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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Feb 14, 2008 07:00 PM How to cross Sulu Sea?
"Sinabung" reached port of Bitung on the North Celebes. Once again I was surprised how inaccurate is the last edition of "Lonely Planet - Indonesia". In the recommended by them Nalendra Hotel prices raised by 100 percent! They charge 230000 INR per standard room.
I went to the Harbor Master asking for the ships sailing to the Philippines. No ships expected in the coming week - sometimes there are ones but they are freighters - not for the passenger's traffic...
Well, thanks God I am few days ahead of my schedule (I was lucky to catch few ships one by one) and I have the time to ask and to shop around for the best solution. Also to know more about this secret flight to Davao which is not seen in the computer reservation systems...
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Feb 13, 2008 07:00 PM The tale of the South Seas...
Far away from the noisy Europe on the warm and blue Maluku Sea there were two beautiful volcanic islands laying one by one - divided only by the 1-mile wide strait. The islands were ruled by two sultans. They were rich - on the islands they had plantations of the valuable and rare cloves. But they hate each other and wasted much of their wealth fighting each other.
When whites came to the Maluku Sea they invited two European kingdoms to protect them against enemy. Europeans built on the islands their castles and... took the monopoly on cloves trade. Then the third European kingdom smuggled out precious spice-tree seedings to the colonies in the other parts of the world. Cloves became less valuable, sultans less rich. But their descendends still live on the beautiful volcanic islands and still have some power...
The tale only? No, the islands: Ternate and Tidore exists. I saw them today on the Maluku Sea.
(for the St Valentine's Day to all the girls I loved...)
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Feb 12, 2008 07:00 PM Sailing to Biak I met two Europeans!
The lowest=economy class on the PELNI ships is for the loner travel like a hell. Can you imagine a cabin for 150 people - with littlre light, a lot of smoke, garbage and the noise... Crowd of people laying one by one - like in the war transporter...
A lot of locals escape fron those huge cabins to the deck (but limited shade there and wet if rains) or to the staircases and corridors of the 2nd and 1st class on the upper decks... They lay on the floor everywhere.
This is the voyage well off the beaten track... Finally I met two travellers from Europe: Maria and David are going to Biak Island - I had a chance to speak english and to share experiences. We were sailing along the chain of little, picturesque islands to Serui - the weather were nice, the ocean blue - just a pleasant day at sea...
I do not like this captain - he was ashamed when I went to the bridge and in the presence of other crew he was speaking very poor english. The captain does not speak basic english... This is Indonesia...
Tomorrow I'll cross the equator again...
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Feb 11, 2008 07:00 PM By ship - not by air to Manado...
Wamena - Dani country. Papua, Indonesia. In the morning I took a bike rickshaw (becak) to the market on the outskirts of Wamena. Interesting: many exotic vegies and fruits, raw tobacco... Few naked men fron the countryside with the gourds on their penis. But no Dani topless ladies - things are changing...
I did not have any problem with the return flight from the jungle to the civilisation - to Jayapura. The planes are bringing huge loads: barrels of fuel, food, steel elements to Wamena - returns are almost empty...
Can you imagine my luck? I planed to fly from Jaya to Manado. But I found the boat going that way! "Sinabung" - was delayed only 4 hours. It was hot and humid night when I was waiting in front of double-fenced jetty in the crowd of maybe 2000 people... They opened the gate at 10 pm and I started to run with the others. Nobody controls the tickets. They do it later - when the ship already at sea. The ship is registered for 2000 pax, I have impressin that it carry twice more... Ahoy!
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Feb 10, 2008 07:00 PM Through the Dani country...
I survived night mosquitos thanks to the net I carry with me. Recommended!
Dani people. They are nice and friendly, I cannot see any agression. I was walking from the village to the village. 3 or 4 of them in the beautiful scenery: mointains, clouds, settlements surrounded bu flowering trees. This cost nothing but plenty of sweat bcause it is still hot and humid.
But if you want to take the picture - for 100 percent there will be money request. Rich tourists from the developed countries gave the the lesson: one picture is worth at least 3000 INR.
By the number of shots... I have the advantage to be alone with them - first contact - no pictures, then slowly... They smoke a lot - both men and women - single cigarettes also can be apprecciated.
