After one look at the tourism development at Senggigi I went back to Ampenan to an unpretentious and comfortable losmen, where I stayed long enough to see the "sights": ( Pura Batu Bolong,   Narmada,   the beach at Ampenan) and to learn an appreciation of the unhurried, polite Sasak way.


Sumbawa seemed so dry and harsh -- a bit like some parts of Australia.   So did the man who borrowed a hundred dollars or so from me, promising to return it when we met again in Jakarta, where he would be of great assistance to me.   When I called "his" number in Jakarta they said they'd never heard of him.   Surprised?   I also met some wonderful people in Sumbawa Besar, Dompu and Sape (where everyone in town was invited to a wedding).

The sunset, as seen from the restaurant in Hotel Mutiara in Labuhan Bajo, on the western tip of Flores, was beautiful.   One of the boats in the picture had just brought back the body of one of its divers who had died.


I met Duncan, an Aussie teaching science at a high school in Ruteng, and while he was teaching I wandered around the town and into the fields.   The afternoon storms were frightening!   One thunderbolt was so violent that it scared the life out of one of Duncan's colleagues, who was in hospital with malaria and pneumonia.   Hery probably would have died anyway when the oxygen in the cylinder was used up -- the nearest refill was in Maumere, I think -- too far away to be brought in time.   His pregnant wife and child went back to Java.

In Bajawa it had been one year to the day since my hostess's husband had died, and it was at this party that I tasted my first tuak (palm wine -- yum!) and heard the most beautiful singing of hymns to the glory of God, and the memory of the husband.   As the sun was setting I took this photo through their back window.


From Maumere I flew to Jakarta, Indonesia's capital, on Java (here's the Istiqlal Mosque), unaware of how close I had come to the Dili "incident" which had happened at about the same time as I was walking down from the top of Keli Mutu, where I took this picture of the coloured lakes.

From Bogor to Jakarta takes one hour by bus on the tollway; I thought I would be safer staying outside the big city.   Bogor is a beautiful place (sorry - no photo :( ) and well worth taking the time to visit.

Puncak Pass looked hazy as I passed, so I stayed on the bus to Bandung, where I had lunch as I waited for the train to Yogya.   It's hard to find a cheap losmen in Yogyakarta at 02:30 in the morning, so I paid the Rp15,000 and found a better place the next day. :)

Back to Bali, then home (is Australia still home?).

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