Bogor country side

Didn't tell you yet about the Sunday we spent in Bogor country side. It it hasn't be that we had to wake up early we probably were awakened by the loud music in front of the restaurant of people doing zumba at 6 AM in the morning. Can you imagine, on a Sunday morning....

Even the kids went up early

Our guide Alwi brought us first to a gong factory to see how the gamelan gongs are made. Handwork only!

It is a hard working and rather hot to work in such an environment.  They only do this in the morning before it gets to warm! Don't even want to think about it!

After the gong factory we went to a little wayang factory. They make the wayang golek puppets since 1965.  The father of the current owner started the business. We were offered something to drink and some pisang goreng! Very welcome!

A street seller near the wayang factory

After the factory visits we went on our way to the country side, but not after hitting another traffic jam again. The worst I have ever experienced. We took the main road to Sumatra (you cannot even come there without the boat!). The cars drove so terrible slowly that it took us more than hour to drive not more than 5 km's only. Walking would have been quicker! I asked to take another route to avoid the jam, we where a bit tired of the day before.

The villages at the country side are actually one big street. Everybody wants to live at the road to be able to do business. Between the houses you have the "sawahs".

A friendly man working with a patjol in the rice fields borrowed me his hat for a photo!

We passed some beautiful views and met coincidentally a woman carrying a bundle of wood. She must have felt like a superstar as we took a short sprint to catch her!

At the end of our tour we had lunch near the botanical garden in a restaurant I remember we visited 8 years ago as well. It has a beautiful view on Mount Salak.

Finally we tried to bring a visit to Alwi's uncle, in the presidential palace, but unfortunately he wasn't home as the fences were closed.  We could enjoy the deers, though!

Our way back to Bandung went much quicker as we took the high way this time. In less than 4 hours we were back at Magnolia!

We had a great remarkable weekend!
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