Category Archives: indonesia

MACAM KUMBANG by Peter Nolan Smith

June 24, 2018 – 12:14 pm

In 1990 I got off the train from Surabaya a little past dawn and headed over to the port of Jakarta. An inter-island ship was departing to Sumatra at noon and I looked forward to a cruise through the Java Sea to the Indian Ocean. As I neared the dock, a man of indeterminable race […]

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The Downside of Heaven

January 4, 2017 – 11:43 am

A holy man from Bali died from old age. He arrived at the Pearly Gates to be greeted by St. Peter. “Welcome to Heaven.” St. Peter led the Balinese holy man inside the holy rest home of eternity. “I thought heaven was only for Christians.” “No, no, heaven is for everyone. Over there are the […]

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You Bet I Would # 1932

January 4, 2017 – 11:35 am

A photo from the collection of Belgian/Indonesian painter Adrien Jean le Mayeur. The artist arrived in Bali by ship in 1932. According to Wikipedia he then stayed in Denpasar Le Mayeur and was fascinated by what remained then of Balinese culture, including the Balinese people’s traditional way of life, the temple rituals and local dances. […]

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FROM BIAK TO MEDAN on Kindle Amazon

November 28, 2016 – 2:37 pm

FROM BIAK TO MEDAN covers my travels from Indonesia’s Irian Jaya to Sumatra in 1991. A time was before cellphones and ATM. My modes of transport were liners, jets, prop planes, horses, motorbikes, trains and buses. I was a ‘mistah’, but soon learned enough Bahasa Indonesian to know that ‘angin’ was dog and ‘babi bear’ […]

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Monster Wipe-Out

July 1, 2016 – 12:53 pm

In 1996 Richie Boy flew out to Bali. I met him at the airport. His baggage consisted of a knapsack and three surfboards. “Why so many boards?” “Because one of them is for you.” Richie Boy had come halfway around the world to surf Kuta, Ulu Watu, and G-Land. “Me.” My surfing skills were taxed […]

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