The Dieng Plateau

                                

The biodiversity and seemingly unlimited number of different languages and cultures make Indonesia beyond unique in so many ways. This never seemed more evident than when I was peering out my window on the bus from Jakarta to Central Java. Central Java is famous for its rich Buddhist, and Hindu temples, gorgeous landscape, mountains, and a rustic charm that warmed my heart from the moment I arrived. Throughout Java the one striking similarity you find  is the humble, hardworking, friendly and devout Muslims. However, aside from that There was nothing that would have convinced you that Jakarta and Dieng were part of the same country. A treacherous fifteen hour bus ride into the heart of Java will bring you to Wonosobo. As you can see in the upper right we hopped in the back of a truck and drove an hour north into the Dieng Plateau. Along with my house mate Richy and a great group of Universitas Indonesia students we were excited to have arrived. In the very center of one of the most densely populated regions on earth you will find small towns and sheer beauty.

  

On the right is Telana Warna Dieng or I think many color pond Dieng. This large pond or small lake, is essentially a mix of different shades of blue. It goes from teal, to turquoise, to navy blue, and although it is not hot hot like some of the hot springs we saw in Dieng, it's certainly very warm. Below here are two of many statues around the lake. The one on the right being of a Hindu God and a nod to Diengs Hindu past, perhaps Shiva. The one on the left, although confusing, and I'm not sure if is an idol (someone help?) I wanted to take it home. Surrounding the lake are a number of caves that were likely meant for private meditation or for worship.

It's difficult to be excited about waking up at three am when you get virtually no sleep at all the night before but for the view of this sunset it had to be done. A 45 minute drive in the back of the truck led us to this lake above, appropriately named Tadpole lake or Danau Cebong due to the wildlife it is home to. This picture below was taken after we hiked up the top of a peak to get a view of the sunrise overlooking Dieng and a mountain whose name I've conveniently forgotten and I just can't be bothered looking it up or asking somebody who went with us.

Throughout our return to Dieng we couldn't help but marvel at the natural beauty that encompasses the region. As you can see on the upper right photo, you often find yourself on such high ground that you can look down on the clouds. Also, no, those terraces on the side of the mountains are not natural, those are made so that the farmers can grow plants more efficiently, prevent landslides and have an easier time moving up and down the terrain to transport goods.They are a mesmerizing sight, one that forces a smile as you admire the serenity while appreciating the people of Central Java. 

Four children on a motor bike. Let's all agree that while this probably isn't legal, safe, or okay, it was pretty difficult not to laugh and throw up a peace sign in their direction.

The Dieng Temple Complex above has five beautiful old temples that have for the most part been preserved quite well. Though much smaller than Borobudur in Jogjakarta they were certainly impressive.

Out of many hot springs in Dieng these were the stinkiest, scariest, and the hottest. You walk past a number of vendors to make your way into an area surrounded by gorgeous rocks and the rocks appear as a gentleman with a tint of amber in his beard smoking a pipe in the countryside. 

As you walk closer you'll witness a giant pool of steam filled with a horrendous stench. The water seems to take on a life of its own and only in brief intermittent moments are you able to capture a photo that isn't filled with steam...

I feel like this almost looks like a painting. It kind of reminds me of a wonderful medieval orchard in Western Europe. Nestled in the middle of a valley and surrounded by mountains lays this gorgeous piece of land. After hiking down a short trail and through the path above, you end up at the view point which you can still make out just a bit in the upper left portion of this photo. From there the area is riddled with signs telling you not to continue and that you were only permitted to go that far. However...

After getting a glimpse of this large hot spring my curiousity was piqued and I could not resist a stroll down the short rocky road to get a closer view and whiff of this amazing mass of water. Far too hot to enter, one could only take in the sight and relax to the sweet smell of sulfuric acid. The water was bubbling so tenaciously that you would not dare attempt to figure out just how hot it was. It was quite the deterrent but at this point in the day the weather had heated up to such a point that the spring was never very appealing to begin with.

Below you'll see a view from the top of the path, it is quite possibly my favorite photograph that I have ever taken. The clouds, mountains, and the way the valley seems to effortlessly transform is breathtaking.

Six months into living in Jakarta and this is who I've become

I thought I'd come up with a list of ten hings I’ve forgotten how to do since living in Indonesia, or at least that’s how I’ll rationalize it. If this is offensive, well, how has your day been?

<       1) How to live without a maid. Now, don’t judge. Maids are so commonplace in Indonesia it’s often odd when people do not have some type of domestic staff working for them. I call my maid Ibu (Mom) and she’s outstanding. I’ve never seen dirty dishes in my sink or dirty laundry on my floor for more than two days, it’s an outstanding situation for someone whose room often looks like homeless man’s street corner smelling like a violation of the BYU honor code.

