A Day OUT!

 

 We have had some really wet days for mnay weeks actually...most everyday we have had rain.  It IS the rainy season and at times I do forget we are in a rain forest environment - so lots of rain, lots of moisture and humidity.  Anyway - on Sunday morning and then Christmas Day too and the next day...oh my - SUN!!!!! Lots of it!

Oh I was delighted...and to feel that warmth on the body....ahhhhh felt so' GOOD! It was just gorgeous out!  So Nick & I took a day out to enjoy all this gorgeous weather!

We drove towards Ambarawa again...just a pretty road and then because of our last outing 2.5 weeks ago - and having rain that day- we were not able to see much of Bandungan...so we decided to go back to the "vacation" area up in the higher altitude.  (3000+ft)

So off we went...driving and stopping to take lots of pictures of the beautiful rice fields with the levels & terraces that make it look so pretty!

 Nick stopped...Ellen takes the camera out and we just take-in what we see around us!

             Hey You...you are looking mighty fine on that      m o t o r c y c l e !!!!!  That my guy!

 Two ladies working in the rice field...hard work! 

 Gosh Nick just look at those mountains on a clear day...so pretty!  We are actually surrounded by mountains all around us here in Salatiga! 

 We came to a intersection and there are men playing music on their instruments and these 3 guys are dancing - keeping us entertained while we wait on the signal light.  So they come by with a basket hoping you will give a little something - which we always like to do.

 They had their Javanese attire on and looked pretty impressive...you just had to give something!  I enjoy the music - it is so different!

Every time we come to this area - they are always there on that intersection...playing!  So this just might be their way of earning a living...it must help pay their needs - because we have been here now 3 months and each time we drive to this area...there they are! 

We drove into Bandungan and then went onward and upward into the mountain side...and it was just gorgeous and beautiful up there!  Lush and green (from ALL the rain!) Oh how I love to just drive those mountain roads...windy and pretty - we did a bit of climbing and that motorbike just took us right up...no problem! 

Sweet huh...all those little kampung's here and there (villages) A very pretty sight indeed!

 We drove down again to Bandungan (wheeeee such fun on that bike I tell you - I just gotta get one of my own...Nick????) 

We found a cute place to have lunch...Hotel Rawa.  We stopped because we saw the beautiful gardens (Meg?!!!) Oh such beauty - somebody had put a whole lot of thought into the garden and I just went crazy with the camera!!!!  The view was beautiful too - although you can't really see it very clearly in these photo's.  You can vaguely see the lake down by Salatiga...again we were about 3500+ ft in elevation and Salatiga is at around 2100ft.  

 The house had a veranda all around it and the siding was different too...it was a wood siding - Nick noted. 

 There was this cozy atmosphere attached to it and the inside of the dining area too was really cute.  All decorated for Christmas!

 Do you see what we saw on the menu??????  Kroketten?!!! Croqette in French? Oh my goodness - it took only a "second" for us to order that!  4000 rupiah = 40 cents

We were the only ones on the deck outside and then later a lot of guests came in for lunch!  They came to us and asked if they could take pictures with us...sure we said...and chatted with them!  They were vacationing in Bandungan - from Semarang...and also enjoying the country setting they said.

OK...I will now bombard you with pictures of the garden area...so for you who are not too keen on that...do not go any further....ha! 

But here it comes! ..................................... so we come unto the hotel property and parked the bike and wander towards the restaurant - and see this arbor...with this orange color hanging from it.....

 ....This bright orange plant I have never seen before....does anyone recognize it???????????????????????/

 Oh it was absolutely bright and beautiful!!!!!!

Just breath taking...really!

A deep orange....Oh I wish I knew the name of it! 

 If you double click on this photo you will see the fineness of this flower...so pretty!  It looks like 2 little ears coming out on the top huh?

 Here is another one I do not recognize...now ....I have never been good with names of flowers...but what I mean to say is.... I have never seen the likes of these flowers...!

 Look at this one...with the purple tips on them.....

        And this one....amazing again.....aren't they beautiful!  Just hanging like that?

 This one too was very unique.....amazing creativity the Lord has!!!!! 

 This one grows into a cone-like flower....so pretty!

 This little Rhino welcomed us as we entered into the parking area of the hotel!

 After a nice lunch and enjoying the beautiful setting and chatting with the guests there...Nick & I went inside to pay our bill and thank them for a lovely lunch.  As we walked up to the counter we saw in the cabinet these spice holders - from HOLLAND!

 We asked the waitress and she explained (the best we could understand) that the couple who had owned the restaurant was a Dutch lady with her Chinese husband.  They ran the restaurant for quite a long time and now their daughter has taken it over!  Ahhhhh now we understood the way the building was built and that it was a Dutch style.

 Time to head down the mountain back to Salatiga!  Thankfully we still had a nice drive in front of us and we could enjoy the warmth of the Sun some more! 

 We saw these ladies in the pick-up truck...sitting on the edge like that...gosh...."don't put on the brake pick-up driver" or they will fall out!!!

 We came behind this other truck LOADED down with wood...oh my goodness it was leaning to one side....top loaded too!  Gosh I sure wouldn't want those logs falling off that truck!

Zip around it fast Nico!!!

 Well almost back to Salatiga and we stopped at a vegetable stand close to the house...and again....what a beautiful scene it was towards our kampung!

      Beautiful...isn't it?  YES SIREE!

Well we have had a lovely morning and early afternoon....and how great it is to just 'get away' for a little bit...having fun on the motorbike and just spending some time enjoying the scenery!