kuulsamaid turismisihtkohti, on Lombok (mis on vaid lyhikese laevas6idu kaugusel) oma kuulsama naabri k6rval kuni viimase ajani ysna tundmatuks j22nud (kui v2lja arvata Lomboki ranniku22rsed kolm v2ikest Gili saart, mis on populaarsed olnud juba kymneid aastaid). Lomboki turismikultuuri aeglane areng on kergesti n2htav kui vaadata peamisest turismilinnast, l22neranniku Senggigist, v2ljaspoole - kus turismi2risid on v2ga piiratus koguses. Me ise olime enda majutuse broneerinud Senggigisse, kust saaksime Lombokit avastada enne Gili saartele minemist.
Veedetud aeg Lombokis oli meie senise reisi ilmselt k6ige aktiivsem periood, ja me olime oma seal veedetud p2evadega v2ga rahul. P2rast l6unauinakut et eelmise 88 unev6lga tasa teha (siestade pidamine on meil siinses kliimas ysna harjumusp2raseks muutunud), l2ksime me Senggigit avastama. Asula asetseb peatee ymber, mille kummalgi pool on kyllaga restorane, hotelle ja turismi2risid. Peatee oli v6rdlemisi rahulik (eriti p2rast Sri Lankal kogetut!), kuna liiklust on Lombokil yleyldse v2he - busse ja rekkasid ei ole siin peaaegu yldse, seevastu on siin terve meri mopeede (neid v2ikese v6imsusega motikaid), mis on siin absoluutselt k6ige olulisem liiklusvahend.
Me l2ksime yhtlasi ka Senggigi randa ujuma ja jalutama. Rand oli v2ga vaikne, v2heste inimestega, ning merevesi n2is v2ga kutsuv v2lja. Kui me sisse l2ksime, saime me aga halva yllatuse osalisteks - vesi oli prygi t2is. Plastik, pudelid, vanad kalav6rgud jms. Igal pool olid v2ikesed veealused prygihunnikud. Ilmselgelt j2tsime me oma supluse lyhikeseks. Igal pool olev prygi on tegelikult olnud yks meie senise reisi ebameeldivamaid osasid. Olukord on olnud sama nii siin kui Sri Lankal - inimesed viskavad prygi kuhu juhtub, sealhulgas omaenda koduaeda. Sedasorti l2henemine muutub m6istetavamaks kui m2rgata, et prygikaste ei ole mitte kuskil, v2lja arvatud suuremates linnades ja asulates. V2iksemate kylade ja maakohtade inimestel ei olegi mitte mingit v6imalust oma prygist lahti saada, seet6ttu ei saa ka neid hukka m6ista kui nad selle lihtsalt maha viskavad. Tahes-tahtmata ei saa me lahti kurvast ja vastikust tundest, kui n2eme muidu kauneid kohti reostatutena, ning raske on m6ista kuidas kohalikele ei ole vastukarva prygi sees elada ja lasta oma lastel seal m2ngida. Kuid kui nad ei ole kunagi mingit alternatiivi n2inud, ei olegi imekspandav et nad ei tegele valitsusele surve avaldamisega et nad olukorda parandaks (aga kes teab, ehk tegelevadki, aga 2kki lihtsalt valitsevale klassile ei ole sellest teemast sooja ega kylma). Ma lugesin kyll kohalikust ajakirjast Lomboki l6unarannikul kohaliku kogukonna poolt organiseeritud (kyll v2lismaalaste eesvedamisel, aga siiski) rannapuhastamise initsiatiivist. Loodetavasti on sellised yritused kohalikele pretsedendiks ning eeskujuks, et julgeda olukord oma k2tesse v6tta, kui valitsusele loota ei saa.
P2rast m6nev6rra ebameeldivat suplust saime me rannas nautida v6imsat 2ikesetormi Bali kohal. Vihmaperiood algab Indoneesias tavaliselt detsembri l6pus, ent sel aastal on see paar n2dalat varem saabunud, mist6ttu on enamus meie p2evadest siin olnud pilves ja kohati vihmased, ja yhtlasi oleme me saanud n2ha peaaegu igal 6htul troopilisi 2ikesetorme, mis on p2ris lahe olnud. P2ike on siinsel laiuskraadil nii tugev, et pilves ilm on tegelikult p2ris meeldiv.
J2rgmisel p2eval rentisime me mopeedi (absurdse 3 euro eest). Kumbki meist polnud varem kunagi mopeediga s6itnud (ka Paolo mitte, vaatamata sellele, et ta Roomas yles kasvanud on), seega oli s6it ise juba paras kogemus. Paolo juhtis ning leidis s6itmise olevat lihtne ja meeldiv, eriti siinse v2hese liiklusega. M88da Lomboki rannikut p6hja poole s6ita oli puhas lust ning vaated olid imekaunid. Me peatusime ilusas lahes et ujuda, ning olime rannas peaaegu ihuyksi. P2rast veel veidi ringi s6itmist, peatusime me kohalikus kohas l6unas88giks, kus pidime oma soovid kehakeele abil teatavaks tegema, kuna turismitsoonist v2ljaspool inglise keelega enam hakkama ei saa. Seej2rel s6itsime veidi sisemaa suunas, et yhte koske n2ha, ja pidimegi juba tagasi Senggigi poole s6itma, et ei peaks pimedas s6itma. Mopeedis6it oli ylil6bus - h2sti kulutatud kolm eurot!
