Text: Peter Johansson
Editing: Christer Lundstedt
Photos: Christer Lundstedt, Peter Johansson
Videos: Christer Lundstedt



Saturday 20th of July

06.12 It's an early morning in our villa here in Denpasar. We hear a dripping sound from outside. Is that a bit of rain in the air? We will in all cases be in that air in a couple of hours. It's time to leave, Patricia, Denpasar, Bali and Indonesia for a few days.

07.13 A simple breakfast of the classic kind is over. We have been consuming juice, yogurt, white bread and black coffee. Now, the last things will be packed and then it's off to the airport. We have been promised a ride with Sikun, the driver who drove us yesterday.

07.33 We’re going. It has been a lovely stay in this fabulous house but now we're ready for something new. It was raining lightly when we were driven to an, for us new, airport. We left in good time to avoid getting stuck in traffic.

08.08 Now we have said, "Bye, see you on the day after tomorrow!” to Patricia who will rest and take it easy here in Denpasar for a few days. She is also waiting for her friend Susan who will come here tomorrow and will travel with us after that. We will, after that we have filled in the departure cards from Indonesia, now check in at Ngurah Rai International Airport.

08.39 The security check and check-in went well. Now we are sitting down and figuring what to do before we go to the gate. We have received handwritten boarding passes. Today we travel with the Indonesian airline Merpati Nusantara Airlines (http://www.merpati.co.id).

09.08 The passengers to our flight are requested to go to gate 1. We have no intention to do so. We’re already there.

People are entering the plane from Denpasar to Dili.

We have arrived to one of the world´s newest countries, Timor Leste.

09.18 Now we're on board the Merpati flight to Dili, the capital of East Timor. Once again we sit positioned at the emergency exit, up with the small backpacks and the travel journal on the shelf again.

09.43 The flight is expected to take about two hours and will go straight east. We could not resist a visit to East Timor as our Indonesian journey takes us so close to this country which was a Portuguese colony until 1975. The country is also known as Timor Leste. There will be a short but hopefully pleasant visit in this country which is on the eastern half of the island of Timor. Timur means ”east” in Indonesian. So East Timor is "East-East".

09.59 It is appropriate to say something about our next destination’s history. East Timor declared its independence on the 28th of November 1975 when the Portuguese went home. Nine days later, on the 7th December 1975, Indonesia invaded East Timor and proclaimed it to be the country's twenty-seventh province. U.S. President Gerald Ford visited Indonesia just before the invasion. The U.S. government chose after this visit not to intervene or protest. On the contrary supported the Indonesians.

Between 1975 and 1999, East Timor was occupied by Indonesia. Over 200 000 people were killed by the Indonesian government soldiers. The struggle for independence was led by guerrilla movement Falintil. Eventually Indonesia was forced to hold a referendum in late August 1999 about East Timor becoming independent or not. The entire 98,6% voted for independence. After the election, the pro-Indonesian militia conducted raids where people were killed, raped and beaten. The capital, Dili, and much of the country was destroyed before an Australian-led peacekeeping force took over in October 1999, followed several months later by an administration appointed by the United Nations. Eventually Indonesia had to accept the election results and give East Timor its independence on 20 May 2002. (Source: Wikipedia)

TIME ZONE CHANGE

11.48 Our flight has gone from Bali and then over the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa. We have passed the majestic volcano Tambora in northern Sumbawa.

12.27 Just before we flew in over the island of Flores, we looked down on the islands of Komodo and Rinca, known for its giant lizards, the Komodo dragons. It’s a shame that lack time and money to visit the national park on this trip.

EAST TIMOR (TIMOR LESTE)

13.06 The flight itself went just fine. The lunch was served on board, chips, vegetables and chicken everything cold, in a box. These boxes with left overs were brought in at one time. This procedure had the effect that those who have not had time to eat up then were seated with their boxes in their laps. Some of the boxes were in the laps of people sitting at an emergency exit, which of course must not be blocked by any object. When we landed it went smoothly to arrange a visa, get a stamp in the passport and to retrieve our luggage. Now we are on our way in a taxi from Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, or as it was said on the plane Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Aircraft(!). The country's currency is the US-dollar. This is the third summer in a row that we visit a country that have the US-dollar as its currency and none of these countries has been the United States.

