Wonosobo, Dieng, Bandung, Puncak pass

If you haven't realised we were able to figure out the bus system (see previous post for info of Indonesia's public transport).

We arrived in the town of Wonosobo and next day took a short bus trip to the Dieng Plateau, a volcanic area with bubbling craters and a sulphur lake. Unlike NZ we were able to get up close to the bubbling mud and the sulphur steam vents. No fences! It was also good to be in a rural area surrounded by rice paddies and vegetable fields and for a change we were the only western tourists in sight (although we were a novelty for the Indonesian tourists).

In Wonosobo we stayed in a place a few notches higher up the quality ladder than usual, at $16/night. We were the only people there and the owner was very hospitable. We had a good chat and he introduced us to rice wine, which we felt the effects of the next day. We also came across some new breakfast food which we've noticed more and more since - jam on toast with melted chocolate sprinkles. (Although the owner of the homestay said he himself ate rice for breakfast.)

From Wonosobo we set off for the beach town of Pangandaran. We managed the first two bus connections fine but the final step involved a ferry crossing that the locals at the harbour said didn't exist. They upsold us to rent a new express boat for an exorbitant price, then ushered us to an outrigger canoe that was obviously a public shuttle boat. We weren't impressed (at their behaviour, not the boat) so we backtracked to the town with the main bus terminal in the region and jumped on a 9hr bus to the city of Bandung instead.

Bandung has about 2m people so was quite different from what we'd come from. Its art deco architecture is noted but nothing compared to Napier. The main attractions are out of the city and for us this was mainly some hot pools an hour out of town, which were welcome because Bandung was cold and rainy! (We think we're acclimatising. We felt that jerseys and long pants are a must.)

Next on the itinerary was the Puncak pass, where the road from Bandung to Jakarta winds through the mountains. It's a tourist spot for wealthy Jakartans although it's probably more attractive in the dry season. For us, rolling mists added to the atmosphere but didn't help the view. Nevertheless it was a nice spot to relax and quite scenic.

We've found an interesting hobby is to explore the supermarkets in each new city. It may not sound exciting but it's good to see what new fruit they have, the strength of their insect repellent, and we notice that in West Java coke zero has just been released.

The people are very friendly and overall we've felt quite safe while we've been here, although Kristal has had a couple of run ins stepping into the local drains by mistake - not to worry, only a couple of minor scratches and bruises.

We arrived yesterday in Jakarta, and expect to stay here for a week or so. There's plenty to do and see and we're scheduled to meet Nic's sponsored child on Friday.