The Zoo

I had this brilliant idea to make a photo book with pictures of us for our new cousins.  They would be able to see our faces in advance, so when we visit them they might be a little familiar.  Well, we managed an ABC book, but it didn't turn out exactly like I planned.  For one thing, it was supposed to arrive months before we did.  Hopefully they get it a couple weeks before we come.  The kids worked really hard on it, and it turned out great.  It was a much bigger project then I thought!   

Giants

Mads turned 7 while we were in Jogjakarta.  He said it wasn't a good birthday.  It wasn't a bad vacation, that kid just prefers to be at home.

We celebrated the day we got home.  He wanted mint brownies.  A unique request.  I obliged.  I mixed up a brownie recipe, put half in the pan, put on a layer of Andes mints, and then covered them with the other half of the batter.  They were delicious.  Genius really.  Try it and you'll see.

He got more Skylanders.  Ever since he got them for Christmas from his Grandpa, he has hardly thought of anything else.  G too.  And it doesn't stop at the video game.  They pretend they are Skylanders, and they create original Skylanders.  All day I see papers all around the house with drawn Skylanders, complete with several powers and sayings.  There must be 50 of them at least.  And yes, I got him more.  I had no problem fueling the obsessive fire.

A few days later he had a party.  We were supposed to go swimming, but it rained.  So, despite the fact that I didn't plan anything for these kids to do, it turned out to be a really fun party.  Albeit very loud.

They Become Its Visible Soul

On our third day, we planned on going to see a plateau, and the color lakes.  After our busy day the day before, we decided it would be too much.  It was a 3 hour drive anyway.  So instead we went to the Sultan's Palace.

This sign was funny to me because it's usually the women who are dressed improperly.  No shorty shorts or tanks for the men.

There was a little dance show going on.

We had a tour guide.  I don't think we asked for one, she just gave us a tour anyway.  She seemed really pleased to show us around.  She was much more excited about the fact that you could see 3 different sultans' cheese graters all in one place than we were.  She was nice to put up with us.  And she was super nice to put up with Nate's snarky comments.  Well, she probably didn't understand that they were snarky.  She might not have noticed anyway because he can keep a straight face.  But of course I can't.  So I'm the one who looks like a jerk for laughing at everything!

After this, we decided to pass on the Water Castle.

We wanted to buy souvenirs, so our driver took us to this store.  Can you spot my family?  It was a crazy store.  We got something for everyone!

On the way to the store, we had to walk through a outdoor market that was small and crowded.  It had just started raining, so it was pretty muggy in there.  G pointed this out to Nate by saying, "It's freaking damn hot!"

I bought some batik too.

Then we went to a "famous" fried chicken place for dinner.  It was good!  Reading the english on the menu was almost as good as eating the food.

The big sign out front.  I'm guessing that lady started the restaurant?

We took the boys home, and the girls and I went out for more shopping.  We walked over to Jalan Malioboro.  We bought a few more bags.  We also bought some t-shirts with some awesome, bad english on them.

This was my first experience with men catcalling my girls.  Oh boy.  I will punch them.  Bloody their stupid faces.  I have no problem getting violent.  This is the night we decided to buy our girls some brass knuckles.  And teach them how to use them.

It was a good trip.  I think it helped end our time in Indonesia on a good note.

Ring of Fire

The next morning we got up very, very early.  We had to be ready to go, and meet our driver downstairs at 3:45.  AM!

Tired, but excited kids.

We made it to Borobudur for the sunrise.  It was really amazing.  Totally worth missing some sleep.

Volcano to the north.  Don't know the name.

This one is Mount Merapi.  The most active volcano in Indonesia.

Borobudur.

Then we went to see Mount Merapi up close.

I'm glad I got this picture because the clouds came fast.  It soon disappeared.

We took a jeep tour around the foothills of the volcano.  I think it was everyone's favorite thing we did in Jogja.

The jeep tour had some stops along the way.  For pictures.  And donations, of course.

They call this "The Alien".  It's a big rock that got launched from the volcano in 2010.

This guy was collecting grass.  He deserved getting his picture taken.  Because that's cool.

There was another stop that was set up like a museum of things that got destroyed by the eruption.  It had books, TVs, furniture, etc.  It was pretty crazy.  Then the guy told us it was his house!  It was pretty messed up.

On the way back to the hotel (I needed a nap!) we stopped for some soto ayam.  It's an Indonesian chicken soup.  I think I've talked about it before.  Anyway, we all ate at this restaurant, with drinks, for 91,000 rp.  Less than $10.

We took a quick nap and then headed out again.  We stopped at a noodle place this time.  When you get up that early, you need 2 lunches.  We all ate here, with drinks, for 130,000rp.  About $13.  Definitely our cheapest food day on a vacation.  Ever.

Then we went to the beach.

And we stayed to watch the sunset.  If we were looking straight out to the ocean, the sun set to the left of us.  It was cool to see the sun in a different spot.  It really made me realize we are far away from California.

The sand on this beach was so fine.  It was so soft!  It was so huge too.  But so were the waves.  There was no swimming allowed.

Day two was a great day.

Candi

After almost 2 years in Jakarta, we finally took a trip to Yogyakarta.  It's a requirement when you live here.  You're not allowed to leave unless you make the trip.

We've always wanted to go, but it was the kind of thing we put off and put off until finally it was now or never.  We chose now.  Even though it was inconvenient timing to say the least.  But it worked out.

