Monday, April 30, 2007

Bali + Lombok


While Svetlana was visiting Indonesia, we spent a week in Bali and Lombok climbing Mt. Rinjani and hanging out on the beaches of the Gilis.








Sunday, April 01, 2007

Seulawah volcano trek


Seulawah viewed from Google Earth


David, one of the guides, me and Lisa on the summit.

So there is this volcano I kept seeing whenever I would fly into Banda Aceh. and I would look at it and think "I got to climb it!". So when I heard some of the guys were planning on doing just that, I was sooo in!

Mt. Seulawah sits in northeast Aceh at an elevation of 1860m (6102ft). From Banda Aceh, it looks like a perfect conical volcano, but up close it isn't, as so as many things in our lives!

The trek starts just outside of the town of Saree at only 600m (1968ft), so it was quit a climb to the top, and being in jungle the whole time made it tricky and slippery.

The only thing I would like to ask for, is a volcanic eruption, just a small one, so it'd incinerate all the vegetation on the summit, so we would have a view! But I guess Aceh has gone through enough already.



sign at the start of the trek


Lisa with her high socks. she pulled them over her pant legs to keep out the leeches!


on the trail


some of the guides smoking out on the summit


cooking our lunch


some tent we stopped at on the trail up.


David and two of the guides. The summit peeks out of the clouds.



summit marker


again, the summit marker


Alastair hanging out on the lush, cool and damp summit


lunch on the summit


Seulawah shows itself


Papaya waits at the end of the trek