Inability to spell?!!

Dear all,

Please accept my sincerest apologies for the obvious lack of brain power exercised while typing my previous posts. In reality, it was an exercise to test the observation skills of those of you who read it….and you ALL failed!

We’re now in Medan…avoiding the stink outside by being smug in our 5* hotel! We got upgraded to the Super Deluxe suite because they had no Deluxe suites left…woop!

We’re going to have dinner on the top of the building- a mere 27 floors up…check out the view below!

I’m going now to chill in the hot tub

See you all on Sunday!

Poked, prodded and peed on.

Yes people, you read the title correctly…I was peed on….by an orangutan.

We are in Sumatra (8 hours of travelling later) and have spent a night in the junlge with our orange-haired friends. And, yes, I stood under one, and was peed on. Down my hair, face and top. Yum.

We have just spent 6-7 hours trekking through the jungle, in heat unknown ton  man, and were rightly awarded for out troubles. We saw many orangtans…and, Miriam, qait for it, our cousins…the White-Handed Gibbon!!! And, they have very long arms!!! So like us..so true. I have pics coming later.

We saw King Louis, hanging from a garland of twigs swinging and looking very fearsome, to the infamous Mina, who then proceeded to follow us through our trail, where we had to march swiftly on as she has a reputation for being very fierce and can fight with humans. Our guide, Johnston, yes, Johnston, showed us a scar on his wrist where Mina, apparently bit him last year and left him very sore. We also saw a many little babies (videos coming) and their massive mothers. A mother and baby even came up to our came while we were having tea and sat by us swinging and gazing. Apparently thrye have learnt that thye will get fruit if they come close to the trekkers.

We slept on what can only be described on concrete last night and, after my slip down the mountain, my massive bruise proved very awkward to sleep on. We then tubed it down the river back to our hotel- which is being attacked by monkeys.

We are heading back to Medan tomorrow, taking a flight to Jakarta on Friday and should be in London by 8am on Sunday morning. (I’m trying to upload pics via

PADI Qualified Open Water Divers!

Hey All,

So, it’s been a while since I’ve had decent internet access. In the last 10 days, Mr Paul Reid Finlay and I, to give him his full title, have become Open Water Divers! I can’t believe I actually did it- I was so nervous!

 

Quick update prior to arriving in Paradise: went from Kuta, BAli to Ubud- really amazing place, but we then took the boat to Nusa Lembongan. It’s a wee island jus45 mins from Bali and is thee most beauitful place ever! We took the public boat (after this holiday, I am private-taxing it everywhere!) to the island and it was the most awful journey ever. We were travelling at a ridiculous pace, over thunderous waves to the island with a very over-packed boat: the end result, when combined with petrol fumes and excessive warmth: Martha, first of the boat and standing with her head at her knees shaking! I was so ill I didn’t even realise where we had landed. Please google Mushroom Bay, Nusa Lembongan. It was stunning: white sandy beaches and blue waters. Stunning! Paul even proclaimed it the most beautiful place ever! And, he has been in Fintona! (For those of you who are missing out, please also google Fintona, County Tyrone!) We arrived there and sat in the sun, lazed bout and did very littel! We hired a moped (which I struggled to drive, although I’m blaming Paul’s lack of core strength to balance the moped as my issue!) and saw some of the most stunning sights ever. It was really beautiful. So, if anyone is looking for a honeymoon spot, ignore Bali itself, take the boat to Nusa Lombongan. We then decided, after much deliberation, that we’d learn how to dive.

