Singapore is an interesting country. It is absolutely one of the most modern and well-organized countries in this region, the latter being controversial in many ways. Like Malaysia, Singapore is a clear example of a guided democracy. But, how far can or must a government go in ‘guiding’ its people? Theoretically Singapore has a democratically elected government and a political system that is similar to many western democracies. However, the practice is different. Although the government denies the existence of racism, it definitely is part of day-to-day life in Singapore. The Chinese control most of the country, giving many Malay and Indian the ‘status’ of second rank citizens. Promotions are hardly given to others than Chinese. In the 1970s and early 1980s the government successfully implemented a birth control campaign. The campaign appeared to be too successful that the government currently promotes pregnancies. However, it reality it only wants women with a certain education level to have more than two children. Others can have more than two children however, after the second child, they won’t be eligible for a maternity leave.

Another example of Singapore’s ‘apartheid’ policy has to do with its housing projects. Having to deal with limited space, Singapore has many HDB’s (House Development Board), which are huge residential flats. New objects are, in theory, available to all layers and ethnic groups of society. In practice, however, it is very difficult for many people to obtain some of these new apartments because very tight conditions apply (like a certain level of income). This means that those who cannot meet these conditions only can rent/buy old and not well located HDB’s.

However, I will be the last person to say that Singapore is not comfortable and ‘unattractive’. Its public transportation is very well developed and even comfortable. All western products and brands are available and English is widely spoken (it still amuses me when I hear Singaporese add ‘lah’ behind almost every English spoken word. Nobody seems to know where it comes from). The streets in Singapore are clean, most people very polite and willing to help. Eating in the street doesn’t involve that many risks compared to other Asian countries. The typical hawker centers have to meet high standards of hygiene and are not allowed to stalk people. I was very impressed by the way Singapore promotes the Internet. In the streets one can access all kinds of information via Internet booths. Everywhere, from buses to buildings, from bus stops to cabs, Internet addresses appear on everything imaginable and mention the most diverse services.

On the 9th of August Singapore celebrated its 35th National Parade Day. On this day Singapore celebrates the fact that in 1965 it broke loose from a federation, which was established by Britain to exit colonial rule in this region. The federation – a new Malaysia – united Malaysia with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. Streets, balconies of HDB’s, driveways, lantern poles and government buildings were all ‘colored up’ with the red and white flag of the Republic. The day itself was full with military parades (especially to show Malaysia its ‘muscles’), cultural shows, songs, patriotic speeches and fireworks. To us it all appeared as a well-orchestrated event that was comparable with parades of dictatorial (communist) countries.

This day Charlotte and Gilbert invited me to join them and their son for a day-trip to Pulau Bintan. An island just south of Singapore less than an hour by express boat. They visited Bintan visited many times before, and became their favorite get-away spot. The island belongs to Indonesia and is part of Sumatra’s Central Riau Islands. It’s a popular spot for expat’s living in Singapore (as well as Japanese and Korean tourists), especially for a weekend outing. Part of the island only consists of resorts and golf courses. We enjoyed the luxury of the Banyan Tree Resort, a nice resort with comfortable cabin style accommodation (some with their own little pool), a small beach, two beautiful swimming pools, restaurants (with great Indonesian food) and a health/massage salon. To really get into the style of luxury and comfort, Gilbert invited me for an hour-long massage at the health club. He chose the Indonesian massage and I decided to pamper myself with a Sports massage, which was a combination of an Indonesian and a Thai massage. Before the ‘treatment’ we had a chance to relax in a very well decorated room with an awesome view. While lying on a comfortable sofa we noticed the following saying on a wooden cabinet:

In order to become the winner that you will respect and admire……. you must have control of the authorship of your own destiny…… the pen that writes your life story must be held in your own hand.

It gave us enough food for thought. Before we could discuss it two kind Indonesian ladies – the masseuses – accompanied us to a well-equipped massage room. For 50 minutes we enjoyed a great rub of the muscles. The rest of day past by quickly and before we knew it we were back in Singapore, just in time to witness fighter jets fly over and big fireworks.