           2)ow to respect, and follow traffic violations. Hold on a MINUTE! I often speed and talk on the phone while driving back home, but mother of God, the traffic here reeks of a zombie apocalypse at a graveyard (are zombies still, like, kind of popular?) Lanes hardly exist. Drivers Ed? Na, eff that you could just buy it. Helmets on motorbikes? Next. Imagine being a bee surrounded by sheet metal trying to venture through the smell of piss, petrol, and burn hair. Let’s translate this into something a rational literate person can understand; I am scared.

            3) What warm showers feel like? Self-explanatory?

            4) How to go number two without using a bidet. For years I thought toilet paper was sufficient as a remedy for clearing out the residue inside your anus after having a poo. Now, I see it most certainly isn’t. A bidet, I looked it up and it’s French for pony, which will make no sense to you after finishing this. A bidet is basically a water gun attached to either the inside of a toilet in the form of a sprinkler, or to the side in the form of a miniature hose.  The sprinkler type is not as common and it works like this; you turn a faucet on the side of a toilet and position your bum so the water shoots up there, to uh, yeah. The gun is, well, a little bit cooler. You take that sucker from the side and aim it and attack that like a vampire with sunlight. One is meant to use this to clean out your butt and it is great. Of course after the, splashing shall we call it? You should probably use some toilet paper to clear out any remaining fecal matter.

              5) To not be offended by someone asking about my salary, religion, or political opinions. It’s fairly common, maybe just to foreigners, but I’ve been asked these things by acquaintances and people whom I’ve just met much more often than I would normally be comfortable with.

              6) How to eat with silverware and still feel cool. Eating with your hands at a restaurant is fantastic (picture me making the “Here’s Johnny” face from ‘The Shining’ with food all over my face and in my hands) scary? Yes, but ay don’t worry about it.

              7) How to be nice to waiters/service staff. Just kidding, I am always nice and respectful land have made many friends here in restaurants by doing just that, but many people here, as friendly as they are, are so rude to waiters/waitresses. Snapping, yelling, pointing, and ordering aren’t uncommon.

             8) What cold weather feels like? After being in Peru from Winter 2012 to Summer, followed by a Seattle summer and a few months in Costa Rica and now Indonesia… well I guess what I’m trying to say is I am remarkably pale for the type of weather I have been in for the past year.

             9) How to survive without rice. I don’t even know if I ate rice more than the handful of times I was at a Thai restaurant in the states. I probably have rice twice per day and at times more. That’s not to say there isn’t world class cuisine here, as well as your barrage of fast food restaurants from the states and the street food which is outstanding.

           10)   How normal the U.S. is. Seriously, go abroad for a year or so and follow the media as extensively as I do and you’ll see that we come across like complete idiots. I mostly blame the media. Let’s start with the biggest debates in the U.S. political field; Iranian missiles, defending Israel, blocking gay rights, abortion, Barack Obama’s birth certificate, defending our economic interests against Russia and China. I mean, do these things affect anybody’s lives on a day to day basis? For most people it’s hard to say yes and even the important topics shouldn’t even be debatable. The level of intellectual debate is horrendous. That said nobody gets more unfairly criticized overseas than Americans do. We are judged by the atrocities of the Republican and Democratic parties and their influence, as well as the attention they receive is global. Let’s not lie about it very rarely (likely never) will someone judge someone from Finland, Canada, the Netherlands, or New Zealand because of their leaders because most people have no idea who the hell their politicians are and/or have any idea what they do. In a number of places throughout the world people have asked me if I am a Republican or Democrat often times within the first 100 words.  So quit hating on Americans, for being American.

North Sumatra: Lake Toba and Bukit Lawang

Despite the fact that many people assume living on a tropical island equates to banana hammocks and margaritas, that is far from my reality. It’s occasionally difficult to fathom the beauty of Java, with its incredible beaches, hundreds, err, thousands of islands, wonderful temples and more while one is living in Jakarta. Some of the worst traffic in the world permeates through a concrete jungle like which I’ve never seen. Wonderful people, delicious food, and a unique charm that I find hard to define, make it an incredible experience and fascinating environment. However, I needed a vacation from this “vacation.”

I needed an adventure involving waterfront, natural beauty, and Sumatran wildlife. Lake Toba or how I chose to dub it "Jamaica on a lake" was my first stop. I arrived at the Reggae House on a Saturday evening, and between my friend and I we paid about $2.10 per night for our lake front room. Lake Toba is Laid back, cheap, and especially refreshing coming from Jakarta.

