Author Archives: Elena Evans

Climbing one of the most active volcanoes in the world…

May 23, 2007 – 12:21 am

Setting off at 10pm, we met our guide and his friend who had a car the would take us on the two hour drive to Selo. Since we did not go through a tourism company and being that we were in Indonesia, this seemed relatively normal. This feeling did not last long. Slowing down at every cross street, the driver tried to discern if it was the correct one. After a few street inspections, he threw the car in reverse satisfied that the chosen road would do. With a manual transmission and the steep road, stalling seemed inevitable. It seemed the driver did not realize that lower gears work better for steep climbs or perhaps he just wanted to see how low he could get the RPM’s to go before the vehicle would come to a complete stop. At some point during this windy and jerky drive Steve woke up and looked around.  Moments later the driver commented, “Go back to sleep boss.”  Thoughts of kidnapping and ransom flickered through my thoughts as the car struggled up small roads in the dark of night.

Eventually the car pulled into Selo, the small village at the base of the climb.  At this point the guide said we should rest at his friend’s house before we set out for the top of the volcano in a couple of hours. Masks adorn the walls around the couch were five men were riveted to Jaws III on TV. We took a seat and tea was served. Forty-five minutes later after unsuccessful attempts at sleep we were roused. The guide said that we could borrow flashlights from his friend. At our request the perplexed man poked around until he scrounged up one old flashlight for Steve and I to share. Our original English speaking "guide" had already settled into the comfort of the couch and indicated that the two youngest men in the room would now be our guides. This made me uneasy because our "salesman" gave us the impression he would personally take us up the volcano and the new guides were not well versed in English.

Merapi was obscured in darkness and clouds as we set out on the hike. Steep paved roads lead up to an abandoned radio station where we rested as the vigorous hike had no swtichbacks and was very fast paced. Later Steve mentioned to me that there would be no switchbacks…I thought he was joking, but he most certainly was not. As we went further along the path, we begin to ascend an even steeper route obscured by foliage. One guide lead the way and the other brought up the rear. A quick burst of Javanese startled us out of our silence and the rear guide rushed to the front and entering into an extended dialogue with the other guide. We turned around and examine a few paths before selecting the “right” one.  Keep in mind that the entire time we scrambled up different paths in a pseudo lost state, Steve and I shared a dim and slowly dying flashlight.  Slipping and struggling up the mountainside is a blast without the ability to see where you are going!
I feel as though I am in decent shape but found the climb arduous. Some of the difficulty can be attributed to the fact that Steve and I were sharing a flashlight, but for some reason this was not of concern to our guides. Breaks every 20-30 minutes were always appreciated, since we had no sleep and no food in our stomaches at this point. During these breaks, we would catch our breath and drink water while our guides would have a quick smoke.  Sometimes I think they would not even drink any water. These young men have certainly become accustomed to the heat and vigor of these climbs.

After two and half hours we stopped for another break. It was about 3 in the morning and we anticipated further climbing so the Steves pounded some Krating Daeng (Red Bull Syrup). The guides had their customary smoke and then began to build a fire. No words were exchanged in this process, but snoring alerted us to the fact that they had both quickly fallen asleep. At three in the morning, on one of the most active volcanoes in the world we must have looked quite confused to the sight of our guides peacefully dreaming on their small dirt beds next to the fire. Clearly we were not going anywhere so we decided to follow suit. Doing our best to overcome uncomfort and the caffeine buzz, we curled up on the sharp volcanic rocks and actually managed to catch a few winks of sleep.  Dirt naps on the side of a volcano behind a small rock protecting us from the whistling winds turned out to be quite refreshing. As the fire died out and the guides woke they asked, “Do you want to go to the last plateau or the top?” Clouds were rolling over the summit and safety was a concern. Usually a guide’s job is to recommend the best course of action, but in this instance and partially due to the language barrier the decision was entirely up to us. Without solid advice about the risks attempting the summit would entail, we opted to start with the second plateau.  Climbing over old lahar deposits, we made it to the second plateau as the sun rose.