Now, for those of you who know me, I only learned how to swim about 8 years ago, so this was like me jumping out of an aeroplane one million feet up! We did our theory, 5 exams, and again, if anyone knows me, studying is one of my most favourable pastime, so it was grand. I won, in the inevitable competition between Paul and I, (we did get 3 questions wrong each, but I coloured in the wrong box, so I did infact win…)

We had to do a few hours work in a confined pool first and it was crazy. Paul managed all the skills based pool work fine, but he did conclude that he had Dungannon Leisure Centre to thank for his ease of diving skills, as he spent most of his youth there. I, on the other hand, couldn’t put my head under the water, let alone dive! The weight of the air tanks and all the quipment was also excessive- about ten times my weight. I didn successfully manage to carry out all the skills, inlcuindg removing our regulator from out mouths under water (the air piece) and filling our masks wiht water and emptying them again. I was ridulousy nervous, and as I have vivd memories of swallowing basically all of Prtstewart Strand while also trying to stay alive, it was one of th emost trying experiences of my life. I’m not being melodramatic here.

We went out to the ocean for our first dive and it was then that I almost broke down. I threw myself off the side of the boat and then deicded that I wasnt able to put my head under the water. But, the instructor, sensing my nervousness (and becuase I had yapped about it for a while) he announced that we were going to descend to the bttom of the cean, and I had to go too. Now, if I had have realised that Paul would have been able to continue his dive wihtout me, I would have screamed for help and leaped out of the ocean, but I didn’t,  and down I descened. It was amazing! It was one of the best experiences of my life!

We only descended to 6 metres for the first dive, 8 for the second, and the next day to 16 and then 14 metres. It was amazing! I saw lots of Nemo’s friends, and was trying to point them all out to Paul. But as the theory of diving so rightly states, everything seems much closer and bigger underwater, and when I thought Paul was only a few centimentres away, and was trying to scrabble my way towards him, he was much, much further away and missed all the fish I was pointing out to him! Note to Pam- they run away from you- they don’t come close to you or try ot touch you, as I thought they would. I saw Nemo (lots of clown fish, but they didn’t tell any jokes,) Nemo’s friend at he end of the film: the one  who is trapped in the plastic bag in the tank (he is the older  guy who has given up hope and has a torn fin- navy and yellow…really beautiful!) and a rainbow coloured one! Amazing stuff! We also saw a baby manta! Our instructor had been diving for 14 years and only say one last nmonth, so for us to see one so soon was amazing! It was a baby was massive!!! So beautiful! So, I am now a coverted diver and will hopefully be an Advancwed Qualified Diver soon!

Point to note: the instructor said, as I was a slip of girl, I’d only need between 2-4 kilos of weight to keep me down, but I needed 8kgs lol! He said he couldn’t believe that I needed so much- the same amount as Paul! So, either my bones are made of air, as my head is also filled with hot air, as Paul claimed, or I’m a heavy brute, carrying much more weight than I look. I’m not sure which one to think!

It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! So, people, deffo try it! (I’m typing on a computer that is typing each individual letter at an incredibly slow pace…so I’m going to move onto the next post!)

Oops…

Quite a long post. Apologies!

Boking, Bites and Bali!

Wednesday: Jogya
So, we arrived in Jogya full of expectation and hope…like Pam and I arriving in Goa, India. It was a place to behold- similar in smell and sights to Bandung and Bogor. We ‘public transported’ it from the airport to our hotel- to save ourselves being ripped off again by the locals! Private taxi from airport to hotel: IR70,000; local bus: IR3,000 each. 1-0 to Paul and Martha. Saying that, wd did have to endure an hour and half on a public bus with all sorts of people looking at us. When we arrived about 1km from our hotel, we were hijacked by a wee local man in a becak, where he shouted ’15′ to us and hopped on his wee bike machine thing. Turned out we were lost in translation because, when we arrived at our rather glorified hotel, we handed him IR2000 (an extra IR5000 because he was straining, burping and coughing as he was cycling along with me, Paul and our two bags. I worked out that he was pushing over 150kgs of weight, so as the kind foreigners that we are, we decided to offer his an extra wee bit in compensation.) But, it turns out that he was wanting IR 15,000!!! Now, according to our Bible, The Lonely Planet Guide, a becak should ask for no more than IR2000, so to demand IR15,000 was a bit of a cheek. (We had also travelled an hour an half on a bus for IR3000 each!) We then gave him IR3000 for the misunderstanding, but he threw it back at us!!!! Double, triple rage!! He did upset me.

