# 161 - Kathy and Bryan

Kathy and Bryan are from the potato-loving state of Idaho and know all the ins and outs of Solo. Bryan speaks Indonesian and therefore they have a much clearer insight into the local traditions and customs. Together we went to the book market, the shadow theatre workshop, the batik shops and out for food of course. :-)

Indonesian pancakes on Belgian "Pancake Day" 

Beautiful patterns and colours

# 160 - Cakra Homestay, Solo

In the city of Surakarta, also known as Solo (again two names), we spent two nights at "Cakra Homestay". Hidden in a narrow alleyway, it has traditional architecture elements with spacious semi open common areas and a big pool. We were very impressed by the music chamber, where many percussive instruments can be played to create this beautiful traditional gamelan music.

cakrahomestaysolo@gmail.com

Eco-friendly banana holder

Dinner in the common area

The entrance to the music chamber

# 159 - Bella's parents

Bella's parents live in a quiet town called Mejayan, also known as Caruban (for some reason cities and towns in Indonesia sometimes have two different names). Her mum is a midwife and has her own maternity ward in her house. That was pretty impressive. We spent a lot of time trying different foods, talking about cultural differences and travelling. We showed Bella how to search for cheap flights and she can't wait to get out into the world. We wish her all the best and hope she is going to make it to Greece one day. ;-)

My outfit found a new home

Bella's parents helping with our sign

Teaching the art of mac

Description

ramé

# 158 - Eating like a local

We had seen many people use their hands for eating, so one evening we decided to give it a try ourselves. The "warung", a type of restaurant, usually provides a sink and soap. Hygiene is very important to Indonesians. 

So we ordered rice and vegetables, fish, shrimps and squid in a delicious sauce and went to wash our hands. When the food came, we literally dug in. Initial thoughts: weird at first but in the end it didn't feel strange. It even was kind of liberating.

# 157 - Colourful villages

Malang has a unique attraction, the three colourful villages: Biru Arema, Tridi and Warna Warni Jodipan. Built on a small but steep river valley, the colourful houses with narrow alleys seem to be inspired by a child's imagination. It was a strange sight at first but very beautiful to walk through.

Crossing over to "Warna Warni" Village

Geting to work at "Tridi" Village

Explosion of colours

"Biru Arema",  the blue village

# 156 - Strolling around in Malang

We got to spend 5 days in Malang and so we had time to walk around the centre and explore the local everyday life. We visited markets, ate local delicacies form street vendors and fixed a torn bag. It is a city with nice cafés and colonial buildings. We could see the Dutch influence on the architecture with some road names also written in Dutch. Scooters were dominating the streets, the muezzins were calling to prayer from every mosque while Christians and Muslims co-existed peacefully.

Undecided about local sweets

The stand of a local tailor

Trying "pukis", a local waffle

A shortcut to our café

# 155 - The Palmyra hostel

We stayed at Palmyra hostel for two nights. one of the most luxurious hostels we've ever stayed at. To be honest, it was a hotel. We ordered a laundry service and it was neatly packed and ready the next day. We had breakfast on the rooftop overlooking the city and enjoyed the small balcony where we worked on our blog.

Our own room with a big bed and a bathroom

Laundry service - happy days

Breakfast at the rooftop

# 154 - The Villa Intayu

One evening we went to visit Rio's friend Aditya. He owns a villa outside of Malang and it was indeed a magnificent place. Six bedrooms, four bathrooms, and many different sitting areas outside. It's almost a mansion with great views of the surrounding area.

If you ever decide to visit Java's countryside and climb Mount Bromo check it out:
Intayu Villa & Homestay

# 153 - Our two Indonesian friends

When we met Bella and her boyfriend Rio we clicked immediately. Thanks to Bella's good English we had plenty of conversations and after a long drive to Malang they offered us to stay at their place. We went for food, tried "Bakso" (meatball soup), "Es Tape" (sweet drink with bread) and "Cap Jay" (vegetable soup). On our last day in Malang, Bella got me a dress (it is tradition to gift clothes to friends) and invited us to go and visit her parents in the countryside over the weekend. 

Rio, Panos, Bella

My new dress!! :-)

"Es Tape" with Rio and his friend Eko

# 152 - First beach

We wanted to go for a swim so badly!! But beach doesn't necessarily mean swimming, which we learned the hard way. But we still loved the place. There was enough shade under the trees and many gazebos where people gather and hang out during the day. To us it looked like a fun spot to pitch a tent! 

