We are now settled in Yogyakarta, about 7-8 degrees south of the equator. I was getting confused with my directions on the train as the sun was in the north for the whole journey when of course I was expecting it to be in the south. Angela always stresses the importance of having a south facing garden, well of course down here (below the equator) she would recommend a north facing one. Yesterday we decided to book our train tickets to the next place and walk arou...

26th July - Tuesday - Alarm and up at 06:00 - blue sky and 70-ish - great sleep - and off to the buffet breakfast (fried rice, bread, fruits, vegetable dishes, juice, coffee etc..) then quick spruce up and check-out. We Walked the 300m to the station, bags dragged behind. Luckily we were directed to the station for tickets by helpful locals and queued at the correct booth - now 07:05 - train for Yogyakarta leaves 08:00 (ish). We already had a room booked and pai...

25.7.2011 We left Medan by taxi through the usual melee of Medan fumes and traffic congestion and headed to Medan 'International Airport' - rather like Luton 15 years ago, but also looking like a 1980s shopping precinct in Kirby. Fast 'kiosk check-in' and bag drop and we were tempted to the 'Crown Lounge' at 60k (£4.50 each). What a gem - we had A/C, snacks, drinks (all free) and some peace and quiet! Plane came in 18:05 and miraculously was emptied and we were ...

Safely in Medan we had 90-ish degrees today and little to report. Fast breakfast, relax, then Becak to a local Mall. We had to find a backup hard drive (just in case!) a power adapter and some drinks. We walked around the Mall as the only 2 white Europeans we saw. Adults and children looked at us as though we had 2 heads! We sorted the drive out quickly, then at 'Carrefour' we picked up the adapter too. We grabbed bananas for tomorrow and Paul went looking for or...

Samosir island is home to the indigenous Batak tribe, they have their own language and their religion is a fusion of their original animism and Christianity - having succumbed to the missionaries. Up until the early 1800s they still practised ritual cannibalism. Today we arose early (8am) to a stunning clear blue sky and 70-ish degrees and had a snack breakfast (honey toast and tea) in Bagus Homestay a few yards from our Indah. We thanked our kind host Berend and...