Will People Notice When You Are Gone?

Today seems like a good time to remember one of our favorite restaurant memories from Indonesia. The Green Valley Resto in Central Java, Indonesia, was a unique dining experience. I took Tamara there on our trip to Indonesia in the summer for 2000. I could see the smile on her face as we walked the winding bamboo staircase down into the valley before finally deciding on a small circular landing that seemed to have a nice view.

We took our two small children there sometime around 2008 (see photo) and once again enjoyed the unique experience. The place was clearly past its prime. The bamboo walkways were not what they used to be and the decorations were in disrepair. The food, however, was still a treat-

• Fresh, young coconut water from a coconut cracked open before our eyes.
• Boiled kankung with garlic and butter with a dash of chili pepper. Mmmmm…
• Grilled duck with insanely spicy sambal,
• Fried calamari,
• Tom Yum soup,
• And, of course, white rice, because nothing in Indonesia gets eaten without a healthy portion of white rice.

Unfortunately, we did not live near this restaurant, so our visits were infrequent. But we always knew that whenever we visited Central Java, a visit would be high on our priority list.