THE INCREDIBLE HOSPITALITY OF MY INDONESIAN FRIENDS

The Incredible Indonesian Hospitality of the Humble Man of Bogor

I have been lucky to experience hospitality to a degree that one does not encounter in the west.

Nearly one year ago, I met PJ on a domestic flight tin the USA while I was on my way to Kuala Lumpur for a reunion. Within forty-five days I was at the airport in Jakarta and since then my passport has five entries into Indonesia.

View of Gunung Salak Mount Salak from Room 801 at Harris Hotel in Sentul City, Bogor, Jawa.

Each morning at 6 AM, someone picked me up at the hotel and soon we are at the lake, walking and jogging and talking

My indonesian friends were concerned about my sadness at the death this week of Commandante Chavez, they comforted me by saying he was a good  president who helped the poor, they also mentioned that only Americans seem to be ignorant of his good social work for the poor

PJ wanted me to do this rapid succession of exercises called BodyWalk, which was difficult for me. Muscles which have not moved in years were forced to do so.

Harris Hotel in Sentul City has been my regular abode while I am in Indonesia and I am beginning to recognize some of the employees and vice versa.

Food is always shared and there is a nice atmosphere of friendship and binding relationships

I must never forget what i came here for: to contribute in some fashion to the HEALTH of the local population. This poor young boy aged 13 subsists on a diet of cheap Instant Noodles (10 cents a package, but he does not stop at five!)

(Lunch today at the home of Dr and Mrs L)

On this visit, 99 per cent of the time was spent on talking, visiting, eating and enjoying ourselves and 1 per cent of the time was spent on deciding on the future of a medical project we wish to do together, along with yet another good Indonesian, Dr L.

PJ met me in BKK and we had delicious meals and he introduced to a remarkable man, about whom I will write another blog.

We flew together from BKK to CGK and he had organized every item on the agenda during my stay: including the flights in and out of Indonesia, my hotel stays and all my meals with various members of our group of friends.

What is of the greatest benefit to me, apart from learning from this humble man, is the chance to tone up my body with walking/jogging along the lake in Sentul and then participate (for the first time this time), a body walk, which is about stretching of the body muscular system, which incorporates some very definite Yoga postures. Even though I was in Indonesia for only two days and three nights:

We had a variety of meals

Surabaya style soup

Fish cooked in bamboo, which is sundanese style

Ayam bakar, which is Javanese

Tokigawa is a restaurant in the Botanika mall in Bogor, which serves Japanese food.

A lovely home cooked meal by a pleasant hostess originally from Pontianak in Borneo and married to Dr L.

PJ thinks forward when it comes to the welfare of his guests. Massage was organized and enjoyed. And at the same time, enough private time and space provided so that one can indulge in ones other lives.

You get yourself to anywhere in Asia, and let me know, I will take care of the rest, was his friendly request.

Thank you, my dear friend and humble man of Bogor, PJ.