A trip away to Indonesia might seem to offer a wealth of photo opportunities, but it’s a work trip — and the more that I do this kind of thing the more I realise that universities look much the same the world over. A Monday morning class, a decent turnout — but no one ever breaks the golden rule: Thou Shalt Not Sit In The Front Row.
After 22 hours of travelling via three tin pipes of varying quality (Manchester – Doha, Doha – Jakarta, Jakarta – Semarang) and then a car ride, I could finally crash in my accommodation for the next few days. This being the mostly very pleasant Kayu Arum hotel in Salatiga, which is in the centre of Java, and which you’ll be seeing more of. Its lush grounds, festooned with palms and shady spots, made me feel instantly at home. Or perhaps it was the red telephone box, which stands there for no immediately obvious reason. Put it this way, there isn’t a telephone in it.
