August
4, Saturday
When I woke up the next morning, I finally got a chance to look out from my high balcony window.
Wow. This is beautiful.
There is a huge forest at the top of the ridge (where we can see that they have been clear cutting the older trees and planting new ones). There is a staircase going around the side of the hotel as well. Too bad I don't have time to explore before we leave this morning.
Ah ha ! And that's the source of the noise that woke me up this morning. They have geese in an enclosure at the bottom of the hill, right below my balcony.
Another long drive today from Batu Raden up to the Dieng (Place/abode of the gods) Plateau through Central Java. The scenery changes from rice fields and palm trees in the valleys to tall pine trees in the mountain passes.
These farmers are using oxen and a big branch as a tilling bar. Back breaking work.
There's another volcano in the distance and I think those are cabbages in the foreground.
I'm glad those are just clouds at the top of the volcano.
The fields cover every inch of space, all the way up that far mountain.
Breath taking views all the way up to the plateau.
And small villages and towns on the high slopes.
The views from the Dieng Plateau were definitely worth the long drive however. 2000 meters above sea level and surrounded by cultivated terraced fields. The Dieng plateau is actually the floor of a huge ancient caldera. May explain why the soil is so rich and fertile.
“Oh Honey, while you’re in the garden, can you bring me back some green beans please”
Dieng plateau terraced fields (Carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, tobacco, corn)
Dieng Temple complex, an ancient Hindu Temple. Daniel was surprised that I did not seem impressed with these temples and that I took very few pictures. I had to explain that after viewing the Anghor temples in Cambodia, these did not appear to be very impressive.
Sikidang crater
We can really get "up close and personal" with this one.
So close in fact that we have to watch where we step.
There are small fumeroles and bubbling mud all around us.
And almost across the road, a small lake that changes colour depending on the weather. I asked Daniel if the water in the lake was hot due to the close proximity to the crater and he answered that it was regular temperature; but when I walked further along the shore, I could see bubbles coming up from the bottom.
Definite volcanic activity below the surface, which explains the changing colours of the water; same as the ones in the heights of Bolivia.
Potatoes ! between rows of ? ? ?
Fixing the ruts in the road by hand.
Denis, Bruno, Paul... does this plant look familiar? Tobacco .... or should I pronounce that Toe-behco
Yvette, does this remind you of the terraced fields in Peru?
lots of wood for sale, all types.
Tobacco drying in the sun beside the road.
Beautiful baskets.... must be used to pick the harvests
I wasn't kidding about the local taxis. They are everywhere. PS: Taxi is spelled "taksi" here
Lots of tobacco fields in this area
We were scheduled to drive on to Ambarawa to visit the Railway Museum, but I informed Daniel that I really wasn’t interested and would prefer to drive directly to the hotel at the Tlogo Agro plantation instead.
The traffic at times is simply crazy
We played leap-frog with this motorcycle, carrying 6 tires, for about 1/2 an hour.
And traffic within the cities and towns is even worse; bumper to bumper..... endlessly
The drive there was extremely long through back roads and it was 6 pm by the time we arrived. Just enough time to pre-order my dinner and breakfast and take some photos.
My little cottage at Tlogo Agro Plantation
This is the bedroom ! Isn't it gorgeous?
and the bathroom is partially outdoors. That's the shower area near the pebbles. Unfortunately, it also means that mosquitoes can get into this area so I'd better shower while it is still light outside.
I’m staying in a small cottage and the grounds are absolutely beautiful.
Some of the pathways on the plantation grounds in the cottage area
There is definitely a theme here: room tags match the patterns on the sidewalks
There is also a pool, but the water isn't very clean.
Absolutely beautiful.
This is the outside dining area where I will be eating dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow morning.
The old plantation house has been turned into a convention centre.
Beautiful bird in a cage near the reception area.
After doing a quick tour around the grounds, I returned to the cottage to have a shower (only cold water yet again) and change for dinner. Although I ordered at 6 pm, I was advised that I could not eat before 8 pm. No reason given. Maybe the chef is having his dinner first after observing Ramadhan and would only start cooking after that. Who knows; but it was much later than I would have preferred.
It had been such a beautiful day !
When I woke up the next morning, I finally got a chance to look out from my high balcony window.
Wow. This is beautiful.
There is a huge forest at the top of the ridge (where we can see that they have been clear cutting the older trees and planting new ones). There is a staircase going around the side of the hotel as well. Too bad I don't have time to explore before we leave this morning.
Ah ha ! And that's the source of the noise that woke me up this morning. They have geese in an enclosure at the bottom of the hill, right below my balcony.
Another long drive today from Batu Raden up to the Dieng (Place/abode of the gods) Plateau through Central Java. The scenery changes from rice fields and palm trees in the valleys to tall pine trees in the mountain passes.
These farmers are using oxen and a big branch as a tilling bar. Back breaking work.
There's another volcano in the distance and I think those are cabbages in the foreground.
I'm glad those are just clouds at the top of the volcano.
The fields cover every inch of space, all the way up that far mountain.
Breath taking views all the way up to the plateau.
And small villages and towns on the high slopes.
