Nasi goreng & satay

With the build over, it was time to explore the Solo, Yogyakarta and the surrounding areas on Java with the team.

[The photo on the left is of a becak. Operated by the guy on a bicycle on the back, I was impressed that it was able to carry two grown males with ease!]

Day in the hills near Solo

On our first R&R day, we headed into the hills near Solo to see two Hindu temples - Candi Sukuh & Candi Cetho. Both were built in the 15th centuries, prior to the introduction of Islam. Spread over various terraces rising up to the misty hillside, it was interesting to look at the stonework and in particular the structures supporting the fertility worship! After lunch we walked up & down some 1,200 stairs to the Grojogan waterfall, which has an impressive 81m fall.

On a side note, there were many people along our travels that were fascinated with 'foreigners'. The happy couple in the centre of the photo on the top right even wanted a photo with us on their wedding day.

In and around Yogyakarta

In addition to the shopping, museums and Kraton, this busy & bustling town is popular for tourists with two main temple complexes - Prambanan and Borobudur.

The Prambanan Temples were built in the 9th century. The original complex of temples (top left) contains 244 temples of which you can see 6 of the main 8 temples. The largest temple is dedicated to Shiva (the supreme god in Buddhism). On the other side of the complex is Candi Sewu (right). This Buddhist temple is surrounded by 240 smaller guard temples.

Borobudur (bottom left) was built over 1200 years ago. Following a decline in Buddhism for Islam, the temple was left abandoned for centuries and was buried under layers of volcanic ash. It was rediscovered in the 1800's and has since been part of various restoration plans. The temple is built from 2 million stone blocks, with 6 square terraces (base of 118m x 118m) leading up the 3 phases of Buddhism: the world of desire, the world of forms and the world of formlessness.

Onwards and eastwards to Bali
Our adventures did not stop in Java. We travelled across to Bali to join the other thousands of foreigners for some rest & relaxation in the Balinese sun. We stayed on the coast in Seminyak, a little further north than the 'typical' Balinese haunt of Kuta. In addition to relaxing in and around in the hotel pool, we had a couple of day trips.

On our first day trip, we hired some scooters an headed into the hills to visit Ubud. We wandered around the Monkey Forest Sanctuary, ate lunch overlooking a rice field and watched flocks of herons in the trees.

On our second day, we rode east to Senur. We relaxed in the warm waters as we attempted to locate some reef life and later let loose on the water on a few jet skis - good fun!

And as with all adventures... my adventure of living out of my square is coming to an end. Indonesia was my last stopover before returning to my homeland on a more permanent basis. The last few years have been a blast, but it's time to look forward to the adventures that lay ahead. To my loyal readers out there, thanks for keeping up with me as I have lived out of my square. This may be my last blog for a little while, so until the next adventure is sorted, take care, keep smiling & don't forget to step out of the comfort zone every once in awhile!

A world where everyone has a safe & decent place to live

One of the basic human needs is the need for shelter. As a stepping stone between the UK and Australia, I had the privilege of joining a team in Indonesia for a week of building with Habitat for Humanity. This organisation provides low cost housing to those in need around the world. [My little plug... if you are interested in joining a team or able to financial support their work, check out their website... http://www.habitat.org.au/.]

[Map courtesy of Google Maps]

Our destination was the small town of Solo, located in the centre of Java. Solo is located a mere 30km from Mount Merapi, a volcano which has been active since October. Tragically the recent eruptions led to the loss of many lives. Fortunately, the area we were working in was out of the 20km exclusion zone. The main disruption for us was the closure of Yogyakarta airport on the day we were due to arrive. While the rest of the team managed to fly directly to Solo, I took a plane to Jakarta and then headed an all day train to Solo. Jakarta is a crazy & busy town. I was gobsmacked when a train zoomed past with people happily perched on the roof!! The photo to the bottom right is of Merapi as we flew out of Yogyakarta at the end of our build.

The build was a relocation project, working with the local government to relocate many houses that are currently staying at Solo River. The houses need to be moved to a new location as the river is subject to flooding each year. The house we were working on was relocated approximately 300 metres away from the river.


To optimise the available resources, the intention is to make the most of every part of the pre-existing house, down to the mortar that lay between the bricks. The team before us demolished the old house and laid down the outline of the new house. We continued the project by moving some of the materials (including tiles, mortar, wood & bamboo) from the old site. At the new site we assisted with building the new walls. This included making the cement (sifting sand & mixing by hand) and the laying of bricks. Here are just a few pics of the labourers at work...

