06_04to06_09

BANDUNG (DREAMS of ADVENTURE) INDONESIA TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1974 (CONT. FROM VOL. 2) The Bugusi Sailboats ply the Java Sea between ports on Java, Sulawest (Celebes), Kal'mantan (Borneo), Bali, and other islands. That fantastic idea I'd been stewing over was this: Buy one! The going price is about $2000. I could later sell it: the profits would pay for my whole trip. But why sell? Why not go whole hog + sail it home? I could round up some adventurers types among the footloose travellers at Bali, + surely some crack sailors. We could choose our route; prob. to Hong Kong first to furnish it with beds, radio, motor. If I got it to the U.S. I could sail up down the coast, + charge admission... Possible problemss the buying process itself, insurance, customs, visas, shore-passes; fiding a compatable crew (commun[illegable] sharing food, fuel costs?) + of course, sailing it without crashing into a reef or sinking in a storm. Guy [illegiable] very enthusiastic - it could be a welcome challenge + adventure after 7 months of public transpo travel. I've not seen the ships yet. They would have been some in Djak[illegiable] + will be in Surabaya. Ideally I could ride on one out to Macassar, Sulawwsi, from Surabaya to see if it was for me. It's all completely tentative, + would take months, but it is exciting to think about. WED JUNE 5 Originally we were going out to Volcano + hot spring today, Jogia tomw, but I noticed a festival in West Jara on June 5th. The hotel folk said it was 4 hrs, so we gave it a try. Left most of our luggage at Hotel ("BUNGSU") +

BANDUNG (a FRUSTRATED CO-WIFE) JAVA INDONESIA hopped into a minibus to the bus depot. This turned out to be the wrong one, so a similar vehicle to another termina Durin gthis ride, over bumpy unpaved alleys, Guy + I doubtfully wondered "What are we doing here?" While waiting for next vehicle, we snacked at store; a woman appeared who spoke good English. Turned out she rarn the store next door. We finished + went over to her store - I did, that is. (Guy muttered that she seemed "more interested in you.") We chatted amiably + I asked if she was married. Yes, + her husband has 2 wives! She showed a certain frustration, + insisted I visit her home after our day's trip so we could teach each other our languages. We exch. addr. The minibus to Sukabumi was ready, so "See you tomorrow!" I got the front window seat - comfy and good views. Poor Guy was squeezed in + literally couldn't move legs; 4 in a middle seat. But the rear seat has 3 people, so the driver circled around town + his helper yelled "Sukabumi" (more like "Bumibumibumi") out the window at every passerby. Finally he was satisfied that everyone was squished except himself (+ front seat), + we were off. At first village a guy got out (1/2 the passengers had to exit to clear a way) taking his 2 huge baskets + shoulder rod that were precariously balanced in the next man's lap. The "Bumibumibumi" routine again to fill that space. 3 or 4 hung on out the back! And

PELABUHANRATU (FISHING VILLAGE) JAVA INDONESIA So it went, 90 km to Sukabumi. There we made the mistake of eating lunch. Instead of 2 roomy front sears we ended up "steerage" in the wooden rear benches. Every left turn, the spare tire (on it were several baskets + bags of rice) dug into my knee; on every right turn a cluster of 4 coconuts rolled into my toe. Everyone was laughing + it wasnt really so uncomfortable. Even saw some scenery, incl an incredible assemblage of cross hatched timber - a bridge more like River Kwai's than those I saw yesterday. Javabese countryside always beautiful, always fascinating. Around here, mts + hills everywhere. Tree flowers and buds a foot long. Instead of "Bumibumibumi" - theyd yell "Plupluplu" - our destination was the tiny fishing village of Pelabuganratu. My brochure was a bit off on timing: the festival was in April. But town was so picturesque it really didn't need festival. We were an immediate sensation, as few tourists ever go there. A gem of a harbor. Hundreds of multicolor [nats?], some with luxusiously billowy white nets draped. A stream struggled over its last few meters over the beach, + a boy towed 2 coconut-shell toy boats on a string. A small lagoon where stilthouses stood. Its a place where people care about homes + boats + keep them clean. The center of town was a marketplace with pyramidal roof + open walls. All roofs were of red-earth

PELABUHANRATU (TENDER FISHHEADS + PANCAKES) JAVA INDONESIA shingles so common in Malaysia + here. A group of old men crowded round a domino game. All kinds of fish for sale, + other stuff I couldnt name. Guy + I got separated somehow, + I met a boy who invited me to game of ping pong. It was open air, in dirt driveway between his house + a school. Naturally all the young ones were watching I used to be good, but I played so badly I couldnt even beat his lobbing mother. But we all had fun. Later I found Guy sipping 7-up at a roadside stall -- he'd found a cheap hotel nearby. I ordered coconut juice. Guy was very tired, + I was (as usual) behind in my letters, so we retired to bed + balcony, resp. At sunset we returned to the har- bor, where the silhouetted ships were romantic against the twilight. They were coming in with the days catch. Around oil latnterns the fishermen would gather, commparing their bundles of fish poking + prying, haggling + buying. 2-man teams carried equipment slung over long poles - carried it up the bank. We munched fish (just pick it up + eat, bones + all, theyre so small you dont notice) + fresh-baked hot coconut pancakes. We walked westward along road out of town, along shore, past wealthy villas perched on little hills. A path led back to the wide inviting beach. I tried to reach a small cape for a better view of village but beach ended abrubtly + waves pounded a cliff. Just then

PELABUHANRATU (MOONLIT BEACH WALK) JAVA INDONESIA the moon rose slowly above the hill. As we went back to the village it hovered on the crest of the hills, matching to step for step. We had to be careful not to trip over the line anchoring the beached boats. I stopped in town again for more fish + a chat with the natives. "You have father + mother?" asked one oldster. (His Dutch was better than his English -- a colonial relic) "No" said I - "I sprang out of the earth," making an elaborate gessture. It was too much of a curve -- my wit was lost on him... Back at home, Guy was asleep + I wrote some more. He was violently ill several times that night, but my only casualty was a few mosquito bites.

THU JUNE 6 I set out a wondering. Problem: how to reply to friendly (but annoying) locals who ask "What do you want?" "Where are you going?" The idea of aimless walking is utterly alien to Asians as is walking alone... I went along the beach road, way out of town, past the path we'd scrambled down last night + along the beach. What might have been a childs playhouse was thatched, shaped like the Pale Ice Hockey rink, + open a foot above ground all around. Branch- ing off the asphalt road + the right was a very rough jeal-trail leading steeply uphill. A fellow was oiling his betehak (the Indonesian version of. inckshaw); the front wheel high in the air. They (the Indonesians) paint