Tomorrow I will catch my SilkAir flight to Manado, in Northern Sulawesi. Singapore was great. The mountain biking in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with Gilbert was challenging, muddy and a lot of fun. Our visit to the Singapore Zoo, which was beautiful and very well organized. The street where it all happens, Orchard Road, was hard to avoid and offered all the imaginable from Starbucks to the giant bookstore Kinokuniya. Charlotte guided me through the city and showed me places as Raffles Landing Place, Boat Quay, The Merlion (a statue which shows a half-lion, half fish and stands guard at the mouth of the Singapore river) and the beautiful constructed old bridges Anderson Bridge and Cavenagh Bridge (built in 1869). Also the food was hard to beat. From great Italian dishes in the Chijmes complex (an old monastery which now houses several restaurants and bars), Typical Chinese and Malay dishes in the giant market of Lau Pa Sat to great pepper crab at Jumbo’s (East Coast Sea Food Center). And of course good old Texan/Dutch BBQ at the Ruegg residence.

The flight from Singapore to Manado took about 3,5 hours. In first instance Manado made me feel uncomfortable. Immediate after landing I had to face the typical hassle one can expect in Indonesia. Banks don’t give you the right exchange rate and just rip you off and taxi drivers ask the most ridiculous amounts of money for their services. Fortunately, I only needed a few hours to get used to it. But it showed how one get used to comfort and a well-organized society very quickly. But it also meant recognizing the typical aspects of Indonesia, like the beautiful hats man wear, the unmistakable nice smell of Kretek (cigarettes with cloves), delicious food and many (old) Dutch words used in the language.

Manado is far from being an attractive city. It is dirty, noisy and there is hardly anything interesting to see. My first night I stayed at the famous backpackers hostel Smiling Hostel (12000 Rps per night, which is US$1,5). A grumpy place at the harbor, which also provided lodging to descent, seized rats, however, the owners were very nice and provided me with a lot of valuable travel information. North Sulawesi is the most developed region on the Sulawesi island. It also forms a natural bridge to the Philippines. The largest distinct group in the northern part of the province are the Minahasans. In 1870 the Dutch controlled most of the region. The Dutch and the Minahasans eventually became so close that the north was often referred to as the ‘twelfth province of the Netherlands’. In 1945 Soekarno declared the independence of the Indonesia. However, the Dutch tried to restore order and fought some heavy battles, which led to a long independence struggle. On 27 December 1949 power was officially handed over. After Indonesia’s independence Sulawesi tried to get regional autonomy. However, in 1957, the Minahasan leaders were dissatisfied and declared their own autonomous state of North Sulawesi. This didn’t last long, a few months later the Indonesian government bombed Manado and took control.

Like Bali, Sulawesi seemed to be the only place in Indonesia where people and the army weren’t fighting. However, during my stay several travelers and locals told me that fighting started in Poso, a city in Central Sulawesi, and disrupted day-to-day life. I certainly hope that the north will keep its cool and doesn’t become part of Indonesia’s internal mess.

One of the main reasons I chose North Sulawesi was the fact that it offers some great diving. The main attraction was Pulau Bunaken, a small island just off the coast. On the 16th I took the afternoon public boat to the island. It took an hour to get there. The boat was, except for an Englishman and me, packed with locals. The weather was great, sunny and no clouds were visible. The closer we got to the island I noticed the change in the color of the water. It always excites me when I cruise through crystal clear water and suddenly see the dark deep blue water change to beautiful green where sandy patches on the bottom and corals could be seen. Because of the coming low tide, it took a while to find a spot where we could disembark. Beautiful colored fishing boats surrounded us. Locals were sitting on the beach under palm trees and observed the new arrivals. ‘Selamat Datang’ (‘welcome’) was visible on a concrete gate.

