Indonesia - Day 17 - May 17, 2011



Day 17 -- May 17 Location: Yogyakarta, Java


Eric joined us for breakfast today -- so did our furry, four legged friend. I still haven't seen our furry friend, MJ has all the fun!!


Dr. Adam had a patient come to his office this AM just before we left, so we were delayed a bit in leaving. He gets the equivalent of $2 US for an  office visit.   Patients don't make an appointment to see the regular doctor -- only specialists -- you just show up. That's why there are people in our waiting room from early in the AM to after dinner at night. Hope we don't catch anything en route to our rooms :)


Dr. Adam's daughter, the dentist, also has patients throughout the day and after dinner. She had dinner with us last night b/c she had a patient waiting for her and didn't have time to go home.


Today is Tuesday and the program is to begin at 3:00 this afternoon with a trip to Prambanan Temple.  We are also scheduled to see a traditional dance performance in the evening at the Temple.


MJ and I thought that meant we had until 3:00 to explore on our own -- not so. We went to a wedding at 8:00 AM -- perhaps you thought I was kidding when I said they get up and get going early in the morning! I wonder what time the bride started getting ready.


We were welcomed guests and even had our pictures taken with the bride and groom.

Mary Jan, me, the wedding couple, Siti & Dr. Adam
at the 8:00 AM wedding.

By 10:00 we were on to a discussion group on economics -- in Indonesian  You can just imagine how interesting that was and how delighted we were to be there. We didn't understood a word. So, I just stepped out to write a bit.     I'm glad that they didn't ask me to say something intelligent -- economics, even in English, isn't my thing.

At 12:00 they were still going strong. A snack and lunch were served -- I could recognize about 75% of it -- I'm getting much better at identifying 101 Ways To Prepare Rice. Our snacks and box lunches are so beautifully arranged and colorful and often each item is carefully wrapped with either paper, cellophane or a banana leaf. My concerns about hygiene are limiting my food selection a bit, but I enjoy seeing and learning about all the different foods.  I'd rather be safe than sorry. Hope my luck holds out.



Lunch at the Economic Discussion.
I was a cautious eater.



We returned home by 1:00 and had a couple hours to rest before today's/ tonight's program. MJ and I went exploring around our house -- this place is a maze of rooms and staircases and courtyards. We found where they dry our laundry -- on the roof. Also discovered a spa on second floor -- massages, facials, haircuts, etc. I wonder why it wasn't recommended for our massages. Maybe they have been closed since we got here -- it's a holiday Sunday, Monday & Tues. Might try it tomorrow -- $6 massages.


At 3:00 we left for Prambanan Temple. It was incredible -- check it out online. The weather was nice -- hot and humid, but not insanely so and there was a bit of a breeze. Lots of photos -- it will be hard to narrow it down to a representative few.



And here stands another of my motivators to be an ED for this exchange!
What an incredible temple complex. 


 
Dinner tonight was a boxed meal, but I think it was for Westerners -- it was not our usual Indonesian box lunch. We ate on the bus and were told the story line for the Ramayana Baled performance that we went to at 7:30. The performance was quite spectacular -- held in an open air theatre, with a huge cast of dancers and musicians all in full costume. It seemed a lot like going to the opera in that the story was acted out with lots of music. Also seemed like the opera relative to understanding it -- it helped so much to know the story before watching it. We have seen a number of traditional dance and musical performances, and while they are beautifully choreographed and I love the costumes, half the time I wouldn't know what was going on -- the explanation helped a lot.

Final scene in the performance.

What a memorable sight -- the performance stage, with Prambanan
lilluminated behind and the moon above.

Half an hour ride home, showers and to bed. Two or three showers a day is not unusual. It's at least as hot here as FL in the summer, but very little AC.
So here it is, almost midnight and the plan is to be up at 6:00 AM to go to the market with Siti in the morning before we head out with the group.


Don't know if MJ will go to the market tomorrow -- she's starting to have some tummy problems.
More later.