Jumat, 26 Juli 2013
Rabu, 24 Juli 2013
Learning to freedive in Indonesia
- ain Stewart
- Lonely Planet Author
Freediving. It’s easy to understand the appeal. Imagine what it feels like to experience the deep ocean without the cumbersome steel tank and tangle of tubes.
Freediving is athletic. The sport requires a certain standard of fitness so you can swim down to a reef and then fin your way up to the surface again. And freedivers swim through the sea in torso-hugging neoprene, combining grace, elegance and controlled power.
I’ve snorkelled for years, but aware that my technique and safety awareness was lacking I enrolled on a course at Freedive Gili (www.freedivegili.com) in gorgeous Gili Trawangan, Indonesia. The school is owned by Mike Board, UK Full Immersion freedive record holder and his partner Kate Middleton (no relation!), yoga teacher, and also an expert freediver.
A growing sport
Humans have freedived for millennia. Scandinavian records of freediving date back to 5000BC, the ancient Greeks practised it, and communities of women in Japan (known as ama) and Korea (haenyeo) freedive today to gather shellfish, seaweed and pearls.Competitive freediving (immortalised in the film The Big Blue) has really taken off in the last 20 years and there are now events and championships all over the world. But for most of us mortals, recreational freediving is all about learning to snorkel more efficiently so we can see more oceanic life.
Courses and instruction are organised by both the SSI (Scuba Schools International; www.divessi.com) and AIDA (www.aidainternational.org).
The science of freediving
Freediving is all about being as physically relaxed as possible. The more nervous you are, the faster your heart beats, the more air you use. Fortunately we humans have an in-built mechanism (the Mammalian dive reflex) to help us out. Immerse your face in the water and your heartbeat automatically drops, conserving energy. At the same time you have to mentally visualise the dive ahead.Because of the competitive nature of freediving, it has a reputation as an extreme sport. Yes, there are superhumans who can dive to insane depths on one breath of air (my instructor Mike has reached 91m). Professional training is vital, and freedivers today use a ‘buddy’ system (like scuba divers) so there’s someone on hand to perform rescue procedures should trouble arise.
The course
The two-day SSI Level One course I completed started in Freedive Gili’s yoga space, explaining the diaphramic breathing techniques necessary to maximise air intake. Later we addressed the potential risks involved, particularly how to deal with a blackout (which are very rare but can occur due to lack of oxygen). Our class included an experienced spearfisher from Australia and a marketing manager from Fulham in the UK (who’d never snorkelled before). All courses combine yoga stretches with freedive training.Most freediving training involves swimming vertically down a drop line in the open ocean. There’s the big blue around you but you’re concentrating on freedive technique rather than searching reefs for exotic sealife. Everyone got down to 8m by the end of the course, and two of us reached 20m. Later we used our training to explore Sunset Reef off Gili Trawangan, where we spotted three hawksbill turtles (fellow, if far more advanced, freedivers).
The experience
The freedom of having no bulky scuba gear to slow you down, the lack of bubbles (which scare off fish) and the silence of the underwater experience is very special indeed. I also love the physical and mental challenge, and while I’m no athlete (and I’ll be 50 next year) I see myself doing this sport for years to come and achieving greater depths than the 22m I reached in Gili Trawangan.
The island
Gili Trawangan is a tiny coral-fringed island a two-hour boat ride east of Bali. Once a backpacker party destination, it has matured into a relaxed vision of the tropics, and the idyllic white-sand beaches are dotted with boho hotels and seafood restaurants. Gili Trawangan has myriad accommodation options, embracing everything from budget to high-end – check out the shoreside bungalows at Karma Kayak (www.karmakayak.com) and the luxury villas of Kokomo (www.kokomogilit.com). There are also several excellent scuba diving schools including Lutwala (www.lutwala.com).Freediving elsewhere in the world
There are now freedive schools all over the world – from Australia to the Bahamas, and Iceland to Thailand.Dahab on Egypt’s Sinai peninsula offers a world-class freediving centre, and the spectacular Blue Hole (a nearby freedive mecca). Blue Ocean Free Divers (www.blueoceanfreedivers.com) has a purpose-built 30m pool for training in Dahab, and offers one-day AIDA taster courses. Also based in Dahab, Desert Divers (www.desert-divers.com) offers a seven-night freedive package (including hotel and transfers but not airfare) that includes freediving the Blue Hole, Thistlegorm wreck and Ras Mohammed’s Shark Reef, plus a camel safari.
