The Zipline carrying Arnav first followed by me over the Tegallalang rice terrace enthused us into more daring River rafting amidst rain in an 11 km stretch in Ayum River with sharp currents , eddies and rapids , as we negotiated with both Archana & Doel pedalling upfront and both of us behind : the river flowing sharply in the gorge dotted with waterfalls ...the tropical jungle bordering the gorge : rife with high pitched sounds of insect cicadas : a crescendo first then decrescendo : all in unison ...the remoteness complete with overcast conditions & a steady drizzle adding to the thrill , as we hurtled downstream the current even stronger ...8'S latitude Lesser Sunda Archipelago is a gem of Indonesia .... the Pacific ring of fire ...the Volcanoes and its Lava fields of Mt Batur ....the fertile volcanic landscapes with Dragon fruits ubiquitous & so is the aroma of Durian fruit ...the vulcanic ash , the hot water Geyser from the underground a soothing balm .....the rains greeted us copiously as the Jeep snaked its way up hill the vulcanic landscape ...as we inhaled the cool moist , breeze , partially drenched , the Huge water body of the Lake visible downhill now , as the UNESCO GEO Site welcomed us : a Lava field , : mute testimony of a massive eruption of yesteryears , the Sunset point at our feet ....atop Mt Batur ....
By default we reached here as a stopgap arrangement in lieu of Swiss Alps first & Drakensberg Ranges of SA both of which eluded us for delayed visa approvals & had to be kept on hold ...August Sept Zurich Interlaken sector, followed by the fabled Jungfrau region in the Swiss Alps with Matterhorn peak high on agenda , to be followed for a finale to St Moritz , in as much the Villa booking in Sarnen near Lucerne went abegging ...Let down but not to be rundown !! the RSA trip finalised with The Garden & Panorama Routes high on agenda , but Lo ! and behold gets scuttled due to inordinate delay in Evisa approval which landed in the Inbox on the Day of Departure !! , a near impossible proposition and further heart break ...
Its often my experience , that unplanned , unscheduled trips materialize , and Indonesia just fitted into the bill with VOA ....!!! : the 12 hr trip to the Sunda archipelago from Mumbai & Lush green raw tropical color embalmed us in a manner as rapid mist wud cover u on a fine winter morning in North India ...!!!
Riding the ATV bike circuit in the dense Jungles with Arnav in the pillion & a stellar performance by Archana with Doel in tow ...!!!...the Circuit was tough as the terrain was rough with impediments strewn as routine , the post activity Lunch provided was delicious & we headed even deeper & down the multiple Waterfalls , roaring & thundering under a thick canopy of Tropical lush ...
This is one place raw Nature is untouched ; the Insect Sound bytes of a crescendo ubiquitous , a remoteness so much cherished far away from the madding crowds of a Megapolis ...!!!
The Damara , Jonsu & Emily Villa stays were fabulous with entire villas to ourselves with a pool to relax after the days Jaunt , The Grab App Home delivery a smooth affair as we felt home away from home ...
The Moss laden Ganesha and many a motif in the thick jungles of a Monkey Forest , straight out of an Indiana Jones thriller , as we found civilizations strewn every nook and corner
...in that way Every home in this part of the Archipelago had a family Temple first at the entrance with regular offerings to the deities
Sea can't be far away from us as we rode up the cliffs , the breath taking Bays with quaint coffee shops & viewing deck settled us in familiar settings and the sea activities including Paragliding was the Icing on the Cake ....!!!!
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