Satu Tahun - One Year

bike tour Ubud/Mt. Batur

At this one year point there is so much to look back on and so many new experiences to recall. Hopefully the blog over the last year has captured some of those experiences - sure it has! but I can never really explain the day to day life unless you are here exprencing it with me. I have had the wonderful opportunity to do exactly that with my friend Laurie - first on two weeks of holiday then just over a wekk here in Kupang living my day to day life with me.

Ijen Crater and Sulphur lake

Holiday time took us to see some great sights on the island of Java such as the city of Yogjakarta, commonly called "Jogja" World Heritage site of temple Borodradur, temple Prambadan, Mount Bromo, Ijen Plateau and Ijen Crater. Of course we had to have the obligatory "bus ride from hell" and on looking back we were laughing and joking about the day and how we survived it. We forget we aren't 30 anymore. But we survived and have a story to tell.  we've climbed the top of a mountain to see the sunrise - long time since I was up at 3:30 am - maybe last time to feed babies - long time ago since son Robin turns 43 tomorrow.

tofu making at Borobradur

On return to Kupang with Laurie I scurried to sweep up the two belly up cockroaches in the living room and found were pretty much out of water in our cisternas the pump didn't work to fill my water holding tub in the toilet room. So out to the street to find someone to help me call a water truck to come and a neighbour kindly called the truck he uses and made sure we didn't pay too much for the fill. Next step to turn on the pump to give us the water to flush our toilet and slosh over us for a "bath" No pump action! Now a bit of panic as I had drained the tub to keep mosquitoes from finding a home to lay their eggs while I was away so a call to my housemate Anna on holiday on Java to get the number for our landlady. Then a call to Berty to ask her assistance in talking to the landlady to explain the problem and see if she will pay for repairs. Of course not, all household problems are ours but she did send a repair man who in 5 minutes finished the repair and was reluctant to take any money so, 50,000 rupiah and a bunch of bananas late, off he went happy as a clam.

tofu vat

Now with water, a short lesson for Laurie that no, you don't climb into the tub, you use the small bucket to scoop and slosh over you for a bath and you slosh it into the toilet too for a flush.

Traditional Dance Festival in Soe

Several visits with friends in for dinner, our new volunteer in Kupang arriving and staying with us and visits to friends homes  filled our week, rounded out with a weekend to Soe to attend a huge festival of traditional dance. There were at least 50 booths set up selling and displaying local handicrafts and food and a very full evening of watching and participating in the dancing.

 Such fun and an overnight at the organization my colleague James works at as they have rooms for women escaping violence that were not being used at the time.

Laurie the potter

James and his friends took us by motor bike the next day to tour around this central part of West Timor to a beautiful lookout in the hills and a fabulous waterfall like none I'd ever seen, with many plateaus for pools to form and paddlers to enjoy. It is a major tourist attraction in the area and enjoyed by local people on the weekends. It was great to paddle in the water and enjoy the greenery and cooler temperature of the hills. A fine reprieve fromt he intense heat of Kupang.

Ijen Crater

A great holiday and lots of memories added to our repertoir in more than a  35 year long friendship.