Post #264 30 April 2023

 Gentlefolk,

This post describes our activities in April 2023.

The main event during April was our visit to Indonesia, from 30 March until 27 April. To celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary we invited the family to Bali and we tagged on visits to Vera's family as well. We were in Indonesia for almost a month.

Flew Canberra to Sydney, then Sydney to Jakarta (2 nights); 

Car to Bandung to see Vera's family (4 nights); new toll road from Bekasi to Bandung $10 for 100 km.

Car to Jepara where we met up with Andrew & Caroline & kids (2 nights); 

Car to Surabaya where we caught up with Paul and Niniek (2 nights); 

Flew to Bali where we met up with Jennifer & Tom & boys: 6 nights in Canggu, 3 nights in Ubud (Jen Andrew and families headed home), Vera & I then had 4 nights in Sanur and 4 nights in Legian, before flying back via Melbourne.

JAKARTA, capital and biggest city of  Indonesia

About to take off at Sydney Airport, bound for Jakarta.

Collecting our bags at Jakarta Airport.

A sign at Jakarta Airport reminding everyone that it is Ramadan, the Muslim Fasting Month. Devout Muslims can not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset. Impressive.

The big round-about (with welcome statue) in front of the Hotel Indonesia. It was the show-piece building in Jakarta in February 1972 when I arrived to work as a Trade Commissioner in the Australian Embassy;  I stayed in the Hotel Indonesia for 3 days before moving into a small house in Cikini (later taken over by John and Helen Hemphill and kids).  It has been renovated, and is now managed by the Kempinsky Group. Today it is dwarfed by many much higher buildings.

When I arrived the Aussie Embassy was located at Jalan Thamrin 15; it later moved to Kuningan. The Japanese Embassy is still there, next door (much bigger now, with strong security). Two huge 50 storey towers are now under construction where our Embassy used to be. 

We stayed at the Artotel, Jalan Sunda 3, Menteng for two nights. Small room, but great central location and price (A$75 per night). Nice murals everywhere (hence the name).

The Artotel was just behind the Sarinah Department Store on Jalan Thamrin.

Sarinah was the main (only) Department Store when I arrived in Jakarta in February 1972 for my first posting as a Trade Commissioner in the Trade Section of the Australian Embassy. 

The Jaya Pub was an icon of Jakarta's expat night life for many years. We had many fun nights there (Felix was our favorite singer!!). It closed in 2020, a casualty of the Covid pandemic, and has not reopened.

We walked along Jalan Sabang (parallel with Jl Thamrin); much of it was still the same as 30 years ago. 

The new Ashley Tang Hotel on Jalan Sabang looked nice.

We had lunch with Vera's brother Albert and her sister Farida. Albert recently had a heart attack and received treatment under the National Medical Insurance Scheme. Farida came from Bandung to help nurse him. 

Yamaha promotion of its Fazzia scooter in front of Sarinah.

We walked around the suburb of Menteng. I found the address where I stayed in 1972-73 after Cikini. At that time the Australian Embassy owned this samll apartment complex at Jalan Cokroaminoto 32. It was sold some years ago, and now looks delapidated.

Man cooking sate in this warung - a very typical sight.

Elly and Albert breed poodles for extra income. Elly also teaches English and Maths to private sttudents. They work hard to make ends meet.

From left: Iis, Elly, Albert, Farida, Vera and me. We stopped at Albert & Elly's home to pick up Farida who was getting a ride with us back to Bandung.

BANDUNG, West Java

In Bandung we stayed with Andre and Iis in Setrasari Kulon. Their son Fawzan was there, and their daughter Ita came sometimes.

Andre and Iis hosted a "buka puasa" dinner for the extended family. A feast. Indonesian food is the best!

Vera with her brother Frans (in wheelchair) and his wife Tience.

Farida's daughter Masca and her husband Arby and daughters Zia and Kinan.

From left: Iis, Gary, Yanti, Masca, Vera, Richard, Farida.

The extended family. It was great to meet them all again.

