I’m interrupting the travelogue of cheap travel destinations to share some photos with you. We’ve been looking at the part of the world that includes Indonesia, and I already made passing reference to Mt. Merapi. Reuters has posted a series of pictures you’re not likely to see in the US newspapers. Some of the pictures are pretty graphic. Here’s an “attractive” photo

This is a time exposure. click to enlarge

Here’s the link:

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/11/mount_merapis_eruptions.html

Don’t go there unless you can go to help out. This event hasn’t gotten a lot of coverage in the US, and I haven’t checked out ways to donate help, but this is not vacation material, and it’s occurring right in the middle of a very attractive part of the world…

Here’s a little interlude on traveling while you’re traveling. Specifically, in taxis.

Rule of thumb 1: Most drivers are competent, honest, and interesting people. Be friendly and don’t be afraid to carry on a conversation. They are typically good sources of “inside” info about their town. At least that has been my experience.

Rule of thumb 2: You don’t have to be paranoid, but not all of them are, that that’s what makes for this article.

Rule of thumb 3: (And this is a good business practice in general). Make sure everything is agreed on before you get into the vehicle. Once you’re inside, you’re committed to whatever you agreed on, and whatever you didn’t agree on, you’re stuck with whatever the driver decides: Is the fare for you only, or for you and your bags? Is the fare for the whole group or for each of you? Trust, but verify.

Rule of thumb 4: A word about the vehicle. Before you get in, make sure the meter works, and be sure he turns it on. If you put your luggage in the trunk, don’t pay him until everything is unloaded. In some areas taxis without meters are legal. If this is the case (common in the Caribbean, in my experience–not a lot of possible destinations, so they have standard rates for standard destinations), agree on a price for the whole trip before you get in.

Cute taxi in Indonesia

Rule of thumb 5: Unless you want him to take a round-about route, specify that he take the shortest (or fastest) route. This applies mainly to metered rides. When I was young and naive, I got the grand tour on my first visit to Nashville from a fellow who did an excellent job of distracting me by pointing out the sights as he tooled along.

Remember, people enjoy showing off their knowledge. Be an eager student of your teacher, your driver.

Maybe I should say “stops” because Indonesia is a lot of places. It’s southeast of Thailand, and it’s about a million islands, part of an archipelago that includes Borneo, the Philippines, Sumatra, and Papua New Guinea. I suppose you could include Australia and New Zealand, too. It depends on what scale your map is. Here’s one:

Australia is off the lower right corner, Thailand and Vietnam off the upper left

The cheapest island in this already inexpensive country is said to be Sumatra. I don’t recommend Java right now unless you’re volunteering for volcano emergency relief. Mt Merapi is spectacular, but it’s causing serious problems for the folks who live near it. All the guidebooks emphasize the variety of scenery and culture available in this area. Indonesia has a lot of people, and they’ve been there a long time, so living on separate islands makes them all different. Not that anyplace is the beaten track (we’re talking Borneo, Komodo, and Bali here), do a search on places like Lombok and Bonggakaradeng to get really off the beaten track. Oh yes—if you like to snorkel, check out Sulawesi.

Houses in Bonggakaradeng

One little caveat about the low prices. Be prepared to bargain.

The key word you want know regarding accommodations is “guesthouse.” These places have private rooms and typically a common area where guests can congregate. They start at $5 I am told, but I figure most Americans will want the $12 room, and for maybe twice that you can get a beach room that would set you back hundreds in the Caribbean.

Thai food is easy to like. I’m especially fond of the coffee, a multi-layered concoction with lots of cream. You can eat most cheaply on the street, from a vendor, but the restaurants are maybe a fourth what you would pay in the US. The food is safe and tasty, but don’t drink the water. Buy bottled water. Unless, of course, you want to catch Montezuma’s revenge. The bathrooms are nice, but you don’t want to spend all your time there.

Some of the more exotic victuals

I mentioned a few posts back that natural wonders tend to be less expensive than museums and amusement parks. Here’s a natural place to see. It’s on the route of an eco-tour.

Unfortunately, the best deals are for Aussies. They’re closer. But once you get there, Asia seems to have the most bang for your buck, and you can get some unbelievable deals even for luxury accommodations in some areas.

A word of warning: The communist countries are superficially friendly, but their universal philosophy is “soak the Rich American Tourist.” You have been warned.

Our general rule that the farther from the Big City, the lower the prices, but even the famous tourist spots are usually pretty reasonable. Just be aware that you’re doing tourist locations, not the real, authentic native culture. Of course, if you’re spending the bucks to fly clear to Indonesia or Thailand, you probably can feel justified to stick with the safe, public, touristy areas. They’ll be plenty exotic even if they are “tuned” for the tourist trade.

Here’s what I mean by luxury bargain: A top-of-the-line hotel in Bankok can be under $200 a night. This is for the kind of room (and hotel accouterments) that would cost you several times as much in, say Europe. Go to the bookstore and page through a fancy travel magazine for pictures of these places. By the way, I found a place in Thailand that charges $5000 per night, so you can definitely go expensive if you want. (It was for groups—3 fancy rooms, 6 less fancy rooms, and breakfast)

Get out of town, though, and visit the villages. You can find a clean room to rent for ten bucks.

These folks will even let you help feed the pigs if you want

Another tip: You’ll find lots of folks with some English, but it’s a good idea to bring a phrasebook.

Speaking of feeding livestock, one of our hens hatched out seven chicks last Sunday. You can stop by and feed them if you like. Visit my personal blog, Mushrooms to Motorcycles, for a picture and the story.

More on Asia next time.