Steven Raucher's World Tour

2001-10-19 in Danau Maninjao, Sumatra, Indonesia
Moonscapes, Sunsets and Paddy Fields

Okay, Okay. I know what you�re thinking: �what�s with the lakes?� You see Sumatra has these lakes because of all the volcanic activity that created the land in the first place. Maninjao is very special because one can actually see all the walls of the crater that it is in. Complemented by a small sandy beach and crystal clear water it makes a good overnight (or longer) rest stop.

My friend, Doug, a fellow biker who rode local bikes all over South East Asia was waiting for us in a lovely little guest house on the Lake. The problem was that separating the guest house from the main road are 5 or 6 paddy fields. Ever tried steering a fully loaded 300 kg motorcycle down the wall of a rice paddy? Well, needless to say, I fell flat on my face. Pretty damn dirty!!

After finally recruiting a local on the promise of a beer we managed to pull the bike out of the mud and I restored my nerves well enough to make it the rest of the way to the guest house. Of course now the only problem was getting out the same way I got in when it was time to leave. As we only spent the night there the next morning I fortified myself with a huge helping of nasi goreng for breakfast and hit the dirt � and stayed up this time, whew!

The sunsets in this crater are spectacular and we were treated to a real show that night (see pic)

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stuck in the middle with you

the view from the top of the crater

the amazing sunsets in the crater

a successful exit from the paddy field - relief!

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