J2rgmiseks p2evaks oli Paolo meid maastikurattas6idule broneerinud. Ma ise ei ole suur maastikurattas6idu armastaja (kuna ma olen argpyks ja kardan kiiresti allam2ge s6itmist), aga meile kinnitati, et tegemist ei ole 'p2ris' maastikurattas6iduga, vaid et reaalsuses s6idame me lihtsalt m88da kruusateid. Ytleme nii, et see ei vastanud p2ris t6ele! Meie autojuht ja giid v6tsid meid hommikul peale et alguspunkti s6ita, ning esimesed 10 minutit s6itu olid v2ga meeldivad, ent seej2rel halvenes olukord kiiresti. Juba niisama maastikurattaga ylesm2ge s6ita on kurnav tegevus, ent s6it 30-kraadises kuumuses ja niiskuses, p2ike pealaele paistmas on midagi sellist, mida ma varem polnud kogenud. Nii Paolo kui ma ise olime juba p2rast esimest 15st minutit n2ost punased ja yleni higised. Giid tundus t2itsa meie yle muret tundvat haha. P2rast veel ylesm2ge s6itmist hakkasime me alla minema, mis oli minu jaoks veel hirmsam! Tegemist oli t2iesti 'p2ris' maastikuratta radadega, mis olid v2ga j2rsud, kitsad ja mudased, ning mul polnud aimugi kuidas nendest alla s6ita. Kogu aja m6tlesin ma ainult sellele, et meie tervisekindlustus ei kata ekstreemspordi ajal saadud vigastusi haha. Samal ajal kui mina selliste asjade yle pabistasin, oli Paolol l6bu laialt ning tema nautis t2iel rinnal rattas6itu Indoneesia dzunglis. Kui ma siiski l6puks elusa ja tervena alla j6udsin, l2ksime me kohe teisele raundile. 6nneks oli see v2hem hirmu2ratavam, ning retke l6puks s6itsime me juba lamedatel kylade- ja riisip6ldude vahelistel radadal - mis oli l6puks ka mulle meeldiv. Retke l6pus otsustasime me tagasis6iduks autot mitte kasutada ning 10-kilomeetrise distantsi ise jalgratastega s6ita. J2llegi, Lomboki rahuliku liiklusega, oli see v2ga meeldiv tegevus. Retke l6puks olime me aga m6lemad omadega t2iesti l2bi. Mitte ainult fyysilise pingutuse, vaid eelk6ige suure kuumuse t6ttu. Siinses kliimas on karmima spordi tegemine ikka t2iesti meeletu ning ma pole kindel, et ma seda veelkord prooviks.
Me taastusime hommikusest pingutusest j2rjekordse l6unauinakuga ning seej2rel v6tsime me siinsetest taskukohastest massaazhihindadest viimast, lepitades oma kehasid l66gastava mudimisega, tasakaalustamaks nende varasemat kuritarvitamist.
Sellega saigi meie Senggigis veedetud aeg l2bi. J2rgmisel p2eval s6itsime me laevaga Gili Airile, yhele kuulsatest Gili saartest Lomboki looderanniku l2hedal. Siin veedame me viis p2eva ning j2rgmisel korral kirjutan sellest, kuidas me siin aega veedame.
(Pildid nagu ikka p2rast inglisekeelset teksti)
////////////////////////////////
After our plane from Kuala Lumpur arrived in Bali airport in the late evening, we didn't have time to do anything more than to have a quick dinner and go to sleep in our hostel, since the next day we had a very early wakeup at 5am to catch a shuttle and a ferry to Lombok, the neighbouring island.
While Bali is one of the most famous tourism destinations in the world, Lombok (which is only a quick boat ride away) has gone largely unnoticed by tourists until recently - with the exception of the three small Gili islands off the coast of Lombok, which have been a top destination for decades. The slow arrival of tourism in mainland Lombok is quite evident, with there being few services for visitors outside of the main tourism town of Senggigi on the Western coast. We had booked to stay in Senggigi for three nights to explore Lombok before heading to the Gili islands.
Our time in Lombok was probably the most active and full-on few days we have had so far, and we really loved being there. After an afternoon nap (we are having a lot of these here lol) to make up for the lack of sleep the night before, we walked around Senggigi a bit. The town is concentrated along the main road, with restaurants and hotels and tour providers on either side. The road was quite quiet (especially in comparison to Sri Lanka), since there isn't that much traffic on the island - next to no buses or lorries, the majority of the traffic is instead made up of of scooters. Everyone here has a scooter and it is absolutely the main mode of transport.
We also went for a walk and a swim on Senggigi beach. The beach was very quiet, with very few people there, and the water looked very inviting. When we went in, though, we got an unpleasant surprise - the water was full of rubbish. Plastic, bottles, old fishing nets. There were little underwater clusters of rubbish everywhere. Needless to say, we got out of the water pretty quickly. The constant rubbish everywhere has actually been one of the less pleasant aspects of our trip so far. It has been the same here and in Sri Lanka - people throw rubbish wherever, up to and including in their own back garden. This kind of attitude is understandable, however, when realising that there are absolutely no bins anywhere, apart from major cities and bigger towns. The people in the countryside or in smaller villages have no means of getting rid of their waste, so you can't judge them too hard when they just throw it on the ground. We can't help but feel sad and disgusted though, when otherwise beautiful places are just covered in plastic and other waste, and it is astonishing how the locals are not bothered about living and letting their kids play among rubbish. But if they've never known any other alternative, no wonder that they are not lobbying their government to fix it (or who knows, maybe they are, and perhaps the people at the top just can't be bothered with things like that). I did read about a community-organised (led by expats, but still) beach cleanup initiative in Southern Lombok, so hopefully these kinds of activities will set a precedent to inspire locals to take matters into their own hands if they can't rely on their government to do so.
After the somewhat unpleasant dip in the sea, we were treated to a cool view of a thunderstorm near Bali, which was visible from the beach. The rainy season in Indonesia usually starts in the end of December, but this year it has arrived a few weeks early, and the days here have mostly been cloudy with some rain, and we have seen quite a few tropical storms, which has been pretty cool. The sun is hardcore enough here that an overcast sky is actually quite pleasant.
The following day, we rented a scooter (for a ridiculous 3 EUR per day). Neither of us had never ridden a scooter before (not even Paolo, despite him having grown up in Rome), so it was an experience in itself to ride around on one. Paolo rode, and found it quite easy, especially considering the very sparse traffic. It was a joy to ride along the coast towards the north of Lombok, and to take in all the beautiful views. We stopped at a beautiful bay for a swim and a rest, and we had the whole beach nearly to ourselves. We then rode around some more, stopped for a very spicy lunch at a local place where the people did not speak a word of English and we had to make ourselves understood using only body language, which was fun! We then rode inland a bit to see a beautiful waterfall, after which we turned back toward Senggigi for a rest and some dinner. Riding around was lots of fun - 3 EUR definitely well spent!
