At the airport about to leave for Jakarta and Bogor. My week in Yogya has been very fruitful, and it's a town worth visiting. The classes at Realia school have been useful even if I still have a long way before holding a conversation! Indonesian is not particularly difficult, I am just particularly useless at languages... I still say spanish words by mistake (which I guess will be useful for later in the year when in South America).
The main highlight of the last days has been going to mount Merapi, a volcano that is not only still active but one of the most active in the world. We left at 22.00 by minibus with 3 fellow students from Realia and other youngsters who booked at same agency. Got to Selo village just after midnight, where weather is nice and cool, which was a change but also a worry about how cold the top would be. We set off at 1am with 4 local guides. The hike is hard, loads of scrambling to get to the top, through field, "jungle" and rocks. We got to the plateau at around 3.30 just before the final climb which can only be done in nice weather, which it was. And what a climb, all at 75 or 80 degrees radiant! First about 20 mins in sand, which can only be attacked on all fours. Think cross trainer but static. Loads of effort for not much result. After that, proper climbing begins. But it's so worth it, the sunrise is spectacular, the view across miles of green rice fields and land, and you are next to the crater where by peaking over the (crumbling!) edge one can see lava. I am sure all this is pretty dangerous and would be forbidden in Europe. The way done was a challenge as well as we started to feel the heat and knees were giving in. Saw a monkey though!
I have found a good restaurant on Malioboro, the main shopping street, called Legian, which is set amongst greeenery on the first floor, with views of the street. Location better than the food.
Leaving today means that I will not have seen Borobudur, the buddha temple which apparently is not to be missed. An excuse to come back one day!

Fact of the day: no diet coke sold here, only coke zero which is sold at a premium. Guess will have to get used to it.