Indonesia: Pura Taman Ayun Temple; Bali

Jul29

Our next stop for a couple of nights was to be Ubud. On the way, we stopped at Pura Taman Ayan Temple in the village of Mengwi which is about 17km northwest of Denpasar. This temple complex was built around 1634 by the then ruler of the Mengwi Kingdom, Tjokerda Sakti Blambangan. It was significantly restored in 1937.

As well as some wonderful traditional architecture, we were to find expansive garden landscapes that included lotus and fish ponds… plenty of photograph opportunities.

A small covered pavilion near the entrance.

A guardian, suitably decorated, at one of the temple entrances.

One of the decorative ponds that surround the temples.

The locals leave daily offerings at strategic places dotted around the complex.

Various traditional building styles are seen within the complex. The terracotta coloured bricks contrast well with the grey stone carvings.

Detail of a demon guarding the corner of a building.

The public are not permitted to enter this sacred area. However, a high vantage point overlooks the complex giving a good idea of its extent.

Another demon god, this time “protecting” a shop selling tourist trinkets.

Another gate and ornate bridge over a surrounding canal.

Towering tiers of thatched temple shrines make up most of the profile of Taman Ayun. This area was closed to the public but there were good views from outside the walls.

This shiny mahogany-coloured beetle was attempting to get a little closer but…

…there were steps and walls impeding its progress.

Another view down the central axis of the complex.

Yet another view…

…and another.

Detail of the intricate stone carving…

…and some more newly restored carving.

Another guardian. Interesting but the symbolism of the detailed carving is lost me!

The gardens are not only protected by traditional guardian stone sculptures… I think you’ll agree that the spiny stems of this palm in the gardens are not very welcoming.

The garden surrounding the whole complex were very well maintained. This clump of tall bamboo still retained the sheaths that protected the new emerging shoots.

A bright yellow Heliconia stood out against its green leaves.

Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata), is a tropical tree that originates in the Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines. The green flowers slowly mature to a deep yellow with a red throat.

Cananga odorata is valued for the essential oil that is extracted from its flowers to be used in perfumes and in aromatherapy. This oil is credited with relieving high blood pressure, easing skin problems and is also considered to be an aphrodisiac. It’s often blended with other floral, fruit and wood scents to produce perfumes such as Chanel No. 5.

Here, in Indonesia, the flowers are traditionally spread on the bed of a newlywed couple. In the Philippines, its flowers are strung into necklaces worn by women. These strings of flowers are also used to adorn religious images.

The plant produces clusters of black fruit which are an important food item for birds, thus serving as an effective seed disperser.

This temple complex had proved to be an interesting visit on our way to our destination for the night at a resort in Ubud, Bali. More of that anon.

David

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Indonesia: to Shankari Bali Retreat

Jul27

Today was another travel day, around seven hours of travel in all. It took three hours to get to the jetty where we were to catch a ferry across Java Strait to the island of Bali. We were on the ferry for around an hour and then there was still another three hours drive to our overnight accommodation.

We waited on the jetty for our ship to berth.

This ferry was berthed beside us and while we waited to cast off. It was taking on board all manner of cargo, including this truck loaded with new motor bikes. Everybody seems to have a motor bike in this part of the world.

We passed this traditional craft while on our rather circuitous trip across Java Strait, we could see where we were going but we headed away from it to use up time due to crowding at our arrival point. Eventually we berthed on the island of Bali.

It was way past sunset by the time we arrived at the Shankari Resort.

Next morning there was time to look around. There were a couple of ornamental pools.

These sculptural leaves belong to a species of Alocasia, a genus of broad-leaved rhizomatous or tuberous perennials. There are 79 species native to tropical and subtropical Asia to Eastern Australia. Understandably, they are widely cultivated as an ornamental in the tropics and as a house plant.

The above plant is one of those 79 species… Alocasia x amazonica. The stem, which is a corm, is edible, but contains crystals of Calcium oxalate along with other irritants that can numb and swell the tongue. The lower parts contain even more of the poison. Prolonged boiling before serving or processing may reduce the risks.

There were lovely plaques and other surprises around the complex.

Small niches provided a place to make offerings to the gods.

This floor mosaic of an eagle graced the small courtyard outside our room…

…and this pair of eagles was on our bathroom floor…

…and this semi-circle of coloured stones acted as a ‘mat’ at the bottom of a step.