For the following day, Paolo had booked us onto a cycling trip on mountain bikes. I'm not really that into mountainbiking (since I'm a bit of a wuss and scared of going downhill fast), but we had been assured that it would not be real mountainbiking, but instead just cycling on off-road paths. Well, I was about to be in for a surprise! We were picked up by our driver and guide in the morning, and we started cycling along with him and two other stewards. At first pleasant, the trip very soon became torture. The physical effort of going uphill on a mountainbike is already quite grueling, but to do so in 30 degree heat and extreme humidity, with the sun shining on you is really something I had never experienced before. Both Paolo and I were red in the face and sweating like crazy after just 15 minutes. The guide started to look worried very fast lol. After some more uphill, we started our downhill path, which for me was terrifying! Proper MTB downhill narrow, muddy tracks, and me not knowing at all what to do. And all the time thinking that our insurance won't cover any injuries sustained doing extreme sports! :D While I was worrying about things like that, Paolo was having a time of his life, beaming with joy at the opportunity of cycling in Indonesia. I did finally make it down, alive and unhurt, and we then went for round two. Luckily it was a bit less terrifying than the start, and by the end of the trip, we were cycling along flat country roads among rice paddies and small villages - definitely my favourite part! We then opted to skip the minibus transfer back to our hotel and instead cycle the 10km back along the main road. Again, with the calm traffic of Lombok, this was very pleasant. By the end of it all though, we were absolutely exhausted. Not only tired from the physical exertion, but mainly from the extreme heat of the day. Strenuous sport in this climate is just mental, and I'm not sure I would do it again.
We recovered from the stress of the morning by having another afternoon nap, and then taking advantage of the very affordable massage prices, we both got a soothing rub to reconcile with our bodies, after having put them through hell earlier.
And that was it for our time in Senggigi. The next day we took a boat to Gili Air, one of the famous Gili Islands off the northwestern coast of Lombok. We will spend five nights here, and I'll write about our time here in the next post.
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| Paolo sai praamis6idu ajal uue s6bra // Paolo made friends with one of the crew on the ferry |
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| Senggigi rand // Senggigi beach |
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| Mopeedile kytust ostmas // Refilling the scooter |
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| Kauguses on Balit n2ha // Bali visible in the background |
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| Paolol on oma kiivrikaameraga l6bu laialt // Paolo having fun with his action camera |
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| Kakaopuu! // Cocoa tree! |
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| Proovisin ka veidi s6ita // I tried riding a bit too |
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| Selline n2eb v2lja india p2hkel originaalkujul (p2hkel on pruuni osa sees) // The original form of a cashew nut (the nut is inside the brown bit) |
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| Paolo v22nab higist s2rki v2lja // Paolo wringing his sweaty shirt |
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| Rattaretke l6pus. v2sinud ent 6nnelikud // Tired but happy by the end of our bike trip |
pühapäev, 13. detsember 2015
Kaks p2eva suurlinnas - Kuala Lumpur // Two days in a megacity - Kuala Lumpur
Viimastel p2evadel Sri Lankal olime me m6lemad muutuse suhtes ootus2revad. Ja paraja muutuse osalisteks saime me ka! Kuala Lumpuri moodsus ja mitmekesisus on viimase kahe n2dala jooksul Sri Lankal n2htust niiv6rd erinev. Oleme nyydseks siin veetnud kaks v2ga meeldivat p2eva.
Me saabusime varahommikul, kuna meie lyhike lend Sri Lankalt algas hilis6htul. Me veetsime 88 lennukis ning saime seet6ttu vaid 2 tundi magatud, seega olime kohale j6udes p2ris kurnatud. Juba lennujaamas oli meile yllatuseks kui moodne ja uhke k6ik oli ning bussis6idul kesklinna imetlesime me l2heneva linna pilvel6hkujaid.
Meie hostel asub keskuse Hiinalinna osas ning p2rast paaritunnist l6unauinakut asusime me oma naabruskonda uudistama. Nagu nimigi ytleb, on Hiinalinn t2is hiina 2risid ja hiina keelt on k6ikjal kuulda. Me jalutasime l2bi turuplatsi, imetledes uskumatut hulka piraattoodangut - sh k2ekellad/kotid/jalatsid/elektroonika/misiganes. Seej2rel istusime me l2hedalasuvasse lihtsasse Hiina restorani 6htustama. P2rast Sri Lanka rammusaid karrisid oli imeline midagi veidi teistsugust syya.
J2rgmise p2eva hommikul - meie ainsal t2isp2eval Kuala Lumpuris - kylastasime me Rahvusmuuseumi, mis r22gib Malaisia ajaloost - eelajaloost kuni t2nap2evani. V2ljapanekud olid huvitavad ning h2sti organiseeritud - muuseum oli jagatud nelja ossa: Eelajalugu, Iidsed Kuningriigid, Koloniaalajastu ning T2nap2eva Malaisia. V2ga p6nev oli riigist rohkem 6ppida ning paremini aru saada kuidas Malaisiast sai just selline riik nagu ta on. Sest asi, mis meid siin k6ige rohkem on yllatanud, on siinse rahva uskumatu mitmekesisus - t2navatel saab n2ha absoluutselt k6iksuguseid inimesi, ning k6ik elavad siin koos ning ajavad omi asju ilma mingi probleemita. Yhtlasi on olnud meeldivaks vahelduseks see, et siin ei vahi meid mitte keegi, mitte nagu Sri Lankal, kus me olime valusalt silmapaistvad ja erinevad. Siin eksisteerivad k6ik sorti inimesed yheskoos. Muuseumis saime me teada natuke kontekstist ja ajaloost, mis selgitab kuidas selline olukord on siin tekkinud.
Malaisia asukoht Hiina ja India iidsete tsivilisatsioonide vahel ning ta yleyldine paiknemine keset suuri kaubandusteid on t2hendanud, et sadade ja tuhandete aastate jooksul on siinset maad kylastanud ning siia paiknema j22nud inimesi yle kogu maailma. Suure osa ajaloost on Malaisia olnud iseseisev, siinsel alal paiknenud mitmeid suuremaid ja v2iksemaid kuningriike on juhtinud kohalikud kuningad ning ylikud. Koloniaalajastu sajanditel oli Malaisia kord Portugali, siis Hollandi ning Briti v6imu all, enne kui 20nda sajandi keskpaigal ta viimaks iseseisvaks sai. Kui iseseisvus p2rast Teist Maailmas6da jutuks tuli, kahtlesid britid selles, kas riik kus elab nii palju eri rahvaid saab iseseisvalt hakkama ilma et kodus6jaks l2heks. Kui aga kohalik rahvas esimestel valimistel yhtselt h22letas, oli see piisavaks t6estuseks ning Malaisia delegatsioon, mis koosnes siinse kolme peamise rahvuse (malai, hiina ja india) esindajatest s6itis Londonisse, et iseseisvuse tingimusi l2bi r22kida. Kui v2lja arvata 60ndate aastate kommunistide m2ss, on siinne rahvas sellest saati elanud suhtelises rahus.
