Happy Holidays and Selamat Kembali ke Jogja

Well folks it has been quite some time. I apologize for not writing more frequently, but luckily my excuse is that I have been able to travel throughout most of the month of December and didn't have internet access when doing so. As Indonesia is a very diverse and pluralist country, the students get almost all of December off of school for break. The first two weeks are testing, and the last two weeks are holiday to celebrate Christmas and New Years. So, this meant that I had most of December as holiday too! As I mentioned before I had been relocated to Bandung to teach with a fellow ETA until the Indonesian Government lifted the "Red Alert" status on Mt Merapi. Well, the status was lifted in the middle of December so after my travels I returned to Jogja. It is great to be back! Other than catching a slight cold I have been immensely enjoying myself and I am very excited to teach Class 1 this semester, in other words the tenth graders. So far they seem shy at first but also very full of life and personality. One particular student has an undying love for Michael Jackson and the first thing she asked me was if I have ever visited Neverland. Another student, when given the assignment of writing a few sentences to describe herself, told me that she had a boyfriend. Then she asked if I wanted to know his name and said it was Justin Beiber. I'll be sure to post more about how teaching them goes as the semester progresses.

On the beach in Gili Trawangan



So, for now- the December travels. Mary and I were able to visit the Gili Islands in Lombok, Bali, and the island of Bunaken located in Sulawesi, one of the larger islands of the Indonesian archipelago. The Gili islands were the first stop, and while getting there consisted of wading through hagglers and hustlers once we arrived it was a very relaxing atmosphere and an amazing trip overall. Several ETAs were there and we were able to reunite for a few days and share our experiences while relaxing on the beach, snorkeling and just having a good time. We visited all three Gilis- Trawangan, Meno and Air- but spent most of our time on Gili T, the largest of the three and the most social. There are absolutely no motor vehicles on the Gilis which adds to their charm. We rented snorkeling gear and bikes, ate ice cream everyday and dined like kings every night; though we were total cheaps when it came to places to stay, we made sure to spend money on the most important factors of a good vacation- food and entertainment! Perhaps the highlight of the trip for me, and please forgive the inflated ego that follows, was getting my PADI or diving license on Gili T. That's right, Demi is now a certified Open Water Diver! I took the course through Big Bubble Dive, and I highly recommend it as a place to stay and/or take a diving course for anyone who finds themselves in the Gilis. I've always been a little claustrophobic when underwater, I mean, humans aren't exactly aquatic beings, so I was super proud of myself for going through the course and I'm glad I did. Diving on the Gilis was amazing and I knew nearly all of the fish species from my Coral Reef Ecology class at Alma (thank you Dr. Rowe!), so it was particularly interesting and rewarding for me. After Gili T we headed to Gili Meno and Air. Both had extremely relaxed atmospheres that were very conducive to just lying around on the beach with a good book.



Learning to play traditional instruments on Gili Trawangan



My first dive!





Rainbow over Gili Meno



Our homestay on Gili Meno



The second adventure was Bali, probably the most notorious tourist destination in Indonesia. We started off in Kuta, the tourist party town whose streets are sprawled with night clubs and we could only keep up for about two nights before we were worn out. Put it this way- Kuta:1, Demi:0. Our next stop was Ubud for some cultural immersion. We came at the right time because it was the Hindu holiday of Galungan, which happens once every 210 days. Galungan is meant to remind people of the bi-spirited nature of the world, of the good and evil in every situation and to remind people to keep the faith that good will always prevail, and should always prevail especially within one's own life choices. The streets of Ubud were decorated with offerings to the gods, large chandeliers of palm fronds and burning incense. Mary and I adorned sarongs in accordance with the traditional dress and were permitted to enter a few temples and view the traditions and praying that occurs on this Hindu holiday. We often just sat at a temple in silence and observed for a while. We also visited the Blanco Renaissance Museum featuring the works of Don Antonio Blanco, an artist originally from Spain who eventually settled in Bali and created some very interesting and original works of art based on the people and culture there. I recommend checking out his work if you have a chance.

Offerings on the street in Ubud



Inside a temple at Ubud





Decorated street in Ubud



 



