Sunday Part 2
So, after our exciting adventures in shopping, dodging motorcycles, and equine abuse, we came home ready for lunch!
We didn't have much time to scarf down some PB&J before we were off again - this time on an adventure up the mountain and out of the city with friends of ours. They are also headed to Kalimantan with MAF and have been in Salatiga for almost a year. They invited us along on a Sunday afternoon outing in their car and there was no way that Sean or I would ever pass such an opportunity up!
The ride up the mountain was enjoyable, we weaved our way through several small towns and up, up, up, to some abandoned Hindu temples on the hillside. Well, they weren't totally abandoned, there were people there to sell us tickets to see the temples, hawk their snacks and bottled water to us, and when we started to look tired of hiking, a chance to ride a (small) horse up the trail.
Having already felt the sting of guilt for abusing a sad-looking pony, we passed on the chance to ride the horses and opted, instead, to hike up the steep hillsides ourselves.
We had such a good time just being out in the fresh air. Our kids did really fantastic and we all had a good time. There were some really spectacular views of the valley we live in and the volcanoes that surround it. It was a little cloudy, but I haven't been able to look that far out since we left Colorado! It was very much a treat for Sean and I.
It was hard to imagine that at one time, somebody built these temples and used them - over 900 years ago! I saw some graffiti from the 1800's. These temples were ancient then! Can you imagine?!
I lugged Paige up the trail on my back. We were grateful for the borrowed backpack to carry her in, but that kid is a lump. My shoulders still ache from carrying her along. By the end of it all, I was just carrying her on my hip. She wasn't all that fond of being cooped up in the backpack while her sisters gallivanted all over the hillside anyway.
As we were heading back down the trail, Maddie finally lost it. She wanted me to carry her, but I was already well ahead of her and Sean with my arms full of sticky, wiggly Paige. There was a tiny little older lady (barely bigger than Brooklyn) we had bought some water from and she offered to carry Madison down the trail on her back. Sean's not real sure how it happened, but next thing he knew, Maddie was whisked away down the trail on the woman's back in a sling.
Those of us who were farther down the trail were quickly overtaken by grandma carrying Maddie (and all her stuff). Whoa, that was a surprise! Sean came tumbling after them, saying something about how it was so great to have someone helping Maddie down the hill but he wasn't exactly sure how it came to be. We spent the rest of the walk down the hill trying to keep up with her so that Maddie didn't completely freak out! Maddie was a trooper because this wasn't at all her idea of a good time, but she didn't throw a fit or cry. I kind of think she was in shock!
What a humbling experience! There we were, with a fancy backpack (which I was complaining about having to use) and this tiny elderly lady is carrying our almost-four-year-old down the hill in a sling on her back! Needless to say, our elderly porter got a fair tip at the bottom of the hill :-)
After our adventure at the temples, our friends took us to a nice restaurant. It was a great time - and a little cooler than we're used to here in Salatiga! Sometimes, a little outing can have a huge impact on your attitude. I think we were beginning to feel so overwhelmed with all the work of living here and learning our third language. It was nice to just get out and experience this place we are living in and ministering to without any pressure to say something right or to study any more flashcards! We came home late and fell into bed exhausted but content. It was a long, but very good day!
More pictures can be found here.
We didn't have much time to scarf down some PB&J before we were off again - this time on an adventure up the mountain and out of the city with friends of ours. They are also headed to Kalimantan with MAF and have been in Salatiga for almost a year. They invited us along on a Sunday afternoon outing in their car and there was no way that Sean or I would ever pass such an opportunity up!
The ride up the mountain was enjoyable, we weaved our way through several small towns and up, up, up, to some abandoned Hindu temples on the hillside. Well, they weren't totally abandoned, there were people there to sell us tickets to see the temples, hawk their snacks and bottled water to us, and when we started to look tired of hiking, a chance to ride a (small) horse up the trail.
Having already felt the sting of guilt for abusing a sad-looking pony, we passed on the chance to ride the horses and opted, instead, to hike up the steep hillsides ourselves.
We had such a good time just being out in the fresh air. Our kids did really fantastic and we all had a good time. There were some really spectacular views of the valley we live in and the volcanoes that surround it. It was a little cloudy, but I haven't been able to look that far out since we left Colorado! It was very much a treat for Sean and I.
It was hard to imagine that at one time, somebody built these temples and used them - over 900 years ago! I saw some graffiti from the 1800's. These temples were ancient then! Can you imagine?!
I lugged Paige up the trail on my back. We were grateful for the borrowed backpack to carry her in, but that kid is a lump. My shoulders still ache from carrying her along. By the end of it all, I was just carrying her on my hip. She wasn't all that fond of being cooped up in the backpack while her sisters gallivanted all over the hillside anyway.
As we were heading back down the trail, Maddie finally lost it. She wanted me to carry her, but I was already well ahead of her and Sean with my arms full of sticky, wiggly Paige. There was a tiny little older lady (barely bigger than Brooklyn) we had bought some water from and she offered to carry Madison down the trail on her back. Sean's not real sure how it happened, but next thing he knew, Maddie was whisked away down the trail on the woman's back in a sling.
Those of us who were farther down the trail were quickly overtaken by grandma carrying Maddie (and all her stuff). Whoa, that was a surprise! Sean came tumbling after them, saying something about how it was so great to have someone helping Maddie down the hill but he wasn't exactly sure how it came to be. We spent the rest of the walk down the hill trying to keep up with her so that Maddie didn't completely freak out! Maddie was a trooper because this wasn't at all her idea of a good time, but she didn't throw a fit or cry. I kind of think she was in shock!
What a humbling experience! There we were, with a fancy backpack (which I was complaining about having to use) and this tiny elderly lady is carrying our almost-four-year-old down the hill in a sling on her back! Needless to say, our elderly porter got a fair tip at the bottom of the hill :-)
After our adventure at the temples, our friends took us to a nice restaurant. It was a great time - and a little cooler than we're used to here in Salatiga! Sometimes, a little outing can have a huge impact on your attitude. I think we were beginning to feel so overwhelmed with all the work of living here and learning our third language. It was nice to just get out and experience this place we are living in and ministering to without any pressure to say something right or to study any more flashcards! We came home late and fell into bed exhausted but content. It was a long, but very good day!
More pictures can be found here.
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