A Fun Drive with the Dutchies!

 The Plan was for the Dutchies to go for another ride on the bikes....OK let's do it...how about Tuesday after Kristian finishes with teaching in the morning?  YES!

We met at Kawan Kitchen and visited there with Elisha & Beppie for a little while and then off we went for the afternoon! 

Go - and did we ever!  We zipped through the busy town and then came to the outskirts of town - and even that was pretty busy! 

 Kris & Lianne had told us about this Viewpoint way up on this mountain...and you could see all around!  It sure sounds good to us!  So off we went Beppie joined us as well! 

We drove by the many rice fields - and it is always so lush and green - such beauty - and to see the people working in the fields with their straw hats - so Indonesian and ever so heartwarming - my father so loved this country he was born in!!!!!  Yes a beautiful sight to behold!!!!! 

We just love to ride like that...seeing so many sights left & right!  I keep wanting to stop...to get that camera out...but Kris & Lian & Bep are up ahead...better stay on the road...ha!

 We came to the turn off and yes!  It was a place we had actually stayed - the Tlogo Coffee Plantation!  "Oh Kris we have been here before!"

But the difference was....that behind the area where we had stayed on the coffee plantation was this high mountain...and Kris pointed up to it...and way up there on the top was the Viewpoint - that he wanted to take us to!  "COOL!!!! Oh fun are we gooooing UP THERE????"

 And so we climbed up up up...this paved road...(thankfully newly paved!) because there are so many 'pot-holes' on these little roads!  We continued to climb - a narrow road almost less the a car-width road and we got to the TOP!

 Wow...look at this place...and the View was beautiful!!!!!! 

It was a bit hazy outside..but still we could see all around us!

We could see some clouds had come in....the weather was changing~

 There was a pagoda that you could sit under...and we could order our lunch...which we did!

 Lian & Bep looked over the view...and there in the distance is Lake Banyu Biru and Ambarawa!

 

 This place is a campground & it sure seemed to be a hang-out for the youth.  The schools are finishing up and a lot of students were up here too! 

As we headed down the hill somebody waved and smiled...."Hey..that looks like Intan?? Is that you with your friends?"    I saw your smile and thought "I know that smile...that looks like Intan!"...well her father told us later it was! Ha! 


We had lunch and had fun just being together!  Oh we Dutchies have enough to share!  Beppie's daughter is arriving tomorrow from Holland.  Stefanie spent her first year at the university of Leiden and is coming home to join her friends as they graduate here at the International School!  Beppie is excited to see her daughter after a year...of course! 


Well - we headed down the mountain again...and we wanted to show Kris & Lian & Beppie the Coffee Plantation and the adorable cottage we had stayed at when we first arrived in Salatiga!

Strangely enough the place was closed!  Oh my what happened?  They told us the government had taken it over...and it would be re-opened in July again. 

 This was the very cottage Nick & I stayed at...do you remember the pictures on the blog 8 months ago?  Oh it was & is adorable...we was pleased to share it with them!  We could see it was a little let-go and overgrown...so we hope the new ownership will take care of it soon! 

 Across from our cottage was this cute pagoda that in the evenings they had lighted a candle there on the table...so cute to sit there in the evening!  "Beppie ...let me take a picture of you OK?"   Nico took them a little further...for there were several little cottage in this coffee plantation...they were all in a very private setting...cute as can be!  With little pathways to each one! 

 

The weather really starting changing by this time of the afternoon....oh oh...we better head back....well all at once...it began....and DOWN it CAME!!!!!!

Hard!  Kristian & Lianne stopped across the street undercover.  I wasn't fast enough and really didn't want to cross traffic...so I stopped & Beppie and Nico too..on this side of the road.  

Out comes the poncho's...

 There is Kris & Lian...and they had taken better cover then we did...hey you guys over there!!!!!

Can you see the road?  How quickly the puddles come?????  Everyone just gets off their motorbikes and just waits for the rain to pass!

There they stand...but the water was coming down the slope and our shoes were really getting wet...we better join those "smart ones...across the street!"  So we did...and waited about 15 minutes until it lightened up!  Well it still rained a bit....but we made it back...and by the time we were back in Salatiga...well the rain had stopped already!  OK you Friends~ Luitjes...time to head back now...thanks for a great afternoon! As always - we enjoyed it!  

Next time...the road along the lake to Banyu Biru OK?????