Siinne mitmekesisus on t6epoolest muljetavaldav - Kuala Lumpuris, mis on koduks 1,6 miljonile elanikule (ning rohkem kui 7le miljonile kui v6tta arvesse kogu linnak), kellest 46% on malaid, 43% hiinlased, 10% indialased ning ylej22nud on segu v2iksematest rahvastest (sh tailased ning portugallased). Paljud neist on siin elanud p6lvkondi ning rahvaste vahel on palju segunemist, sh kommete, keelte, r6ivastuse jms laenamist ning vahetamist. Yhtlasi, kuigi islam on Malaisia ametlik religioon, on vaid 46% kualalumpurlastest moslemid, ylej22nud on budistid (35%), hindud (9%), kristlased (6%) ning hulk k2put2ie v2iksemate religioonide j2rgijad.
P2rast harivat hommikut muuseumis l2ksime me yle tee hiigelsuurde botaanikaaeda jalutama. Sissep22s aeda on tasuta ning park on ylimalt h2sti hooldatud. Botaanikaaia ala sees on kaks tasulist atraktsiooni - KL Linnupark (v6rkudega kaetud ala, kus saab tervet hulka lindusid imetleda), ning Liblikapark (ilmselt sama asi, ent liblikatega). Me ei kylastanud kyll kumbagi ning nautisime niisama aias ringi jalutamist.
Seej2rel hyppasime me monorelssi (!) peale et kuulsaid Petronase Kaksiktorne vaatama minna. Tornid on maailma k6rgeimad kaksiktornid, ehitatud 1996. aastal. K6rged on nad kyll, vaadetes l2heb kael kangeks. Tornidest on saanud Kuala Lumpuri edu ja kasvu symbol. Tegemist on v2ga noore linnaga - Kuala Lumpur asutati 19nda sajandi l6pul, esialgu hiina tinakaevurite asulana. Kuala Lumpuri nimi t2hendab 'mudane liitumiskoht', kuna linn asutati kahe j6e yhinemispaika (mis oli mudane, ilmselgelt).
T2na s6idame me juba Kuala Lumpurist minema ning lendame 6htul Balile. Siinviibimine on olnud lyhike ent v2ga meeldiv. Ma olin kord juba Kuala Lumpuris k2inud, viis aastat tagasi, ent ei m2letanud sellest suurt midagi ning viimati ei olnud ma siinse mitmekesisuse ainulaadsust m2rganud. Ma eeldan, et kuna rahumeelne kooseksisteerimine on viimastel aastatel L22nes haruldasemaks j22nud, on see seega nyyd ka silmapaistvam.
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So we were both craving for a change of scenery in the last few days of our stay in Sri Lanka. Boy, did we get one! The modernity and diversity of Kuala Lumpur is so unlike anything we saw in the last two weeks, and it's been a great two days here.
We arrived in the early morning, since our short flight from Sri Lanka took off in late evening. We spent the night on the plane, and only got 2 hours of sleep because of that, so we arrived pretty knackered. Already in the airport though, we were struck by how sleek and modern everything is, and on our bus trip to the centre we marveled at the approaching city skyline with all its skyscrapers.
Our hostel in KL is situated in the Chinatown area of the centre, and after we had got some much needed shuteye for a few hours in the afternoon, we took to exploring our neighbourhood. As the name hints, Chinatown is full of Chinese establishments and Mandarin can be heard everywhere. We strolled through the central market of the area, looking at the myriad fake watches/bags/shoes/electronics/younameit before sitting down for a nice simple Chinese dinner. After the heavy curries of Sri Lanka, it felt great to eat something a bit different.
The next day - our only full day in KL - we started by visiting the National Museum, which tells the story of Malaysia, from prehistoric times to the present day. The exhibits were interesting and very well planned, with the museum divided into four sections - Prehistoric, Ancient Kingdoms, Colonial Era, and Malaysia Today. It was fascinating to learn about the country, and to understand how it has come to be what it is today. For the thing that has struck us most here, is the incredible diversity of the people - on the streets, you can see people from anywhere and everywhere sharing the city and going about their business. It has actually been very refreshing not to be looked at all the time like we were in Sri Lanka, where we stood out like sore thumbs. Here, all flavours of human coexist and go about their business like it ain't no thang. In the Museum, we got some context and background as to how this sort of arrangement has come to be.
Malaysia's location between the great ancient civilizations of China and India, and its general position in the middle of big trading routes has meant that this land has had people from all over the world stopping and settling here for hundreds of years. For the most part, it has been independent, the numerous small and big ancient kingdoms in the area of today's Malaysia having been ruled by local kings and nobility. During the colonial era, it suffered the rule of Portugal, Holland and Britain, before finally achieving independence in the mid-20th century. When the talk of independence was first brought up after WWII, the British were skeptical as to whether a country with so many different ethnicities would be able to manage on its own peacefully. When the local population voted in unison in their first vote, the proof was in the pudding and a delegation representing the three main peoples of Malaysia - Malays, Chinese and Indians - went to London to negotiate the terms of independence. Apart from a turbulent time in the 60s when a failed Communist insurgency took place, the country has been coexisting in relative peace ever since.
And it really is amazing to witness the diversity - in Kuala Lumpur, which is home to 1.6 million people (over 7 million in the general metropolitan area), 46% are Malay, 43% Chinese, 10% Indian and the rest are a mixture of smaller minorities (including Thai, Portuguese etc). Many of these people have been living here for generations, and there are varied degrees of assimilation between the groups, with interchanging and borrowing of customs, language, fashion etc. Similarly, while the official religion of the country is Islam, only 46% of the population of KL are Muslim, with 35% Buddhists, 9% Hindus, 6% Christians and smaller fractions of other minority religions.
