In August we got to attend celebrations for Indonesia's Independence Day anniversary celebrations in Surabaya. 

On 17 August 2015 employees at the iconic Hotel Majapahit in Surabaya, Indonesia, paused to remember an historic occasion at the site where world history pivoted in a new direction.

Most Indonesian wayang golek wooden puppets have a faint resemblance to real humans.  In my last blog I showed you one example in Putro Wayang Workshop of a Javanese woman puppet that moved toward realism.

Not far from the southern gateway through the fort walls of the Jogjakarta sultan’s palace one comes to Prawirotaman Street—long a famed hangout for backpacker tourists.  But these days there’s an increasing number of higher grade hotels, restaurants & even antique shops on Jalan Prawirotaman.

There's just 7 days left for you & your friends to get in on the 2013 Java-Bali Photo Tour

In our last blog we showed you a Javanese wayang kulit shadow puppet craftsman’s studio in the heart of Jogjakarta's sultan’s palace.  When looking for shadow puppet craftsmen, everyone hears about a couple puppet studios within the palace walls, but we also started hearing about a renowned village shadow puppet studio out in the country.

The island of Java, in Indonesia has been documented to have the most fertile soil in the world. The volcanic soil here grows rice like crazy. Where there’s abundant food people have time to do more than just look for dinner & culture thrives.  

Many Javanese have long been freed up to delve deeply into the arts.  Batik, filigree silver making, ornate wood carving—some of the world’s best of these can be found in Java.  And then, there’s wayang kulit shadow puppet theatre!

When the Dutch colonized Java in modern-day Indonesia they struggled with the equatorial heat.  They eventually figured out that the high volcanoes of Java provided cool temperatures—if you could get there.  So they built roads into the highlands & then developed hill stations where they could retreat.

On my first visit to Indonesia I visited some of the most crazy-remote places in the world.  We trekked to areas where possibly one other outsider--either foreigner or even Indonesian from outside Papua--had ever been before.  I’ve long known what the word remote means.

The first time I came to the remote Kangean Archipelago—NNE of Bali—in Indonesia I yearned to take a peak at the untouched coral reefs & other underwater life there. 

Several of you have been asking for more details about the upcoming Java-Bali Photo Tour that we’re leading this September 14-21 (25) in Indonesia.