Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes

Rice fields

The rice fields of Tuban

The rice fields of Tuban surround the town like uncountable small lakes. The lush green of the rice plants and glittering waters are a beautiful sight. While Tuban is developing as an industrial city, agriculture is still everywhere. Either as rice fields or as vegetable fields. For instance, melon, papaya, peanuts or cornfields. In almost all Asian countries rice is the number one food.  Rice is always on the table together with almost every meal. Indonesia has plenty of different dishes based […]

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Bull racing

Bull racing in Pamekasan

Bull racing in Pamekasan is one of two places for bull racing on Madura island. It is my second time on the island. During my first time on Madura, I visited Bangkalan on the north coast. At this time, I’m on the way to Pamekasan on the south coast of the island.  Pamekasan is a city almost on the east end of Madura.  Access to the island by car is via the Bridge of Madura from Surabaya. All the time in Indonesia I […]

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Kampung Warna Warni

Kampung Warna Warni

Kampung Warna Warni promises fancy colours and fancy people. South of the city centre of Malang in East Java Indonesia, a little village became attention by locals and tourists. Kampung Warna Warni is the name of the community.  Kampung Warna Warni means in Indonesian “Colourful Village”. For sure, that’s the right name for this wonderful place with all these fanciful colours. Row upon row, the houses jostle each other on the slopes of the valley. A small river meanders through the valley. For a […]

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Carnival in town

It is carnival in Tuban

As like every year it’s time for carnival in Tuban. Even after so long time spend in Tuban, I am still surprised and wondering about this tradition. For sure, it’s the same intention as in Germany. Uncountable people waiting next to the road for the carnival parade. Most people come from Tuban but also from villages around the town. Carnival in Tuban seems to be really a highlight for everyone, around today’s early afternoon. So many people sitting on the curbs, […]

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Kayangan Api a mystic fire

Kayangan Api a mystic fire

I heard about a mystic fire in the jungle not far from my home in Tuban. The name of the fire is “Kayangan Api”. What means something like an eternal flame. The place deep in the Javanese jungle is around 25 km from Bojonegoro, a town next to Tuban.  A sacred place with a mystical fire in East Java’s jungle sounds exciting. The Indonesian island Java is a volcanic and seismic active island. Moreover, Java has huge natural resources in oil and gas. Where gas is seeping […]

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The Milky Way our home galaxy

The Milky Way our home galaxy

The Milky Way is only one of myriads galaxies in the universe. I believe our universe is the most fascinating place in our perception and imagination. Darkness covers our world each night. That gives the unique chance to see myriads of shining and blinking stars. The darkness is the mystic thing beyond to make that possible. Astrophotography isn’t so difficult. Therefore, it isn’t really a big challenge to capture the Milky Way. No doubt amazing pictures are the result. Because […]

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Ganga island

Ganga Island in north Sulawesi

Ganga island is an island located in the north of Sulawesi. It takes one hour by car to drive from Manado airport to the small village with a little harbour. From here it takes a half-hour again to crossover the sea to the island. The boat waits already and the crew is ready for the ride on a cloudy and windy day. The crossover to the island wasn’t pleasant because of the windy day. However, the boat had to fight against the high waves and […]

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Limestone mountains

Limestone mountains in Tuban

The limestone mountains in Tuban are a stunning landscape. Tuban a city in the north of East Java has an interesting geological history. However, it’s not because of volcanic activity. It’s more of the limestone mountains around Tuban. In the past Tuban only had a small industry. Agriculture dominates the landscape around the town. But today, because of the settled industry Tuban turned into an industrial centre. One reason for this process is the huge limestone deposit. Long time I thought […]

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Kwan Sing Bio temple

The Kwan Sing Bio Temple

The Kwan Sing Bio Temple is a Chinese temple in Tuban, East Java. The temple is one of the largest Chinese temples in South East Asia. Visited by thousands per year the Kwan Sing Bio temple Tuban is an important religious place. An important place in the history of Chinese religion and culture. Not only for Indonesia but even more in South East Asia. Most Chinese from Indonesia visit the temple. However, people from other countries around Indonesia. Visitors from Malaysia, […]

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Nglirip waterfall

The Nglirip waterfall

The Nglirip waterfall locates south of Tuban. By car just forty minutes to drive into the highland jungle. Tuban is a town around 100 km northwest of Surabaya in East Java. The waterfall locates nearby a small village. However, the village and the area are called Nglirip Mulyoagung village. A little river feeds the waterfall. That’s why the name of the waterfall is Nglirip waterfall. Actually, the highlands are coral riffs and millions of years old. Because the sea level had fallen, […]

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LUSI the mud volcano Sidoarjo

The mud volcano Sidoarjo

The mud volcano Sidoarjo is the world’s biggest mud volcano. The location is in East Java, Indonesia. In the Indonesian language, the name of the mud volcano Sidoarjo is  “Lumpur Sidoarjo”. LUSI is a contracted word that combines two single words. The name LUSI is made up of the first two letters of the Indonesian words Lumpur and Sidoarjo. Lumpur means in Indonesian mud and Sidoarjo is a city south of Surabaya. Sidoarjo locates close to the location where the mud volcano occurred […]

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Hindu temple Tanah Lot

The Tanah Lot temple

The Tanah Lot temple is one of Bali’s thousand temples. It’s not for nothing said, that Bali is also called the island of the thousand temples. Obviously, the island is home to uncountable small and big temples. In fact, Bali is different from Java or Sumatra. The majority of the population belongs to the Hindu religion in Bali. That’s why these temples belong to Hinduism. However, Bali has more than temples only. Nature, jungle, and volcanos, and in between the spirit of the Balinese lifestyle. The Tanah Lot […]

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Tegallalang rice terraces

Tegallalang rice terraces

The magic island of Bali has a lot of interesting places to visit. Such one place is the Tegallalang rice terraces. The rice terraces are not far from the city of Ubud. Just a couple of kilometres north. Ubud is the centre of Balinese art and culture. Tegallalang village is famous for its rice terrace. The small village is a traditional Balinese village. The location is on the main road between Ubud and Kintamani. However, Tegallalang rice terraces are in a valley beside […]

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Kintamani

Kintamani Bali’s northern part

In 2015 I had no luck with the weather when I visited Kintamani. Rain around the clock was on the agenda this day. However, this year Bali’s weather god is with me.  Blue sky, beautiful white clouds and pleasant temperature that is exactly what I expected. Kintamani village in the northwest of Bali located is a great destination. The village locates on the edge of the huge Batur caldera. However, the caldera consists of the active volcano Mt Batur and Lake Batur […]

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Total Solar Eclipse on March 9, 2016

A total solar eclipse on 2016 March, 9

A total solar eclipse on 2016, March, 9 occurred in Indonesia. Unfortunately, the eclipse is visible only as a partial eclipse from Tuban, East Java, Indonesia. Accordingly, the occultation in Tuban was 85% at maximum. That’s enough to still turn the day into twilight and to get a great experience of a total solar eclipse. In fact, the eclipse starts in East Indonesia at sunrise over Sumatra. The end was at sunset north of the Hawaiian Islands. However, the last […]

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