After an educational morning in the Museum, we went across the street for a stroll in the huge Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are free to enter, and are very well managed. Inside the gardens are two paying attractions - the KL Bird Park (an area covered with nets, housing a huge number of birds for visitors to see) and the Butterfly Park (a similar arrangement but with butterflies). We didn't enter either, but simply enjoyed the quiet and relaxing walk in the Gardens proper.
We then took the monorail (!) to go and check out the iconic Petronas Twin Towers - the highest twin towers in the world, built in 1996. They are pretty high indeed. Hurts your neck to look. The towers have become a symbol of Kuala Lumpur, symbolizing its story of success and growth. The city is very new, only having been established in the late 19th century as a settlement for Chinese tin miners. The name Kuala Lumpur means 'muddy confluence' since it was established in the place where two rivers meet (and it was muddy there I suppose).
Today we leave the city already, with an evening flight to Bali, Indonesia. The stay here has been short but sweet, we have both been positively surprised by the city. I had been in Kuala Lumpur once before, five years ago, but did not remember much about it, and it the uniqueness of its diversity certainly hadn't struck me then. I suppose that peaceful coexistence has become somewhat rarer in the Western world in the last years, which is why its more conspicuous when you do see it.
Me saabusime varahommikul, kuna meie lyhike lend Sri Lankalt algas hilis6htul. Me veetsime 88 lennukis ning saime seet6ttu vaid 2 tundi magatud, seega olime kohale j6udes p2ris kurnatud. Juba lennujaamas oli meile yllatuseks kui moodne ja uhke k6ik oli ning bussis6idul kesklinna imetlesime me l2heneva linna pilvel6hkujaid.
Meie hostel asub keskuse Hiinalinna osas ning p2rast paaritunnist l6unauinakut asusime me oma naabruskonda uudistama. Nagu nimigi ytleb, on Hiinalinn t2is hiina 2risid ja hiina keelt on k6ikjal kuulda. Me jalutasime l2bi turuplatsi, imetledes uskumatut hulka piraattoodangut - sh k2ekellad/kotid/jalatsid/elektroonika/misiganes. Seej2rel istusime me l2hedalasuvasse lihtsasse Hiina restorani 6htustama. P2rast Sri Lanka rammusaid karrisid oli imeline midagi veidi teistsugust syya.
J2rgmise p2eva hommikul - meie ainsal t2isp2eval Kuala Lumpuris - kylastasime me Rahvusmuuseumi, mis r22gib Malaisia ajaloost - eelajaloost kuni t2nap2evani. V2ljapanekud olid huvitavad ning h2sti organiseeritud - muuseum oli jagatud nelja ossa: Eelajalugu, Iidsed Kuningriigid, Koloniaalajastu ning T2nap2eva Malaisia. V2ga p6nev oli riigist rohkem 6ppida ning paremini aru saada kuidas Malaisiast sai just selline riik nagu ta on. Sest asi, mis meid siin k6ige rohkem on yllatanud, on siinse rahva uskumatu mitmekesisus - t2navatel saab n2ha absoluutselt k6iksuguseid inimesi, ning k6ik elavad siin koos ning ajavad omi asju ilma mingi probleemita. Yhtlasi on olnud meeldivaks vahelduseks see, et siin ei vahi meid mitte keegi, mitte nagu Sri Lankal, kus me olime valusalt silmapaistvad ja erinevad. Siin eksisteerivad k6ik sorti inimesed yheskoos. Muuseumis saime me teada natuke kontekstist ja ajaloost, mis selgitab kuidas selline olukord on siin tekkinud.
Malaisia asukoht Hiina ja India iidsete tsivilisatsioonide vahel ning ta yleyldine paiknemine keset suuri kaubandusteid on t2hendanud, et sadade ja tuhandete aastate jooksul on siinset maad kylastanud ning siia paiknema j22nud inimesi yle kogu maailma. Suure osa ajaloost on Malaisia olnud iseseisev, siinsel alal paiknenud mitmeid suuremaid ja v2iksemaid kuningriike on juhtinud kohalikud kuningad ning ylikud. Koloniaalajastu sajanditel oli Malaisia kord Portugali, siis Hollandi ning Briti v6imu all, enne kui 20nda sajandi keskpaigal ta viimaks iseseisvaks sai. Kui iseseisvus p2rast Teist Maailmas6da jutuks tuli, kahtlesid britid selles, kas riik kus elab nii palju eri rahvaid saab iseseisvalt hakkama ilma et kodus6jaks l2heks. Kui aga kohalik rahvas esimestel valimistel yhtselt h22letas, oli see piisavaks t6estuseks ning Malaisia delegatsioon, mis koosnes siinse kolme peamise rahvuse (malai, hiina ja india) esindajatest s6itis Londonisse, et iseseisvuse tingimusi l2bi r22kida. Kui v2lja arvata 60ndate aastate kommunistide m2ss, on siinne rahvas sellest saati elanud suhtelises rahus.
Siinne mitmekesisus on t6epoolest muljetavaldav - Kuala Lumpuris, mis on koduks 1,6 miljonile elanikule (ning rohkem kui 7le miljonile kui v6tta arvesse kogu linnak), kellest 46% on malaid, 43% hiinlased, 10% indialased ning ylej22nud on segu v2iksematest rahvastest (sh tailased ning portugallased). Paljud neist on siin elanud p6lvkondi ning rahvaste vahel on palju segunemist, sh kommete, keelte, r6ivastuse jms laenamist ning vahetamist. Yhtlasi, kuigi islam on Malaisia ametlik religioon, on vaid 46% kualalumpurlastest moslemid, ylej22nud on budistid (35%), hindud (9%), kristlased (6%) ning hulk k2put2ie v2iksemate religioonide j2rgijad.
P2rast harivat hommikut muuseumis l2ksime me yle tee hiigelsuurde botaanikaaeda jalutama. Sissep22s aeda on tasuta ning park on ylimalt h2sti hooldatud. Botaanikaaia ala sees on kaks tasulist atraktsiooni - KL Linnupark (v6rkudega kaetud ala, kus saab tervet hulka lindusid imetleda), ning Liblikapark (ilmselt sama asi, ent liblikatega). Me ei kylastanud kyll kumbagi ning nautisime niisama aias ringi jalutamist.
