Six Degrees South

I always choose to leave my hotel way too early for airport departures. It's a great practice, actually. If I have left something behind, I have the time to retrieve it. Another time there was an 80 car pile-up on I-5 on my way to the Seattle Airport and thank goodness I gave myself lots of extra time, because I was stuck on the freeway for two hours and would never had made my flight without the generous buffer I had given myself. And if everything works out, and you haven't forgotten anything, and traffic is better-than-expected, then your driver can take you on a side trip to the Patuh Weaving Cooperative (10 minutes from the airport) where you can witness traditional Lombok crafts in your extra time. Women in Lombok have been creating wonderful items, using the same traditional techniques, for centuries. It is an incredibly intricate and time-consuming process. A larger piece can take three months to complete. Because the women have created a cooperative they are better abl

One interesting aspect of the Gili Islands is that no motorized vehicles are allowed for private use. That's the good news. On Gili Trawangan, horse-drawn carts called Cidomo are the primary source of transportstion. They add a certain charm to an overly-commercialized landscape. Now the bad news. Tourists have accused the Cidomo industry of abusing the horses--malnourishment, excessive work hours, and heavy use of the whip to spur the horses on to greater speed are the main accusations. It is asserted that the average life span of these horses is only three years because of mistreatment, when most horses live to about 20. One hour on Trawangan is certainly not enough time to make any sort of assessment. I saw no obvious signs of abuse, but most horses were sitting idly, in the absence of tourists. And neither horses nor drivers appeared particularly happy with their fate in life.  As is the case with most things in the world, especially those involving money, the truth probably si

On Friday, took a one-hour ride on a jukung, a traditional wooden Indonesian boat to the Gili Islands, a popular destination for divers and partiers and laid-back expats. First stop was Gili Trawangan, the biggest and most lively of the islands, though COVID has turned Gili T, as the locals call it, into something resembling a ghost town. Then we motored to Gili Air.  It was even emptier. However, I liked it much more than Gili T in that it is much more rustic in its commercialization and somehow it seems as though the place is carrying on in a fashion as it may have existed before tourist development started to take place in the 1980s. Off the shallows of Gili Air, my guides took me snorkeling. No photos, I am afraid. I had enough of a challenge figuring out how to deal with my mask and snorkel and float suit and fins to worry about photography.  After I took to the water, I learned why my guides had been carrying a bottle filled with chunks of bread around with them in the boat.  No,

 ...having to remove the flower petals from your outdoor bath that have fallen from the nearby trees and bushes during the night. You really have no excuse for being in a grumpy mood when starting the day on such a delightful note--or when you can lounge around in your book nook or your own private pool. Reluctant to leave today, but loved every second and am feeling totally refreshed.

I have only enough energy to post about one thing this evening. I could have posted about my boat ride along the Lombok Strait for my snorkeling adventure in the Gili Islands, and I eventually will.  Or I could have posted about the room upgrade I was given to a Private Pool Villa (I guess they felt bad I was almost washed out to sea at my first breakfast.) But, instead I will briefly post about dinner tonight. My staff arranged for me to meet with some of  Lombok's students and alums. It's the first time I have actually had the opportunity to meet real live SU students, whom I treated to dinner at my hotel. What a wonderfully delightful group. I learned so much about them and the Sampoerna experience from a student perspective.  And they came bearing a bagful of fantastic Lombok gifts, two of which I am wearing in the picture. The tourism is fun, but working with and getting to know students: that's why I do what I do. And I've missed it a lot this past COVID year. Tha

My driver was kind enough to grant my request to take a small detour after we had finished visiting today's waterfalls. I asked him to bring me to Bayan Beleq Mosque, built in 1634, making it the oldest mosque on Lombok and one of the oldest in continuous use in Indonesia. Its design is an interesting hybrid of Hindu and Javanese influences, not surprising because the Wetu Telu form of Islam is a highly idiosyncatic and local branch of the religion found only on Lombok.  The mosque and all the buildings in the complex have roofs constructed of sugar palm fiber and walls of woven bamboo. The palm and bamboo must be replaced every seven years to keep the structures intact. The mosque is only used a few times per year for only the most important religious observances. Though we could not enter the buildings, the site is an extraordinary expression of the diversity of Islam and the Imam cemetery and humble 17th Century gravestones are a witness to the rich heritage of the Bayan Beleq M