The views from the Dieng Plateau were definitely worth the long drive however. 2000 meters above sea level and surrounded by cultivated terraced fields. The Dieng plateau is actually the floor of a huge ancient caldera. May explain why the soil is so rich and fertile.
“Oh Honey, while you’re in the garden, can you bring me back some green beans please”
Dieng plateau terraced fields (Carrots, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, tobacco, corn)
Dieng Temple complex, an ancient Hindu Temple. Daniel was surprised that I did not seem impressed with these temples and that I took very few pictures. I had to explain that after viewing the Anghor temples in Cambodia, these did not appear to be very impressive.
We then drove a short distance to the Sikidang crater which was much smaller than the previous one I saw, but this was really “up close and personal”. Close enough to see the bubbling roil of the “brew”. The actual crater is SO BIG, you actually don’t see the crater; it is a huge wide expanse of sulphur. And you need to watch where you walk because even if the ground looks like it is concrete, there are little vents of hydrogen sulfide everywhere!
Sikidang crater
We can really get "up close and personal" with this one.
So close in fact that we have to watch where we step.
There are small fumeroles and bubbling mud all around us.
And almost across the road, a small lake that changes colour depending on the weather. I asked Daniel if the water in the lake was hot due to the close proximity to the crater and he answered that it was regular temperature; but when I walked further along the shore, I could see bubbles coming up from the bottom.
Definite volcanic activity below the surface, which explains the changing colours of the water; same as the ones in the heights of Bolivia.
Today however, the water looks bluish green. Yes, this lake is at the very top of the Dieng Plateau.
Time to start our drive back down. 
Potatoes ! between rows of ? ? ?
Fixing the ruts in the road by hand.
Denis, Bruno, Paul... does this plant look familiar? Tobacco .... or should I pronounce that Toe-behco
Yvette, does this remind you of the terraced fields in Peru?
We pass an area where all we seem to see are trucks
filled with tree trunks and there are many mills where it is being cut into
planks, veneers, or just rough cuts.
Daniel confirms that they are replanting trees as they cut them
down. Depending on the variety of trees
planted, some can be ready to harvest again within 5 years, others (hard wood)
may take 30 to 40 years.
Scenes along our route today. Lots of market areas
lots of wood for sale, all types.
Tobacco drying in the sun beside the road.
Beautiful baskets.... must be used to pick the harvests
I wasn't kidding about the local taxis. They are everywhere. PS: Taxi is spelled "taksi" here
Lots of tobacco fields in this area
We were scheduled to drive on to Ambarawa to visit the Railway Museum, but I informed Daniel that I really wasn’t interested and would prefer to drive directly to the hotel at the Tlogo Agro plantation instead.
The traffic at times is simply crazy
We played leap-frog with this motorcycle, carrying 6 tires, for about 1/2 an hour.
And traffic within the cities and towns is even worse; bumper to bumper..... endlessly
The drive there was extremely long through back roads and it was 6 pm by the time we arrived. Just enough time to pre-order my dinner and breakfast and take some photos.
My little cottage at Tlogo Agro Plantation
This is the bedroom ! Isn't it gorgeous?
and the bathroom is partially outdoors. That's the shower area near the pebbles. Unfortunately, it also means that mosquitoes can get into this area so I'd better shower while it is still light outside.
I’m staying in a small cottage and the grounds are absolutely beautiful.
Some of the pathways on the plantation grounds in the cottage area
There is definitely a theme here: room tags match the patterns on the sidewalks
There is also a pool, but the water isn't very clean.
Absolutely beautiful.
This is the outside dining area where I will be eating dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow morning.
The old plantation house has been turned into a convention centre.
Beautiful bird in a cage near the reception area.
After doing a quick tour around the grounds, I returned to the cottage to have a shower (only cold water yet again) and change for dinner. Although I ordered at 6 pm, I was advised that I could not eat before 8 pm. No reason given. Maybe the chef is having his dinner first after observing Ramadhan and would only start cooking after that. Who knows; but it was much later than I would have preferred.
While I was resting in the cottage, the chanting began
from all around the compound. It sounded
like there was a mosque next door, or the occupants of the nearby houses were
chanting one after the other; and this went on for at least half an hour. All different pitch and tones; my nerves were
in shreds.
So, I was VERY HUNGRY by the time I went to the outside
dining area, and not in the best of moods.
My dinner arrived; at the suggestion of the staff, I had ordered the
duck which was to be served with vegetables.
The duck that I was served was cooked to a crisp and all there was on my
plate were charred skin and bones; barely three tiny bites of meat. Don’t know who ate duck that night, but it
certainly was not me. The vegetables
consisted of three slices of cucumber and a small amount of raw cabbage; not a
cole slaw, just a raw chunk of cabbage.
Oh, they did have bland white rice as well. I WAS NOT AMUSED ! The more I tried to eat the angrier I got. Were it not for the beer I had ordered (which
I rarely order in Indonesia to respect the Muslim customs) I would have left
the table as hungry as when I arrived.
None of the staff were coming to see if I needed anything, so after
leaving half the rice and the chunk of cabbage I went to the office to let them
know, very politely, what I thought of their meal. I then walked briskly back to the cottage,
closed the lights and tried to sleep, still hungry. I fumed as I tossed and turned until I
finally fell asleep. It had been such a beautiful day !
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