Pulau Bunaken is a 808 hectare island and part of the 75.265 hectare Bunaken National Park, which includes Manado Tua, Nain, Mantehage and Pulau Siladen. All small islands visible from Bunaken. The majority of Bunakens residents live in Bunaken village at the southern tip. Most of them are tuna fishers. Still, Bunaken must import drinking water from Manado. There are wells but that water was very brackish. Theoretically, all houses on Bunaken are illegal, as it is a National park. However, these people live here for many years and don’t seem to be willing to move. This also means that Bunaken doesn’t have hotels. There are a handful of so-called home-stays of which most cater to those who don’t mind basic conditions. It caters well to the budget travelers, although some very well furnished huts can be found as well. Accommodation consists of small huts, many with a small ‘mandi’ (the Indonesian version of a bathroom). Showers don’t exist and buckets filled with brackish water are provided for washing. A helpful young guy guided us to our home-stay, Lorenso’s Homestay. This home-stay was located on the Pantai Pangalisang side of the island. Here mangroves dominated the coastline. Lorenso offered us each a hut on a small beach for 30.000 Rps (US$3,5) including three meals a day and unlimited tea and coffee (best value ever). The hut was very simple but had a very nice small veranda overlooking the reef. Lorenso’s mother cooked every day and most meals were delicious. If you don’t like fish or rice, don’t come to Bunaken. Breakfast consisted of fresh papaya, mango and bananas and was sometimes accompanied with a pancake. Lunch and dinner meant fish, rice and vegetable. Sometimes we were offered chicken or pork. But the fish was delicious. It was fresh and very well prepared. Especially the tuna was a real treat. All meals were served in a larger, open-air hut. So we always ate together, which was a great way to meet people and have great chats. Lorenso, a real local guy with a nice sense of humor, had seven huts on the property of his parents. His father occasionally took visitors out for a fishing trip. Often he would play the guitar on the beach at night. The nights were quiet; one could only hear the waves, crickets, gecko’s and the sounds of falling coconuts. A nice sea breeze cooled the hut. The reef was only a few meters swimming away and offered some extraordinary snorkeling. I met some very nice Germans and Dutch travelers, like Jasper with who I had some good discussions and who taught me the strategy of chess.

On the island there is one concrete path (in bad condition), which connects some of the home-stays with the village. There are no cars on the island and after dark you really need a torch to find you way. Walking from one point to the other is fun. The small paths lead through coconut trees, and pass by small houses. Often you will have to make way for a wooden cart pulled by an ox. Locals are very friendly and love to talk. Children are, like everywhere, big fun. One afternoon I played table tennis with four kids for several hours. We had the best fun ever. Adults were also gathered around the table (which was part of an old green door) and enjoyed watching this tall, white man sweating his butt off. Just walking over the beach is an experience. One can see the fishing boats come in, people taking a peaceful nap under a palm tree, children playing in the waves and observe how a fishing boat is built.

The island has several dive operators. I took one day to visit them all and finally decided to dive with Bunaken Divers, on the property of Seabreeze (which offers accommodation). It was worth checking the different dive operators. Some offer great deals but deal with not well-maintained equipment or bad air. Others are too expensive and cater too those with unlimited resources. Bunaken Divers (managed by an English couple, Tina and Nighel) offered me two dives for US$50, including equipment (after eight dives I got the ninth for free). Their operation was reasonable well organized and I didn’t have any problems with their equipment.

