
Tag: jungle

ON TOP OF THE WORLD: SIGIRIYA, SRI LANKA
by joostay
Climbing the ancient fortress-palace of Sigiriya – and the astonishing views from the top. After a good few days bumming about Kandy I caught a bus up to the Central Province of Sri Lanka to visit Sigiriya. (A/C bus from Kandy bus station to Dambulla 300 rupees/2 hours, then 20-minute tuk-tuk to Sigiriya.) UNESCO certified, Sigiriya is perhaps Sri Lanka’s most iconic sight: a huge sheer-walled rock that seems to appear out of nowhere. Its flat-topped summit contains the ruins […]
Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: 1200 steps, asia, backpacking, climbing sigiriya, ikimasho, japan, jungle, nature, photography, sigiriya, sri lanka, tokyo, travel, wildlife

IKIMASHO! YOUTUBE SESSIONS: ULTRADEMON
by joostay
Staying above water. The Voidic Charm of Ultrademon – and the evolution of Seapunk. After a debut release on Aphex Twin’s Rephlex Records, Kansas-born Chicago-based producer Ultrademon is back – releasing second album ‘Voidic Charms’ on his own Coral Records Internazionale imprint. While the first release was essentially a definition of the Seapunk genre that he himself created, Voidic Charms goes beyond that, offering a neon concoction of wonky synths, low-fi electronics, acid, grime, hard house and video game samples. Seapunk may have been what made […]
Categories: YOUTUBE SESSIONS • Tags: acid, afx, albert redwine, aphex, aphex twin, blog, drum and bass, house, ikimasho, japan, japanese, jungle, protein, rephlex, seapunk, techno, the gtw, tokyo, ultrademon, vegan, veganism, voidic charms, watmm, youtube, youtube session watmm, zombelle

Sunrise over Borobudur, Java, Indonesia
by joostay
To go or not to go… Is it worth seeing the sunrise at Borobudur? This is sunrise over Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Surrounded by a lush tropical landscape, it lay hidden for centuries under thick layers of volcanic ash and dense jungle growth. Observed from afar, it’s easy to see how it could get lost, the temple at times being indistinguishable from the trees that stand watch over it. When asked about Borobudur, most Indonesians insist that it is one of the […]
Categories: Uncategorized • Tags: asia, backpacking, borobudur, buddhism, indonesia, java, jungle, manohara, motorbike, se asia, sunrise, temple, tour, travel, UNESCO

Gibbons & Gambling in Bukit Lawang, Sumatra
by joostay
Is it wrong to take money from those less fortunate from yourself? Not if you win it. Bukit Lawang is one of the main draws to northern Sumatra: a small village at the bank of the Bahorok River and your main gateway to the colossal Gunung Leuser National Park, famous for its mosquito-infused jungle treks and flourishing orangutan population. After climbing Mount Sibayak I headed to Bukit Lawang for a few days with the sole intention of lying in a […]
Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: bukit lawang, gambling, indonesia, japan, jungle, monkeys, nature, sumatra, tokyo, trakking, wildlife

Climbing an active volcano: Mount Sibayak, Sumatra, Indonesia
by joostay
Above the clouds, Mother Nature rumbles below. The beautiful power of Mount Sibayak. Indonesia has at least 150 active volcanoes including Krakatoa and Tambora, both famous for their devastating eruptions in the 19th century. Add violent storms, earthquakes and tsunamis into the equation and you’ve got one of the most geologically volatile countries on earth. Its shores and interiors are regularly hit by severe natural disasters, such as in 2004 when a 9.3 earthquake struck off the north coast of […]
Categories: Travel: Outside Japan • Tags: asia, backpacking, berastagi, climbing, guide, hiking, indonesia, japan, jungle, se asia, sumatra, tokyo, travel, volcano