Solo (Surakarta), Indonesia

Wednesday was touring around Solo. I think we were having a overwhelmed, daggy day after the splendor of Borobudur. We didn’t find anything really exciting in Solo besides a playground, supermarket and a really nice café (can’t remember it’s name but they have one at Cilandak and Kemang and throughout Java) for lunch. Most of the different hotels we are staying at offer only Indonesian style food which is great for GJ and I but not so interesting for the kids,
The kids were ecstatic to spend 30 minutes in a playground while we went to the supermarket! The local kids were having fun practicing their very good English skills.

We found our way to the road side shop that sells these bamboo animals. GJ had found these on his first trip to Solo and had spent so much time telling us about them that we had to go back and purchase a family….
We now have two adults and three kid ducks as well as a friendly pig…….
We went through two security check points on our way back to the hotel and startled the guards every time to the kids glee! When they opened up the back there was a cute pig and a big duck! The same happened at our hotel when we went to get our shopping out.

BTW I have told Yadi (driver) that next time we go to Pondok Indah he is coming with me as he is a SUPER SHOPPER. The back of the car is filled with bags of souvenirs he has bought for his family.

Most public places in built up areas of cities have check points as you enter the property and check cars. The driver talks to the one guard and takes a ticket, another guard often uses a mirror on a stick to check under the car and another guard opens the doors and waves a detector/wand inside and checks the boot. After you are cleared you can proceed. It sounds very alarming as I type this, but its not, its just standard.

It is nice to be able to get the internet these last few days and stay in touch. We have received all the alert warnings as well as advised emailed out from the Australian Consulate. There is not much in the papers here about the revised travel warnings and alerts. We are out of Jakarta BUT Mt Merapi is smoking, the tectonic plates are moving and there is many things that could get us. We are having a wonderful holiday, Life is for living!!!!!!!!!!!!!