Indonesia
In our childhood many of us have pictured exotic Southeastern countries with women dressed in bright sheets, easily carrying fruit tower baskets on their heads, followed by yelling monkeys. Well, these sheets are sarongs made from batik, painted silk, or colored cotton, and these are being worn by both men and women. Baskets are not always filled with fruits only but anything useful in a household and yes, women here mostly are carrying their stuff around on their heads. However, if these are still fruits, then they are growing on the threes around, just where these yelling monkeys and thousands of other creatures live. Pirates of the South Chinese and shamans are also dwelling here in this country. And its name is Indonesia, flower baskets of the Pacific, is its name given by Marco Polo.
Indonesia is taking 13, 677 islands of the world biggest, Malay Archipelago that is stretched for five thousand kilometers along the equator. Only half of these islands are inhabited and only about twenty are popular for tourism and recreation. Our expedition is going to drive through two of them: Java and Sumatra. Indonesia is the part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the territory where two crustal plates collide. Due to these collisions, movements and high pressure, accompanied by the earthquake, hot gas and lava slops. It is called a volcano. 29 of 37 active volcanoes in the world are located in this unstable zone. Not only mountains but entire islands are possibly natural shapes made by volcano, and at anytime they can be erased by the same power that created them. The relief of Java Island mostly consists of mountains, 120 of which are volcanoes. The biggest is Semeru, his many craters remind of its former eruptions happening approximately once in three years. Yet, the most famous Indonesian volcano is Krakatau that has given the title name to the entire type of erupting mountains. Krakatau type volcanoes are collecting their force for longtime to perform an impressive explosion that destroys its entire volcanic set and sends vast amount of gas and ash to the atmosphere. It may fall as rain and snow for tens of years after the eruption. Volcanic hills are usually covered with thick forests: fertile soil is the main reason for humans to reside in these dangerous territories. Probably this is why Java is one of the most heavily populated regions of the world.
Most part of Sumatra is covered with tropical swamps that emerge from overhumid rainforests, and these take two thirds of the country. This island is home of the great Srivijaya civilization that has reigned from 7th to 13th century AC and has influenced Malay, Thai and other neighboring cultures, has spread Buddhism and has founded the principles of Malay tongue which is same Indonesian, just under different name. In 12th century AC also Islam was brought here by Arabian merchants.
Each of Indonesian islands may be inhabited by a different nation of 330 of them in total; each of these nations may have different religion, different lifestyle and even different features. Beyond the big cities, indigenes are dwelling in small villages, often not being familiar with alphabet, spare clothes or any shoes. For its most part Indonesia is a Muslim country allowing poliginy, hence, there often are more women and children than men around. Each woman lives with her kids in a separate house, however, having common business with the other wives. Still, it is not necessary case: there often are families consisting of one man, one woman and their children living away from the rest of their family not ever contacting their relatives.
Numerous islands of Indonesia are being bathed by eight seas, of which the biggest is Java Sea, still inhabited by singular modern pirates. The main vessel here is prao – a teak tree sail, the one that has been transporting cargo during Dutch and British periods and that is still doing it. Their captains most often are Bugis, a bellicose Indonesian tribe, looking for fights in their past and for the adventure in the sea in their present. The sea is also where our team is heading for, to take a ferry-boat to cross the Timor Sea and to finally take off in Australia.
Elizabete Neimiseva for enduroadventure.lv