Cottage Industry Lives in Indonesia

First, thanks so much for all the great messages! You've given me loads of motivation to keep shooting and posting the best shots here:)

My first posting was of a cottage industry gold mining operation. In Bali, we toured a sea salt farm (the man with the yoke and bags of sea water below was from that farm). We also watched a family as they harvested palm sap and turned it into the sweetest carmelized sugar imaginable. The sugar hardens as it cools in the half coconut shells, then it's bagged and sold in the local markets.

Today in Central Java, while on a work trip to observe a training workshop, we made a detour to a batik factory (factory in the loosest sense of the word) operating out of a converted house and back yard. Central Java is famous for its beautiful, handmade batiks. And yes, Jess, I shopped at the factory outlet store!