Location: What Little I Know

Being just a few weeks from D-Day now, I would've expected to know a bit more about where I'll be for the next few months. But because the Peace Corps thrives on mysteriousness, I can only narrow down my training and placement locales to somewhere in Indonesia's East Java province. Luckily, the Lonely Planet's Indonesia guidebook gives me confidence that this region is pretty spectacular.

The least densely populated of Java's provinces, East Java (Jawa Timur) is a wild, rolling region with dizzying peaks, smoking volcanoes and unspoilt panoramas. . . For most visitors East Java is all about the raw, rugged, appeal of its volcano-studded scenery and awesome landscapes. The [Mount] Bromo area and its puffing giants is an undisputed highlight, but the Ijen Plateau ranks very close. . . the southern route through East Java is the most scenic and has two great national parks - Meru Betiri where there is a protected turtle beach, and Alas Purwo, which is hallowed among surfers for its gigantic reef breaks. . . Just off the coast near Surabaya is the island of Madura, a place where traditions are particularly strong and famous bull races, known as 'kerapan sapi,' are staged. (p. 220)

But I have a feeling that a business first, sightseeing later focus will dominate training. Exploring will probably have to wait for at least several months.

Mount Bromo