Summer redux: Java Island

Our summer began on the island of Java, which appears to be dotted with several Asian megacities, one of which was Jakarta.  Jakarta was huge and sprawling, with endless concrete and traffic.

One of my most vivid memories of Jakarta involved taking the commuter train into the central station:  As the train continued to inch forward, people pushed and shoved and jumped into the train compartment - no point waiting until the train is at a stop?  Once inside, you encountered constant movement as the train jostled - all forms of wares (cigarettes, magazines, juice, soda, clothing) were peddled in the aisles.  Meanwhile, a woman, with one child nestled to her bosom and two others trailing behind, swept the floor.  As the train worked its way through the city, young kids would jump up and out of the train compartment to sit on the roof of the train. 

After a few days in Jakarta, we moved east to Yogyakarta, home of Borobudur temple, a town that obviously likes birds because birds and bird cages were everywhere, including in our losmen (guesthouse).  Everyday, we woke to morning muezzin calls to prayer.  During our time there, pre-Ramadan celebrations were under way.