I really enjoyed being under water again. The diving was just awesome. Bunaken really offers some very nice sites. Most of the dives are done at beautiful and impressive drop-offs, caves and coral valleys. Bunaken doesn’t cater to those who only want big fish. Here it is the small stuff, which makes it interesting. I was very lucky with my dive buddies. The group I dove with was small, experienced and great company. There was Roy, our local dive master who was a great guy and able to show us the most fantastic critters. Lea and her mother Connie both from the States, were very good divers and fantastic company. Lea, a biologist, who lives in Manado and works on environmental issues. Connie, a freelance photographer, who got my undivided attention when she talked about her projects. The German Thomas, was also a great diver and constantly managed to stay under the longest (my average time being between 60 and 70 minutes, he stayed under another 15-20 minutes). Some of the best sites were:

Depan Kampung (beautiful wall dive, sea snakes, napoleon fish and lobster), Bunaken Timur (wall dive, tiny snails, coral and white stonefish, ghost pipefish), Manado Tua I (beautiful walls, impressive ‘architecture’, caves and overhangs, soft corals, clams), Fukui (giant clams which were fantastic, stingray, napoleon fish, big puffer fish, barracuda’s), Likuan I (wall dive, small cave at 30 meters depth with five baby sharks, huge sharks relaxing on sandy patches, a lot of plastic bags from Manado floating around), Tanjung Pisok (snails and clams, strong currents), Wreck (disappointing site, old ship which sank due to a torpedo in WWII, at 30 meters depth, very strong currents, lots of dead corals), Rangulingan (tuna, small puffer fish, barracuda’s) and Likuan III (wall dive, turtles, scorpion fish, snails).

One day Lea invited me to a small part at the house of Mark, an American who lived on the island with his wife and daughter. Mark, a marine biologist, works for an organization, which is funded by American tax money. He is involved with all issues in relation to the conservation of Bunaken National Park. For six years he lived in the south of Sulawesi in a small Muslim fishing village. The last three years he is residing on Bunaken in a beautiful but simple constructed house overlooking the sea. Mark speaks Bahasa Indonesia and knows almost everybody on the island. He regularly meets with the different village heads, dive operators and local government and tries to set policies to further protect the area and but more important works on reef (protection) awareness programs. He faces many challenges, from bureaucratic and corrupt governments to people who don’t care much about the future of the underwater world and make extra money by fishing with explosives and cyanide.

At this party I also met Kerstin, an American who combined a business trip with visiting her friend Mark. Kerstin and I made several dives together and further explored the island and its small beaches. One night, Mark invited us for a night dive at Likuan II. I love diving in the dark. These dives show a whole different underwater world. But diving with Mark made it even more spectacular. He knows every creature and plant under water. At only 15 meters depth we saw some fantastic things like decorator crabs (huge crabs dragging peaces of life coral on their shields), Barket Star (a coral which actually can change its position, I therefore called it the ‘walking bush’), different types of shrimp, weird lobsters, impressive oysters and much more.

Kerstin and I decided to explore the main land. On the 23rd Mark took us in his boat to Manado. Here we found a driver who brought us, within 45 minutes, to Tomohon, a pleasant little town south of Manado, which had cooler temperatures than Manado. The area is dominated by several vulcano’s like the active Gunung Lokon (which smoke we were able to see from Bunaken island) and the Gunung Malawu (1300 mtr). We took a room at the Happy Flower Homestay, a small home-stay just outside Tomohon. From here we took a mikrolet (a minivan) to the Tomohon. Here were explored the town. We wondered through the streets, visited the market (on which they sell dog meat and other delicatessens). From here we took another, rather packed, mikrolet to the base of the Malawu volcano. The area around the volcano was beautiful. Within an hour we were on the rim. The air was filled with the disgusting odor of sulpher, however, the view was nice. We could even see Bunaken island from here as well as Manado. Down in the crater we watched smoke coming out of little holes. We walked along the whole rim. On our way back to Tomohon we decided to take a ‘healthy’ dip in a pool, which, according to the story, was filled with water from hot springs. That night we had a great dinner at Gardenia, a guesthouse/restaurant set in a beautiful garden with several ponds.

