In Photos...

The other day I took a ride a little out of town and into the slightly more rural areas surrounding Salatiga. Reason being, I was going out to a little "Bengkel" (motorcycle mechanic shop) that currently has the better part of my motorcycle. But we'll save pictures of my new and somewhat improved (but still old) Honda CB for another time! Mostly because it is still in pieces :)

I am pretty sure these are all rubber trees, as you can see in the pic above how they peel the bark off in a specific manner. Usually they have a little cup at the bottom to catch the juice (latex), but I didn't see any in this particular forest. It reminded me of home - making homemade maple syrup! Well, to be honest, I know absolutely nothing about making homemade syrup from trees, but somehow it is a stereotypical Canadian thing to do. Maybe the longer I am gone from Canada, the more astute I'll become in knowledge & experience of Igloos, playing ice hockey, shooting & prepping large game, and making homemade maple syrup.

A couple lone farmers working in the forest. Considering it was the day after Indonesia's day of independence, and the day bay before the beginning of Idul Fitri, there wasn't much going on as far as people working. I think most of these rubber tree forests harken back to when the Dutch were here, as there is also a little local railroad nearby that was probably used to move crops in the old days.

Rice paddy's! Scattered throughout the countryside in many different ways are terraced rice farms. It is interesting to think that the terraces themselves can be very old, as Java has been farmed in this manner for a long, long time. I think the tiny little raised huts are a resting place for workers to momentarily get out of the sun and keep their feet dry.