After a long hard week of working in the tropical weather, including soaring temperatures & high humidity, we were all pretty pleased with our efforts. The house was actually starting to look like a house! Overall it was fantastic week. In addition to a little banter and plenty of laughs, working with a great bunch of people made the experience all the more enjoyable. I hope the family will enjoy their new house!

How to describe beauty?

There is always enough time for another little trip in Europe... So, I joined a fellow intrepid traveller for a few days in the Swiss alps. For me, Switzerland is more than just a destination holiday as the journey to get there is just as impressive. I flew into Geneva and then took the scenic three hour train journey east. There was so much to admire outside the window that I didn't even pick up the book I had with me.

We headed to the small, car-free hillside village of Gimmelwald in the Bernese Highlands. With a population of about 100, this place is popular for hiking in the summer and skiing during the winter. If there is an off season in this magical part of the world, it is now. There was basically too much snow to hike and not enough snow to ski, but I didn't miss out completely! It dumped on the first night we were there, so there was plenty of fresh powder in the morning. :)

Gimmeldwald is definitely off the beaten track, but has become more popular following the mention of this village in Rick Steve's "Europe through the Back Door". To get there we had to take a train, a bus, a gondola and a mini-van. The gondola ride in itself is certainly not for those who have acrophobia (fear of heights). It was a near vertical rise as we headed over the 600m sheer rock face. No one could possibly argue with the view from the top. The photos hardly do them justice.

We stayed in a quaint hostel, suitably named the Mountain Hostel. We had some fun at the hostel, including a few games of 'Ultimate Jenga'. (Yes, your eyes are not deceiving you... there is a Frisbee & a block of local cheese in the stack!) Considering the location & serenity this place has to offer, it's not surprising that a couple of the guys at the hostel that originally planned to stay here for a few days have now been here for a few months.

The highlight (literally) of the trip was venturing up to Jungfraujoch, known as the "Top of Europe". It is actually the endpoint of the highest railway station in Europe at 3,454m. Once at the top, we headed up further to the Sphinx Observatory (at 3,571m). With clear blue skies , the panoramic views over the Great Aletsch Glacier were picture perfect. For the movie buffs out there, this area was used in the James Bond movie - "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". The temperature was about -10oC as I was standing outside the observatory for the photo.

Return to a favourite

Time is certainly flying by. With little time remaining before I leave the UK, I returned to one of my favourite countries in Europe, Spain. The main objective for the week was to unwind. With gorgeous mid-20 degree weather, it was not a tough ask to relax as I travelled through central Spain from the capital of Madrid down to Seville in the South. With the trusty Lonely Planet & phrasebook on hand, I find Spain one of the easiest European countries. Here is a little glimpse into my week:

Madrid

Travelling around Madrid is quite easy with an efficient and easy to use metro system, although I tend to prefer gaining my bearings on foot. The buildings are grand in Madrid, including the Royal Palace (below left) built in the 17^th century. There are also many squares & plazas to wander through, including one of the most famous being Plaza Mayor (below right). The first public ceremony in this plaza was the beautification of Madrid’s patron saint, however it became regularly became the venue for bullfights until the Spanish inquisition in the 18^th century.

One of the things I love about Spain is their creative street signs. To the right is an example of the colourful tiles that are often used.

Toledo

An hour bus ride from Madrid is the walled city of Toledo. It is a quaint Spanish town, very clean & certainly has the authentic feel of an old Spanish town with narrow winding streets. As we are in the off season now, it is a fantastic time to visit Toledo with considerably fewer tourists than in the summer and very pleasant weather. The photo below is of the Alcazar, the building on the highest point of the city. It was once the royal residence and was later turned into an army academy.

Cordoba

I had two hours to enjoy the Spanish countryside as I travelled south on the high-speed train to Cordoba. The countryside is typically quite sparse, but is dabbled with green pencil pines and grey olive trees along the way. The number of orange trees substantially increased the further I headed south. With population of around 300,000, Cordoba is a sophisticated modern town with a small old town that was originally founded in 152BC by a Roman colony.

In addition to drinking the local speciality (in this case wine was cheaper than water!), I tasted my way through various tapas dishes during the week. It was in Cordoba that I tried Rabo de Toro a la Cordobesa... bulls tail! If you forget for a moment what you are eating, it was simply tasty tender beef which fell off the bone. Cordoba is most famous for its mosque – the Mezquita. In one word, it is HUGE. The structured Islamic architecture is shimmering with golden mosaics and rows of red & white stripped arches disappearing into affinity.

Seville

Seville has long been on my “want to go” list and it was great to have the chance to visit here. This is a superb city to get lost in with its extensive narrow winding streets. Having a map is great, but with plenty of time on my side it was great to put it away and just wander through the streets. I couldn’t get too lost, could I?

