Thyra Travels: Indonesia 2019 (She is Still Traveling?)

My time in Indonesia can be characterized by two time periods. W.E. (with Erik) and A.E. (after Erik). That’s right y’all, I was visited by the one and only, less cute than me though, Lindberg-Wysocki boy! It was great seeing someone I know for the first time in nine months. He also brought me some new clothes which I desperately needed. These Asia pants don’t go over my thighs, Lord be with me. We traveled Java and Bali together before I struck out on my own again.

W.E.

Jakarta

I landed in Jakarta earlier than my brother so I had the chance to settle in before his arrival. I was able to meet up with a friend I had met in Vietnam who lives in Jakarta. It was so amazing being able to see her and she showed me a part of the city I probably would not have been able to see without someone who actually lived there. We got amazing food and even made a new friend! My brother was landing after midnight so I shuffled back to the hostel and sleepily awaited his arrival. He arrived around two am and immediately wanted some beers and company. He was unbearably hot even in the room which made me die laughing as I snuggled up with the comforter in the cool, air conditioned room.

Our time in Jakarta was very relaxed. We immediately got his hair cut and spent a lot of time walking around. We bought sim cards and allowed him to adjust to jet leg. He didn’t have much of an appetite. We did karaoke with a group of Germans and met up with a podcast host he had connected with through Twitter. More than anything we hunted for beer. As a Muslim country it was surprisingly difficult and expensive to buy beer. The laws in place were strict! Maybe Indonesia wasn’t the best place to go for an avid beer drinker like my brother…There honestly isn’t much to see in Jakarta besides traffic so we soon took the train east.

Jogjakarta

A very scenic train ride later and we arrived in Jogja! A place recommended to me by everyone I had talked to about Indo. I was feeling a little guilty by this point because I felt we hadn’t “done a lot” on the trip. A lot of travel is just transport time and relaxing between meals, even if Instagram makes it seem a lot more glamorous. Jogja had gorgeous temples which we did one day but more importantly it had gudeg [insert that crying heart-eyed emoji]. Gudeg is a jackfruit dish that will be talked about more extensively on my food blog but I was BLOWN away. I literally had a dream about it in the Philippines. A few days in Jogja and I gave the boy the ultimatum. He needs to decide what we want to do or I will. Dragging his feet (I told him he should have planned the mere ten day trip weeks ago), I took over and booked us two tickets to Bali. Bye Java!

Bali

We arrived in Bali and made our way to our party hostel in Seminyak. I was desperately trying to give my brother some party people because my body is just too weak to drink as he does. Sadly the party vibes were a little too “youthful Australian” for us but we still had a nice time. We moved south to Uluwatu where I almost died on a scooter but Erik had a blast zipping around town on the thing. We saw sunsets on beaches, escaped thunderstorms, and watched monkeys steal a whole bunch of bananas. I still feel a little guilty because my favorite parts of Indonesia ended up happening after he left. This is why you have to travel for more time! The first two weeks are often feeling out the country and figuring out the best places to go. As soon as he left it was like I had found the Indonesia that I liked. I went north, away from the party, and experienced gorgeous views and an amazing island. I was so so disappointed that when Erik was here we hadn’t figured this out. Ah well, the more you learn brother!! Gotta research.

A.E.

Ubud

After broseph left I moved north to Ubud, the land of the famous rice terraces. I was here a week. I read books, hiked every morning, and took myself on a lot of solo dates. Ah, paradise. The only thing I hated were the taxi drivers. Ahhh taxi drivers, you are the bane of my existence. They have completely bullied and intimidated Grab out of the area with huge, dramatic signs everywhere about supporting the local taxi drivers. Oh yes, the local taxi drivers, who are yelling at you constantly (and I mean constantly) as you walk down the main road. The taxi drivers that charge you over six times the fair price to get anywhere in town. I had to wear headphones when I walked around just to avoid all the harassment. This, right here, is why people like ride share apps. Dummies.

My favorite part of Ubud was the Mount Batur sunrise hike I did. B-E-A-utiful. Walking along the crater at seven in the morning, warming my hands in the steam so I don’t get hypothermia, and sliding down the mountain (literally) will remain a highlight of my trip.

Nusa Penida

The last place I went before leaving the country was an island called Nusa Penida. I thought hard about this because I would have to hire a local to drive me in his scooter because the roads are so awful. But I saw the pictures, I heard it was less touristy, and I decided to go. BEST DECISION EVER. One of the most picturesque places I have ever been, accompanied by the sweetest guide. I was so grateful for him because he was so amazingly nice and also the roads are terrifyingly bad. Would have died several times if he wasn’t there with me. The only bad thing was on the second day I got demolished by a wave and my phone stopped working for two days. Rice saved it but it was an emotionally tough few days. Didn’t realize how much I relied on Grab and navigation. Traveling alone ain’t always easy folks!

I didn’t manage to get to the part of Indo I was really interested in: Flores. Just another reason to go back soon (and gudeg)!

T