Vera & Iis at Rumah Mode, our favorite clothing store in Bandung. Iis is a good driver and knows her way around Bandung.

Fawzan took me to the Siliwangi golf driving range. He took up golf when the gyms closed with Covid. Golf is relatively expensive in Indonesia (as in most of Asia); Fawzan rarely plays on a golf course but frequently goes to the driving range which is afforable. His swing is really good - has excellent transition - hits the ball a mile.
Fawzan has completed his medical degree, and is about to start a Masters in hospital administration as that is where he would like to work. He said that some of his friends have started as GPs, but find it hard to get established.
Fawzan's girlfriend, TaTa, is nice (works for Danamon Bank). They were at Uni together. Both are fasting during Ramadan.

Common sights on roads in Indonesia.

Price of petrol varied from about A$1 per litre for Premium (88 octane), Pertalite (90 octane), Pertamax (92 octane, Pertamax Turbo (98 octane) to A$1.50 per litre for Dex Lite diesel. We saw very few electric cars and motor bikes. Quite a contrast with China where all motor bikes are now electric and many cars.

Petrol is also available from roadside stalls; especially useful for motor bikes.

Farewell photo in Bandung: Vera, Iis, Fawzan, Andre and me. We really enjoyed our 4 days here.

JEPARA, Central Java

We hired a car and driver to take us from Bandung to Jepara in Central Java where Caroline and Andrew have a furniture factory. We had a good run to Semarang, but then took a wrong turn and a it was a slow drive to Jepara. Had trouble finding the hotel (poor sign posting).  Here I am thanking the driver; we left Bandung at 7am and arrived in Jepara at 3pm.

Caroline and Andrew hosted a "buka puasa" dinner for their 44 staff plus family.

We stayed at the Jepara Marina Bungalows.  Big, comfortable room, good swimming pool. The beach was nearby just past the boats behind the pool. 

The hotel was next to a beach, which is popular with local families in early mornings. But there was a lot of rubbish on the beach - not nice for swimming or playing.

Jepara is a long way from anywhere. It is renowned in Indonesia for its woodworking skills.

The factory's management team.

Part of the factory.

We visited the local acquarium, inside this huge turtle.

Hired a mini-bus to drive from Jepara to Surabaya. Eddie and Jay enjoyed the karaoke!

Slow drive from Jepara to Semarang; then the toll road to Surabaya (via Solo).

SURABAYA, East Java

Vera & I thanking the two drivers for getting us to Surabaya.

The view from our room in the hotel. Surabaya is the second largest city in Indonesia, but much smaller than Jakarta. You can see a few high-rise buildings.

Paul and Niniek joined us in Surabaya. Vera's cousin Arthur and his wife Annie showed us around.

We visited the War Memorial & Museum which commemorates Surabaya's role in the War of Independence. After the Japanese surrender in August 1945, British forces occupied Surabaya until the Dutch could organise their return. But the Indonesians wanted independence not the Dutch back again, and fighting broke out. It was the British Army against Indonesian students and workers. Since then Surabaya has been known as "Heroes City". 

A statue of Sukarno, the leader of the Independence movement. In 1949 he became the first President of the Republic of Indonesia. 

We flew from Surabaya to Bali. Lots of volcanoes in this region.

CANGGU, Bali

Vera was born in Surabaya and grew up in Bali. Her father was the first Western doctor in Klungkung and established a government hospital there. Her mother was originally from Singaraja, North Bali. Vera went to primarly school in Klungkung, then high school in Denpasar and finally university in Jogjakarta (Central Java). She was working for Singapore Airlines when I met her in Jakarta in 1972;  we married the following year.

We rented "Villa Limabelas", a 6 bedroom villa at the Natuna Villas in Canggu. It was a 10 minute walk to Berawa Beach along a narrow, busy road.

We took full advantage of the nice pool at the Villa. 

Berawa Beach at high tide (photo taken from Finns Beach Club).

Sunset at Berawa Beach.