Today we met up with Mark again in Manado. We joined him and two of his local friends (Bruce and Cindy) on a muck diving trip in the Lembeh Strait, near the town of Bitung (east of Manado). A friendly local fisherman took us in his small wooden boat. The characteristics of muck diving are very different from regular diving. Here in the Lembeh Strait we hardly saw any corals or regular fish. The bottom consisted of gray/black colored volcanic sand. The visibility was poor and didn’t came close to the 20 to 40 meters one can have around Bunaken Island and also the water temperature was less comfortable (here we dove with full suits). But the diving was super. Again it was great to dive with people who knew the local species and where to find them. The main reason to dive here was to look for the frogfish and typical shrimps like the ‘spearer’ and the ‘smasher’. We saw interesting creatures, some of which I never had seen before, like a huge yellow seahorse (only the males get pregnant), a white frogfish, a yellow frogfish. In the afternoon we drove back to Manado. Here Kerstin and I stayed in the friendly Hotel Minahasa.

On the 25th we hired a driver who drove us to Batuputih, a village on the edge of Tangkoko National Park. The Lonely Planet describes it is "one of the most impressive and accessible nature reserves in Indonesia". The park is 8800 hectares and home to many interesting animals, like the tarsiers, the endemic red knobbed hornbills and to the black macaques (black monkeys). We stayed at a home-stay just outside the park called Mama Ruus (50.000 Rps including three meals). At the park we hired a local guide (Mr June) who would take us on two hikes through the beautiful area. The first nature hike we did at 17:00 hours. The objective was to spot the tiny tarsiers. They animals are nocturnal and live in primarily and secondary rainforests in Indonesia and the Philippines. Their bodies, which vary in color from light gray to dark brown, are only about 12 cm long, but their tail is often twice that length. They have a large head, which they can rotate 180 degrees, and huge eyes and very sensitive ears, allowing them to locate the tastiest insects. Tarsiers live in family groups of up to eight and spend most of the day in trees, often strangler trees. It was to a strangler tree that our guide brought us. Here we sat down and waited for the leader to leave the comfort of the tree. Just after the sunset the first came out. It was a fantastic sight to see this little creature jump out of the big tree, just a few feet from us. Our guide used his torch to blind the little animal so we could better observe it. I was surprised that our presence didn’t bother the tarsier. Soon, after the leader sang his curious ‘song’ the others came out one by one. It was an interpreting spectacle; here we were in the dark watching tarsiers going on their dinner spree. To top it off, the guide showed us two huge spiders in another tree.

The next morning we woke up at 4:30 hours. A half an hour later we met up with June again. This time he would try to locate the famous macaque negra, the black monkey. These monkeys live in big groups. In the early morning they climb out of the high trees (which protect them at night) in search of food. Soon June found a pack. Again I was surprised that these animals didn’t mind us being so close to them. We actually could sit among them, which enabled us to observe them very well. It was a great event. The leader of the pack kept an eye on his souls and in the meantime was freed of fleas by one of his subordinates. I’ve never been so close to monkeys in the wild. Both Kerstin and I enjoyed it very much. Also very impressive was the sound of a hornbill flying high over the treetops. Their wings make an incredible sound, which sounded somewhat like a helicopter. We also saw some beautiful colored rainbow bee-eaters (birds), an imperial gray pigeon and starlings. That afternoon we drove back to Manado and took the public boat back to Bunaken. Kerstin had to leave Sulawesi the next day for a three-day conference in Jakarta. We really enjoyed each other’s company and therefore decided to meet on Bali. Bali, an island I imagined I would never visit as I perceived it to be too touristy, too western, too crowded, too developed in other words, not my place to be. But Kerstin and Mark convinced me otherwise.

After our tour through Minahasa, I stayed three more days on lovely Bunaken. An island I really started to like; its native people, the diving, the peaceful setting and much more. On one of my last evenings, just before sunset, I sat on my little veranda reading a book and enjoying the view of the sea. Suddenly I heard the sounds of splashes and immediately saw several spinner dolphins playing. They were just off the edge of the wall and several of them made very impressive jumps high in the air. It was a breathtaking sight. The next morning, around six o’clock while sipping my tea, I saw again a group of the same dolphins enjoying themselves. I made one more dive and, as a farewell present, was lucky enough to encounter two beautiful turtles, an animal which is fascinating to watch under water. Bunaken and Northern Sulawesi was a great experience, also thanks to several people who made it extra special.

