Overload of the first week. Northern Sulawesi

The trip started very promising, with a bunch of boys surrounding me in Jakarta airport, in turns taking photo either of me or with me; following by a bus driver feeding me some exotic fruit on the way to my first hotel in the vicinity of the airport (I had a 5am flight next day) and me running embarrassed to the hotel room, not being able to withstand everyone on the street from young to old turning to stare at me and starting "Hello Mister" conversations. Never thought I could get too much attention, that was the first of my many presumptions shuttered by Indonesia(ns).

The feeling of being an international celebrity got mixed with a feeling of being a millionaire (which technically I was considering $100 = 1 million rupiahs), after I chartered a private boat to go to the island Bunaken off the Island Sulawesi.

From Nothern Sulawesi (First amazing week in Indonesia)

There I swam in the healthiest coral surrounded by all kinds of fish for 2 days straight. Some sunburns still remind me (mainly while I am sitting) of that most meditative experience. Favorite memory from Bunaken though is a group of teenager boys soulfully singing "I am a big big girl in the big big world".

From Nothern Sulawesi (First amazing week in Indonesia)

Next stop was a tiny village back in Sulawesi by the active volcano with a beautiful lake inside of its crater.

From Nothern Sulawesi (First amazing week in Indonesia)

The hotel's guide Franki offered to accompany me to hot springs on the day of my arrival, since "he liked them anyway" and kept me company, driving me around showing very cool remote attractions on a motorcycle for the other 3 days. This behavior appeared to be a pattern, with me not being able to be alone for more than 8 hours (during which I slept) at a time during my entire trip. Once people found out where I was going, they were going with me - from what I observed single male travelers didn't enjoy the same attention. I am planning on writing a book about advantages and joys of traveling as a single woman to balance the sections about danger and annoyance encountered in every travel guide book.

From Nothern Sulawesi (First amazing week in Indonesia)

On a climb to the volcano crater Franki got bit worried since the clouds of gases coming out of the volcano seemed to be bigger than usual, me and an accompanying dutchman got more than mildly concirned, but stubbornly continued the climbed up the lava road and were rewarded with stunning views and a taste of Sulphur in our throats .

From Nothern Sulawesi (First amazing week in Indonesia)

Following the hike, we went to the infamous Tomohon market (see the photos, if you dare) where we bought a python, which Frankie made a delicious curry out of it.

From Nothern Sulawesi (First amazing week in Indonesia)

Inspired by gases and the exotic meat, I attempted riding a motorcycle on the broken windy minahasan roads, that's when I learned from scared exclamations of Frankie how to say "careful" and "slowly" in Indonesian. I didn't want to leave, but more amazing secluded black beaches, coral, groups of monkeys, lizards and beautiful tiny tarsiers were awaiting in a remote NP.

From Nothern Sulawesi (First amazing week in Indonesia)

Local Life in Tana Toraja

A short flight across the island brought me to Northern Sulawesi, and that's where the real adventure had begun. After a 5 hour journey on a micro bus with a driver honking non stop and a woman throwing up next to me and me not attempting a murder (I told you Indonesia reformed me) I appeared in the silk-making village Sadan, where the most charming guide took me to see the floating village.

From Tana Toraja - Central Sulawesi

6 more hours on the bus up and down the mountains and I am in Tana Toraja.. tam tam tam tam - famous for it's elaborate funeral rituals, extensive collection of tombs and mysterious baby graves attached to the trees. All these cultural wonders being set among unbelievable scenery.

From Tana Toraja - Central Sulawesi

Tana Toraja's gateway city non-surprisingly and unfortunately was full of tourists and tourist guides. The guides were charging an average local monthly salary for their precious company and seemed necessary for the attendance of an elaborate funeral ceremony (since one needs to be invited either directly or indirectly via a guide). I took my chances and a local boy with a motorcycle hoping to find among a thousand ceremony attendants a person to "invite" me.

After a scenic and romantically bumpy ride through the fog up the mountains I started spotting a lot of people in ceremonial clothes. But it wasn't until a pig being dragged by one foot blocked our road, that I was sure I was at the right place (the funerals are marked by numerous pig sacrifices) and got off the motorcycle.