Cornwall in the UK offers fascinating freediving, including the chance to swim with basking sharks and migrating spider crabs in the spring months. Freedive UK (www.freediveuk.com) has a full range of courses and snorkelling tours.
More information
The website www.deeperblue.com is a key resource and a great place to meet and learn about the sport with forums for freedivers and spearfishers to search for buddies, discuss dive sites and sea conditions.Selasa, 23 Juli 2013
Javanese Batik Museum, Solo, Indonesia
Opulent museum with many colorful Indonesian batiks
By Matt Lepkowski
My eyes grew wide as I opened the door and entered. Perhaps it was the refreshment of entering the cool air-conditioned space and escaping from the hot, sticky air outside. What really caught my attention was the stately setting. I expected just a bunch of batiks hanging from the walls. Instead I found myself in a palatial setting with crystal chandeliers, antique furniture and clothing, paintings and photographs, ornate carpets, and traditional Indonesian music softly playing in the background.
This is my introduction to the Danar Hadi Batik Museum in Solo, Indonesia. One hour away from the well-known city of Yogyakarta with the famous temples of Borobudur and Prambanan is Surakarta, more commonly called Solo. Lacking the crowds of its more famous neighbor royal city, Solo is older but also features two palaces and many museums. As in Jogja you can ride around in a becak, a 3-wheeled bicycle taxi with a covered seat in the front for passengers and the peddler behind. Many people think of Jogjakarta (spelled many ways) as the Ubud of Java, or cultural center of the island, but citizens of Solo would disagree.
Find the best Solo hotel deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor
When it comes to batiks, lesser-known Solo is also overlooked. While tourists flock next door they ignore the fact that Solo is the heartland of batiks in Java and Indonesia. Countless batik shops and markets are located here, including the largest textile market in the country, Pasar Klewer. Many of the batiks sold in Yogya are made in Solo. Faced with the bewildering variety of batiks I decided to educate myself before purchasing some.
Danar Hadi opened the museum in October 2000 and it houses over 600 original batiks in 11 different rooms. Each room is organized by style or time period. Guides fluent in English lead you through each room while explaining the methods, history, design influences, and meanings of the motifs. Batiks date back to the 15th century and were created in the royal palaces with specific patterns to be worn for certain occasions such as weddings, funerals, coronations, etc. Originally only 3 colors were used; blue, white, and brown, which represented the 3 Hindu Gods.
Patterns used in the original batiks were not just for show. Each motif had a specific meaning. For example, the triangle motif on the breast cloth of a woman in the court meant she was the king’s concubine for the day. Engagement and wedding motifs have chains to show devotion to each other. Wings of Garuda, the half-man, half-eagle Hindu deity are combined with other elements to symbolize the royal family. Three motifs could only be worn by royalty; parang, lereng, semen. Batik motifs served as uniforms or costumes that signaled social standing, place, event, etc.
Batiks spread across the region and evolved into an astonishing variety in the past 600 years. The museum displays this variety in a luxurious setting and tour guides explain the regional differences. Sudagaran or merchant batiks were created by modifying the royal motifs so non-royalty could wear them. Cirebon, Lasem, and Pekalongan batiks show the seafaring influence of the Chinese along the north coast of Indo
nesia.
Petani motifs reflect the simple life of farmers with plants and
animals. Don’t miss the Dutch-designed batiks from the 1800s with
birds, butterflies, and flowers and scenes from fairy tales including
Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood.
Also part of the tour is the factory where batiks are made. See the whole process from tracing patterns, applying wax by hand and copper stamp, dyeing, etc. Both men and women work in the factory. Patient women with an eye for detail do the tedious hand waxing with the canting tool. Men use the heavier copper stamp tool to apply wax. I was impressed with the quality; even the stamp or “cap” patterns are touched up with a brush so the boundary between stamp impressions can’t be seen in the final product.
Mr. Santosa, an artist by trade who designed some of the motifs, formed Danar Hadi in 1967. He still runs the company today with close attention to the quality of both the batik factory and the museum. When you’re in Jogjakarta to see the famous temples, make sure to visit Solo so you can see the batik museum and other attractions. It’s a cheap and easy 1-hour train ride (about 1 USD) with no advance reservation needed. Just show up at the station and buy a ticket for the “prameks” which is the commuter train connecting the 2 cities and the airport between them.
Danar Hadi Batik Museum is located on the main street in Solo, Indonesia at 261 Brigjen. Slamet Riyadi and is open daily 9am - 4:30pm except the national independence holiday on August 17 and Islamic holidays.
