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The three men manning the now lifeless machine returned to Prague Aug. 19. In the span of 50 days, they traveled through the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine, covering 15,300 kilometers (9,507 miles) of ground.Prague-based journalist Dan Přibáň, 31, led the Trans National Trabant Tour 2007. This project, which will culminate in a documentary, began the previous year when he convinced Vladislav Růžička, 25, and Jan Martin Kozel, 22, to come along. “When he asked me whether I would like to join him, I thought to myself, ‘This sounds mad,’ ” recalls Růžička, a dentist and journalist. “I hesitated maybe less than a split second [then said] ‘OK, I’ll go.’ ”To those familiar with the cars, navigating steep inclines and meter-deep potholes inside a two-cylinder, plastic East German jalopy seems nothing short of insane.“My family agreed in one voice that it was the stupidest thing they had ever heard,” says Kozel, a sociology student and cameraman.Přibáň, however, was sure such a journey could succeed. In the early 20th century, explorers from the Czech lands set out on expeditions in cars similarly equipped to his 1986 Trabant 601. He cites these travels as inspiration.“Our model was František Alexander Elstner. … He was like a superstar,” Přibáň says. In 1933, Elstner and his wife, Eva, braved roadless deserts in North Africa in a Czechoslovak Aero 662. They later traveled across the United States and Mexico by Škoda and through Africa in an Aero Minor.Paying tribute to Elstner meant embarking on a journey with some risk of failure. Přibáň rejected the very idea of taking an SUV, and made no technical modifications to the car.“To adjust the car in order to prepare it for these roads would mean denying [the journey’s] basic idea,” Přibáň says.Those roads, by all accounts, were shoddy and practically impassable at times.“We started to use the term ‘very bad road’ from Bulgaria, but only in Kazakhstan did we understand what it meant,” Přibáň says. “The tar cracks into big chunks and all these heavy cars … move the road chunks to the sides.”The potholes this created ended up being the least of the group’s problems. A fine dust blanketing drags from Iran to Kazakhstan infiltrated the engine, causing it to gasp and seize.“You have to stop, clean the sparks, close the hatch, start the engine, move the car from the dust, go 10 kilometers, again and again and again,” Přibáň recalls. “There were moments when I thought that we might not be able to make it.”These mechanical snags subsided once the group crossed into Russia, but there they encountered a different kind of problem — corrupt police officers.“[Russian police] caught us unprepared for their longtime traditional sport — demanding egregious bribes,” Růžička says. The group forked over 500-ruble payments on a regular basis.These officers, however, were an exception to the rule. All along the way, the three men encountered an endless parade of welcoming, sometimes surprised, faces gaping back at the garishly decorated car.“They watched, took pictures, jumped around, shook their heads,” Kozel says. “They could not understand that we Europeans would spend so much money to drive this old crappy car to see this part of the world.”After turning back at Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the car failed to start on its own power from Ukraine to Prague. The men, undaunted, pushed the car every time they started it. “We always tried to park it downhill,” Růžička says.End of the lineEveryday life on the road smelled like used clothes and stale beer. Tied to the roof and crammed into the spaces between three specially fitted seats were small packs of clothing, sleeping bags, emergency foods like soup packets, and bottles of water. Camera equipment and a bulky medical kit left room for little else.“We slept next to the car; there was no rain,” Přibáň says. In big cities they stayed in hotels, but for no more than 10 days total.Stopping at roadside stands to eat kebabs became the norm. At one tearoom in Uzbekistan, they received special, almost surreal, treatment.“The guy asked us if we wanted fish,” Přibáň recalls. “In the middle of the desert … he went to the backyard where he had a tiny concrete pool. He took a net and fished out a really beautiful and big fish, killed it, gutted it, gave the intestines to the dog and baked the fish,” he continues. “Then he drained the pool.”Though crowded into a small car for a month and a half, under a gleaming desert sun, Přibáň insists they didn’t argue — much. “Whenever there was a serious problem with the car … and I needed [Kozel] to help me, he was running around me with a camera,” Přibáň says, laughing. He jokes that Růžička brought enough medical equipment for a roadside organ transplant, but none of the basics.“That is not true,” Růžička retorts. “We naturally had all basic medications. Maybe if Dan had been taking them regularly, his diarrhea wouldn’t have been so tenacious.”Kozel, meanwhile, says the space limitations of the car were partly to blame for some bickering. When he wanted a hookah in Iran, “they looked like they were going to leave me there, so I gave up.”For the record, the men remain friends. Kozel and Růžička both agree Přibáň piloted the car with skill. Přibáň and Růžička take care to point out the friendliness and vibrancy of those they encountered, especially in Iran.Showing positive sides of the region, in fact, is part of their goal. They plan to put together a two-hour documentary and air a five-part series about the trip on Czech TV this fall.“Despite TV and the Internet, [Central Asia] is extremely unknown,” Přibáň says. “Nobody shows people that it is so beautiful there.”Kozel agrees. “I brought back 40 hours of material. We have many shots of beautiful nature, breathtaking landscape, all the people we met,” he says. “But the most impressive shots I have are pictures of Dan cursing our engine.”— Naďa Černá and Hela Balínová contributed to this report.

