A note on currency rates - as of late 1997 the Indonesian Rupiah plunged along with other currencies throughout Asia, reaching IRp10,000+ to US$ at one point (!) - what local prices are now in Rupiah and therefore in dollars we cannot guess. Prices through these pages reflect IRp2,300/US$ or IRp1,700/A$ prevailing through 1995-1997.

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	Bandung Bandung is probably best known in Indonesia as a famous University town and home to some of Indonesia's most advanced industries. Outside Indonesia Bandung is probably best known for it's famous 'Jeans Street' - were local shops specialise in selling denin and compete with one another to make the most elaborate shopfronts resulting in a quite surreal look. Bandung is also famous as being one of the 3 best cities for tropical Art Deco (the others being Miami, Florida and Napier, New Zealand). At an altitude of 700 metres the climate is very pleasant and the area was one of the most settled by the Dutch (it had also long been one of the most productive and wealthy areas in Indonesia). Bandung was central to the early independance movement in the 1920's (centred on the University) and much research into tropical diseases - at one time 90% of the World's quinine was produced here and used to combat malaria Worldwide.
	This is the Surabaya Hotel in Bandung. It is a fine example of a Dutch Colonial - built in 1913 with some attractive stained glass and pressed-tin ceilings. Our room was comparatively expensive (for older style accomodation) but came with a huge and comfortable 'Opium Bed' and more than the usual amount of furniture for an Indonesian hotel (such as a small table, two chairs and framed batik all in antique Chinese style).
	It was here that Grant created the Bandung breakfast from the ubiquitous traveller's losman breakfast of Indonesia; simply taking the fried egg, the butter, and pineapple jam, the slices of papaya and squishing them between the two pieces of toast - tasted surprisingly good! (On the subject, another favourite breakfast of travellers is the ever present Banana Pancake or the ever popular Cheese-and-Tomato waffle - who said backbackers aren't sophisticated diners?)
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	Bogor Bogor is a delight - just 60km south of Jakarta - and is home to the famous Botanic Gardens opened in 1817. Bogor has a reputation for having the highest rainfall in Java and 322 thunderstorms per year. We met one while in the gardens and spent an enjoyable hour sheltering with a crowd of locals who had been doing the family picnic in the park thing. But Bogor is clean and fresh for all the rain so we didn't mind at all.
	We can recommend Abu Pensione on Jl Major Oking just a short walk from the train station. The room was very clean, airy and quiet and they have a large balcony overlooking the river which is a nice sunny spot for breakfast.	The ramshackle backs of houses backing onto the river behind Abu Pensione. The staff are helpful and knowledgeable too! It is also central to the Botanic Gardens, the main shopping area and the Wet Market.
		Here is Grant peering out from two very large trees in the Botanic Gardens. The gardens are laid out in English style but using tropical trees and shrubs. Located high in the Park is the Istana where Sukharno was 'kept' after being removed from power; close enough to keep an eye on but isolated all the same. The orginal building on the site was built as the Summer residence for the Dutch governors and the present is reputed to still hold Sukarno's outstanding collection of porn. We didn't see it.
		Dale at a warung in Bogor - a slew of fellows set up their stalls along Jalan Veteran of an evening and the food is excellent. One of the delights of Indonesia is the street food - wandering from cart to cart and picking out something that takes your fancy. You quickly get to know what cart is wandering by from the distinctive sound each vendor will make; some hit steel bars, some use wooden bells and some cry out. Do as the locals do and dash out of shops to collar the vendor as he goes past. We suspect this would be the highlight of a trip to Indonesia for Rebecca - counting a successful day as one when no cart managed to pass unscathed!
	Bogor is easy to walk around (not too big) and some interesting old colonial houses are hidden in the streets. The city is criss-crossed by small and not so small streams serving as both a rubbish removal system (well, at least to downstream!) and ablution facilities for the cities poor. Early morning walks greet you with many bared posteriors. An active beat also appears to be happening of a night in the amusement park if such information is of any use to you. (And for those who have asked what we mean here- if you don't know, you don't need to.)
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	Jakarta - the Big Durian For those who don't know, a durian is a large spiky fruit that smells - some have compared it to onions and raw sewerage! And the taste is sublime (says Grant) or vile (says Dale). During the season people throughout South-East Asia go slightly crazy such is the reputation of it's taste. So it is not unsurprising that Jakarta - 8 million at night and nearly double that during the day - should be nickednamed The Big Durian. It is a place you will either hate or love. It is rather like a large and busy anthill with people scurrying about their business and peakhour traffic that is dreadful. Nevertheless, there is much to do and see in the capital of Indonesia - if only you have the time and energy. Shopping is also good and if you are pushed for time you can always visit the large department stores in on Jl Thamrin where traditional crafts from across the islands of Indonesia are displayed...just expect to pay a great deal more.
	Here is Grant hidden in a sea of locals in a cafe on Jalan Jaksa. If you visit Indonesia you too can experience being mobbed by students learning English - apparently their teachers send them out to track down unsuspecting Orang Putih and try their new found knowledge out on them. It always cracked us up to be sitting having a bit of nasi goreng special in the afternoon when we would see a crowd of students appear at one end of the street and know that eventually they would find us and that would be the end of us eating; it is impossible to eat with 10 pairs of eyes watching your every move....	English language students attack the tourists! (How many times can you ask "Where are you from?")>
	Being good-natured we always gave them all the time we could but insisted we trade - English for Bahasa Indonesia. We had promised to write to these students but alas have lost their addresses and cannot. If you recognise yourself (as if, with that crappy dpi setting!)- email us now! On a side note, one of the more interesting syndicate assignments Grant did during the MBA was a plan for a new city near Jakarta. Luckily for us we had a syndicate member - Sonya - who is from Jakarta and the project came together really well. And the site? We settled on an area near Cikupa (West of Jakarta) and decided to call the new city Kota Gila - those of you who can speak Indonesian will understand the humour!
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