The Far Side of the World, Pt 3

August 1974. Tony Reavley's in Indonesia, where he's rather unexpectedly become a sex symbol, in between scoffing hallucinogenics.

Tony's previous letters: November 1973, December 1973, early April 1974, late April 1974, and June 1974.

Kuta Beach, Bali

18-08-74

Arrived here on August 1st - next stop Australia! Did you get my letter from Jakarta which I sent on July 8th? Haven't heard from you, so I wonder if it got through. [Editor's note: I can't find the letter in question among the otherwise well-preserved stack of Tony's correspondence, so I presume it went AWOL somewhere between Jakarta and Tipton in July 1974.]

Surabaya is a dirty, noisy town which boasts over 15,000 whores! Western men are a great attraction because of "body hair and coloured eyes", apparently. Good-looking blokes can sample the delights for free with the other whores coming into the room out of sheer curiosity to watch the performance! Found ourselves a cheap, filthy, mosquito-ridden hotel which we suffered for one night before moving on to a better one next day. Sulawesi was an eye-opener. Few travellers here, and big crowds followed us everywhere we went - celebrities again! Students were always approaching us to practise their English as they have few opportunities of doing this, and if we stopped anywhere for a meal or to buy something we were engulfed in minutes! Being together, Baz + Barbara were alright, but several times I was propositioned by the local "ladies" and nearly had a riot on my hands one evening as I sat down by the sea front. This girl made an approach, kept touching me and was especially fascinated - as most Indonesians are - by the hairs on arms and legs. A crowd quickly gathered, as usual, and I tried to play it cool, but when she finally grabbed me between the legs it was time to leave! Luckily, a student I knew appeared at that moment and took me off on his motorbike.

Our main purpose for coming to Sulawesi, however, was not to sample the local talent but to visit the Toraja people who live in the Central Highlands. Took a ten hour bus journey out to Rantepao along the mountain, dirt road. From here we made several excursions into the mountains. Visited several villages with their strange boat-shaped houses and also saw the burial caves. The Toraja bury their dead in the sides of the mountain by cutting out the rock and sliding the coffins into the holes. They erect strange wooden figures, dressed in clothes and looking like waxwork dummies, and place these on ledges high up on the face of the mountain. The caves are full of coffins and bones are scattered all over the cave floor. Skulls grin down at you from ledges up above and look grotesque in the flickering light of the bamboo torches.

After four days we left Rantepao and returned on the ten hour bus journey to Ujung. Passengers included a cockerel in a basket, a pig, and two screeching white cockatoos. Flew from Ujung to Denpasar (Bali) on August 1st. Bali is beautiful but is rapidly being spoiled by tourists. Lots of French on charter trips, and they are like a bloody plague! It's the height of the French holidays and they've inundated the hotels and are now engulfing the cheap accommodation where the dossers like us usually stay.

Had my first trip on the "magic" mushrooms this afternoon, which put you where you want to be. Buy them for 5p a packet from small boys on the beach and three packets keep you happy for six hours!

Regards to everyone at the club, and KEEP WRITING as I'm right out of touch!

Best wishes

Tony (soon to be known as POMMIE BASTARD!)