Garuda Indonesia flew me via Ujung Pandank (Southern Sulawesi) to Bali on the 30th. I arrived in the afternoon, just an hour before Kerstin arrived from Jakarta. We decided to stay in Kuta, a town just north the airport, which, according to me, sums up the worst of Bali. What a difference from Bunaken. The only attraction here in Kuta were the hundreds of shops which all sell the same rubbish. Vendors are annoying and the whole atmosphere made me want to leave. The beach at Kuta, which attracted many surfers, was absolutely not impressive (but what beats pristine Bunaken?) The only nice aspect of Kuta were the variety of restaurants and nice accommodation. We stayed in The Three Brothers (US$20, great value but not for a backpacker on a tight budget). It was a nice guesthouse, which offers well-furnished townhouse style rooms in a beautiful green setting. The garden was impressive and the pool was a great place to cool-off. In Goa 2001 we had dinner and enjoyed a nice and cool evening. The next day we jumped in the world of ‘shopping’. Except of some nice furniture places, I was flabbergasted by sight of the many shops and hundreds of westerners walking from shop to shop. What a total different world this was. Fortunately, Kerstin soon found what she was looking for and was ready to leave this not Indonesian like place. Our last evening we had dinner in The Soda Club, a great place with a nice ambience and which offered some tasty dishes. We both looked forward to our next destination, Ubud.

Ubud, is often referred to as the center of ‘culture tourism’ in Bali. There are many interesting places in and around this small town. Unfortunately, like Kuta it also offers a wide variety of shops and galleries (and annoying, hassling vendors), mostly selling crab for enormous amounts of money. Ubud is also a great place to use as a base from where one can explore the rest of Bali. It is situated on the gentle slopes up towards the central mountains, just a 45 minutes ride north of Kuta. Ubud is haven for those interesting in taking batik, Indonesian cooking or woodcarving classes.

But I have to admit I liked Ubud a lot. I will remember this place for its great accommodation and some very well designed and located restaurants. Again, it’s not for the average backpacker but for US$40 to $70 one can find some very, very nice spots to relax and enjoy ‘luxury’. One of the places we very much enjoyed was Alam Indah. I think it was one of the most pretty located and constructed hotels I know. It is not a large hotel, which is excellent, but offers very well furnished rooms with breathtaking views at the rice paddies surrounding the complex. It has a very nice small pool, which is a great place to enjoy the peace and quietness of the area. Plants and flowers, like the wonderful smelling Frangipani, gave the hotel a special look. The rooms had great patios or verandas to relax and enjoy the views. The breakfasts were delicious. Muesli with yogurt, fresh fruit, an apple pancake with coconut and ginger tea. At night the sounds of gecko’s, frogs and crickets could be heard. In the early morning roasters dominated and would wake you up too early.

After two nights we moved to Kebun Indah, a sister-hotel of Alam Indah. This was less luxurious but had the same unique atmosphere. Again located among beautiful rice paddies, with a small pool and great staff. While we were there some of the rice paddies were harvested which was interesting to watch. The peasants had various methods to keep the birds away from the rice. Some used hundreds of empty plastic bags and hung them on poles so the wind can move them around. Others make snapping noises with some sort of whip, which is made with out of bamboo and a leather strap.

One night we visited a Kecak Fire, which is a Monkey Chant Dance. Residents of the village Junjungan, just north of Ubud, performed in it. We both enjoyed it. We also explored different restaurants, like: Laka Leke (beautifully located), Bebek Bengill (also named Dirty Duck Diner, very well decorated and well located in a rice paddy, but were the avocado’s always were finished), The Jazz Café (delicious food, expensive wine, huge beers and great live jazz), Wayan (with authentic Indonesian rijsttafel) and Tutmak (with great organic salads, delicious lassies and tasteful latte’s). We also rented mountain bikes, which appeared to be the best way to explore the area. One village we visited by bike was Petulu. In this village one can, every day at around six o’clock in the afternoon, witness hundreds of herons flying in from all over the area. The trees in the village were packed with the white birds. The villagers think these birds are the reincarnations of former villagers.