A talisman made from a palm leaf hung on a section of protected wall.

One of the reasons that we stayed at the Shankari Resort was that it was within walking distance of Balian Beach, a well known place for surfing. The above sign was nailed to a palm tree. We passed quite a few vacant properties on the walk to the grey sand beach. The whole area had a somewhat ‘wanting’ air about it, due perhaps to the downturn in tourist numbers.

Do I need to say more?

The beach.

There was a very small surf running during our stay at the beach.

The weather was fine, as was the food and beer.

An ornate gateway.

Chickens, caged in their split bamboo cloches. Not much room to move but I guess the cloches are moved to grassy areas on occasions.

Back at the resort it was time for a swim in the large pool. It was much cleaner than the beach and you didn’t leave the water with a costume full of grey sand.

David

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Indonesia: Margo Utomo Agro Resort (b); Kalibaru

Jul25

After breakfast, we went back out into the Margo Utomo Agro Resort’s garden with our guide. We found several more interesting tropical flowers, fruits and spices… and a rather special animal.

Hanging from a tree was a local bat.

It was not particularly worried by my presence. Perhaps it was licking its lips in happy anticipation of some nectar from the nearby New Guinea Creeper.

The New Guinea Creeper, (Mucuna novo-guineensis), has brilliant pendent bunches of pea flowers. They hang in the shade created by the plant’s own leaves.

Like other legumes, the plant produces it’s seed in pods. They are generally bat-pollinated and produce seeds that float. The seeds can therefore be spread in streams and by the sea.

New Guinea Creeper has been brought into cultivation, although, at temperatures below about 10 °C ,they must be grown indoors. They’re grown as ornamental plants and, locally, for food. Interest exists in developing Mucuna species as a sustainable, edible green manure crop, dug in after the fruit is harvested.

An unknown fruit with an attendant ant.

Ripe, and not so ripe, coffee berries.

These wonderful flowers, belong to Theobroma cacao, the cacao tree also called the cocoa tree. It’s native to the tropical regions of Central and South America. The flowers are borne directly on the larger stems of the plant. They develop into…

…these wonderful fruits which, on processing, turn into CHOCOLATE!

A white turkey wandered around the surrounds of the old home… he “owned” the place.

Cattleya orchid, just growing in the garden. I can’t get them to flower like this even with all the molly-coddling under the sun!

At a tropical fruit tasting session, we tasted Star Fruit, Longan, Rambutan…

… Mangosteen , Custard Apple and Dragon Fruit.

This is the interior of a red-fleshed Dragon Fruit.

A Custard Apple being cut open.

A Custard Apple growing on a tree.

One of the more unusual sights in the garden… Civet cat scats.

The Most Expensive Coffee in the World, Civet coffee (Kopi Luwak), is produced from coffee beans that have been eaten by the Civet Cat or Palm Civet. In Indonesia these animals are called luwaks, hence Kopi Luwak.

Civet cats roam the ground beneath coffee trees and eat only the ripest of coffee beans. During the digestion process the red pulp surrounding the coffee bean (seed) is digested during a unique fermentation process. This gives the coffee its special flavour. About 24 hours after the beans have been eaten they are passed by the animal and left on the plantation floor. Farmers collect the faeces each morning.

The faeces are washed, dried, cleaned of any remaining pulp and finally roasted. Kopi Luwak is brewed in the normal way but it is recommended that it be drunk without sugar or milk as these additives tend to mask the unique flavour of the product.

So… anyone for Civet scat coffee? On cup of Civet Coffee costs between $35 and $100… compared the usual $4.00 to $4.50… a bit of a difference in both taste and price!

Also in the resort area, we went to a rubber factory. Our guide shows us raw rubber.

The amorphous mass is rolled a number of times to create sheets of rubber.

The still white sheets are washed before being cured in a smoke house… and that turns the rubber a very dark brown colour.

Later in the afternoon we sailed across to the island of Bali. More anon.

David

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Indonesia: Margo Utomo Agro Resort; Kalibaru

Jul22

Located on the edge of Kalibaru town, the Margo Utomo Agro Resort was just a 5-minute walk from the Kalibaru Train Station. It has traditional-designed Javanese rooms that are surrounded by tropical gardens.

A large green swathe of grass separated the two rows of rooms. The pagoda-like structures were lights and the red, yellow and green (hidden) bins were exactly that. Different colours for different types of rubbish. I can’t remember what the frogs were for.

