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Java’s sweets

by Ashlee on March 10, 2010

in Food, Indonesia, Pangandaran, jakarta escapes, photos

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Gula Jawa (Javanese palm sugar) being poured into bamboo molds to set at a home manufacturer just outside of Pangandaran, West Java.  It is made from the concentrated coconut palm nectar and has caramel overtones.

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Sugar farm kid with a sugar sweet smile, who seemed to know just the right place to hang out to please the foreigners and their cameras.

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The puppet master

by Ashlee on March 6, 2010

in Indonesia, Pangandaran, jakarta escapes, photos

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During our tour out to the Green Canyon outside of Pangandaran, West Java, we stopped by the workshop of a local puppet master or dalang, Rojikin Supriadi Putra.

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[keep reading…]

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Sunset at Pangandaran’s West beach in West Java.  This country sure knows how to put on a darn good sunset.  Will post more about our trip to Pangandaran soon, busy trying to pack at the moment.

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Sate seller

by Ashlee on March 4, 2010

in Food, Indonesia, Yogyakarta, photos

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A woman selling sate on the street at the Yogyakarta night market in Central Java.

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Ramramrambutan. A study.

by Ashlee on January 10, 2010

in Food, Indonesia, jakarta, photos

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1. Form

The rambutan.  You see them on sale everywhere in Indonesia during the rainy season.  Inside, they are kinda like lychees or longan, but it has a different type of seed and flavor.

They are yummy and sweet (they taste a little grape like, but sweeter), but the color of them blows me away more than anything else.  As they progress from unripe to ripe, they move from green to yellow through shades of orange to a deep dark red that looks like I’ve bumped up the photo saturation, but it’s the real color.  The deepest red ones are the most delicious.

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2.Color

I also love the little spikes… the spikes change color along their length, often with a dash of green or black at their extremities.

They are one of the good things about rainy season.  Unfortunately durian season is at the same time and I still can’t stand the smell of those things, let alone the taste.

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3. Skin up close

rambutan-1-54. Inside

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Bungalow door, Ubud

by Ashlee on December 29, 2009

in Bali, Indonesia, photos

ubud-7Door to my bungalow at the guesthouse we stayed at in Ubud.

It was on Jalan Kajeng, that street of cheap guesthouses just behind Ubud Palace.  The place we stayed, Gusti’s Garden Bungalows, had gorgeous gardens (as the name would imply) with ponds and butterflies and little sculptures everywhere, really lovely laid back staff (so laid back I never actually checked in), a swimming pool, yummy banana pancakes for breakfast and clean, basic rooms, all with balconies with chairs perfect for reading.  A decent price as well, a little more expensive than some of the other basic guesthouses on the street, but worth it for the pool and garden.

It’s a Lonely Planet stalwart though, so it’s probably best to book ahead.

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Ubud 1, 2, 3

by Ashlee on December 28, 2009

in Bali, Indonesia, jakarta escapes, photos

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A room with a view.

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A flower on a table for two.

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Here’s breakfast for you.

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Snapshot: Rubbish man on a break

by Ashlee on December 13, 2009

in Indonesia, jakarta, photos

Rubbish man asleep in cart, Menteng

A rubbish collector having an afternoon nap in his cart in Menteng, Central Jakarta.

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Jalan Surabaya Antique Market, Jakarta

by Ashlee on December 13, 2009

in Indonesia, jakarta, photos

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Antiques on Jalan Surabaya, Menteng.  Click for bigger photos.

The Jalan Surabaya antiques market is tucked away in the back of the swanky old embassy neighborhood of Menteng in Central Jakarta.  It’s quite the treasure trove… wood carvings, ceramics, stone carvings, records, jewelry, bags, traditional puppets and many other artifacts are just a sample of some of the things available.  However, I’m told that many of the “antiques” are replicas, so if it’s authenticity you are after, buyer beware.  But if you want cool stuff, then this is the place.

Pasar Antik, Jalan Surabaya, Jakarta

Of course, like in all of Jakarta’s traditional markets, it’s all about the haggle.  I didn’t buy anything today, but I did take a close look at some of the gorgeous jeweled hairpins that Indonesian woman typically wear when dressed formally in traditional dress… the prices I was told ranged from Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 depending on the sizes and amount of jewels on the hairpiece, and I think you could have dropped the price by at least half with haggling… even as a bule.

Many of the traders there spoke some English, so there’s no barrier for tourists to check it out.  I think I’ll definitely take any of my friends that next visit Jakarta here… you could definitely find some cool and quirky oleh-oleh (souvenirs) here.

Pasar Antik, Jalan Surabaya, Jakarta

Pasar Antik Jalan Surabaya, Jakarta

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Taman Suropati Chamber

December 13, 2009

I was in Taman Suropati in Menteng today… just walking around the neighborhood, one of the few areas of Jakarta with usable footpaths… not that I encountered a single other person doing such a bizarre activity such as “going on a walk.” I’m such a weirdo…
I happened upon the rehersals of the Taman Suropati [...]

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Cali Deli, Jakarta

December 13, 2009

I love Vietnamese sandwiches.  I love Vietnamese coffee. Heck, I love Vietnamese cuisine full stop.
My obsession with the sandwiches didn’t actually start when I went on my school trip to Vietnam in 2002… I can’t remember eating any of them there?  Just tons of Pho and spring rolls!!!  The love affair began later on, in [...]

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Old photos and afternoon tea.

December 12, 2009

On the banks of the Murray River, Albury NSW (No date).  From State Records NSW Collection.
I really love old photos… and thanks to the internet, I can still experience the joy of wading through some while sipping some tea (shush, I’m not a nanna!), despite Indonesia’s fantastical lack of museums and libraries (not to mention [...]

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Phone photos

November 29, 2009

I don’t know if I mentioned this on here, but I now own a CrackBerry phone.  I’m one of THOSE people.  Always checking their unimportant emails on the go, cos I’m a busy woman.
Anyway, love the phone, the camera isn’t great, but I’ve been playing with it a bit.  Here’s a few shots, with little [...]

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Bandung buskers and bubbles

November 8, 2009

Little guy. Big guitar. Entertaining the people just hanging out in the public square in Bandung… for a fee, of course. He couldn’t really play very well though.  But this group of teenagers were having a laugh, and gave him some coins.

There were also lots of people trying to sell bubble wands [...]

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Bandung bites

November 8, 2009

Went down to Bandung for the weekend, because Jakarta was driving me nuts.  I didn’t do much… just wandered around, enjoying the usable footpaths, quieter pace and cooler mountain temperatures.  Most people go for the outlet shopping, but I wasn’t really in the mood for braving the hordes.

But I ate some of the good local [...]

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