Today we had an in depth discussion about mosquito control – or the lack thereof. Thanks to Clement’s sweet blood, I was spared by the mosquitos last night. The mosquitos couldn’t survive the constant rain, though, today. We survived, but only in the form of drowned rats.
Invited for lunch
The Indonesian people seem to be rather unworried about mosquitos. The toilets and showers are arranged to form an optimized mosquito breeding ground. In a little outhouse, the squat toilet is next to a small reservoir of water – like a deep bath made of concrete. A little bucket or scoop floats on the water which is used to flush the toilet or to throw water over yourself as a shower. The water is still, and there is a guarantee of juicy, ripe, naked flesh for any inhabitant mosquitos.
In Thailand and Malaysia there were fans everywhere, which can be used when sleeping to blow the mosquitos away. In Indonesia, there are no fans, and no mosquito nets. Instead, if people are worried about the mosquitos at all, they sleep under a blanket, also covering their face. If I were to attempt this, I would drown from my own sweat. People think that our mosquito net is cute, and chuckle a bit.
The high pass today was not too steep (compared to what we have already done on Sumatra), and the descent was perfect – not too steep, and straight. We’re sleeping in a truckie restaurant, ready for our (hopefully) last day on Sumatra tomorrow.
arctic-cycler.com 
Are you going to go to Gunung Padang? Please do….it sounds really interesting
Cute little kitten the man is holding. Hopefully they don’t eat cats and dogs there? (You must have seen some of that in China?) We Westerners freak out over that practice! 😉
I don’t think they eat cats or dogs here. They do in China, as you said.. 🙂