Four Nights at Sanur Beach Hotel Bali

 From the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Jakarta we departed for a flight to Denpasar, Bali

December 20 of 1986, my 2nd visit to Bali

Fanning out my rose dress, just like the shape of the Traveller's palm or Ravenala madagascariensis behind me! 

For four nights, we would reside here...

On Sunday, December 21, we had a lazy pool day, walked on the beach and from 10-11:00 with a Prahu on the sea, which was blissful.

Pieter wrote cards and helped a Dutch widow from Itteren, Limburg who came from Darwin, Australia and lacked enough English... 

She tagged along with us, in a taxi to the Catholic Church in Denpasar.

Mass at the Gereja Katolik (Catholic Church) St. Joseph in Denpasar that lasted 1.5 hour and was so full, that people were standing outside, to follow Mass over the loud speakers...

People were very respectful and well dressed!

We all sang the Latin Avé Maria and the Dutch widow, just like both of us, were very impressed.

On Monday, December 22nd, after first doing some business at Bali Raya, the tuna cannery, Rita went with us to Mas and Ubud, the artist villages.

Quite a collection of wood carved items!

Also being able to see the artist at work...

They do use gold foil!

Several items went home with us and also three wood carved panels, one for ourself.

At Bali's oldest jeweler we bought several gifts for my sisters Diny and Gerd, a silver necklace for Mom and some silver bracelets with 22k gold and moonstone for Pieter's Goddaughter and for me and also my best friend. 

We also asked if they had matching brooches, and they would custom make them for us!

Two days later on December 24, we departed on our 10:15 flight to Yogyakarta.

We ended up in Central Java where we later lived and worked at the mushroom project.

Christmas Eve at the Catholic Church of Wonosobo, Java

A beautiful two hour Mass at the Catholic Church, without a Christmas tree but with lots of orchids!

People all wished us Merry Christmas; a warm feeling.

On December 27, we drove back to Yogyakarta for our flight to Jakarta at 9:30 and as a surprise we received the silver with 22k gold and moonstone brooches, hand delivered inside the plane.

In Jakarta we went back to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, feeling quite at home there.

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My 2nd Trip to Jakarta and in Heeroom's Footsteps | our stay at the Mandarin Hotel, Jakarta

My 2nd Trip to Jakarta and in Heeroom's Footsteps

Jakarta City Museum

On December 9, 1986 we arrived in Jakarta and stayed on my 2nd trip, at the Mandarin Oriental

Feeling like being home again!

All the way from Atlanta to Amsterdam and from there we flew to Kuwait, Singapore and on to Jakarta aboard another KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

Too bad we stayed only for one night but would be back again on December 18 for two nights.

We had 1.5 hour free time from our boss and went shopping in Sabang and found a nice Pierre Balmain belt and Dior handkerchief for Dad...

Also went to the Jakarta Cathedral for following Heeroom's footsteps...

We ate the best Steak au Poivre ever, at the Mandarin's Club Room!

On December 20, we flew to Denpasar, Bali... and from there, to Central Java.

Back again here at the Jakarta Mandarin Oriental on December 27.

Again dinner at the Club Room with once more a delicious Steak au Poivre, as our late Christmas dinner.

So romantic with strongly scented Arabian jasmine buds strewn over the damask tablecloth, which created a perfect atmosphere by candlelight!

On December 28 we took a taxi and went to the Cathedral for the 10:30 Mass.

Arriving at the Cathedral in Jakarta where Heeroom has been...

We were lucky for being at a Javanese wedding Mass where a Frenchman married his Indonesian bride.

Very special...

In the afternoon by 14:30 we went with our driver to the airport and flew to Singapore for yet another mushroom related visit...

~

On Easter Sunday, April 15 of 1990, we again were attending Mass at this Cathedral.

A solemn Mass with the Bishop and two concelebrants.

They had a beautiful choir that sang a Mass of Perosi.

{March 14, Written Life Message for me by my Favorite Great-Uncle} | 2012 post about Heeroom

Denpasar Bali, Indonesia

 

On Friday, May 13, 1983 after rising very early at the Mandarin hotel, we flew at 6:15 from Jakarta to Denpasar Bali

This photo is taken at the mansion of our 'would be boss'...

We got picked up and dropped off at the Bali Beach hotel and did tour the Bali Raya tuna cannery.

We NEVER knew that from such a huge fish as tuna, they only use the inner part about 30%, a kind of a 'tenderloin' and all the rest is being removed. Guess that goes into cat food or whatever...

We also went up high into the mountains for studying grounds for growing vegetables.

It was a drive of 1.5 hour and it was rainy and cold.

Good soil for growing sweet potatoes!

Lunch at the Golfclub BALI HANDARA, a pity that the weather was so bad...

We lunched with a Balinese Prince who's father used to have some 45 wives, but he instead was very modest and only had 4.

They arranged a personal driver for both of us because Pieter had motion sickness, from the bus winding through the mountains.