This is the first place we stopped after arriving.  We hired a car and driver for the weekend, and he was like a tour guide.  It was awesome.  He brought us here to get fish.  They had a pond full of prawns.  We ate some.  We did not, however, eat any chickens.  They had those in cages out front too.  It might have been decoration.  Let's hope.

And fancy drinks.

That's a lime squash.  The name sounds so normal to me now, but I remember laughing about it when we first saw it.  Squash?  In fact, I remember going out with Nate once and we thought maybe it was a drink made with zucchini.  It's not.  It's just soda water, lime juice, and sugar syrup.  Very delicious.  It is very common here, so I drink it a lot.

It doesn't look good, but it was delicious.

Then we got started right away on the sight-seeing.  We made our way to Prambanan temple.  It is a old Hindu temple.  Super old.  It was built in the 9th (?) century.  Our "guide" told us all about it, but I don't remember details.  I'll read about it later.

We all had to wear sarongs.

It was very cool.  We've never seen anything like it.

There were very large, steep steps leading up to the statues of the person being honored.

We didn't go in the Shiva temple (the main one in the middle) because there were certain rules.  The sign out front said it was "relatively stable".  Oh my gosh, so hilarious.  Relative to what?  Well, either way we had to wear hard hats, and I don't trust anything that's been on someone else's head.

Looks like Nate has two heads.

We road a train to another section to see more temples.

When we were leaving, there were these little shops set up all along the sidewalk.  Those ladies really wanted to sell us their cold drinks.  They were shouting and putting their beverages on display.  It was good because I may not have realized they were selling anything.  ;)

There were souvenir shops too.  We bought some stuff.

That was day one of three.

Plumeria

I take the boys out to lunch a lot.  We don't really get out of the house much otherwise, so it is a good break.  We often walk to the "Mexican" restaurant down the street.  I put quotes on Mexican because I think that might be a stretch.  But it is okay, and I'm glad we can walk there.

I decided to take some pictures on our last walk to Amigos.  One thing I know I'll miss about Jakarta is the tropical greenness everywhere, always.  It really is pretty, and we live in a great neighborhood full of awesome plants.

This is the walkway to the pool.  I know I've taken a ton of pictures of the pool already.  The pool is something I will also miss.  It was a huge pool for only the 14 embassy houses in the back of the complex.  It was very isolated.  The kids like swimming with friends, but I would prefer to have the whole pool to myself.

After turning the corner on the way to the green gate.

The green gate.

Because it's an embassy complex there are certain security measures.  We always have guards, and we always have this green gate.  I'm going to get a close up of the guards sometime soon.

Frangipani tree.  They are all over the neighborhood but this one is my favorite.

These flowers are awesome.  They smell nice, and the look is so striking and unique.  The petals are thick, almost leathery.  The flowers fall off the tree all the time, and I always get one or two from the boys to put behind my ear.

The gardeners gather them and dry them.  I see piles in different stages of this process out in my back yard area.  I finally asked someone what they do with them, and he told me they sell them.  Apparently they are used in China for perfume.  They sell for about 100,000 rp a kilo.

Little bunches on the tree.  Love.  I will miss these flowers.

There is a little shopping center with our grocery store, a couple small cafes, a book store, one or two fancy home decor shops that I've never been into, and Amigos.

This picture reminds me of a time when we were walking just like this.  There was a lady sitting at one of the cafe tables outside.  G saw her and said, loudly, "Is that a boy or a girl?"  And before I could shush him she answered, "A girl."  And if that's not embarrassing enough, he replies by saying, "Oh, it can talk!"

Amigos!  Food, drinks, AND fun!

Going up the stairs.

My flower, my wallet, and the boys playing on the spinny chairs.

Since moving is on my mind almost constantly, this trip to Amigos was a reflective one.  I even teared up a bit.  I was feeling sad that this was coming to and end.  But I realized I'm sad about hanging out with the boys, and being able to take them to lunch.  It really doesn't matter what restaurant it is, or what city the restaurant is in.  I will always look back at Amigos with fondness but not because of the food or atmosphere, but because I hung out with my boys there.  It is an interesting feeling I have that I'm having a hard time articulating.  And unfortunately, taking the boys out to lunch is coming to an end as well. 

Fajitas.

 Then we went over to Hero.

Always a tropical selection of fruit.

Dragon fruit.

The fish.

Always brown eggs.

Frozen food section.

The very expensive, inconvenient milk.

Magnum bars.  Those things have been our go-to ice cream treat.  Since all other ice cream here is either crappy (very very crappy), or Haagen Dazs which is prohibitively expensive, we have Magnum bars.  They are good.

Indonesia's beer.

Checking out.

There is a BR there.  We got ice cream there once or twice.  It too is very expensive.  And they only have like 3 flavors.  They have space for more, but they just stock multiple tubs of the same kind.  Jamocha Almond Fudge must be very popular.

Hero.  So thankful Hero is walking distance.  In America, I would stock up on everything.  Sometimes I wouldn't have to go to the store for 2 weeks.  No so here.  Aside from what I brought with me, I don't have stock of anything.  I'm just not able to shop like that here.  So I end up going to Hero at least once a day.  My life would be a million times more difficult if I had to drive to the store.

The front door.

Since most people have drivers, they have these signs in the parking lot.  If you happen to be a woman, and you drive yourself, you can park in the convenient spots.

Where I live!

The walk home.

I don't know what this tree is called, but I love it.  It's huge!

And it has huge leaves!

The clubhouse.

This is the way to the tennis courts.

Back at the green gate.

No tubas!