Hello, right now I'm in Java, Indonesia discovering some new suppliers and checking one one or two existing ones. 

I also had to take a trip to the relatively undiscovered north of the island, To get there you have to cross over the volcanic ridge that rises over 2000 meters in the centre of the island. I have to say it is not only a fantastic trip with grey monkeys, glassy lakes, dramatic drops and awesome volcanic feature's but really botanically interesting. The road takes you past every kind of plantation, orange groves at lower levels, then past vanilla and coffee plantations. Everything seems to grow here in this lush land; Chilly, Cinnamon, Coffee, Coriander, Cumin, Garlic, Ginger, Lemon-grass - I lost track.. Along the way you are invited to stop and enjoy the views whilst sampling some of the worlds finest coffee. Cevet coffee (Kopi Luwak) is the best and most expensive, I learned not to ask for the best coffee.. not because of the price. Because, well it is produced in a pretty unorthodox way. The cevet is a small cat/weasel like creature that loves to eat fresh coffee beans. It has a nose for sniffing out the very best beans, however it doesn't digest them totally and they pass through the little creature somewhat enhanced and partly fermented. These specially processed beans make the best coffee. You have been warned.

Over the top of the volcano past the temple in the lake, built after the last eruption you descend through lush rain forest complete with dense green trees stretching out for miles like super tall and rather regal privet bushes. With the window down I could smell something distinctive and faintly nostalgic. But could I place that smell wafting on the warm breeze? In small villages long plastic sheets filled every available sunny spot sun drying something dark brown. On the side of the roads were long bamboo poles made with cross sticks.

On the edge of the road some guys were bashing one of the tall trees with the bamboo pole and like amber rain pods were tumbling. Turns out on investigation that this is a clove forest and we were there in the midst of the harvest. A lucrative business Ringo (our agent) told me, cloves fetch around £4 a kilo from traders, vastly more than rice and with far less work.

Somewhere here, I thought, must be someone distilling beautiful clove essential oil.
I'm working on it..

Then the smell came back to me.. yes I know that aroma.. it's "Old Spice" circa 1985.

More news next week.

Regards
David
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