Solo Tour of Indonesia .Exploring Java ,visit to "Turtle Hatchery" and "Scuba Diving" in Bali.

Map of Indonesia with its geographical location to neighbouring Country's.

To the average  tourist, Indonesia is known for its Volcanic  mountains, the giant Komodo lizard and the beaches of  Bali.Indonesia is a archipelago that consists of  approx  18,307 islands as per  2002 survey conducted by "National Institute of Aeronautics and space(LAPAN)" .Out of these islands 8,844 have been named by the Indonesian Government and 922 of these island permanently inhabited.Politically it comprises of 33 provinces and one special administrative region.The population consists of  approx 300 ethnic groups  speaking over 742  different languages, much more than my home Country India.Indonesian is the official recognized  language of the Country. As a movie buff was  a eternal fan of the tragic  movie "Kingkong" whose original inspiration when first produced in 1933 was derived from the "Komodo Dragons" of Indonesia. In 2007 Indonesia had  approx  127 active Volcanoes  and the mist emerging from some of these Volcanoes  as seen in documentary  films is etched in memory.The most active Volcanoes are Kelut and Merapi on Java island.Mount Merapi recently erupted  between the months of September and November 2013, spewing  Volcanic ash 2000 meters(6500 feet) into the sky on 18th November 2013 ! At the age of 54  decided to visit Indonesia and hike up to its most dangerous active volcano Mt Merapi  and later  learn "Scuba Diving" in Bali."Better late than too late in life" has been my motto in life as i seem to have achieved most of my life's ambition at a later age than normal !.After doing my normal "Travel research" on the Internet made a decision to book air-tickets through the travel-site "www.makemytrip.com".On Monday(5-5-2014) purchased a on-line  return  air- ticket on "Malindo Air" costing Rs 25,651 , the tour itinerary being departure from Mumbai  to Jakarta on Sunday(10/8/2014) and  return back to Mumbai  from Jakarta  on Wednesday(3-9-2014), a round way trip.

On the "DAMRI BUS" from Jakarta Airport to Gambir Station.

DAY 1 :- Departure Mumbai(Sunday 10-8-2014) and  arrival Jakarta(Monday 11-8-2014) :- On Sunday (10-8-2014) evening  caught a taxi from my residence and  made  my journey to the "Chatrapati Shivaji Airport(Terminal 2)".Made my way to gate nos 67 and into the main foyer of "Terminal 2".This was my first flight from "Terminal 2" and was floored by the beauty and magnificence of this new airport terminal, just classic and on par with the best in the World. After the normal formalities  with the added nuisance of a "imigration Check", something i did for the first time after decades of sea and air travel.Our plane took off at approx 2300 hrs and we reached Kuala Lumpur at  approx 0730 hrs on Monday morning. It was a terrible transit wait at Kuala Lumpur and finally  reached  "Soekarno-Hatta International airport" in Jakarta.at approx 1220 hrs,the beginning of my 23 day solo tour of Indonesia.Visa was on arrival after the payment of 35 U.S $'s as fees.Exchange rate  was approx 11,500 Rupiah to 1 U.S $. Walked out of the airport and a little away on the left side of the arrival lounge was the "DAMRI BUS STOP".Was lucky to get a bus on arrival at the bus-stop, a nice A/c bus with the charges being 30,000 Rupiah to Gambir station.On arrival at Gambir station boarded a "OJEK(Motorcycle taxi)"  costing 25,000 Rupiah and experienced the ride of my life in the chaotic  Jakarta traffic,straight from a film stunt, only difference that this was real street riding and not controlled acting!The "Honda cub" is the most popular two wheeler in Vietnam, Cambodia and also in Indonesia.Checked into "Six degrees hostel", so  named as Jakarta is six degrees south of the Equator.

Beautiful "Bengal Cat" inspecting my luggage in my dormitory.

                                                                                                                                                    I had booked and reserved my accommodation through "On-line booking", the boon of the "Internet era" and my secret of transforming into a "Solo backpacker tourist".From the exterior "Six Degrees" resembles a dull common cheap hostel lodge, nothing flashy about its exterior advertisement.Was allotted dormitory 8 and bed nos 10 on the second floor. A excellent typical "First World Style" hostel, centrally A/c with a "Pool Table" ,a mini theatre and "Free Internet", resembling a private residence or a posh Mumbai private club rather than a backpacker hostel. A Irishman Mr David along with his Indonesian wife Wati run this hostel, a Anglo -Indonesian enterprise.All the backpackers were young male and female Caucasians, myself the oldest  backpacker as usual.Checked into my room and bizarrely was welcomed by one of the most beautiful cats,  a " Bengal cat", a specimen i saw for the  first time in my life.The tourists might be feeding it as it was in the pink of health and totally tame, sniffing my luggage as it definitely got the scent of my own cats  back home in Mumbai.Later on inquiry it seems that this cat was a authentic "Bengal cat" owned by the hostel owner who found it injured on the road.Muslims prefer cats  as pets compared to dogs and the elite of Jakarta would definitely have the costliest of exotic breed of cats, including the "Bengal cat". After a hot shower bathe made my way out of the hostel and had some local noodle/meat dish, excellent at just 10,000 Rupiah.Later booked a train ticket on "Senja Utama Solo" business class  train  for Yogyakarta costing 3,00,000 Rupiah at "Kitara Tour" situated  next door to "Six Degrees Hostel".Experienced a slight drizzle  which later turned into a downpour, freak rains in Jakarta and seems Mumbai's monsoon weather has followed me.

"Free Wi-Fi" and "Chilled  Bintang" in "Six Degrees Lounge".

                                                                                                     Hence returned to the hostel and decided to rest sitting and blogging while  my co-tourists  were busy playing "Pool" ,watching  movies or sipping beer.Later went out into the street  walking the length of the road upto "Cikini station" and while returning got caught in a heavy downpour of rain.Took shelter in a bus-stop a few meters from the hostel and spent almost an hour watching Jakarta traffic zipping along the road in heavy rain.Brought back memories of Mumbai's torrential rain and floods.I remember seeing lightning in the distance while landing at Jakarta airport.Thankfully "Six Degrees" is a World within itself and a backpacker can spend a entire holiday just "Chilling" in this classic Old World club hostel.Returned back to the hostel and entertained myself with a local "Bintang beer(35,000 rupiah)" in "Six Degrees hostel".As usual picked up conversation with  a few co-backpackers, the ultimate backpackers that define economy leisure travel. When the rain stopped stepped out of the cosy hostel and walked down Cikini Raya street discovering a local food  restaurant.This restaurant was serving local cuisine "Buffet style" and packed with local dinner customers. Dinner was at this restaurant, local fish fry with a vegetarian dish, rice and soup curry costing 25,000 Rupiah.The food was fresh and excellent.After dinner came back to hostel and hit the "Sleep button" , a excellent nights sleep in cool a/c dormitory after suffering "Jet lag" sleeplessness.

"BALANCING" like a true sailor on a boat plank in historic "Sunda Kelapa Harbour"..Memories of the sea-faring years rekindled."Once a sailor, always a sailor".

DAY 2 :-Tuesday(12-8-2014) :- Woke up at approx 0400 hrs and as usual did my toilet formalities.Dressed up and went to the ground floor "Recreation cum dining hall" for a excellent breakfast of toast/fruit (watermelon & mash melon slices) with juice.A bright sunny day compared to the freak flooding showers yesterday.Walked out of the hostel at appox 0800 hrs with destination "MONAS" ,the national  monument of Indonesia.It was a long pleasant walk in bright morning sunshine and heavy motorized traffic.On the way came across a museum.The museum was closed but there were some external exhibits visible,the language entirely in  Indonesian.The guard allowed me inside to view the vintage  cars used by the first President of Indonesia.Language is the biggest obstacle in Indonesia with English language spoken and written in minimal in Government and local businesses and museums.After a brief viewing of the external exhibits and the vintage cars made my way towards "Merdeka Square".Entire "Merdeka Square" is  one Km square in area with the "National Monument (Monas) " in the centre.Some student cadets were practising marching formation  , preparations for the celebrations of Indonesia Independence day on Sunday(17-8-2014).In another part of this huge park some men were practicing "Karate" while i was trying to find my way into the monument museum.The entry gates were closed and since i was early decided to sight-see the city using the free "City tour bus".Locals guided me to the "City tour bus" stop situated outside Merdeka Square.The "City Tour Bus" was supposed to start at 0900 hrs but bizarrely a few empty   tour buses whizzed  along without stopping at the empty bus-stop.Decades of solo travel made me smell  trouble and on inquiries it would have been better if i spoke in Japanese rather than English ! Finally a young lady told me to catch the "Transjakarta Bus network" just  a few meters away.On entering the "Transjakarta Bus station" i was amazed at this unique and efficient bus system of Jakarta.It was a identical copy of the "Metro railway system" of London and Delhi with Dutch ingenuity.Akin to railway tracks or cycle tracks a special narrow  part of the main road was kept free only for usage by "Transjakarta bus network",hence avoidance of normal road traffic jams.My destination was Sunda Kelapa port , situated old Batavia district .This historic port also resulted in colonization  of  Indonesia .The bus station ticket collector told me to buy a 20,000 Rupiah bus card and advised me about the bus time-table and routine.My bus arrived on time and it was a pleasant journey in a air-conditioned common public bus.It was not crowded unlike trains.This was the first time in my life that i was travelling on this system of bus-way network, total first World technology.A passenger guided me  as to alighting at the right stop.On alighting the bus it was a walk along a typical old city.

Antique "Dutch era" furniture in "Jakarta history museum".

                                                                                                                          There were street artists with stalls meant for tourists and further ahead was a open ground in which was the "Jakarta History museum(Fatahillah museum)".Visited the "Jakarta history museum",entrance fee being 2500 Rupiah and for the first time got to understand the history of "Dutch Colonization".As a Indian i was always studying and viewing English colonization having also mastered the colonizers language of "ENGLISH" !Viewed some historic paintings of the Dutch rulers of Indonesia and also some classic antique furniture dating to the 18th and 19th century.From the museum walked towards Sunda Kelapa harbour. Brought back memories of my own shipping years in the dock areas as all the World's dock localities have a typical sea interior decor! Came across a ancient "Dutch Drawbridge", the only one of its type in Jakarta.Further ahead from this drawbridge was the entrance to "Sunda Kelapa harbour". Entrance fee to the harbour was 2500 rupiah and on entering the harbour i was filled with emotional shipping nostalgia. Although all these ships were dhow sized wooden engine sail boats they were the original type of ships that discovered unknown parts of the globe minus a motor engine.Took some photographs and made my way back to the bus terminus.Boarded a bus at the "Fatahillah Museum" bus station and reached "Monas bus station" at approx 1230 hrs.From the bus station made my way into the "National Museum", the largest museum in South East Asia.

Courtyard of  "National Museum" with archaeological  statues..

                                                                             Entrance fee for foreigners was 10,000 Rupiah,very nominal. Indonesia is the World's largest Muslim populated Country and hence on entering the museum premises was surprised at the large amount of exhibits of Hindu gods in the main museum courtyard. A student of religion could study Hinduism by just viewing each and every exhibit in this huge museum.The museum had various sections dedicated to different  facets of Indonesian culture and history.From the museum made my way to "Monas monument" but couldn't find the entrance.Luckily came across a group of tourists from India who themselves were searching for the entrance. I finally asked a hawker for directions to the entrance gate and to our relief it was a underground entrance  with no sign indications in "English Language".

View of  Istiqlal mosque & Jakarta Cathedral from "MONAS"

Purchased the entrance ticket and made my way to the "National Monument (Monas)" underground museum.Requested  the Indian tourists to lend me their phone to make a call back home in Mumbai.As a solo backpacker i also live alone in Mumbai along with my two traditional Persian cats and my house-keeper Sabina.Dias. In my absence from home  Sabina  baby-sits my pets and inquiring about their welfare as well as the house was a priority.Due to the language handicap it was difficult for me to find a public phone call center.At  the museum had to wait in a long queue to be taken on a elevator to the top of the monument.On reaching the top the view of Jakarta was spellbinding.Met a young local Indonesian who happened to speak English and hence had a interesting conversation with Mr Nikolas.Arditya.Adhitama, a Catholic Indonesian.After viewing the city from all angles made my way back to the ground and out of Merdeka Square. My next itinerary was to sight see the "Istiqlal Mosque", the largest mosque in South east Asia   as well as the Jakarta  cathedral situated opposite the mosque. The entrance to the mosque was crowded with vehicle traffic and surprisingly this mosque is built just opposite the catholic cathedral,the ultimate in religious tolerance, the most fascinating aspect of Indonesia.Remember, Indonesia is no minority Muslim country and with religious intolerance at a abysmal low in most Muslim dominated country's its really fascinating to be in Indonesia and observe its multicultural and multi-religious  living.Just viewed the mosque from the exterior and made my way to the  Jakarta cathedral which is the seat of the Roman Catholic archbishop of Jakarta.This cathedral was consecrated in 1901 and built in typical Neo-Gothic architecture style..

Entry to "Istiqlal Mosque" situated opposite  Catholic Cathedral.

                              On entering the Cathedral i was floored on viewing the best maintained Catholic church outside of the Vatican ! This Neo Gothic cathedral has been maintained like a church museum ,not a flaw or damage in any of the religious icons.The congregation chairs were maintained in show-room condition and there were candles lit by devotees. From the church i made my way to the main road and saw a hawker selling eggs.I had skipped lunch, my normal dieting on solo tours and hence a bit famished.Tasted one of the most bizarre omelets prepared by this road-side hawker and realized that travel also broadens your culinary knowledge and taste buds.Picked up a conversation with a local and he guided me on catching the bus to "Cikini Raya". Boarded a "20 Nos" bus, the ticket being 5000 Rupiah and finally reached "Six Degree hostel".Freshened myself and changed into shorts and slippers and decided to walk over to "Jalan Jaksa" locality, the backpackers adda.It was a long walk to "Jalan Jaksa" and as a "World  Adda name-dropper" i found this locality  tame and normal compared to the "name-dropping Adda's" i have visited in my World-wide solo tours.Returned back to "Six Degree" hostel , the best "Adda" in the city and over a "Bintang beer" began my blogging and browsing.Was sad to read about the untimely demise of actor Robin.Williams.Dinner was at the same "adda" which seems to be the best local dinner restaurant in Cikini Raya locality,"Ampera 2 Tak" restaurant.