In Juwika they organized for me a sort of show - Sorry I paid for that but I'll have a lot of nice portrait pictures.
Regarding those penis gourds Dani country is the only place in the world to see them - I did!
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Feb 09, 2008 07:00 PM Where new wife if worth 12 pigs...
You have to get a local guide to comunicate with Dani people. I hadone - John speaking english. He took money advance and escaped home on the first evening. Before we visited first village - Sumpaima. Fascinating!
Do you remember my travel to PNG? Dani people living here do not use such a wigs like their brothers - the men wear penis sheath made of cultivated gourd... Usually nothing else. I had a lot of fun. Men and women sleep apart in circular tatched houses - there is 5-6 of them in the fenced family campound.
A man may have as many wives as he can afford. For the new one he must offer to the girl's family 12 pigs or more. In the old good times ( whites arrived to the valley in 1950-ties) 5 or 6 was enough... Everything is more expensive now!
I sleep in the village - sweet potatoes for dinner and breakfast!
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Feb 08, 2008 07:00 PM To the interior of Indonesian Papua...
On the coast you will see here little of native Papuans - thanks to the Indonesian migration policy - they want to confirm that Papua is indonesian importing people from Java and Sumatra. To see the real Papua you have to go to the interior. sooory no roads - the only way is to fly to Wamena airstrip in Baliem Valley.
You want to reserve your flight in advance? sorry - even reliable Kuwera travel agency cannot do it. Go to the airport in sentini (36 km) and call Trigana Air window. Monopolist...
Flights are full for today. -But I came from far away...
Stand by - it is your risk.
I was lucky - maybe I was the only white tourist..
One way ticket cost 650000 INR. 40 min flight in little turbo - prop and I landed in the heart of Papua...
No, i do not want to stay in Wamena - I go to the Dani villages...
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Feb 07, 2008 07:00 PM Papua - Hollandia on the horizon!
Once - in the colonial times this settlement was called Hollandia. Now it is called Jayapura and acts as the capital of the indonesian Papua. After cruising all day along the coast of Papua and enjoying the views of little illands and the blue ocean "Labobar" at sunset entered picturesque bay where Jayapura is located under cloudy peaks.
I was the only one tourist in the crowd of more them 2000 passengers going to the gate. Soldiers keep evetything in order - thanks God!
It was first time thak I had a problem to find the budget room -
two hotels one by one were full. It is not easy to wonder around the town with 20-kilo backpack...
Finally I stay in Dafonsoro Hotel for 18 USD - more then I expected. It was late evening when I visired local police station - and surprise: thet issued my travel permit to the wilderness (Baliem Valley) at 9 pm! You want to know the secret? They charge unoficiall "fee" - 10000 INR - so work goes easier and faster!
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Feb 06, 2008 07:00 PM Missions and birds of paradise...
In the morning we entered the Bay of Manokwari. What a nome - it is one of the few townships on the north coast of Papua. There are nice little island in the bay. On one of them two German missionaries established in the past the first mission in the area. There are ruins of the church and the white cross on the shore - visible from far away.
I had 2 hours to go ashore and to wander around the little town - smiling to the friendly people and taking pictures of their life. This area is known for the birds of paradise - but you have to organize boat expedition with a guide to see them... I saw these exotic birds years ago in PNG...
New islands, new bays... In the evening we reached another port - Nabire...
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Feb 05, 2008 07:00 PM Ship was 7 hours delayed...
"Labobar" is only 5 years old - it is a nice ship! - said the charming lady in the Pelni window... I was on time for the departure in the Sorong port. Oh sorry - in front of the port gate. The gate was locked and a crowd of local people was sitting just on the ground in front of the gate... Where is the ship? Nobody knows... It looks it is normal here - the ship will be when it will arrive. Do I have to seat with them?
I went to the nearby Pelni office asking why they do not allow passengersto wait in the waiting room in the terminal? They said that they can do nothing and let me wait here - in the office and thwy will wait there...
Yes, we were waiting - 7 hours - this is the joy of the island- to island travel i Indonesia... We departed at 8 p.m. Ahoy!
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