Local bus ride between Borobudur and Wonosobo

After this "courtesy" stroll, we return to collect our luggage, heading towards Wonosobo, an intermediate stop before Dieng Plateau. The journey takes approximately 3 hoursWe sat at the back of the bus, which was more convenient for our luggage. A man dressed in traditional Muslim attire, with a small goatee and a skullcap, boarded the bus with his wife, who was wearing a headscarf. He came over to me, sat next to me, and started a conversation.

Local meeting

From that moment on, I have to say that stereotypes die hard… Because when he started asking questions about my life, what I was doing there, who I was with, and then he brought up the topic of religion, I couldn't help but feel a certain unease, like he was going to kidnap me, blow himself up, or slit my throat right there… No…

I'm extrapolating a bit, I'm sure, but obviously none of that was true, just a curious man wondering why I wasn't following the path of "Allah" or trying to "convert" in his way, I don't really know, but whatever, it was all purely friendly (you should have seen the ultra-soft and kind tone he used and the shyness that emanated from it, it was quite... unsettling, let's say).

Although he was only speaking to me (him on my left, Jitima on my right), Jitima told me he'd had the same impression as me. In the end, he joined his wife at the front of the bus and stayed there patiently until he got off somewhere well before we arrived. Yes, I admit, a slightly embarrassing cliché on my part about this episode…

So here is our famous guest-house, the Lotus II (there is also a Lotus I even closer to the temple but a little less good it seems, not in terms of staff because it is the same family and group of guides who manage it but in terms of place/atmosphere)

Our privileged contact who spoke impeccable English.

We were even offered a horse-drawn carriage to take us to the bus.

The interior of the bus, same kind as for coming to Borobudur.

Fortunately, as we were the first, we were able to sit at the back where there was enough space to put our big bags down without disturbing anyone for this journey (about 2 hours).

Waiting for the passengers… and especially the driver.

Somewhere along the way, the weather remains decidedly overcast...

Hotel Choice in Wonosobo

After consulting the Lonely Planet guide, we went to a guesthouse a reasonable distance from the bus depot (after taking a local minibus). The guidebook clearly states that there are newer rooms, but they are more expensive…

The owner greeted us, but only offered us the new rooms, which cost 300.000 rupiah (IDR), a bit pricey for our budget. However, we didn't regret accepting the new room, which was spotless. Other French guests arrived just after us and took a look at the older rooms; even they, on a tight budget, preferred the new ones, so... Incidentally, the presence of this group gave me a chance to chat a bit in French.

I would have preferred, in principle, that he show us the older ones too. The good news is that we were able to negotiate by insisting and we got the night for 200.000 Rp, which is more reasonable, breakfast included (he buys the food that morning based on the order placed the day before, fantastic!).