With our driver we also did visit the artist villages of Mas and Ubud for buying some Balinese woodcarvings. 

While on the road, we also got to see a Balinese corpse burning...

By 19:00 we had to be ready for a big party in Bapak Soetantyo's mansion, with a huge tropical garden but it rained cats and dogs! There were several international business guests from the UK and the US and both of us.

We got assured though that Bapak Soetantyo would most certainly call in a Dukun to expel the dark clouds! If necessary, even two... The Dukuns are the Shamans there. Yes, we had arrived at the magical BALI!

Bapak Soetantyo's mansion as well as the garden, were a dream... and mysteriously it was clear and no rain.

Bapak Soetantyo persuaded me to go to the Balinese statue and touch it... Working magic through it, via the Dukuns, to influence me that I should opt for living in Indonesia instead of living in the USA... It didn't work though. 

Seven years later however, we went to work and live there.

A huge Balinese wood carving panel on the wall of Bapak Soetantyo's mansion.

We bought some, but not quite that size!

Unbelievable craftsmanship in meticulous woodcarving...

A Gamelan orchestra got arranged for playing music...

Balinese dansers performed...

The western men got summoned to partake in this Balinese dancing...

Pieter trying his very best version here above!

Quite serious...

Pieter did look good in his McGregor suit...

Enough dancing!

Pieter is standing next to one of the Balinese figures, exactly the same as we have in our Balinese chess set.

The evening was like a dream with an open-air buffet and we got seated at tables.

Very impressed, we went back to our hotel by 21:30.

On Saturday, May 14, we woke up early with sunshine and had the day off so we did spend it under the palm trees at the beech. Breakfast outdoors and we met with some Belgian and German tourists...

Traditional Prahu boats lined up...

A beautiful day ending...

We enjoyed a great dinner at the fish restaurant of Bali Beach together with four other men from the Indonesian company.

On Sunday, May 15, at 9:00 we have our flight back to Jakarta. Goodbye Bali!

Would be back there in December 1986.

Daring to Alter 7/8 Pants into Knickerbockers | showing the above pants being altered...

Maribaya Hot Springs and Waterfall near Bandung West Java, Indonesia

 

Maribaya Waterfall...

Coming from the Tankuban Perahu Crater we went to Maribaya Hot Springs and Waterfall.

The sulfur-laden water of Maribaya's Hot Springs are well known and have not become a favorite Resort area!

We went there on May 11, 1983...

You can see the steam coming from the hot springs!

There was a Giant Frog carving...

The frog did not turn around, when I teased it with my jacket!

 I'd climbed over to this hungry frog...

That giant frog did not bite me but I'd put back on my jacket as it was rather cool in the mountains!

Indonesia is a tropical land yes, but the higher you go, the cooler it gets!

A stop on our way back to Bandung (about 30 km) to see the hot sulfur water here in Parongpong.

It is a beautiful 30 minute trip back to the city of Bandung where we were staying at a guest house.

Next day we went back to Jakarta on an early flight from 6:30 AM.

Our 'boy' woke us up and very modestly, he handed us the dry-ironed (!) underwear laundry! His wife had stayed up for doing that, because of the tropical rain it was not otherwise possible to get it dry... This cannot be reimbursed even with a tip! It made me almost cry, touching the still warm cottons.

Read more about Maribaya at Indonesia tourism

Song by the then Dutch band The Cats - Maribaja who performed in Indonesia

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Mount Tankuban Perahu Crater in West Java, Indonesia | where we visited first...

Mount Tankuban Perahu Crater in West Java, Indonesia

A clear view of the Crater at Mount Tankuban Perahu in the Bandung, West Java/Indonesia area.

This is a 2,076 m high volcano or 6,811 feet.

Mount Tankuban Perahu from afar. It looks like an upside-down boat.

Tankuban Perahu, which is Sundanese and means Upturned-Boat.

One of Indonesia's 76 active volcanoes out of a total of 147!

From the city of Bandung in West Java/Indonesia, we started on May 11, 1983 with a visit to the mushroom project in Parongpong, near Lembang.

From there, we went up to Mount Tankuban Perahu and Crater

This was after lunch and clouds already are pulling in...

This is better, showing the 1830 m or 6003.9 ft

Now, let's climb up to the crater...

Quite a sight!

Always bubbling and steaming such a volcano...

Ugly hot soup!

In the above photos where we posed for the 1830 m sign, Pieter is already clutching his 'gift', which I purchased at this souvenir shop...

A hairy monkey, carved from a young coconut!

Cleverly the 'hair' being left on the coconut!

You probably know brushes made from coconut or mats.

When we left, it had started raining and luckily our guides/hosts had umbrellas on hand.

No, Pieter is NOT holding that bucket, it is just standing there...

One minute video from above: Gunung Tangkuban Perahu di lihat dari atas

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Sikidang Crater Dieng Plateau Indonesia | from where we worked 6 days a week...