Yogyakarta, Java. Indoneisa

Once I eventually drag myself away from Pangandaran. I find myself in Yogyakarta, the last stop before my 10 day vipassana course Klaten. It was so tempting to stay in Pangandaren with Shannon and Kurnia and have my non Christmas at the beach. Still if the meditation does not work out I tell myself I can always escape back to the beach.

After the peace and tranquillity of Pangandaran, Yogyakarta is an assault on the senses. There are too many people squeezed into too smaller space. And this is a tourist hub and so has all the trappings that come with that. We explore and shop and generally try to enjoy our last days of freedom before the meditation and silence descends.

Pangandaren

I stumble across Pangandaran, I cannot even remember when I first heard about the place or why id decided to visit. I arrived in Jakarta, I have a couple of weeks to get to Klaten, Pangandaren seems to be a sensible place to stop along the way. And it is, it is really wonderful.

For one thing, there are only a handful of visitors here.  

The English Students on Holiday in Pangandaran

My new Indonesian friend, Kurnia, said he would take me to the market to get some new flip flops to replace the broken ones, abandoned in Jakarta. On the way there, he announced that he had to go by his surf school on the beach to see if there are any clients about. No new students, just Matius, a Danish guy who has been surfing in Pangandaran for a month already and a couple of local Indonesian guys. I don't really understand the conversation but I get the impression it is about me. I am then asked if I would mind going to spend some time with some Indonesian high school students who are on a weekend trip to Pangandaran with 'English Club' and the want to practise their English with a native speaker. They are gathered just down the road. I had nothing planned for that day other than flip flop shopping, a swim and lots of hammock time so, of course I agreed. Matius has spent the pervious morning with them and tells me that it is great fun.

After I quick trip to the market to purchase some bright orange flip flops, I am dropped at the park where all the students are gathered. They are sat in groups of 10 to 15 students and there are at least 8 groups. I feel as if all eyes are in me. I also feel slightly in appropriately dressed as I am dressed for the beach and not for meeting a hundred or so, very modestly dressed, Muslim, 14 to 16 year olds. I head over to the first group and join their circle on the grass. There are lots of smiling faces and nervous giggles and it feels very alien that it is my presence causing this excitement and I also feel very uncomfortable being the centre of attention.

The Green Valley - Pangandaran

I am sitting outside my room eating my breakfast of scrambled eggs, when the guide I met last night arrives. His name is Kurnia and he is a really interesting guy. He seems to have travelled the world working for a shipping company but is heart is in Pangandaran so he came back to teach surfing and take tours. He only earns a fraction of the money doing this but it makes him much happier. At 32 it is really unusual that he is not married but he knows he will have to work abroad again and he doesn't want to leave anyone behind.

Jakarta to Pangandaran

I arrive in Jakarta with 11 days to fill before the medetation course starts in Klaton, Central Java, on 22nd December. After deciding to skip out of Jakarta after only two nights that leaves 9 days to fill with only Yogyakarta on my radar. I then stumble across a place called Pangandaran on the south coast and after KL, Singapore and Jakarta quiet surf town is very appealing.
I decide to take the bus and as the bus station is an hour south of where I am staying I arrange a ticket and transfer to the bus station through a little travel agent. So two buses, the first one for an hour and the second for 9 hours.

Jakarta

I arrive in Jakarta and I am struck by how incredibly vast and busy it is. The food is amazing and the people are wonderfully welcoming and helpful. Any apprehension I had about stopping in this city was miss founded. 

More Singapore

Walking The Southern Ridges - Singapore

Singapore

Orchard Road, Singapore is slightly different to Orchard Road, Horsham.

The Gardens by the Bay - Singapore

I didn't think I liked orchids....

...after a visit it The Botanic Gardens in Singapore, it turns out I do!

Malaka

Jonker's Walk Night Market - Malaka

Christmassy KL

Taman Negara - My Jungle Adventure

When initially planning my route south through the Malaysia Peninsula from Thailand to Singapore, I dismissed any thoughts of going to Taman Negara. This was mainly due to one sentence in the guide book.

"The best time to visit Taman Negara is in the dry season between February and September. During the wet season leeches come out in force"

The thought of going anywhere near this army of leeches was enough to send me heading straight for the concrete jungle instead of the actual jungle. However... everyone I seemed to speak to in the Cameron Highlands had either just come from Taman Negara or it was their next stop. I decided that I would have countless opportunities on this trip to visit cities and not many more chances, if any, to visit a rain forest. So... on my last night in The Cameron Highlands I found myself booking a ticket to Kuala Tahan instead of a Kuala Lumpur and was now tagging along with a lovely Canadian girl called Shannon.