The guesthouse Johnnie has suggested turns out to be (surprisingly) good value, well maintained and owned by a well mannered Indonesian guy. He also has a hotel in Surabayo. He has only had this place for one year and reopened it after 4 years. The business is very slow but he is ambitious and imaginative and spending lots of money. The place has loads of potential and lovely scenery too. Last couple of days we have been discussing lots of ideas.

Day 2 I have a walk around town followed by a trek up a hill and into the woods. I meet a guy who has gathered what is presumanly fire food in form of a bubdle of young but long trees that he is dragging downhill. I take a different route on return to the one I went up. I know I am on a track as there is signs of sliding and hooves. The hooves are too small for a buffalo and I meet their owner, a bullock standing in the middle of a widening track at the bottom of the route.

There is an interesting old wooden bridge across the river. The floor is particularly intereSting as there is a 3 plank wide route in the middle of it where bikes travel, except that there is one plank in the middle missing! on the two sides of this driveway there are occasional cross planks which could easily unseat you if you hit them.

Couple of nights ago there was a dance as part of a wedding celebration, people were holding hands and just going through steps over and over again, this can go on all night, I decided not to participate.

Sogiono the guesthouse owner seemed quite nice but he is talking in terms of importing Indonesian graduates into the UK (dont know how) and then teaching them English and charging them while they are in employment!


I am getting hanckerings for a motorbike but have problems finding a second hand one. I also notice the police stopping and checking lots of bikes so have to consider that aspect too, driving licence.

On third day, 26th, I hire a motorbike with Johnnie as driver and visit an amazing water fall, a beach and a Balinese Hindu temple. At the waterfall after we have been there a while lots of kids turn up, I am due to come out anyway as am getting cold. Lots of them walk down large boulders from top of the water fall in running water and jump into the pool which is just over a meter deep.

I have a swim in the lake then sit down to admire the rainbow across the way. I feel nibbles on my feet and eventually manage to see the little fish doing it. They are marketed as foot massage in Cambodia where you sit in a tank of water with hundreds of them eating off the dead skin off your feet. It can feel very ticklish at first. I also feel stung and these little insects only 2 milimeter long are taking bites the size of half their bodies off my arms.

We get caught in the rain on the way back as well as see a black poisenous snake slither off the road.

Dealing with Johnnie has become tiresome, have to be watchful all the time to stop him from somehow changing the prices for the tour or adding things and renegotiating everything. May be it is easier tohave some one who is balatently pushy so you can deal with it directly.