The Upper Levels

Java - A Tale of Two Islands

---

September 23rd 2006
Java, Java, Java...The name alone never fails to conjure dozens of images in my head. Images of rumbling volcanoes, tumbling rice paddies, crumbling temples. Images of coffee plantations shrouded in mist. Of graceful dancers, shadow-puppets and mythological epics. It conjures the sound of the gamelan wafting through the Sultan's palace. Modern Java offers all of these things, of course. But ... read more

Asia » Indonesia » Java » Borobudur

---

The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; the islands were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hos... ... read more