~ the dawn at Asta Tinggi ~
~Sat. Mar.20~ Dave has a broken-sleep night. Now outside it's a bright early morn. To Asta Tinggi it is. To see the graveyard wherein the royal line of Sumenep are buried! He leaves at about 6am. There's no cloud in the east. The light's getting stronger by the minute. He thinks he should hurry but...he might get lost. The camera comes out at the bridge at the foot of the hill. It get some use even as Dave pushes the bicyle up the hill. Hey young, old-kid, you're almost middle-aged now! There's only one 'annoyer' hanging around the entrance when Dave eventually hitches up the bike to a tree. It's about 7am by this time. 'What a great day for pfotos', Dave remarks to no-one in particular. He spends the next couple of hours wandering the monumental burial ground undisturbed. He warms down by taking some snaps of the self in the room~
~Dave takes off to his friend Adi's for lunch. Arranged the previous day. Before that though, he looks with a sense of satisfaction at this fine mornings catch of pfotos. Right on time, Adi arrives on his motorbike from his workplace to guide Dave, who rides Adi's bicycle to his home. It's not very far away at all. Dave eats a lunch of soto madura...Adi's wife too busy with the new baby to cook. Delicious akeaways...in Adi's very pleasant little garden. Caged birds, trees and shrubs and a colorful parrot look on. Glad he had the gumption to take a couple of large bottles of coke for everyone to drink. The parrot's of an endangered species. There's an amnesty on these sort of pets, Adi explains mischievously. He couldn't turn the bird in, after 4 years. It's on a tether, but seems happy...has the other birds in their cages for company. As well there's a couple of chooks that peck around. Adi 'jokes' Dave about perhaps investing some of his money with him so he can buy his old granny's house next door. Wants to turn it into a homestay...for when the tourists return! Dave probably would if he could, but he can't. As usual the poor transient~
~On Dave's laptop, Adi and Dave together look together at some of the Kalianget and Sumenep pfotos. Adi returns the favor and gets out his album of a one months' visit, 3 years ago, to Holland, Belgium and Germany. Snaps of many buildings and people. Mostly older Dutch friends. Adi points out a 15 years old Dutch girl who wanted him to take her back to Indonesia and marry her! But Adi is already 'engaged' to his present wife. This Holland trip's the final fling of a single man in his mid-twenties. Today, he talks about the different approach the European 'woman' has towards obtaining sexual satisfaction. Dave leaves at 4~
~The Adi family turn up about 7pm at Dave's room at the Wijaya. All partake in sate together over the fence at the by now usual roadside warung. The 'Adis' leave soon because of the baby. Mrs. Adi's a very polynesian-looking, big, dark-skinned wife. Her wide, bright smile's very pacific too. She just wants to get home. Dave knows that Adi made the right choice of a wife. Dave's in need of an early nite! He's too tired to go up to the busy-evening town, like he wants to. It's especially busy on a Saturday night, according to Adi. Dave remembers from earlier visits to eastern Indonesia from PNG in the late 90s, that the great majority of young locals habitually hit the streets in the early evenings to eat, drink and socialize. A great atmosphere. Possibly Sumenep's the same. Dave however, relaxes on the porch at the room. He has to fend off an uninvited tourist-tout. He's persistent, seems poor. Offers his services as a guide. His English is very passable...at least on Sumenep attractions. No doubt, he's fallen on hard times given the lack of tourists after the 2002 Bali bomb 'incidents'~
~Dave decides that he'll leave for Surabaya day after tomorrow. It's time to move on again. He feels that he's explored enough of Sumenep for the time being. The middle-aged Italian's still here and they chat in very broken English. This European can't stand Sumenep. All the attention he gets...his broken English coming to life as he re-enacts the locals' reaction to seeing a tourist. But it's his money-making motives that have made Madura annoying for him. He's going to go to Sumatra next. He's looking to buy Vespas to send back to Italy! The Madurans indicate that they'd be more willing to buy them from him! His opinion of Sumenep, and Madura has no doubt suffered. “Merde, Sumenep, Madura, Indonesia”. He sees them as dogs he says “Like dogs...shit”. He'd love em if he was making money, no doubt. Takes all kinds~
...So if you can't stand the heat of all the attention being a 'tourist' at the moment in Madura brings...don't visit just yet. Madura's a friendly, interesting place to kick back but not everyone sees it that way: depends on your motives!