I have been overweight pretty much my entire adult life. I’m forever on a diet and every once in a while, can squeeze into my skinny clothes for a few days before I start gaining weight again. It’s a constant battle…. I’m sure I’ve gained and lost 1000s of pounds in my life. But it really sucks when you travel. Sure, there are good times and amazing people but sometimes it just plain sucks. I didn’t even think I was that fat when I went to Indonesia but boy, was I wrong. Here’s why you shouldn’t travel to Indonesia if you’re fat:
Too Fat to Hike a Hill
It is hot in Indonesia, as it’s in the tropics. I had seen pictures of Padar Island and took a special trip to visit but the hike was hard and hot, and I found I couldn’t finish the hike to the viewpoint in the very short time we were given to finish the hike. I was disappointed, but still had a nice view.
Rickety Boats
Like many travelers to Komodo National Park, I found myself on a rickety wooden boat for a long day trip to see the Komodos and do some snorkeling. It wasn’t the most comfortable boat, but it was cheap. Until we got to Pink Beach. I was excited to jump in the water and snorkel on the amazing coral but as I was waiting to get off the boat, one of the most humiliating things happened. My foot fell through the week floorboard and I scratched my leg badly. The guys on the boat were really concerned, and I felt bad for them too. I didn’t want to sit on the boat, so I swam over to the beach but couldn’t hold back the tears. It didn’t help that I had to look at an old tire covering the hole in the floor for the rest of the trip. I still have physical and emotional scars from this event.
Getting in and out of Boats is not my Forte
As if the floorboard incident wasn’t enough, when I got back to the boat, the seas were rocking. The angle of the ladder to get back on the boat was steeper than 90s, and I was struggling to get up the ladder as the boat rocked. Then my underwater camera which was on a strap on my arm got caught between the ladder and the boat and it snapped off, losing the camera to the sea. A couple days later I joined another trip that involved getting from a larger boat into a dingy. It was a challenge every time, but somehow I managed to not fall in the ocean. It wasn’t pretty.
People Are Mean
Let me start off by saying more than 99% of people are good, or at least smart enough not to ridicule others. But that less than 1% can really hurt your heart. From little kids pointing and laughing to adults catcalling and making comments. Here are some of my not-so-favorite rude comments:
- Very, very big
- Why don’t you exercise?
- Why are you so fat?
- You no eat
Animals Don’t Like Me Either
OK, I’m partially joking about this one, but it seems more common for dogs and monkeys to approach me. Maybe they think I’m carrying extra food.
Plastic Chairs = Trouble
The sight of these chairs puts the fear in mePlastic chairs are a mainstay of poorer nations. They’re cheap and easy to transport and sell. But some of them are very weak. I have had a recurring nightmare about breaking a chair and having dozens of people laughing at me. So, every time I enter a restaurant, or home, or venue with plastic chairs I need to scan the room for the strongest looking chair. Often the ones with the arm rests are most sturdy. On occasion, someone will look at me and then stack two chairs for me to sit. It’s absolutely embarrassing. I will not sit in a chair that has small cracks – that’s just asking for trouble.
So Fat a Moto-bike Guide Wouldn’t Take Me
The hottest spot off Bali is the Gili Islands, but Nusa Penida is gaining popularity. Nusa has some of the most beautiful vistas in all of Indonesia, so I was excited to visit this up and coming destination for a few days. Getting around the island is not so easy as a solo traveler, getting a car is quite expensive and I’m not comfortable driving myself on a motorbike, so the hostel suggested a motorbike taxi. My driver arrived, and he disappeared to talk to the hostel manager. I could tell something was wrong. The manager came out to break the news… the driver said I was too fat and he wouldn’t drive me. Luckily, I found a couple sweet French girls who had a car and driver for the next two days and they let me join their trip. We had a very lovely time and I got to see all the beautiful sights around Nusa Penida.
Traveling to Indonesia When You’re Fat
These bad experiences only made a small portion of my trip. 95% of the time was good. I did amazing things like visited the Komodo Dragons, chewed betel nut with the King of a Timorese village, and enjoyed some of the best snorkeling in the world. I would still recommend traveling to Indonesia, and I think I will go back someday as there are many more places to explore in this big country with many islands.
P.S. Why Am I Sharing TMI?
It took a night of sleep and 24 hours to know what to write in this post script. What exactly is my reason for sharing all these painful memories?
Reason #1
My FB feed keeps on showing a sponsored post by a prominent adventure travel company that’s all about how great it is to travel to southeast Asia when you’re overweight. How friendly the people are, etc, etc, etc. That’s only true to the 99% (see above). Traveling isn’t always like a perfect instagram post.
Reason #2
While I’d love for everyone to be happy at any size with “body positivity”, I am learning at middle age that being overweight absolutely sucks, not only for traveling reasons. Despite my ever shrinking and growing size, I maintained healthy blood pressure, cholesterol, and never got diabetes. I went 5 years without talking a sick day at work. But now my joints are starting to feel it. I had some bad hip and knee pain in the last year, losing over 10% of my weight has improved that 90%. I know now that if I don’t keep this up, it’s early hip and knee replacement surgery on the horizon. I want to share this with others who think it’s OK because they are “healthy”.
Reason #3
If anyone reading this is one who thinks it’s funny to discourage others – whether it’s calling them fat to their face or rolling their eyes or gets impatient when someone takes a little longer to get in or out of a boat or bus, please just STOP. Your split second of thinking you’re better than someone else can lead to hours or years of collective emotional pain for the other person.
#Reason #4
Even if you are not one to ridicule, be aware how difficult it is for some people to travel and feel great that they have the courage to get out there and see the world.
Any other lessons we can learn from this? I’d love to see your comments below. If you like this blog, please subscribe and check out my instagram!
Disclaimer:
Indonesia is really a lovely place, and this kind of pain and discrimination happens all over the world, not just in Indonesia.