Dinner at "Caravan" on Berawa Beach. From left: Paul, Andrew, Tom, Hutto, Jay, Sid, Nate, Kurt, Eddie, Jen, Katie, Caroline.

There are two huge "beach clubs" next to each other on Berawa Beach: Finns and Atlas. 

We had a look at Finns Beach Club (it was quiet in the morning). If you sat down, you got a 'credit' of A$300 to be used against purchases of food and drink.  Became busy during the day and night, lots of young people. It is a totally contrived environment, not Bali at all!

Finns staff (of which there are many) park their motor bikes here. 

On Friday morning Finns staff are rostered to clean the beach in front of the Club. 

The massive Atlas Beach Club next to Finns. This Club seems to attract more Indonesians. These two huge 'beach clubs' dominate Berawa Beach to its detriment.

We walked to the next beach, Batu Bolong Beach, about a kilometer from Berawa, where Hutto and Katie were staying - better surf and more 'grass roots', good atmosphere..

Local fishing boat.

A surf lesson at Batu Bolong.

Group photo before Paul and Niniek's departure for Sydney. From left: Jen, Vera, Tom, Paul, Kurt, Eddie, Nate, Jay, Caz, Andrew, Niniek, and me.

Pizzas at the Bocara Italian Restaurant. Delicious!

A local food stall (or Warung) which had cheap and tasty food.

Tom & James Hutton. Hutto was in Andrew's class and they are still great mates in Sydney. He is a dedicated surfer, loves Bali and the Balinese, and has taught himself Bahasa Indonesia.

The Roberts mob. Boys growing up: Kurt will be 18 shortly and will finish school this year, Nate is 16 and Sid is 14. 

A distant cousin of Vera, Tanya, has opened the "Deli Sandwich Shop" on Jalan Nelayan at Batu Bolong. She did a Commerce degree at Monash University in Melbourne.  Smart move to differentiate herself from other cafes, I think/hope she will do well.

We had a family dinner at the Villa one night.

Jen and Andrew took the opportunity to mark our 50th Wedding Anniversary. Jen spoke first, followed by Andrew. We are blessed to have two such wonderful kids and grandkids!

Celebrating 50 years of married bliss!!! It was great to be surrounded by our wonderful kids and grandkids. 

Everyone had massages, even the young kids!

The exchange rates while we were in Bali.

UBUD, Bali

Villa Figaro at Ubud was spectacular.

We went to a Kecak Dance.

The Kecak Dance was followed by a Trance Dance - the guy walked on red-hot coals!

Mother & son.

Sid on his 14th birthday.

A wedding ceremony at this temple.

Jen & Tom remembered this traditional duck restaurant from years ago; still good.

We had lunch in this traditional "suckling pig" restaurant. 

Our street, Jalan Sandat, was closed to cars for most of a day because a local wedding was taking place. The Balinese insist that their customs come first!

The wedding which closed the road took place in this house on Jalan Sandat, near our Villa.

We had dinner at this restaurant - we've often come here since it opened 40 years ago.

The lotus pond next to the Cafe.

Vera and I went to a Legong Dance performance.

Ubud is the cultural capital of Bali. Lots of carvings, paintings, dancing.

Family Photos.

Our two wonderful children, Jen and Andrew. We are proud that they turned out so well.

The extended family: from left: Tom, Jay, Jen, Caz, Eddie, Kurt, Sid, me, Vera, Andrew, and Nate. Who would have thought, 50 years ago, that we woul dhave such a wonderful mob?

The Olah family of Queens Park, Sydney.

The Roberts family of The Gap, Brisbane, with grandparents.

SANUR, Bali

After Ubud, the Roberts flew back to Brisbane, Andrew & family went to Nusa Dua for two days, and Vera & I stayed at the Besakih Beach Hotel at Sanur. My sister Angie recommended this hotel for its great location. We had a nice bungalow. This is a photo of the swimming pool, just across from the beach. 

A view of magical Gunung Agung from the beach in front of the Besakih Hotel.

