My favorite Indonesia

So friends of nature, you've already learned a little bit, but now I want to tell you what I experienced before and after the volcanoes :) As I said, I flew to Jakarta, but only stayed for one night and then took an 8-hour train to Yogyakarta. I already mentioned briefly that the locals love taking photos of you. Here, too, I was photographed while sleeping and sent via WhatsApp without asking first. I find that quite cheeky... well.

I stayed in Yogyakarta for 3 days and spent most of the time with 3 girls from the Netherlands. Or rather at the pool of some hotels :D and then I visited the quite famous Borobudur Temple for sunrise. For that, I rode a scooter early in the morning. But not just there. How should I put it... So if I set my mind to something, I usually have to do it. Only sometimes I just turn off my brain. Explanation:

Quite near Yogyakarta, there is the active volcano Merapi and the owner of my hostel told me that there is a pretty awesome viewpoint (free entrance) and it looks best at night, with the stars and, if you're lucky, even with lava (because it has been erupting every six months). The protagonist of this report now thinks that she absolutely HAS to do it. Plan: Leave for Merapi at 3 am and then go to Borobudur for sunrise.

*Problem 1: Riding a scooter at around 20 degrees is quite cold, armed only with a fleece, scarf, and leggings.

*Problem 2: if you don't research online again and find yourself in front of a closed gate at 4 am.

So, as nice as solo travel is sometimes, I just sometimes miss having a second brain:D At least Borobudur was nice.

Taking photos without people in them is an art!

Oh, how beautiful the fog hangs between the trees.

My next destination was Malang, where I met the girls. All buses and trains were fully booked 1-2 days in advance, so my only option was to take a minivan for a 12-hour overnight trip. At first, I wasn't sure if it was reliable, but no need to panic, everything went well. The ride was just so bumpy that I couldn't really sleep. But you forget about things like that very quickly ;)

So, now let's go to June 27th, the day of Ijen. At 12 noon, I took the ferry to Bali with Julia and Luisa. Our paths also separated there. My plan was to go to the southern tip of Bali. And again, I didn't consider that Bali is not the smallest island and I still had a long way to go. Taxis and Grab Cars were incredibly expensive (50€), but luckily I found a bus that took me to Denpasar for the equivalent of 3.80€. But the trip took 4 hours. At some point, a mother with her children sat next to me and she really provided me with amazing local food the whole time, it was very sweet. That's how I ended up on Facebook and WhatsApp:D In Denpasar at the bus station, I wanted to find a bus that goes to Uluwatu, my destination. The gentlemen there told me that there is no bus going there, so I ended up ordering a Grab Car for 200,000 IDR (12€). Since I had no other option, I did it. Now here comes the kicker! The driver couldn't find the hostel and when I suggested that he just ask someone, he didn't react and eventually drove clearly in the wrong direction. I had to argue with him so vigorously and I forbid him to just drop me off somewhere. I mean, it was dark and I was alone, no way?! I wanted to ask at a pizzeria and that's where he dropped me off. Of course, I only had exactly 200,000 to pay and 1% battery left. A super dramatic situation, but luckily the hostel was right next to that pizzeria. I also don't understand why there is no sign anywhere and the address on the internet is wrong. What a day.

But after lows, there are always highs and the next day I met Paul!

He made a stopover in Bali on his way back from Australia and we did a lot together for the next 5 days. Poor guy thought he could relax a bit, but no way! We did a lot and I introduced him to Asia a bit.

We rented a scooter and explored Uluwatu and Canggu for the first 2 days. Especially their beaches!

These are (both) in Uluwatu. There were definitely monstrous waves...

Then we went to Ubud for 2 days and visited, among other things, the Monkey Forest.

And this waterfall was a HIGHLIGHT! Not only because it looks fantastic, but because it was a feast watching people pose and model! We stood there for half an eternity and just observed and laughed occasionally.

When Paul left, I went to the island of Nusa Penida for 3 days before meeting Luisa again on Gili Meno. Nusa Penida is relatively small and perfect for exploring by scooter.

Here you can see 'Diamond Beach' - simply indescribably beautiful!

I love cliff landscapes like this. It always reminds me of Ireland. And I also took this path down to the beach.

But you can't go into the sea because the waves and currents are just too strong.