INDONESIA - Farewell to Asia

Hello from Canggu,

now there are only a few hours left until I leave Asia, especially Indonesia. I am very excited about Australia and what's new, but I am a bit nostalgic when I think that my time in Asia is over after 4 months.

I never thought that I would fall in love with Indonesia, especially. Luckily, the country has countless islands that I can explore sooner or later! It all started in Bali with Melli, and we experienced so much in Indonesia and Malaysia! Java made a particularly strong impression on both of us. It was the most authentic place with little tourism, delicious food, and breathtaking views of some of the many volcanoes on the island. I still get butterflies when I think about the sunrise at Mount Bromo! The spontaneous decision to travel to this wonderful island was definitely one of the best!

One of the most beautiful moments!!

One of the things that fascinates me about Indonesia is its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Here, the Eurasian and Australian tectonic plates meet, which also explains the number of volcanoes. I was able to see some of them: Gunung Agung in Bali, Gunung Merapi and Gunung Semeru both in Java. Just to name a few of the most significant and active ones.

Now we should also feel that we are in such an active region of the Earth. The major earthquake that shook the east of Lombok was felt all the way to Bali. It is an indescribable feeling when the otherwise solid ground under your feet suddenly starts shaking. It becomes clear how powerful Mother Nature is and how powerless we are in comparison. Overall, we experienced over 10 earthquakes and aftershocks. We felt it most clearly when we were in the south of Bali and the epicenter was about 30 km away. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.4. It's crazy to be woken up by an earthquake and run out onto the street in your pajamas because the house is shaking. However, nothing was damaged and no one was injured, unlike in Lombok. We were in Lombok at the time of the earthquake (magnitude 6.9) in the west of Bali - actually quite far away - and yet we felt the tremors clearly. I can't even imagine how severe the shaking must have been in Lombok.

I am incredibly sorry for the number of people who have fallen victim to this and for the people who already have so little and have lost their homes and possessions. I hope the country and its people can recover from this severe blow.

I looked through my photos again and realized that I have hidden some treasures from the past months from you :)

Bali- Ubud in the evening sun

Bali- Yoga at the Ubud Yoga House :) You can see from my pale complexion that this photo was taken in my first week ^^

Bali- Sunset in Amed with Mount Agung

Bali- Football is played all over the world :)

Bali- Besakih Temple. In my second Bali report, I talked about a temple that Melli and I were looking for and DID NOT find after (I) basically climbed a mountain. Yes, even on the second attempt, we didn't find the right temple :D

Besakih was quite a tourist trap. When we paid the entrance fee, we were given a guide that we didn't want, and he immediately pointed out that we should give a tip at the end. Outrageous! But Melli and I are still laughing about this cheeky guy :D

Gili Meno- Melli bought a ukulele in Ubud. Playing it was a bit difficult, but we often met locals who played and sang for us :D

Lombok- Tour through Tetebatu

Lombok- many people in Indonesia are incredibly friendly and wave to you from the side of the road or from their scooters! And yes, it's normal for the whole family to ride on one scooter :D

Nusa Penida- My first solo tour :)

Malaysia- Kuala Lumpur- it was a bit chilly that evening. Otherwise, I would have definitely taken a dip in the pool :)

Malaysia- Kuala Lumpur- Batu Caves

Malaysia- Cameron Highlands Tea Plantations

Malaysia- George Town

Malaysia- Borneo- On our last day in Kuching, there was a kind of parade of all the tribes living on Borneo. Unfortunately, we couldn't find out exactly what it was about, but the traditional clothing and especially the oversized hut were very nice to see ^^

Malaysia- Kuching at sunset. Look at the moon! In Asia, the crescent moon points upward!

Indonesia- capital Jakarta

Indonesia- Java- The same problem as with Deutsche Bahn - the air conditioning is always set too high on the trains in Indonesia ^^

Indonesia- Java

Vietnam- Hanoi- Temple of Literature

Vietnam- Sapa

Vietnam- Ninh Binh

The journey through Asia ends where it began: on Bali! But this time with Jacqui and much more relaxed :)

Of course, I picked up Jacqui from the airport :D

We spent most of our time in Canggu. It's unusual, but also really nice to be in one place for a longer period of time and not have to constantly pack up and move on.

Soja, the dog of our host family. ALMOST as cute as Puffy :)

Here in Canggu, I tried my hand at surfing a lot. Because when it comes to surfing, it's all about practicing, practicing, practicing! I never thought it would be such a complex subject ^^

First of all, the conditions have to be right. The wind should be good so that the waves break well, the current shouldn't be too strong, the height and strength of the waves, ebb and flow, the proximity to the reef, where the waves break. You also have to watch out for other surfers to avoid getting hit by a surfboard or hurting someone else. And then you also have to be able to get up on the board quickly enough. And stay up :P

With Gebi, my surfing buddy, at our favorite surf spot in Canggu :) He gave me many tips about surfing!

On the last day, I finally caught a great wave! Well, what can I say - miracles do happen :D

From Canggu, we went on several scooter tours. We also spent a few nights in Ubud and Uluwatu. But we returned to Canggu earlier than planned. It felt a bit like coming home :) The homestay is just beautiful, and the hosts are very warm-hearted! The proximity to the beach is also a great advantage for surfing!

I will never get tired of Bali's rice fields!

Pura Ulun Danu Beratan- quite beautiful but unfortunately too touristy for our taste

Of course, a visit to Ubud was a must again this time :)

Ubud- Tegalalang Rice Terraces

This time, we only got around Bali by scooter. It's cheaper and much more fun!! But the scarves are indispensable! I started a bit late with it after 4 months in Asia, but better late than never ^^

Nyang Nyang Beach at sunset

We were invited to the wedding ceremony of our host's daughter. It took place in the house/yard of the bride's father. All the guests were talking at once, and the ceremony was kind of happening on the side. An interesting experience ^^

We tried to adapt to the traditional clothing ^^

The relaxed time in Bali did me a lot of good. The relaxation is more mental because surfing or paddling in search of the right wave is quite exhausting. But now I am ready to absorb new impressions and appreciate them!

You can really transport anything with a scooter :D I will really miss riding the scooter and daily visits to the beach!

Tonight we fly to Cairns, Australia and I can't really believe that my time in Indonesia is over and that I am actually flying to Australia!! So, I am flying with a laughing and a crying eye :)

But I am sure that we will have a great time on our road trip along the east coast!!

See you soon and

Greetings from Bali :)