We have decided on our next destination: Yogyakarta on the island of Java, with Kuta in Bali as a one night stopover on our way back to Denpasar airport. Our flight is Saturday at 6:05 AM – at that time, we could get two tickets, with meals of our choice, for $130. So we will take a boat to Kuta on Friday, maybe try finding some dancing there on Friday night, then wake up dreadfully early to fly to Java.

Yogyakarta sounds a lot like the Chiang Mai of Indonesia: university town, lots of arts, some fantastic religious sites. But unlike Chiang Mai, it has a sultan.

So we are here on Gili Trawagnan for two more nights. We considered a day trip to Komodo, but once you add everything up it’s a bit expensive. We also considered climbing Rinjani on Lombok or Gunung Agung on Bali, but since it’s the rainy season floods, landslides and such make them questionable endeavors. So we’ve decided to head back west. After Yogyakarta, we hope to go to a bustling metropolis (either Singapore or Kuala Lumpur), then we will have time for one more destination before we start our endgame with Angkor Wat. Until then, we’ll do a bit more snorkeling:

— The Professor