Filmmakers tour Asia by Trabant

Three men battle the elements during 15,000-km journey

By Lisa Nuch Venbrux
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
September 5th, 2007 issue
COURTESY PHOTO
The 1986 Trabant 601 carried the trio — with the help of a strong push now and then — for 50 days of an adventure made into a documentary.

In late summer, people in the Central Asian steppes saw something that may well have seemed a mirage. Between the Caspian and Aral seas, a bright yellow Trabant rattled down makeshift roadways in a cloud of fine white dust.

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Police say murder suspect a 'serial killer'

Police say murder suspect a 'serial killer'
Karangasem Police have officially identified a murder suspect who has confessed to killing eight people as a serial killer. The designation would make him the first serial killer in Bali's history.

Bali group says floods tarnish RI's tourism image

Bali group says floods tarnish RI's tourism image
Heads of two influential tourism associations expressed their concern here Tuesday over the negative impact the recent flood in Jakarta would have on the country's tourism image, particularly as it had just kicked off the 2008 tourism campaign.

BALI

bali....

Bali Island, the perfect holiday destination for all ages offers something for everyone. Bali offers not just various customs but also various "adrenalin pump" parks. Many exciting amusements are available in Bali, with something new opening all the time. The number of offshore and inland attraction are on the rise because many tourists want them. This tropical paradise has a unique blend of modern tourist facilities combined with wonderful shopping and a rich past and heritage. After white water rafting that has gained popularity in Bali, comes offshore rafting or ocean rafting. The more adventurous sort of amusement has now become an alternative sport for tourists. Meanwhile white water rafting is still a popular activity with trips on Ayung, Telaga Waja, Unda Rivers, etc. The tourists can refresh their mind by watching beautiful scenery along the route. Those are not enough, some of the best surfing beaches in the world can be found on the western side of the island whilst conversely the eastern side is a wonderful haven for families, with beautiful white sand beaches and gentle seas.
GeographicallyBali is volcanically active and extravagantly fertile. Bali has an area of 5620 sq km, measures approximately 140 km by 80 km and is just 8 degrees south of the equator. Mount Agung known as the 'mother mountain' is over 3000 meters. South and north of the central mountains are Bali's fertile agricultural lands. The southern region is a wide, gently sloping area where most of Bali's abundant rice crop is grown. The south-central area is the true rice basket of the Island. The northern coastal strip is narrower, rising more rapidly into the foothills of the central range, but the main export crops, coffee, copra and rice, are grown here. Cattle are also raised in this area.


Bali is small island, just 140 Km by 80 Km and lies between Java, the most highly populated and influential of all the islands, and Lombok, one of the quieter and moderately slower paced islands. Like many islands, Bali has developed a world of its own. It not only captures what is special about Indonesia but also has a uniqueness of its own.
The culture of Bali is unique. People say that the Balinese people have reached self-content. The Balinese people are proud of having preserved their unique Hindu culture against the advance of Islam, the dominant religion throughout Indonesia. This is still reflected in days to day life and can be seen in the numerous ceremonies, Balinese festivals and magnificent temples and palaces. The Balinese are skilled artisans, particularly in woodcarving and in fashioning objects of tortoiseshell and of gold, silver and other metals. The Balinese are noted for their traditional dance, the distinctive music of the gamelan and for their skills in weaving cloth of gold and silver threads, Songket, as well as for embroidering silk and cotton clothing. Stone and woodcarvings, traditional and modern paintings and intricately designed jewelry in gold and silver are readily available in shops and galleries throughout the island.
As for recreation, there is no shortage of options. Nature walks, horseback riding, diving, surfing - even bungy jumping and white water rafting - await the adventurous here.


