Home » Indonesia » I'm a kuta-n outta here

Ok so Bali has been visited 4 times now and has been the base for travel around Indonesia. The first part was covered in Gili Chillin. Second visit to Bali came after the Komodo and Kelimutu trip before making my way to oz. When changing the flights in Oz I had the choice to go to Singapore or come here, no contest really!! Plus it would give me the chance to go see Mt Bromo in Java.

I'm a kuta-n outta here

Gareth Penpraze
2007-04-20 23:59:12

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not a religious person but I've never prayed so
hard ever. I arrived in Probolingo at 3am expecting to be picked up. The bus driver leaves me at a tourist info place and the guy is showing me all sorts of maps, places to stay and walks that can be done. He's all friendly until he asks me to check in to a hotel and he'll take me the final 2 hour journey in the morning. I tell him I have an onward ticket and someone is to collect me. No sooner than he sees the ticket there is rage in his face and his maps are put away. After 30 secs of being stared at he says "I can't help you, go." At the same time someone comes through the door and shouts "lets go, quickly!" This is the first danger I think I'm in, worse to come. My driver kind of bundles me and my bags into the back and he screeches off doing a 180 and off up the road. The two in the front are talking very fast in Bahasa and I've no clue whats happening. My brain tells me I'm getting kidnapped or something!! He races off in the direction of the bus doing a conservative 150-170km/h weaving in and out of lorries, into oncoming traffic, horn honking all the way. At least 3 times we almost ended up in the back of a lorry or having a head on. If either of these had happened I'm in no doubt I'd be getting flown home in a body bag!! 10 minutes of this, while my head is in my hands trying not to look and praying to god, we pull into a petrol station where my bus is. The two guys jump out and argue with the driver for another 10 minutes almost coming to blows. My heart is racing and I'm happy to be in one piece, definitely not what the nerves need at 3am!! I see the driver hand the guys 30,000rp (less than 2 quid). It turns out the first tourist dude gives the driver the commission for leaving me there and he is extremely unhappy when he realises he won't get a penny from me!! The two guys who pick me up are not happy with the driver of the ...