13.27 Our taxi took us from the airport into the capital Dili’s western part. The district is called Mandarin, just like the language. Now we have checked in at East Timor Backpackers (http://www.easttimorbackpackers.com). Christer is in his 93rd and I am in my 98th country. Now I can say that I've been in half of the countries in the world. We live in dormitory number 5. Here we sleep in a separate lower bed in a bunk bed each. Maybe we should have chosen a hotel instead? It would have been nice to have a hotel room.

This dorm is our new home for two nights.

Peter is relaxing at East Timor Backpackers.

A sleepy dog is resting.

Christer is checking what kind of books the hostel has.

13.51 We showered and then sat down by a table on the patio here at East Timor Backpackers. It is an interesting mix of people here, a German girl who is studying the local language Tetum, some Brits, Americans and various locals who either work here or are just passing by. The population here in East Timor does not feel especially Asian, they remind us more about Hispanics and there is, because of the Portuguese language and the Catholic faith, a Brazilian feeling here.

14.08 After using equipment from the kitchen; a strainer, a kettle, two spoons, two cups and coffee powder, I have arranged with a cup of coffee each. While we drink the coffee we´ll also read in our books. I have treated other guests here at the accommodation with a little reading as I have left two books in a bookshelf.

15.48 It was a good, strong coffee that most certainly could have been better. An honest strainer is not enough; it needed some sort of filter to keep out the powder. Some rain clouds might be coming in from the mountains. Here, on the patio, we sit in our own little world and it's hard to have a good grip on what's happening outside.

16.11 We have treated us a beer each, an Indonesian Bintang. Christer is sitting and filming with his mobile phone. What the hell, it suddenly stopped again. Christer is frustrated and promise that this trip will be the last trip with this faulty phone.

The traffic on Avenida Almirante Americo Tomas.

Dili Farol is the name of this lighthouse.

Swordfish on sale along the beaches in Dili.

Looking towards the old prison island Atauro.

17.31 We can not remain on the property all the time we are here in a new country. We walked down to the boardwalk by the sea. They sell meat, seafood on skewers and grilled fish here. On a small peninsula up ahead and on the right from us is Jesus as a statue form gazing out over the sea. Behind me, beyond a pier is the sun setting. We have been given a paper menu from the Indian Restaurant Vin Café. The place seems nice and offer good food. We will not go there, not tonight anyway. The filming with Christer's phone now works again luckily.

18.15 Our wandering along Avenida de Portugal took us almost to the pier where the sun went down. Now we walked back on the land side of the boardwalk. We have sat down on Dili Beach Hotel (http://dilibeachhoteltimor.com). It is not to stay here; we're at the restaurant/pub Dili Beach Restaurant. We'll eat pizza and drink Coca Cola here. A short distance away, a man with a hard whiskey voice is talking to his friends. Most of the guests here are Australians the television shows some rugby.

18.54 I have rarely if ever had so much and so many different ingredients on a pizza. Now as I have eaten it all, I feel like a child at Christmas when the last gift is opened, oh well and now what. However, I do not think I would have managed any more. The sun has gone down below the horizon and the darkness is spreading across Dili.

19.18 A malaria pill and a cup of coffee brought the dinner to an end. Now we will take copies of the receipts to the cashier and pay. The original receipts are already there so we could not cheat. We have, during the dinner and the coffee, heard some talking from some that can only be described as buddies to Crocodile Dundee at the bar. It was bona fide ”Aussies”.

Fish for sale in Dili.

Avenida de Portugal is the street between the sea and the embassies.

The beach is slowly turning into a restaurant.

The delicious streetfood is being prepared.

20.03 We left the restaurant and were forced to get past the enthusiastic taxi drivers and walk out in the tropical black night. We walked along the dark road home. Plans for an internet cafe visit were cancelled. We didn’t find any cafe. Instead we bought evening drink at the petrol station Tiger Fuel before returning to the accommodation. Here at home, we will refresh us.

20.58 We have showered and sat down on the patio to enjoy our books, drinks and the beautiful tropical evening.

21.30 There is an interesting power struggle between the hostel's cat and a puppy that also lives here. The puppy tried to get close to the cat. The reply from the cat became a keen eye. The little dog gave up and went to do other things.