Moving on, the two most impressive tourist activities include the Alcazar & the Cathedral. The Alcazar was originally built in 913, but it has been expanded and modified over the years as is has changed between Muslim & Christian ownership. The Cathedral was completed in 1507 and holds the tomb of Christopher Columbus. The original mosque’s minaret, La Giralda, still stands on its eastern side, although the topmost parts were added in the 16^th century by the Christians. It was a magnificent view of the city from the top of the bell tower.

Puddings & illuminations

With my departure of the UK impending, I could not possibly leave this great country without one last road trip in the countryside. With Tom our trusty GPS in hand, we headed on the M1 up to the north of England. We had a full day to explore the delights of York, including treating ourselves to a quint-essential English high tea at the local infamous cafe, Betty's.

York is an old city, with first Roman inhabitants recorded in 71AD. Examples of York's history still exist today. One of the old streets in York, known as "the Shambles" (below left), has buildings dating back to the 14th century. Also, Clifford's Tower (below right) is part of York Castle and the 3 miles of walls which surround the city. The tower was built in 13th century.

Like most English towns, one of the key sites of York is its cathedral. York Minster is the second largest gothic style church in Europe (next to Cologne). In addition to visiting Evensong, we were conveniently in town for the "Illuminations" festival. We joined thousands of people to see a 10 minute artistic light production being shown on the South Transept. Called "The Rose", the artwork transformed the Minster's rose window.

On Sunday, we took the scenic tour back to London via the Peak District. As recommended by the handy i-phone (where would we be without technology!?), we had a tasty hearty lunch at a quaint pub, The Royal Oak, located in the middle of nowhere. Afterwards, in an attempt to walk off just a little of what we had just eaten, Belle, Ivan, Victoria & I had a little stroll along one of the many trails in the area. Of course, a trip to the Peak District is not complete without some local pudding... in this case, the Bakewell pudding (not to be confused with the Bakewell tart!!).

It's just not a trip to Austria without a schnitzel!

Farwelling my new friends in Budapest, I departed on the short 3 hour train journey across the border to Austria. My destination was the capital city, Vienna. I chose a hostel that was slightly off the tourist trail & it was well worth the effort. Situated in the hills of Vienna, this Eco-labelled hostel offered something that no other hostel could offer - a sensational panoramic view over Vienna. The photo below left gives a small glimpse of the view and the surrounding nature park at dusk.

VIenna is an easy city to navigate around and even though I don't speak any German, I felt quite at home in this city. Below are a few photos around Vienna...

• View of the Lower Belvedere Palace & the Baroque gardens, built in the 17th century.
  
• St Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom), built in the 12th century has colourful glazed tiles for the roofing.


• Rathaus, the City Hall built in a Gothic revivial style.


• Memorial fountain, located in the business district of town.

On a final note, in response to the title of this blog, I'm pleased to say that had 2!

Buda and Pest

Continuing on with our Eastern Trekker experience, we had a day driving through Slovakia before arriving in Hungary and its capital, Budapest. Following a feast of local specialities of goulash, chicken paprika & local vino, we relaxed on an evening river boat cruise along the Danube river... the river which divides Buda and Pest. The photo to the right is of one of the pillons on the Chain Bridge.

With a full day to explore Budapest at our leisure, by far the easiest way to see the town was again on a bike. Some of the key places of interest in Pest include:

* St Stephen's Cathedral, where we were able to St Stephen's preserved right hand - bizarre! St Stephen was the first king of Hungary (11th century) and is regarded as one of the most popular saints in Hungary. There are numerous statues and monuments across the city built in his honour.

* A statue of an anonymous scribe for King Bela III. Legend has it that touching the pen will provide inspiration for writing

* Hosok tere (Hungarian for "Heroes square"). The centre of the square is the Millennium Memorial with statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century and other historical figures. On the last part of our bike tour we crossed the river to climb the hills of Buda. From the top of the palace we had panoramic views across the city, including the Parliament buildings in the photo below (top right).

As a good conclusion to our Eastern experience and by far the highlight of Budapest for me was our evening trip to the Gillert thermal baths. Over a few hours we relaxed in the baths, saunas & plunge pools. It's amazing how 20 degree water is surprisingly enjoyable after 5 mins in a 80 degree sauna! What was a superb way to end the trip. [The photo below of the thermal baths is courtesy of Google images.]

Peace or Piece

Over the past week, I joined 14 others on an Eastern Trekker tour of Europe. The main two countries we explored were Poland and Hungary. Poland is a country I have long wanted to visit, primarily out of intrigue for the events that took place here during WWII.