Classic "Indonesian Buffet dinner" at "Ampera 2 tak".

                                  Had a lavish dinner consisting of 2 fried squid, fried fish, rice and soup curry as i had skipped normal lunch.A local Indonesian played a guitar singing some local songs next to the buffet table, just classic atmosphere.This was a means of seeking  money from generous diners.The dinner bill amounted to 48,000 Rupiah and was worth the money,absolutely fresh  fish cuisine cooked in local Indonesian flavour. After dinner walked back to the hostel and crashed off to sleep.I have not had any stomach upsets which proves the food is excellent.Have been consuming lots of chilled iced lliquids due to thirst, mostly local flavoured drinks costing approx 5000 rupiah.This scares me as a cold would ruin my "Scuba diving" agenda".

"King Kong" at the "Schmutzer Primate Centre" of the Ragunan Zoo  in Jakarta.

DAY 3 :- Wednesday(13-8-2014) :- The endless walking seemed  to be giving me a good nights sleep and noticed that i now averaged at least 6 hours sleep compared to 5 hours at home in Mumbai.Tonight i would be leaving by train to Yogyakarta and hence checked out my baggage and kept it in the main hostel lobby, the normal tour agenda.As usual breakfast was at 0700 hrs, excellent toast with fruit and juice, typical "Continental breakfast".After breakfast took some route guidance from the hostel co-owners for  travelling to Ragunan zoo,the last stop  of the "Jakarta Transnational bus route" a distant suburb of Jakarta city.A few minutes walk from the hostel and i boarded the 17 nos minibus  the destination being "keranat sentiong", the ticket only 3000 Rupiah.Got a idea of local bus travel by common Jakartians, the bus jam packed with commuters.It was a short bus journey and at approx 0815hrs  reached "Keranat Sentiong" .Alighted the bus and walked a short distance towards the main "Transjakarta bus stop" of "Keranat Sentiong". Luck favoured me as i came across a young local audit executive Mr Budi.Susanto who happened to speak English and hence explained and  guided me on the jig-saw route to Ragunan zoo .The travel included   two bus terminal changes,akin to train route changes, something i experienced for the first time in my life.The bus was crowded with office commuters  and it was a experience travelling in a crowded bus in a foreign country at peak hours, something i haven't done in years in my own home city of Mumbai! On reaching "Matraman Bus Station" we had to change onto another bus for "Dukuh Atas 2" bus terminal.It was along  drive to "Dukuh Atas2" bus terminus and enroute got to view the 21st century skyscraper buildings of Jakarta.At approx 0900 hrs we arrived at "Dukuh Atas 2" bus terminus  and Mr Budi.Susanto guided me to the "Ragunan zoo bus shelter" while he departed onto his work agenda.There was a huge queue at the bus station reminding me of Mumbai local trains  and somehow made my entry into the bus.All these buses are air-conditioned and hence pleasant to travel in-spite of overcrowding. Experienced Jakarata's infamous traffic jams and thanks to the A/c bus didn't feel the discomfort of spending approx half an hour stuck in morning traffic!The bus finally moved and reached Ragunan zoo at approx 0945 hrs.The bus literally enters the zoo complex, the last terminus of this route.Entrance ticket to the zoo was 6000 Rupiah and with most sign indicators being in Indonesian i literally lost myself on entering this huge zoological park.Luckily there were direction signposts with the animals photo's and hence managed to guide myself inside the zoo.For the first time saw the "Sumatran tiger" ,kept in small circular moat enclosures.Certain sections of the zoo gave me the feeling of being alone in a forest as some parts were densely forested while the animals were kept in small moat cages.A small road inside the zoo premises allowed tourists to cycle while the zoo staff used mopeds for transport which explains the size of Ragunan zoo.was the only person in the zoo.Walking aimlessly following the 'Animal signposts"   came across  a monkey enclosure where numerous gibbons were kept in small cages.Ragunan zoo has been successful in breeding endangered species  and these gibbons must have been a result of captive breeding.Came across a excellent collection of Moluccan Cockatoo's and other beautiful parrots.My main interest was the Komodo dragon , gorilla and the Orangutans.Finally asking for directions managed to find the Komodo enclosure.Spotted a pair of Komodo dragons sleeping lazily in their enclosure.Suddenly i realised my passport  handbag was missing from my hand and i panicked thinking that this was the end of my longest tour.Then i remembered that i must have left it at the food stall  inside the zoo where i had purchased a bottle of mineral water. Luck saved the day and the restaurant owner did give my bag.Travelling solo has its handicaps for the simple reason that we all humans are absent-minded at times and do forget personal items. If travelling with a partner or a group then at least someone else can alert you about your luggage and personal belongings.After recovering from the shock had lunch at the same restaurant ,the local "Nasi Goreng" meal. After lunch made my way to the "Schmutzer Primate Centre" and on payment  of 6000 Rupiah entered the World of Gorilla's, This primate centre built in 2002 within the confines of Ragunan zoo is privately managed and the best secret of this zoo is its  collection of Orangutans,chimpanzee's  and other local monkey species which are bred at this centre.On entering the "Schmutzer Primate Centre" complex it was akin to being translocated  into  a enclosed equatorial forest and not a enclosed zoo. Viewed the Gorilla having its lunch of fruits from a handshake distance.

The Orangutan enclosure  had glass viewing enclosures and bizarrely  a Orangutan came to me on seeing me watch her from the glass barricade. She literally wanted to be with me and i was amazed at its intelligence.My weird half bald looks must have attracted her  and she just sat next to me, the glass  pane separating us.Made a video of the same and also clicked a selfie with the Orangutan,just unbelievable.In 2007  had  photographed myself with the World's most famous Orangutan  late "Ah Meng" at the Singapore zoo. The Orangutan breeding programme seems successful as i did see a few young orangutans and also a mother and her baby.The "Primate Centre" makes a visit to the distant Ragunan zoo worth the time and effort.After finishing the "Primate Centre" tour headed to the exit  and at approx 1300 hrs  boarded the "Ragunan -Monas"  bus, the ticket costing 3500 Rupiah.It was a long ride through beautiful clean and well paved roads.Suddenly  i recognized a familiar statue from the guide book and realized it was the "Welcome to Jakarta" statue of a man and a woman.Alighted  the bus at this terminus in "Bundaran Hl also called "Hotel Indonesia circle"the heart of Central Jakarta, the main business and tourist district of the city.Jakarta's roads are spotlessly clean and this particular area defined modern 21st century Jakarta.Made my way into the "Grand Plaza Indonesia" , the pride of Jakarta and was spellbound on entering a World of elite luxury and living. I am no stranger to shopping malls both national and International but should say that "Grand Plaza Indonesia" was something different, both in luxury and ambience.Enquired the price of watches and not surprised that the minimum price of a "Rolex" was approx Indian  Rs 3,00,000 and a "Patek Philippe" only Indian Rs 14,00,000! If you have the money then flaunt it.Exchanged  100 U.S dollars  to  Indonesian Rupiah @ 1 U.S $ =11,550 Rupiah in the money-changers bureau ,my only purchase in classic "Grand Plaza Indonesia"! Later made my entry into the plush "Hotel Indonesia Kempinski" from which "Hotel Indonesia Circle" got its name.  

"Hotel Indonesia Circle";- 21st century Jakarta.

                                                                                                                                                     Most  5-star hotels seem similar in their interiors and inquired the price of a single room which was only a modest 340 U.S $ /day.From the hotel made my way onto the plush street and sat on one of the benches on the side-walk watching the traffic pass along this beautiful "Hotel Indonesia circle "of modern Jakarta.Studying the tourist guide map gave me the impression that "Cikini Raya" road was close walking distance and hence decided to walk the tour.It was a long walk through the wealthiest locality of Jakarta and Indonesia,beautiful palatial bungalows on either side of a canopy of trees and heavy road traffic.Reminded me of Delhi's "Lutyens Locality" and definitely the wealthiest and most powerful of Indonesia's elite lived on this long road leading to Cikini Raya.It was entirely  a straight long 45 minutes walk from "Hotel Indonesia Circle" to "Cikini Raya" and i didn't regret the walk as i got to understand Indonesian wealth and living standards of the elite moneyed class.I was relieved on arriving at "Surabaya street antiques"  realizing that i was on the right path and finally in Cikini Raya locality.Took a classic photograph of a equestrian antique, a jockey riding a horse with a cycle on his shoulder, bizarre imagination.Finally came back to my hostel and over a bintang beer began my computer blogs.Settled my hostel accounts and later had "Indonesian buffet dinner" at the now familiar restaurant "Ampera 2 Tak", as usual fish and rice costing a modest 25,000 Rupiah..After dinner came back to the hostel collected my luggage and decided to leave early for "Pasar Senen" train station as Jakarta traffic is a nightmare.Boarded the "17 Nos" mini bus just a few meters away from "Six Degrees" hostel.The bus fare was 3000 Rupiah, a pittance compared to the average 20,000/30,000 Rupiah charged by "Ojek drivers" besides running the risk of a road fatality or serious injury ! ? Reached the train station at approx 2030 hrs  and was confused about the "Ticketing Formalities" as the travel agent issued me a "E-Ticket"   which had to be converted into a "Train Ticket" at the station.The local help center employee guided me in getting my 'Train Ticket" a simple job of just punching the "Kode Booking Nos" into a public  computer used by passengers.As mentioned, "LANGUAGE" was the biggest hurdle , nothing else as local people were helpful.

Inside the plush A.c compartment train ""Senja Utama Solo"

           The train station was clean and well maintained  with cleanliness being a important aspect of Jakarta city.During my tour of the city i never came across beggars although poverty exists or absolutely filthy streets.The business locality  of downtown Jakarta with its skyscraper buildings  was on par with any First World city.Passengers were allowed entry into the station at approx 2100 hrs.The train"Senja Utama Solo" was on schedule and made my way into compartment 5 and seat nos 7B.At 2210 hrs the train departed and the chill A/c made me put on my sweater ! Didn't get sleep the entire night as the lights were onn,besides i rarely sleep on any journey, plane, train or bus.

Entry gate of the "KRATON" complex in Yogyakarta.

DAY 4 :- Thursday(14-8-2014):- A sleepless train journey and welcomed dawn with a cup of milk-less coffee, served in the train. I have become infamous for my absentmindedness and callous nature towards fear ,a absentminded adrenalin junkie. I forgot to ask the co-passengers to inform me on arrival at "Yogyakarta". Suddenly at a station i noticed a sign "Yogyakarta" as the train departed and all my senses came back to normal.First time in my life i had missed alighting at a train station.The passengers were helpful, especially the train stewardess and the train inspector who advised me to alight at the next station and board a return train.It was approx a one hour ride to "Klaten" station where i got down and purchased a 10,000 Rupiah ticket for "Yogyakarta" ! At approx 0730 hrs  the "Sriwedari Train",a local train from Solo to Yogyakarta arrived on the platform  and it was a relief to be on a train heading back  to Yogyakarta. Picked up a conversation with a young Indonesian Mr Surya.Hardjono who happened to speak English, a handicraft entrepreneur by profession.The train made a few stops inbetween and one of the stops was at "Yogyakarta airport", quite a distance from the main city station.  He explained me the basic layout of Yogyakarta and the train stations and honestly overshooting the train station was a blessing in disguise as i made a new acquaintance and got to understand and tour suburban Yogyakarta.

A Billionaires former residence , Classic "Yogyakarta Backpacker na Casa De Raffles".

On arrival at "Tugu station" in Yogyakarta headed to the exit and realized i had misplaced my hostel accommodation e-reservation. A tricycle rickshaw (Becak)driver cycled me to a hotel where thankfully the receptionist allowed me to use the Internet and hence i printed the "E-Reservation" and was also guided in the right direction to "Yogyakarta Backpacker na Casa De Raffles".The Becak(Cycle rickshaw)  is a popular mode of transport in Yogyakarta although a slow mode of transport.On arrival at the hostel a palatial  private bungalow style residence met the receptionist and confirmed my booking also paying the hostel fess in advance.

Breakfast at local "Rumah Makan Padang Murah" restaurant.

                                                               Paid the cycle-rickshaw 24,000 Rupiahs and heaved a sigh of relief at finally being in Yogyakarta after the hilarious real-life  drama."Yogakarta backpackers na Casa de Raffles" was  a large private  mansion converted into a hostel.Its one of the rare types of bungalows normally seen in film sets on television or owned by the ultra wealthy of society,A large organ  occupied the centre of the massive ground floor hall  and a basketball hoop  which was  not in use  was  installed in the Bungalow courtyard,the same space  used as the hostel laundry.The boundary walls of the Bungalow were as high as prison walls, total privacy for the owners .The receptionist was very obliging and allowed me to keep my luggage as "Check-in time" was 1300 hrs.Booked a guided trek tour to "Mt Merapi" for  Saturday(16-8-2014) and had a conversation with Mr Suparno a employee and the palatial mansion's care-taker who was very obliging and informative. Despite a sleepless night  decided to tour the  "KRATON", the residential palace of the Sultan of Yogyakarta.On my way to the Kraton stepped into a local Indonesian Buffet restaurant "Rumah Makan Padang Murah"and had a  egg/rice/fish curry for breakfast,the bill amounting to only 12,000 Rupiah! It was a long straight walk from the hostel towards Malioboro street and then a turn to the left into the "Kraton " complex.There are different  sections for tourists visiting the "Kraton" and each has a entrance fee.Entrance fee to the first complex was 7000 Rupiah and was greeted by a pair of bantam chickens kept in a cage.Walking further around the large palace complex came across more cages with beautiful large cockerels in each cage.I initially presumed that the Sultans patronized "Cockfighting",a privileged sport among the ruling classes.On  inquiry was surprised to know that these fowls were kept as a symbol of "Good Luck" by the Sultans, a traditional belief.These fowls were privileged to die of "Old Age"! The biggest obstacle was "Language" as most of the historical description was in Indonesian.As a self studied historian i felt sad at not being able to read or understand the literature and hope in future other languages are used besides Indonesian. Remember, its "Tourist Money" that helps in maintenance of most of the World's heritage as well as historical sites all over the World.Next  visited the other section of the "Kraton" on a entrance fee of 15,000 Rupiah and most tourists were foreigners, including me.

