Biking Through Central Java

There have been so many adventures in the last 18 months; I thought it was time to share a few of them with you. Last month, I landed in Vietnam and began a whirlwind trip that took me through Java and ended with a final stop in Bali. So, why don’t we start in the middle with a little adventure in Central Java? 

Leaving AmanJiwo early in the morning, they take you up highway 14 to a drop off location. You head off down a small rural paved road through the woods. It isn’t long before you find your path. The real adventure starts as you meet up with the centuries old Dutch canal system, set up to irrigate the fields and tame the abundant rainfall. 

 As you make your way along the canal, you pass through some spectacular locations. The rainy season had just ended and everything was green, lush and fragrant. You pass people working in the fields and into a couple vistas where you can stop to take it all in.  

 At points, the trail becomes nothing more than a narrow grass ridge, offering you a chance to focus on the ride and keeping yourself out of the ditch.  

 Coming on to the main road, we headed past the scooters roaring by and headed towards Candi Umbal.

Candi Umbal was originally built in the 9th century and has two pools bathing pools filled with spring water.  Thought to be a resting area and bathing location for the Hindu kings in power at the time of construction, it had been abandoning for centuries before being rediscovered in the 18th century (Wikipedia).

 To get to our final destination, we were required to negotiate our passage with the ruling turkey. He controlled the road and initially had no desire to let us pass. One-by-one, we were finally able to make our way around his territory without any ruffling of feathers. 

When we finally reached our designation, we were greeted by the waiting staff from AmanJiwo. They had set up a most amazing breakfast. 

They had the most amazing pastries and juices ready for your arrival. It was a feast for the eyes and a serene interlude to the adventures of the morning. 

Now feeling refreshed and energized, we headed back off to finish our morning adventure back to AmanJiwo.