JAVA in New York Times
 

My first SE Asian destination (after Singapore):


http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/travel/28java.html

Oh, one of my favorite places! It's been so long since I was last there, it's one of the places on my list of possibilities for 2009.

I also loved Java, Kathie! My sister and I traveled by train across much of the island, and on to Bali, in the early 1980s. I made two more trips after that but have not been back there, or anyplace in Indonesia, since the 80s..

The first two Asia travel guides I purchased were the yellow Lonely Planet Tony Wheeler and the Indonesia Handbook..long time ago!

offwego to Java!
33 more sleeps.

Lori, you'll love Java. I know you are interested in textiles, and I found wonderful textiles when I was there. Some were local, some were from other islands.

The tulis batik in Solo is renowned. We visited the workshop that made the batik for the Solo kraton. It was exquisite. I remember that it took a month or two to make a length of the kraton's batik. At the time, I could have bought a length for $250 - $300. How I wish I had!

Eks, you were in Java before I was. I was there in the late 1980s... a long time ago.

Lori, have a wonderful trip! I'm really looking forward to your trip report.

This will be my first ever "unrehearsed trip". All I've got are plane tickets to Bali, reservations in Ubud for a few days and I've sent the application for the visa.

Beyond that, I've given myself 3 weeks to get from Ubud to Siem Reap, with a very loose plan as to how to get there or what to see along the way (borobudur notwithstanding)

Hoping to get to Singapore for Thaipusam...we'll see what else happens along the way.

I'm looking so forward to getting back to Cambodia I hope I don't just get a ticket directly from Bali..!