Krakatoa – The day the world exploded

OK, you caught me. I shamelessly stole the title of this post from Simon Winchester’s iconic book “Krakatoa – the day the world exploded” – an absolute must-read for anyone interested in volcanoes or the history of Indonesia, or just wanting to read a really good book. It’s a riveting account of the largest volcanic explosion in recorded history: 27 August, 1883, Krakatoa (AKA Krakatau), a volcano just off the coast of West Java (near us!), exploded with a force 10,000 times more powerful than the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima. To this day, it is the largest detonation of any kind ever recorded.

Effects of the explosion cannot be understated. It killed at least 36,417 people, and changed global weather patterns for years. The blasts were so huge, they were heard in Sri Lanka and Australia – that’s about 5000 kilometers away! Most people were killed by the 40-m high tsunami generated by the blast, which wiped out 165 villages along nearby coasts, and carried a steamship 2 kms inland (killing all 28 crewman). The island containing Krakatau was vaporized and no longer exists. Global temperatures fell by 1.2 degrees in the following year due to the amount of volcanic debris in the atmosphere blocking sunlight. To put that in perspective, global warming has only warmed the planet by 1 degree since the mid 1700s. Global temperatures did not return to normal until 5 years after the eruption.

Wow. If that doesn’t get you going, nothing will. That was a big freakin’ explosion! (read the book, it’s awesome)

OK, so what does any of this have to do with us (i.e., Rob/Amy)? As eluded to, the location of Krakatau is relatively close to us (see map), making it within weekend-mission distance for us. Those of you paying attention may, at this point, be asking: why would you go see something that blew up and no longer exists? What’s to see? Excellent questions my furry friends.

The answer is that this wonderful planet we live on, never sleeps. You see, the location of Krakatau is an active hole in the ground at the bottom of the ocean that just keeps pumping, otherwise known as a volcanic vent. So ya, while Krakatau blew it’s top, that didn’t stop it from continuing to spew ash and lava. Et voila, in August 1930, enough molten rock had accumulated that it broke the surface of the water, and a brand-new baby volcano-island, aptly named “Anak Krakatau”, was born. Anak means child in Indonesian, so you guessed it: Child of Krakatau. Cool!

Anak Krakatau has grown by about 7 m per year since the 1950s, and now is about 813 m tall – and, has become somewhat of a destination, for obvious reasons. The beauty of the situation is that it is more or less out in the middle of the ocean, and takes a couple hours by speed boat just to get to, and there is nothing there other an a chunk of rock spewing ash and lava. For some reason, that keeps most people away J  Silly tourists.

This was actually our second trip out here. The first time was about a year ago, when it wasn’t erupting, and therefore allowed us to actually land and hike around on the volcano itself. Very cool. What brought us out here for the second time this past weekend, was the chance to see it erupting live, in front of our eyes. Incredible! Like watching Canada-Day fireworks – but an order of magnitude more exciting. It was amazingly consistent, with eruptions (smoke, ash, lava) about every 10 or 15 minutes. So hey, just sit back, grab a beer, and watch the show!

We hooked up with a bunch of Jakarta friends and made it into a weekend. The mission involved the usual 5-hr drive through traffic chaos and getting out of Bogor/Jakarta, to a place on the coast called Carita. From there we all piled on a boat and headed out to sea. Samsul, our Indonesian captain, ran a tight ship and there were no hiccups.

Amy's in the tent! There's 4 of them!

We camped on an island about 2 kms away from Anak Krakatau (camping on Anak would be very very foolish at the moment, if you were to survive at all, which is unlikely) – giving us a nice safety buffer! From our campsite on the beach we had a perfect view of the eruptions. The entire area is a national park, so there is no development, which is a nice break here in Indo. Just a few tropical-island dots in the ocean with the one in the middle erupting and forming a new volcano.  You know, the usual stuff J

So ya, camping on a beach on an uninhabited tropical island, lounging in 30-degree water, and watching a volcano forming in front of our eyes. I must say, it was a unique experience J

Back to Oz – The Cape to Cape Trail

Actually, back to Margaret River! Yes, for those keeping track, this is our third trip to Margaret River (MR) + area since we’ve been in Indo. And yes, as has been explained to us by a few sharp minds, Australia does have other things to see and do. Ahh, we’re just not done yet with this place! Sun, surf, and wine…what’s not to like? Not to mention the 4-hour direct flight from Jakarta, and, well, it’s quite simply our quickest and easiest fix of western culture. You know…clean water, sidewalks, fresh air, blue sky, people who speak English, things that actually work and make sense, you know, things like that J

So adding to our checklist of “things we have done in Margaret River” (see previous posts: mission 1 was cycling Perth to Augusta via MR; mission 2 was mountain biking based out of MR), the current mission was a hiking route we discovered on a previous trip known as “The Cape to Cape Trail” – a 135-km hiking route that follows the beachline along the extreme southwest tip of Australia, and links the lighthouse of Cape Naturaliste (north end), with the lighthouse of Cape Leeuwin (south end), and hence the moniker “Cape to Cape” (I know, you put that together, but hey, just making sure).  Check it out: https://trailswa.com.au/trails/cape-to-cape-track

