Récits de voyages autour du monde

MONDAY, DECEMBER 9

NUSA LEMBONGAN – MAKASSAR (SULAWESI ISLAND)

I had a bad night, bothered by a migraine that started in the afternoon. I think it was the extreme heat that triggered it. I got up late and had lunch around 11ham, happy that my pain was finally going.

Claude and I bid farewell to our kind hosts Ibad and Tuputika and drove off in a taxi van to the Jungut Batu wharf. We left Lembongan Island by ‘fast boat’. It took us 30 minutes to reach the port of Sanur, on the island of Bali. From there, a shuttle bus took us to Denpasar airport. The journey took about 45 minutes. How hot it was both outside and inside! The air conditioning in the van did not provide.

We had almost 5 hours of waiting at the airport. We had dinner on site and then we took care of it. Claude walked around and read, and I took the opportunity to work on my blog. We departed on the 6:40 p.m. flight aboard a Boeing 737-900ER bound for Makassar, capital of Sulawesi (Celebes Islands). From Bali, it takes 45 minutes to fly.

We took a Grab Taxi to our hotel but didn’t give the right address. We had to take another one up to the Whiz Prime Hotel Hasanuddin Makassar, where we had made our reservation. The hotel has 15 floors, and we are on the 11^th floor. Our room is large, clean and a wall-to-wall window offers a view of the city. We went for a bite to eat at the restauranton the 3^rd floor. So, we saw the pool and spa that are right next door. We finished the evening at our room.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 10

Makassar

My night was short, and I got up not very fit. I suffered from the heat because our air conditioning was not working well. I was a little disappointed with the hotel lunch as the buffet was almost exclusively made up of Indonesian dishes (rice, meats, cooked vegetables). We went in a becak and never managed to find the travel agency that our Google Map indicated to us. Heck! We went to another agency, but they only sold airplane flights. Our third becak race took us to the Tourist Information Office. Ah! We were finally able to receive information about the city and its surroundings. It was with disappointment that I learned that the village Of Toraja (with traditional houses with buffalo horn-shaped roofs) near Ujung Pandang was not open to visitors. It is no longer inhabited and would be under renovation. The other village Toraja is an 8-hour drive away, so too far to fit in our route constraints; Too bad…

We visited one last agency and this one did not sell any day trips. Certainly, Makassar is not an organized city for foreign tourists. We’ll have to plan our outings on our own. We have learned that we can book the services of a driver for the number of hours we want with the Grab app, which is ideal for us from an economic point of view. We have taken the necessary information for our next plane booking which we will make ourselves via the internet.

Leaving with the same becak driver, we were dropped off at rumah Makan Keluarga restaurant (« family house » or « family restaurant » in good French) on Pattimura Street. I ordered grilled fish and Claude fried fish. We got caught up in the huge portions that were served to us. The whole thing was accompanied by rice and Kale cabbage. Our dinner cost us $23 CAD, which is three times the amount we usually pay. We brought our leftovers to the hotel in preparation for dinner!

Back at the hotel, I realized that we had left all our flyers and tourist cards at the restaurant. damn! After swimming at the pool, Claude returned to the restaurant and, good news, he was able to retrieve our precious annotated papers!

A thunderstorm lowered the outside temperature; we watched the heavy rain with a real feeling of happiness. We then took a nap in our room, finally feeling fresh thanks to the technician who came by to check our air conditioning and add freon.

In the late afternoon, we set off to walk on the beautiful waterfront promenade of Losari Beach. Claude and I had a crush on this place with a magnificent view of the sunset, the beautiful mosque with 99 domes and the Masjid Amirul Mukminin (beautiful mosque with blue dome built on the sea). The promenade is wide and contains several sculptures, monuments and giant letters indicating « Toraja, Mandar, City of Makassar, Pantai Losari and Bugis ».

We walked to the gigantic globe of the Centre Point of Indonesia, missing out on fifteen impressive larger-than-life carved white horses.

We then turned around. We met a group of six young Indonesians from Papua. They wanted to take a picture of us, white people, with them, lack people. We played the game, to their delight. We exchanged a few words, limited on both sides by the language barrier. Our meeting with them was brief but so warm!

I tried a pisang epe keju, a fried banana topped with syrup and grated cheese at one of the small food stalls on the promenade. It was delicious but a bit too sweet.

