21 06 2009 Mount Bromo

No tourists on Java? Yes, at least when you talk about Western tourists....

Then...suddenly...in the middle of the night, they all appeared.

Arriving on top of Mount Bromo, a superbe mountain side with some still active volcanoes, via 4WD at 4:30am in the morning...shocked highly....cos there were about 200 more jeeps.

Despite those 1000 folks around us, the sunrise combined with some clouds around the hilltops was an amazing spot....peaceful....

and ´made us forget about the "comfortable" beds, cold showers, nice toilets (you have to flush with a bucket of water from the sink)....

Reminded me strongly of Bolivia....great day!!....at least until lunch time.....,-)

...then we made us direction Bali...and took a wrong decision of not spending the 2 extra dollars for the "direct" bus...

8 hours for 250km....sucks badly!

20 06 2009 Tretes

Giving us the full joy of a nightbus from Solo to Surrabaya, we headed direction Tretes....beautiful mountain area, but lacking of interest if you don't have the time to clim to the top...

18-19 06 2009 Solo + Candi Sukuh

After Yogya, the next CS experience. This time with Sulis & Steve, two guys from Solo.

Solo at itself was not the town which might impress yourself for days, but with those two guys it was funny though

Together we had the chance to experience a traditional Javanese dance (@the Sriwedari Theatre)....which means basically people dancing in hyper slowmo (most importantly moving their fingers ) in nice, extravagant costumes....

Else....hm....killing my tongue while eating a more than spicy barbecue....

taking a picture with the local soccer team, some policemen, getting to know Sulis' dream (a car & traveling Europe)....

Highlight? Our trip to Candi Sukuh, an ancient Hindu temple on the top of a hill in the middle of nowhere, which looks more than stolen from Mexico/ Peru than Hindu...

Never, ever, anything can make me feel more happy than sitting on the edge of a hill alone.

So peaceful, so beautiful.

Candi Sukuh, love you!

15-17 06 2009 Yogyakarta

Einmal Star und zurueck....oder....I don't go for the beautiful things....like it when its dodgy ,-)

After cleanliness and people obeying to rules (not crossing the road when the light is red, not shouting, singing or whatever ....one two hour flight direction South...and JK's back to "real traveling".
Welcome to Indonesia, welcome to Yogyakarta...
A city which is not "nice" in the way that you would wave about tons of different museums, a highly sophisticated architecture, no 5 star hotels....but...a city which I really liked....
Firstly - I recall strongly my last part of my worldtour diary- " In 2 years, I will have forgotten about a place, a sight...but...I will never forget about the people I met.
Yogyakarta 2009, this is Sita, Elita, Hera, this is hiking up Mount Merapi (the highest and most active volcano in South East Asia), this is couching at Sita's place for 3 days, seeing the tiny village outside of Joja where Sita lives, seeing the farmers, this is Karaoke (didn"t know that before, but in Asia it seems to be quiet popular to "rent" a room with CD player, microphones and then sing for your life...)...Jogja 2009, this is just a great time, a time to make friends, being warmly welcomed by all people....
Besides of that....Jogja or the island Java in general meant...being a star for one day,-)
Having head this is experience already in Peru...Borobudur (the biggest Buddhist temple in Indonesia, see http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borobudur) was 10 times more impressive....
Visiting the temple was one thing, being asked " Mister, picture please" was another....
Seems like not many tourists or "bole" (white ) go this area...
Strenuous, but fun...
as the visit of another big Hindhu temple (Prambanan)....
Summed up, 3 days in Jogja...LOVE IT!