We arrived at Delta Homestay, pics to follow, and, in rather rose-tinted glasses, I decided it was quite nice. But, after having dinner and getting into bed, I noticed a wee itch on my leg. Got up and, to my horror, I had been bitten THREE times by mozzies! Now, for those of you who don’t know, when I was in India, I was like an apple tart and custard pudding to the wee brutes and was eaten alive, but on top of that, I developed blisters on top of them, and they looked so ghastly, the locals encouraged me, with great urgency, to go to the hopsital. I didn’t, Pam merely burst the blisters and we got cream from a local pharmacy dude. But, according to Google, our fountain of knowledge to all things puzzling, I should develop immunity to mozzies and should not get any more blisters after my massacre in India. Well, Google, you are WRONG!!! I had 3 big bites, huge circles, the size of a 1p piece, all with beautiful large blisters on top. 3 days later and they are still highlighting my legs to lovely effect. I did a little bit of moaning, but sure, who could begrudge me that, and got myself well wrapped up against the wee brutes the next day. The next day, having had slightly more sleep than usual, we went to see Prambanan: very interesting, but it’s no older than some of the castles in England, which I think personally are nicer, but I am a bit of a castle freak, and came back to dinner in a very full restaurant.

Paul’s food arrived about 50 mins after ordering it, me 10 mins after that, and after eating it, went back to the hotel. I complained of needing the loo a few times, (not like India Pam lol) andthen Paul announced that he was feeling sick. Well, the most awful night unfolded before our eyes! Paul, after having made himself sick at my insistence, to try to relieve the nausea, got into bed with about 10 layers on. Now, this is most uncommon for Paul as he hates heat in bed, but I went over to him to offer my sympathy. After getting back into my bed, I discovered that I had been eaten again by two more wee brutes. At this stage, I was very annoyed and upset, so Paul was trying to comfort me as I was showing him my blistered legs, as well as me trying to comfort him with his sickness. After a while, I was dozing off to sleep and I heard this ungodly noise racing from the bed to the loo- yip, Paul was throwing up in the loo! Noises that I’d never heard before escaped through the door as I was throwing the odd word of sympathy to him. Silence ensued and he got back into bed, only to re-visit the loo again with more vomiting. It was, in his own words, ‘the worst night of his life!’ He had turned a very pallid shade of white and the words ‘flight’ and ‘home’ were mentioned a few times that night and day!

He spent the next day in bed as I lay at a very derlict pool. He is now eating one full meal a day, but is turning vege, like myself as it was a cold chicken curry that caused such havoc. By this time, my two new bites had turned visicious: one the size of a 50p piece and the other a 1p. Both with rather large blisters, that had locals looking at them and going, ‘Oooh.’ We went to see Borobudur yesterday and it was, again impressive- (no Windsor Castle.) We could see Merapi, the volcano, from the side of it, but we weren’t allowed at the top because Merapi keeps erupting and ruining it. (We also couldn’t get up Merapi either!) We took public transport to Borobudur and back, and I am pleased to announce that we are now ‘pros’ at the whole public transport thing- even killing a few mozzies along the way.

We arrived at the airport last night ready yo take on Bali. Now, I know travelling is all about finding yourself and taking all that a country has to offer in your stride, but Paul and I decided that we found ourselves a long time ago in good ole County Tyrone and we are willing to pay a little bit more for luxury. We also discovered that by paying slightly more for a hotel, there is no need to stuff plastic bags up random holes to stop mozzies coming in, covering everything we own, even our own lungs, in Deet, and sleeping in 2 layers of clothes, a mummy bag and all manner of stuff around our heads so they don’t bite us. We are now in The Flors Kuta Hotel in Bali if anyone cares to know- very nice!

Before I sign off, I’d like to return once again, for a brief moment to my bites. Yes- they have caused me a lot of concern, pain and heartaches over the past few days, and photographs do not do them justice, but to compare my bites with Paul’s 1, possibly 2: his may be the size of a pin head, if you look close enough and are ‘itchy’; mine: there are no words to describe mine.