A fun sidebar to this mission was the guest appearance of our dear Nelson friend, Grant Burns. Grant was living in Sydney for a spell, so when we mentioned we were doing this, he looked at the sched and said “I’m coming!” So ya, Grant meet us at the Perth airport upon arrival, and it was the 3 amigos from then on. Fun times! J

Doing the entirety of the track is rated as a 5 to 8-day mission on various websites. I don’t know who these Aussies are kidding. We’re no slouches, and 5 days would have been next to impossible for sane people (i.e., those, like us, wanting to have fun while doing it). During the planning stage, we gave ourselves 6, thinking we would have time to lounge and drink wine in Margaret River because we are of sound Canadian stock….wrong! 6 days is the eco-challenge version. Everyone we bumped into on the trail said the same thing, and had underestimated the time allotment. Some just bailed altogether. It’s a total sand bag at even 6 days. If we did it again (which we might!), we would give ourselves 8 full days of hiking + a few drinking-wine days in MR. Now that’s the 2-thumbs-up holiday sched J

So ya, full disclosure: after the first couple days of sweating it out till near sunset, we realized that being on the 6-day eco-challenge sched would edge out any potential for drinking wine in Margaret River. What?! That just won’t do! So on Day 3, when the trail veered to within a few enticing kms of MR…..we busted out to the highway, stuck our thumbs out and hitched into town! Ha! It was a delinquent 24-hrs of wineries, good food, comfy beds, and hot showers. We loved every minute of it. J

But, obviously, our little indulgence completely destroyed our eco-challenge hiking sched. Now we had to make an “adjustment”. To get us back on sched, and make up for the missed hiking time, we time-travelled down the coast in a taxi the next day, and jumped back onto the trail about 30 kms down stream. Et voila! Back on sched, and heading south for glory! Who says you can’t time travel?

The route is strikingly beautiful. One of those places where you just can’t take a bad photo. If you like wild sand beaches, dunes, wildflowers, coastal elfin forest (aka dwarf forest), whales, dolphins, horizon to horizon sunsets, and things like that, the Cape to Cape is for you! The trail itself is a great mix of beach hiking intermingled with stretches of coastal heather, rock, and trails through upland forest areas. You are never far from the water, and usually right beside it or on the beach. At first we thought the dreaded beach sections – like, 8 kms of sand – were going to be unbearable.  But really, they were fine and just added to the variety. Amy and I use poles, which I think make a huge difference (totally recommended!). It actually felt, and looks, a lot like ski touring across a glacier. The difference being the stops to shake the sand out of your hiking boots J

Dugite snake - highly venomous, and, in our camp!

Another added bonus is that the trail weaves in and out of civilization here and there, meaning you are almost always in wilderness, but from time to time you can restock supplies at a store or coffee shop along the way (or, for example, hitch into Margaret River and go to a winery J). Best of both worlds! Nothing like a mid-morning Aussie meat pie to hit the spot.

We were self-sufficient for camping, which was fantastic given the designated (and free!) campsites along the way. The campsites are cozy and tucked away back in the elfin forests behind the dunes – very Middle Earth-esk. We were waiting for Bilbo Baggins and the gang to appear J Seriously though, it was so nice to be camping again, and using the gear. And, thankfully our gear still works! (which is a concern for gear storage in 100% Indo humidity).

Funny (i.e., dangerous) thing about Oz though, is having the bulk of the world’s most venomous snakes and spiders. And, as luck would have it, it was snake season! In fact, no word of a lie, the first 3 Aussie guys we ran into as we stepped out of our cab at the trailhead, gave us this little piece of advice: “watch out for snakes, there are lots on the trail, and assume any snake you see is venomous and potentially fatal.”  Er, uh, OK, thanks!….we think. It’s OK though, Grant carried a stick the whole time just in case J (we did see our fair share of venomous snakes…which was a bit freaky, I must say).

On Day 6, right on sched (OK, the “adjusted” sched J) we spotted the Cape Leeuwin lighthouse…like a beacon, as it were. After a round of high fives we caught yet another cab to the nearest pub to enjoy a fine pint of Aussie Pale Ale. An overnight in Augusta of fine wine and good food, and we all caught the 8-am TransWA bus heading back to Perth, and back to base.

