Indonesia

In the UK the concept of a company trip is somewhat foreign. The closest they come to anything like that would be a trip to the cinema. Over here it seems commonplace enough for travel agencies to advertise for it, and, having worked 6 months without a day off I decided to go on my company's trip. This was to Solo and Jogjakarta in Indonesia.

So on a Saturday morning I turned up a Changi airport for Indonesia. The student who was sat next to me on the plane (not a colleague) boasted that Solo's airport had just been re-built and was 'fabulous'. I think that says more about the old airport that the new - the terminal was smaller than some of the houses I've been in, and the method of dealing with foriegners is not exemplary - it took an hour to process an A319. Mind you - the attitude is a touch refreshing - if you don't have the cash to pay for the visa on arrival, they simply let you in to Indonesia to extract the money from a hole in the wall, and then take you back.

We were whisked straight off to have a look at a Royal palace. I've been to several such buildings in Europe, and expected to be carted around a few show rooms far behind a set of ropes. Here, they don't have ropes - you want to sit at the King's dining table, then go ahead. There was a private wing - but otherwise everything was open. 

Indonesia has been comparatively untouched by western attitudes. The family saloon is a moped, every evening impromptu stalls appear to serve food cooked on the sidewalks. The countryside is filled with people working in paddy fields. At times, being driven around was like being in a museum, at other times, I was more than aware that had I been abandoned there, I would have had absolutely no chance of survival. I don't think that I could have even ordered a Big Mac!


The highlight of the trip was probably a trip to the Borobudur Temple - the largest Bhuddist temple in the world, although it was spectacularly busy. Somewhat less busy, but also good was the Water Temple in Yogya. 


Anyway - I came back with some good memories, a chest infection, and quite a few photos - here are the pick of them:

 

The mountains of Central Java

 

 

Where royalty have their tea when in Solo

 

A series of hill-side shops - most sell corn

 

The Borobudur Temple

  

Somehow the tmple can be quite bleak and imposing

 The entrance to the water temple

 

Two swimming pools within the temple

 

Another country where "I'm too long"

 

Bikes are everywhere in Indo

Being somewhat arty-farty with soft focus

 

And again

The typical family saloon.