I arrived in Asia, in Indonesia, on August 15th and will leave on October 6th from Bangkok heading to New Zealand!
The impact in Jakarta was strong, but then in Bali, I saw wonders like corals and colorful fish, the people, the beaches, the Gili Islands… in short, I enriched myself with sensations and images that will accompany me forever. The fact is that you first need to get used to the climate and different cleanliness standards from ours, it’s not always easy, I can say that. At Mango Forest, I was in a very clean environment with a truly welcoming family, but if you step out of these contexts, it’s a whole different story. We are not used to it.
The beauties seen greatly compensate, but I am always surprised to read or see photos of Indonesia where there is no mention of the adaptation difficulties. I don’t think I am particularly delicate; I believe that those who travel so far to reach Bali focus on its beauties and overlook the inconveniences. Another thing I noticed is that people travel to take photos and post them or send them to friends and family; some watch a sunset through their phone. The need we have to show others where we are is exaggerated. Naturally, this has to be stunning, so there’s no room for photos of landfills or houses collapsed during the 2018 earthquake in the Gili Islands. We photograph the beautiful or rather, we avoid the ugly.
Indonesia is not among the poorest countries in the world, but it still has a long way to go; the economic disparities are enormous. People earn very little; I asked the taxi driver how much an employee earns, and he said about 3 million Rupiah, which is about 175€. You understand that even if everything costs very little, it’s still very little. You read about the beauties of Bali everywhere, but there’s also the other side of the coin, I carry this with me, and I am happy to have learned something from the people I met, even though I know they are still strangers and I was the tourist. Ubud is overcrowded and very hot; I absolutely do not recommend staying there. If you want to see the beautiful rice fields, go for a day and then head to the sea!
I try to forget Jakarta, honestly ugly, hot-humid, dirty, smelly… let’s leave it at that.
Malaysia was tiring but also very beautiful; with Giusy, we traveled a lot, sometimes very long trips, especially in Vietnam. Bangkok is a bit better than Jakarta, but I wouldn’t return unless passing through. What is absolutely sensational in all the countries visited are the islands; unfortunately, in Vietnam, we only saw Ha Long Bay, but for Thailand, I also recommend the islands. In Malaysia, the Cameron Highlands are also very beautiful, and the climate is cooler.
I escaped from Bangkok and visited Koh Samui, which I liked very much, and the Krabi region, which, although Ao Nang beach is not one of my favorites, the surrounding islands and the excursions starting from there are spectacular. During this period, it rains at least once a day, usually around 5 PM, the temperature is bearable, and the long-tail boats are folkloric, but if you take them, you get wet before boarding because there is no pier, you have to walk a few meters in the water and then climb the ladder, then you get wet while traveling because they are open on all sides, and you naturally get wet when you get off. I managed well, but I was half-soaked. Besides, I smashed my little toe on a rock (poor thing for the umpteenth time), and the ladder became an obstacle ;)
Would I return? I don’t know, I am happy to have visited all these places, but I don’t know if I would go back. I think it’s not the climate for me; I suffer a lot from the hot-humid weather, so much that I can’t focus on the landscape. I’ll think about it; for now, I’ve had enough of this climate, and I am happy after almost two months of heat to go to New Zealand :)
some photos that are usually not posted.
Comentarios