It’s our final day in Indonesia. Tomorrow morning we will leave for the long 23 hour journey to the Gold Coast via Kuala Lumpur. So we do what has become our favourite thing: walk. We’ve become accustomed to walking on roads clogged with scooters and cars. To saying “no thank you” to becak drivers who cannot…
After starting the day with the buffet breakfast at the hotel (probably our first breakfast in a week) and a few hours work we head out on foot at midday to walk Yogya. It’s our second last day in Indonesia and we still have much we want to see. Not famous sights; just Indonesia. The…
We wake to the sound of the bird singing in its cage next to our bedroom. It’s so peaceful. There are no mosques here in this area so we don’t have the 4am wake-up call that has become the norm here in Indonesia (a very unpleasant and intrusive wake-up call I must say). At first…
I decide that we need to rent a scooter for a day and see some of the beaches near Yogyakarta. After-all, you can’t come to an island and not see a beach or two. I’ve been hesitant about renting a scooter so far on this trip because Paul is not a motorcyclist and has never…
We were going to pre-book our train tickets from Solo to Yogyakarta yesterday afternoon but the man at the ticket counter tells us not to. It will be much cheaper for us to buy the tickets on the day. It turns out that he is correct. Pre-booked economy class tickets are 120,000IDR ($AU12) but on-the-day…
I think we are both feeling a bit weary from our travels. We’ve seen a lot and had many impressions. Java is constant noise and dust and people. It’s fun and wonderful but everyone gets tired. And when I get tired, I chose to rest. And what better way to rest than to go to…
It’s time to leave Semarang and keep traveling for our final week in Indonesia. Last night we said goodbye to my family at dinner and now we are at the train station waiting to go to Solo. Semarang Ponccol Station is the economy station and is in a beautiful colonial building. It doesn’t take long…
The scent of incense and sounds of chanting and chimes fill the air. We on’t now what will happen next but we watch to see. The air was still a moment ago but since the prayers started it has become windy. My cousin tells me that the wind comes because it is the souls of…
The leader of music and worship gees up the faithful. He jumps and claps and dances. As songs begin he calls out “1-2-1-2-3-4” as though we are at a rock concert. And the congregation respond. They sing songs to praise Jesus and the Lord (who, by the way, is Allah in Bahasa whether you are Muslim…
I’m feeling a bit better this morning. I actually slept last night and we don’t get picked up by my cousins until midday. That leaves plenty of time for sleeping. I have a few dry sweet cookies that Paul bought me last night with a hot unsweetened tea for breakfast in our room. We watch…
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