Many local adults and kids enjoyed Sanur Beach, although we preferred the hotel pool. We were here during Lebaran, the holiday at the end of Ramada and many tourists visited from Java.

Sanur Beach is OK for swimming at high tide. There is a reef about 200m off the beach, so only small waves on the beach itself. But there is a 4+km broad path along the seashore which was very pleasant for walking and riding bikes. Luckily, motor bikes are banned, so Sanur Beach wonderfiully quiet after the incessant noise of Canggu and Ubud. 

Many bikes for rent @ A$2 per hour. I rode to the end of the beach promenade and back - most enjoyable. This place (Sanur) is so laid back after the intensity of life in Canggu and Ubud.

Walkers left, bikes right.

We had lunch in the Batu Jimbar restaurant on Jalan Danau Tamblingan, not far from our hotel. Niniek recommended it. Vera met the owner who happened to know some of our friends.

A burial procession on Sanur Beach.

We said goodbye to the Olahs when they left for Sydney.

We visited the central market in Denpasar. Actually, central Denpasar has some really lovely streets.

What a selection of chillies!

Four ladies helped Vera try on traditional Indonesian Kain / Kebaya.

The Govt has lanscaped the river which flows trough Denpasar.

We had a coffee in this traditional coffee house on Jalan Gajah Mada which was started in 1935.

The inside of the coffee shop had a lovely historical atmosphere.

We visited a local park on Jalan Gajah Mada, dedicated to the leader of the Balinese resistance to the Dutch when they tried to take control of Bali 150 years ago.

The heroes of the resistence against the Dutch in colonial times.

The old Bali Hotel built by the Dutch. This was the main/only prominent hotel in Denpasar when Vera went to High School here in the early 1960s.

Traditional Dutch style hotel.

A photo of President (Bung) Karno in the reception area of the hotel.

A huge 2 meter high Garuda carving in the foyer of the hotel.

LEGIAN, Bali

We stayed at the Jayakarta Bali Beach Hotel, Jalan Werkudara, Legian for 4 nights. We've stayed here before and like the facilities (three big swimming pools, tennis, gym, garden) and location just across a road from Legian Beach.

We were in Room 215 this time, close to the pool and beach.

Vera walking towards the beach. Our room is in the background.

Legian Beach. There were surf life saving flags near us.

A surf school stretching before the lesson.

Another surf school entering the water.

Machine to clean Legian Beach. It quickly gets dirty with rubbish if the wind blows from Java.

The Govt has built a walking path along the beachfront, all the way from Kuta to Seminyak.

Every evening we watched the sunset on the beach from about 5.30 to 7pm.  Magical. Great temperature, high 20s. Lots of people on the beach at this time, drinking beer and enjoying the atmosphere. Just a great way to finish the day, before heading off for dinner.

Sometimes bands entertained on the beach at sunset.

This area is popular with Aussie tourists - their cultural impact can be seen in the names of beach bars. We always frequented the Casanova Bar managed by Coco (it was the closest to the hotel Jayakarta).

On my second posting to the Australian Embassy Jakarta (1988-91) when we came to Bali with the kids we usually stayed at the Yulia Beach Inn on Jalan Pantai Kuta. It was a great little hotel, about 120m from the beach. It has been renovated, but still basically the same as 35 years ago!

We normally got two connecting rooms at Yulia Beach Inn, one for the kids and one for us.

The driveway into the Yulia Beach Inn - still the same!

We had lunch at the Yulia Beach Inn - chicken sate. Delicious!

The beach at the end of Jalan Pantai Kuta where we used to swim. The waves are smaller at this end of the beach, so usually safer. Andrew started to surf here.  It used to be crowded with tourists, but fewer now as visitors have so many more options.

We visited the memorial to the victims of the 20202 ali Bombing. 202 people died, including 88 Australians. A friend of Tom & Jen, Nathan Swain, was one of the victims.

 

We decided to visit Nusa Dua as we hadn't been there for many years.

Walked around the Grand Hyatt - a magnificent hotel!

Lunch at Poppies Restaurant. We came here in the 1980s - still special.

