109. ROAD TRIP INTO WEST JAVA

See - Post 19. Borobodur Revisited

Driving from Jakarta into Garut and Bandung gave me another glimpse into this huge country and its very diverse landscape and people...
Just before I left Singapore, Jakarta was flooded in many areas. But my 6 days there was glorious, it rained some days but intermittent and I got a lot of things done and the road trip was beautiful. A few days after my return, Jakarta was badly flooded again - my host couldn't go out anywhere due to flood waters....

 

The people are so easy going. At this warong, nobody had problems with this slip of a dog...they knew I'm not local as we conversed in English so they were welcoming of any quirks...by and large, the Indonesian muslims seem accepting and tolerant of dogs and their movements. We were never told we couldn't bring a dog into the premises neither did I come across any signs that said No Pets....

 

A Javanese qigong teacher does house calls...I was expecting a Chinese to show up...

4 noisy spoilt brats who had a personal trainer and groomer pay house calls

    

Hole in the wall businesses in Jakarta's Chinatown. The Chinese  and Indians are champions at this sort of small entrepreneurial businesses. Conditions seem crammed and uncomfortable yet they seem happy doing their own thing than work for others...

 An elegant Balinese version of Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of Knowledge...this was part of the decor in this large compound of a factory/warehouse outlet - which was so elegant it looked more like a classy boutique..
 

Will we ever see this in Singapore? Free cookies in the lobby of this hotel...can we equal the service that's been offered by our neighbours at a lower cost?
 

 

My quirky new German friend sways alone on the dance floor as the band played keronchong and ronggeng music requested by me...

  

This CEO is having a hard time calling this meeting to order as her subordinates argue over what to order for lunch...

This is a nostalgic way to serve a welcome drink in this hotel lobby
 

The very elegant Padma Hotel, Bandung. Bandung's a nice city, well laid out with lovely old colonial style Dutch buildings. I would like to return to spend a night or 2 and explore the streets...will make that sooner than later...

Old and young having a good soak in warm water. Garut is a Muslim heartland, swimming costumes are the covered-up ones showing nothing so me and friends soaked in our room instead...

 Smile! You're on Candid Camera!

Rub-a-dub dub - 2 gals in a tub - we got ourselves into hot water at this hotel sited over a thermal hot spring in Garut, West Java.