Live from Bandung Indonesia

Wow, quite a difference on this side of the world...

I have seen rice patties, and more dragonflies than i ever knew possible... The butterflies are the colours of neon highlighters...

the locals are friendly, and when they smile they glow... it is amazing to see.

Driving...
I read the best quote about driving in Indonesia. "They drive like birds fly" all over the place but do not seem to collide. I will NOT be renting a car for me to drive LOL, rather the hotel has agreed to provide a driver for where ever I would like to go.

The Sheraton Bandung....
The hotel is quite nice 153 rooms divided into two sections, the main area and the tower area, I am in the main area... it is the less expesive rooms. dont get me wrong the rooms is nice, has french doors to a small balcony overlooking a courtyard. Shower, no tub which is a little disappointing for me - but the shower i will say is quite nice, I am suprised by the water pressure, among the strongest i have experienced, almost makes up for the lack of tub... almost.
In every hotel there is a book which tells about the properties features, hours of service etc. I always read these from cover to cover... in this one I read that "the hotel bans guest from bring Durian into the rooms at anytime." not too sure what this is but i better find out...

Food...
Food in the hotel is a blend of Indonsian, Asian, and western... though western tastes nothing like western :-)

I am trying a variety of items, the majority are rice type dishes... and they do like thing spicy here... really spicy...but are aware that hot is not my preference, so they make mine with the spice on the side... i do add a little of the spice...

Fruit juices are big here, all fresh made - the ones we are used to like Orange, Apple or Pineapple but also fresh strawberry, starfruit, carrot, papaya, avocado, watermelon and what they call a health drink... lime, pineapple, broccoli, potato and i am not sure what else... it looks so gross... but out of politeness I tried it... and it is so good i have almost one a day.

Oh I found out what Durian is... it is a fruit... the size of a very large melon, with prickly spine sort of like a giant chestnut. The story goes that this fruit was given to a king, to woo his bride by its wonderful taste, the only condition of this gift was that the magician that gave it to the king be invited to the wedding... the bride loved the fruit and the marriage took place, the king forgot his promise to the magician so the magician turned the once pleasantly soft skin to how it is now all spiky and rough. In addition the smell of this fruit, even before opened is very difficult to describe... hmmm mabye that sweet/sour rotting smell of a city in the summer... it is a little nasty - and apparently when it is opened its smell intensifies... and takes at least 3 days to clear the smell out of a room...

Well, of course I had to try it LOL... to me the smell took me back to childhood... i had experienced numerous ear infections and had been taking the pink liquid penicillian... that is what it smell like to me... and get this I still ate it... cant say it was a good taste, there was a bit of an alcohol taste to it, cant say it was a bad taste... but i didnt eat the whole portion i was given, but at least i can say i tried it...