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We returned via Jalan Somba Opu Street, known for its many souvenir shops. Several shops were already closed. We went back to a few shops but didn’t buy anything because of a lack of space in our suitcases.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we bathed in the outdoor pool on the3^rd floor, enjoying a small view of the city under its night lighting. We ate the rest of fish, rice and kale we had left from our dinner, sitting at a table by the pool. We ended the evening in the cool, at our room.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11

Makassar

After lunch, we went in a becak to Pantai Losari where we had an appointment with Cium, the captain we had hired for the day. His English is very limited and moreover, he is deaf and dumb! For $50 CAD for 8 hours, he took us to three islands.

We were feeling well on the water. We sailed for 45 minutes over the Java Sea to reach the small deserted island of Kodingareng Keke. For the first twenty minutes, we were alone with a dozen cats on this beautiful island with snow-white sand. We went around to find with disappointment that you can’t swim there because the bottoms are dotted with corals and black sea urchins with long thorns. The crystal-clear water is so transparent that we could see a few small blue fish and other yellow and black striped fish as well as two baby sharks. Unfortunately, the plastic waste of the sea washed up on the island and there is no one to pick them up, which breaks the charm of this little corner of paradise. A shellfish fisherman came to take a break on the island before continuing his picking in his small boat. A group of six Indonesians then arrived, and they cooked their fish on a coal fire. We chatted with them before leaving the island. They were quite impressed by our knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia, albeit limited.

We left on board our boat with Cium. After about thirty minutes of sailing, we arrived at the small island Samalona. Some fishing families live in their traditional homes. Some of these houses are on stilts. The courtyards are poorly maintained and strewn with rubbish. We took the time to tour the island. A group of about 15 Indonesians from Surakarta were eating grilled fish. They appreciated that we took the time to talk with them a little in Indonesian. We then bathed in the turquoise waters surrounding the island. The seabed is lined with corals, but we found a « spot » where there was only beautiful soft sand. A fisherman came to us in the water to show us his fish and sell us one for our dinner on the island. I followed him to see him arrange the fish and grill him on a coal fire behind his house. A woman (perhaps her mother?) prepared rice (nasi putih) and a spicy tomato, onion and red pepper (sambal) salad as an accompaniment. Our « ikan bakar » (grilled fish) was exquisite!

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The third island we visited is located directly in front of Pantai Losari beach. This is Lae Lae Island. (Our initial plan was to get to Khayangan Beach, but this beach is private, and the entrance fee is CAD$15 for two people. We were advised to go instead to Lae Lae which is a public beach.) Lae Lae Island is home to a fishing village. People live there in poverty. The premises are poorly maintained, and waste is found everywhere; it’s disheartening! We walked along the small paved path that goes around the island. The people were really friendly and smiling. When we passed, they threw « Selamat siang! Dari mana? (Good afternoon! Where did you come from?). In front of the houses, on the platforms with roofing, some people were napping, others were playing cards. The many children of the island played in small groups, careless of the poor quality of their environment. Claude found himself a small corner of the beach free of waste and bathed in it. I abstained from doing it.

On the way back from our boat trip, we greeted Cium and returned via Somba Opu Street. There are many « toko emas » (« gold store » or « jewelry » in good French). In one of the souvenir shops, Claude bought himself a scarf to protect his head from the sun.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we went straight to the pool, happy to cool off. The sun was blazing. We then went up to our room. While snacking, I made the purchase of our plane tickets to the Philippines.

In the evening, we walked towards the harbour and shared a plate of chicken on the street. On the way back, we took a look at the marina restaurant. The large terrace offers a beautiful view of the harbour yachts.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12

Makassar

This morning we took a Grab Taxi to visit the Somba Opu Open Air Museum. This huge site is under renovation, but we were still able to access it. It was with emotion that I recognized the Torajas houses I had seen with Youth Canada World in 1982. Coming to Makassar (Ujung Pandang) without seeing these iconic houses of Sulawesi didn’t make sense in my head. Despite their deterioration, they are beautiful and impressive to see. We’ve seen six. We then discovered several other types of dwellings representing the different provinces of Sulawesi.

Some houses are inhabited, others are not. We put groups of schoolchildren in their beautiful school costume. We agreed to have them pose with them, which excited them!

Past the « broom desa » (ceremonial room), the mosque and the village cemetery, we arrived by chance at the museum of Fort Benteng Somba Opu. It contains some ancient coins, ancient terracotta jars, cannonballs of different sizes, etc.

A few meters away, we went to explore the remains of the fort. In 1525, the 9^th King of Gowa had built this fortified shopping center. Inside the high walls, there was his palace, some residences for his relatives, his employees and the nobles of the time. The citadel and all its buildings were destroyed by the Dutch in 1669. All that remains are the thick fortified walls.

