The places I've been, the things I've seen (3): Indonesia - Banyuwangi (again) and Salatiga

Things did not go as planned in getting to Salatiga! There was no transport until the following evening, so I had a further 24 hours to spend in Banyuwangi. I manage to find a place to sleep and eat and internet, and soon the proprietor came for a friendly chat. Ibu Dewi was originally from Semarang in Central Java, not far from Salatiga, and had spent some time working in Jakarta, where she taught cooking. She asked if I'd like to see more of Banyuwangi, and arranged for her daughter to take me round the next day.

The following morning, Indah showed up all smiley and friendly at my breakfast table and we discussed what I wanted to see in Banyuwangi. There were beaches and snorkeling, but I was interested in what her mother had mentioned the previous day, a floating house. I mentioned also that I didn't have much time as my bus was leaving at 6 pm and I wanted to get some stuff done online before that.

So off we went to Rumah Apung, having a great chat on the way, missing (several times) the small path that finally led us to the floating house where we saw fish and people snorkeling. There was a lovely view and it was a unique way to pass the time, chatting about the fish and life and things, and taking selfies and making videos!

We went back to shore, had a coconut, then made our way back to her mother's warung so that I could catch my bus to Salatiga.

Indah and me with the rumah apung and the boats going out to the rumah in the background

Baby shark!

MANY HOURS LATER, I finally reach Salatiga in Central Java. My hosts at Easy Language Education let me rest for a bit while I waited for Toby to finish class.

Toby was in Salatiga as a Fulbright scholar on an "intensive advanced Indonesian course". I figured I'd drop in on him and say hi, as I was in the neighbourhood (i.e. same hemisphere/island) and it had been a while since I had hung out with Toby (like just short of 20 years?) We hung out, got some beers in, he showed me some cool hang out places around Salatiga, and we generally caught up on each others' lives, did some reminiscing, swapped Mr Vahey stories, and felt old.

The next day, Toby and I headed out to a top secret abandoned church in the shape of a chicken (gereja ayam), took a few pictures, then headed out to a birthday gathering of other students on his programme, where we ate fried duck. To use Toby's words, "it was a fowl day."

Toby in front of chicken church

Rachel, Toby, and the giant chicken

The chicken is empty inside except for this small toko....!

View from the top of the chicken. Chicken faces Borobudur, which is only 2.5 km away. But it was not a clear day and you can't quite see the Borobudur in this shot. Toby had a better camera, and might have picked it up.

A quick word on Easy Language Education - They do language volunteer classes and are always happy to have people from different countries drop by and do presentations for the children. They want the children to see English as a vehicle to learn something else, and in this way to learn about the world, particularly the world outside Indonesia. They have a particular interest in providing exposure to children from less wealthy families. If you are passing through central Java and would like to help out with the project, please do get in touch. They also have a facebook page for their volunteer programme, Fingerprint. Taufiqi says that is probably the best way to reach out to them for now.

Taufiqi's village also does a homestay volunteer programme for those keen on experiencing life in a Javanese village. They do not charge anything, although I think they may accept donations. You would live with the villagers and eat what they eat (spicy!) while helping them out in the fields. I believe you can stay for as long or as short as you like. The village is around an hour outside Salatiga.