30 Day Visa

Mentawai medicine man dancing away evil spirits

Back on the main island of Sumatra we stayed in Padang where the decline in tourism could be read in the faces of the children for whom we were still quite the novelty. We spent time sitting in small warungs enjoying the $1 Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng, Kopi Indonesia, tea and some sweet soybean drink. From there you could watch the colorful opelets zipping by thumping various techno beats. Both the opelets and the local busses were decorated in themes ranging from performance car parts and stereo brand names to Harry Potter and Disney. Aside from the steering wheel the stereo was the most essential accessory in these vehicles.

The colorful busses of Padang

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Posted 02/06/2009, revised 02/24/2009

In Indonesia In December

Shanks ponies into the jungle

Indonesia was apparently a very popular destination for tourists before Thailand took over and began drawing people to Southeast Asia. Because of this the tourist infrastructure is there but the islands are blissfully devoid of other tourists. From Malaysia we took a local ferry and made our way overnight by bus to Bukittinggi. For whatever reason it was decided that everyone on the bus should feel like it would be a white Christmas after all and the AC was on full blast all night. Quite ironically we crossed the equator on this stretch making the equator officially the coldest part of my trip. At one point Bukittinggi may have been overrun with tourists using it as a jump off for various treks and tours or just visiting the scenic town, but these days it has settled back into its own quiet existence.

Moon over Bukittinggi

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Posted 12/27/2008, revised 02/08/2009

Cambodia to Malaysia, Via Thailand

This time through Thailand began with a 24 hour trip from Siem Reap, in Cambodia, all the way to Krabi, with a brief stopover in Bangkok long enough to arrange the next leg. Krabi is well known for its world class climbing. The small beaches in Krabi are isolated from the mainland by towering Limestone cliffs.

Rock climbers paradise

The main beaches are Aow Nang, the busy primary stop accessible from the mainland, Railey East and Railey West, two beaches on the peninsula and accessible by boat, and Ton Sai, a tiny cove that can be accessed by boat or from Railey at low tide. Aow Nang is used as a jumping off point for the islands in the area or to catch boats to the other beaches. Railey's beaches have excellent climbing but are dominated by expensive family resorts and the families that go with them. Ton Sai is wonderfully removed from the resort beaches and far cheaper. The result: Ton Sai abounds with rock climbers from around the world; it is to rock climbing what Koh Tao is to diving.

The first day we were able to rent gear and enjoy some of Krabi's epic climbing at Ton Sai, a short walk from our bungalow. By the end of the day we could feel the effects through our unconditioned arms and opted to make the next day a day of rest.

Limestone makes fun features!

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Posted 12/03/2008, revised 02/06/2009