We turned around and waited for a Grab Taxi in front of Gowa Discovery Park which offers two activities: water slides and Tree in Tree.

Back at the hotel, we took a bath and ate a club sandwich around the pool. Claude then went out to have our laundry washed. Meanwhile, I stayed in our room waiting for news from my Indonesian friend Leni.

Having still not heard from Leni, Claude and I went to see the Mandala, a tall candle-shaped monument. It is dedicated to the people of West Papua who belong to Indonesia. The employee who works there was very excited to have visitors. (There are few tourists who come to Makassar.) He ran after the keys to open the doors so that we could see the exhibition inside the monument. He went around with us, briefly explaining the history of the Papuans represented by models composed of figurines. (The elevator to get into the Mandala was out of service, which didn’t surprise us.)

We continued our walk to Karebosi Square, discovering a huge soccer field full of athletes (soccer players, joggers, aerobic dancers).

We then went for a beer at the Hotel Aston, next door to ours. At the 20th floor restaurant and bar, the view of makassar town and the sunset was truly stunning. Before we left, we took a look at the more restricted view from the 19 th floor skydeck.  

We had dinner at the Rumah Makan Keluarga restaurant which we had enjoyed the day before. Our fried fish (ikan bakar) was excellent. Back at our room, we were delivered a nice plate of fruit, courtesy of the hotel. Leni sent me a message and it was with disappointment that I learned that we could not see each other. Her flight from Jakarta to Makassar had been delayed, so she was going to arrive too late in the evening. What a pity we missed each other!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13

Makassar

When we woke up, it was with great sadness that we learned of the death of my loving father. Our day was tinged with grief, emotions and special thoughts for my late dad as well as for Mom and all our loved ones. After being busy with calls, emails and texts, we headed to the church near our hotel and gathered there for a while. With my eyes in the water and my heart swollen with grief, I bid farewell to my beloved dad and prayed for him.

In order to help us overcome our great pain, Claude and I felt the need to change our minds. We tried to keep pace with our travel days. This is surely what Dad would have wanted for us, who loved travel so much.

We went to visit Fort Rotterdam. This fort, the most emblematic monument of the city, was built in the 17th century by the VOC (Dutch East India Company) on the site of an ancient fort of the kingdom of Goya, Jum Pandan. It includes several buildings. Two of them house the Galigo Museum. This museum contains interesting ancient objects of the peoples of Sulawesi and Dutch invaders: weapons, boats and models of traditional houses, statuettes, jewelry, Korans, traditional musical instruments, cariole, etc.).

We had dinner at the marina, enjoying the breeze coming from the sea. What unbearable and humid heat it was! We then returned to the hotel to bathe and rest in our room, exhausted by the emotions of the day.

In the late afternoon, we went for a walk. My eyes were puffy to have cried so much and I hardly dared to look at the Indonesians who were greeting us in passing.

We went to see the traditional market shown on our map of the city, the Pasar Baru. There is nothing interesting about this market; the shelves are bald, and the places are really dirty. We continued our way to the Pantai Losari seaside promenade that we like. A light rain prompted us to turn around. We decided to go to dinner at a restaurant on stilts offering views of Lae Lae Island and sunset. My spaghetti Carbonara was delicious. Claude, meanwhile, tried a typical local dish, Coko Makassar (beef soup). He was not impressed. We finished the evening, quiet in our room on the 11th floor and ignoring the noises of road traffic.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14

MAKASSAR – KENDARI

We had lunch at our hotel and packed our bags. We left with a Grab Taxi to Makassar International Airport. We had dinner on the spot before boarding our Boeing. Our Makassar to Kendari flight lasted 55 minutes. Tired of the emotions of the last 24 hours, we both fell asleep. So, our flight seemed very short!

When we left the airport, a driver sent by my brother Audy from Kendari came to meet us. He drove us to the Horison Kendari Hotel where Sonny (one of Audy’s employees) came to meet us and took care of our reservation. Yayuk, who was coming from Lembo (the small village where I taught in 1982-83), came to meet us with Haslinda (a participant of Canada World Youth in 1982-83), her brother from Lembo and Jumbran, a driver and friend of Audy. I was very happy to see Haslinda 36 years later! I would not have recognized her. She now wears the hijab. She is very small but very warm. She held my hand for a long time, not coming back from seeing me in Kendari after all this time. Sitting in the lobby, we had a coffee and a few sweet bites complimented by the hotel.

