Hallo! Hallo, Bandung!

Climbing to the top of the ridge, you reach Punclut where a long row of restaurants overlook the city of Bandung. Volcanic mountains surround the city which lies in a basin. At night, the view is especially beautiful as the city sparkles with light reminiscent of moonlight bouncing off the ripples on a lake. Hordes of motobikes are parked on both sides of the small road as each traditional restaurant is packed with diners seated on mats on the restaurant floors. The food served is Sundanese and we pick out what we want to eat from the mostly prepared food for them to finish cooking. After choosing a prime spot to sit to take in the view, we are given a kobokan, a bowl of water with a lime so we can clean our hands before and after the meal. Sundanese food is traditionally eaten with hands, so the kobokan was completely necessary. We were also given sambal, red rice, and fresh greens. Bites of cucumber provide a cool, fresh break that relieves your mouth from the spiciness. The most interesting thing I had was what seemed to be small intestines or strips of some sort of pork part that are fried and served wrapped up in a banana leaf. It gave an extra salty bite to supplement the spiciness and sweetness. The savory fried corn cake was reminiscent of Filipino ukoy with hints of shrimp flavor. The sambal tasted slightly sweet to me, but I am not sure of what else is used to prepare it to give this hint of sweetness that apparently only I could taste. Great food, awesome views, and good conversation always makes an excellent night.

On Sunday, it is a car-free day along Jalan Dago. It is a great place to bike, walk, protest, demonstrate, and perform. Nearby is a weekend market where several stands serve Sundanese food and at a cheap price: 8000 Rupiah for a full meal. Hygiene standards may not be up to par for most Western travelers. Pushing those thoughts aside, the filling meal is really cheap and is a very Indonesian experience.