Today we had a repeat performance of Taman Bunga Nusantara *and* Cimory so the hubs could experience them. One thing that really stands out is that Puncak and Taman Bunga in particular seem to be *the* destination for tourists from Arabic-speaking countries. And we're talking women in FULL burqa with just their eyes showing. You'd think that it would be a normal sight for a predominately Muslim country, but it ISN'T here. From the last time we were in Puncak in '07, to today, 2010, the area has changed DRAMATICALLY. Almost every sign in Puncak is bi-lingual Arabic/Indonesian. "One almost doesn't recognize the area anymore" to quote the supir (driver) who is - incidentally - Muslim. Of course, the closer you get to Jakarta, the more relaxed the dress code is. In 2002, I saw exactly ONE woman in full burqa. And she was with her family staying in a hotel, so not local. In 2004, I saw NONE. In 2007, again, NONE. But now? I lost count. The only concern here is that the brand of Islam could become very much more strict and veer toward Sharia law. No one really thinks it's possible, but there has been a party trying to gain control for just about forever that endorses that viewpoint. And that's as far as I'm going with that.
Before we headed up to Puncak & Taman Bunga, we stopped off at Bogor to visit Papa's (my FIL) grave. We make the trek up the mountain every time we visit and we pull weeds, place flowers and take a moment to reflect. The older the children get, the more bored they get, though. However, I must say, they willingly arranged the flowers and it was really sweet to see Lorenzo being so careful to "make them pretty for Kung Kung".
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