Music/Dance courtyard of the "Kraton".

                                                                        This section of the Kraton was very large and had a "Dance/music courtyard" in the centre where a classical Indonesian  musical recital was in progress.Got to understand the "Musical Darbar" of a Sultan.Visited  the different exhibits that gave a detailed account of the rulers but returned without understanding  much of what i viewed  as most of the description was in Indonesian.Call me a "Anglophobe" but there is no denying that the English language is the World's most popular as well as a"LINK LANGUAGE". Somewhere in some part of the World you will never get lost if you know English, yes, even in Indonesia ! English is also one reason that Indians are all over the World.The Indonesian stock market was one of the highest performing markets in Asia and visiting Jakarta and seeing the skyscrapers,roads  and elite residences convinced me of the economic miracle of Indonesia.I presume English is spoken amongst the elite educated class on a daily basis for business transactions.The walk back to the hostel was tiring, akin to torture, having not slept a wink in 24 hours.On arrival Mr Suparno allotted me my room, a spacious newly renovated A/c room, absolutely chill.Staying in this palatial bungalow  gave  me a feeling of being on a film set akin to "Big Boss" or "Big Brother"with all Caucasian co-hostelites, a la "Great Gatsby" experience.Had a bathe and a brief rest and later at approx 1500 hrs  walked leisurely  to Malioboro street.Malioboro street is the shopping street of Yogyakarta  and uniquely beautiful.Just strolled along the street  window-shopping  the various hawkers and stores,a evening siesta. Purchased a pair of "Beach shirts", batik style prints for which Indonesia is famous.Viewed some batik paintings by batik students.Made my way back to the hostel which is now full with backpacker tourists.This hostel was  more like a private ultra wealthy residence and beer was   served but without the non-stop informal music as in "Six Degrees hostel" in Jakarta.. As usual  made acquaintances with a fellow hostel guest , a  Italian professor Mr Andrea who lived near Venice.He had just completed his "PADI Open Water  " dive course in Bali and found it amazing.It was  all a young crowd and as usual i am the oldest in age and youngest at heart! Only hoped  my age defied the present physical hurdles that i intended   undergoing during my stay in Bali. Dinner was at a local street vendor and it was excellent barbeque duck and rice (25,000 Rupiah) with ice-cream(8 Rupiah) for dessert.Came back to the hostel and as usual went to bed.Seems the hostel was  undergoing renovation and hence i had a entire A/c room to myself.Must have been one of the first guests to live in this huge spacious bedroom.Switched off the A/c at night as it was too cold  and i prefer fan breeze to chill A/c, the ambient temp in Yogyakarta being pleasant. Woke up at 0300 hrs, my normal  partial insomnia habits following me!

The uphill walk to Borobudur temple complex.

DAY 5 :- Friday(15-8-2015) :- At dawn heard the Muezzin call for prayers over the loudspeaker at approximately 0430 hrs.I was awake as usual but other guests could be disturbed by early morning  call for prayers.At approximately 0500 hrs did my normal toilet routines and got ready for  a hectic day of  travel to Borobudur temple. Today Friday(15-8-2014) happened to be the Independence day of India .Prepared my own scrambled egg breakfast on the hostel kitchen table, a unique experience, classic bungalow mansion lifestyle for a short stay.After breakfast headed to the shuttle bus-stop a few minutes walking distance and was in the nick of time to board mini -shuttle  bus "Nos 2B".The bus was crowded and did manage to get a seat as also  the privilege of sightseeing Yogyakarta city thorough this journey. It was a long 45 minutes ride to "Jombor Bus Depot" and  luckily on arrival at the depot the mini "Yogyakarta-Brobudur" bus was at the depot awaiting passengers.Boarded the small rickety crowded bus, the ticket being 20,000 Rupiah.It was a long one hour journey and nearing Borobudur  it was a passage through  scenic rice fields  with mountains in the background.At approx 0900 hrs reached Borobudur bus stand and travelled the short distance to the temple complex entrance gate  on  a "Bekak(Cycle rickshaw)" costing 10,000 Rupiah.The car park was filled with tour buses and it was a long walk to the main tourist entrance gate.The entrance fee for locals is only 30,000 Rupiah while for foreigners it is 20U.S $ or 2,30,000 Rupiah ! Paid the princely sum of 2,30,000 Rupiah and made my way into the temple complex.Borobudur temple is located at an altitude of  265 meters( 869 ft) above sea level and has undergone two renovations, the first between 1907-1911 during Dutch Colonization and recently between 1973-1983 by the Indonesian Govt with assistance from  "U.N.E.S.C.O".The view of the temple while approaching it from the ground level was magnificent resembling a giant Stupa.

Sightseeing the "Borobudur Temple complex".

The temple has 5 levels  of terraces with with sculptors and engravings on the walls. Ultimately i was personally visiting a historic edifice studied in History books and that was  a humbling experience.During my sightseeing of the terraces i came across a Swiss national who styled his ears in bizarre tribal fashion.He had inserted a entire large bangle into his ear lobes, the first time i ever saw this style in a European.I asked him permission for a photograph which he declined and i respected his privacy .Wonder  how the media or entertainment Industry  hasn't featured him in advertisements  for he could  make a fortune by his bizarre "Ear Rings". He was posing for a photo being clicked by his lady companion. Will "Guiness book of World Records" or "Ripleys believe it or not" read this article ? So, besides seeing Borobudur temple complex i also happened to view  one of  the freakiest man of the 21st century.After finishing the temple tour made my way to the museum whose path was lined with tourist hawkers selling souvenirs.On entering the temple complex   was surprised to see the bust of Dr Rabindranath.Tagore  installed near the museum entrance,the only statue in the entire  museum  complex.The museum had English language subtitles and hence i refreshed my school history lessons and also got to understand Buddhism a little better .There were two cages near the museum with chickens as a sign of good luck.These were the luckiest chickens on Planet Earth.From the museum made my way to the exit and boarded a horse tonga for the short journey to the bus stop.There were a few cheap food-stalls near the bus stand and i decided to taste the famous local dish of Yogyakarta called  "Nasi Gudeng(8000 Rupiah)". Its a sweetish dish since the main ingredient is "Jackfruit",something totally different in the normal rice/curry meal.Boarded the minibus at approximately 1200 hrs and headed back to "Jombor Bus depot".The bus was empty as it was odd travel  hours and hence had a peaceful journey on one of the most rickety buses travelled in my life.At "Jumbor bus depot" caught the connecting  "Nos 2A" shuttle bus, excellently maintained A/c minibuses.These buses are  the same format  as in Jakarta only difference being that these buses were small and didn't have special roadway paths as in Jakarta. Alighted the bus at the "Kraton " bus stage and decided to explore the Kraton heritage enclave.Inside the Kraton enclave came across a coconut seller and drank the largest coconut of my life outside the "Seychelles coconut" ! Yogyakarta coconut water was definitely one of the sweetest, on par with the famous Sri Lanka coconuts but much larger in size, besides having ample kernel as a side-dish.After filling my stomache with coconut juice and kernel made my way towards "Taman Sari" popularly known as "Taman Sari water castle". It was formerly the Royal gardens of the Sultan of Yogyakarta built in the 18th century.Today only the central bathing area is preserved while rest of the land has been occupied by Kampung Tamang settlement. The entrance charges were 12,000 Rupiah and the bathing area resembled a swimming pool with a fountain and "Naga statues" on the entrance gate walls.Sadly, the walls of  the tower inside the "Bathing Complex" from which the Sultan observed the bathing women is filled with "Graffiti", a few of them very pornographic.

View of "TAMAN SARI" from Watch-tower

From "Taman Sari" just lazily strolled inside the Kraton complex, a beautiful settlement within a city.Visited the market which was closed during off hours and found it clean.A lady was selling barbecued  "Chicken necks",the entire head and neck of the chicken roasted , a local delicacy.I thought of the beautiful  lucky chickens in the luxurious cages inside the Kraton and in Borobudur.The words of the novel "Animal farm" rang into my mind,"Yes, some animals are more equal".Along the street came across a few pet shops, one selling exotic birds and the other fish  and hamsters.A few of the birds sold  could be on the endangered list as they were too beautiful and unique, a bird-watchers fantasy in a cage.Later entered a ice-cream shop and had one of the largest ice-creams in my life."Ice-Cream Kombinasi" was served to me in a large tumbler and was delicious and  cheap costing just 9000 Rupiahs. My advice to anyone visiting Yogyakarta is to not leave the city without tasting ice-cream at "Siomay Kang Ujang" restaurant situated in Kraton enclave.After the lavish ice-cream walked to my hostel and relaxed on the computer,sitting after walking miles the entire day! A young lady played the hostel organ and the music was soothing although nothing compared to the constant radio at home in Mumbai or the non-stop music at "Six Degrees" in Jakarta.Music makes my World and is as important as food to  me The owners of this palatial mansion are Indonesian  Chinese Catholics   who have close links with the Sultan's family with photo's of  the Sultan of Yogyakarta  and golf club members adorning  the wall and house decor.The house also has  religious photos of Jesus Christ and Jerusalem and a guest gets the feeling of living in a palatial home rather than a hotel or hostel.In Jakarta i was living in a A/c mixed dormitory and now here in Yogyakarta it was a A/c single room in a palatial mansion.Life and travel is unpredictable and entertaining and the famous travel quote is "Enjoy the journey rather than the destination" !Later in the evening went to "Indomaret" stores, a short  walking distance from the hostel to book my train ticket to Probolingo. The  train tickets to Probolingo were  house-full  and didn't want to pay a astronomical amount for "Executive class" which is almost equivalent to plane fare.Booked a "economy class" ticket costing 1,85,000 Rupiah  to Malang on "Malioboro Ekspres" departing  Yogyakarta at 2015 hrs on Sunday(17-8-2014). Remember to book train tickets in advance as at times it can be full.Returned back to the hostel satisfied at being my own tour boss !Thats the adventure in "Solo tours or backpacking"..After a pint of "Bintang beer" in the palatial mansion went out for dinner and discovered a classic fish restaurant just opposite "Yogyakarta backpacker mansion".Dinner was "Fish curry /rice" costing 21,000 Rupiah, one of the best i have eaten, simple and fresh. Next time you are in Yogyakarta then try the fish menu at "Gule Kepala Ikan" at Ahmad Dahlan street and this is a recommendation from a hardcore fish connoisseur.Dinner was followed by a dessert consisting of sweet doughnut,excellent stuff from "Delicia" just a few shops away from "Gule Kepala Ikan".Hope my gain in weight doesn't effect my trekking performance as Mt Merapi is no ordinary hill climb!

In "Gembira Loka Zoo" in Yogyakarta with Orangutan "Desi".

DEAY 6 :- Saturday(16-8-2014) :-  Woke up at approx 0400 hrs and later at 0430 hrs  heard the Muezzin call for prayers over the loudspeaker.As usual a light sleeper and after  my normal toilet routines  planned the days tour agenda.Thats the thrill and dangers of "Solo Backpacking" as everything is instantaneous and adjustable according to circumstances and situations.Thanks to Mr Suparno i at least got the sightseeing addressees  and buses right despite facing a severe language barricade.Strangely, i observed that Indonesian women are better at speaking "English language" than their male counterparts and it was mostly women who guided me in the right directions , both in Jakarta as well as Yogyakarta!The entire hostel crowd are Europeans ,a Chinese lady and myself the only coloureds  besides the local Indonesian hostel staff.Today at the self-help breakfast table came across a group of young men from Italy.I decided to  visit the "Gembira Loka " zoo and after the normal breakfast routine headed towards shuttle bus stop.Asked for directions with the "Shuttle bus" ticket issuer and she guided me to take the "3A" shuttle bus and alight at "SP Pujo" stop for a transit by another shuttle bus "No 2A" to Gambira Loka stop.Public transport is a fraction of the cost compared to travel by "Ojeks", "Bekaks" or "Taxi's" and the fare amounted to just 3000 Rupiahs.At approx 0845 hrs reached "Gembira Loka zoo" being one of the first visitors in the morning,paying a entrance fee of 25,000 Rupiah..This zoo was more simplified and luckily on entering i inquired directions with a staff member who spoke English.He briefly explained me the zoo layout and it was simple following the directions, besides, many signs and animal/bird/reptile descriptions were in English unlike the Ragunan zoo in Jakarta.There was a long  lake in which a restaurant in the shape of a boat was installed with the animals, birds and reptiles  enclosures situated on the extreme ends of either side of this lake. Hence unlike Ragunan zoo a tourist could not get lost or miss exhibits if not understanding Indonesian language.As it was early morning and feeding time the individual animal handlers were busy cleaning the cages and feeding the animals.Came across a lone giant Chimpanzee, a real masculine male who was surveying his moat enclosure and realized the reasons late Michael.Jackson had to give up "Bubbles" as he became uncontrollable with age.This chimpanzee's "Body language" displayed total aggressiveness and god help another monkey or chimp who strayed into his domain ! Later viewed the tigers, well fed but pathetic in their small enclosures.My next  visit was to the "Snake and amphibian enclosure".

