I recently traveled to Java (Indonesia) to do some bird watching. I surprised by how friendly the people were. Wherever I went – outside of the capital – people, especially children, were eager to speak to me and have their photo taken. Students liked to ask my name and where I came from. In the Bogor Botanical Gardens, there were groups of young students eager to ask tourists various questions. I was doing ‘spot the bird’ in the park, whist they were doing ‘spot the tourist’!

Sometimes it felt like one was a minor celebrity, with everyone wanting to know something about you! Kids sometimes ask for money. I tended to refuse, but occasionally submitted and gave them enough to buy some sweets. These kids (in red outfits, below) were being given a lesson in how to build a house, near  the Cibodas Botanical Gardens. I did give them a little money, with the permission of their teacher, and they rushed off up the street to get some sweets (candy).

I like to walk through villages. It is interesting; you see things you would not do from a car, and you meet people. Sometimes you get teased! These girls rushed over to look at the strange boule (white man) walking through their village.

Nobody walks in Indonesia. It is hot and there are all sorts of modes of transport, from horse and cart to car. Motor bikes and scooters are incredible common and I was always being asked if I wanted a lift on the back of one. I think the notion that I actually liked walking was a bit of a strange one. These lads were not very impressed!

Minivans (angkut) abound in the cities of Indonesia, but they are not much use if you do not know where they are going. These boys were just riding along by sitting in the open door. Dangerous? Probably not as the traffic was moving very slowly. And great fun.

These boys (top photo and below) were hanging around outside the Bogor Palace (Istana Bogor) where it was possible to feed deer through the palace fence.

On the other side of the fence the deer were waiting for someone to feed them. Green beans were on sale to feed the chital deer, which were originally imported from India, but thriving in these private gardens in Bogor, Java.