An Abbreviated Island

I'm back on the mainland now in the modern monstrosity known as Kuala Lumpur. The camera is in the shop getting a new shutter mechanism. At RM260 (~US$70), it's not cheap and I know I'm taking a chance that it won't just fail again but what can I do? I can't buy another body. In Malaysia, low end Minoltas are not available except as part of overpriced lens bundles. Even a sleazy and mostly useless compact would be RM500. Next trip I will know better. Stick to "pro" grade Canons and Nikons. Always bring a spare body. I do not like what that does to the cost.

On the way here, I spent a night each in Medan and Penang. Both seem to be part of the well trodden banana pancake circuit. This wouldn't be worth mentioning but for the fact that I had managed to travel in Southeast Asia for more than 4 months without encountering one.

Penang is a nice enough place and the food is good. That is fortunate since a second pass through Penang is nearly unavoidable when I start working North toward Bangkok. It probably would have been a good idea to spend another night on the way here but I fumbled the dates. It is the classic backpacker error of forgetting that, to non-travelers, 2 days of each week are different from the others. I arrived in KL on a Friday expecting to deal with the camera problem the next day. Woops.

Medan is vastly more modern than Manado or Makassar. Cheaper too. But it is still a dirty, pollution choked Indonesian city. And while cheaper than any other Indonesian city I have been too, prices are still 40% higher than 2001 before accounting for the rise in the value of the Rupiah. The dorm I stayed in was my cheapest accommodation in so far at barely over a dollar a night but quality was quite low.

I think I have discovered the source of the horrible smell from restaurants in Manado. I don't think it is actually the food but rather fumes from the stoves. It is as if they are cooking with diesel or some similar nasty, unrefined fuel. Whatever the source, it is unique to Indonesia. Manado, Makassar, and Medan had it, although it was less prevalent in Medan. Nothing like it exists anywhere I have been in Malaysia.

Makassar was the place for decisions. I arrived with the notion that I would meet people excited about what they had seen who could direct me to a new and unexpected way to enjoy the twisted island.

Unfortunately, the few I talked to were some of the most downbeat travelers I have ever met. One German girl was looking for a comfortable exit. She had planned to to the Togeans via Poso, had to detour half way across the island to Palu because there were no longer any money changers in Poso. Then she got sick and had still not recovered. Another traveler lamented that the legendary Toraja funeral ceremonies were actually rather tedious: long hours of standing around punctuated by occasional activity. He also complained about the skyrocketing costs and about how much of the pristine Togean reefs ha been devastated by dynamite fishing. Other tales reached me of anti-American sentiment in central Sulawesi that hinted at a desire for violence. I decided it was time to go.

I visited a travel agent in the morning to what my options were for getting away. 3 days on a boat or, for about 50% more, a flight. I eventually decided on the boat but couldn't carry through. After I retrieved my money from the ATM, the travel agent said that there were no cabins available, only Ekonomi. I then tried the Pelni office since travel agents don't always know the score. But, for no apparent reason, the Pelni office closed at 2:00pm that day. Next boat wasn't for another 3 days an might very well be full. After that, it was the 21st, 5 days away. After a couple of hours of fuming and searching,I reluctantly bought the $117 plane tickets.

In the back of my mind the whole time was a feeling that maybe a few more days would be good. I expended so much effort getting here. Why was I in such a hurry to leave? But the truth is I wasn't enjoying myself. I was uncomfortable. And I could see no solution for either. Maybe someday, with experience gained from this trip and better preparation, I will try again with Sulawesi. But this time around, I can only conclude that the island experience has been an expensive botch, albiet one not completely devoid of merit.

Here in KL, there are some signs of SARS. The occasional mask is seen here and there. There are signs at airports and other transit points. On my flights in Indonesia, a few members of the flight crew wore masks. When my ferry arrived at Penang, a Malaysian health office came on board. Mostly he just wanted to talk to few passengers from Singapore. The rest of us, he didn't bother. The backpacker trade doesn't seem to be affected. The first hostel I went to in Penang was full.

Yesterday, I had an interesting flashback to my last trip. I was browsing magazines and found what I think is the current issue of National Geographic. Cover story is about Jane Goodall's return to Gombe Stream and about the Chimpanzees currently living there. One covered in detail is Frodo. I've "met" Frodo. Frodo is the dominant male who nearly walked on top of me as I was observing another member of his group up in the trees. I am quite sure I have photos of Frodo though I don't know if they are labeled as such.