Aston Bandung

... different at the mall. Like everywhere . . . same stores . . . so I return to the hotel to check out and it is around 11:30. When I return I am told that the bus company has called. I really don't quite understand what is happening as they say that if I was leaving earlier the bus would be me up at the hotel but because I am leaving at 1pm I have to go to their office!!!! The hotel tells me they will drive me to the office and I ...

... and then I continued on to Cupu Manik puppet factory where of course they manufacture the puppets. All puppets here are handmade and handpainted. Quite interesting to observe the work in progress.

Bandung is alsoknown for its cultural performances and there was one at 3:30 today at Saung Angklung about 8 klm from the hotel. This place is very well known ...

... and started hunting for a decent hotel. Being that today is Friday, many hotels are booked or they are asking a week-end price which is at least 100,000 higher than during the week. After searching for a couple of hours, I finally get a room at Vue Palace Hotel for 455,000 incld. breakfast and it is the only hotel with wifi in the room. The room ...

Learned about the earthquake on Sumatra via email from the US. We didn't feel a thing and the locals don't complain to their guests, I guess.

We;re off to Bandung today. Very slow day, waiting for our ride. The route takes us thru Puncak Pass, a resort area for the locals. Its elevation makes it refreshing, but the traffic is a horror. On weekends it is so bad that commercial transport, like our mini bus, has to bypas it and take a long way around.

... out of my freetime. It was nice to talk to the teenagers and feel like a rockstar. I think maybe a couple of less days would have been perfect as the ricefields and tea plantations weren't my cup of tea (sorry about the pun!). If it was proper volunteering, where they were in dire need of help, short staffed etc I would have been compelled to stay longer, but it seems like they have westerners visit often and have good facilities and teachers. Overall though a great time was had.

The last day I was in Bandung I went to a little food stall where the sign advertised Tempe. I told him I wanted tempe with vegetables and could he make it? He said yes, and I sat down. The place was pretty busy, always a good sign Well the bowl came and it was about 8 ounces of chunks of beef fat and a few vegetables over rice. I yold him I ordered tempe and he said "In there" and he and his co-worker ...

here ... my work still continues ... i can do anything what i want here .. no one can disturb me ... except its too dangerous conditions here ... my work still continues ... i can studying while i play a game ... download any more game ... installing new game for my happiness here ... my work still continues .. i can chatting with another people .. learn any language .. learn english more deep

... any of the scenery. Now what? Do we do this train ride, or do we eat the cost of the ticket and fly. Snap decision, lets fly. So we go to a travel agent and see what kind of options we have, and for what price. There's a plane leaving in 3 hours, but it will set you back a whopping $22 USD each.... What?!? $1 more than the train ride that only got us ¾ of the way to our destination!!! Awesome! So we finally caught a break. On to Bali for a couple days of sun and sand.

... and sets them anew. They all merge into one big mass of mountain-sea. And greatness is written all over it. In Kawah Putih, the fascination never ends. ----------------------------------- The pale-green water lies dead in the mountain hole, Looking for a way out, a lower state To flow into, but be it far and be it near, The water’s surrounded, from departing denied. In this giant pit, amidst hordes of rock, The rain accumulates. Today, a yesterday’s landscape is ...

... first Asia Africa Conference took place there; the Savoy Homann Hotel and Grand Hotel Preanger are also nearby. Other buildings include the stylish Bandung Institute of Technology, the most important building of the colonial era, as well as Gedung Sate, and Villa Isola. Gedung Sate is one of the most impressive architectural heritage landmarks, one that reflects the heyday of Indo-European style. It was built in the 1920-1926 period, and is fascinating and well -maintained.