These environmentally-friendly bins had lids made from old tyres.

Brian and I shared the room on the right.

The bright red bracts of this bromeliad contrast strongly with the white and yellow flowers and green leaves.

Galphimia gracilis is better known as Spray of Gold. It originates from Mexico and Guatemala.

Water-droplets balanced precariously on leaves in the early morning light.

Pigeon Berry (Duranta repens).

Pagoda Flower (Clerodendrum paniculatum) comes from China, Southeast Asia and Malaysia was growing particularly well in the gardens.

Detail of above.

Shrimp Plant, (Beloperone sp.).

unknown.

Heliconia sp..

The above bud opens to release these flowers.

An upright Heliconia.

Mandevillea (horticultural form).

The buds of Mandevillea have a waxy sheen.

unknown.

An old lady looking after the grounds.

The Resort has a lovely outdoor swimming pool and a spa.

The resort’s restaurant, aptly named “Heliconia”.

The entrance and Reception area consisted of a number of rooms, all furnished in traditional style.

I don’t think anybody would dare sit on this lounge.

Three modern Javanese vases.

Breakfast.

David

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Indonesia: Sunrise over Mt Bromo

Jul20

A very early morning (03.30) enabled us to reach a good view point to watch the sun rise over the volcanos that form the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Our mini-buses were not up to the task of climbing the steep road let alone cross the Sea of Sand (read ash flats), so we were loaded into short wheel-based 4WD Toyotas with big fat tyres that were only partially inflated.

Light was just beginning to lighten the horizon as we reached our view point, Mount Penanjakan 2,770 m (9,088 ft). We had travelled from our hotel in the centre-middle of the photo.

The sky began to lighten predawn… Mt Bromo was hidden by cloud but the taller stack of cloud in the centre of the photo was actually ash and steam from Mt Bromo.

The effort required to get up so early was well worth it… it was spectacular watching the sun rise above some clouds out to the East of our vantage point.

It turned out to be the coldest morning of our whole adventure. A stiff breeze made it even more so, but, at an elevation of 2770m, it should be expected.

And then the cloud in the valley parted and we could see Mt Bromo.

Mt Bromo.

After enjoying that stunning sunrise, we headed part-way down for a quick stop at another view point. Now we could see how far we had climbed up from the valley floor..

Wonderful scenery… clouds wreath Mt Bromo on the other side of the valley. The Sea of Sand is the flat grey valley floor between the view point and Mt Bromo.

Our next stop was at a staging point for the climb to the rim of Mt Bromo’s crater, a 2km walk with a height difference of 133m (436 ft.).

It was a gentle walk over ash to begin with.

The incline gradually got steeper. Our vehicles were parked at the edge of the green area on the far side of the area with trees in the middle distance.

Finally, we came to a set of steps that would get us up to the rim.

A continuous roar came from the volcano, getting louder as we neared the rim.

Looking down into the crater, large clouds of steam were bellowing upwards. Every now and then there would be silence before, suddenly, there was a huge roar as even more steam burst forth. On these occasions, rocks and other debris was hurled into the sky.

It was indeed fortunate that the wind was blowing away from us or we could have been in some peril. Even though I’ve been on volcano rims before, this was still quite exciting.

Our guide, Tan Tan, had advised us not to climb to the rim, but not because of safety concerns… no.. because he didn’t think we had it in us to get to the top and back to the vehicles in the time available. This wasn’t the first, or the last time, that we managed to achieve a bit more than he gave us credit for.

It transpired that Mt Bromo had increased its activity somewhat while we were climbing, to the extent that, according to Tan Tan’s wife, it hit the local news.

Back down on the ash flats, we had that moment I usually dread… the group photo!

After all that, we were back in Yoschi’s dining room for breakfast by a bit after 08.00! And by then we were rather peckish. After breakfast it was back into our trusty mini-buses for a seventy-five minute drive to Probolinggo.

We travelled back down the same road we had traversed in the dark the night before. The scenery was quite spectacular with many different crops being grown on every arable piece of ground.

The tall narrow trees look that way because the branches are cut, probably for fuel.

The road twisted around the steep valley sides.

At Probolinggo, we caught a train to Kalibaru – a three hour journey. This was the Station Master’s office which contained all the levers that controlled the station yard points.

