Indonesia!

The travel writer Pico Iyer described why we travel as follows: "We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more."

And this, dear reader, is my eloquent but plagiarized excuse for tardiness in posting about Indonesia.  In every country I visited before during this adventure, I was able to keep some order to my habits, but Indonesia was intoxicating (in a myriad of ways), and I found myself caught in the flow, the currents between the islands like nations, and desiring only to be swept along.

Indonesia, the sleeper hit of my southeast Asia journey, is the world's 4th largest country by population, comprised of over 13000 (albeit many are small, so let's say more like 8) islands.  Visiting Indonesia is like visiting multiple countries under one visa, as often each island has its own local language and religion.  Indonesia was part of the spice route, and the islands were colonized and influenced by different countries who left their mark on culture and religion.  This means a boat ride can transport you between a Muslim, Hindu, or Christian island, each with its own way of saying "thank you."

I think one thing that really made Indonesia shine was that, after 7 months on the road as a solo traveller, I have managed to hone my skills in meeting fellow travellers for adventures, and I did so with such a natural rhythm that the 28 days flew by.  I caught my first waves on Kuta's epic breaks with Dmitri who I ran into on the plane.  At a restaurant in Ubud I met Teona using the "sit at a table adjacent to a solo diner" technique, and she and I went dancing, where we found ourselves talking with two very attractive French firefighters.  2 and 2 seems like destiny! 

Onward to the Gilis, where on the boat ride over I met Caitlin, whose 30th birthday was that very evening!  We teamed up for birthday dinner and dancing, and remained travel pals (and roommates) for my entire Gili stay.  Indeed, at every turn, with every new destination, it was just so easy.  In Nusa Lembongan, I went dancing with a solo Australian traveller and a half-dozen French kiddos, and as I ventured on to Sumatra, I encountered one travel pal then the next, with a rhythm to match to movements, ending in Pulau Weh with Hester and Chano, an adorable couple who didn't mind a third wheel for a few days.  Of course, my guest house host had nightly "family dinners" where I met fellow travellers, mostly divers, and we spoke of beautiful places whose underwater worlds are unparalleled: the Maldives, Egypt, and of course, Pulau Weh! ;)

This movement, this rhythm, it went beyond the flow between acquaintances.  As the waves upon the beautiful shores of verdant green and rugged islands, Indonesia pulses--with beautiful and friendly people, religious and cultural fervor, spicy cuisine, biodiversity (for now), and volcanic energy.  As the days ceased to exist in weeks but rather in the movements of the sun and tides, for the first time in forever, I let go and drifted with the ebb and flow...and I began to forget about previous lovers.  Oh, Indonesia!