Seej2rel hyppasime me monorelssi (!) peale et kuulsaid Petronase Kaksiktorne vaatama minna. Tornid on maailma k6rgeimad kaksiktornid, ehitatud 1996. aastal. K6rged on nad kyll, vaadetes l2heb kael kangeks. Tornidest on saanud Kuala Lumpuri edu ja kasvu symbol. Tegemist on v2ga noore linnaga - Kuala Lumpur asutati 19nda sajandi l6pul, esialgu hiina tinakaevurite asulana. Kuala Lumpuri nimi t2hendab 'mudane liitumiskoht', kuna linn asutati kahe j6e yhinemispaika (mis oli mudane, ilmselgelt).
T2na s6idame me juba Kuala Lumpurist minema ning lendame 6htul Balile. Siinviibimine on olnud lyhike ent v2ga meeldiv. Ma olin kord juba Kuala Lumpuris k2inud, viis aastat tagasi, ent ei m2letanud sellest suurt midagi ning viimati ei olnud ma siinse mitmekesisuse ainulaadsust m2rganud. Ma eeldan, et kuna rahumeelne kooseksisteerimine on viimastel aastatel L22nes haruldasemaks j22nud, on see seega nyyd ka silmapaistvam.
////////////////////////////////////
So we were both craving for a change of scenery in the last few days of our stay in Sri Lanka. Boy, did we get one! The modernity and diversity of Kuala Lumpur is so unlike anything we saw in the last two weeks, and it's been a great two days here.
We arrived in the early morning, since our short flight from Sri Lanka took off in late evening. We spent the night on the plane, and only got 2 hours of sleep because of that, so we arrived pretty knackered. Already in the airport though, we were struck by how sleek and modern everything is, and on our bus trip to the centre we marveled at the approaching city skyline with all its skyscrapers.
Our hostel in KL is situated in the Chinatown area of the centre, and after we had got some much needed shuteye for a few hours in the afternoon, we took to exploring our neighbourhood. As the name hints, Chinatown is full of Chinese establishments and Mandarin can be heard everywhere. We strolled through the central market of the area, looking at the myriad fake watches/bags/shoes/electronics/younameit before sitting down for a nice simple Chinese dinner. After the heavy curries of Sri Lanka, it felt great to eat something a bit different.
The next day - our only full day in KL - we started by visiting the National Museum, which tells the story of Malaysia, from prehistoric times to the present day. The exhibits were interesting and very well planned, with the museum divided into four sections - Prehistoric, Ancient Kingdoms, Colonial Era, and Malaysia Today. It was fascinating to learn about the country, and to understand how it has come to be what it is today. For the thing that has struck us most here, is the incredible diversity of the people - on the streets, you can see people from anywhere and everywhere sharing the city and going about their business. It has actually been very refreshing not to be looked at all the time like we were in Sri Lanka, where we stood out like sore thumbs. Here, all flavours of human coexist and go about their business like it ain't no thang. In the Museum, we got some context and background as to how this sort of arrangement has come to be.
Malaysia's location between the great ancient civilizations of China and India, and its general position in the middle of big trading routes has meant that this land has had people from all over the world stopping and settling here for hundreds of years. For the most part, it has been independent, the numerous small and big ancient kingdoms in the area of today's Malaysia having been ruled by local kings and nobility. During the colonial era, it suffered the rule of Portugal, Holland and Britain, before finally achieving independence in the mid-20th century. When the talk of independence was first brought up after WWII, the British were skeptical as to whether a country with so many different ethnicities would be able to manage on its own peacefully. When the local population voted in unison in their first vote, the proof was in the pudding and a delegation representing the three main peoples of Malaysia - Malays, Chinese and Indians - went to London to negotiate the terms of independence. Apart from a turbulent time in the 60s when a failed Communist insurgency took place, the country has been coexisting in relative peace ever since.
And it really is amazing to witness the diversity - in Kuala Lumpur, which is home to 1.6 million people (over 7 million in the general metropolitan area), 46% are Malay, 43% Chinese, 10% Indian and the rest are a mixture of smaller minorities (including Thai, Portuguese etc). Many of these people have been living here for generations, and there are varied degrees of assimilation between the groups, with interchanging and borrowing of customs, language, fashion etc. Similarly, while the official religion of the country is Islam, only 46% of the population of KL are Muslim, with 35% Buddhists, 9% Hindus, 6% Christians and smaller fractions of other minority religions.
After an educational morning in the Museum, we went across the street for a stroll in the huge Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are free to enter, and are very well managed. Inside the gardens are two paying attractions - the KL Bird Park (an area covered with nets, housing a huge number of birds for visitors to see) and the Butterfly Park (a similar arrangement but with butterflies). We didn't enter either, but simply enjoyed the quiet and relaxing walk in the Gardens proper.
We then took the monorail (!) to go and check out the iconic Petronas Twin Towers - the highest twin towers in the world, built in 1996. They are pretty high indeed. Hurts your neck to look. The towers have become a symbol of Kuala Lumpur, symbolizing its story of success and growth. The city is very new, only having been established in the late 19th century as a settlement for Chinese tin miners. The name Kuala Lumpur means 'muddy confluence' since it was established in the place where two rivers meet (and it was muddy there I suppose).
Today we leave the city already, with an evening flight to Bali, Indonesia. The stay here has been short but sweet, we have both been positively surprised by the city. I had been in Kuala Lumpur once before, five years ago, but did not remember much about it, and it the uniqueness of its diversity certainly hadn't struck me then. I suppose that peaceful coexistence has become somewhat rarer in the Western world in the last years, which is why its more conspicuous when you do see it.
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| Hiinalinn p2evasel ajal // Chinatown during daytime |
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| Syya ootamas // Waiting for dinner |
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| Hiinalinn 8isel ajal // Chinatown during nighttime |
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| Kaunis detail muuseumist // Beautiful detail in the Museum |
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| Kuningliku laeva kaunistus // Figurehead of a royal ship |
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| Linnupark ning pilvel6hjukad // KL Bird Park and skyscrapers |
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| Botaanikaaias // In the Botanic Gardens |
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| Petronase Kaksiktornid // Petronas Twin Towers |
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| Veel pilvel6hkujaid! // More skyscrapers! |
neljapäev, 10. detsember 2015
Tangalle ja viimased p2evad Sri Lankal // Tangalle and last days in Sri Lanka
P2rast Hikkaduwat s6itsime me (seekord bussiga) m88da l6unarannikut idapoole Tangallesse. Tangalle on samuti yks p6hilisi turistikohti, kuid mitte nii populaarne kui Hikkaduwa. Tangalles on ka 'p2ris' linn, kus kohalikud ajavad omi asju, ja turistid hoiavad enamasti ranna 22res omaette.
