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  • Intro
  • Manual workers
    • Ayung River divers. Bali
    • Boat lifters. Jimbaran.Bali
    • Volcanic stone breakers of mount Batur. Bali
    • Dock laborers
    • Onion fields_Sumabawa Island
    • Salt flats_Sumbawa Island
    • Transporting fish from ship to shore
    • Women workers
  • Photo series
    • Cockfighting in Bali
    • Impressions at a batik workshop
    • Pelni ship passengers
    • Pelni ship porters
    • Solitary bechak drivers of Solo
    • Sulfur Carriers of Ijen volcano
    • Sumba Island >
      • Merapu Priests_Sumba
      • Beach fight
      • Pasola_Sumba
      • People & Scenes_Sumba
    • Young Cuban Boxers
    • Wedding in Bali
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      • Beirut. 1995. Post war.
      • Lebanese stories
    • United States of America >
      • Arizona
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  • Adieu mes Aïeux
  • Seven year itch
    • The Biker and his bike
    • And We are off...
    • Lost in Java
    • Three different worlds
    • Romantic ferry travels
    • Sumba-Of horses and men
    • Flores on my mind
  • Java by train
  • Blog
  • Prints for sale
    • Bali-Indonesia Page 1
    • Bali-Indonesia Page 2
    • Banda Neira-Indonesia
    • Batik
    • Bechak drivers in Java
    • Bromo Volcano-Indonesia
    • Cockfighting-Bali
    • Ferries-Indonesia
    • Ijen Sulphur Volcano
    • Pasola-Sumba-Page 1
    • Pasola-Sumba-Page 2
    • Portraits- Indonésie- P 1
    • Portraits- Indonésie- P 2
    • Seaweed cultivation - Nusa Lembongan
    • Single Images- P 01
    • Single Images- P 02
  • Short stories
    • Short stories- Page 1
    • Short stories- Page 2
    • Short stories- Page 3
    • Short stories- Page 4
    • Short stories- Page 5
    • Short stories- Page 6
    • Short stories- Page 7
    • Short stories - Page 8
    • Short stories - Page 9

Romantic ferry travels

Going from Island to Island by ferry, what a wonderfully romantic way to travel; especially on a full moon night. 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
​​The only impossible journey is the one you never begin

Picture

​​Ferry from Flores To Sumba

In  Indonesia, taking a ferry can sometimes be a challenging enterprise, especially if you drive a motorbike. It is always an interesting experiment to negotiate your way up the metal, oily, slippery and wobbly gangplank leading inside the ferry hole. Then trying to park your bike as close as possible to the other bikes while being hurried by the shouting ferry staff.

Picture
Indonesia is a Country of more than 17,000 Islands

One of the most gruelling ferry crossings was from the harbour of Aimere in Flores
​to Waingapu in East Sumba

From my travel notes: Day 18: Friday June 23
SIX IN THE MORNING:
I presented myself at the ticket office at 6:00 a.m. I bought a ticket then filled out travel papers at the police office. I had to wait in line with other motorcyclists before entering the ferry because a truck, too heavy, full of pigs had trouble going up the ramp leading to the ferry.

I have never seen a ferry so full. I found a place to sit in the corner in an AC room, I had no food but 1/2 bottle of water. Once I tried going to the food counter but the passage ways were overcrowded with children, parents, boxes and sleeping mats. The trip lasts six hours. I wanted to walk around to take photos but people everywhere, sleeping in the passages, and I am a bit dizzy. Did not have breakfast. Will be a long day. Interesting
TEN THIRTY IN THE MORNING:
Finally we left Aimere at 10:30 after waiting for another ferry from Kupang, Timor, to embark two trucks going to Waingapu.

Maya a young 17 year old Flores girl joined me on the floor in the corner and spent a bit of time with me. Maya went to get me some coffee and Instant noodles. Then she guided me amongst the sprawled out travellers so I could take some photos.
Picture
This is the young Maya’s family. Maya helped me get coffee and noodles. Maya is the girl profile behind the boy on the left
Picture
Thanks to Maya, I enjoyed coffee and instant Mie.

Trucks, motorbikes, cars, screaming pigs, families, couples, children. Seemed like everyone and his uncle was going to Sumba.