ClimateBali has a climate that is tropical all year. The average temperature hovers around 30 degrees Celsius year-round. There are dry and wet seasons -dry from April to September and wet from October to March- but it can rain at any time of year and even during the wet season rain is likely to pass quickly. In general May to August are the best months in Bali. At that time of year the climate is likely to be cooler and the rains lightest. Around the coast, sea breezes temper the heat and as we move inland we also move up so the altitude works to keep things cool. It can get very cool up in the highlands and a warm sweater can be a good idea in mountain villages like Kintamani or Bedugul.
PopulationWith 2.5 million people, Bali is a very densely populated island. The population is almost all Indonesian, with the usual small Chinese contingent in the big towns, a sprinkling of Indian merchants, plus a number of more or less permanent visitors amongst the Westerners in Bali.
CultureEach stage of Balinese life is marked by a series of ceremonies and rituals known as Manusa Yadnya. They contribute to the rich, varied and active life the average Balinese leads. There are ceremonies for every stage of Balinese life but often the last cremation ceremony is the biggest. A Balinese cremation can be an amazing, spectacular, colorful, noisy and exciting event. In fact it often takes so long to organize a cremation that years have passed since the death. During that time the body is temporarily buried. Of course an auspicious day must be chosen for the cremation and since a big cremation can be very expensive business many less wealthy people may take the opportunity of joining in at a larger cremation and sending their own dead on their way at the same time. Brahmans, however, must be cremated immediately. Apart from being yet another occasion for Balinese noise and confusion it's a fine opportunity to observe the incredible energy the Balinese put into creating real works of art which are totally ephemeral. There are a lot more than a body gets burnt at the cremation. The body is carried from the burial ground (or from the deceased's home if it's an 'immediate' cremation) to the cremation ground in a high, multi-tiered tower made of bamboo, paper, string, tinsel, silk, cloth, mirrors, flowers and anything else bright and colorful we can think of. The tower is carried on the shoulders of a group of men, the size of the group depending on the importance of the deceased and hence the size of the tower. The funeral of a former rajah high priest may require hundreds of men to tote the tower

Mandi Balimau Ritual: Pekanbaru, Riau, Sumatra

In Indonesia, Muslims celebrate Ramadhan in various ways. In Riau, they take part in the mandi balimau, or lime purification ritual. Usually occurring the last day before Ramadhan, the tradition of greeting the fast by cleaning oneself with limes in the river has been handed down from the royal Islamic kingdoms. But while it was traditionally a celebration of restraint, outings to local rivers to celebrate the last day before fasting begins is so popular today that mandi balimau has become a mass picnic attracting tourists.
Traditional activities on the auspicious day include feasting on buffalo meat rendang and other delicacies exchanged among neighbors and served at home.
Dressed in finery, children deliver food dishes and preparations of citrus fruit and flowers to both sides of the family.In the afternoon, men go the river to cleanse themselves physically and spiritually, using the lime preparations. The women bathe at home, or elsewhere on the river, separated from the men.
The mandi balimau herb and citrus preparations are believed to be the cleaning agents people used before soap was common.
Purifying oneself physically and spiritually, so as to be able to fast sincerely and with the hope of being pardoned for past wrongdoings, is the essence of the ritual bath.
Cleansing oneself may involve special visits made to acquaintances to ask forgiveness for offenses.
In the coastal areas of Riau, the ritual is known as petang magang, which implies restraint from any activity that may taint the fast. It is an appropriate time to settle family feuds and grudges.
However, the noble values of the bath seem to have been forgotten and it is feared the event may eventually become an ordinary trip to the river.
Rivers in the province were jam-packed this year with holiday revelers; no dividers separating men from women were seen.If not spiritual, the mood was spirited, with music festivals, tug-of-war games and motorbike races to enjoy.
At the riverbank event under Siak I bridge, Rusli said mandi balimau had “enlivened the Ramadhan atmosphere in Pekanbaru” and had the potential to “foster bonds of friendship” and “promote Riau’s tourism program.”
He reminded listeners the mandi balimau message was to cleanse oneself in order to perform the fast with devotion.
The communal bath already appears on the religious tourist attraction calendars of a number of local administrations in Riau.But criticism is widespread.
“The mandi balimau ritual has diverged far from its true meaning.“It is nothing more than an extravagance,” said Kampar district elder Syamsuar Nur Datuk Mangkuto.
According to Syamsuar, mandi balimau has become no different from a secular mandi bersama, in which men and women bathe together.
“This has considerably deviated from Islamic teachings and the Malay tradition.
“It’s about time the government step in to restore its true meaning,” he said.
A similar response came from the head of the Riau chapter of the Indonesian Ulama Council, Mahdini MA, who said that Ramadhan was a time when sins are pardoned and blessings for good deeds are multiplied.
It might be greeted with merriment, he allowed, “provided that it is not greeted in an extravagant manner.”
Mahdini MA said, “Don’t greet Ramadhan by doing things that can lead to immoral acts.”
In Islam it is common for ritual bathing to precede acts of devotion, he said.
by:Rizal Harahap