Vaatamata sellele, et kogu ranna22rne on turistide jaoks ehitatud, oli Tangalle Hikkaduwaga v6rreldes v2ga vaikne ja rahulik - imev2he liiklust (kuna ainus ranna22rne t2nav l6ppeb tupikuga) ning minimaalselt inimesi. Tangalles n2gime me l6puks oma silmaga, et t6epoolest on tegemist hooajav2lise perioodiga - peaaegu k6ik hotellid ja restoranid olid tyhjad. Me v6tsime seega ka hooajav2listest hindadest viimast ning s6ime mitmel korral v2rsket ja maitsvat kala - m6nus vaheldus riisile ja karrile mida me muidu vahetpidamata suust sisse oleme ajanud.
Kuna p2evad mis me Tangalles veetsime olid enamjaolt ysna vihmased, oli meie siinviibimine v2ga rahulik ning me ei teinud palju muud peale rannas jalutamise ja lugemise. Teisel p2eval rentisime me kyll jalgrattad ning s6itsime veidi m88da rannikut (selliselt me avastasimegi et tegemist on tupikuga), kuid p2rastl6unane vihm j2ttis sellegi tegevuse p2ris lyhikeseks.
Mitte et ma kurdaks - tegemist oli ylimalt m6nusa ja rahuliku ajaga ning eriliselt meeldiv oli merele nii l2hedal 88bida. Meie kylalistemaja oli rannast ehk 20 meetri kaugusel ning igal 6htul uinusime me lainete kohina saatel. Muude helide hulgas saime me ka kuulda gekode naljakat krooksumist ja kohalike oravate kriiskamist. Kuna meie majutus oli esimesel korrusel, jagasime me oma tuba ka mitmete elukatega - nii nunnude (gekod ja jaanimardikad) kui ka v2hem nunnudega (hiigelsuured prussakad).
Tangalle oli meie viimane sihtpunkt Sri Lankal ning eile s6itsime me tagasi p6hjapoole, et veeta viimane 88 Negombos, lennujaama l2heduses asuvas linnas. T2na 6htul lendame me Malaisiasse paariks p2evaks enne kui kuuks ajaks Indoneesiasse l2heme. Muuseas - kui me oma edasistest plaanidest kylalistemaja omanikule r22kisime, vangutas ta pead ja ytles et me peame ettevaatlikud olema, kuna Malaisia ja Indoneesia on m6lemad ju moslemimaad. Terrorismi ajupesu ja eelarvamused j6uavad ikka igale poole!
Sri Lanka ei olnud tegelikult meie esialgsetes plaanides, ent kuna selgus, et Colombo l2bi Aasiasse lendamine oli soodne, otsustasime me yhtlasi ka siin pikemalt peatuda. Ja hea, et nii tegime, kuna Sri Lanka on vaatamata oma v2iksusele v2ga mitmekylgne ja huvitav, siin on nii palju n2ha ning siinne rahvas on uskumatult s6bralik. Mulle tuli yllatusena kui meeldiv siin on olnud. Samas ei saa ma varjata, et ootan ka vaheldust, seega j2rgmisena - Kuala Lumpur.
After Hikkaduwa, we traveled (by bus this time) eastward along the Southern coast to Tangalle. Tangalle is also a touristic spot, but not as much as Hikkaduwa was. It has a real town, full of local people doing their own thing, and the tourists mainly keep to themselves on the beachside.
Despite everything on the beach having been built for tourists, it was extremely quiet and relaxed in comparison to Hikkaduwa - next to no traffic (due to the street on the coast being a dead end, so there was only the odd tuktuk transporting visitors), and very few people. In Tangalle we could finally see for ourselves that this is truly the off-season - nearly all the hotels and restaurants were half-empty. We took advantage of the low-season prices for eating, and managed to have tasty, fresh fish for dinner a couple of times - a welcome respite from the constant rice and curry meals.
Since the three days that we spent there were relatively rainy, this meant that we had a very quiet stay in Tangalle, doing not much apart from strolling along the beach and reading. We did rent bicycles on the second day and rode along the coast a bit (which is how we found out that the street was a dead end), but afternoon rain cut that activity short unfortunately.
Can't say that I'm complaining though, it was a very relaxing few days, and it was beautiful to stay so close to the beach. Our homestay was maybe 20 meters from the sea, and we fell asleep to the sound of crashing waves every night. We were also entertained by the myriad wildlife sounds however, including the very funny gecko noises, and the high-pitched screaming of the local squirrels. Since our accommodation was on the ground floor, we also shared the company of adorable (geckos and fireflies) and less adorable (big-ass cockroaches) wildlife in our room.
Tangalle was our last destination in Sri Lanka, and yesterday we traveled back north to spend our final night in Negombo, a town very near to the airport. Tonight we fly on to Malaysia for a couple of days before heading to Indonesia for a month. By the way - when we informed our host of our upcoming travel plans, she shook her head and told us to be careful, since, you know, Malaysia and Indonesia are Muslim countries. So terrorist brainwashing and prejudice is truly international!
We hadn't originally planned to visit Sri Lanka as part of our trip, but since flying to Colombo turned out to be a really cheap way to get to Asia, we thought we might as well stay to see the country for a bit. And I'm really glad we did, for such a small country, it is amazingly diverse, there is lots to see and do, and the people are incredibly friendly. I have been positively surprised at how much I have enjoyed being here. I can't deny, however, that I am also looking forward to a change of scenery, so next up - Kuala Lumpur.