Matt Lepkowski is the founder of TravelsInParadise.com and lives in the mountains of Colorado, USA.
See Matt's bio and more of his travel articles and pictures.
By Matt Lepkowski
My eyes grew wide as I opened the door and entered. Perhaps it was the refreshment of entering the cool air-conditioned space and escaping from the hot, sticky air outside. What really caught my attention was the stately setting. I expected just a bunch of batiks hanging from the walls. Instead I found myself in a palatial setting with crystal chandeliers, antique furniture and clothing, paintings and photographs, ornate carpets, and traditional Indonesian music softly playing in the background.
This is my introduction to the Danar Hadi Batik Museum in Solo, Indonesia. One hour away from the well-known city of Yogyakarta with the famous temples of Borobudur and Prambanan is Surakarta, more commonly called Solo. Lacking the crowds of its more famous neighbor royal city, Solo is older but also features two palaces and many museums. As in Jogja you can ride around in a becak, a 3-wheeled bicycle taxi with a covered seat in the front for passengers and the peddler behind. Many people think of Jogjakarta (spelled many ways) as the Ubud of Java, or cultural center of the island, but citizens of Solo would disagree.
Find the best Solo hotel deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say at TripAdvisor
When it comes to batiks, lesser-known Solo is also overlooked. While tourists flock next door they ignore the fact that Solo is the heartland of batiks in Java and Indonesia. Countless batik shops and markets are located here, including the largest textile market in the country, Pasar Klewer. Many of the batiks sold in Yogya are made in Solo. Faced with the bewildering variety of batiks I decided to educate myself before purchasing some.
Danar Hadi opened the museum in October 2000 and it houses over 600 original batiks in 11 different rooms. Each room is organized by style or time period. Guides fluent in English lead you through each room while explaining the methods, history, design influences, and meanings of the motifs. Batiks date back to the 15th century and were created in the royal palaces with specific patterns to be worn for certain occasions such as weddings, funerals, coronations, etc. Originally only 3 colors were used; blue, white, and brown, which represented the 3 Hindu Gods.
Patterns used in the original batiks were not just for show. Each motif had a specific meaning. For example, the triangle motif on the breast cloth of a woman in the court meant she was the king’s concubine for the day. Engagement and wedding motifs have chains to show devotion to each other. Wings of Garuda, the half-man, half-eagle Hindu deity are combined with other elements to symbolize the royal family. Three motifs could only be worn by royalty; parang, lereng, semen. Batik motifs served as uniforms or costumes that signaled social standing, place, event, etc.
Batiks spread across the region and evolved into an astonishing variety in the past 600 years. The museum displays this variety in a luxurious setting and tour guides explain the regional differences. Sudagaran or merchant batiks were created by modifying the royal motifs so non-royalty could wear them. Cirebon, Lasem, and Pekalongan batiks show the seafaring influence of the Chinese along the north coast of Indo
nesia.
Petani motifs reflect the simple life of farmers with plants and
animals. Don’t miss the Dutch-designed batiks from the 1800s with
birds, butterflies, and flowers and scenes from fairy tales including
Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, and Little Red Riding Hood.Also part of the tour is the factory where batiks are made. See the whole process from tracing patterns, applying wax by hand and copper stamp, dyeing, etc. Both men and women work in the factory. Patient women with an eye for detail do the tedious hand waxing with the canting tool. Men use the heavier copper stamp tool to apply wax. I was impressed with the quality; even the stamp or “cap” patterns are touched up with a brush so the boundary between stamp impressions can’t be seen in the final product.
Mr. Santosa, an artist by trade who designed some of the motifs, formed Danar Hadi in 1967. He still runs the company today with close attention to the quality of both the batik factory and the museum. When you’re in Jogjakarta to see the famous temples, make sure to visit Solo so you can see the batik museum and other attractions. It’s a cheap and easy 1-hour train ride (about 1 USD) with no advance reservation needed. Just show up at the station and buy a ticket for the “prameks” which is the commuter train connecting the 2 cities and the airport between them.
Danar Hadi Batik Museum is located on the main street in Solo, Indonesia at 261 Brigjen. Slamet Riyadi and is open daily 9am - 4:30pm except the national independence holiday on August 17 and Islamic holidays.
Matt Lepkowski is the founder of TravelsInParadise.com and lives in the mountains of Colorado, USA.
See Matt's bio and more of his travel articles and pictures.
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