Picture
Notice max passenger capacity; 196
FOUR THIRTY IN THE AFTERNOON:
Arrived at Sumba harbour at 16:30. 
The ferry staff  encouraged  me to leave with my bike before the pigs.
​I had to work my way around the screaming animals.
Man it was just great, I really had fun.

back to flores

ferry From Sumba to Flores

I spent one week in East Sumba of which I stayed 3 days at the Podok Wisata Cemara resort on the beach recuperating from a bad cold and throbbing headache.
Picture
Spent one week in East Sumba before returning to Flores.
Day 25, June 30th. 
SEVEN IN THE EVENING:
I left the CEMARA RESORT  at 19:00 on my motorbike following an employee for the harbour of Waingnapu.
​A great one hour drive in the dark, on winding roads being careful of crossing bulls and sheep.
TEN AT NIGHT:
The overcrowded ferry left at 22:00. All the sleeping stalls with mattresses were taken. I had to lie down on the cold, hard ferry floor. Did not sleep all night. My bones, that do not have much fat to protect them, hurting every time I turned to find a comfortable position. Not sleeping a wink till the bell rang at 4:00 a.m. to tell us to go to the main floor and be ready to leave. 
FOUR IN THE MORNING:
Arrived at the harbour of Aimere at 4:00 am. It was almost phantasmagorical to leave the ferry in the dark, the glaring ferry lights illuminating the exit. People who were lying on the floor between the parked cars, trucks and motorcycles, were slowly getting their stuff ready. Impatient truck drivers were honking their loud horns and I left when the gangplank was not totally secured. Its swaying
​AND I WAS ALMOST PUSHED OFF INTO THE SEA.

NEXT : Sumba. Of Horses and Men
  • Intro
  • Manual workers
    • Ayung River divers. Bali
    • Boat lifters. Jimbaran.Bali
    • Volcanic stone breakers of mount Batur. Bali
    • Dock laborers
    • Onion fields_Sumabawa Island
    • Salt flats_Sumbawa Island
    • Transporting fish from ship to shore
    • Women workers
  • Photo series
    • Cockfighting in Bali
    • Impressions at a batik workshop
    • Pelni ship passengers
    • Pelni ship porters
    • Solitary bechak drivers of Solo
    • Sulfur Carriers of Ijen volcano
    • Sumba Island >
      • Merapu Priests_Sumba
      • Beach fight
      • Pasola_Sumba
      • People & Scenes_Sumba
    • Young Cuban Boxers
    • Wedding in Bali
  • Countries
    • Armenia
    • Algeria
    • Cameroon
    • Cuba
    • Havana cars / Pinhole
    • India
    • Indonesia >
      • Bali >
        • Portraits
        • Religious Ceremonies
        • Seaweed cultivation
        • Sights & Scenes
        • Temple Statues
      • Banda Archipelago >
        • Banda Neira
        • Run & Ai Islands
        • Seascapes
    • Lebanon >
      • Beirut. 1995. Post war.
      • Lebanese stories
    • United States of America >
      • Arizona
      • Coney Island
      • Manhattan
      • New York / ColorSplash Lomo
      • New Orleans
  • Adieu mes Aïeux
  • Seven year itch
    • The Biker and his bike
    • And We are off...
    • Lost in Java
    • Three different worlds
    • Romantic ferry travels
    • Sumba-Of horses and men
    • Flores on my mind
  • Java by train
  • Blog
  • Prints for sale
    • Bali-Indonesia Page 1
    • Bali-Indonesia Page 2
    • Banda Neira-Indonesia
    • Batik
    • Bechak drivers in Java
    • Bromo Volcano-Indonesia
    • Cockfighting-Bali
    • Ferries-Indonesia
    • Ijen Sulphur Volcano
    • Pasola-Sumba-Page 1
    • Pasola-Sumba-Page 2
    • Portraits- Indonésie- P 1
    • Portraits- Indonésie- P 2
    • Seaweed cultivation - Nusa Lembongan
    • Single Images- P 01
    • Single Images- P 02
  • Short stories
    • Short stories- Page 1
    • Short stories- Page 2
    • Short stories- Page 3
    • Short stories- Page 4
    • Short stories- Page 5
    • Short stories- Page 6
    • Short stories- Page 7
    • Short stories - Page 8
    • Short stories - Page 9