2 Americans, 1 Aussie and an Indonesia

Every country has places that are a testament to the soul of its people.  Places that are a reflection of the heart of the country and when experienced bring you closer to understanding its beauty.  Cimaja Beach is such a place.  Tucked away in the south of Java, Cimaja is a sleepy beach town filled with Indonesians and foreigners from all over enjoying the phenomenal surf.  Little had I known when I agreed to take the trip with my co-worker, Courtney, to the beach that I would end up in such a stunningly beautiful part of Indonesia.

The trip started at a Burger King…with a whopper and fries, but instead of ketchup, we had chili sauce.  It was already late because we had spent the last few hours after work trying to find a Kos, an Indonesian style apartment, for my more permanent residence.  So, with a long drive ahead of us, Courtney, an American, his girlfriend, Rika, an Indonesian, and I, meet up with Luke, an Aussie, at Burger King.  After a quick bite, we take off, battling hours of traffic, winding pot-holed road mountain roads and exhaustion.   Little did I know what I was about to experience.

From the right: Rika, Courtney, Me, Luke

We pull up to the front of a guest house that looks like a typical building you could find in the small beach towns on the central coast of California, named “Cimaja Square.”  Nice but nothing out of the ordinary.  I follow the group down the path leading to our bungalow and immediately the scenery changes.  After a couple minutes of walking, I find myself find the middle of a huge rice paddy, the sound of the ocean in the distance, inundated by the smell of the salty breeze.  We stop at our bungalow, a picturesque wooden house with a thatched room, equipped with a hammock and swinging chair on the porch overlooking the rice fields.

The weekend was filled with the slow pace of Indonesian living.  The smiling kindness of the Indonesian people was a major part of everything we did.  Surfing all day, the local surfing experts were patient as we got in their way on the waves.

A beautiful Thai restaurant filled with fresh vegetables and flavorful meats, overlooking the ocean, filled me with serenity and tranquility.    Laughing over beers with the owner of our guest house, a Dutch lady named Nora, and congratulating the local surf hero on his newborn child filled me with the love and warm-heartedness of Indonesia.  Nora also makes a mean pizza and probably the only authentic pizza in all of Java.

The scene from the Thai Restaurant

 

A weekend rush of excitement, then on Sunday back to Jakarta.  We end the weekend at a beautiful Indonesian restaurant near my Kos, with ice cold aloe vera and coconut drinks.  Perfect way to end the adventure.

Aloe and Coconut Iced Drink.  I don’t even remember know the name of the dish.

The trip was not only fun, exhilarating and relaxing it also really gave me insight into this new country I find myself in.  Hopefully, I’ll come back.  I have a lot more surfing to do…maybe I’ll actually catch a wave next time.

I’m building pictures for a food post and an update on my living situation.  Stay tuned.  Same Choy time, same Choy channel.