"FATAL ATTRACTION" ? The lethal  beautiful "Gabon viper"

                                            The small glass enclosures were well maintained and saw a variety of frog species as well as snakes, some for the first time in my life.Saw the "Gabon viper" , the snake with the longest fangs whose name itself strikes fear in its native habitat in Africa.Realized the reason for its notoriety.It is  beautiful and too camouflaged to spot even in a small glass enclosure and hence imagine accidentally stepping on it in a forest.Saw one of the largest captive pythons and imagined getting a hug from it!The zoo was neat and well maintained.Saw a snake handler remove a pit viper from its enclosure,dip it in water and later putting it back in its snake tank.Viewed snakes that had shed their skins, the dead skin bizarrely resembling a live snake. A few meters from the snake enclosure was the reptile that Indonesia is synonymous with, the giant Komodo lizard.There were two enclosures having a pair of Komodo lizards in each, the Komodo lizards in the first enclosure being a distance away.As i walked towards the second enclosure was spellbound  to see   a massive Komodo lizard stared at me from just 2 to 3 feet away , the see-through glass barricade separating us. I went hyper-active  seeing this reptile from a handshaking distance and behaved like a child  in glee , busy photographing as well as videotaping it.Suddenly in my haste the camera slipped from my hand and fell into the Komodo's enclosure a feet away from him.Luckily he didn't grab it nor did the camera break.

The massive Komodo dragon from just 2 feet away.

                              Ran helter skelter to search for a stick or rod to pick up the camera from the enclosure.

Luckily  spotted a zoo employee working in another enclosure and  with the help of a couple   managed to  request  the zoo-keeper  to remove the camera which i presumed he would do with the help of a long stick or rod.To my amazement he casually jumped into the enclosure and coolly picked up the camera and handed it to me.The Komodo dragon could have lunged at him in a minute but it just ignored him proving the fact that all zoo animals get accustomed to humans and are similar to domesticated pets in behaviour.Spent maximum time just admiring this giant of a reptile, and also watched it walk clumsily and wondered how it caught its prey in the wild.Study says that its bite saliva  poisons its prey but the way this giant of a lizard moved i doubt it could catch a tortoise let alone a buffalo or deer as endlessly shown in National Geographic films.Since this Komodo got its food without hunting it must have become lazy and was definitely  overweight.The zoo had a walk- in-aviary  with numerous parrots flying all around, beautiful.The main bird exhibit of the zoo were the "Jackass Penguins" of South Africa.Got to view the Tapirs, both Asian and South American as well as the Kapibara.The zoo had a small amphitheater and a animal show was to be held at 1100 hrs.At exactly 1100 hrs the show began and i was amazed at the tricks performed by the animal artists as well as the trainers who handled and trained them.The performers were Cockatoo's,lovebirds, parrots,otters, a sun bear  and the finale was a photo shoot with "Desi", the female Orangutan.My last photo-shoot was in 2007 at the Singapore zoo with the World famous Orangutan late "Ah Meng" and bizarrely in 2014 it was another female orangutan "Desi" with whom i got photographed.Seems Orangutans and myself have a strange telepathy!After the photo-shoot made my way to the exit and towards the "Shuttle bus-stop".The bus ticket vendor told me to catch a "2B" bus to Museum Perjuangan  and later another bus to "S.D.Pujo".As guided i boarded the "2B" bus  which stopped mid-way and later caught the same bus nos and alighted at Malioboro station. The "Shuttle bus" ticket collectors speak English and are very helpful and most of them are women. At Malioboro street came across a well maintained  Catholic church which also had a school in its premises.Later changed some dollar currency into Indonesian Rupiah,the rate being 1 U.S $ = 11,500 Rupiah approximately making my dollar buy rate back home in India to a whooping Rs 66/dollar.Lunch was barbequed pigeon/rice(20,000 Rupiah), typical Yogyakarta street food with iced coconut juice as a drink.A entire pigeon is roasted which resembles a small chicken.

Entrance to "Museum Benteng Vredeburg"

                                                                 My next sightseeing was the "Museum Benteng Vredeburg"on Malioboro street , a historic fort converted into a museum.Entrance to the museum was 1000 Rupiah and it had 4 different sections that depicted and explained the "Freedom Struggle" of Indonesia against its main  colonizers the Dutch and later the Japanese.Barring the last fourth section the  rest of the three section had explanation in English and hence browsed through the literature on Indonesia's freedom struggle.From the museum walked back to the hostel.Refreshed myself and later in the evening had a usual pint of  "Bintang beer(25,000 Rupiah)".Checked myself in the Mansions gymnasium scales and glad to note that i was still 78 Kgs although eating  like a glutton. My daily walks of Marathon kilometers was digesting my food and toning down the fat  akin to the swimming fitness regime back home in Mumbai.Dinner was "Fish curry /rice" at the across the street restaurant  "Gule Kepala Ikan Bank" .Having tasted local fish cuisine in Jakarta and Yogyakarta should say that Indonesian restaurants serve the best fresh fish,definitely not frozen fish products.
After dinner prepared my kit for the ultimate adrenalin junkie experience, the  "Mt Merapi trek".

  Mr Pitot.Merapi and myself on "PASAR BUBRAH(2675 meters or 8776 feet!) plateau  of Mt Merapi(Fire Mountain).My highest trek in my life.

DAY 7 :- "Mt Merapi Trek(Saturday16-Sunday 17-8-2014) :- At approx 2210 hrs the tour bus collected me from the hostel.Three young Indonesian teenager girls were on the tour,students studying "Tourism Management". After collecting me the van drove to "Eddoo backpackers hostel" and collected 4 young male Caucasian backpackers. It was  a long two hour drive to Selo village, the base camp for trekking to Mount Merapi.Finally reached Selo after midnight,the chill cold weather  numbing my senses unlike the pleasant climate of Yogyakarta and Jakarta.On arrival we were provided tea at the base-camp restaurant which had decorative Red Indian art  and  told to fill forms disclosing, name, nationality and passport.A fee of 25,000 Rupiah was collected as trekking fees.Mt Merapi(Fire Mountain)  is to Indonesia what Mt Everest is to Nepal, a venerated volcano mountain that is feared as well as worshiped in Indonesia .Mt Merapi is 2930 meters(9,610 feet) in height, the tallest mountain i would be attempting to trek in my short hobby entertainment of "Mountain trekking" post retirement from sea-employment.

Our "Package tour" trek group in Selo village .I was the "Big Uncle" of the group!

                                                                                                      At approx 0100 hrs two guides accompanied us and the trek began with torches in hand.Sunday(17-8-2014) was the Independence day of Indonesia and hence Selo was crowded with young adventurers wanting to celebrate their Nations Independence day on Mt Merapi. Initially it was a long and steep climb up a paved road, the path resembling a grand get-together of youth with motorcycles  waving  Indonesian flags.Even though i had worn a shirt, sweater, windcheater and hand gloves  realized that i had underestimated the Mt Merapi cold weather.As we began our ascent the chill increased and so also the torturous path.My co-tourists literally ran up the trek, age being the decisive factor.My guide Mr Pitot.Mrapi realized that i was the laggard of the group and stayed with me throughout the trek.We came across many hiker tents on the way to the summit, the ultimate trekker junkies.As we  entered the higher reaches of the mountain the path became littered with pebbles and later just stones,a result of the volcano ash residue, not difficult to climb but a disaster in waiting while descending from the mountain. After a long sleepless night of trekking at  approx 0500 hrs somehow managed to reach "PASAR BUBRAH plateau(2675 meters or 8776 feet!)"  plateau, at a much lower elevation than the peak  which is at  2930 meters(9,610 feet) .  Entire "Pasar Bubrah" plateau was filled with hikers and portable tent camps.The view of Mt Merbabu  floating in the mist is a sight worth travelling miles to observe as also the first rays of sunlight emerging in the horizon. The cold and the tiredness of the climb were the only drawbacks of the view from the World's most active Volcano crater.Didn't observe any volcano fumes emerging from the crater of the larger twin peak and it seemed a ordinary unassuming mountain and understood the proverb "STILL WATERS RUN DEEP" .

 "Pasar Bubrah(2675 mtrs)" plateau Mt Merapi with campers 

                                                                                                                                                   When would this active Volcano next explode leaving a mass of destruction in its path  or was i witnessing the end of the volcanic spasms of Mt Merapi(Mountain of fire) in August 2014 ? No wonder this mountain is venerated and worshipped by the local population of Selo village.The entire area on the summit of the smaller twin peak plateau was packed with trekkers celebrating  Independence day on Mt Merapi.After the normal photograph routine decided to make my way down and guide Pitot.Mrapi accompanied me.A few local hikers found me interesting and took photographs of me with them,total strangers from another nation.The descent was a nightmare and i lost count of the number of times i slipped on the pebbles falling on my back-side or side, my athletic prowess and fitness saving me from fractures or dislocations.Guide Pitot.Mrapi offered me some biscuits from his haversack and i envied his fitness despite being a "Chain smoker",his youth and terrain familiarity being to  his advantage.As we descended the weather became hot and i had to discard all my warm clothing finally clad in just a ordinary T-shirt ! .The  falls and recoveries of mine while descending Mt Merapi could definitely  be a claimant for a "Guinness book of World records".This trek of Merapi will be the last trek of my life and also the most memorable for the simple reason that it was a miraculous day for me.Trekking will never again be  on my  list of  "Adrenalin Junkie" activities.Finally reached the base of the paved road at approximately 0930 hrs  and boarded a "Ojek ride" to the trek base restaurant.The locals of Selo were hosting a procession on the street blocking the traffic.

Independence day carnival in Selo village.

                                                                                                                                                 It was tribal celebration of Indonesian Independence day.The local villagers of Selo worship Mt Merapi and it has played a important part in their social structure, religion and way of life.We were offered a breakfast consisting of "Banana pancakes" along with milk-less tea.Finally at approx 1000 hrs the procession ended and traffic was cleared.Our van began its journey to Yogyakarta  through scenic field mostly comprising of tobacco plantations.Halfway in-between a desolate road  our vehicle suffered a tyre puncture.We wasted approximately 2 hours in the car waiting for the driver to replace the flat tyre in which he failed miserably.I decided to seek my own transport as i had to board the train to Malang in the evening.Was  lucky to get a "Ojek" and at a fee of 1,00,000 Rupiah he agreed to take me to Yogyakarta.Taxi's, "bekaks" and "Ojeks" are expensive in Jawa compared to the cheap and efficient "Shuttle Bus service".It was a long one hour ride but pleasant with less traffic on the broad well maintained roads.Finally reached "Yogyakarta Backpackers hostel" at approx 1400 hrs and after a bathe checked out my luggage and kept it in the hostel waiting room.I was famished after the trek having not eaten a solid meal since yesterday and after a pint of beer made my way to the regular restaurant "Gule Kepala Ikan bank" for my last fish curry rice in Yogyakarta..

"Yogyaklarta Train station".

                   After lunch came back to the hostel and decided to leave early for the train station.Hostel Care-taker Mr Soparno agreed to taxi me to the station on his motorcycle.After a sad goodbye to "Yogyakarta hostel mansion" we rode to the train station and as usual i was early at approx 1800 hrs.Confirmed my "E-Ticket" at the ticket counter having become a seasoned Indonesian train traveller.The train station was spick and span, absolutely clean and well maintained.  "Malioboro Ekspres/100" was punctual , arriving on the platform at 2015 hrs.Made my way into "Ekonomy-1" coach and onto seat 16A, a comfortable a/c coach.

At "Mt Bromo". Notice the  Sulphuric volcanic fumes emitted from the Volcano crater.

DAY 8 :- Monday(18-8-2014) :-  Arrived at Malang Train station at 0400 hrs in the morning. It was cold on alighting  the train and Malang was a small station with a waiting room outside the station entrance.On inquiries was guided to catch a "Shuttle van" from the station  to "Argosari bus terminus" and from there the bus to the ultimate destination "Probolinggo". At approx 0515 hrs was lucky to get a shuttle  van outside the station and on payment of  5000 Rupiah and a half hour drive was dropped at  "Argosari bus terminus". At approximately 0600 hrs boarded the bus to Probolinggo, a long two hour journey by road.On arrival at Probolinggo bus depot at approx 0800 hrs  approached a shuttle van for transport to "Cemoro Lawang", the base village for viewing  Mt Bromo , Mount Batok and its vicinity.

"Budi Homestay Wisma Yog", my one night accommodation.

                                                                                                 The Shuttle van drivers wait for a full passenger capacity  and a group of French tourists had arrived at the same time as me.The French tourists decided to hire the entire van and asked me if i agreed to share the increased fare rate which amounted to 80,000 Rupiah/person."Penny wise, pound foolish" is a proverb i learnt from my late mothers foolish  stinginess and reasons of me becoming a writer/blogger as i had a pittance of "Pocket-money" in my youth .Libraries were  my solace for entertainment in my youth, besides "Free sport activities"! In hindsight i thank my mother for indirectly enlightening my writing passion.Agreed with them as it was better reaching early than wasting time for arrival of more passengers with a saving of only a few thousand Rupiahs.At approx 0830 the van left Probolinggo and made its way to the hill-station of Cemoro Lawang situated at a elevation of 2,217 meters.It was a total uphill drive and it got colder as we gained altitude.Finally at approx 0930 hrs reached the small village of Cemoro Lawang.On alighting the van approached the nearest homestay and got accommodation in "Budi Homestay Wisma Yog" in a tiny room on payment of 1,25,000 Rupiah.This was a small bungalow  type lodging as were the few others in the vicinity, very conveniently located and having "Hot water" facilities, a luxury in the freezing cold weather.Adjusted to my small chill room, a slum  in comparison  to palatial "Yogyakarta hostel mansion".

"Ojek Ride" through "Sea of Sand" to Mount Bromo.

                        This is the thrill and adventure of  "Solo-backpacking", a chance to experience the good, bad and the ugly in accommodation and travel.Had a steaming hot water bath in the common bathroom.On arrival i was the only tourist in this homestay as most of the "Group package tours" arrive in the evening or at night.After bathe  had lunch of "Nasi Goreng"at  "Warung Tende" a small restaurant on the road  opposite  of Budi homestay.After lunch decided to immediately visit  Mt Bromo volcano and walked downhill from the homestay towards the park entrance gate.I had worn a sweater and a coat just to keep myself warm and not as a fashion statement.Entrance fees to the "Bromo-Tengger-Semeru" national park for foreigners  was  hiked to 2,20,000 Rupiah in 2014  but is charged only on the early morning "Sunrise tours" for tourists visiting Mt Pananjakan Viewpoint(2700 meters).

