BALI - MALANG JULY 2012

On the 17th July 2012 John and I flew from Sydney to Bali in Indonesia, we only stayed one night as we had to catch a flight to Malang the next day. So we don't have many photos but the hotel was really nice, we had enough time to have dinner, use the amazing shower, sleep and get back to the airport, but if anyone is going to Bali I can recommend the Rama Beach Resort and Villas. The place is great and the staff were awesome!!!

So on the 18th July 2012 we flew from Denpasar in Bali to Malang in East Java, where we were met at the airport by John's friend Wulan, she showed us around town, helped us to check in to our hotel and took us for dinner with her family in a local restaurant to try traditional Indonesian food. The food was great, grilled fish, fried chicken and lots of other dishes. Wulan quickly taught us some rules for living in Java, she told us that food is traditionally eaten with your hands and you can find wash basins in most restaurant to wash your hands before and after each meal.  If possible you are to only use your right hand to eat as the left hand is considered impolite. This should be especially remembered when shaking hands (which is done a lot on meeting and saying goodbye) and when passing and receiving items, it is seen as very rude.  John came up against his first hurdle in Java as he is left handed..... LOL.

So John has been attending his Uni classes, and I have been exploring there local area, especially the local doughnut shop, which makes the best doughnuts I've ever had (no really they are amazing, like your eating a cloud covered in your choice of icing and bits).
When John isn't at the uni we go explore and do little trips, we go out for dinner every night and try to sample all the different foods.
Not many people speak English here, so we have started to learn some Indo words to get us by, its only been five days and we have picked up a few basic words to get us by already.
The people here are so friendly and helpful and are so inquisitive about us and why we are here, as you can imagine we stand out a bit.
Here are some facts about Java......
* Java is an Indonesian island with a population 135 million people
*  Java is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated places on the globe.
* Java is the home to 60 percent of the Indonesian population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is located on western Java.
* It was the centre of powerful Hindu-Buddhist  empires, the Islamic sultanates, and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies.
* Formed mostly as the result of volcanic eruptions A chain of volcanic mountains forms an east-west spine along the island.
* The majority (90%) of the people of Java are Muslim Java has a diverse mixture of religious beliefs, ethnicities, and cultures.


Photos from the Malang's bird market: lots of jungle birds and animals that have been caught and sold at the market.  It was and amazing site but at the same time a little sad.

A quick walk through the market

Malang monument of independence

There are lots of mosques around Malang, lots have speakers that call out prayers 5 times a day.

Not sure what this is about but maybe something to do with Ramadan which was on for the month while we are there

A Chinese temple in Malang

These are the great people from Malang Tourist Center they helped us to book some day trips like mount bromo

This is Ann and Sigit, he was trying to improve his English and asked if he could hang out with us

Ann and John eating at Malang Mall

Sigit really liked English proverbs and rhymes he also really liked some tongue twisters, he was really good at them and could say them amazingly fast so we had to film it!!!