{Dieng Plateau Indonesia - Where We Worked}

It is about time that I take you up into the mountains of the Dieng Plateau, The Heart of Central Java, Indonesia; also called the Abode of Gods. This is where we traveled as it was Our Road to Work in Indonesia. With a lot of joy, each morning departing at 6:00 o'clock from our home. As you will see, it looks like paradise, especially in the early morning hours. Daylight is from around 6:00 o'clock in the morning till 18:00 o'clock in the evening, year round. For that reason you have to shift your day into a tropical schedule. We got up at 5:00 o'clock every morning and after breakfast at our home we started the winding journey up into the mountains, which took about 45 minutes. Around noon we would go down again and stop at the office, where we also most times had our lunch with the staff. Than home and working on our manuals for further training at the biggest mushroom plant in the world. We worked 6 days a week and with pleasure.

It looks really like paradise...

To the right you see the Sundoro; Java’s most symetrical volcano.

The Sundoro is: 3136 m or 10,289 feet high.

Lots of terraces where the locals work the fields and resembling a green paradise due to the high annual rainfall. This is right on the equator!

But it is always cool high in the mountains and they even can have frost during the night.

At 6:00 o'clock in the morning the sky is clear and you have a breathtaking view!

Most tourists however start their climb up into the mountains way too late...

Such a pity for that once in a life time trip!

Volcanic soil is very fertile as you can see...

Here you see the twin volcano: Mt. Sindoro and Mt. Sumbing

We lived in Wonosobo; will show you our home later...

By 11:00 o'clock the clouds would come in and your view would be very limited. 

Or worse, a helicopter would not be able to safely fly...

Those grey buildings are the mushroom sheds where we worked.

On the left is the Pasurenan location and in the back is Sumber.

Here I stand overlooking one such area with mushroom growing sheds.

The daily production of fresh mushrooms was at its peak 100 metric tons per day 24/7!

Lots of sheds...

Instead of using air-conditioning, we were using the Lord's free air-conditioning; high in the mountains.

In the distance again mushroom sheds... we had thousands of them.

The spent mushroom compost was an added bonus for all the farmers around.

These are potatoes.

When the owner came for a visit, he landed with the helicopter here...

Everywhere you stood you had a heavenly view!

Beautiful view of those mushroom sheds... 

Pieter actually did climb the surrounding mountains for taking excellent aerial shots.

We did this for about three years, while living there but we never grew tired of this beautiful area.

More sheds... this is the Sumber location.

Our company employed over 10,000 people... 

I had to oversee 2,000 harvesters and take care of quality, hygiene, diseases, post harvesting etc.

In the beginning I often though my goodness, what did I start...?!

So now you know about our 21 commutes from Atlanta, USA to Jakarta, Indonesia to work HERE...

Halfway around the world with a 12-hour time difference.

MUSHROOM CITY!

'Saya rindu sekali ke gunung²...'

I miss the mountains... and the people of course!

Have you ever traveled to Indonesia?

Related links:
{Fly with us to Jakarta, Indonesia} | Previous post by me
{Our arrival in Jakarta, Indonesia} | Previous post by me
DIENG PLATEAU - The Heart of Central Java Indonesia | About the area