A Sign of the Times

What's that smell?.....It's DURIAN!

Durian is a popular fruit that many locals enjoy eating.  Vendors park their flatbeds full of durian along side roads where people come to enjoy durian.  This odd, spiky fruit has one distinction amongst other fruit.  It STINKS, it has such a potent smell that it is banned in certain places like the Jogja Plaza Hotel.  I personally don't care for durian, but many locals love it.  It is one of those foods people either love or hate.

Parfum anyone?

Parfum is popular here in Jogja, or at least I see many parfum store fronts. The guys below wanted there picture taken and I should mention that they were not the ones working at the parfum store:-)

Alun Alun

Alun Alun is made up of a huge dirt lot that has 2 trees in the middle of it.  I know what you're thinking, "wow, big deal, a dirt lot with two trees".  But, if you can walk in-between the 2 trees blind-folded it is believed that you will have a wish come true.  Usually people start about 100 feet away, one person is blind-folded and the other person makes sure you don't hit anyone or anything in an attempt to walk through the two trees. It is a fun atmosphere with lots of laughter, you see many people wondering in all directions as spectators get a good chuckle.

The HP

People in Indo call their cell phone a "HP", short for hand phone.  HPs are very popular here in Jogja, SMSing (texting) is much more popular than calling simply because it is cheaper.  HP shops line the streets of Jogja, one after another. They dominate store fronts and are often busy with customers.  Every month or so I buy 5 dollars worth of "Pulsa"(air time/texting) to keep my HP active.

Jogja Jamming

2 days ago "Jogja Jamming" kicked off.  The 1 month art exhibition opened with bands, lots of painting, and a crowd.  There were many Ronald McDonald statues.

Making Batik

Happy Puppy - Karaoke

Happy Puppy is the popular karaoke spot in Jogja.  It's a blast!

Under the Bridge

Bridge pillars in Jogja are decorated with wonder paintings representing Indonesian culture.

Jogja Train Station

Time to eat

At least once a day I will eat at at a hybrid warung/restaurant.  These places offer traditional Indonesian food, with lots of great juices as well.  My meal usually costs me about 2 dollars.

At many places to eat you look at the menu and write down what you want.  Once you are finished you make eye contact with the person working there and they will come over and pick it up.  If they say "habis" it means they are out of it.

Sate Ayam at Pondok Cabe is great!

Sambal is a spicy concoction (think of it as salsa) that many people enjoy in Indo.  There are many different varieties.

Lombok Sunrises

Last April my wife and I took a trip to Lombok and the Gili Islands.  I captured a few photos at sunrise.

Sunrise from Gili Trawangan

Sunrise from Senggigi

Bali 5.0 - Tulamben Sunrise

One morning in Tulamben I woke up around 4:45 to capture the sunrise. I prefer sunrises to sunsets because it is much more quiet and peaceful. I rarely see anyone out. At this particular location in northeast Bali I thought the sun was going to be obstructed by the curving peninsula or by the mountains. I shot some photos from the rocky beach as the sky transitioned from a dark blue to a light pink/purple. I captured some shots I liked and headed back to my room. It was already light out and I figured the sun already peaked out. As I headed up the trail I glanced at the ocean and saw the sun starting to peak out. I was right next to a small fence with a gate partially open. The end result is the bottom photograph which I love, but was not planned:-)

Bali 4.0

This is a 5 minute exposure over-looking rice fields. Notice the faint star trails

I am not sure what these things are but I think they are involved in some Hindu ritual/offering. They are often constructed over roads.

Little shops that sell various paintings dominate the streets of Ubud. Many painting styles/paintings are often copied and reproduced.

A Hindu offering. It's not directed at the skull:-)

Bali 3.0 Dive Shop

While on Bali we spent 2 days in Tulamben scuba and free diving. This is the dive shop that I rented my gear from.