We then had a couple of hours to relax at our room. What a luxury! King size bed, large office, living room, bathroom with jacuzzi, 2 televisions. Definitely, Audy spoils us!

At 7:00, Jumbran picked us up. Yayuk, Haslinda, and Yayuk’s two sisters and brother from Lembo were waiting for us in the van. I was very excited to meet some of the first people from Lembo, taking news of Mordini, my host family. It was with great sadness that I learned that my father and mother from Lembo had passed away. However, my three sisters and brother still live in the village and I was going to have the pleasure of meeting them! How happy I was!

We went to dinner at the Kampong Bakau restaurant. This restaurant with terraces on stilts offers views of Kendari Bay and its floating mosque. It is surrounded by beautiful mangroves.

Other people joined us at the restaurant: Zakir La Andjo, former CWY participant 82-83 (He was in one of the 2 Alberta groups.), a young and former CWY 2014-15 participant, Sumardin Abbas (father of Tim and Robin from Lembo), his daughter Dewi (She was 6 months old at the time of CWY and she is now 36 years old), Dewi’s husband Maman Firmansayah and their two boys, Dimas and Erlangga (8 and 6 years old).

Several dishes were placed in the center of the table and everyone was invited to serve themselves. On the menu: fish, seafood, rice, vegetables, etc. The food was excellent! The atmosphere was joyful. What beautiful encounters! Around 9:30 p.m., we returned to rest at the hotel.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15

KENDARI LEMBO

Our breakfast at the hotel was very good. After my breakfast, attracted by loud music, I went to take a look at the school festival of dance and music which took place a few meters from our hotel, on an outdoor stage.

At 8:30 a.m., Jumbran, Yayuk, Haslinda and Yayuk’s three siblings picked us up in a van. Claude and I took only a small bag for our night in Lembo. We made a stop at a small fruit stand by the side of the road. Yayuk and I each bought a nice basket of fruits to give to our guests.

The road to Lembo was very bad at the time and it would take five hours to get to the village in a big truck. Nowadays, it’s a two-hour drive. The road is partly paved. The stretches of road are dusty and full of holes. A few kilometers before arriving in Lembo, the mountains were harnessed (and unfortunately continue to be) by nickel and iron companies. One of these companies is owned by the Chinese, the other by my brother Audy. Seeing the difficult conditions in which the villagers live around the factories, we see that the profits were not intended for them! What a misery! The rivers are polluted, the road broken by the constant back and forth of large trucks and the vegetation covered with plant dust. Ugh!

We had to cross a narrow wooden bridge in very poor condition and leaning dangerously to one side. A young man of about 6 years directed us so that we do not fall into the canal with the foul waters.

Past this bridge and leaving the factories behind us, we crossed some villages surrounded by beautiful nature to finally arrive in Lembo. We went straight to Yayuk’s mother’s house where the whole village was waiting for us. What a nice surprise! A large welcome poster hung in front of the house. I was introduced to the new village chief, Bapak Rusmin, and I handed him the fruit basket and said, « Saya senang sekali bertemu dengang saudara. » (I’m very happy to meet you.) 

It was with emotion that I found my three sisters, Walija, Wanisa and Nilawati as well as my younger brother Rahim. How good it was to see them again after 36 years of separation! Another surprise was waiting for me; after I left the village in 1983, my mother from Lembo had three other children: Sidir, Muhidin and Sainur. The seven children of the Mordini family were there, happy and proud to welcome their sister from Canada and her spouse. They each introduced us to their spouses and their children and grandchildren. It made us so many people to know all at once that we were all involved. I asked one of the young people in the family to write me the names of all the family members in the form of a family tree. (Actually, that’s how I found out that my mother got pregnant three times after 1983.)

After a rather intense photo shoot in front of the house, we were invited to return (without our sandals) to the main room with our two extended families, Yayuk’s and mine. The room filled up quickly. Everyone sat on the large carpet, along the four walls of the room free of any furnishings. The women of the house placed a fruity beverage and a buffet of several typical Indonesian dishes in the center of the room. I was sitting next to my sisters and Claude next to the local senator who was present for the event. Claude chatted with him at length and found him very friendly.

I was interviewed by an Indonesian journalist. Yayuk was our translator. He asked me about my motivation to return to Lembo, about the changes noted in the village, etc. Here is the progress noted: electricity, running water and toilet in the houses, cell phones, paved main road, expansion of the village with the addition of new streets and houses, local Friday market in the village instead of being outside the village, new dispensary and new administrative office of the village, addition of a large soccer field, two new schools (middle and senior schools).