Auschwitz
Our Polish experience started in Auschwitz, a small town in the south of Poland. Chosen by the Germans in WWII for its good railway links across Europe, this site became the place for some of the most horrific events of WWII, including the largest mass murder in history. Everyone who visits this museum will no doubt take something different from the experience. For me, the shocking events impacted me when I saw just some of the personal belongings of the victims - in particular the tonnes of hair that had been cut off after they were lead to the "disinfection showers" following the selection process.

Below are a few photos from the site including: the entrance into the concentration camp "Arbeit macht frei", translated as "work will make you free"; and the main station from where many of the prisoners were sent directly to their death.

Krakow
With temperatures hovering barely above freezing point, we had a bike tour of Krakow (pronounced "Crack-ov"). Places we visited included the oldest university hall, Cloth Hall and Schindler's factory. Further below are some night-time shots of the grand St Mary's Basilica and the Tower which are located in the town square. By way of a comparison, this square is apparently larger that St Mark's square in Venice.Kosciusko Mound
In the afternoon, I joined a couple of fellow Aussies to make the pilgramme walk up Kosciusko Mound, located only a few kilomentres out of town. At an elevation of 326m above sea level, this mound is tiny in comparison to the Aussie version. Apparently it was the perceived resemblance to this mound which inspired the Polish explorer, Strezlecki, to name the highest mountain in Australia 'Mount Kosciusko'.

Despite the misty conditions, we had a good view over Krakow and the Vistula river. We could even hear some football fans bellowing their chants from a nearby packed football stadium.

Zakopane

Our Polish experience ended in Zakopane, a town in the southern alps popular for winter sports. In addition to a hike to the top of one of the main ski slopes, topped off with a hot chocolate at the summit, we tasted different varieties of the local speciality - smoked cheese. Quite tasty!

On a final note, here is a simple example of how tough the English language is... love it!

Normandy

With a long weekend approaching, there is typically some chat among my work colleagues about our plans for the weekend. While most people ask “Are you going anywhere special?”, my colleagues have learnt to ask “Where are you going this time?”. This past long weekend was no different. With little time to plan a full adventure by myself, I joined Belle & Ivan for a history lesson in the Normandy region of France.

The name ‘Normandy’ comes from the Vikings (the ‘northmen’) who settled in the territory in the 9th century. Normandy certainly has its name in more than one page in the history books. Here are just a few of the key dates that guided our weekend:

14 October 1066
The events of 1066 are reflected in a 68m tapestry which is currently located in the town of Bayeux, nearby the grand Cathedral (see photo right). This tapestry steps through the life of William, the Duke of Normandy, who became the King of England. The climax of the tapestry was the Battle of Hastings when William conquered over Herold who had been crowned king against his predecessor’s request.


30 May 1431
It was in the town of Rouen where Jehanne d’Arc (later known as Joan of Arc) was burned at the stake in 1431. A peasant girl who lead the French army through several important victories, Joan of Arc was put on trial for heresy. Later the Catholic Church found her to be innocent and she was declared a martyr. Today she is one of five patron saints in France. The photo to the left shows the style of some of the buildings which overlook the square where she died.

6 June 1944
Commonly known as D-day, it was on this day that the British and Allied forces attacked the Germans who held control of the French coastline. Some 165,000 troops landed on D-Day at 5 beaches along the 50 mile stretch of coastline. We visited two of the five beaches – Omaha beach and Gold Beach.

Omaha (above) was one of two landings by the US forces and was the hardest hit on D-day with some 5,000 soldiers falling on D-day. The cemetary holds the resting place for about 10,000 of the USA soldiers. The landing on Gold beach (below) was lead by the British forces. It was also one of two locations where the Allies constructed a temporary harbour (known as a Mulberry) to deliver supplies to its troops. Using prefabricated piers and roadways towed across the channel, the harbour was operational in 3 days – a pretty amazing engineering feat! Some of the concrete piers still remain today, despite the fact they were only made to last for 3 months. While exploring the history we were also able to some other towns…

• Honfleur is a quaint fishing village. We had just enough time to wander through the local markets including a few shops selling some of the local specialities – apple cider & calvados (apple brandy).
• Mont Saint Michel is a picturesque tidal island. According to legend, the Archangel Michael appeared to bishop St Aubert in 708 and instructed him to build a church on the rocky islet. Aubert initially ignored the instruction, but later reconsidered when St Michael burned a hole in the bishop’s skull with his finger. Today the island is a popular tourist attraction. Below are photos of me at the top with the Abbey overlooking the panoramic view and the island at low tide.