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

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

Muara Karang – A Glimpse of the Past

Their day begins as most of the city slips into slumber. The fishermen of Muara Karang have a schedule all their own. The fish market of Sunda Kelapa is their version of the business district although the dress policy may not reflect that of the ‘other’ CBD in downtown Jakarta. If you have yet to visit the historic fish market, you truly are missing a plethora of sights and smells not seen many other places, even in The Big Durian.Read more

Black Magic and a Brat's Holiday Remorse

I’m experiencing a bit of holiday remorse. Four weeks in Bali was almost too much of a good thing. In fact we changed our tickets and returned 5 days early to Jakarta (DOH!). That plan bit me in the ass for reasons I won’t go into at the moment. I’m coming to the conclusion that perhaps 1-2 weeks of an amazing holiday would be more worthwhile than four weeks of moderation. This is not an invitation to receive criticisms forRead more

Ubud Festival 2006

We were lucky enough to hit Ubud just as the city’s annual festival broke into full swing. On the opening day, the streets were swarming with energy. Thousands of people were lining every path, every street, and every inch of sidewalk. I’ve never seen such crowds in Ubud. They were all in anticipation of the parading artists and dancers, each offering a different style of dance and all heading to the football fields for a final display. We made ourRead more

A Change of Pace

Awake. Eat. Read. Swim. Sit in the sun. Read. Go into town. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Now that’s more like it. This is definitely a welcomed change of pace for this Jakartan. My biggest ambition for the day has been to drive anywhere. The house we’re staying in is situated right on the splendid rice fields just outside of Ubud. The only sounds at night are that of the crickets, frogs, and the occasional falling coconut that’ll scare the crap outtaRead more