Arriving at Kalibaru, it was just a walk around the end of the station platform to find our overnight accommodation, the Margo Utomo Agro Resort. This hotel had two rows of twin bungalows set in very well maintained tropical gardens.

Heliconia sp.

Shrub Vinca (Kopsia fruticosa).

The resort had a massive swimming pool… a lovely place to while away an hour before dinner… and that was worth waiting for, too. It was a mixed plate of Indonesian cuisine; chicken curry, chicken satay, sautéed vegetables, boiled egg with Balinese sauce, sweet potato chips, steamed rice and beef floss. We had earned that meal.

And we had also earned an early night after a very interesting, but long, day.

More anon

David

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Indonesia: Petirtaan Jolotundo Dewasa; East Java

Jul18

At the conclusion of our tour of the Resort’s extensive gardens, there was time for a quick sortie out into the nearby rice paddies and a walk to a village.

It was just a 15 minute walk along a very narrow path to get to the village. We needed to tread carefully as the path was along the top of an irrigation ditch.

Even here, beside the path, there were interesting plants and insects to find.

Unknown but obviously enjoyed the damp.

The various paddies contained rice at different stages of growth. Some had not long been planted, while other paddies were nearly ready for harvest.

This crop was only days away from harvest…

…a fact that this hungry locust was more than aware of!

There were some attractive flowers of Mimosa pudica growing alongside the path. It is a creeping annual or perennial herb belonging the pea family. Its common name is Sensitive Plant because when touched or disturbed the finely divided leaves close up by folding together, thereby defending themselves from harm. They re-open a few minutes later. The plant is native to South and Central America, but is now a pan-tropical weed.

The small village was paved and very clean and neat. The narrow roadways were lined with well looked after gardens.

A covered verandah sported a couple of tables made out of slabs of tree trunks supported by some old tree roots. Nothing is wasted here!

Still unsheathed corn cobs, neatly woven into bunches, hanging up to dry.

Freshly cut and stacked bamboo, prior to being used for building purposes.

I guess this house belonged to a fisherman.

Interesting patterns and colours created by roof tiles…

…and stacked flat roof tiles…

…and split bamboo.

Bright yellow cosmos with their heads pointed to the sun.

Bi-coloured balsam… very attractive.

A couple of the younger members of the village were obviously interested us.

…and so was an older lady.

The whole area was rather wet as can be seen by the plant growth and water damage to the wall of this house.

Moss and ferns, another indicator of moist conditions.

Speckled flowers of the Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia wulfenii).

A busy wasp looking for moist mud to build its nest.

These lovely orange speckled flowers seemed to be common in the gardens we saw.

Another plant I don’t know… also enjoying the moist conditions.

The petals of this waterlily are still expanding after opening for the first time.

On our walk back to the resort for lunch, four of us decided there was time to continue on to a nearby Temple, Petirtaan Jolotundo Dewasa.It lies on the slopes of the 1653m Mount Penanggungan, a perfect cone that stands sentinel between the coastal plains and the volcanic hinterland.

Along the way, we passed this abandoned shelter… the plants beginning to take over.

Jolotundo Temple is a centuries old Hindu shrine. It was built in 997AD for Udayara, a Balinese King, when he married a Javanese princess.

Nearby was a mosque.

Over many centuries and under successive dynasties, Jolotundo Temple has been a sacred place. Its still a place of spiritual power even today, long after Hindu-Buddhist Java gave way to Islam. The idea of bathing at this special bathing temple still brings pilgrims.

The temple precinct contains a series of stone pools filled with ‘holy’ water. These are filled with spring water which constantly runs and so replenishes any lost water. Many devotees travel quite some distance to bathe in the two separate pools, one for the ladies and the other for men. The spring water is supposed to possess ‘healing’ and ‘cleansing’ powers, so, after bathing, many pilgrims take containers of water away for later use.

A little boy and his dad at the men’s pool.

In the daytime these pools can appear to be a perfect family picnic spot. But, we were told, as darkness falls and the noise of the crickets rises, pilgrims arrive to burn incense, toss flower petals into the waters and bathe in prayer for healing, energy and good life. They come from many faiths… Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and those who still have ties to ancestor-worship and animism. But, unfortunately, we couldn’t stay until night fell… we still had many miles to cover on this day.

By the time we made it back to the resort, we were really ready for lunch… delicious.