Stunning views had waited for us as only now we could see the height we had climbed in the night. Far below us terraced fields quilted the land and Selo could be seen coming to life. The wind swept past us, pushing clouds over the summit. The scene was beautiful, but also cold and tiring. The ascent was difficult but the descent was even more demanding. Dewy grass covered some of the path with sand and gravel covering even more. I fell at least 24 times while Bouey and Steve seemed to have no problem. An hour and a half of sliding, jumping, and tumbling down Mt. Merapi we made it back to pavement. Villagers were making their way to plots halfway up the mountain, a routine they must do at least twice a week. We were greeted with curiosity but also smiles. The highlight of the journey occurred when we were only 200m away from the guide’s house. Selo students lined the courtyard of their school yelling “hello, hello” with the gusto and cuteness that only small children are capable of.  The country life seemed much healthier and it was unfortunate we could not spend more time here.

Climbing one of the most active volcanoes in the world did not turn out to be as we expected it but we came away with views that cameras cannot do justice to and smiles from the hospitality of our new friends. It is experiences like this that even though are extremely difficult and uncomfortable, end up presenting themselves in the most beautiful ways.  A climb up this mountain and a walk through Selo is worth the struggle upfront.

 

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Posted in Action Sports, Indonesia | Comments (3)

10 Things You Wouldn’t Expect From Australia

April 20, 2007 – 7:07 pm

Australia, the land down under, is depicted as a wondrous place of surf beaches, kangaroos, wineries, and all the comforts of home. This investigative report delves into what the average tourist may not anticipate when going down under!

1) Kangaroos are considered pests. Cars armor themselves due to eminent kangaroo crashes that occur with alarming frequency around dusk and dawn. That’s right, the national emblem can frequently be seen on the side of the road.

2) The land of surf beaches has a strict dress code in which flip-flops are not appropriate attire for many establishments. You, your money, and your fine attire will get turned away if your little toes are showing. However, they allowed me to wear my hiking boots.  Apparently this dates back to earlier times and Aboriginal racism as many of them did not and still do not have shoes.

3) If you order a sandwich you will be asked if you want salad.  This does not mean a Caesar salad or anything of that sort. Instead it means would you like lettuce, tomato, onion, or something of that sort.

4) You can’t tell that the toilet flushes the wrong way, they are all low flow so there is not enough water flowing to see this effect. The most notable thing about the toilets is that there are two buttons; one number one and the second for number two.  This is much due to the regular drought conditions experienced down here.

5) Driving on the left hand side also means you are supposed to walk and pass on the left hand side. Many collisions reaffirm this.

6) Long blacks, short blacks, and lattes are easy to come by than regular filter coffee. Many times the baristas do not even know what you are talking about.

7) Mullets are the style, it has been that way and will continue to be whether modern fashion denotes it or not.

8) Australian’s do not think that Fosters is "Australian for beer." Fosters is not on tap at most establishments and even hard to find in liquor stores .

9) Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter, had more of a following outside of Australia than in it.  However, he is still highly respected by many for his commitment to the environment.

10) Black beans and green chili are nearly impossible to find. As a result, good Mexican food does not exist here.


Posted in For some laughs, Uncategorized | Comments (2)

Where are you from?

April 15, 2007 – 6:30 pm

One of the first questions out of new acquaintances mouths while in the southern hemisphere has been "Where are you from?" This seemingly simple question is usually answered with "America." Those who want to get to know me better or can not think of another small talk follow-up question will continue with where in America? Beaming with state pride I answer "Wisconsin" with that hard "o" vowel enunciation that only those who hail from Wisconsin can successfully achieve. My smile usually dims at this point as the person on the other side of the conversation usually nods or says "oh" full of incomprehension barely hidden in their facial features. With the addendum of two hours north of Chicago, the blank expression quickly clears up and we carry on with our conversation.