22.23 This day of travel, this new country day draws to a close. It now remains dental care before we crawl into beds with thin pillow, quilt and unfortunately also thin mattress. We still hope for good sleep.

Today´s dinner will be experienced at Dili Beach Restaurant.

We watched a beautiful sunset from our dinner table.

Peter´s pizza contains many exciting ingredients.


Sunday 21st of July

08.46 It went pretty well to sleep despite the anorexic mattress. In contrast, our bodies feel stiff and bruised. I think this is the ninetieth country which we slept in on the journal trips. Here in the dormitory there are four bunk beds and three regular beds.

09.11 It might be possible to order some sort of breakfast here in East Timor Backpackers but we have decided to take a walk to the surrounding area to eat at a real restaurant. First, however, we must make ourselves ready.

09.29 We had found a cozy little restaurant near our accommodation, Cafe Tenda Mandarin. The good thing is that they serve breakfast. The negative is that they are closed on Sundays. We may wander on.

09.56 We are, after a long hike along the ocean, back at Dili Beach Hotel's restaurant. We saw the breakfast offer here in the menus last night. Here we sit on high chairs with cushions that can be spun. We look down the road, scout the sea and are waiting for the menus.

A hard night in a hard bed.

Christer is awaiting the breakfast.

Christer is ignoring the swordfish on his way home after breakfast.

10.13 The menus arrived. However, it became too much sun where we were sitting so we switched tables. We are at the new table, we have ordered our breakfast. We looked in the guidebook papers we have with us and we note that we went pretty far yesterday evening. In fact, we were not very far from the airport when we finally turned back. This city was, according to the same papers, far away in colonial times. Far away from what, should everything be measured and seen from a European horizon? Now the ordered breakfast is about to be served.

10.51 It was great food, very tasty and filling. Here on the terrace, is a little guy. He carries/sells wooden crocodiles. He has a shirt that says Italia on. On one of his sleeves is a Swedish flag. At our table is a ketchup bottle. It is banana ketchup. That's the God's truth, and nothing fun. The brand of ketchup is UFC.

11.38 There has been a brief stop in the dormitory. We will cool down, let the shirts dry for a while and the teeth should be brushed before we see more of Dili. So far, we have only seen the area along the boardwalk and some embassies.

12.05 The assignments are completed. Now we're going out and familiarize ourselves with this capital. Well we have no great expectations but something we'll do when we're here.

12.26 We have taken a shortcut to the sea and looked at the Catholic Motael church and a statue of a man in another man's lap. It is a memorial to remember the massacre at Santa Cruz cemetery on the 12th of November 1991 when 250 people were shot dead by Indonesian soldiers in connection with the burial of an independence fighter.

Motael Cathedral, Dili.

In memory of the Santa Cruz-massacre 1991.

Palácio do Governo, the seat of the government.

A man and his pet.

East Timor (Timor Leste) is the 182nd best football nation in the world.

Not a lot of success for the national team but they are not forgotten by FIFA.

13.03 Now we´ve wandered around in central Dili. It's Sunday and everything is calm and quiet. The city is not so big, it has about 195 000 inhabitants, but we had expected a little more energy. We have so far seen the Palácio do Governo (Government building), the national stadium for football (there has been a few of them by now), the university and the national parliament. Outside the Parliament waved flags from the world's various Portuguese-speaking countries. However, we are not looking for any of these attractions. There is a museum which we probably will visit later. We just have to find Xanana Museum/Reading Room (named after the first President of East Timor Xanana Gusmão). There we might find internet, a cafe and hopefully postcards. Christer just found it, at least on the map, so soon is this bench break is over. Oops, I forgot to mention that we have seen a young man with a rooster on his shoulder. We have been moving on foot in areas farther east in the world than we have ever been before.

13.41 Xanana Museum was where we thought it should be but we could not get in because it was closed. It's Sunday! On the 14th of July 2000 opened City Café. It was around that time that we started our first inter-railing. Here at the cafe will be coffee and orange juice, a light lunch or shall we call it snack?

14.27 We really needed both hot and cold beverages in our bodies. Here in the neighborhood, are a bunch of obnoxious young boys who want to sell wooden crocodiles to us. They find it difficult to accept no for an answer and we have temporarily lost them by going into a grocery store. Now after these necessary purchases for the future, we are at the park area, Largo the Lecidere. Christer is filming right now and I'll fetch a wet wipe.

