After two Ridiculous bus rides, one of which was the most beautiful yet painfully long drive through the mountains, I was hurled out of the mini bus in Depok, Indonesia (not to be confused with a suburb of Jakarta this Depok was about a eight hour bus ride from the Capital). I stared around blankly for only a moment when I heard a high pitch shrill from just up a small mountain side. "Brinney!" the all to familiar way Cody has affectionately screamed at me throughout the years. His albatross arms were flailing frantically around his even slimmer than I remember but still pasty white body.
Finally, five months without my main dissolved into one huge hug. We just smiled and laughed as he exclaimed, "I can't believe you made it!" not just an expression, he was serious, this place is way off the lonely planet map. Until I saw Cody I was the only foreigner for miles as far as I was concerned and it was a bit unnerving. For the first time in my life I felt weird about my surroundings, I don't know quite how to describe it but it was much like a where's Waldo book but where's the boolay instead. Very obvious I wasn't from there and very obvious not a lot of travelers pass through where I was. It had been a rather uncomfortable trip but with the smooth directions Aryo (Cody's counterpart in his program) had given me in Bahasa I made it there in one piece.
Behind Cody a lovely woman was waving eagerly at me from atop the hill just outside of her colourful home. I was barely up the steps when I was taken into a warm embrace and held and kissed and cuddled with giggles and grunts in my ear. I was barely in the door and I was watered and had bananas and rice cakes shoved at me, encouraged to eat and drink. I had made it, my destination, my best friend, and the most loving host parents I could ask for.
Fun Fact: 88% of Indonesians are Muslim! And have no family name.
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