Mowgli ain't got shit on me!

Rice Paddy Fields Forever.....

Driving in our Honda Scoopies, Olli and I rode around Samosir island to a massive and majestic waterfall  on the outskirts of a village in the middle of nowhere. Throughout the day there was intermittent rain mixed with the sultry weather. The mist from the waterfall felt sensational and on a bridge just nearby, toads inhabited the sides like cars in Jakarta. Things were going great. That is until the rain came pouring down.......NO fear! About a half an hour ride in the rain led us to some hot springs that were hot enough to burn narcissism

. On our last day I couldn't help but once again take in the awe inspiring view from just outside of our room. The rope swing, and diving board contributed to a nostalgic feeling that often comes, but rarely stays with you. The mountains over the smooth, calm surface made you smile as you fell asleep..........

The trip from Lake Toba, to Medan, and then from Medan to Bukit Lawang was filled with a number of "first world pains" that I wont bother recanting. This quaint town on the outskirts of one of the most beautiful rain forests in the world is truly fascinating. Natural beauty, friendly people, and cheap entertainment (though that seems to often by the case in Indonesia outside of Jakarta) supply an atmosphere that captures your emotions. Bliss, amazement, undisturbed, and inspired. 

It was just a few weeks prior to this day that I watched a video on the deforestation of rain forests in Northern Sumatra. Now I was here. How much longer would these rain forests  be able to thrive in the way that they do today? Will orangutans continue to prosper or will they suffer? Will Indonesia's obsession with development distract the people from the incredible beauty it may begin to slowly destroy? Who knows. It was admittedly difficult to think too long and hard about these dire questions when you are in the presence of such beauty. It is hard to feel anything but admiration. This was also a rare opportunity to see orangutans in the wild. There are only a couple of places in the world where you can see them in their natural habitat. These creatures are truly unbelievable and the human resemblance is uncanny.

Now if these ants got in your pants, they could probably digest your privates, and that, is some next LEVEL shit...

How cute is this Thomas Leaf Monkey?

Big 'ol scary male...

Hmmmmmm

I'll soon be surpassing this lovely lady in body hair.

"I'll call you, I swear."

This wild orangutan decided it was morally justifiable to climb down a tree, grab me, and steal my orange. Was I mad? Of course not. Getting pick pocketed then held onto by such an amazing creature was an experience of a lifetime. These are an endangered species that only exist on two islands in the world, and one  of  them held onto me like a lonesome boy on a Friday night! Though a tad scary, her grasp was sweet and soft though you could sense that if she wanted to she easily could have thrown me around. In the end I was flattered when she followed me (not on twitter) then grabbed hold of me

These black gibbons were fascinating. They sat in the trees staring at us like members of Colonel Kurtz's colony which was a bit freaky. Slightly resembling bears when perched on the trees, they soon showed their true colors by swinging from tree to tree right in front of us. This was quite cool because our guides spoke of how rare it was to actually see them, in fact one of them had never even seen them....

Just as we were getting ready to head back down the river this Mini Komodo-esque lizard appeared near our campsite. Between this and getting quite viciously hissed at by a big male monkey, I was ready to get back to the village. We river rafted to Bukit Lawang and I fell right asleep. A few beers with some new friends later on and finally it was time to return to Jakarta...

Cruising through the Java Sea, Jakarta, Indonesia

On another trip to the Thousand Islands/ Pulau Seribu I visited Pramuka island with a few friends. I was caught up in snorkeling and napping for most of the time but did happen to get some nice photos from the boat. Hope you enjoy...

Tidung Island, Jakarta, Indonesia

What do you know? A midst the congested metropolis that constitutes Jakarta who would have thought that you aren't far from one of the most beautiful places I could imagine. Wake up early and catch a cab to either Ancol Harbor or Maura Angke fish market (and you know we left from the fish market!) and you are but a few hours away from absolute paradise.

Dressed to impress of course at the crack of dawn (kind of) you can hop on one of these bad boys and arrive at an island of your choice in under two hours.

Welcome to the bridge of love....... scroll down

This is a view from the bridge

Some people live in these houses, I heard it's a great way to avoid Jakarta traffic...

Here is 'the bridge of love. As you can see this bridge which is probably around 200 meters, connects two islands. You can jump off the bridge into some snorkeling or you can walk across. However, you can also walk from island to island...

Coral and sea urchins surround the bridge which is filled with tropical wildlife.

Two types of sea snakes? Scary...

Postcard?

Just kayaking around trying to get some kicks for free...

Amazing sunset

This may be one of my favorite photographs that I have ever taken. 

Our boat ride back wasn't aboard the nicest boat on earth, though it had a lot of personality, trust me....