Tenggerese pony  owners at Mt Bromo.

                                                                                      I was allowed free entrance into the National park  and on entering the gate was approached by "Ojek riders" for a tour to Mt Bromo(2392 meters) across the famous "Sea of Sand". Struck a bargain with a ojek rider for 70,000 Rupiah and began the adventurous pillion ride without a helmet.It was akin to riding on a soft sand beach or the Thar desert in Rajasthan , absolutely slippery with the motorcycle tyres sinking deeply in the volcanic ash sand.Mt Batok(2400 meters)  resembles a twin of Mt Bromo, identical in height but a distance away.Stopped at the "Pura Luhur Poten" Hindu temple sitting solitary in the midst of the sea of sand.

Final "Pony Ride" towards the steps of Mount Bromo.

Flight of 250 steps to the summit of Mount Bromo.

The temple gates were closed to tourists and this temple holds great significance to the local Tenggerese people .They perform religious rituals at this temple  during the annual Yadnya Kasada festival and offer sacrifices to the volcanic mountains by throwing offerings into the Caldera of the volcano. After a brief stop at the temple gates we proceeded to Mt Bromo.The motorcycle has limited access to Mount Bromo and the rest of the journey has to be either on foot or pony's .Decided to take a pony ride to the steps as the Mt Merapi trek had sapped my energy, besides, i had a long tour ahead.Hired a pony at 25,000 Rupiah for a single ride to the base of the steps.On arriving at the foot of the mountain it was another tiring climb up a flight of  250 stairs to the summit of the Caldera.On reaching the summit was amazed at the sight of Sulphuric fumes emerging from the volcano, akin to smoke.This was the first time in my life that i had seen a live Volcano having studied the same in school and later through personal reading.My camera was inoperative at the wrong time and luckily the French tourists with whom i came were also at the same place.

                              Requested a lady to use my camera card on her camera and remove my photo for a memory bank.Years from now its only photographs that bring to life the adventures and travels of yesteryears and Mount Bromo was the most coveted tourist attraction in Indonesia.Visiting Mt Bromo and not having a picture taken is like visiting the "Taj Mahal" in India and returning without photographic memories.She obliged me and removed a few photo's of me standing in front of the volcano Caldera with volcanic fumes in the background.Thanking her and their group i made my way down the mountain steps and walked to the Ojek.The return ride  was straight out of a film stunt and got caught in a sandstorm "Tornado".Later a ojek rider ahead of us slipping in the sand and having a fall, the soft sand cushioning the fall and injuries.This route is normally travelled by "Jeeps" or 4-wheeler cars with only daredevil economy budget backpackers taking the dangerous "Ojek ride".Still better is walking through the sea of sand if fresh and fit.Returned back to the homestay at approx 1230 hrs.Kept my camera batteries for charging and hoped that the camera wouldn't ruin my holidays.As a blogger i always express my writings through photographs and as they say, "A picture speaks a thousand words".Decided to rest in my tiny cold room as i had not slept the entire night during the train journey.At 1500 hrs a package tour group checked into the vacant rooms and suddenly the small homestay was house-full.Cemoro Lawang is a small village with a single narrow road being the only access to this tourist hill-station of East Java.Took a stroll down the street heading downhill from my homestay and came across some beautiful cottage bungalows.Tobacco cultivation was one of the main crops on the hill sides in Cemoro Lawang village.Indonesia was the only Country  advertising and encouraging "Cigarette smoking" among the Country's that i visited in the 21st century .All over the World including films its now become fashionable to blame "Cigarette Smoking" as the death sentence  while numerous other equally hazardous vices are accepted by society . My personal philosophy on vices is ,quote,"Every human has his or her poison and to some it could be smoking, to others drinking and to a majority "Over-eating junk food "!

"Cigarette Advertisement"  in front of classic "Cemara Indah resort".

                                  Later went uphill from "Budi Homestay" and just two home stays away came across the classic "Cemara Indah" resort which commanded a magnificent view of the "Sea of sand" and the surrounding volcanic mountains.This resort was situated at the end of Cemoro Lawang hill and had a number of tourist cottages on its estate.A huge cigarette smoking advertised welcomed visitors to this posh and expensive resort, something unbelievable in another country in the 21st century.Strolling aimlessly across the hill i came across a Ojek rider Mr Johnny, definitely a alias as its convenient to be Johnny while dealing with Western tourists who are more familiar with Western names.At a fee of 50,000 Rupiah he agreed to take me for a early morning "Sunrise" trek to  "Seruni View Point" , the second best free viewpoint  situated on Mount Pananjakan.Tourists from all over the World flock to Cemoro Lawang to witness the "Sunrise" over Mt Bromo from  Mt Pananjakan viewpoint  and later drive through the "Sea of Sand" to personally visit the Mt Bromo at a exorbitant entrance fee of 2,20,000 Rupiahs which does  not include  the "Package tour charges".Backpackers and budget savvy tourists normally trek to the second highest point on Mt Panajakan which is "Seruni Point" accessible from Cemoro Lawang by road.Dinner was "Mixed Nusi rice" along with banana's.After dinner went back to my tiny chilled room and was thrilled to find my camera working  with the recharged batteries.Spent a sleepless night due to the near freezing cold.

Sunrise over the "Bromo-Tengger-Semeru" national park.

"SERUNI POINT" Viewpoint.

DAY 9 :-Tuesday(19-8-2014) :- Was awake the entire morning and at 0330 hrs got ready to be picked up by ojek driver Mr Johnny for the "Sunrise Trek" to "Seruni Point". At approx 0400 hrs Mr Johnny came over to my homestay and i rode pillion in the pitch dark near freezing cold night.It was a long ride through one of the worst roads in my life and that too without a safety helmet.

Ojek driver "Johnny" & myself back from a  "Hells Angels ride" !

                            We finally reached the  base of a small hill from where a person had to walk  or either take a pony ride.I walked up huge broad stairs to "Seruni Point", my decades of sports training fitness and experience helping me in this trek."Seruni Point" was partially filled with young tourists and i took a good view-point being the early bird.As the minutes passed the crowd increased and finally the gradual view of the sun's rays over the landscape made the money and effort worthwhile.

                                                                                                                As the Sun  rose completely over the volcanic landscape got to view the smouldering volcanic smoke emitting from Mt Semeru((3676 Meters), the highest mountain in the range.finally at approx 0600 hrs made my way downhill from "Seruni Point" to the "Pony/Ojek  stand". Ojek driver Mr Johnny was punctual and on arrival at the base  we made our way back through one of the worst road i have encountered in my life.Since i was uninsured hoped my finances wouldn't be dented by a hospitalization in a foreign country if we had a fall.It was a wonderful experience  watching the "Sunrise" over  "Bromo-Tengger-Semeru"national park as also the dare-devil pillion  motorcycle ride .On arrival at the homestay had a hot water bathe, the only luxury in this accommodation.Breakfast was "Banana pancake/Tea" and my stomache started showing signs of a upset.Packed my luggage and prepared for departure to Probolinggo.

Backpackers nomadic travel style. Return  trip back to Probolinggo.

                                                                                                                                        Left the homestay at 0830 hrs and walked downhill to the common taxi stand.Most of the tourists arrive and depart on "Package tour vans", one of the most popular tourist sites in Indonesia.At the taxi stand met the same "French tourist backpackers" along with some other backpackers,bizarre co-incidence of strangers.We all packed into a van, a total of 18 backpackers at a nominal rate of 30,000 Rupiah.At approx 1015 hrs reached Probolinggo where the van stopped at a tourist ticketing office,the last stop.We  alighted the van.On inquiries at "Mitra Travel office" i was told that it would be preferable to hire a private taxi rather than a public bus as the journey was tedious with the ultimate destination being "Post Paltuding"..Agreed to hire a shared private taxi at the princely sum of 2,00,000 Rupiahs.At approx 1045 hrs taxi driver Mr Prade collected me from the tourist office and a little further ahead a Spanish couple boarded the "Suzuki taxi".Just four of us in a private car including the driver,myself in the front seat, the spanish couple behind.Enroute stopped at a post office bank to exchange my currency and realized that "Currency Exchange" was a big racket in price manipulation.At 1230 hrs we stopped for lunch at "Rumah Makam Setia " restaurant in Besuki district.I had a "Fried rice/coke" costing 40,000 Rupiah, astronomical for the quality of the food.After lunch we began our onward journey and it was a drive through scenic countryside consisting of tobacco and rice fields.Later as we drove  up the altitude gradient, the roads transformed into  horrible crater mines , definitely not for weak-hearted "Ojek pillion riders".

"Paltuding Trekking camp office".

                                                                                                           The surrounding vegetation was "Arabica Coffee", the first time i saw this particular type of coffee plants.The Spanish couple were dropped at  the  plush "Catimor Homestay" resort in Blawan district of Bondowoso  from where they would be taken to "Kawah Ijen" by a private guide,the ultimate in luxury travel.This resort was a former Dutch coffee plantation and two coffee factories offering guided tours are in the hotels vicinity in Blawan.As for  for me it was another long drive  through "Robusta coffee " plantations finally reaching "Paltuding" at approx 1700 hrs.I was under the impression that Paltuding was a economy  resort for tourists trekking to Kawah Ijen but on reaching Paltuding realized it was a small transit camp having just a few cottage lodges and a huge parking lot.Rooms in these few cottages were rented for the night. On enquiry at the office  was told that the entire camp lodging  was full.I requested the reception manager Mr Rusdi  to allow me to spend the night in the reception room as the trek began at 0100 hrs and i had no place to stay.

Trekker Youth singing the cold night away.

                                                                               He agreed to the same and i left my luggage next to the reception sofa thankful that at least i was not told to seek accommodation elsewhere, a nightmare in the midst of a desolate forest.Strolled around the trekking camp, a large forested complex.There were two small canteens inside the complex and had some noodles for dinner, my stomache  digestive system posing severe problems.All the campers were young men in the peak of their youth.Came across a group of  young men playing musical instruments reminding me of my own youth excesses and joined them as a spectator.Indian actor.  Shahrukh.Khan was their favourite and they also sang a few lines from one of his movies.As the night gradually became chill cold made my way into the "Camp Office" and sat shivering on the sofa despite wearing a sweater and a coat.A young  couple were staying in a room inside the camp office and i watched them perform their "Namaaz" in a corner of the camp office, least bothered about my presence in the office.Later in the night a young group of  two men and a young woman joined me in the office,professional campers complete with a "Sleeping bag".Had a conversation with them and was surprised that they managed to fall asleep on the floor of the office, the lady in her sleeping bag.As for me,it was one of the worst nights of my life,shivering as well as visiting the toilet due to partial diarrhea.

TOUGHEST JOB IN THE WORLD:- A Ijen Kwah Worker. "B.B.C" projected the dangerous job of these workers.

DAY 10 :-Wednesday(20-8-2014) :- As the night progressed into midnight  the trekking crowd gradually swelled in numbers and at 0100 hrs Manager Rusdi arrived at the office and started issuing 'Entry Tickets" to trekkers for the "MIDNIGHT TREK".Kawah Ijen  is a active volcano with its highest point being 2,799 meters(9,183 ft) and  having last erupted in 2002.It is still active continuously spewing "SULPHUR" from one edge of the crater and the same is mined by the locals.The "Midnight Trek" was started after "National Geographic" portrayed the "Electric Blue Flame" of Ijen Kawah mines in its programmes with tourists becoming aware of this rare phenomenon.

The First signpost of the trek  indicating 2214Meters altitude.

                   It is the largest "Blue Flame" on Earth. and hence the rush to witness the same.Entry fee was 1,00,000 Rupiah/person and as i headed with my torch towards the entrance gate was approached by a few guides to which i refused as it was just a 3 Kms steep uphill walk on a single pathway towards  Kawah Ijen  mines.A elderly German couple along with their guide and myself were the first to inaugurate the "Midnight Trek"  of Wednesday (20-8-2014), myself following the group.I regularly jogged 2 Kms at the Mahalaxmi racecourse in Mumbai but trekking uphill  at a steep 17* incline is tough for people half my age , besides, my bowels were in excreting mode !The cold disappeared as i walked uphill and the same replaced by fatigue, the ultimate destination being 2400 meters to the lip of the Ijen Crater.Spotted a thick bamboo  walking stick at the side of the pathway and decided to use it as a support having had bad experience while descending Mt Merapi.At 0200 hrs after approx one hour of walking i came across the first signpost of the mines, a signpost on a tree indicating the altitude of the location.

Daily Sulphur cargo carried by the mine workers.

                                                                                          After a few minutes of walking came across "Sulphur Cargo slings" kept on boulders  on the side of the pathway.The weight of each of these cargo slings could be 90 kgs and every worker carted this heavy cargo to their ultimate destination, a total manual labour job. "B.B.C Television" did a documentary on the "Sulphur miners of Kawah Ijen" which brought World attention to this remote mine and later tourists. The path was not paved and riddled with stones , definitely not easy to climb especially with loads of 90 Kgs.The job of a Kawah Ijen sulphur worker was definitely a young man's job with retirement age being positively below 40 or 50 years of age, respiratory diseases being the main reasons, the worst being injury due to a fall. .At approx 0300 hrs i realized that i was close to the mines as the smell of Sulphur became stronger. Covered my face with a wet surgeons mask and trekked along the uneven path in the dark night. I was slow and many tourists had overtaken me.

"SELFIE" at the "Kawah Ijen" mine caldera

Back to base "Paltuding " after the trek to "Kawah Ijen".

                                                                                                                        This was my third altitude  trek in four days and i was testing my physical human limits to its zenith.Finally reached the caldera of the mine and was surprised at the depth of the mine with jagged uneven steps leading to the bottom.A Sulphur worker was selling "Sulphur Souvenirs" at the entrance to the mines and purchased a sulphur mould of a "Crab".Most tourists were busy getting down into the mine  and i decided to stay at the rim of the caldera and watch the "BLUE FLAME" from above.A worker pointed the fleeting "Blue Flame" that emerged from the side of the mine.It was chill, the temperature being around 2* C and the Sulphur  smoke was visible akin to Mount Bromo, only difference was the pungent Sulphuric acid odour.After spending a few minutes at the edge of the Caldera observing Sulphur workers and tourists decided to trek back to base.        

