theXtraSuitcase

 

Bandung, Indonesia

September 2014

 

Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia.  The earliest reference to the city dates back to 1488.  D had a business trip to Jakarta and Bandung is only 110 miles southeast of the city, we hopped on a local train and took one of the most fascinating train journeys we have experienced.

 

 

 

 

We "splurged" and bought first class tickets at $8 USD each.  From the minute we left Jakarta, until the minute we arrived in Bandung, it was non-stop images to view from the train window.  What struck us the most was the abundance of life right along the train track.

 

 

 

 

 

People gather to just watch the train go by, many with cameras.

 

 

 

 

 

Once we got out of town, we started to see lush green hillsides...

 

 

 

 

And stacked rice terraces...

 

 

 

 

 

And deep rivers running through the mountains... it was all just stunning.

 

 

 

 

We then took a 30-minute taxi ride into the mountains to our very special hotel.  It had a Balinese feel/style.

 

 

 

As we entered the resort, there were hundreds of orchids hanging in the passage.

 

 

 

 

It was a beautiful property...

 

 

 

 

...made up of individual villas.

 

 

 

Notice my scarf?  It was cool enough to wear!  Year-round, Bandung has cooler temperatures than most other Indonesian cities and is a very popular weekend getaway destination, especially those escaping the crowded city of Jakarta.

 

 

 

 

Take a peek into this dreamy bedroom...

 

 

 

 

And the BATHROOM...oh la la!  It was quite large and completely open (no walls) with a huge marble bathtub! 

 

 

 

 

We had to let it run for over an hour and that barely covered a few inches.  And yes, I left the roses petals in for the bath  :   )

 

 

 

 

Bandung lies on a river basin surrounded by volcanic mountains named Tangkuban Perahu, which translates to "upturned boat."  Legend says that a beautiful woman cast away her son for disobedience, and in her sadness was granted the power of eternal youth by the gods. After many years in exile, the son returned home and he and his mother failed to recognize each other.  He fell in love with his mother and they planned to marry.  

 

 

 

 

But then his mother saw his birthmark and realized it was her son.  In order to prevent the marriage she asked her son to build a dam on the river Citarum and to build a large boat to cross the river, both before the sunrise.   He was almost finished, so the mother had to trick him in believing the sun was coming up.  She spread red silk cloths east of the city, to give the impression of the sunrise. 

 

 

 

 

Upon believing that he had failed, her son kicked the dam and the unfinished boat, resulting in severe flooding and the creation of Tangkuban Perahu from the hull of the boat.

 

 

 

 

 

This area is also scattered with beautiful tea plantations.  The Dutch colonials first established tea plantations around the mountains in the eighteenth century and they still exist today.

 

 

 

 

 

Indonesia is one of the highest tea-producing countries in the world, with seventy-five percent coming from this fertile area.  They mainly grow black tea.

 

 

 

 

It was fun wandering through the maze of tea plants.

 

 

 

We stopped and bought a fresh pineapple from a roadside stand.  Our hotel cut it up for us to eat for dessert. 

 

 

 

 

Guess D knew what he was doing when he picked it out, as it was one delicious pineapple!

 

 

 

 

 

I just liked this photo...

 

 

 

 

We had massages at our hotel.  The villa where they gave the massage was the most beautiful, relaxing place I have ever had one!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grounds of the hotel were so pretty with so many little places to sit and relax.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were beautiful blue bees...

{click here for more bee photos on my art blog - ma vie trouvee}

 

 

 

And a Koi pond....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 They served a lovely breakfast on the front porch of our villa.

 

 

 

 

 

My favorite was the coconut pancake called Surabi.  It is made from rice flour with coconut milk (or plain shredded coconut).  It is traditionally baked using charcoal and served with coconut milk and brown sugar.

 

 

 

 

 

But I also loved the savory chicken porridge with hard-boiled eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

I will leave you with a view from the city looking back on the mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

We really enjoyed our long weekend in Bandung!