Vaatamata sellele, et kogu ranna22rne on turistide jaoks ehitatud, oli Tangalle Hikkaduwaga v6rreldes v2ga vaikne ja rahulik - imev2he liiklust (kuna ainus ranna22rne t2nav l6ppeb tupikuga) ning minimaalselt inimesi. Tangalles n2gime me l6puks oma silmaga, et t6epoolest on tegemist hooajav2lise perioodiga - peaaegu k6ik hotellid ja restoranid olid tyhjad. Me v6tsime seega ka hooajav2listest hindadest viimast ning s6ime mitmel korral v2rsket ja maitsvat kala - m6nus vaheldus riisile ja karrile mida me muidu vahetpidamata suust sisse oleme ajanud.
Kuna p2evad mis me Tangalles veetsime olid enamjaolt ysna vihmased, oli meie siinviibimine v2ga rahulik ning me ei teinud palju muud peale rannas jalutamise ja lugemise. Teisel p2eval rentisime me kyll jalgrattad ning s6itsime veidi m88da rannikut (selliselt me avastasimegi et tegemist on tupikuga), kuid p2rastl6unane vihm j2ttis sellegi tegevuse p2ris lyhikeseks.
Mitte et ma kurdaks - tegemist oli ylimalt m6nusa ja rahuliku ajaga ning eriliselt meeldiv oli merele nii l2hedal 88bida. Meie kylalistemaja oli rannast ehk 20 meetri kaugusel ning igal 6htul uinusime me lainete kohina saatel. Muude helide hulgas saime me ka kuulda gekode naljakat krooksumist ja kohalike oravate kriiskamist. Kuna meie majutus oli esimesel korrusel, jagasime me oma tuba ka mitmete elukatega - nii nunnude (gekod ja jaanimardikad) kui ka v2hem nunnudega (hiigelsuured prussakad).
Tangalle oli meie viimane sihtpunkt Sri Lankal ning eile s6itsime me tagasi p6hjapoole, et veeta viimane 88 Negombos, lennujaama l2heduses asuvas linnas. T2na 6htul lendame me Malaisiasse paariks p2evaks enne kui kuuks ajaks Indoneesiasse l2heme. Muuseas - kui me oma edasistest plaanidest kylalistemaja omanikule r22kisime, vangutas ta pead ja ytles et me peame ettevaatlikud olema, kuna Malaisia ja Indoneesia on m6lemad ju moslemimaad. Terrorismi ajupesu ja eelarvamused j6uavad ikka igale poole!
Sri Lanka ei olnud tegelikult meie esialgsetes plaanides, ent kuna selgus, et Colombo l2bi Aasiasse lendamine oli soodne, otsustasime me yhtlasi ka siin pikemalt peatuda. Ja hea, et nii tegime, kuna Sri Lanka on vaatamata oma v2iksusele v2ga mitmekylgne ja huvitav, siin on nii palju n2ha ning siinne rahvas on uskumatult s6bralik. Mulle tuli yllatusena kui meeldiv siin on olnud. Samas ei saa ma varjata, et ootan ka vaheldust, seega j2rgmisena - Kuala Lumpur.
////////////////////////////////////////
After Hikkaduwa, we traveled (by bus this time) eastward along the Southern coast to Tangalle. Tangalle is also a touristic spot, but not as much as Hikkaduwa was. It has a real town, full of local people doing their own thing, and the tourists mainly keep to themselves on the beachside.
Despite everything on the beach having been built for tourists, it was extremely quiet and relaxed in comparison to Hikkaduwa - next to no traffic (due to the street on the coast being a dead end, so there was only the odd tuktuk transporting visitors), and very few people. In Tangalle we could finally see for ourselves that this is truly the off-season - nearly all the hotels and restaurants were half-empty. We took advantage of the low-season prices for eating, and managed to have tasty, fresh fish for dinner a couple of times - a welcome respite from the constant rice and curry meals.
Since the three days that we spent there were relatively rainy, this meant that we had a very quiet stay in Tangalle, doing not much apart from strolling along the beach and reading. We did rent bicycles on the second day and rode along the coast a bit (which is how we found out that the street was a dead end), but afternoon rain cut that activity short unfortunately.
Can't say that I'm complaining though, it was a very relaxing few days, and it was beautiful to stay so close to the beach. Our homestay was maybe 20 meters from the sea, and we fell asleep to the sound of crashing waves every night. We were also entertained by the myriad wildlife sounds however, including the very funny gecko noises, and the high-pitched screaming of the local squirrels. Since our accommodation was on the ground floor, we also shared the company of adorable (geckos and fireflies) and less adorable (big-ass cockroaches) wildlife in our room.
Tangalle was our last destination in Sri Lanka, and yesterday we traveled back north to spend our final night in Negombo, a town very near to the airport. Tonight we fly on to Malaysia for a couple of days before heading to Indonesia for a month. By the way - when we informed our host of our upcoming travel plans, she shook her head and told us to be careful, since, you know, Malaysia and Indonesia are Muslim countries. So terrorist brainwashing and prejudice is truly international!
We hadn't originally planned to visit Sri Lanka as part of our trip, but since flying to Colombo turned out to be a really cheap way to get to Asia, we thought we might as well stay to see the country for a bit. And I'm really glad we did, for such a small country, it is amazingly diverse, there is lots to see and do, and the people are incredibly friendly. I have been positively surprised at how much I have enjoyed being here. I can't deny, however, that I am also looking forward to a change of scenery, so next up - Kuala Lumpur.
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| Kylalised meie vannitoas // Guests in the bathroom |
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| Tangallet avastamas // Discovering Tangalle |
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| Torm tulekul // Storm gathering |
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| Kui vihma sajab siis on 6ige aeg l6unaks // Rainy weather is perfect for having lunch |
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| Vaade meie kylalistemaja aknast // View from our guesthouse window |
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| Niisama laev aias // Just a boat in a garden |
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| Tutvusime kohalike arglike krabidega // Making friends with timid hermit crabs |
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| Merisiilikute koloonia // Colony of sea urchins |
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| Leia pildilt troopiline lind // Find the tropical bird |
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| 6htus88gieelsed kokteilid // Predinner drinks |
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| Viimane bussis6it Sri Lankal // Last bus ride in Sri Lanka |
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| K6ige roosam buss maailmas (yhtlasi t6mban t2helepanu ekraanile ja k6laritele mis t2ie v6imsusega kohalikku popp-muusikat m2ngisid) // The most pink bus in the world (also, notice the tv screen and subwoofers, playing local pop-music at full volume) |
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