Outside a temple in Ubud





<>

Waterfall in Munduk

After Ubud we went to Munduk, a quiet town in the mountains of central Bali and we splurged on a real hotel room with hot water and a breath taking view (mind you we stayed at some pretty shady places otherwise, but such is the adventure of travelling). One day in Munduk Mary and I decided to take a small hike to see a waterfall. I've always found waterfalls very fascinating, both a serene and powerful display of nature all at once. Well, the Dan Gary in me said that we couldn't possibly hike back the same way that we came in, so we followed a trail up the side of a mountain and quickly found ourselves lost among dense vegetation, hidden Hindu temples, small hut-like dwellings and the aroma of coffee plantations dispersed throughout the jungle. We were only lost a little over an hour but the trek was made formidable by rain, slippery trails and angry dogs that may or may not have been rabid. Rabies is common throughout Bali and there are signs around stressing not to interact with dogs, etc. Mary is a bit afraid of dogs and even though I've been an animal lover all of my life I quickly found myself intimidated by the snarling and disgruntled beasts when I dwelled on the fact that they may have had rabies and also always seemed quite angry when we passed. So, having already gotten the rabies vaccination before my arrival in Indonesia, I bravely took the lead through any dog scenario and followed my mom's (aka the dog-whisperer's) directions and ignored them, walking calmly straight past them as if they weren't there... And holy crap it worked. Mary and I eventually encountered a kind man on a motorbike that directed us out of the jungle but not before we encountered the final villain(s) in our journey: about 6 or 7 agitated canines on either side of us, barking and growling as we passed a small cluster of houses. Let it be documented that perhaps the best advice my mom has given me throughout my entire life has been how to survive hoards of intimidating canines and prevent yourself from being mauled. The jungle excursion was quite an adventure and the sights along the way made it something we would never regret, rabid dogs and all. Our last stop in Bali was a visit to the Hindu temple Uluwatu. It was my fault that our last stop was so brief, as I realized my flight back was a day earlier than I had originally though. Classic. So we briskly packed up and left Munduk to travel to the temple and check it out only briefly the morning that we flew back to Java. Truly a breathtaking sight.





Uluwatu





Pier in Bunaken



So then it was back to Java, back to Bandung. Mary and I stayed at her school for a few days just to check in and relax a bit before taking off again. This time we went to Sulawesi, with the original intentions of going to the Togean Islands, but due to boat complications we ended up going to Bunaken instead... not a rough life at all! Did I mention that Mary and I are Pant-Seat-Flyers? We don't really plan much of anything when we travel, sometimes we don't even have a return ticket when we set off, but it usually works out and what didn't work out  illustrated the circumstances in which one may want to plan ahead a bit. Anyway, Bunaken is located off the coast of Monado in northern Sulawesi. After a ten hour mini van ride from hell, complete with puking child seated next to me, we arrived in Monado and chartered a "speed boat" to Bunaken the next day. The speed boat was anything but speedy, and in all honesty in retrospect we realized that the waves were too big and we shouldn't have been out on the ocean that day. Obviously we did not know this but the boat crew certainly should have. But sometimes people will do crazy things to get paid. So, after a tumultuous boat ride we made it, but the boat dropped us not exactly near our homestay. A nice young Indonesian man helped us carry our bags 3 kilometers in the rain to Daniel's Homestay where we would spend the next four days. It rained the majority of the time we were in Bunaken but we didn't mind much as it was another good excuse just to relax and read some good books and sit around the restaurant at Daniel's talking to new people. At night there would usually be a party on the beach complete with guitars and singing, both songs in Indonesian and other Classics shared by travelers passing through. We spent our Christmas in Bunaken and actually it contributed a lot to the Christmas spirit because the island is half Christian so there were many lights and decorations throughout. Mary and Karen convinced me to go to Mass on Christmas Eve and I'm glad I did; it was extremely interesting to see how Christians in a different cultural setting celebrate Christmas. Of course we made a grand entrance by showing up late wearing rain-soaked ponchos and being the only under-dressed Bule there. Everyone turned to stare, some continually throughout the service.



Kids that chatted up Mary and I on the street in Bunaken

* Side note, Bule is an Indonesian word that literally means "albino" but has evolved to encompass all foreigners usually with lighter skin tones. In areas of Indonesia where Caucasians are rarely seen people will not hesitate to point and shout out "BULE!" when they spot one. Karen is African American but this proves to be entertaining in a different aspect because people are surprised when she explains that she is not from Papua but actually from the United States.



Anyways, Christmas was a rainy one in Bunaken but snorkeling the day after was amazing. There are over 3000 different species of coral surrounding Bunaken so as you can imagine, Biologist Demi was in heaven. I even got to go diving the next day which was a special treat since we weren't sure if the rain would let up long enough to get decent visibility underwater. When diving along the shelf of the coral reef at Bunaken I saw many species of surgeonfish, butterfly fish, damselfish, parrotfish (even a bump-head!), anemone fish, sea slugs, and also various giant clams, sea urchins and other echinoderms. It is no wonder Bunaken is a top destination for divers. I recognize how lucky I am to have these opportunities to travel but I will admit that I was a bit lonely on Christmas; a big part of me was at home with the family, freezing in the Michigan snow. I hope you guys know how much I miss your presence and being away has only increased my appreciation of having such an awesome family to spend time with, especially time around the holidays.



Merry Christmas from Bunaken!



I returned to Jogja on December 30th and Mary came with me to celebrate New Years here. There were actually about a dozen ETAs in Jogja for New Years and we had a blast. We went out for dinner  and drinks and then went dancing afterwards. At midnight people lit off fireworks right in in the streets, just holding them with their hands!  Zach made my night when he called at midnight to say Happy New Year. Now we are brought to a new year and I am brought to a brand new semester here in Jogja. I'm anxious to see what 2011 will bring. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone at home, I'm thinking of you always and sending positive energy your way. Until next time...