Road trip...
Once out of Jakarta the scenery was fantastic, lots of misty mountains and rice paddies, slightly scary driving, but if you focus on the view its fine.
Garut is a small spa town, just south of Bandung. Oscar already works with this weaving company in Garut, they specialise in silk and the fabrics are hand woven, but on proper looms and they also have jacquard. He thought there would be more scope for development than with the hand made looms that the ikats are woven on. I had no idea what to expect so was very excited.
Finally arrived just before lunch and went straight to the weaving shed, as I wanted to check out what the looms were like. Was quite scary when I realised that the jacquards still use the punch card system and the dobby looms are operated by peddles and only have six shafts, had a minor panic as I have no idea how to do the punch card thing and six shafts are really limiting in terms of the designs you can do! We then had a meeting with the owner and after a few homemade rice cakes I started to figure out what I could actually do here. They were willing to thread up a new loom for us, as they can do this in a day so managed to work out a drafting plan for the six shaft loom to enable us to make some new qualities.
The weaving shed
To my horror just after they had started threading I realised that the plan I had given them would require the weaver to have 3 feet to be able to peddle it! I’m sure there are some people with 3 feet somewhere that could do this for us, but not in this town!!! Managed to get my technical head on and reconfigure the plan for 2 feet, am really hoping I got it right as the technicians are staying late tonight to get it ready for weaving tomorrow.
We then went out for lunch. Thankfully the first option given to us by the mill owner was rejected by Oscar, was very happy about this as it was one of those restaurants where you look in the window and immediately lose your appetite. The second option was much better. Looked like an Indonesian Nandos from the oustside but as you walked in was actually more like an open air Buddha Bar and the view from the other side was of the mountain and paddy fields, quite surreal. The weaver also spins his own silk and over the meal was telling us about the first batch of silk worms that he had, they are apparently very delicate creatures, more demanding than a baby, he said. Just as the first group had grown fat on the mulberry leaves and were almost ready to make the silk it was New Years Eve and the noise of the fireworks stressed them out so much that they all died. He has now moved them to the mountain where they are much happier and not disturbed by the noise!
View from the restaurant
After lunch, as we had to wait for the loom to be threaded, you’ve guessed it, we hit the shops. Java is the area for Batik, so am now I have moved on from ikats and am starting my collection of batik fabrics. Garut is also the centre for leather in Java. Was hoping to find myself a bargain handbag or some leather sandals, you know the ones you always want to find abroad, really simple brown leather, cost about £2, but only ever see in Selfridges for £300! Nope they don’t do them here either, all very basic stuff.
Oscar bought a leather cap and his assistant some sandals though.
Leather shop in Garut, personally can't look at leather headwear without thinking Blue Oyster bar, Oscar managed to pull it off though!
Garut by night
Fruit shopping
Then it was time to head to the hotel. We had no idea where we were staying as the mill owner had booked it. I got quite excited as we drove up the hill past some very cool looking resort hotels but sadly this is not where they were taking us. Our destination was the altogether more basic Hotel Cipaganti, and no its not on Tablet! The best thing it has going for it is that its clean. We all had a giggling fit when we saw the bathroom. I can only think it was designed for the time-poor Indonesians who spend half their life in traffic. It’s the first time I have seen a toilet in the shower!
Once alone I managed to negotiate the bathroom, actually not so bad, as this is a spa town at least the water was hot , I then decided that I should secure the room from mosquitos , they have taken a real liking to me on this trip and am fed up with trying not to scratch. Unfortunately none of the windows close to provide a natural air conditioning, so am writing this lying on my bed swaddled in a blanket, choking on the citronella that I have drenched the mattress and pillow in, oh and watching Indonesia’s got talent where it looks like a half man, half woman named Hudson is going to win!!
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