Drink Arak! Speak English!

This was probably the quietest day of the trip as we left Bajawa and headed overland to Ruteng. The journey was once more very impressive and we started to enter rice Field territory which you can see from these pictures. We also got to know more about Amandine and Toufik, the French couple that we were travelling on this trip with. They were a really nice couple who had been living in Australia for a while and have the intention of going to Canada, right now they were making the most of Indonesia though, just like us!

De Bajawa nous sommes alles en direction de Ruteng. Nous avons fait principalement de la route ce jour la. Heureusement qu'on s'entendait bien avec Amandine et Toufik, le couple de francais tres sympa qui voyageait avec nous. Ils ont vecu quelques mois en Australie et ont maintenant l'intention de s'expatrier au Canada apres ce voyage.

Sometime around midday we stopped at a roadside where there were plenty of Palm trees and as always people living/working along the road. These people must be quite popular though as they produce the local alcoholic drink 'Arak'. The government lets them produce on a small scale as the land is not good enough to farm and the sea not blessed with enough fish. Anyway, we got a little insight into the very simple production process and then we moved on again. As the others know well now - the locals would often encourage Toufik to 'Drink Arak' and 'speak English!' ..he did too! haha!

Le long de la route, nous avons vu plein de gens travailler dans les champs de palmiers, recuperant la seve afin de produire l'Arak. C'est le seul alcool autorise par le gouvernement car c'est la seule ressource de la region permettant de faire vivre ses habitants. Nous nous sommes arretes afin d'observer la production de cette boisson que l'on connaissait deja bien. Hein Toufik!! Toufik etait regulierement encourage par les locaux pour boire de l'Arak. Cela ameliorait considerablement son niveau d'anglais! Il nous a bien fait rire.

After the previous night in a simple accommodation with lacking bathroom facilities we were treated to a night of luxury - in a convent! Brilliant! Dino gave us the chance to discover 'Martabak' and 'Keju' when we arrived in Ruteng and it was much appreciated. I'm not sure how to explain it other than 'delicious'. A look up at at the stars and then it was time for bed.

La particularite de cette journee etait surtout qu'apres avoir dormi dans des endroits peu confortables et pas vraiment propres, nous avons dormi.... dans un couvent! Parfaitement tenu... avec une douche chaude, le luxe! On ne peut apprecier ce qu'on a au quotidien a sa juste valeur si on n'experiemente pas l'inconfort de temps en temps. ca c'est fait. Brian a profite de sa soiree pour regarder les etoiles....jusqu'au moment ou les nonnes lui ont demande de rentrer car le couvent fermait ses portes.

Drink Arak! Speak English!

Ruteng, Indonesia