30th January 1977

Luggage 47lb backpack. Plane 727 Ansett - half full. Arrive Sydney 10:05am

Leave Sydney at 12:45pm Qantas Boeing 727 - window seat by the wing. Sydney - Djakarta 6 hours - 5,500 km

Passed over Alice Springs and Broome

Left Australian coastline at 5pm - reach Indonesia coastline at 6:30pm.

Arrive Djakarta at 7:45pm - watches put back 4 hours

Hotel Karya $7 B/B - happy people - modern city

31st January

Djakarta population 5 million. Many new cars as well as old Holdens, Torana's and V.W.'s

Traffic unbelievable

Indonesia population 130 million

Java 75% Muslim

Many young tourists try to travel too cheap and get dysentry and have to go back to Australia

Saw Kukarno's house where the General was shot.

Indonesians pray 5 times a day.

All Indonesian children play in the street after dark and it is quite safe.

Meet very friendly people everywhere. Margaret on the left is from Celebres.

Visit a wonderful Indonesian family who invite me to afternoon tea in their home.

3rd Feb

Taxi to Bandung - tea up into the cloud slopes through Bogor. Trip took 5 hours. Bandung very nice place - luxurious houses

Arrive at Hoffman's Guest house. Australian couple stayed here for 10 weeks at B/B $7 per night.

Most Djarkarta people seem to be employed doing something.

Weathly homes in the tea plantations.

Bandung 2000 feet above sea level floor.

Took the train to Jokja.

4th Feb

Beggars are sad sights: stumps on their legs, the blind, the lame etc. Many pickpockets.

Nasi Goreng is so nice to eat

The streets are very clean. Transgender people are common and accepted. Jave is very safe.

5th Feb

Today see a volcano and inside the crater. Strong smell of sulphur. Walk a long way. Last erupted 1970.

6th Feb - Sunday

Large congregation at the Catholic Church. Leave Bandung at 5pm.

Rice and the mountains are tiered to grow rice.

Train took 10 hours.

7th Feb

Go to the zoo - magnificent. King Cobra, Pythons, Tiger and elephants. Monkey throwing stones at the tourists.

Many Australians - magnficent meal for $2 including 2 beers. Feel great.

Busniness is huge: leatherwork, silver, batik.

Had my sandals cleaned which is a first.

8th Feb

Indonesians took over West Irian from the Dutch. Go to Borobudur Buddhist Temple - 400 AD.

Go to a ballet depicting ancient culture.

Some beggars are not genuine - look well fed and put on limping.

9th Feb

Leave Yokja at 7am. Arrive Bandung 6pm. Arrive at Djakarta ato 11pm.

10th Feb

Book ticket through Qantas to Singapore. Leaving at 5:20pm