14.39 We've walked out to the beach to try to take good photos of East Timor's own Jesus statue, Cristo Rei, who is on a promontory east of the city.

14.56 We are sitting on a bench along the boardwalk. Just across the road, opposite to us, is the Government Palace for East Timor.

Flags from every portuguese-speaking country are waving outside the parliament.

Christer by the Largo De Lecidere.

Tourist propaganda from 2012.

Park life in Dili.

Public transport in East Timor.

15.31 We are back at East Timor Backpackers. There's at least one thing that is good about the room, the dorm we live in. In here, it is cool and in the shade. Now we charge the batteries before the evening's events. We managed to see most of Dili. This is actually the 82nd Capital I keep a journal in.

17.18 We are on the patio again. Here we have drunk Bintang beer and have been read in books by Stieg Larsson and Stefan Tegenfalk.

18.07 The latest attempt to make coffee was better, down with the coffee powder in a sock like filter, down with the filter into a cup and pour the water into it. Let all the water drain out and serve. It's getting dark and there is a plan for dinner. On the back of the shirt on one staff member we can read,” Pleasant goat big big wolf”. Who are these characters?

18.26 It became darker and harder to read out here. Instead, we went to the room and our beds. Both the bed above Christer as well as the one over me now bears traces of human life. Above my bed is an orange bag and above Christer is a black man.

19.41 Tonight there will be Indian food. We are at Vin Café which we already got a menu from at yesterday evening. Christer has ordered chicken biryani and I choose chicken spring roll and rice. We will drink lemon juice. Outside our restaurant, a young man stood and shouted loud with a touch of insanity.

Christer is thinking about something important.

20.58 What was served was of a sufficient quantity and seasoning. The cost for both of us stayed at U.S. $ 17.50. We added $ 10 each. The lady at the counter looked and sounded desperate. The owner came and informed us that they had no change. Eventually he found a crumpled one dollar bill. I took it and said everything was fine. On the way home we wanted a good evening and were asked where we were going by some local men. At the petrol station Tiger Fuel Christer bought drinks and I some candy. A liter of diesel costs US$ 0,61. Now that we are back at the accommodation will Christer drinking their drinks and I'll drink a Huda that I bought yesterday. Huda beer is brewed from rice with Danish technology. I know not from which country the beer coming.

21.32 On the patio have a British couple talked to some men who were with when a peacekeeping force from Australia went into the island in 1999. They told us a lot about his experiences from that time. It was interesting to listen. Here in Dili, there are plenty of foreigners, most of them are from Australia but we have also met many Brits and Americans. It is unclear what everyone is doing here but the country is said to have become an exciting destination for many Australians who are tired of Bali.

22.16 Now it remains five sheets, ten pages of the first journal. Good thing I bought two notebooks in the spring when we were in Ohrid, Macedonia. There is not a lot left of my waking hours today in Dili.

22.47 We are preparing for our second and final night here in East Timor Backpackers. Good night!


Monday 22nd of July

07.59 A month ago we were at Arlanda airport in Sweden to begin this journey, with a few hours before departure. Now we are in East Timor with a few hours before a new flight. Everything here in Dili has been fine except for some small errors. We have not had any contact with the mobile network, no internet access, no postcard has been found and we have suffered in separate well hard bed.

09.03 Christer has returned from the shower. He has brought with him a thought and some tragic news. Why do they mop in the shower at the time when most want to take a shower? His in Sweden bought shower gel bottle tripped, fell and broke its neck. It leaves us here, it killed itself in Dili. On Christer's mattress, we can once again read,” Pleasant goat big big wolf”. What is this?

09.35 When we passed the reception counter we were asked where we were going. We said that it was that we were going to have breakfast. We were reminded that it's check out for us at 11.00. The street outside the hostel was full of cars. It is not good because we have to cross it to get a taxi in the right direction. We turned left onto a side street and went to eat breakfast at Café Tenda Mandarin (which was closed yesterday). Christer suggested just that we probably will try to catch a taxi along this street later.