Amy’s only complaint about our sojourns out this way was that we never spend any time in Perth. To fix that, we hit up an Airbnb within walking distance of downtown, and put in a 24-hr shift before our flight back to Jakarta. Yep, more good wine, more good food, more spectacular sunsets…and yet again, keeping up the tradition, Amy did NOT want to get back on the plane J

But alas, next day, back to base it was, and the Big Durian (aka Jakarta). Indeed a whirlwind action-packed trip. Nine nights, nine different beds, 3 flights, 2 buses, 8 cab rides, 4 campsites, 2 hotels, 3 Airbnbs, and 100+ kms of wilderness hiking thrown in just for the hell of it. I think if we do this again, we’ll spread it out a bit more J    

A Change of Pace

If there’s one thing that is true in Indonesia, it’s the idiom “never a dull moment”. As expats, things get complicated when, for example, one’s employment contract runs its term. You see, in Indonesia, like in most countries I would imagine, the key challenge to being a long-term expat is remaining legal. It’s something you don’t think about when you’re on a 2-week trip somewhere, but typically you can’t just “live” in a country indefinitely without the legal paperwork. Ask Trump about that! J

Indonesia is no exception, and is quite the opposite, almost to the point, some might say, of being anti-foreigner in its tangle of visa procedures. Nothing is quick and easy. In a nutshell, your residency permit is glued to your employment permit. No job, bye-bye. Someone between you and your spouse has to have a legit full-time job with a registered Indonesian company, otherwise you’re a tourist (who, upon arrival, have 30 days to leave).

So, when my contract with the employer who brought me over here, ran its course in February (i.e., 7 months ago), things got interesting. In Indonesia, when one loses one’s job, one is presented with a piece of paper euphemistically referred to as an “Exit Permit”. In other words, you are “asked to leave”, i.e., the country – and you have 5 whole days to clear out. So that’s when the fun began!

The story, the whole gory story, is far too long and bloody for this blog post. It has indeed been a roller coaster “zero to hero to zero to hero to…” ride, and a rather stressful one – a somewhat twisted tale of lies and deceit, as the saying goes. But that story, my friends, can only be adequately told over good beer and fine wine. Suffice it to say, I have found alternative forms of employment/income, and I am currently pursuing whatever I can get my hands on in the environmental consulting field (i.e., what I do). The fun just never stops!

As an interesting aside, Amy, who came to Indonesia as the token tag-along spouse – and was in the “gee, I hope there is something for me to do all day while my husband is working” category – has ironically been the steady force of nature here in Indonesia. Prior to arriving, Amy applied for a local teaching job, got the job, and continues to this day to dominate the expat teaching scene as the infamous “Miss Amy” at her school. Most importantly, she currently provides the legal means for us to be here (remember that “job” thing I mentioned earlier….she has one!).  

So ya, for the past 6 or so months, my life has changed from one of a routine daily bike commute to my little office job here in Bogor, to a convoluted mix of downtown Jakarta missions, meetings, working at home, and flying back and forth to Singapore on visa runs. What’s a visa run, you ask? Recall the “Exit Permit” requiring one to leave the country. Singapore is the closest international destination to us (1.5-hour flight), meaning that’s where we (by “we” I mean pretty much every expat in Indonesia) go to “leave the country”, then come back in under another visa situation. It’s a thriving business for Singapore visa agents, not to mention the airport vendors and duty-free stores. All very complicated, all very stressful, all very crazy.

On the flipside, I have become much more acquainted with downtown Jakarta, in all of its polluted and congested glory. Like all places around the world, anyone who’s anyone, and the lion’s share of the business action, is smack downtown in the biggest city in the country. Jakarta, Indonesia, is that place. A 35+ million mass of steaming humanity, Jakarta is one of the most densely packed places on the planet, and has the traffic jams to prove it. Mix in 30+ degree heat and 100% humidity on a daily basis, and it is indeed a pressure cooker. It is however, a thriving center of global business, and is bursting with tall shiny office buildings, 5-star restaurants, and air-conditioned Starbucks in every marbled ground-floor lobby. 

The "other" World Trade Centre

No one you will meet, would ever say they love Jakarta (haven’t met one yet). But it is a place you get used to. And that, I have. It’s kind of growing on me. My usual mode of transport into the big smoke is via commuter train from Bogor. At a whopping 60 cents per ride, the 1.5-hour journey into downtown JKT could be one of the world’s best transportation bargains. It does however, come at a physical cost. Standing-room-only does not begin to describe the rush-hour concentration of humans jammed into these tin boxes on rails. Claustrophobics need not apply. Again, something I have gotten used to, but definitely an experience in horizontal compression like you have never experienced. Ahh, the fun of it all! Interestingly, I have yet to see another bule on the train. Just me and rest of Indonesia. I get a lot of “what is that white guy doing here” looks J It’s that 60-cents thing….I’m a sucker for a bargain.

 So ya, into the big smoke for meetings, nice lunches, après-work beers, and of course a chance to use the printer and photocopy machine. Jakarta ain’t that bad actually when you hop from air-conditioned venue to air-conditioned venue. Amy is secretly sort of jealous of my new city-slicker life J

 Another fun aspect of life in Jarkata is getting around town using one of Indonesia’s most brilliant inventions: the go-jek. Go-jeks are essentially motorcycle taxis, that work under the same ride-hailing app technology as Uber. It’s basically an Uber motorcycle taxi. Jakarta is crawling with them. If a bridge were to collapse in Jarkata, dozens of them would be squashed. At about a dollar to go anywhere in Jakarta on the back of a motorcycle screaming through midday traffic, it’s the only way to fly baby! More fun!

So where is all of this going? We’re not sure yet. For now, we’re just enjoying the ride J

They love their big shiny buildings!