Indonesia
Don’t try and climb a waterfall – learnt it the hard way
.jpg)
Johan Kruseman
Updated on 6 August 2024
Updated on 6 August 2024
After all the effort to extend my visa for another month, today marked the first day of these hard-fought extra thirty days in Indonesia. It would also be the last day I‘d see anything of Indonesia other than the inside of a hostel or hospital.
While walking to a waterfall, I slipped, twisted, and fell several meters down. Just as abruptly as I had decided to quit my job and travel, my journey came to an abrupt end. I climbed back up, scrambled up with two hands and one foot. The fourth limb was in agony. And above, I hopped back to the road. If anyone here needs advice from an experienced traveler on how to hitchhike, smear your face, your shoulder, and your knee with blood and hop back and forth along the road. The first car was a hit. Unfortunately, I had to use my thumb again because the car had a flat tire after ten minutes. The second vehicle was the local bus. Everyone was sitting in the Indonesian way, five people on three seats, but without asking or consulting, they showed that six people could fit, leaving the entire back row free for me. The “hospital“ could provide some first aid, stitched up the wounds with fishing line. However, their X-ray machine was so bad that they couldn‘t even distinguish between the bones, so they advised me to get the X-rays taken in Bali. There, a broken ankle was diagnosed, which led to a temporary end with two months of rehabilitation in the Netherlands.
Share this story
Traveled route: Bali, Denpasar, Buleleng, Boengkoelan, Gili Air, Lombok, Pemenang, mount Rinjani, Komodo Island, Flores, Labuan Bajo, Sumatra, Medan, Bukit Lawang, Banda Aceh, Pelabuhan Balohan, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Imogiri Pine Forest, Borobudur Temple, Malang, Mount Bromo, Ijen, Banyuwangi, Surabaya
× Don’t try and climb a waterfall – learnt it the hard way
next story
Needing some negotiation skills to just enter the bus
I‘d been to some islands in Indonesia before, but this was my first time stepping onto Sumatra, the northwest one. You‘d think I‘d strut in like a pro, all “I got this,” but nope, my Sumatra newbie vibes were in full force when I landed in
Indonesia
Did this story inspire you to go to Indonesia? Read more on what Indonesia has to offer, what the best months are for visiting and check the handy links for backpacking there.