In "Ketapang Harbour" to board "Ferry" to "Gilimanuk" 

                                                                                                  It was a lonely walk back to the base and met a few Sulphur workers on the way as well as a queue of tourists heading towards the mine.  The "Walking Stick" saved me from a few falls in the dark night and finally reached "Paltuding Camp office" at approximately 0430 hrs.The car park was filled  with tourist vehicles and my next itinerary was to find transport to Ketapang harbour.Strolled around the complex and had breakfast at the canteen, a egg omelette.Had a conversation with the elderly German Couple  and was surprised to know that Mr Hans.Schellein was settled in Bali along with his wife. He had retired from employment in Germany and now spent his retirement settled in Bali and touring exotic locations of the World. I congratulated him  and his wife for accomplishing the trek at their age.He was a collector of modern Art and invited me to his house in Bali.Bid them goodbye and began my search for a hitch-hike or shared transport to Ketapang.Finally did manage to contact a private tour  driver who told me to wait upto 0700 hrs for his clients to arrive from their trek  and agreed to drop me at Ketapang for a fee of 1,00,000 Rupiah.It was a long wait  and finally the young British couple arrived and we proceeded towards Banyuwangi. Had a conversation with them and the lady was a accomplished scuba diver.I told them that my next agenda was "Scuba diving" in Talumben and they wished me good luck.After dropping the couple at their hotel the driver drove me to Ketapang harbour, a short distance away from the hotel.Purchased the ferry ticket, a pittance compared to the fortunes i spent on taxi's and trains in Jawa.

Passenger seating on the "Ketapang-Gilimanuk Ferry".

                                                                                                                       Sea travel is still one of the cheapest mode of transport all over the World.It was a "Ro/Ro Ferry" and a lot of time went into loading vehicles into the cargo hold deck.The passenger deck was spacious  with good cushion seats, a well maintained ferry service.At approx 0845 hrs the Ferry departed from Ketapang harbour and headed towards the port of Gilimanuk in Bali.A salesman entertained the crowd by advertising his wares to the passengers and it was a crawl of a sailing towards Bali. Finally reached Gilimanuk harbour at approx 0945 hrs, a total journey of one hour.Alighted the ferry and headed towards the exit of Gilimanuk harbour.In Bali the clocks are advanced by one hour compared to Java time.Asked directions for the bus-stop which was just outside the harbour entrance/exit gate.The shuttle buses were old and rickety .My destination was Pemuteran and on  inquiry was guided towards bus nos 29.The ticket fare was 40,000 Rupiah and it was a long drive through  dense  Mountainous forests on one side and the sea coast on the other side of the highway. The roads were absolutely clean and paved, the population sparse.On reaching Pemuteran walked along the main road searching for a economic homestay or hostel.Spotted a advertisement  of dormitory accommodation by "Arjuna Homestay" and walked towards the resort situated about 200 meters away from the main highway road.On entering the homestay was surprised at seeing a total French crowd, the resort being a branch of "Dive Concepts" and hence also conducted " Scuba Dive tourism" and  "Scuba Dive courses".At the reception i was told that there was a single dormitory accommodation only for a day and hence i altered my tour plan. Requested "Dive Concepts Pemuteran" to inform "Dive Concepts Tulamben" that i would advance  my dive course itinerary to Friday(22-8-2014) instead of Sunday(24-8-2014) .

"Proyak Penyu" Turtle conservation project set up in 1992.

                           The manager/owner of "Arjuna Homestay" spoke to  "Dive Concepts Tulamben"  over the phone  and confirmed my "Open Water Scuba  Course" schedule.It was sheer providence that i happened to step into "Arjuna homestay", a kind of telepathy. It was a beautiful resort on par with a 5-star hotel having a swimming pool and a large open-air garden with exotic Indian art decor.My original plan was to stay in Pemuteran for 2 to 3 days to study the "Turtle hatchery" and visit the "Atlas pearl Farm " to understand pearl cultivation.Akin to a tour manager i had to alter my plans and had only a day for sightseeing Pemuteran.After checking into my "Mixed dormitory" which had a lady diver tourist had a bathe and headed to the main highway road.Lunch was at "Warung Small" restaurant on the main road and consisted of "Shrimp/rice".Made inquiries with the restaurant owner about the "Turtle Hatchery" and "Atlas pearl farm".She told me that the "Atlas pearl farm" was about 10 kms from our place while the "Turtle Hatchery" was a few minutes away on the beach.Thanked my luck for making it to at least one planned sight-seeing in Pemuteran and headed to the beach in search of the "Turtle hatchery".

"Buddy" the ten year old "Hawksbill turtle" mascot of "Reef Seen".

 The beach was clean and lined with "Scuba dive Institutions" and hotels.The crowd on the beach was European of Caucasian descent, mostly French nationals.Inquired about the turtle hatchery and conservation center  and was directed to  the "REEF SEEN" divers resort, a plush hotel resort on Pemuteran beach front.The hotel was crowded with diver tourists , divers and dive equipment.On inquiry at the receptionist was told to pay a entry fee of 25,000 Rupiah to visit the "Proyek Penyu Turtle conservation center" situated inside this  plush resort complex.On payment of the fees i was guided by a young girl  to the turtle enclosure and was amazed at the sight of  different pond enclosures containing various baby turtles of different sizes.Turtles were kept in  shallow "Pond Enclosures" depending on their age .The "Proyak Penyu turtle hatchery project" was set up in "Reef Seen Resort" complex   in 1992 by Australian Mr Chris.Brown.

Turtle conservation  Statistic of 2014.

                                                                                              It  is a village based turtle conservation scheme where turtle eggs are purchased from local villagers and buried in the sand enclosure inside the turtle project complex.Previously approximately 30,000 turtles were slaughtered in Bali for their meat and their eggs sold in the market.On hatching the turtles are kept in shallow ponds and fed until strong enough to be released into the sea. A tally board indicating the census of turtles released  in 2014 from this conservation hatchery was on display.A huge tank akin to a small swimming pool  was the enclosure of "Buddy" , a hawksbill turtle that was as tame as a pet dog or cat.Every time he did a lap across the pool i petted his turtle shell but avoided petting his head aware of his sharp turtle beak.He could mistake my finger for a fish and take a bite !He was least afraid unlike tortoises or small turtles that withdraw their heads into their shell when frightened or touched by humans.The ticket was valid for a week and i could visit this turtle conservation centre at any given time.Feeding time of the turtles was at 1600 hrs  and hence decided to go back to my hotel and return back to the beach for a sea dip.

Feeding of baby turtles.

At approx 1500 hrs returned back to the beach and had a royal swim on the clean lonely beach.Came across two local men  who explained me  the social entertainment of Bali and were surprised on seeing a Indian tourist in Pemuteran.Pemuteran is strictly a "Tourist dive centre" and a favourite of Europeans ,most notably  the French.They were surprised at my fluency in English and doubted my Nationality mistaking me to be Spanish or Italian ! Explained to them that India was a massive sub-continent having various languages, cultures and religions within its geographical boundary.After the swim headed to "Reef Seen" resort as did other tourists."Reef Seen" resort and turtle conservation center was founded by Mr Chris.Brown a Australian who was also the pioneer of professional aqua diving in Pemuteran.The turtle feeding time was punctual and at exactly 1600 hrs a basket of small sardine fish arrived at the conservation enclosure.The care-taker dropped  a shoal of fish in each pond enclosure and the baby turtles rushed to feed on their natural delicacy.As for "Buddy", he was a eating machine swallowing  portions of fish fed to him akin to a pet dog.He didn't leave any fish waste in his pool unlike the baby turtles that had uneaten fish portions lying  at the bottom of their pool.This was the first time i observed turtle behaviour and was surprised at the docility of a hand reared turtle.In April 2014 i had been  for a turtle festival in the small village of Velas in India where tourists arrive in large numbers to observe the hatching and release of turtles into the Arabian sea .Read my blog to understand turtle conservation in India :- http://velasturtle.blogspot.in/ .From "Reef Seen" made my way to the main road and walked along the road discovering my surroundings.Pemuteran was a small village that profited from the tourist boom of aqua diving and hence had numerous "Dive resorts".

"ARJUNA HOMESTAY" viewed from the "Terrace garden".

                                                                I was lucky to get a dormitory room at classic "Arjuna Homestay" for 75,000 Rupiahs as the average prices were 2,00,000 Rupiahs for a single room.Dinner was a local Indonesian dish along with "bintang beer" besides the swimming pool of  "Arjuna Homestay" . I was the only "foreigner" among the total French tourists at this resort.Had a conversation with their  French dive Instructor sporting tattoo's and Rastafarian hairstyle.The  homestay had "Free Wi-fi" and a few tourists were busy on their lap-tops  and phones.Later met my dormitory room-mates, all French national on a scuba diving holiday.After almost three  days had a decent nights sleep and my tired body some rest.

"Dive Concepts,Tulamben":-  Did my "S.S.I Open Water Course" here. Underwater nature is to be seen to be appreciated and understood.

DAY 11 :-Thursday(21-8-2014) :- As usual woke up early and after the normal toilet routines stepped out of the resort complex. Typical village locale with cockerels crowing all over the place."Arjuna homestay" is situated in the midst of local village farmhouses, scenic countryside locale with 5-star luxury.

Pemuteran beach at dawn.(Sandy Beach)

                                                                                                                                                    Walked to the beach which was deserted and surveyed the resorts along the beach,All were  dive resorts indicating the popularity of diving in this small coastal village."Bali dive academy" seemed to be the largest beach resort on Pemuteran beach.From the beach resort i went to "REEF SEEN" turtle conservation  centre and observed the cleaning of the turtle pond enclosures.The baby turtles do not consume all the fish put into their pond and hence the left-overs have to be removed the next day .The water was drained from the pond enclosure and the dead uneaten fish removed physically by a worker. The empty pond was then again filled with sea water akin to cleaning a aquarium,Only Buddy's tank seemed clean as there was no left-over fish in his pond, After watching the turtle  tank cleaning headed towards the homestay and decided to explore the village situated in the interior of the homestay.The houses were typical farm house villages with cockerels crowing and dogs barking .Came across a few pigs tethered individually to a stake on the ground akin to chained pet dogs,Farm pigs are normally raised in small cramped pens or mass scale factory farms.this was the first time i observed pigs raised like dogs and surely they were not pets.Returned back to "Arjuna homestay" and at 0700 hrs had a lavish "buffet breakfast", typical continental.I was the only foreigner tourist among the entire local French tourists! It was luxury personified having a buffet breakfast  besides a swimming pool with a tourist also   swimming in the small dive pool.Straight out of the films.After breakfast  at approx 0915 hrs checked out of "Arjuna homestay" and headed to the main road to catch the "Shuttle bus" to Tulamben.Boarded the shuttle bus to Singaraja, the ticket  being 50,000 Rupiah and the journey through scenic coastal mountain passes and rice fields.Passed through Lovino, a major tourist town and at approximately 1130 hrs reached Singaraja city in the north of Bali.The name is Indonesian for "Lion King" and the city was the Dutch administrative centre in Bali  from 1849 to 1953.During World war-2 occupation the Japanese also used Singaraja as a administrative center.The city had wide roads and a large population, a busy city compared to the quite village of Pemuteran..At Singaraja bus depot i was guided to another local bus for Tulamben at a cost of 60,000 Rupiah. I  requested the driver to stop at a bank in order to change U.S dollars into Rupiahs.The driver obliged and stopped at the "Mandiri Bank" in the city where i exchanged 500 U.S $'s for 58,02,500 Rupiah, my largest transaction of the tour .Part of the money was fees for my "Open Water scuba  dive course" in Tulamben, a expensive hobby,The cashier scrutinized my dollars under a microscope before confirming the deal  as counterfeiting is a major problem in Indonesia. After exchanging the money  thanked the driver for the delay and we headed towards Tulamben.At approximately 1330 hrs we reached Tulamben a village town in North east Bali .

"Dive Concepts open air  Campus"."Video Lessons" on Scuba.

                                                                                                               On alighting the mini van the first sight that greeted me was the line of "Scuba Dive academy's" along the highway road, very similar to Pemuteran. Asked for directions to " Dive Concept" and reached my destination after a short walk.On entrance was met by Mr Antoine the manager and was shown the dormitory accommodation as well as independent single room accommodation. Opted for the "Dormitory accommodation" at 50,000 Rupiah with 6 persons to a room having a attached bathe/toilet.I have stayed alone all my life and now at age 54 i was studying to be a "Scuba diver" and realized that my co-roommates would also be student divers and hence could learn and discuss diving with them.Group study helps , especially in a practical subject like diving .Frenchman Mr Antoine allotted me my room, the shabbiest room on the tour,typical cheap student hostel dormitory.The campus of "Dive Concept" was scenic with small cottage single room accommodations and lots of greenery, a open air academy blending with nature.

"Pichhu" the mascot of "Dive Concepts".Greedy  & most hilarious.

                                    A mischievous mongrel dog named "Pichuu(Spanish name)"  was the attraction of the staff and divers at the dive resort.Paid the fee of 28,00,000 Rupiah to Mr Antoine informing him that i would begin the course the next day,today being a rest day after a hectic road journey.Mr Antoine also made me sign a bunch of papers indicating my "FITNESS" and "HEALTH STATUS" as people above the age of 45 years required a "Doctors Medical Certificate"  to be eligible to learn the "Open Water Dive Course".In case of death then "Dive Concepts" were not responsible being the message of this lawyers medical  jargon."Dive Concepts" was the cheapest academy conducting "Scuba Dive Courses" in Bali and hence i opted for them.I realized that they didn't have a "Swimming Pool" in the resort complex unlike their sister branch "Arjuna homestay" in Pemuteran and this was the main reason for their  cheapness compared to other dive resort academy's.I had previously used a underwater  "Breathing mouthpiece" only once in my life during a holiday package tour in May 2013  to the scenic Indian coast of Malvan in the state of Maharashtra for a underwater scuba and snorkelling experience.Check the link to this blog :- http://xrtnt.blogspot.in/ ."P.A.D.I Open Water Scuba Courses" are normally initially taught  in a fresh water swimming pool and later the "Open water" practical experiences are done in the deep sea.Scuba diving was a luxury to me while its a common  extreme adventure sport for most First World citizens, especially the French and Americans.I observed young children snorkeling in Pemuteran.