Our team currently contains representatives from the states of Wisconsin, California, Colorado, and Oregon, yet we are all classed as "Americans." The cultural variation within the United States of America is something that many people treasure under the auspices of state pride. This is not possible while abroad when most people are unaware of the locations and cultural identity of these states.

"Are you German? Are you Norwegian?" are questions that have also been demanded of me. Perhaps these people were not fond of asking the primary question of "Where are you from?" and decided to jump directly into conclusions. Although their profiling is partially accurate since I have some German and Norwegian ancestry, these assumptions also demonstrate that Americans do not look one particular way. As soon as I open my mouth, my accent clears away any doubt.

As a friendly person, I am regularly initiating conversation. Good or bad it makes things interesting. One specific conversation included a kid from Denmark ridiculing Americans for their stupidity and weight. He asked where I was from and I said Wisconsin (blank stare) near Chicago. Internally I began to boil and rage about his ignorance of the fair state of Wisconsin. Upon a deep breath I reflected upon my knowledge of Denmark. The only knowledge I have of his country is the capital city of Copenhagen and vague knowledge of their royalty. So how could I begin to take offense?

We will have to be conscious of this in our travels. As the old saying goes about assumptions…better to smile and give the other person the benefit of the doubt. It will only help!


Posted in For some laughs, Philosophy, Wanderings | Comments (1)

Great People on the Great Ocean Road

April 15, 2007 – 6:36 am
A lovely woman named Denise at the Otway Lighthouse kept feeding us hot chocolate and other treats. I remarked to Caki that I wish she had been my kindly next door neighbor while growing up. Envisioning her with a nice little house that would be filled with treats was not difficult. As we were packing up, I went to thank her for her hospitality. Handed her our card, I told her a little bit about our trip around the world.

She asked, "Are you going through Tibet or India?" I replied, "Yes…"

Her face became animated as she explained that she had been the study abroad coordinator for Antioch College’s Buddhist studies program. My "kindly next-door neighbor" began to spin tales of her adventures throughout India, Tibet, and Iran. The stories were sprinkled with warnings, advice, religious history and stories. We came away from our talk with Denise bearing sheets upon sheets of paper full of people we should talk to or visit and the guide book we must buy. My next-door neighbor had quickly morphed into the exciting world adventurer I hope to be.

Paul, the keeper of the lighthouse, later arrived to give an interview. Personal insight from the man who lives at the point like many other keepers before him gave us an interesting perspective on the area and history. He augmented the lighthouse story provided by our tour guide on our in-depth 45 minute tour. Paul went further than most, however, when he offered to put some of our pictures and possibly a link on the lighthouse website. The generosity of this gesture was highlighted by the fact that he only met us that day and had no prior knowledge about our expedition.

For the Great Ocean road grand finale, we stopped by the Longboard Winery where Matthew and his adorable daughter Lulu showed us around. Lulu accompanied us throughout the tour and it was easy to see how Lulu and Matthew spent their time together. It was almost as though we had become part of the family. During our three hour tour, Matthew, Lulu, and Matthew’s partner, Roger, showed us their estate, taught us about wine and wine making, discussed the current drought and the effect the drought had on the local wine industry. It was the most comprehensive wine tour I’ve ever been on. Despite walking into this winery knowing that the Longboard name was related to the surfboard, Matthew regaled us all with his in-depth knowledge about the history of surfing. Not only did he have surfing knowledge but also the personal connection to surfing. Many surfing greats have visited Longboard and sipped on a glass of wine with Matthew while trading surfing legends.

Needless to say, we will all remember the Great Ocean Road for the scenery and activities but the experience would not be as memorable if it were not for all of the kind, generous, and interesting people who we met while on the road. My dad always says “It never hurts to say hi.” The people of the Great Ocean Road prove that you never know who you will meet and what knowledge they will reveal.


Posted in Australia | Comments (0)