Household move by motorcycle

It's so rare to see only one person on a motorcycle...

Photo from somewhere in West Java, October 2008.

What would the world do without Indonesia?

Simple question, simple answer. Global public loudspeaker production would decrease dramatically and Indonesians could sleep longer since they wouldn't be woken up at 4:15AM every day.

Photo from Jakarta, October 2008.

Red light vendor

Every intersection offers something new...

Photo from Jakarta, October 2008.

Romeo's message

Oupps, as tested Romeo's message is that she offers a massage besides karaoke.

Photo from Sorong, West-Papua, September 2008.

Creating a monkey pet

Domestication of animals by humans has been the prerequisite to the development of complex societies. It all started with artifical selection by humans to bring animal populations under their care to produce food (such as pigs, chicken) and commodities (such as wool from sheep and silk from worms), to assist human work (such as water buffalos, cows), to allow for faster and more efficient transport (such as camels, horses), to offer protection (such as dogs, elefants), to experiment with them (such as rats, mice) and to enjoy them as pets (such as cats, goldfish, hamster).

Washing a monkey. Is this crueler than other forms of domestication?

Putting the topic into more general terms. Are modern genetics a form of domestication of the human being? Will humans look like the monkey in the second picture if they can express themselves afterwards?

Pictures from Jakarta's Pramuka Market, October 2008.

P.S. Can somebody help what kind of monkey it is on the pictures? Often endangered species can still be found on Pramuka market.

Did he make it?

Jumping-over-the-boat photo from Raja Ampat, West Papua, October 2008.

Hau wech beer

Ever tried one of the best German 'flasch' beers? Take Bölkstoff and hau wech die Kacke.

Photo from Schönbek, Germany, August 2008.

Handicap?

Photos of signs guiding travellers towards handicap lifts, Makassar airport, South Sulawesi, September 2008.

Facing Jakarta's Sikh temple

Wrote before on the inside of Jakarta's Sikh temple, therefore it seems appropriate to document want's happening in front of the temple as well.

Photo from Jakarta, June 2008.

What comes first?

Some decisions are more difficult than others.

Photo of a convenience moshulla, Bogor, West-Java, September 2008.

Large pipe dreams

Would be interesting to learn about this fellow whom I met in early 1986 if his pipe dreams came true. At least his cloths are more colorful in 2008, I presume.

Photo from somewhere along the Burma highway, Yunnan, China, February 1986.

Daily madness

You better don't walk to catch the bus...

Photo from Jakarta, September 2008.

Flipper

Photo from Raja Ampat, West-Papua, September 2008.

Better times...

Cool on top

... or is it warming up the butt?

Photo from somewhere in Raja Ampat, West-Papua, September 2008.

Fly is cheap

This budget airline slogan probably derives from life is...

Photo from Sorong airport, West-Papua, October 2008.

Diver's toes

... and what about bubble toes?

Photo from Kri Island, Raja Ampat, West-Papua, October 2008.

Finding Nemo?

We not only found Nemo but also his new girl friend. May the story continue.

Photo of clown fishes (on the right a fish named Nemo), Raja Ampat, West-Papua, September 2008.

Papuan headgear

Photo from Sorong, West-Papua, September 2008.

Raja Ampat Tourist Information

Photo of Raja Ampat's Tourist Information at Sorong Airport, West-Papua, September 2008.

Diving in Raja Ampat

Arriving at Kri Eco Resort on Kri Island (south of Waigeo Island, north of West Papua's Bird's Head (Vogelkop) peninsula, a two-hour speed boat ride from the city of Sorong.

Fishes often cruise under the traditional Papuan stilt houses. While brushing your teeth at the window, you will most probably see barracudas and parrot fishes. A bamboo shark seems to like the proximity of the restaurant/kitchen house. We were also regularly greeted by a turtle while having a sundowner on the jetty. The house reef is a great place for snorkeling, featuring beautiful corals and lot's of fish.

Conch shell blowing to signal that the boat is ready for the next diving trip. Looks easier than it is. Tapping on a dive tank at the restaurant entrance to signal meal times requires less skills!

Bumping Bumpheads. We saw schools of Bumpheads often at various dive sites. Big schools of fish (tuna, jacks, trivallies, barracudas, sweetlips, snappers) are very often seen at places where the current is strong. Some dive sites can be better appreciated if you have a reef hook.

Manta ray sightings are guaranteed. On one dive, we saw 3 huge ones and 2 smaller ones at a cleaning station. We had to leave after 70 minutes, but they kept doing their rounds.

Tons of fish around you while scuba diving. The waters of Raja Ampat are partly protected, and the population of the islands is small. So there is a lot of fish and the corals are very healthy. Sadly, the finning of sharks and rays also happens there...

Dive guide Jeffry is taking a rest on one of the more than 1,500 islands of Raja Ampat after a long encounter with manta rays.

Photos of the numerous grey reef sharks, black and white tips and wobbegongs will follow...

Raja Ampat encompasses 40,000 square kilometers of land and sea is claimed to have the richest coral reef biodiversity in the world.

Float-ees, the Papuan way

Safe jumps into the water in 2008 (see above). As always, trunks which float existed before, and possibly even before 1950.

Photo from Sorong, West-Papua, September 2008.

Photo

Where is the pygmy seahorse?

Photo of one pygmy seahorse (don't miss this link!!), Raja Ampat, West-Papua, October 2008.

Bird watcher in Papua

Photo from Raja Ampat, West-Papua, October 2008.

Lounge, pray, smoke a bit and LEAVE

Four lounges, two mushollas, one smoking area and the ways out.

Photo from Jakarta airport, September 2008.

Best Papua haircut?

Photo from Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia, September 2008.

Smiling through the night

Photo from Jakarta, September 2008.

Himself

Brommel himself

Pre-internet photo from Bünde, Germany.

beer breaking out of the bottle

Drink faster, it will never happen again.

Photo of frozen Carlsberg from Jakarta, September 2008.

rest or work?

Photo from Jakarta, September 2008.

Kind of bamboo bridge

Photo from Southern Leyte, Philippines, April 2007.

One child family, chairs and a bike

Photo from Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, November 1985.