USAT Liberty ship wreck photo .The main dive attraction. 

Lunch was  "Pork/rice(35,000 Rupiah)"in "Dive Concepts" open air mess-room run by local Indonesian cooks.At the lunch table struck a acquaintance with a young Belgian couple Mr Maarten.Pinxteen and his young wife.Although legally husband and wife they both were not officially married, a type of legal marriage allowed in Belgium.It helps for "Income tax " purposes as well as inheritance in case one of the married partner dies.This law is prevalent only in Belgium, a sort of "Live-In" relationship with full "Marriage legal rights" unlike other country's.Travel broadens your knowledge is a fact and my knowledge of "Marriage" trends was updated.They were into diving and on request allowed me to use their laptop.Its "Free Wi-fi" in almost all the resorts and homestays in Indonesia. All the divers were Caucasians while the dive staff were  mostly French nationals,myself being the odd Asian dive student.After a brief rest in my small dormitory room decided to have a walk on the main road of Tulamben.The street was identical to Pemuteran, both small tourist dive towns.Went to the beach  that was nothing but solid rocks, not a sand beach.Saw divers and snorkelers wading into the sea  from the rocks.Visited "Matahari Scuba diving resort"  facing the beach, a excellent training center with a swimming pool.Later while walking on the main road spotted a odd looking 3-wheel motorcycle inside a handicraft shop compound.On Inquiry was met by the owner, a  German midget named Mr Eric.Veerhover who had  modified the bike to suit his handicap. His wife was a local Indonesian lady and they both bid me goodbye on their motorcyle.The volcanic mountain Mount Agung dominates Tulamben skyline and has a major role in converting this small village into a World dive destination.

Mt Agung, the indirect reason for Tulamben's "Scuba dive economy".

                                   It was a massive volcanic eruption of Mt Agung and subsequent earthquakes in 1963  that dislodged the "USAT Liberty" ship from the beach into the sea, breaking it in the process and sinking it in shallow waters where it lies on its side, the stern just 3 meters below surface and the bow about 28 meters below surface.The Mt Agung volcanic explosion was a calamity to North East Bali resulting in almost 200 death and leaving  about 1,00,000 people homeless.It also changed the economic fortunes of the tiny town of Tulamben Divers from all over the World flock to Tulamben to view this old wreck as it is easily accessible from shore unlike other wrecks that require skilled scuba diving skills.From "Dive Concepts resort"  a person can get a good view of Mt Agung, a totally barren mountain with no vegetation.Later in the night met my room-mate, a young Frenchman  Mr Alexandre.Chauvet from Marseilles who had completed his "Open water course" and intended extending his stay to do the "Advance dive course".He was a young man of 24 years of age and  had worked as a kitchen help in Australia and hoped diving would improve his job prospects,

Accommodation in "DIVE CONCEPTS" campus.

                                                                 His father was a professional diver and hence he took to diving akin to a fish to water.The French just love scuba diving and the father of modern undersea photography and diving is also a Frenchman named Jacques.Cousteau Alexandre brought back memories of school alumni Mr Kurush.Contractor , a prize winning swimmer during my school days in the 1970's.He later became a commercial  "Deep Sea diver" at the "Bombay High" offshore  oil installations  in Mumbai and rose to become   the director of a multi-million dollar dive company based in Singapore.In fact Kurush's achievement  was my source of inspiration to learn and understand  scuba diving.Better late than too late ! Got to understand the theoretical basics of diving from Alexandre and he seemed a very confident lad as far as diving was concerned..We were a total of four  dive guests in the dormitory, two women and two men, myself being the oldest learner diver.Had a decent nights sleep in the untidy room,typical of a young students hostel.

"TULAMBEN BEACH" :- Just rocky volcanic pebbles.A World site for  "SCUBA  DIVING & SNORKELING".

DAY 12 :- Friday(22-8-2014) :- Was the earliest to wake up as usual,with  my young co-roommates in deep slumber.After the formal toilet routines made my way out of the" Dive complex" and explored the countryside just north of this beautiful garden landscaped  resort.

"Balinese Hindu Temple" site.Mt Agung  in the background.

                                                            Mt Agung  loomed in the near horizon and walking towards it came across a "Balinese Hindu religious site" where offerings were kept on pedestals, a deserted and scary place akin to a graveyard.The largest and holiest  Balinese Hindu temple in Indonesia is "Pura Besakih" located 3000 ft high on Mount Agung."Pura Besakih" narrowly escaped destruction in the 1963 eruption of Mt Agung , the lava missing the temple by a few yards.The landscape was  barren land with partial forests.Tulamben  receives scant rainfall due to the presence of Mt Agung.Came back to the resort and had a continental breakfast of two fried eggs, toast and juice costing 25,000 Rupiah at the resort mess.The open-air mess gradually got filled with tourist divers and made a few acquaintances.At 1000 hrs manager Mr Antoine gave me a "Scuba Study Video" and a "S.S.I(Scuba Schools International)  dive manual" for theoretical knowledge of the subject of "Scuba diving". A questionnaire had to be filled after watching the video and reading the manual  for  testing the students theoretical knowledge. Watched the video in the open air study, easy to me as i had already done my homework at home in Mumbai. Thanks to the "Youtube" and the Internet a student can study any subject at home.

Breakfast at "Dive Concepts complex ".

                                                    After watching the video went back to my  dormitory and was surprised to find a young woman arranging her backpack on the floor.Introduced myself to Miss Sarah Amarsy , a French national  from Paris  of Indian origin  on a dive holiday in Tulamben, most notably a  dive to  the "USAT Liberty" wreck.Spent the rest of the morning reading the "S.S.I Dive manual" and filling the questionnaire."S.S.I(Scuba Schools International)" is a American affiliated dive certifying Institution.During lunch hours came across a Asian at the dining mess and on introduction was surprised to know that Mr Vikas.Nairi  was a Indian dive instructor on holiday in Bali.He was a "Dive Instructor" at "Dive India academy" based in the Andaman Islands in India.Akin to me he  was a former "Marine Engineer" with a few years of sailing experience from Udipi city in Mangalore who  changed his profession to "Scuba Diving" due to personal reasons. Bizarre co-incidence as Udipi is a  city close to  my parents ancestral village and seems the World is a small place even in distant Bali where the majority tourists are Caucasians! He was on a "Photographic dive mission", photographing his underwater sightseeing trips.Tulamben is World famous as a "DIVE SITE" and professional as well as amateur divers from all over the World flock to this tiny village of Bali.Mascot "Pichhu" was hilarious and entertaining, a eating machine. He would rush to every table  for a few morsels of food and everyone loved his puppy innocence and greedy humour.

A  "Bantam Cock" in a shop.A mascot in Tulamben town.

After lunch had a walk along the beach, absolute horrible and dangerous for swimming.Visited "Matahari Tulamben Resort" a plush dive resort  facing the beach having a swimming pool.Strolled around the main street and was enchanted by a few bantam fowls roaming freely on the road and even entering a curio shop and making it their home. On inquiry was told that these fowls were not for consumption as "Chicken meat" but were pet birds allowed to  roam freely in the vicinity. Reminded me of the "Caged Cocks" in Yogyakarta Sultan's palace grounds and the modified quote, "some chickens are more equal" ! Tulamben is a small village town with a few tourist restaurants on the main highway road and  dive academy's.Competition was definitely fierce among the "Dive resorts" akin to grocery shops."Dive Concepts" did brisk  business  having their own compressors,dive kits and a flow of dive tourists and students as they were the cheapest among the "Dive resorts" in the Tulamben.Later in the evening  attended a discussion given by a lady dive instructor to a German who had the physique of a Mr Germany!I thought Hindi actor Salman.Khan had the best physique and this young man was his Caucasian equivalent.He had just finished his "Open water course" and was appearing for the theoretical exams and hence the teaching tutorials from the dive instructor.As for me, i was a genius in "Scuba dive theory" and anxiously awaiting my first dive experience in the sea..Dinner was at "Warung Esa" a small restaurant situated opposite Tulamben police station. I heard English music sound  emerging from this restaurant and hence entered it for dinner.At "Dive Concepts" complex  there was no television or music, strictly a "Dive academy resort".After dinner went back to "Dive Concepts" and the place was in party mode. It was the birthday of one of the divers and hence a barbeque party with cocktails was in progress.Had a conversation with fellow Indian Mr Vikas.Nairi who was a dive instructor at "Dive India" for the last ten years, a veteran in the Industry.It was a late night of just sitting in the open air garden resort and enjoying the plush natural ambience.Two of the ladies had left the dormitory and so Alexandre and myself were the only two in the room.Had a decent nights sleep.

Dive Equipment :-Buoyancy suit,breathing apparatus,weight belt,face-mask,oxygen bottle ,boots and flippers.

DAY 13 :- Saturday(23-8-2014) :-  Woke up early as usual and wandered in the backyard of the resort. It was akin to a small work-shop with two air-compressors for filling the compressed air oxygen bottles.Further away came across a pig tethered to a pole  like a dog as seen in Pemuteran.Wonder if this pig was a pet or awaiting slaughter.Birds were chirping all over the place, just beautiful.Breakfast was at 0700 hrs as usual and consisted of just fruit salad as i didn't want to upset my stomache which was already undergoing partial diarrhea."Dive Concept" manager told me to report to dive instructor Mr Oliver.Lebreton at 0800 hrs at the "Dive Workshop".I was punctual as usual and met my dive compatriot Mr David .Combier a young man who knew scuba diving but didn't have a certified licence.He had joined the course just to get the "S.S.I Open water Dive" certificate.

 "Dive Gear porter " on "OJEK" riding to Dive site.

                          Instructor Mr Oliver.Lebreton explained both of us the different gadgets of the scuba divers kit and its assembly.We both took our respective scuba gear and assembled the same with his guidance. On inspection i realized that the rubber bit of my "Breathing mouthpiece" was partially sheared due to a teeth bite and informed the dive instructor about the defect. He said it was minor and could be replaced after doing our first dive.As a "Marine engineer" of approx 23 years of service i had done numerous "Sea courses" during my career and one of them was "Advanced fire fighting" which was similar to scuba diving for the simple reason that a artificial "breathing apparatus " was involved.The dive spot was just across the road on the beach  and hence we walked the distance with our dive suits while the oxygen bottles were carted by a "Ojek (Motorcycle)porter".

"DIVE  SITE MAP" of Tulamben coast.

                                                                                                             On arrival at the rock pebbled beach  we took our respective dive gear ..After checking the oxygen  bottle gauges for a pressure of 220 bar and the breathing apparatus for leaks we put on the dive suit.David was a dive veteran without a certificate and below 30 years of age in the prime of youth.He made me look clumsy but was helpful and spoke fluent English for a Frenchman..We both waded into the water after inflating our "buoyancy chambers", myself with great difficulty as the weight of the oxygen bottle at 220 bar pressure  was no backpack load.Besides, the stress and strain of trekking three mountains in a span of  four  days had taken its toll on my energy levels .The sea was also rough, waves lashing the pebbled coast  and different from jumping or wading into a fresh water swimming pool.

Divers entering the sea in Tulamben. Rock pebbles beach.

                                                                                                                                       The worst part was fitting the web fins in the strong current of the sea.I was embarrassed by my clumsiness and realized that "Swimming" and "Scuba diving" were totally two different sports with the only similarity being that both sports involved the medium of water.Dive instructor Oliver finally helped me put on my flippers and we headed further into the sea. On a signal from the instructor we deflated the buoyancy chamber and were immediately submerged into the sea.As we sank further to the bottom maintaining buoyancy was a problem as also using my flippers to propel forwards.I was very clumsy under-water but normal in my breathing and not panicky.My "ear equalization" was perfect as also the release of entrapped water  in my face mask .Later in the tour in  Kuta  met a hobbyist skydiver Mr Richard.Williams, a U.S citizen  with numerous skydiving jumps  to his credit, a ultra dangerous extreme sport .He had tried "Scuba diving"  but was a failure  as his ear drums  couldn't adjust to changes  in depth pressure , a very common problem with most beginner divers. Most of all, my 54 year old  body was not allergic to deep sea water pressure.The beauty of seeing fish just swim near you is amazing.When we touched the sea bottom Instructor Oliver.Lebreton told us to perform the safety demonstration of removing the breathing mouthpiece and re-inserting it back in the mouth. David performed the task with finesse  but i almost drowned in the process.When i removed my mouthpiece and then re-inserted it  realized i was breathing sea-water instead of air and choked on the same.Quickly removed the same again  and made the signal to the instructor  that i would  press the "Inflation button" of the buoyancy chamber to go up immediately.

Dive Instructor Oliver.Lebreton.

                                                                                                                                          He immediately grabbed the mouth-piece and forced it into my mouth and i started breathing normally.A few more  seconds of delay could either have been the cause of my death or serious medical treatment.After that i just refused to do the safety exercise of interchanging of breathing mouthpieces and just swam with the instructor admiring the fish in the water.We swam down to the "CORAL GARDEN", one of the most scenic spots in Tulamben ocean. I was amazed at seeing the wealth of different coloured corals and fish, straight out of a "National Geographic" documentary.Totally forgot my near death drowning experience just a few minutes ago and just got lost in the underworld of the beautiful ocean panorama.There were other divers in the vicinity as this was one of the most popular dive sites in Tulamben. After approximately 40 minutes of being underwater we gradually ascended and came to the surface after inflating the buoyancy chamber.Getting back to shore was another major obstacle.Removing the flippers in the sea was a tremendous task as the waves lashed and dislodged you, besides, the oxygen tank weight was another burden despite reducing to 50 bar , the minimum  safe limit.Finally with the help of the Instructor and David i managed to get ashore and seems hilarious fictional detective  Inspector Clouseau would have been embarrassed at my first dive experience in the ocean.Normally "Open Water Scuba Diving" is first taught in a swimming pool and later after mastering the skills the students are let out into the "Open sea".' Now i realized the reason for "Dive Concept" being cheaper than other "Scuba Institutes", simple, they didn't have nor use a "swimming pool" for basic training.They treated me like like a professional "French Foreign Legion or Seals " recruit expecting me to learn scuba diving within a day or two ! I was happy that i completed my underwater tour and got to view the most beautiful corals and fish in their natural surroundings and not a aquarium.

