Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Indonesia - Archipelago




I think one of the most stunning features about Indonesia is its archipelago. There are more than 17,000 islands, 6,000 of which are uninhabited. Knowing that, one can see how it would be possible, even in this day and age, to get stranded on a deserted island.

Perhaps that wouldn’t be such a bad fate, for a while. I like the idea that there are places on this earth that have yet to be explored. There is a wonderful mysterious quality about that, the possibility of undiscovered cultures and animals, maybe a long lost city.

But if it’s simply a vacation you want, than Indonesia has plenty to offer. There’s the multicultural city of Jakarta, the beautiful resorts of Bali, volcanic lakes of Sumatra, the jungles of Sumatra Kalimantan and Papua, and much more.

Indonesia seems to be a place that would suite me. Bali is high on my list for places I want to go.

If you want to watch a great movie about Indonesia watch The Year of Living Dangerously starring Mel Gibson, Sigourney Weaver and Linda Hunt. It’s about a rookie journalist who is covering the Indonesian civil war of 1965. The journalist has an affair with an American diplomat who helps him with his story, but in the end, he has to choose between the woman he loves and the story that will make his career.

Indonesian cuisine is influenced by India, the Middle East, China and Europe. Many of the most popular dishes are now common across the world, dishes such as satay, and sambal. We had satay for our Indonesian meal. It was familiar to all of us and we enjoyed it very much.

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