Before we left the resort we watched a demonstration on how to make red ginger tea. After that, we left the resort at 15.00 for the next part of our journey, a nearly four drive to Yoschi’s Hotel near Mt Bromo.

The last part of that drive was in the pitch dark as we climbed up a very, very twisty road to our hotel. It was probably just as well that we couldn’t see much of the scenery that we were driving through… very steep sides to a very narrow road! But we made it safely, had dinner and fell into bed… we had a wake-up call booked 03.00. The mini bus would leave at 03.30 for us to be in time to watch the sunrise over Mt Bromo… and we certainly didn’t want to miss that! More anon.

David

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Indonesia: Seloliman Nature Reserve; East Java

Jul15

After breakfast at Minggu, we left our cabins to begin a two and a half hour walk around the Nature Reserve guided by the head guy. I was more than happy to have extra time in this delightful area, time to photograph more of the plants. As I don’t live in the tropics, many of the plants and their flowers were new to me… all rather exotic. Any help with the identity of those marked as ‘unknown’ is welcome?

A sleepy volcano created a wonderful backdrop to the resort.

Some of the plants were quite common in the gardens that we visited, like this one, the Peacock Flower, (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)… here in close up, a single flower.

Also in close up, in all its crinkly beauty, is the previously seen Crepe or Malay Ginger (Costus speciosus) with its ballerina like tutu petals.

This dragonfly was flirting around a small ornamental pond. Thankfully, it settled long enough for this photo. What a beauty it is!

Perhaps, the dragonfly wanted to take a longer look at this waterlily, as did I.

Bleeding Heart (Clerodendrum thomsoniae) comes from Central Western Africa but is grown in many parts of the tropics.

Droplets of water clinging to a waxy leaf.

Unknown. Just one of the many that I hadn’t seen before.

A well camouflaged caterpillar eating its way through the leaves of its food plant. It was close to 10 cm. (4 ins.) in length.

An unknown member of the ginger family.

A whorl of spiralled leaves.

More raindrops on a waxy leaf.

This leaf has delightful symmetry and texture. However, some chewing insect decided to upset the balance.

A large, female spider sits on her silky web while her diminutive suitors look over her larder. They, no doubt, had other things on their mind, but we know what happens then!

Unknown… but superb don’t you think?.

Another unknown but delightful flower.

The deeply fringed petals of this (Hibiscus schizopetalus) lead to its name. The species name translates to “cut petals”. It originates in tropical eastern Africa.

The trellis supports a vine producing very large passion fruit.

Unknown to me… but it must have a common name referring to a leopard!

And yet another plant unknown to me.

A St Joseph’s spider showing its knobbly yellow ‘knees’.

I don’t think this spider bites but it looks as though it would at the first opportunity.

At the conclusion of the tour around the grounds of the resort, we crossed a road and headed off along some paddy bunds to a nearby village… but more of that anon.

David

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Indonesia: Seloliman Resort; Minggu; East Java

Jul13

Our ‘home away from home’ for the next couple of days was Seloliman Resort, an eco styled place with accommodation made up of cabins in a large garden.

After settling into our cabin, my travelling mate Brian and I went for a bit of a wander around the garden, listening to the cicadas and watching multi-coloured butterflies flit from one brilliantly coloured flower to the next. The only down side was that the area also seems to be a Mecca for motocross bike riding. Their noisy exhausts echoed around the hillsides completely destroying the other-wise very peaceful atmosphere of the place. Never mind… there was much in the garden to enjoy and photograph.

The front entrance of Seloliman Resort appeared to be nothing special, but…

… it was a very unusual entrance….through a longish tunnel that had this amazing root growth dangling down from a plant growing above on the roof.

The older roots were beige / white while the new growth was a brilliant pink.

The gardens where the chalets were situated were large and laid out in a very natural way. Grassy and earthen paths wound their way through the lush growth.

Large St Joseph’s spiders spin their webs within the foliage.

The smaller spider is a male. He’s dicing with death as the larger female will devour him after mating! But what has to be done, has to be done, I guess!

Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) has a form relating to its Latin name! It’s an herbaceous perennial found growing in tropical equatorial Asia. It’s been introduced into Africa, Australia and America where it’s grown as an ornamental. It’s also used as a revegetation species in coal mines in Australia. It’s a legume, so it enriches the soil with nitrogen.

This vivid blue flower is the commonly seen colour, compared to the one above. There are also white forms.

