Chapter 4, Part 3: East Indonesia 12-Oct-08 to 15-Oct-0 +ve spin rating: 8.5 out of 10

Gunung Rinjani:

So we got back to Mataram, Lombock around 11am after a b**** of sleepless bus journey, but part of the journey back from Flores did include sitting on top of the bemo (mini bus) with the luggage for 2 hours because there was no room IN the bemo. We had the pleasure of spectacular views of Sumbawa and locals waving at us like they had never seen foreigners on top of a bemo before, oh yea and Chris nearly getting decapitated by overhead wires.

Getting off the bus we of course were greeted by many tour agents offering special prices for us only. Chris, Thomas and I signed up for the 2 day 1 night Rinjani trek, Anita and Brigit powered on through to Bali (dunno how they did it, I guess girls really DO have a higher pain threshold).

The Rinjani trek would involve (Lewis, you would have been ALL OVER THIS!): 1. get to Sunaru village that day and get some well earned sleep before embarking on the trek the next morning 2. start trekking at 7am the next morning from Sunaru (altitude 650m) to get to the volcano crater rim (2600m) by 1.30pm 3. instead of doing the norm and setting up camp there and then, trek down to the hot springs (2000m) on the other side of the crater rim and make it back up to the crater rim before sunset at 6pm 4. die 5. arise from the dead at around 6.30am day 2 and trek back down from the rim to Sunaru at about 12pm.

This was on of the toughest, most exhausting pieces of physical activity I have ever done. I think the quadrathlon was more demanding but I was at least fit when I did that. The total distance of the trek/hike was roughly 25km, but what's weird is that it was so worth it. The views were unreal, the hot springs were like a hot bath that never loses its temperature and the sunset (yes, more beautiful sunsets) was yet again spectacular! Its also impossible to keep up with a pro-athlete, no matter how good one thinks they are at hill running.

Our adventure wasn't over yet though, when we returned to Sunaru Chris was determined to swim around the waterfall in the village - this was another 20 minute trek but as drained as I was leading up to the waterfall, it again was all worth it in the end, just check the pictures out!

Straight after the waterfall we headed back to Mataram were Chris would leave us and go onto Kuta Lombock for some surfing (hope you made it mate) and Thomas and I would go to East Java the next day for yet another volcano.

So all in all the above wasn't a bad 2 weeks of my life, not bad at all. Indonesia as I'm finding out more and more about each day, has loads to offer. Its so vast that its impossible to cover even a small portion of it in the 1 month I'm going to be here. The people are very friendly, even if it is to get a few more bob out of your pocket... and its hot, very very hot!