10.37 The breakfast was good, spicy and very cheap. We ate noodles and chicken and drank coffee at a cost of about $ 2. Now we have checked out of East Timor Backpackers and ride a taxi to the airport.

Peter is having breakfast at Café Tenda Mandarin.

Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport.

10.52 We are once again at an airport. We are once again ready for the usual rituals at an airport. This time it is the small and tranquil Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport.

11.29 Just as we arrived for the check in there was a brief power outage. Our backpacks have been weight, written on and checked in. The same applies to us, in all cases the latter. Now we fill in the departure card and maybe later we might also buy some souvenirs.

11.59 We bought more t-shirts to ourselves and younger relatives. Now, the passports and even a departure documents have been stamped. Before that, we paid US $10 in departure tax. After the passport police was the security control. It began with another little short power outage. Now we are sitting in the waiting hall.

12.42 More and more people have come into the waiting room. If the number on the boarding pass and it usually do and if it's the same kind of plane which brought us here we will once again sit at the emergency exit. What is the probability of ending up where three flights in a row? Now I can remember wrong when it comes to probability, but I am running a test. There are around 72 seats in the plane. 6 of these are at the emergency exit, so does 6/72 and 1/ 12. That this could happen three times in a row should be 1/12x1/12x1/12 and 1/ 1728. Unbelievable!

13.01 We ended up at the emergency exit so it will be up with everything soon. What about our Indonesia Visa? Do they apply to one or more entries? We arranged with a multiple visa in Sweden, but it is a single visa we will have to arrange with a” Visa on arrival." Time to quit, put up my things and sit down in my chair.

TIME ZONE CHANGE

13.35 We're back in Bali time. During the flight, two ladies probably opened nearly ten different overhead compartments. Apparently they were looking for something. Now we are filling in the immigration and customs papers for Indonesia. Christer has read in a magazine about refugees from Palestine, Lebanon and Iraq that have emerged on the way to Australia and now stay on the tiny island of Nauru. He also read about a school in India. They had kept the oil used to cook the potato curry in old poison barrels; the result was poisoned and dead children and a school principal on the run.

14.11 The flight went well and we are now ready to once again see Patricia and Bali. There are still so many things to see and to on Bali.

INDONESIA

14.26 To get our luggage, we had to show up patches attached to the boarding cards at check-in. It wasn’t a multiple visa that we bought from Stockholm before departure. We had to buy a 30-day visa for US $25. It was therefore quite unnecessary for us to post our passports to the Embassy of Indonesia in Stockholm. The purpose of it was to get a visa for multiple entries that would last longer than 30 days.

14.46 On the other side of the customs office we were surprised when we were met by Patricia and her friend Susan. Patricia has arranged with vehicle and also, thankfully, a driver from the airport to our next accommodation. A happy surprise! We can live with the fact that we will have to skip our planned Starbucks visit. We are now once again in a car driving through the great city of Denpasar.

We are back in Indonesia and we got a free transport from the airport.

Peter and Patricia enjoy the stay at Prima Cottage.

Prima Cottage has these interesting pets (luwak).

15.38 The room is 5A, the accommodation is Prima Cottage (http://www.primacottage.com) and the town is Sanur, a tourist town with beaches and plenty of hotels. Sanur is however a more peaceful place and more focused on families with children and elderly tourists than party places around Kuta Beach. Now we freshen up ourselves and our clothes before we comply with the ladies at a sunset dinner later. Our beds have mosquito nets. It seems to be needed; it is a minor mosquito convention here. It really feels like we have returned to civilization when we have a nice private room again after two nights in a shabby dormitory.

16.27 Now we feel almost human. After some trying, I got life in the TV. Unfortunately; the picture disappeared just as quickly. Someone direct hunger has not occurred. Now we will go outside the room and wait for the ladies.

16.43 The four of us are in a car again. The TV is working. We just had to change the channel on the right remote. Our accommodation has cool pets. Here are two parrots and two Asian palm civets. The latter is the nice animals that provide the beans for Kopi Luwak. I wonder what coffee they serve here.

17.31 Our journey ended at Menega Cafe (http://www.menega.com). Here we sit at table 67 right on the beach. Tables and chairs are in the sand and it is difficult to find the right balance with the chair. Behind me is the sun going down. We are more precise in Jimbaran and on Muaya Beach.