Parts of the garden were a tangle of cucurbit vines growing through the vegetation…

A closer look at this delightful flower and it’s pollinator.

This plant could well have a name referring to ‘fairy floss’, but I don’t know what it is.

Heliconia sp., members of the genus are often referred to as Lobster-claw. They are closely related to the banana and are widely grown in the tropics as an ornamental.

Another Heliconia species.

A Hibiscus flower. One of many thousands of horticultural forms bred around the world.

And another one… I really couldn’t decide which one to delete.

I was not familiar with this flower, so…

I photographed the name on the plaque beside it… always a good idea.

Screen Shot 2016-07-07 at 3.01.30 PM.png

I checked it out on the web when I got home and found it named just as the plaque said, Jatropha podagrica hook. The site, ‘World of Succulents”, gave these notes as an addition to their photograph (left): “a tropical, frost-sensitive, succulent shrub, up to 8 feet (2.4 m) tall (usually up to 3 feet / 90 cm). It has a swollen and knobby, grey-skinned stem (large bottle-like caudex) and green, smooth, waxy leaves, up 12 inches (30 cm) in diameter. The flowers are small, coral-like and bright red in colour.”

English common names for this plant include, wait for it…Buddha Belly (the most common name), Petit Baobab, Bottle Plant Shrub, Gouty-stalked Jatropha, Purging-nut, Guatemalan Rhubarb, Goutystalk Nettlespurge, White Rhubarb, Physicnut, Podagrica, Bali Gout Plant, Tartogo nut, Gouty Foot, Gout plant, Gout Stick, Gout Stalk and last but not least, Coral Plant! So, I’m very thankful that it has but one scientific name.

Selaginella sp.; moss.

Allamanda cathartica, bursting with the colour of sunshine. It’s most common name is Golden Trumpet but it also known as Yellow Alamanda and Alamanda Canario! All parts are poisonous if eaten; its sap causes skin and eye irritation.

A horticultural variety of Anthurium.

A colourful millipede.

A dragon fly taking a rest on a twig. Just look at those wings! So delicate.

Peacock Flower (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), a tree widely grown in the tropics.

This brown frog jumped across my path and sat still long enough to be photographed… and I caught the gleam in its eye! The brown ‘patch’ behind the eye is a thin tympanic membrane, or eardrum, that protects the inner ear cavity and helps to transmit sound vibrations… sounds that are essential for the frog’s survival.

Crepe or Malay ginger (Costus speciosus) occurs throughout Southeast Asia. The name of ‘crepe’ refers to the amazing crinkled crepe effect of the petals.

Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia versicolor) is an evergreen tree growing to about 4m in height. Endemic to Ecuador, it belongs to the Solanaceae family and is often found in tropical gardens. However, I’m not too sure why it’s so popular. It’s known that the flowers, leaves, and seeds of Brugmansia are very toxic and even the perfume can cause hallucinations as well as increasing blood pressure, a dry mouth, muscle weakness and paralysis. Since March 2014, this plant has been listed as Extinct in the Wild … so the only place to see it now is in gardens… and it is attractive.

A young tree of Maniltoa sp. that we had seen before at another garden. Finding this tree was a delightful end to a very pleasant walk. More anon.

David

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Indonesia: from Yogyakarta to Minggu

Jul11

Another one of those unfortunate days awaited us where our timetable was dominated by the railways. The alarm went off at 04.05 as bags had to be packed and in the lobby by 05.00. This was the time breakfast was served as well. We left for the 20 minute drive to the station through the awakening streets of Yogyakarta.

Some morning markets were in full swing with just enough room left between the parked vehicles and stalls for through traffic to get passed. Mayhem in the darkness. Add to the chaos, the muezzins were wailing their call to prayer for all good Muslims from loud speakers atop minarets… perhaps they need to take singing lessons.

Outside the station… note that the name can be spelt either Jogjakarta or Yogyakarta.

Wooden lockers inside the station.

The station sign indicates we were 512km from the capital.

Early morning trade was brisk for the stall holders on the station platforms.

We boarded our train for Minggu at 06.45… right on time, according to my ticket.

There was a three and a half hour ride ahead of us. Lots of people waited for us at the crossing gates… most of them were on bikes of one kind or another.

Away from the city, we passed many newly planted rice paddies.

For kilometre after kilometre there was nothing but flooded rice paddies.