Poppies staff.

Lovely pool of Poppies Cottages.

Very rare to see this sign - 95% of places add 21% to the bill (a 10% service charge and 11% govt tax).

Finally got Vera to take an "ogek" - given the horrible traffic, this is the best way to get around.

Our last breakfast at the Jayakarta Hotel, we met John Paul Janke from Canberra. He is a journalist on indigenous issues on NITV and SBS.

Lunch with Vera's cousin from her mother's side: Ucik, Darwin, and their daughter-in-law Gung Ayu.

A couple of hours later we caught a taxi to the Airport for our flight home. Our month in Indonesia was over.

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Some impressions of Indonesia

Indonesian people are, in the main, very friendly and helpful and patient. 

People everywhere; non-stop cars and motor bikes. Life just seems much more intense here than back home in Australia.  Indonesia now has a population around 260 million - twice the number when I arrived in 1972, 51 years ago. Then it was a mystery to me how it all worked, and it's still a mystery. But it does work and people generally seem well fed and clothed.

Kretek clove cigarettes - the smell of Indonesia!

Indonesian food is the best - delicious!

There are literally millions of motor bikes in Indonesia. They are all petrol (in China all motor bikes are now electric, much better for the environment).

Many toll roads being built and the charges are reasonable by our standards (eg $10 for 110km toll road between Bekasi and Bandung).  

The local equivalent of Uber is called Grab - cheap by our standards - we paid around $7 to go 10km. And often, depending on traffic, that distance would take over an hour or more which meant the driver didn't make much. Actually local salaries are still low - shop assistants, waiters, hotel staff etc probably make about $40 - 50 a week and work long hours. 

Chinese contractors are building a fast train between Jakarta and Bandung;  will become operational in August 2023.

Easter (Good Friday) is a public holiday in Indonesia.

No footpaths in Berawa/Canggu. 

Two huge beach clubs dominate Berawa Beach (Finns and Atlas).

Many surf schools.

Many stories of hardship during the two years of Covid and no tourism (there is very little govt support).

The National Medical Insurance Scheme is good - Vera's brother had a heart attack and all his medical expenses were covered. He pays about $7 a month to the Insurance Scheme.

Lots of people still smoke (very cheap here); we noticed many young Indonesians vaping. 

We all got "Bali Belly", one after the other, except Vera. 

Price of food and drinks (except cocktails) seem inexpensive until you add the 21%. We rarely ate for less than $10 per person except in warungs where locals eat. Overall, Vera thinks prices have gone up (they certainly have in Australia too)  - this holiday seemed much more expensive than 5 years ago.

Ubud still the cultural center, but losing its 'grass roots' feel as too crowded.

The roads are full of cars, trucks and motor bikes. It took us 90 minutes to travel 11km from Denpasar to Kuta. Drivers are much more patient here than they would be in Australia. It's give and take and finally it all works out, somehow? We saw a lot of near misses, but no accidents (I'm sure they happen).

Many Aussies at the hotel in Legian. We are so much bigger than Indonesians! Many sported tattoos;  love beer.

Lots of tattoo parlours and spas. How do they all survive?

We noticed quite a few Russians, especially in Canggu and Ubud (according to the internet there are now about 80,000 Russians in Bali - apparently there are many too in Sri Lanka and Cambodia and Thailand. They look for cheap places to stay, often for long periods). 

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 News items which caught my eye during April 2023.