17.59 Christer has been by a counter and pointed out the "Yellow crazy fish" that he wants grilled. I transferred the choice of a tasty squid to the skilled staff. Our food should be grilled and they use coconut shells in the grill.

Christer has picked his fish.

Menega Café has placed their tables in the sand, preparing for this evening´s sunset dinner.

Susan and Patricia are waiting for a dinner in a lovely setting.

The fantastic sunset in Jimbaran.

18.22 This is a popular place. Many romantic dinners and watch an amazing sunset. The people around us speak German, French, Chinese, Korean and Russian. It takes time to get the food. There are many guests here and live fish are to be turned into food.

18.45 Our food has arrived and it looks really delicious and it smells absolutely adorable. While waiting for the food we have once again tried to catch a beautiful sunset with our cameras, partly from the table but also on the beach where a bunch of dogs gathered. If they are to see the sunset or smell of food one can think about.

20.29 The evening ended with a walk in the dark on the beach. The waves rolled in with the rising tide and Mars was reflected in the sea. It is possible that Christer’s fish was a white snapper. It says so, on the bill we got.

21.47 We shopped at the food store Hardy's in Sanur before returning home again. They bought the drinks are now in the fridge. Now we scurry over to the ladies. There will be no fruit while we had planned, it will take us tomorrow when we hopefully have more time.

22.27 A quick visit with the ladies and in the internet with the help of Patricia's Ipad is done. Now, we have said good-night to the ladies. Now the closest is approaching a Bali Hai, a beer each.

23.18 It was perhaps not the best beer I drank. Not even on this trip actually. Now we look around among different TV channels.

The sun is hiding.

Darkness falls around our dinner table.

Christer´s fish dinner.


Tuesday 23rd of July

07.22 It's been a pleasant and enjoyable night under the mosquito net here in our room at Prima Cottage. We have wondered in how many countries we have slept under mosquito nets, the answer is that it is at least the seventh , Dominica, Saint Lucia, Mozambique, Zambia , Malawi, Botswana and Indonesia. Now it is time for a shower for me.

08.28 I came up with the suggestion that we should go out of the room and sit and wait for the ladies. It's not a good idea come to think about it. We have promised to pick them up. Now we are sitting outside their door and wait instead. Now it's almost time to switch to the next diary.

08.44 Patricia has received sad news during the night and slept badly because of this. Her grandmother has been hospitalized with heart problems. She hopes to get more information about it all later in the day. We are sitting at a table with the inviting pool next to us. We have ordered breakfast. It's too bad we do not have time to enjoy this beautiful pool but we are on the fantastic island Bali and should not waste time inside of a hotel area.

09.40 It's time for some good news. Patricia's grandmother is doing something better and in the UK has a little prince been born. Now we will prepare us for a morning at the beach here in Sanur. Furthermore it is time to change journal. This journal with Tower Bridge on the front is finished.

Prima Cottage has a lovely pool but unfortunately we have no time to use it.

Breakfast at Prima Cottage.

A hindu altar in Sanur.

The beach in Sanur.

Two pale men in the tropical ocean.

10.44 A new travel journal has started; this has the Coliseum in front. We have after some difficulty found the way down to the beach and to a, well what can I say? It's like a big table with a roof over. It is out on a short pier. A check on the internet has confirmed that it was white snapper which Christer ate for dinner yesterday.

11.09 So, I dipped myself into the sea, splashed around in the water yet. It is windy conditions here and the diary sheets will not stay still. Now I'm going to sun and air dry.

11.35 Both Christer and I have been swimming around, the photos have been taken and we are thinking about how red our skin will become this strong sun and harsh winds.

11.50 The water, the beach and the sand was left well not all the water and all the sand. Some of it came home with us. To fix this, we will add more water. On the way home we cut through some resorts that looked really beautiful. The price is probably not as glorious. On a patio sat a Swedish tourist and told of Swedish winter and snow tires in poor English to some poor listeners.

Prima Cottage, Sanur.

Patricia is walking towards today´s lunch.

We will eat lunch at the small restaurant Dony´s Warung.

12.27 It's time to walk away for lunch at the small local restaurant Dony’s Warung. I will after a tip from Christer try the daily specials, rendang. We also have to prepare a surprise for our friend Roberth.