Many trains past us… all sorts of other trains, transporting goods around the country. But as the windows of our train became increasingly unhelpful for photography, I gave up the effort of recording the scenery and just sat back to enjoy the ride.

A mini-bus was waiting for us at Minggu even though we arrived a little late.

On the way to our overnight stop we made a brief ‘loo’ stop at a service station. Across the road was the local recycling depot… baskets were filled with various items from paper to bottles and plastic. Not as much waste there as we generate in our cities and towns!

Finally, we arrived at our overnight accommodation… an eco-friendly resort that was surrounded by a large garden that was both ornamental and functional as it grew much of the food served in the restaurant. It reminded me very much of a similar place that Jennie and I stayed at in Costa Rica. There were chalets scattered all over the hillside.

Each chalet had a terracotta motive atop it’s roof which related to the chalet’s name.

The accommodation was rather basic with an outside loo and shower enclosed in a private courtyard. There is something rather liberating about getting one’s clothes off in the outdoors to have a shower. The loo was of the Western variety but the ‘shower’ was a large blue tile-lined tank with a dipper. The water was cold and was inclined to take one’s breath away on the first dousing.

A two bedroom/share cabin became my ‘home’ at the resort!

It was Brian’s turn to have the single room and large bed.

Dinner was at the resort’s “Pesto Alas” Restaurant. I gave the resort full marks when beer was specially brought in for us, from who knows where, even though the place was run by Muslims. Mind you, it was the most expensive beer on this trip… with the exception of what we drank in the Sky Lounge on the top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore.

This was my choice from the somewhat limited, but adequate menu. Freshly steamed vegetables from the garden, toasted coconut and boiled rice. Delicious.

More anon

David

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Indonesia: Cycling Around the Countryside… Brick Making

Jul8

Another place we visited on our bike ride around the countryside was a cultural centre and museum where some old artefacts were on display.

Gongs, drums and old, finely carved furniture were on display.

Detail of drums, gongs and wooden xylophones in the collection.

This screen was once the pride and joy of a wealthy merchant.

More gongs.

A few of us had a red ginger tea which was absolutely wonderful. It was made from slices of fresh root ginger, cloves, cinnamon and some bark from a Caesalpinia tree which gave the drink a lovely red colour.

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There was still more to come as next we stopped at a place where a guy was making mud bricks. He dug the soil from the field and mixed it with water to a smooth mud which he then put into a gang of moulds.

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Six bricks were made at a time…

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…and smoothed off.

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The mould is then carefully lifted off. Brian just had to ‘sign’ a brick…

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…so we all had a go. These are our signed bricks. I wonder where they will end up?

The maker also signs his bricks. Once formed bricks are left to dry…

… before being stacked on their sides to dry further.

After a certain water level is reached, the bricks are moved and stacked into a large pile where they wait to be fired. It takes a few weeks for the guy to make enough bricks to make firing worthwhile. A fire will be lit under the bricks to fire them.

Another fellow was trimming partially dried bricks of their rough edges before they became too dry and hard to clean. They were laid out on the ground to dry further.

When enough moisture had evaporated from the bricks for them to be handled without them deforming, these bricks were stacked off the ground for even quicker drying.

And, of course, what would a ride through the countryside be for me unless I found some plants and interest in nature to photograph! How good is this unfurling leaf?

Senna was growing by the roadside.

Those who looked closely saw this grasshopper inspecting a pea flower.

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…and this colourful individual was having a quiet time trying to hide in some old leaves.

And so ended a delightful day out in the countryside of Central Java. I did have a rather sore ‘seat’ but it was all very worthwhile. I hope you have enjoyed the ride.

David

If you enjoy these armchair travels, please pass our site onto others

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more of our travel stories and photos can be found on

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More of our travel photos are on

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Monthly Archives: July 2016

Indonesia: Pura Taman Ayun Temple; Bali

Indonesia: to Shankari Bali Retreat

Indonesia: Margo Utomo Agro Resort (b); Kalibaru

Indonesia: Margo Utomo Agro Resort; Kalibaru

Indonesia: Sunrise over Mt Bromo

Indonesia: Petirtaan Jolotundo Dewasa; East Java

Indonesia: Seloliman Nature Reserve; East Java

Indonesia: Seloliman Resort; Minggu; East Java

Indonesia: from Yogyakarta to Minggu

Indonesia: Cycling Around the Countryside… Brick Making