Montmartre is a hill (the butte Montmartre) which is 130 meters high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris in the 18th arrondissement, a part of the Right Bank. From: wikipedia.

Paris (pronounced /ˈpærɪs/ in English, [paʁi] is the capital and primate city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,203,817 (January 2006), but the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of 11,769,433 (January 2006), and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. From: wikipedia

Bastek (street art), Montmartre, Paris – France, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 28th January, 2012 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

Père Lachaise Cemetery (French: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, [simtjɛːʁ dy pɛːʁ laʃɛːz]; officially, cimetière de l’Est, "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France (44 hectares (110 acres)), though there are larger cemeteries in the city’s suburbs. From: wiki.

Paris (pronounced /ˈpærɪs/ in English, [paʁi] is the capital and primate city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,203,817 (January 2006), but the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of 11,769,433 (January 2006), and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. From: wikipedia

Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris – France, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 15th December, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

Amsterdam has been called the "Venice of the North" for its more than one hundred kilometres of canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht, dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings. From: wikipedia, this article also features information on this particular canal; Lijnbaansgracht or Leidsegracht

Amsterdam (/ˈæmstərdæm/; Dutch [ˌɑmstərˈdɑm]) is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,158,592. The city is in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million, according to wiki.

Lijnbaansgracht, Leidsegracht, Amsterdam – Netherlands, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 11th December, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

Amsterdam (/ˈæmstərdæm/; Dutch [ˌɑmstərˈdɑm]) is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population of 1,209,419 and a metropolitan population of 2,158,592. The city is in the province of North Holland in the west of the country. It comprises the northern part of the Randstad, one of the larger conurbations in Europe, with a population of approximately 7 million, according to wiki.

Amsterdam – Netherlands, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 8th December, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

Death Valley is a desert located in the southwestern United States.

Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located within Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 ft (85.5 m ) below sea level. This point is only 76 miles (123 km) east of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). Death Valley holds the record for the highest reliably reported temperature in the Western hemisphere, 134°F (56.7°C) at Furnace Creek in 1913—just short of the world record, 136°F (58°C) in Al ‘Aziziyah, Libya, on September 13, 1922. More on wikipedia

State Route 190 (SR 190) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that is split into two parts by the Sierra Nevada. The western portion of begins at Tipton at a junction with State Route 99 and heads east towards Porterville before ending at Quaking Aspen in the Sequoia National Forest. The eastern portion begins at US 395 at Olancha, heads east through Death Valley National Park, and ends at State Route 127 at Death Valley Junction. The 43.0-mile (69.2 km) portion over the Sierra Nevada remains unconstructed, and the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has no plans to build it through the wilderness areas.

The route east of State Route 136 near Keeler is on the California Freeway and Expressway System, but is a two-lane road. Except west of State Route 65 in Porterville, SR 190 is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System; the part within Death Valley National Park, known as the Death Valley Scenic Byway, has been added to the system and is a National Scenic Byway. More on wikipedia

USA CA-190 Death Valley – Speed Limit 65, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 15th January, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

Père Lachaise Cemetery (French: Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, [simtjɛːʁ dy pɛːʁ laʃɛːz]; officially, cimetière de l’Est, "East Cemetery") is the largest cemetery in the city of Paris, France (44 hectares (110 acres)), though there are larger cemeteries in the city’s suburbs. From: wiki.

Paris (pronounced /ˈpærɪs/ in English, [paʁi] is the capital and primate city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,203,817 (January 2006), but the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of 11,769,433 (January 2006), and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. From: wikipedia

Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris – France, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 24th November, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

Paris Nord (or Gare du Nord, "North Station") is one of the six large terminus stations of the SNCF mainline network for Paris, France. It offers connections with several urban transportation lines, including Paris Métro and RER. By the number of travelers, at around 180 million per year, it is the busiest railway station in Europe. From: wikipedia.

Paris (pronounced /ˈpærɪs/ in English, [paʁi] is the capital and primate city of France. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region (or Paris Region, French: Région parisienne). The city of Paris, within its administrative limits largely unchanged since 1860, has an estimated population of 2,203,817 (January 2006), but the Paris aire urbaine (or metropolitan area) has a population of 11,769,433 (January 2006), and is one of the most populated metropolitan areas in Europe. From: wiki

Gare du Nord, Paris – France, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 17th November, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

A quaint, hospitable hotel. I never experienced an outdoor-bathroom before! Unfortunately, the water pump broke down just before we arrived. Water for personal hygiene was provided in that big bowl. Later that evening service crew were busy fixing the problem. I did manage to rise early and take a cooling dive in the morning. It was hard to get out of the swimmingpool tho. If Eka is still the girl at the breakfast/dining area: pls say Hi to her, and if you get the chance: bring some postcards or posters of flowers, pref. tulips. She like them very much.

Hotel Puri Mesari
Jalan Mertasari No 66
Sanur, Bali 80227
Indonesia
Phone: +62 361 281578
Fax: +62 361 285738
e-mail: info@purimesari.com

Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of the country’s 33 provinces with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island (strictly speaking, the province covers a few small neighbouring islands as well as the isle of Bali). From: wiki.

Indonesia – Bali – Hotel Puri Mesari, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 16th October, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

The Ramayana (Sanskrit: रामायण, Rāmāyaṇa, IPA: [rɑːˈmɑːjəɳə] ?) is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon (smṛti), considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India, the other being the Mahabharata. It depicts the duties of relationships, portraying ideal characters like the ideal father, ideal servant, the ideal brother, the ideal wife and the ideal king. More on this epic at wiki.

Photos are taken at the Purawisata Jogja / Yogyakarta
Jl. Brigjend Katamso
Yogyakarta 55152
T: 62-274-375705
F: 62-274-417620
W: www.purawisatajogja.com

Yogyakarta (English: /ˌjɒɡjəˈkɑrtə/ or /ˌjoʊɡjəˈkɑrtə/,[1] Malay: [jɔɡjaˈkarta]; also Jogja, Jogjakarta) is a city in the Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia. It is renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows. Yogyakarta was the Indonesian capital during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 to 1949. More on Wiki.

Java is the world’s most densely populated island (population: 136 million). It is home to 60% of Indonesia’s population. Much of Indonesian history took place on Java; it was the centre of powerful Hindu-Buddhist empires, Islamic sultanates, the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, and was at the centre of Indonesia’s campaign for independence. The island dominates Indonesian social, political and economic life. More information on wikipedia.

Indonesia – Java – Yogyakarta – Ramayana Epos, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 16th September, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy

In the background, covered w/ slithers of clouds, Gunung Merapi (the Merapi Volcano) is luring and lurking over Yogyakarta…

The hotel cordially offered us an upgrade to a Superior Room, and the room indeed was superior! Thank you, The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta and Asialink for arranging!

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta
Jl Jenderal Sudirman 9
55233 YOGYAKARTA
Tel. (+62)274/566617
Fax. (+62)274/566856
info@thephoenixyogya.com

Java is the world’s most densely populated island (population: 136 million). It is home to 60% of Indonesia’s population. Much of Indonesian history took place on Java; it was the centre of powerful Hindu-Buddhist empires, Islamic sultanates, the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, and was at the centre of Indonesia’s campaign for independence. The island dominates Indonesian social, political and economic life. More information on wikipedia.

Indonesia – Java – Yogjakarta – The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta, originally uploaded by Stewart Leiwakabessy. 17th September, 2011 — ©Stewart Leiwakabessy