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Halfway around the world in 1 year
Welcome to Sotje62 ! My blog intends to make the world a smaller place. Automatically and real-time, the blog traces Beatriz and myself's whereabouts, it might just tell you a thing or 2 that interests me - therefore not you, that's the privilege of having a blog - but read new blogs on the top and click on the pictures in the side bar to see older blogs, the blog,and Beatriz and I hope you grow a good 'travel' appetite. Sotje62 travel blog is in Vlaams (donker gekleurd) and in English (light coloured). So read what you understand and again what you like.
27-01-2010
In Jogja, zet je vast voor Java !! // Get ready for Java !!
Yesterday I arrived from Bali in Java and I show you our first pictures !! Java is a place I always wanted to go even if it isonly for its inspiring name. I am in Jogjakarta, the biggest cultural city of Java. If Jakarta rules over all Java's money, then Jogjakarta is the city where the Javanese painters, musicians and dancers live. I haven't seen much yet but here is an impression on Java.
Gisteren ben ik van Bali in Java aangekomen en ik toon je mijn eerste foto's!! Java is altijd een plaats geweest die ik wilde zien, al is het maar voor zijn naam!! En ik ben in Jogjakarta, de culturele stad van Java. Als Jakarta het financiele centrum is, dan is Jogjakarta de stad waar de Javanese schilders, muzikanten en dansers wonen. Ik heb nog niet veel gezien maar hier is een impressie van Java.
Jogjakarta. View over the rooftops of Jogja and of the smoking volcano Merpati. He's still active!!
Jogja. The streets around the Sultan's palace.
Beatriz and the Sultan on Malioboro street.
I like the wall paintings a lot.
The locals want to be on a picture.
These local students like a picture too. Jogja holds many art universities and many students walk around with a big camera. We take pictures of them, and they take pictures of us.
What can I say ?? It's pure art.
Beatriz is getting some guiding on the local bird market. Not without intentions!! The man showed us around for an hour or so, and eventually we arrived at his house where he has an art gallery. And he wants to sell us his batik paintings. He made a lot of effort and the Javanese batik is fantastic, but too bad for him we are not buying. And he was the 3rd guy that day with this trick so we know what is going on in Jogja.
In Jogja the people even batik the little chickens !!
A quick picture from an art gallery, quick because it is not allowed. The batik paintings are fantastic handwork !! The artist uses wax and natural colours on a cotton or silk surface.
Java is very known for puppet shows. This puppet is carved out of a roll of buffalo skin, then painted with natural colours. The green comes from the papaya leaf, the white from a buffalo horn, and the black from some stone. Really impressive handwork.
16.09.09. Half-Round the world in 1 year / Kick off. 9th of April 2009, Mumbai, India’s biggest city, is our best destination to take the train south to Goa, Kerala and Bangalore. From there we go 4,000 km by train back to north India, see Karnataka, Rajasthan, the Taj Mahal, Varanasi and Nepal. In Nepal we do small treks in the Himalayas and visit Kathmandu. Over de friendship highway, the route goes from Kathmandu to Lhasa by jeep, maximum altitude 5250m and we get to see the Mount Everest. In Lhasa we take the train through China, see the Terracotta warriors in Xi'an, and go 3,500m north to enter Mongolia and arrive in Ulan Bator. In Mongolia we camp in the Khovsgol area near the Russian Siberia, and renew the Chinese Visa to go back south. The clock says 4 months when we trained through China and see Yunnan, South China with its wonderful terraced rice fields. We enter the tropics and after 6 months travels we are in Vietnam. 2 months after that, we should have seen Angkor, the beaches in Thailand & Maleysia ...<e.d. 25.10.09. There is a change of plan after Angkor: we fly from Bangkok to Manila, we go to the Philippines!!> and on a ferry to Indonesia. From either Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok, we find our way to Sydney and work for 3 months. We will have traveled for 1 year when we are in Oz and ... and ... and ... that is how far we planned. But we were supposed to come back in 1 year but we are only half around the world. Beatriz and myself love Asia!! So much for planning ahead and scheduling. Let's just see how we get on and the more exciting our trip will be. Wish us good luck on the trip!!