 

Global	Paris voted to ban e-scooters (103,000 only 8% of eligible voters voted). Some OPEC countries agreed to cut production to stabilize (increase) oil prices. New Centre-Right Govt in Finland. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing Wen visited the USA; met HoR Speaker Kevin McCarthy. China reacted by conducting military exercises around Taiwan. The IMF downgraded its forecast for 2023 world economic growth to 2.8%. Origin of Fortune 500 companies in 2020: 134 from China; 130 USA; 62 Japan; 40 France; 28 Germany. According to the Stockholm Peace Institute: 2022 major arms exporters: USA (45% of total); France (9%); Russia (9%); China (6%); Italy (6%); Germany (5%); UK (5%); Spain (3%); Israel (1%). Fighting between rivals in Khartoum, Sudan. Foreigners evacuated. London Marathon won by Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum (23) in 2h1m28s; Dutch woman Sifan Hassan (30) won the womens in 2h18m33s. India replaced China as the world’s most populous country. China’s population is decreasing while India’s is still showing strong growth (although the rate of growth is slowing).
Russian invasion of Ukraine	Russia took over the Presidency of the UN Security Council, on rotation. President Putin visited occupied territories of Kherson and Luhansk. President Xi called President Zelensky re a negotiated settlement of the Russian invasion. Russia launched missile attacks on Ukraine cities; most intercepted; 25+ dead. Ukrainian drone hit a fuel dump in Sebastopol (Crimea), huge fire.
USA	Former President Trump was indicted in NYC over hush payments to Stormy Daniels in 2016. He denied the charges and will face trial; claimed political persecution. He got a lot of publicity.  Trump sued his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for $500M for breach of contract. Rupert Murdoch, Chairman of New Corp, cancelled his engagement to Ann Lesley Smith. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas admitted accepting trips from a wealth Republican donor (and his personal friend). Jack Teixeira, 21, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was accused of leaking classified Pentagon papers. President Biden visited Ireland, his ancestral home; addressed Parliament. Juul Labs (vape manufacturer) agreed to pay $462M to settle claims by 6 States that it targeted teenagers. Five died in a bank shooting in Louisville; 4 dead and 34 injured at a “Sweet 16” birthday party in Dadeville Alabama. An estimated 20% of Americans have lost a family member to gun violence. State legislature of Tennessee expelled 3 Democrats for demonstrating against gun violence; they were later reinstated. Florida banned abortions after 6 weeks. Fox agreed to pay Dominion $787M to settle defamation case. Popular Fox News anchor, Tucker Carlson, left Fox. Elon Musk (SpaceX) rocket “starship” exploded after takeoff. Supreme Court ruled 5-2 to allow continued access to Mifepristone abortion drug, after a Texas judge imposed restrictions on the basis that it was unsafe (it has been sold in the US for 20 years). President Biden (80) announced his intention to seek the nomination of the Democratic Party as their Presidential candidate in 2024; 70% of Americans (including 51% of Democrats) do not think Biden should run again. BAT was fined $635M by the Dept of Justice for breaking sanctions of doing business (cigarettes) with North Korea, Shares in First Republic Bank fell from $147 each in February to $5.70 now, on fears of its financial status. Looks as if this will be the third big bank to fold? Despite all the problems, Wall Street had a good month. US Govt will open migration processing centres in Colombia and Guatemala in an effort to reduce undocumented immigration.
Australia	The Aston (Melbourne) by-election was won by the Labor candidate with a swing of 6.5% – the first time a member of the governing Party has won a by-election in more than 100 years. Labor won the NSW state election, but short of an absolute majority. Minns is the new Premier. Australian F1 chaotic finish: top 3 Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso. The Liberal Party decided to oppose an Indigenous Voice in the Constitution. Latest Newspoll: 54% for the Voice, 38% against. After 10 increases, the Reserve Bank did not increase interest rates this month. The Australian Govt banned Tik Tok from govt-issued devices. Champion Aussie Rules footballer, Gary Ablett Sr, sued the AFL, Hawthorn and Geelong for brain injuries. Australian comedian Barry Humphries (Dame Edna Everage; Sir Les Patterson) died aged 89. Australia is expecting 400,000 immigrants in 2022-23, and 315,000 in 2023-24 (compared to minus 85,000 in 2020-21); the bulk are international students and working holiday makers.

 

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That's it for this post.

Bit of a shock coming back to Canberra. The weather was reasonable on Thursday and Friday, but it's raining and miserable now - max of 13C today.

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Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Vera & Alex Olah

Canberra, Australia

Sunday 30 April 2023.