Since I was a small child, I have always loved visiting waterfalls. I think it started on a camping trip to Canada and the extraordinary 300 meter high Takakkaw Falls. When you are six-years-old and are exposed to such grandeur, it makes an impression. Since then I have always sought out waterfalls whenever I travel. Today was my waterfall tour and I ended traveling about 2 hours to the north part of Lombok to the foot of Mt. Ranjani, a massive volcano that dominates the island. Walked 20 minutes to Sendang Gile, a lovely spring-fed, two-tiered cascade. It's about 25 meters high and is very aesthetically pleasing. Then had a bit more arduous 30-minute hike through the lush tropical forest, traversing the river a few times, before we arrived at Tiu Kelep, one of Indonesia's most iconic waterfalls. It's about 35 meters high and is distinctive because it is two waterfalls in one. The main cataract is like a comet swooping across the landscape, while the second is a solid wall

Here on my second evening visiting Lombok, my feeling that sunset and dusk are my favorite times of day receives ample reinforcement. As I gaze across the Strait of Lombok toward Bali's highest mountain, the theater of color, meshing with the sound of the ocean orchestra, is a show of almost infinite pleasure.

Taking one's breakfast at the edge of the sea is extremely exhilarating.  How exhilirating it would eventually be I had no idea.  The wait person informed me that the tide was unusually high this morning.  I wasn't surprised to hear this as I had been awakened by the thunderous sound of waves crashing against the sea wall.  I knew what was coming about 3 seconds before it arrived, a monstrous rogue wave curling menacingly toward me. I am not a mariner by trade, but even I knew this wave could not be outrun. I had just enough time to pick up my phone to photograph my unexpected 8 a.m. shower.  Soaked to the skin, the extremely apologetic wait staff moved me to a table much further inland, replaced my fruit plate, and brought me a towel. As you can see, breakfast turned out deliciously well in the end and I learned that breakfast in the ocean is even more exciting than breakfast beside it. 

Flew to the island of Lombok last week for a few days, for a little tropical holiday. Lombok is the next major island east of Bali. My villa is on the top floor, has a wonderful balcony terrace, with a lovely view of the ocean. The smell of the sea and gentle sound of the waves are as relaxing as anything in the universe.

The Sampoerna Group, which in large part funds my university, traces its genesis to a tiny cigarette cart Great Grandpa Sampoerna started over 100 years ago. Most of what eventually became a gigantic international cigarette business was sold to a global conglomerate years ago, though they still retain control of a few brands in Indonesia. Now they trade in coffee and other products, including Gold, which they offer for purchase to all employees affiliated with any Sampoerna endeavor. Last Friday was our first gold delivery and I picked up my three grams in the HR office, each gram ingot no bigger than a micro SIM card. It's like working for a university/duty free shop:  coffee, curriculum, cigarettes and all. Strange as it is picking up a small slice of one's paycheck in mini gold ingots, it's much better to have your employer sitting on a substantial gold reserve than many of the alternatives. For example, it sure beats the struggling university I worked for in Kentucky ye

Before departing Kota Tua, I visited the Wayang Museum. Wayang is the Javanese word for shadow and this museum is devoted to the extraordinary Indonesian heritage of shadow puppetry.  Shadow puppetry traces its roots to before the 10th Century and is derived from the puppetry of India. Wayang theater uses shadows thrown by puppets manipulated by rods against a translucent screen lit from behind.  Originally shadow puppetry dramatized scenes from Hindu epics like the Ramayana. In Indonesia, especially Java, these shows have always been a central cultural aspect and, through most of its history, Indonesian puppetry has been an important means of educating and communicating essential stories and narratives.  As you can see from the picture, outside groups like Christian missionaries attempted to co-opt Wayang theater. Even history lessons were dramatized. Notice the picture with the Dutch overlords on the left and leaders of the Indonesian independence movement on the right, characters in

Had brunch at the Cafe Batavia on historic Fatahillah Square. The cafe is housed in a building dating back to the early 19th Century, though the current establishment has only been there for about three decades. The cafe is 1930s/1940s themed with Big Band music playing in the background.  It feels like any moment Humphrey Bogart might enter the place hunting for Sidney Greenstreet. Pictures of celebrities of the era adorn the walls, although I don't know why Princess Diana's photo is up on the wall too. I guess I am ignorantly unfamiliar with her connection to the 1930s. Perhaps it's somehow related to a mastery of time travel of which none of us had ever been aware. Brunch was superb.  Though it was 35 degrees outside, of course I had to order the Erwtensoep, AKA Dutch Split Pea Soup. It is a particular favorite of mine from living in Holland all those years ago. Followed it up with Gado Gado, an Indonesian vegetable and tempeh salad drenched in cashew-peanut dressing. An