All the members of the Mordini family, Claude and I walked down the main street to see the house where they had welcomed me 36 years earlier. The house is under renovation and no one is currently living there. They showed me my room and I described to them my recollection of the other rooms. How funny it was to be in my lembo house after so many years! The backyard was also under construction, but I saw the well where we were going to fetch our water. So many memories!

On the same street, I was shown the houses of the other JCM participants. We then took a cross street where beautiful houses were built after I left Lembo. This street leads to Indo-Kan Street, named after us, the participants of Youth Canada World, who built it in 1983. Not all the houses on this street existed at the time. I was really impressed to see this new housing district. My sister Nilawati invited us all to her house. Just like Yayuk’s family, we sat on the carpet of the main room and a buffet was served to us. This time, we had a full meal, serving us on the serving plates that had been placed on the floor in the center of the room. Claude talked a lot and laughed with the village chief, helped by Google Translation. And I was surrounded by my sisters and the young people of the last generation of Mordini.

Yayuk and Haslinda picked us up in a van. We made a stop at the village chief’s house on the same street. We had a snack consisting of pisang goreng (fried bananas), fried maniok and a cup of tea.

We then went to Pantai Taipa beach where I had bathed in 1983. All the Mordini relatives followed us in cars and motorcycles. What an escort we had! Claude was the only one to swim in the sea. I stayed on the beach, under a blazing sun, and I obediently agreed to have my picture taken with both. I felt like a movie star!

We were served coconut milk directly from the nut in Yayuk, Haslinda, Claude and I to remember the same action done at the same place in 1983. Everyone then bid farewell to Yayuk and Haslinda, who were due to return to Kendari the same day.

We all went in convoy to the mouth of the river. We walked across a wooden bridge in very poor condition. At the end, a new photo shoot was waiting for us in the steps of a shelter. I returned to the car by way of the beach with the young children and some of the adults singing « Disini senang » and the Indonesian national anthem « Indonesia Raya ».

Back at the house of Bapak Rusmin, the village chief, we dropped off our little backpack in the room that was reserved for us. The room contained only a mattress on the floor and a fan, and a traditional shower room attached.

Dewi, the daughter of Mr. Sumardin Abbas (father of Tom and Robin, CWY participants) kindly offered me 3 colorful fabrics of good quality to make me clothes.

I left by car with Sumardin Abbas (the father of Tim and Robin, CWY participants), his daughter Dewi and Mr. Firmansaya Dewi’s husband. At my request, we went around the village. I wanted to see the mosque, the houses of the CWY participants, the elementary school where I had taught, the soccer field we had cleared, the community hall « broom desa » where we danced the malulo and the CWY monument with the names of the participants. (Unfortunately, an earthquake destroyed it and only the base remains.)

I was moved to see my little village again. It was with surprise and delight that I discovered new constructions: two new schools (junior and senior schools), a large dispensary, an administrative office for the village and a new location for the local Friday market.

Claude, for his part, went on a moped to swim at the river with a few men. They annoyed him by pretending that he could be devoured by « buayas » (crocodiles).

Claude and I met at the chef’s house. We took a good shower before lying down on our mattress until supper time. At 7:00 p.m., we were invited to sit at the table with the men. The women were all sitting on the floor in the next room, except me, allowed to eat with the men as the guest of the house. The buffet was delicious (three plates of fish, vegetables, rice, sambal, etc.). Everyone ate with their right hand, faithful to tradition. When it was the women’s turn to come to the table, I stayed with them to keep them company during their meal.

In the evening, we danced the malulo, dance in a traditional circle, in front of the chef’s house. At first, my steps were hesitant but last I began to master the dance, to my delight. The whole village was there, and several photographed me and filmed me. How proud they were that I joined them for the dance! They all wanted to stand next to me. The first half hour, we danced to the sound of the two gongs played by two elderly men taking turns. Later, a pop singer took over, accompanied by a synthesizer player. They picked me up so I could sing on the microphone. As they insisted, I finally gave in. I sang them « Disini senang » and « Indonesia Raya », the only two songs I know well in Indonesian. How pleased they were! And I enjoyed myself too!

