Gunung Gede Volcano – Panorama

The view from Gunung Gede – one of Java’s largest volcanoes. My friends and I hiked it in May; truly an amazing experience. From the top of this giant, the skyscrapers in Jakarta looked like Legos. Both the north and south coasts of Java were visible, as were many other major volcanoes. More information on Java’s volcanoes and photos from my explorations may be seen here. This image was the result of stitching 5 photos together and using Photoshop’s PhotomergeRead more

Western Men, Indonesian Women.

Thang D. Nguyen has written an interesting post and subsequent discussion in regards to Western men and Indonesian women. I’ll leave my own thoughts out of this one, but would be interested in hearing how Indonesian women feel after reading this. Here’s an excerpt from his post: As my friend and I sipped our coffees last Sunday afternoon at Plaza Indonesia, he asked, “Don’t you think that many of the Indonesian women that white foreigners (buleh) go out with orRead more

A friend of mine, Ian, just blogged about his experience traveling to Mt. Bromo – the well known volcano in East Java. He took some gorgeous pics (the photo above is his, not mine!) and, as always, descriptively conveys what it’s like to be there through well-written posts. I was hoping to go with them on this trip, but failed miserably at planning ahead of time. The third sign of Java’s vigorous population appeared at the popular scenic overlook whereRead more

Black with White or Purity Emerging

A young Muslim girl returning home to her family. Her stark white hijab offered a startling contrast of cleanliness and purity versus the tarnished environment in which she lives. The small village is built on stilts above a swamp. The planks of wood present a precarious walkway, easily broken and dangerous to tread upon. This is a life many of us will never experience, never fully understand, and never fully be cognizant of. Kelapa Gading, Jakarta, Indonesia Please see theRead more