Goodbye Beautiful Bali...

Thank you for all you have given. See you next time.

Today we leave for Yogyakarta (Jogya) in central Java--four hours to Denpasar by car, followed by a one hour flight, next another car for the remaining 25 kilometers--time depending on the condition of the road. Our destination: Borobudur, an ancient Buddhist stupa and temple complex and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Or rather, just a pile of rocks, according to Danny, as we chatted online while I was still in Tamil Nadu in rural India. After we ended our chat and I signed off, I looked at the link he had just sent with his invitation to meet in Java and all the images of Borobudur. I thought, OMG! That Danny and his sense of humor. The images of the site were fantastic!

Danny Kristiyanto, is the young Indonesian Fulbright scholar who lived in the United States for one year to study Information Technology at Parkland College in Champaign, IL. During his first semester, Danny lived with Paul and I at 504. He was the most gracious house guest I have ever known.

I will always remember the first time I saw him on that hot and humid August afternoon, wearing flip flops, a white tank top and white shorts that extremely contrasted his smooth dark skin. There he sat at our dining room table reading a magazine looking as cool as a cucumber. As I walked in, he greeted me with the warmest smile and just radiated happiness and a sincerity that is rare among young men of his age. I immediately liked him. During the coming months, Danny and I shared long talks over cups of Earl Grey at the kitchen counter. We talked about our families, school, the differences between Western and Eastern culture, foreign languages. I was learning Spanish at the time. He taught me a little Bahasa Indonesian. Later, we talked about the cold frigid weather and how to dress for it, how to deal with the seemingly endless and dark days of winter and being cooped up inside and the magic he felt upon seeing his first snowflakes. All this happened of course, when he wasn't running late to catch an MTD bus, or at Parkland in one of the computer labs, studying, or at one of the endless international student meetings he was required to attend, or doing homework for his 21-hour course load. Did I mention he was driven? I've not come across many young students with the wherewithal to take on a 21-hour course load? Needless to say, it will be good to see my friend again.

Paul and I will spend two nights inside the park before moving south to Jogja. After our first mornings guided tour that begins at 5am to see the sunrise, we will be introduced by a hired guide to the grounds and some of its history. At around noon we will meet Danny and one or two of his chums for lunch.

Also, did I mention that Mount Merapi, the most active volcano in Indonesia is close by? It erupted from October to December just last year. But hey, what are the chances of it happening again so soon, right?

More on that to come...