Thursday, August 26, 2004

FLORES ISLAND / INDONESIA:
We saw a sink and cried. A sink, the pinnacle of civilisation. That is what spending 10 days on Flores Island does to you. We are now back on Bali Island, making the most of a pool, hot shower, mirror, toilet. ahhh, bliss. I will just add that we spent the last 2 days in a hut on the beach with no electricity or water and Cristian dared to bathe in the "mandi" (the tub they fill with water to flush the hole in the floor and wash their bits and bobs down under with). He was motivated by the fact that the previous days were spent in another hut in the mountains were the water was pumped from the same source it was released into (drains, yes, drains)... Other than that, yesterday we discovered that Merpati Airlines serves a rose shaped and coloured soap instead of desert, and we confess that we did not dare turn it upside down (as I usually do with most airline deserts, just to check if they do stay glued to their container) - recommendable, and a nice way to say bye to Flores.

The traditional village of Bena.

Bajawa market.

Rice fields in Moni.

Kalimutu volcano.