It was an early kick off,as our flight to Yogya was at 6am.But it was the cheapest so you can't grumble.Once in Yogya we headed to the bus station,and caught the bus to semerang,not your inter-city or stagecoach here,this was mad with busted windows,buskers,food vendors,chickens.And the buses don't actually stop they only slow down,and we found this out when we missed our stop and had to jump off in the middle of knowhere.But luck was shinning on us,as in the middle of knowhere there was a taxi rank.Lucky or what.
So we eventually got to our mate Stu's house,who fed and watered us.And he even had a wee maid who could do our laundry.So after a day of relaxing at stu's he invited us down to the radio station,Prambros 102FM,He does a weekly slot on wednesday night's between 7 and 9,and we were his guests,it was wicked,loads of good tunes and listening to Stu chatter away in indonesian was great.his show is called "uncle stu" and his listeners text in with crazy questions about music,and one fella wanted Pam and i to sing a song in indonesian which we did with gusto.A proper good laugh was had.
Then Stu's wife Dayan met up with us after the show and we went out to a crazy street stall for food,On the menu was rice,boiled chicken,jack fruit,some seriously spicy onions and a black hard boild egg all dished up on a bannana leaf.Tasty at the time but i was later to fall foul to what we in the west call the shits.
Next day Dayan took us to Java's biggest market and on the bus on the way there we hit a wee man and his food cart,did we stop.did we f**k.
And what a place it was,you felt like you were stepping back in time the colours and smells were amazing,chilli's as far as you could see,garlic up to the ceiling,but the meat section should get a mention,we did well not to through up.meanwhile stu was arranging to get his father in laws jeep so he could take us to a place in the country to see some wild monkey's and they were wee mental monkey's at that.I had my nuts pulled right out my hand(monkey nuts that is).but they were well funny,and cute.We headed back into semerang to drop the jeep off and met Dayan's dad his name is Yannan,a stern looking guy who decided he would drive pam and i home,which made for in interseting jouney as our indonesian was as good as his english,but on route he stopped the jeep and told me he wanted to buy us some bread.how could we refuse,off i trotted into the bakers with Yannan,and out i came with armfulls of sweet breads.Once back at Stu's our new friend Yannan told stu that he wanted to take us out for oxtail soup.And it was oxtail soup.a big ol ox's tail poking right out the bowl,but to be fair it was really nice and we had fried chicken and rice as well,but i would have to say i like my heinz better.
anyhoo the next day at 5.30am Yannan phones the house looking to see if we wanted a lift to the train station,as we were off to see Brommo,a massive volcano about 9 hours away.and the train was luxury compared to the bus.
we got off the train at Surabaya and as soon as we got off the train stu has started bartering with the locals for transport the rest of the way,so with that sorted it was 4 hrs in this jeep with no air con,and it was roasting hot.Once we started getting up in the mountains it was cooler and the scenery was breathtaking,as soon as we got to our hotel stu was again in full barter mode with another guy.this time arranging a jeep to take us the rest of the way as a 4 wheel drive was needed for this leg.
So after a long long day's travel it was pub time and low and behold they we were showing the scotland norway game..superb,but the result was not.
A real early start of 3.30am the next day,bumping around in a tiny wee jeep was not good at that time but the reward was watching the sunrise over the mountains and volcano's..amazing.
then we drove over the crater floor and climbed up Brommo,this volcano last erupted in June 04.and the smoke was bellowing out.very eerie indded.
so after all that we are back in bali and considering our next move,as the old visa runs out in 5 days.
so we don't even know where we will be...excitng though.
love to you all.
|  | 
|