I danced a lot, but this physical activity and the extremely hot and humid temperature ended me. Around 10:30 p.m., I went to sit in the living room for a little break. All my Mordini brothers and sisters quickly came to find me. We took the opportunity to take pictures of the whole family with me and Claude. We also exchanged our cell phone numbers as well as some photos. How amazing it will be to be able to communicate so easily with my family from Lembo now that I have found them! Long live the technology!

At 11:30 p.m., Claude and I went to bed, exhausted. We took care to take back a nice cool shower. We quickly fell asleep, lying on our sheet, to the sound of the loud purr of our fan.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16

LEMBO TO KENDARI

At 8ham, we were offered lunch: fried bananas, bun and kopi susu (sweetened milk coffee). Professor Sugiarto and three other teachers then picked me up to take me to see the three schools in the village. We started with the Middle School.

Then we went to the primary school where I taught. Claude, who had gone to see the men’s soccer game in the village, joined me there. He was welcomed as king by the children. It was very touching to see.

Finally, we went to the Senior School. Two students from the visual arts class gave me a small scholarship made with plastic lids. We were served a snack of muffins and rice cake. At each school, the principal, the teachers and the students gave us a warm welcome.

Back at the village chief’s house, we waited for our driver Jumbran to arrive. I was on the gallery with my whole Mordini family, who came to spend this last moment with me. We tried to reach Eka, my partner at the Mordini in 1982-83. Having no answer, I filmed each of my siblings in order to send him the video. Starting with the oldest of the family, my sister Walija, everyone introduced themselves (name, age, name of spouse, names and ages of children and grandchildren). I also filmed them singing; it was very touching. I received a large poster with the Family Tree of the Mordini family, prepared by one of my « nieces ».

Claude, for his part, sat in the living room with the men. Cellular in hand, he showed them pictures of Quebec. Again, Google Translation has done it a good service.

When Jumbran arrived, the farewell was heartbreaking. I took the time to give each and every one a big hug, telling them that I would like to come back to them in a few years and telling them to take care of them « Hati hati » (« take care »). Some women were crying, which didn’t help me hold back my tears!

Muga Abbas, Dewi’s aunt, went in a van with us. At my request, we stopped at Yayuk’s mother’s house so I could take one last picture of the poster that had been prepared for our visit. Yayuk’s mother proudly joined us for the photo.

We arrived in Kendari at 3pm. Jumbran dropped us off at the Horison Hotel. I took a good shower and washed my laundry by hand. What a joy to be air-conditioned after the extreme temperature and humidity of Lembo!

We rested, tired of our short and intense stay in Lembo. At 7 p.m., Dewi, his two boys (Dimas Raditya, 8, and Erlangga, 6) and Deny, Dewi’s brother, picked us up to take us to dinner at their parents’ house (Sumardin Abbas and Rosalina; parents of participants Tim and Robin who lived across the street from me in Lembo). Sumardin, Rosalina, Muga and Ayu, Deny’s future wife, were waiting for us. Dewi’s husband, Maman Firmansaya, joined us a little later. He was coming from work in his army suit. (He works for the government.)

The meal was exquisite! I ate first, in the company of the men. I then stayed at the table to accompany the women’s table and enjoy the fresh air of the fan. The two young boys ate sitting on the living room mat in front of the TV. The men passed by the living room, where a sweltering heat reigned.

At 9:30 p.m., after the unmissable photo shoot and our mutual farewell, Dewi’s little family took us back to our hotel. We let ourselves be promising to stay in touch and see each other again one day.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17

KENDARI – JAKARTA (via Makassar) – MANILA (Philippines) Pop: 20 million

When we woke up, I had a hundred requests from friends on Facebook coming from the meetings made in Lembo! Phew! I only accepted the people I recognized. Claude and I had lunch and finalized our luggage. Around 10:30am, Haslinda came to see us at our room. She each brought us a grey « Kendari, Pulau Bokori » t-shirt. We looked together at the photos of JCM 1982-83. When Jumbran arrived, our driver, it was with emotion that we bid farewell to my dear friend Haslinda.

Jumbran took us to Kendari airport, « Bandara Halu Oleo ». We warmly greeted and thanked him. He appreciated the generous tip we gave him.

Claude and I had dinner at the airport. I took a « gado gado » and Claude a « boksa sop » (soup with beef dumplings). Our first flight from Kendari to Makassar lasted 55 minutes and our second flight from Makassar to Jakarta, 2 hours. When we arrived in Jakarta, we had to change terminals. The airport is huge and includes three terminals.

Here ends our fantastic two-month stay in Indonesia. What  beautiful human experiences we have had! These are forever etched in our hearts.