Even though Oni warned us that this was going to happen, we were very surprised by all those people who wanted to take a photo with us. Just because we were tourists with big backpacks. They were very happy and friendly and called us "bule", meaning foreign visitor. It was a very weird and surreal experience but with a lot of patience and many smiles everyone got their picture with us until just before sunset at 18:00 when everybody left.

# 151 - Road trip with Oni

In Java we arrived at the town called Ketapang. We had lunch and then were picked up by Oni, with whom we spent half the day. He stopped at several places along the way to give us a first taste of the island. We fed monkeys on the side of the road but were really shy and would only eat if we threw the fruits very far. We went to a beach and had sugar cane juice, like the one we loved drinking in Cuba.
Oni was very knowledgeable and his English was great. Soon we found out why: He owns a tour guide company. If you ever visit Indonesia, he is your guy: bromoindonesia.id

Shy monkeys

Oni's photogenic hat

# 150 - Heading to Java

The plan was to hitch to Gilimanuk and reach it in maybe two or three days, but we were lucky. A bus stopped for us and offered us a free ride straight to Gilimanuk. Arriving at the port town, we spent a night in our tent and took the first ferry to Java, one of Indonesia's biggest and most densely populated islands.

Free bus ride

Strolling on the deck

# 149 - Silver workshop

When we saw the sign that said "silver workshop" we were so excited, we signed in immediately. Next morning we were cutting, filing, soldering and polishing. Our teacher Made was very nice and patient and helped us create some really nice pendants.

First step: measuring and cutting

Panos happily hammering

Made and Nikoletta

# 148 - Monkeys of Ubud

Cute and cheeky are the first things that come into our minds, when we think about the monkeys in Ubud. They are a species of macaque (Balinese long-tailed macaque), who are used to approach people on the street, crossing the road and stealing from the parked scooters and the souvenir shops.

The ones in the monkey forest are particularly sneaky, with one even trying to steal Nikoletta's silver bracelet. They are used to humans, since they get fed by the rangers. Their main diet consists primarily of sweet potatoes, fruit and papaya leaves.

https://www.monkeyforestubud.com/

# 147 - Sending journals into the world

In Australia I heard about a project that fascinated me. A woman bought empty journals, wrote her address on the last page and sent them out into the world. Years later the journals were full of people’s art and writing and some found their way back to her. 

Chelsea and I (we met in the Flashpacker) thought it was an amazing idea and promised each other to give it a shot. So I bought two journals and here is what I wrote on the first page: 

My name is Nikoletta, I am from Greece and currently travelling the world. 

Here is the idea: 

Let's create this journal together! 

Write, draw or stick something into it. 

Share your story, philosophy or thoughts. 

Keep it for three days then pass it on to someone else.

Violinist in Rundle Mall, Adelaide, Australia

Traveller in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

# 146 - Inn Da Lodge Hostel

This hostel in Ubud is definitely one of the best hostels we have seen during our whole trip! An oasis of peace and harmony. The pictures will tell the rest:

http://in-da-lodge.best-bali-hotels.com/en/

Cute entrance, the backpacks almost didn't fit

Ideal setting for a refreshing swim

Outdoor bar and spacious dorms

 Breakfast in the lounge area

# 145 - Escaping to Ubud

The south of Bali was just mad. Scooters and cars everywhere, overtaking, crossing, stopping, honking. The streets are not very pedestrian-friendly. There was not a single dish we knew and fell into tourist traps a couple of times. Dealing with the money was difficult at the beginning since 1000 IDR (Indonesian Rupiah)  ≈  0,066 €. Not speaking the language didn't help with the situation.

Places to swim were very crowded, so we were told, very fancy and "in". So we decided to leave all that behind and soon we were in Ubud. Small, tranquil and manageable. 

Hinduism in Ubud is very prominent. As a local told us: "Palace for king, temple for gods. One palace, many temple." Indeed he was right. There was beautiful architecture at every corner. The palace, many Hindu temples and even more statues. Little hand woven baskets with offerings and incense sticks were found on the floor in front of every store. Ubud was very touristic, but helped us ease into the Asian way of life.