An Awesome Hike Up Plawangan To View Mount Merapi
5 Things Indonesia Is Famous For
Indonesia is a huge country made up of 240,000,000 people, 17,000 islands and covers an area roughly the size of the United States. It has a rich history and hundreds of unique cultures and languages. It would seem to make sense then that there would be some famous things that come from Indonesia. Today, I want to share with you just five of them.
Coffee: Coffee was introduced to Indonesia by the Dutch centuries ago. They initially built plantations on the Island of Java but today coffee is grown all over the country. Historically speaking, coffee was traditionally named after the port it was exported from. Thus, coffee from Java was called Java coffee. Since the island of Java was such a prominent exporter of coffee eventually the term Java became synonymous for all types of coffee, not just coffee from Java. So, whenever you have a cup of java just remember the term originated here.
There are two types of coffee from Indonesia that are especially famous, Sumatra coffee and Coffee Luwak. Sumatra coffee, which has been made famous by Starbucks, is from the island of Sumatra the large island on the western side of the country. Coffee Luwak is made from the excrement of a cat-like animal who eats the coffee berry and poops out the undigested coffee bean. Those beans are then collected, cleaned and roasted. Coffee Luwak is produced mostly on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi. It is the most expensive coffee in the world, costing around $300 a pound. Cheaper on Amazon sometimes.
Orangutans: Who doesn’t love the long-armed red-haired orangutan? They can only be found in the rainforests of the islands of Borneo and Sumatra, both of which are in Indonesia.
The Spice Islands: Back in the 16th century nutmeg, cloves and mace were global commodities that grew nowhere else but in Indonesia. Nations fought for control of the Spice Islands.
Komodo Dragons: Komodo Dragons were only rumored to exist before 1910 when the Dutch made their first expedition to what is now called Komodo Island. During this expedition two of the dragons were shot and their skins were brought back to Java for documentation.
Bali: Bali is famous for its beaches, surfing and unique Hindu culture. It is the most popular tourist destination in Indonesia.
So, that is just a few of the many things Indonesia is famous for.
Watch the video: 5 Things Indonesia Is Famous For
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Keeping Dry While Riding A Motorcycle In The Rain
I love the rain! It gives me a sense of calmness. Maybe because I am a homebody by nature, rain gives me the urge to stop all necessary work, find a good book and a comfy couch! Having said all that, I find myself caught out in the rain frequently here in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Since I drive a motorcycle as my source of transportation, I have to be a bit creative in how I handle keeping dry while riding a motorcycle in the rain. Some days I can wait till the rain is finished before heading out, but other days I feel the need to get on the road. Sometimes I am already on the road and the rain comes quite suddenly. At that point I pull over and whip out our rain gear.
I bought Sarah and Seth rain ponchos because there are no zippers to deal with. The only draw back is that they have to take their helmets off before the poncho will fit over their heads. I have a jacket and some snazzy blue rubber pants that I look pretty hot in! (Just joking, in case you didn’t catch my humor). To add to my attire, I always carry my bag/purse, which has to be protected from the rain as well. This I zip up inside my jacket, which gives me a nice pregnant look. I always carry our rain gear with us. My motorcycle has a cubby under my seat that I store them in. I sure am glad someone designed that cubby into my bike!
Oh, the joys of riding a motorcycle in the rain!
Indonesia’s Legend of the Origin of Sea Cows
Sea cows are mammals that live only in the water and eat grass like a cow. They never come out even to give birth. They live in swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters. They grow to a length of 7.5 to 12 feet long and can weigh up to 3,300 pounds.
Here is the legend of their origin…
Once upon a time there was a husband and wife who lived with their three children in central Sulawesi. They made their living off of farming and fishing.
Early one morning the father caught a bunch of fish in his net and took them home for his wife to cook for breakfast. There were so many fish that they could not eat them all for breakfast so the father asked his wife to save the leftovers for his evening meal. She put the fish away in a clay jar and closed it tight.
At lunch time when the mother and children came in to eat, the youngest child asked for fish for lunch. However, there was only the fish that was reserved for their father when he came home for dinner. When the mother said, No. The child began to throw a fit crying and rolling around on the floor. Because the mother was not strong she gave into the child’s request and gave him the fish which he scarfed down like a greedy pig.
In the evening the father came home tired and hungry from working in the fields. He asked for the fish that his wife saved for him but when he didn’t receive them he asked where they were. She related her experience earlier in the day and asked for his forgiveness. He became very angry and would not forgive his wife until she when out and caught fish to replace the ones she gave to the whiny child. He forbid her from coming home until she had the fish.
So, his wife left the house broken hearted and went to the sea. She was so sad she didn’t care if she drowned at sea while trying to catch the fish.
The next day her three children went down toward the beach looking for her. The youngest, who was still nursing, was crying and calling his mothers name. Once they reached the beach they were shocked and happy to see their mother come up out of the water. She nursed the youngest and told them all to go home and that she would follow once she caught the fish.
The three children went home and waited all night for their mother to return. When she hadn’t come home the next day they went back to the beach looking for her. Their mother came back up out of the water intending to nurse the youngest again. But, the children were afraid of her and the youngest didn’t want to nurse because her body was covered with scales like a fish.
Their mother insisted that she was really their mother. The first child replied, “our mother is beautiful with smooth skin. She doesn’t have skin like you.” When their mother approached them they ran away in fear. Later they returned to beach to call for their mother. She came back up out of the sea. This time with even more scales than before. The children runaway again in fear. This continued for some time. Every time the children would come calling for their mother she would come up out of the water looking more terrifying and covered with more scales, until finally, her two legs grew together into a fish tail and she turned into a mermaid. She swam away and was never seen from again.