A group of local women found my attempts at Indonesian very amusing and let me join them. Little did any of us know that me fainting in front of them was only half an hour away (and that is what marks adventure in my book).

A lot of pigs were carried up the mountain to the ceremonial square, where they were either slaughtered or spared (by being given to a member of the family) . Maybe it was their smell or maybe it was their non stop squealing.

From Tana Toraja - Central Sulawesi

Or maybe it was the burning sun and a lack of water. Perhaps it had nothing to do with the funeral at all and my body was just exhausted by the eventful week and the two grueling days of public transportation. Whatever the reasons were, surrounded by complete strangers, I lost consciousness.

While coming to my senses in a traditional torajan house, I was contemplating the feasibility of finding a motorcycle to bring me to my hotel and wondering if I would have enough strength to hold on to the driver for over an hour. I can count on my toes the number of times when I was less optimistic about the outcomes of the day. Thankfully, kind hearted Yuliana (40 year old women, who had 6 kids, spent most of her life on rice fields, and yet looked stunning) announced that I was staying in her house that night. How warmly I was welcomed in the village was beyond imagination and belief. After "chatting"(no English) with women and being healed by the massages, hot tea and pieces of earth rubbed on my forehead, I fell asleep. Didn't sleep for too long though, a couple of hours later, what seemed to be a half of the village surrounded me, woke me up, and were trying to force feed me, while looking very lovingly at me. Then women started "dividing" me, deciding which house I should go to next.

Next morning I was brought to another funeral (it was a funeral season after all), where I was able to enjoy delicious pork, which was slow-roasted in bamboo sticks on the open fire and rice vine, which was also drunk from the bamboo sticks.

During the funeral I realized how advanced Indonesian men were, they were wearing sarongs and cooking!

From Tana Toraja - Central Sulawesi

I ended up staying in Yuliana's house for the next 4 days, missed my flight to Kalimantan, made friends with her sweet beautiful 21-year old daughter Anti, hiked to the traditional and textile making villages, rice fields and mountain picks.
I wasn't able to go hardly anywhere alone though. The excuses being too far, too late, or no excuses were given and I just was accompanied. The amount of protectiveness and care could beat those of my overbearing parents.

Despite extreme poverty (the ground serving as a floor in the house, a roof made out of a huge plastic bag, cooking fire made out of bamboo) Yuliana's family was very happy, and every night I would fall asleep listening to their singing. The independence exhibited by the kids was impressive as well. One evening they caught a chicken, broke its neck and cooked it.

From Tana Toraja - Central Sulawesi

I can only think of cheesy ways to put in words what I learned in those five days, so I will spare you. But I think if I ever have children, I will try to arrange for them to spend a summer in Tana Toraja.

Last Week in Java.

Java was more along the lines of the regular planned and balanced vacation. I didn't have to dodge adventures left and right anymore, but they were still easy to create.

I've shot a bit of adrenaline in my blood while taking a solo(for once in Indonesia!) sunset hike inside of the huge crater (that had mini volcanoes in it).

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Sun was setting and the area was looking beautiful,

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I was about to start heading back, but then I saw the full moon rising, and figured I would have enough light to explore.

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This proved to be a bad idea, since fog started filling the crater faster than I could safely find my way back. Dogs appearing out of nowhere and barking at me didn't help either...
The next morning, the crater was full of fog and looked safe and magnificent!

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Last 3 days I spent in the cities: small and cultural Solo and its bigger touristy neighbor Jogjakarta.
More temples,

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absolutely amazing street food,

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local crafts,

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sultan palaces

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and... a marriage proposition were included in my Solo experience.

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On the last day in Jogjakarta, I broke down and went to my old habits of couch-surfing and as usual it was amazing!

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Every single place I visited left me wanting more of it. I am torn between the desire to come back to the same spots and wanting to see more of Indonesia. Next trip will have to be Kalimantan, Papua and hopefully some small islands in between.