Bit of a mixed day.....

In Java there are an awful lot of motorbikes, which cost about US$1,000 and are bought on HP. The driver must wear a helmet, but not the passengers, and insurance is not compulsory. Whole families pile on, from the very young to the elderly. Or they are laden with incomprehensible amounts if cargo! This morning we passed an accident between two bikes, both of which had very small children as passengers. We didn't hang around but it was quite sobering. 

We headed to another sultan's palace. Dime a dozen! It does make you appreciate how lucky we are to have access to such amazing museums and stately homes. 

After a bit of a drive up into the hills we visited another Hindu temple from the 15th century. It had some interesting carvings....

Then it was another 3 hour trek through the rural villages. It was really tough. At 36c it was baking and all the paths were either really steep going up or really steep going down, there was no in between! The views were fabulous, every inch of the mountainside being cultivated.

They were growing onions, beans, tomatoes, cassava, carrots, chillies, roses, mangoes, avocados, jackfruit, and bananas (euck!). The way that they irrigated everything was brilliant, and they were all really friendly.

Towards the end of the trek we went to see a waterfall and found a monkey tied to the bottom of a tree. Our guide decided to give it some food and the monkey jumped on him and bit him. The poor thing was neglected and hungry, and not able to be in its natural habitat. I must admit I found it all quite upsetting, especially as we bumped into a whole group of wild monkeys just around the corner, just hanging out and waiting to terrorise passing tourists, which this poor monkey should have been doing too.

Highs and lows today!