As you probably know, Dunkin Donuts is an institution in America. But outside of a handful of locations, this chain has yet to firmly establish itself in California. Which is quite vexing to the East Coast transplants who call this state home.

And yet I run into Dunkin Donuts all over the world! I’ve seen them in Peru, Ecuador, Thailand, and now Indonesia.

I spot two locations at the Jakarta airport alone. Another at Gambir train station. And yet another around the corner from my hotel.

I swear they put crack in the iced coffee. It is SO GOOD. They don’t have soy milk (boo to dairy allergies!) but I won’t let that get in the way.

Don’t worry, I ate local food too. After my DD fix.

I purchase the dish above right (chicken skewers in a spicy peanut sauce) from a street vendor for around $2. It is perfection.

The food above right (and also below) is from a Chinese place in Yogyakarta. My body’s craving veggies and this fits the bill.

Colorful bird cages line this fence in Yogyakarta:

I spend about two hours wandering around Yogyakarta, looking for Tamansari. My local map conflicts with Google Maps and even after asking for directions a handful of times I still can’t find it. Instead I stumble upon some old ruins.

Water Castle Cafe is a great spot for lunch.

Later that night I walk around looking for a place to grab dinner. Yogyakarta isn’t an especially easy area for tourists to get around — the streets overflow with cars and motorbikes (sidewalks disappear often), there are very few sit-down restaurants, and I get weird looks everywhere I go. With my blonde hair, pasty white skin, and big camera, I stick out like a sore thumb.

A young boy waves me over to his family’s front stoop. They have tables set up low to the ground for meals. A few locals are eating and, as the boy gestures, I sit down at the other end of the table.

He communicates the menu options and I order something with chicken, plus tea. The entire meal costs one dollar.

One of the locals moves over and asks me where I’m from and what I’m doing in Yogyakarta. Her son is nearby and she points to him; he turns away shyly. She asks to take a photo with me and, for the first time in this country, I say yes. Then I ask her if I can take one with my camera too. Her son does the honors.

Here’s a few shots from EDU Hostel, where I stayed for three days:

They have a fabulous rooftop with the skinniest lap pool I’ve ever seen:

These photos are from my second day at Mt. Bromo:

We grab dinner at a local kitchen, again for around one dollar. This is quite tasty and surprisingly filling:

A few shots from the picturesque hotel I stay in during my final night on Mt. Bromo:

These plants are growing everywhere — they remind me of giant spring onion on steroids. It’s hard to tell in this photo but these plants are huge.

More shots taken near the Mt. Bromo overlook:

Dinner and a photo editing session on my final night in Mt. Bromo:

I order the fried banana drizzled with chocolate. It’s heavenly and quite laden with calories.

Sunrise on the final morning:

Hope you’ve enjoyed these highlights from my time in Java. I have one last post for you from this part of the world — and it’s the most fascinating by a long shot. I’ll be back next week to detail my pre-dawn hike to watch the miners perform their dangerous work at Ijen Crater.

See you tomorrow with a Thanksgiving update from Israel! Happy Turkey Day to my friends and family back home!