Friday (late!): Bali!
Just arrived in Bali and we are now discussing what to do. Bali holds lots of hope for us- mainly, that it is far away from stinky Jogya as possible. We’re hoping for a lot here- don’t let us down!!

Frozen yoghurt and creamy ice-cream. Quite possibly heaven on earth. Yummm.

Paul eating a spicy skewer in Jogyi

Jetlag is killing me!

Hi All

A wee update from the airport!

Jetlag is killing us- I managed about an hour’s sleep last night- at most. Went to bed about 9pm (was almost sleeping over dinner) and then went I got to bed, I couldn’t sleep! Rage! If it soon doesn’t sort itself out, I might have to resort to more illegal stuff! (Joke…incase Indoesian authorities read this. Punishment for drug offences is (definitely) life imprisonment, if not beheaded.)

Monday: Left Jakarta.
We were assured by our Bible, The Lonely Planet Guide, that the best way out of Jakarta is by train. This is INCORRECT information for all you Indonesian would-be travellers!! We realise now that we should have left by bus, as the train was ‘an experience.’ (Not like India Pam!!) It cost 7000IR, about 50p, and the journey lasted an hour. We waited by stand 3, as we were told by 3 people, and duitifully nodded as all the trains went by. Then, just as I went to see were we might be leaving from and what time, I saw another white person sprinting up an escalator to stand 4. Up I went after her and found Paul in discussion with a wee dude who was informing him that we were standing at the wrong side and the train that was about to take off was ours. Well, this wee dude, no bigger than me, grabbed my bag (all 15kilos of it) and ran with it on his shoulder, down two flights of steps, up two flights of step and stuck his foot in the door of the train to hold it for us!

After our brave attempt on public transport, we arrived in Bogor. Bogor is more stinking than Jakarta (if possible) and, again quoting Paul, ‘insane!’ It’s not as bad as India, but certainly, the fight for space on the road is choatic! All manner of life (animal, mineral, vegetable) fight for space on a wee crowded road- immaterial of one’s direction. Everyone drives everywhere and beeps for the ill-mannered person, who so rudely drove/stepped in their way, to move out of it! Crazy place. And it is also stinking!

We left there asap, after almost getting ripped off by an ignorant sh*te of a taxi driver. Demanding 50k IR for what should have been a 5 min taxi ride. He got 20k IR and my wrath. We took a 3 hour bus journey to Bandung and it is here that we find ourselves in the airport to avoid a 10 hour journey to Yogyakarta. Flights aren’t too bad, but because we delayed by half an hour in purchasing them, we had to spend an extra GBP7 each. Rage.

Our plans for the next few days: arrive in Borobudur (today, hopfully about 4:30pm) and go for a tour of the temple at some point. Then, go to Yogya and try to climb a volcano- although a wee stint at a pool is sounding more appealing by the minute! Then, on Friday we are getting another flight (Paul says he isn’t designed for all this travelling via bus/public transport- so we’re going to g-ravel…(glamour travelling!) to Bali and stay there two days. We arrive in about 11pm at night so here’s hoping for a night in a hotel as opposed to the beach! I’d like to try my hand at surfing while I’m there and then hit Gili Air for some diving! Looking forward to that!

Am also pleased to report that we have had very little staring and absolutely no-one taking photos of us! It’s nice to blend in.

Okay- over and out.

Ibis…reliable all over the world!

Arrived in Jakarta!

In Paul’s words, ‘it’s a big stinky hole!’ Going to leave it asap and go to Bogor tomorrow and then some place beginning with C to see massive rice plains.

It’s v like Bangkok- stinky & with a great big glar over it.

On the plus side, no-one is taking pictures of me so I could stay here all day!

Flight was a bit ropey at times but Paul was the gentleman that he is and held my hand as I thought I was going to die. Ethiad are amazing, btw, great service and gluten-free food!

We’re going to go for a dander and then get food later. Yum.