A TRIP ROUTE
IT IS WORTH KNOWING
The most expensive coffee in the world is certainly Kopi Luwak, which comes from Southeast Asia. For one kg of this delicacy you have to pay about PLN 2,500 with us. Luwak is a species made of coffee beans, which are extracted from the excrements of an animal from the Łaszowatych family - muse-grace, popularly known as a civet, and locally just luwak. Laskun eagerly eats the fruit of the coffee tree, but it does not digest its seeds, but only the flesh. After digestion by digestive enzymes and slightly fermented by lactic acid-producing bacteria, the grains pass through the animal's digestive tract and are excreted. As a result of this process, the beans lose their bitter taste and the coffee produced from them acquires a new, mild aroma. After cleaning, the grain is processed in the traditional way. Until recently, Kopi Luwak was considered one of the best coffees in the world. However, the pursuit of a quick profit led to civets being caged and fed almost industrially in large amounts of fruit. This obviously affected the deterioration of the quality of the obtained grains, and the new type of production has been criticized as unethical. Therefore, everyone must decide in their own conscience about whether it is worth spending a fortune on a cup of Kopi luwak.INTERESTING STORIES
The flag of Indonesia is a rectangle divided into two horizontal stripes of the same size, the top red and the bottom white. Its aspect ratio is 2: 3. The Indonesian name of the flag "Sang Dwiwarna" means a living person. White color symbolizes the soul and spiritual life, and red symbolizes the body and physical life. The flag in this form is already 800 years old, but it became the official symbol of Indonesia only after independence on August 17, 1945. Looking at the national colors of Indonesia, it immediately brings to mind the Polish flag. Interestingly, many Indonesians I met also knew about this unusual similarity. This situation can cause a lot of funny mistakes at international events. One of them took place during the 29 South Asian Games in Malaysia in 2017. During the opening ceremony, the organizers handed out albums to VIPs, where Indonesia was presented under the red and white flag of Poland, instead of its own red and white flag. The mistake, understandably met with widespread indignation in the Indonesian society, for whom the red and white colors symbolize the heroism of the struggle for the independence of their country.August 2018
A trip to Indonesia can certainly be called a journey of a lifetime and that's how I treated this trip. This beautiful island country can charm even the most discerning traveler. As usual, the short time I had had some limitations on me, but I visited a few islands anyway.
The most populous of them - Java, is inhabited by nearly half of the 260 million population and you can actually feel it at every step. The country's turbulent past is particularly evident in the multitude of different religions, where Islam coexists with Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism. As in many Southeast Asian countries, the inhabitants are very open, friendly and kind to visitors. However, what attracts tourists the most is the location of Indonesia in the Pacific Ring of Fire and the enormous biodiversity of the natural world.JAVA
Jakarta
Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, did not impress me too much. Heavily overcrowded, chaotically built-up, but multicultural and open to newcomers. Moving along the trail of the colonial past, at every step I met friendly, although often poor residents. The Independence Mosque, one of the largest in this part of the world, made a huge impression on me, but the real attraction was an Indonesian wedding in a Catholic cathedral.
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta was my base for visiting the nearby temples of Borobodur and Prambanan. The city itself has a long tradition, as it was the capital of the Mataram Kingdom from the 10th century, and the sultanate of the same name from the 16th century. The magnificent Keraton Sultan's Palace dates from this period. Although I spent two days in the city, I was not allowed to visit it, because when I returned from my tours the palace was already closed.
Borobudur temple
The Buddhist temple in Borobudur from the 8th century is one of the largest of its kind in the world. The pyramidal structure and intricate stonework can charm anyone, so it's no wonder that the entire temple complex has been included in the Unesco World Heritage List. The greatest impression, in addition to the captivating view from the top of the temple, made me 72 dagobs containing Buddha figures.
Prambanan temple
The Hindu temple complex in Prambanan was built in the 9th century to commemorate the victory of the new dynasty. The dizzying richness of forms and decorations of this complex is fully explained by its presence on the Unesco List. I will not be too original when I say that I liked the candi of the Hindu trinity of gods the most, the most impressive of which is the 47 m high temple dedicated to Shiva, the destroyer of worlds.
Surakarta and surroundings
The city of Surakarta has been the capital of the sultanate since the 18th century, and the royal palaces are the biggest attraction of this place. Unfortunately, I was only allowed to visit a smaller palace called Puri Mangkunegaran, as the larger Keraton Surakarta was closed due to the visit of members of the royal family. But thanks to this, I visited Candi Sukuh, located at an altitude of 3265 meters above sea level, an amazing Hindu temple from the 15th century, reminiscent of Inca buildings.
Bromo volcano
Located in the eastern part of the island, Bromo volcano is one of the few active volcanoes that are relatively easily accessible to the average tourist. Both the volcano itself and its entire surroundings made an amazing impression on me. For a layman like me, the opportunity to look into the stratovolcano crater and see and feel the vapors emanating from its interior was something extraordinary and unforgettable.
Denpasar and its surroundings
The capital of Bali Denpasar completely disappointed me. The beaches and their surroundings are the kingdom of surfers, entertaining youth and oldboys spending their days in nearby pubs. Fortunately, this place was just a base for exploring the island. One of the nearby attractions is the Hindu temple of the 16th century Pura Tanah Lot, picturesquely situated on a rock, shaped by the tides of the ocean for years.
Bedugul
The mountain resort Bedugul is located in the north of the island on Lake Beratan. One of its many attractions is Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, a grayish water temple from the 17th century serving the offering ceremony of the Balinese goddess of water - Dewi Danu. It is here that I took fantastic photos with an iguana, luwac, bat or tawny owl. On the way back, I visited the fabulous Pura Taman Ayun temple and garden complex.
Tegalagang and its surroundings
When I showed up for an appointment in the morning, it turned out that I had a car with a driver at my disposal. It was the most attractive trip. I tasted luwak coffee, visited the Monkey Forest Sanctuary, admired the rice terraces, watched the purification ceremony in the Tirta Empul Hindu water temple, and at the end of a busy day I visited the Gunung Kawi Sebatu temple carved in the cliffs.
FLORES
Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo is a small fishing village on the island of Flores, which in recent years has become a tourist destination for the surrounding islands of Rinca, Komodo and Padar. Although quirky and charming, it mainly consists of a port and a long street surrounded by shops, tourist agencies and restaurants. I also treated it like this and after a walk along the waterfront, I bought a two-day ship cruise at one of the many tourist offices.
RINCA AND KOMODO
Dragon islands
Most tourists only reach the closer island of Rinca and this is a big mistake. If we really want to see dragons, it's worth going a bit further, on Komodo. The impression is amazing when, during a guided walk, we met dragons in their natural habitat. Looking sluggish and slow, they can run very fast, which I found out for myself, I want to photograph one of them.
PADAR AND KANAWA
Paradise islands
If there are such places as the paradise islands, you can definitely call Padar and Kanawa that way. Stunning views, beautiful sandy beaches and crystal clear sea are words that stick to your lips when describing them. It is worth traveling for such places, and although I was there for only a few hours, their image will remain in my memory for the rest of my life. Padar and Kanawa - see you soon !