Salatiga

I never thought I would actually be cold this summer in Indonesia, but on Saturday morning I stood looking to the east at 5 am with goosebumps covering my arms and legs. Why was I awake at 5 am one might ask. Well, I was up to see the sunrise, of course. I heard the call to prayer a little before 5 and decided it was about time to head outside. Having some sense that it might be a bit chilly I grabbed my cardigan and headed out, camera in tow. The sunrise was lovely, so many colors illuminating the sky then eventually reflecting off the neighboring mountains.

Salatiga is in Central Java, north of Yogya and during the trip we visited a Buddhist college, Syailendra Buddhist College, up in the mountains then made our way to the Ambarawa Railway Museum. For my Lancaster friends, one could liken the railway museum to the Strasburg Railroad. For a few thousand rupiah the gang piled on the tourist train for an hour train ride through the countryside. I must admit, it was quite nice. The mountain views were stunning and as we passed acres and acres of rice fields I was truly impressed by the local agricultural practices.

We stayed over night in Salatiga at a Christian retreat center like place on a coffee plantation. Before the trip I had high hopes for finding some whole coffee beans at the plantation to bring back to the States. When I mentioned this to my mom on the phone she suggested that I look for some in the local gift shop and inquire about having some beans shipped directly to the U.S. At the time I thought this was a brilliant idea....then I re-entered the reality that is Indonesia! There would be no such gift shop to purchase (and don't even think about shipping) coffee beans. In fact, I consider myself lucky to simply have enjoyed a cup of coffee on Saturday morning. Alas, Pak Nik saved me from my troubles and procured for me a kilo of coffee. The search for more "oleh-oleh" continues, nonetheless.