13.37 The small lady run restaurant cooked and served great food. Personnel costs are modest when the same person takes orders, cooks the food, bring it to the guests and is the one you pay to. Now , preparations continue for Roberth's birthday . He turns 40 years on this particular day.

13.46 After planning, juggling and general problem all was ready to take the photo with Christer's camera. One of the problems was to arrange with pen and paper to write a tribute sheet. Then I realized that the photo would be sent electronically. Thus, the photo should be taken with Patricia's Ipad. The photo was, after further attempts, taken. This was our tribute to our travelling companion, 40-year-old, Roberth. Now, it's also posted on Facebook.

13.57 After an unnecessarily long photo session, we will now be on tour with our private chauffeur Sikun. We have to make a phone call to confirm tomorrow's boat trip from here in Sanur.

We are going through the entrance to Tanah Lot.

Lots of visitors taking photos at Tanah Lot.

The temple among the cliffs, Tanah Lot is an important tourist destination and a hindu holy place.

15.03 The heavy traffic makes us do a small detour. Everything is also clear to the trip tomorrow.

15.43 I took the opportunity to take an afternoon nap in the car and my friends took the opportunity to wake me up on arrival at the tour destination. We stepped out of the vehicle and paid the entry fee. Now we are at the temple area, Tanah Lot, right by the sea on Bali's west coast. At the gate to the temple area was a man with a python in lap. It's a sweltering heat today and the sweat is flowing.

15.54 It's beautiful, harmonious and full of tourists and other people here in the temple area. It feels mightily with the various temples on the cliffs by the sea. Right now it's low tide, low water, and easy to navigate.

16.15 I've been in a cave, hollow at the base of a cliff. In there I met some holy (?) men. They asked me to wash my hands and my face, and even drinking water from a spring. Then they sprinkled scented water on me, put a flower behind my left ear and attached rice grains to my forehead. Did I met holiness in hollowness or was it the most tourist nonsense? Who knows? Now we have bought a little drink to refresh ourselves with before we continue.

16.42 Some of the grains and even the flower are left on my head. We are not left on the area. We are again back in the car.

Furthest south on Bali you´ll find the cliffs at Uluwatu.

One of many monkeys at Uluwatu.

Christer at Uluwatu just before dark.

17.24 We travel south past the tourist areas of the more expensive Seminyak and the cheaper party area of Kuta. We are heading to our last stop on Bali.

18.41 We have stopped again at a new temple area, Uluwatu. This overlooks the sea rolling in below. We are on Bali's southernmost tip. Everything like hanging a bit on the cutting edge. In the west, the sun has descended into the sea. Here we have seen lots of monkeys, curious monkeys. We were when we paid the fee warned that the monkeys like to snatch the glasses from people. I was asked to put away mine but I did not. If you pay entry fee you'd like to be able to see it all. We also got to borrow some yellow pieces of cloth to tie around the waist, not clear what the purpose is. Here it is beautiful with temples and dusk light, something that had to be hard to see with the glasses in my pocket.

20.28 It was an eventful trip home in the car. Just as we would start to drive up a steep hill came a girl on a light motorcycle down it from the other direction. Suddenly the motorcycle started to wobble; she lost control of it and crashed just a little ahead of us. However, she was quickly on her feet, apparently unharmed. There overtaken even changing money at the exchange office Moneychanger in Jimbaran. Now we are in the home district of Sanur and the restaurant Pregina Warung. It is dinner time. The restaurant specializes in Balinese food.

21.19 It was a nice dinner with a disappointing end when Patricia had to argue with the waitress if she did not want to pay for his drink three times when they first said it was free refills. Eventually they gave with it. The customer is always right, even here.

22.03 The afternoon tour ended at Starbucks. We sit on outside the cafeteria. A Swedish family just passed us.

22.57 We chatted about a little of everything before we decided to break up in order to tie together the day. Now we are home to wash the day's clothes and pack up what is hung out to dry.

Peter is finishing a long day at Starbucks in Sanur.


VIDEOS


You can see 67 photos from July 20 in this photoalbum.
You can see 60 photos from July 21 in this photoalbum.
You can see 66 photos from July 22 in this
photoalbum.
You can see 105 photos from July 23 in this
photoalbum.


CONTINUE


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