The Neka Museum in Ubud, a private museum with a lot of local art, was not what we expected it to be.

On the 7th we left Ubud for Sideman, a small village east of Ubud. On the way we passed a few famous temples like Gunung Kawi (here ten rock-cut shrines can be seen) and Tirta Empul (a temple with holy springs, which was founded in 962 AD). We also passes by the 1.717 meter high Batur volcano which partly surrounded by a big lake. The nearby Abang volcano (2.152 meter) was also impressive. Near the village of Besakih we visited the Besakih temple, which we remember as the temple of aggressive and money obsessive priests. The best part of this location was the view at Bali’s highest and most sacred volcano Agung (3142 meter). It was this volcano, which brought us to this area. Near Sideman we took a room at the very quiet located Subak Tabola Inn. The best aspect of this place was our veranda, which had a great view at the lower lying rice paddies. It was the perfect spot for practicing yoga, which we did one morning.

In the morning of September 8th we woke up at two o’clock. Our goal was to climb to the top of Gunung Agung before sunrise. We hired a guide who brought us to the Agung Market Temple (at 1.500 meter) high on the southern slopes of the mountain. From here, with torches, we started our ascent at 3:22 in the morning. It was a heavy trek. Most of the route was at a 45-degree angle. The first part went through thick forest. The sky was beautifully illuminated by hundreds of stars. Now and then we were able to spot a falling star. Halfway the climb we had to put more layers of cloths on as the wind became fierce and incredibly cold. I enjoyed the climb in the dark. Within an hour our guide had problems, he couldn’t keep up with our pace and soon fall behind. Later we discovered that he had stomach problems caused by too much alcohol, which he consumed just the evening before. At around 5:25 pm hours I noticed a beautiful colored horizon. It was clear that the sun would rise soon. The last meters to the top I almost ran, I didn’t want to miss the sunrise. Just before six o’clock I reached the top. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to see the sunrise because of a giant boulder, but the changes of color we incredible. Also the fact that I was far above clouds made it spectacular. Kerstin joined me after twenty minutes and both enjoyed the incredible views. It was freezing up there. Every time I am surprised how quickly the temperature drops on higher altitudes. Soon we started the descent. On the slope down we met our guide again and in a sunny spot we had our breakfast. In daylight everything looked different. The slope was pure volcanic stone. It was hard to imagine that in 1963 this volcano erupted and more than 1.000 people died. The hike down was a ‘knee killer’. It took another three hours to reach the temple.

I can look back at a fantastic trip in Indonesia. Again I was able to do extraordinary things, experienced new things, had a lot of fun and met great people. I still remember 1986. It was the year in which my father introduced me to the Indonesian archipelago during one of his frequent business trips (a country with more than 13,000 islands). I still remember the beautiful green rice paddies, the small kampungs and the nice people. On that trip I developed warm feelings for Indonesia and Asian culture in general and made me want to explore this part of the world in the future. It’s a pity that the economy and the image of this ‘rich’ country is going down the tube due to a corrupt and unstable government, religious clashes and various demands for independence expressed by several of its provinces. What will the future be for this country? Nobody seems to know.

Tomorrow I will start with the last part of my trip. For the duration of 90 days I will explore a complete different culture in another part of the world. New Zealand, a place with breathtaking flora and fauna, a heaven for those who love the outdoors. An eleven-hour plane-ride will bring me to Auckland a city on the Northern Island. Here I will buy a pushbike and slowly make my way down to the south. Some great adventures are waiting for me, I immensely look forward to it. I will try to keep you posted. Farewell, or as they say in the Maori language; "E noho ra"!