Professional "Underwater camera" at "Dive Concept".

After a brief rest on the pebble shore we again put on our scuba gear with new pressurized oxygen bottles filled to 220 Bar. The "Scuba Diving" industry in Tulamben is run with factory precision and no time wasted in filling the empty oxygen bottles , the same kept ready on shore by porters.The  empty oxygen bottles are refilled at the "Dive Concept" workshop and transported to the beach by motorcycle porters.Oliver changed my  damaged rubber  "Mouthpiece" and after checking all the safety parameters we waded into the sea.My second dive was done more confidently although putting the flippers to my feet  while floating was the major hurdle.Instructor helped me put on the flippers and on a given signal we descended to the bottom of the ocean.Oliver requested me to demonstrate the exchange of breathing mouthpiece to which i refused and we continued swimming  under water, following instructor Oliver.

"USAT LIBERTY" wreck as it appeared to us.The Underwater treasure of Tulamben.

Part of "USAT LIBERTY" wreck.

                                             Suddenly, akin to a ghost the shape of a ship appeared before me and i realized that i was staring at the "USAT LIBERTY" ship.It was a American cargo ship  launched on 19th June 1918 and torpedoed  in the second World war by  Japanese submarine "1-66" on January 1942 and later beached on the shore of Bali.The Mt Agung volcanic eruption of 1963 dislodged it from its shore base into the sea ravine, totally sinking it. It  was akin to seeing the "Titanic wreck" in the movie  "Titanic" ,besides  this ship wreck would be 100 years old in 2018! Only difference was that this was a real ship  on the sea bed and i was underwater in real life  and not in a movie theatre. The wreck is 120 meters in length with debris strewn in the vicinity on the sea bed.

Underwater beauty.

                                                                                                  The  bow of the ship was intact with its anchor as also the rest of the hull as we gradually swam alonside the sunken ship.There were  numerous different species of fish in the vicinity as also numerous other divers.The "USAT Liberty" is the biggest attraction for professional as well as amateur divers of the World as it is one of the easiest dive wrecks to visit, just 40 meters from the beach  and the reason for Tulamben's thriving "Tourist dive economy".Even snorkelers could  get a view of the ship wreck at its shallowest position.After spending about 40 minutes underwater we finally surfaced , the sea rough as usual.It was again a back breaking  effort to remove my fins and get ashore, the sea current being very strong.Finally with the asssistance of David and instructor Oliver i made it ashore at approx 1100 hrs. Remember, many diving accidents and fatalities occur after a dive while returning ashore or getting onto the "dive boat" if in deep sea.Cardinal rule is to always keep your "Buoyancy chamber" filled with air  and breathing mouthpiece intact so that you don't sink back to the sea bottom or in case you sink then the breathing apparatus helps you survive until rescued..On arriving ashore  we walked back to "Dive Concept" resort , just a few minutes walk from the sea beach.Dismantled our dive gear and got it washed, keeping it back in the workshop was usage on the next day of diving. Instructor Oliver.Lebreton told me that i had not passed my "Dive Safety Drill" and the same would be repeated the next day.

"DIVE CONCEPT DIVE WORKSHOP" adjacent to the resort .

                                                                                         As a  former "Marine Engineer" myself  having done numerous " Sea Safety Courses"understood what he meant and the importance of "SAFETY DRILL" in a dangerous extreme sport like "Scuba diving".This was  a leisure dive tour  and unlike my "Marine Engineer" profession was not seeking employment in the "Dive Industry" and hence  decided to play safe rather than be a accidental casualty.In "GAMBLING" you always win some and lose some.At the resort i was back to normal routine after the two dives.Met three  young Indian origin British dive tourists at the resort, two young men and a young lady.The two young  men were co- college friends on a holiday in Bali and had enrolled for learning "open water scuba course" at "dive concepts". As for the lady, she was a "Scuba dive" license holder and on a dive tour, most notably the "USAT Liberty" ship wreck.Both  the male  tourists were of Gujarati origin  and one of them had  parents that had migrated from   Kenya to England,my contemporaries.I was a "Father -figure" to them in age  and a novice in the sport of "Scuba diving". Had a wonderful conversation and i was surprised at their lack of knowledge of Indian politics and India.

Hindu temple(Pura) entrance gate  on the cliff in Tulamben.

                                                   After lunch had some rest and later in the evening decided to explore a cliff at the eastern  end of Tulamben beach.It was a long walk along the beach  up up the cliff .Visited the  isolated Hindu temple situated on this cliff .Balinese Hindu temples differ from Indian Hindu temples in construction as they are open-air temples compared to enclosed building temples in India. The Hindu temple in Bali is called "PURA" and there are approximately 20,000 Pura's in Bali !Entered the abandoned temple(Pura) estate, the only person in the huge temple complex.From the cliff observed a young family snorkeling in the sea below, a young child and her father.The :Drop-Off" dive site is close to this temple cliff, a sheer drop of 30 meters into the sea a few meters from the cliff coast.Spent some time observing a few dive boats in the sea and later made my way back to the main road. The pathway to the road from the cliff was through a village farm having cattle and coconut plantations. On arriving  at the main road  came across the broadest tree trunk i had ever seen after the massive giant trees in the Angkor Vat complex in Cambodia. This tree was not very tall but had a large trunk .Strolled around the street and was fascinated by the Bantam fowl chickens roaming freely near the curio shop.Later in the evening heard a duo playing live reggae music in a restaurant near the police station.

Have you seen a tree bark  of this size ?

                Wandered across the countryside  along the main highway, a typical village very much like any indian village back home in India.Later  Dive Instructor  Oliver.Lebreton handed me the examination question paper, a simple "Objective  Qs & Ans" test, tricky in language than in content. I answered all the questions and passed the theoretical examination with 90% honours ! In fact the answers i got wrong was simply because i misunderstood the question and not because i didn't know the answer.This is proof that there is a World of a difference between theoretical knowledge and practical application of a particular subject or profession.Dinner was at a plush restaurant where i happened to meet Parisian Sarah.Amarsy and also having a conversation with her.Her uncle and aunt were victims of the Mumbai 26/11/2008 terrorist attacks, having been murdered at the Oberoi hotel.They owned a high profile designer business in France.She was also on a solo tour and was fond of diving, possessing a certified divers certificate.After dinner we walked back to the resort and our dormitory had a new guest, the young Indian origin lady from England.Alexandre  was a hit in his dive course having accomplished his "Open Water Course" and now undergoing the "Advanced dive course" where the permissible dive limit was 30 meters and involved "Night diving". Had a decent nights sleep.

Completion of "S.S.I Open Water Course" at "DIVE CONCEPTS". Outside "Dive Concepts workshop.":-  Dive Instructor Mr Julien.Becot on extreme left  and my dive buddy Mr David.Combier on extreme right.A course to remember.

DAY 14 :-Sunday(24-8-2014) :- A normal morning as usual. A light breakfast of fruit salad  and milk to control my bowel movements. Today was the last day of the "Open Water dive" course. After breakfast reported to a new dive instructor Mr Julien.Becot.David and myself were joined by another  young man and woman and so we were a total of four student divers in todays dive demonstration tests and dive sightseeing.We walked over to  the beach just like yesterday and Instructor Julien explained us the safety drill demonstration that we would be doing under the water.

"Dive Concept" wet dive suit.

                                          He first spoke in French to the three French nationals and later spoke to  me in English.The maneuvers were complicated and my gambling brain   realized that i would not be issued a "S.S.I Open water certificate" as i didn't intend doing the breathing mouthpiece removal demonstration, very vital for survival in case of a emergency need of oxygen air .After fitting our scuba kit we waded into the water and again fitting my fins while floating was the major problem while my co-batchmates did the same with ease.A diving inferiority complex engulfed me and with the help of instructor Julien managed to put on my fins.I was the laggard of the group of four student divers.We finally sank beneath the waves  and immediately instructor Julien bagan the underwater safety operations demonstrations.Each one of us had to remove our jackets underwater and refit the same. I did manage this exercise but failed miserably in the "breathing mouthpiece" exchange exercise, just unwilling to get detached from my "Lifeline breathing umbilical cord"! Instructor Julien tried to coax me to do the same and on continuous refusal he abandoned hopes and we continued on our sightseeing.This location was called the "DROP-OFF" and it was a steep drop 70 meters in depth from the "Coral Reef ".Saw the beautiful different shaped corals and the steep wall of the "Drop-Off'" akin to the side of a hill.We were down to 18 meters, the maximum depth allowable for "OPEN WATER COURSE". I was a embarrassment in using my fins and Instructor Julien explained me the same through demonstration but of no avail. He finally caught hold of me and dragged me along while the rest of the group followed us.I was in a wonderworld of underwater oceanography, too beautiful to describe in words.Finally after about 20 minutes we surfaced and made our way to the shore.As usual i was the laggard and finally with the help of David did manage to get ashore in the drifting tide and lashing waves.On arriving ashore Instructor Julien told me that my  scuba diving skills were below average and that he couldn't issue me a "S.S.I Open water certificate". I agreed with him but told him to issue a certificate stating that i had completed the entire course practically, only failing in the "SAFETY DRILLS". I had been to depths of 8 and 18 meters, the depths specified for "Open Water course".He agreed to the same.We walked back to the resort and after dismantling the kit posed for a group photo.

Countryside of Tulamben, a simple village.

Lunch was at "Warung Esa" restaurant where i met "Dive India" instructor  Mr Vikas.Nairi and we discussed diving. He told me not to give up the sport but to dive at another dive location and further sharpen my diving skills as age was no criteria to "Scuba diving" unlike other sports. A person could be obese and be a good scuba diver and similarly age was no criteria as in most other sports.Physical fitness and a passion for diving besides having  tons of money were the only requirements for "Scuba diving". "Scuba diving" besides being a dangerous extreme sport was expensive as all the World's  best "DIVE SITES" are in remote locations from a city and involves air travel ,sea travel as well as "Dive fees".After lunch went back to the resort and observed "Pichhu"  performing his puppy antics,My stay in "Dive Concept" made me European in habits.Picked up a novel from the book shelf titled "The Jason directive(published 2002)" by Robert.Ludlum and browsing through it was quick to realize the books inspiration was the "L.T.T.E" and the assassination of Indian Prime Minister Rajiv.Gandhi.I was issued my "DIVE LOG BOOK" which stated the number of dives done, depth and duration of dive.I was awarded 90% marks for theory paper but in practicals the remark stated that i required more diving experience for "OPEN WATER CERTIFICATION". This satisfied me and at least i could do leisure diving in exotic places of planet Earth. Another point  realized is that there is a day and night difference between theory and practicals in the extreme adventure sport of "SCUBA DIVING".Theoretically i had passed with distinction but practically i was below average ! Later in the evening strolled to the South of the highway road and  saw a massive Belgian Schnauzer dog outside  "Apnea Bali Freediving" resort, a small private bungalow house.My study on "Aqua diving"  also made me read about "Freediving" a bizarre and dangerous extreme sport.Entered the bungalow and was greeted by a young group of men and women.

At "APNEA BALI FREEDIVING" Institute.

               The oldest lady  in the crowd introduced herself as Julia.Moses from Argentina, the  free-diving Instructor of the resort  .She was a teacher in "FREE-DIVING" and  could hold her breath for a maximum of 5 minutes while free diving to depths of 40 meters and more! If seen on the road she looked ordinary and would not attract a second glance, a very  unassuming ordinary lady."FREE-DIVING" is the art of diving deep without any breathing apparatus. The diver just takes a deep breath and dives deep .The breathing techniques involve yoga.This was the original means of "DEEP SEA DIVING" before the invention of "SCUBA KIT" and is still practiced by fishermen and pearl divers.Its a very popular extreme sport in Saudi Arabia.The men students were from Saudi Arabia while one was from China.all engineering students.Mr Hashboul.Alamri aged 24 had free dived to 12 meters while his compatriot  Mr Hazem.Mohammed aged 24 had free dived to 24 meters.Mr Haytham.Elsini of China aged 23 years had freedived 23.5 meters while among the ladies  Eli.Lopex of Mexico could hold her breath for over 4 minutes and freedive to a depth of 40 meters.Somehow it seemed strange to me that women excelled in the sport of diving, both aqua as well as freediving. I.I discussed the  "safety aspects" of freediving and Instructor Julia.Moses told me that there were no fatalities in the past few years, a safe extreme sport if done under proper coaching and precautions.It was a expensive extreme sport and  according to me one of the best "Adrenalin Junkie" sports. We took a group photograph.Tulamben is a small one road highway town and in four days i was as familiar to the town as its residents were to me ! Had made numerous acquaintances from different country's and nationalities.Later in the evening  met Mr Joshua.Underwood, a dive instructor in New Zealand on a dive holiday in  Bali  akin to Mr Vikas.Nairi.Joshua was originally from Scotland and had migrated to New Zealand and was employed  in the "Dive industry" in that Country.He hoped to start his own "Dive institute" in New Zealand.We both went for dinner and he showed me a new restaurant, cheap and excellent. We both had dinner at "Warung Makan Rusti", myself a Indonesian fish curry/rice.After dinner it was a walk back to the resort, end of a fruitful day. I was alone on the last night as Alexandre had finished his "Advanced Dive Course" and off to greener employment pastures, a young man with ambitions. Was he a la Kurush.Contractor in the making ? It was a normal nights sleep.