The residence of central Sulawesi believe that this mother was the origin of the local sea cow population.
Question: I’m sure you can come up with some morals to the story. I would love to hear them? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Translated by Martin Johnson from Koleksi Terbaik 100 Plus Dongeng Rakyat Nusantara by Gamal Komandoko
Introducing Riding Java
My family and I recently moved from Moab, UT to the city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia on the island of Java.
I’m so excited to be able to share this experience with you as we ride together.
Before I tell you a little bit about Indonesia and what Riding Java is all about I want to thank a few of the guys who have inspired me to glue a camera on my helmet and ride around talking to myself, motovloging. So, here is a great big thank you to:
- Ride Victoria up in Victoria, Canada
- EveRide down in St. George, UT
- Half Throttle in Panama
Thank you for the inspiration you give to newbie motovloggers like myself.
Alright, so, where in the world is Indonesia and what is Riding Java all about? I’m so glad you asked!
Indonesia is located in Southeast Asia. It is made up of about 17,000 islands that stretch out along the equator for about 3000 miles in between Australia and China. 5000-6000 of those islands are inhabited. There are hundreds of different local languages spoken here, but, thankfully the country is unified by their national language, Bahasa Indonesia. Indonesia is the fourth most populated country in the world. China is number one, India is number two, the USA is number three and Indonesia comes in number four with about 240 million people living here. It is also the worlds largest Muslim nation with about 88% of the population being Muslim.
Indonesia is an amazing place to live and an amazing place to ride.
As we ride together we’ll talk about all kinds of different things. We’ll talk about
- Travel
- Culture
- Food
- Life
- And of course, Riding
So guys, that is Indonesia and Riding Java in a nutshell. Why don’t you…
- Subscribe to my channel
- Give me a thumbs up
- And share this video on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
Until next time, this is Riding Java… I’ll talk to you later.
You can subscribe to my Youtube Channel by clicking here.
Question: What would you like me to vlog about? I really want to hear your suggestions. You can leave your comment by clicking here.
Bathing with hot water is for babies!
While bathing with hot water is a common and preferred way of bathing in America it is viewed here in Indonesia as the way the sick, babies or elderly bathe. So, if you come to visit us you most likely will experience the traditional Indonesian way of bathing. We use a large tub of water called a “bak”, with a dipper called a “gayung”.
After sharing with one of my language teachers how the cold water takes Seth’s breath away every time he pours the water over his head, she gave me some tips on how to properly bathe without shocking your system!
Step 1: Splash your face.
Step 2: Splash your legs.
Step 3: Splash your back.
Step 4: Now you are ready for a full bath!
Apparently going through this process helps your body get used to the water before covering your whole body in it. Of course, if you’re already hot from Indonesias humidity and heat, having a cold shock to your body feels great!
Question: Which way would you choose to bathe? Take the time to complete all 4 steps or skip the steps and pour it over your head right away? Please leave your comment by clicking here.
TransJakarta Busway
I have had the opportunity to ride the TransJakarta Busway several times since moving here. I think riding on it is a lot of fun! It has it’s own lane separate from traffic, although motorcycles and cars use it illegally at times. Sometimes, on the bus I have a lot of room to move around, but other times it gets really crowded! According to Wikipedia, the Busway was open to everyone in 2004 and carries around 250,000 passengers per day.
One time when we rode on the Busway, I got to buy the tickets! Since I do not know the language very well Mom told me what to say and gave me money to pay for them. Unlike in America, the men and women are separated on the bus. So, mom and I sat in the front of the bus and Dad and Seth in the back. We had a long ride and Dad was not there to tell us where to get off. Mom misunderstood what Dad had said before we boarded and we got off too early!
When we looked back at the bus we saw Dad and Seth waving to us from inside as we stood on the platform watching them drive away! We hurried to get back on the next bus to catch up to the boys. As we pulled up to our destination, Dad and Seth were there, waiting for us!
A few hours later, we got on again to go home and the same thing happened except we stayed on the bus and Dad and Seth got off at the right stop. We didn’t panic, just laughed at our silly mistake again. We quickly turned around and caught up to them. All of us were laughing!
I learned that on the Busway, you have to pay attention to everything around you; especially what stop is coming next!
Question: What type of interesting transportation have you taken? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
Everybody Is A Teacher
Now that we live in Indonesia, I really want to learn the language so I can communicate with everyone and make lots of new friends. I have learned that everybody is a teacher! Even though I do not know the language I have been able to make a few friends already. Two of my new friends come from a family in the church of Christ at Darmawangsa. Yosua is a boy and he is almost 6 years old. His 2 year old sister is named Ester. We have spent a lot of time with this family and I have become friends with the kids.
I have gotten to play with Ester and when she talks and I ask my Mom what she is saying she is “teaching” me Indonesian. Another way I am learning is through pictures. When I play with Ester sometimes she points to a picture of something and says the Indonesian word for it. I have a game on my iPod that has a picture of a cat on it so Ester touched it and said “kucing”, which is the word for cat. Another time, she pointed to a rabbit on her shorts and said, “kelinci”, the word for rabbit.
I have learned a lot of words from Ester and I have enjoyed playing with her. It is funny how even a two-year-old little girl can become a great language teacher! I am learning Indonesian little by little. Someday I will know the language really well and I will remember Ester as one of my first language “teachers.” I have learned that when you are learning a new language, everyone is a teacher, whether they are 2 years old or 50!
Question: Who has been an unexpected teacher in your life? You can leave a comment by clicking here.