Mystical, Sentimental Old City Tour, Yogyakarta

It was the Ayu Utami’s novel, “Lalita” that made me want to go (again) to Borobudur after my last visit long times ago (when I was in high school). I know that Borobudur is one of the seven wonders in the world, but I didn’t give a huge interest in it before, until I read “Lalita”. Ayu was great in describing the mystical, spiritual and philosophical story of the Borobudur combined with the fiction on that novel. I’m so fascinated by the story that made me want to go again to Borobudur. My wildest dream is to capture sunrise or sunset in Borobudur. Those moments are the greatest view of it.

Lucky me, not too long after I finished reading the novel, I had a chance to visit Borobudur again. It was my old cousin who first asked me to spend new year moment in Yogyakarta, but it was a sudden plan, so that we missed out all the train tickets (also flights), and so were the hotels, they were all fully booked. We finally had a chance to travel there on the next 2 weeks. And off course Borobudur which is about 42 km from Yogyakarta (about 1,5 hour driving) would be the one of our tours in Yogyakarta.

It was on January 11th, 2013 morning we went to Yogyakarta from Bandung by train. I bought the Lodaya business train tickets for our departure a week before the departure, and also paid the 50% DP (down Payment) of the guest house in Ndalem Suratin, Jl. AM. Sangaji, Yogyakarta to book one of the rooms. We chose the guest house because according to the online advertorial, the location could be reached about 5 minutes walking from the Tugu train station, and the room is quiet cheap and pleasant with ethnic decoration and colonial architecture building.

Too bad, after we arrived at Tugu train station, and had tried to walk to the guest house for bout 50 meters, we finally found out that the guest house is quiet far from Tugu train station. It’s impossible to be reached by only 5 minutes walking, and we were too tired to continue our walked after 8 hours trip by train from Bandung to Yogyakarta (Tugu train station). So we finally chose becak to take us to the the guest house which cost 20 thousand rupiahs. It has to be 10 thousand rupiahs, but the becak rider is an old man, poor him, so we gave him more than it has to be. We arrived at the Ndalem Suratin Guest House bout 10 minutes later. Surprised again, the room that we’d already booked was too small for two of us, so we finally changed the room into the large one which more comfort and cozy, but off course with extra cost! :)

So, finally we could took a rest for a while after the long trip, and then took a bath, and did the qashar sholat (Dhuhur and Ashar) (Moslem Prayer). After that, we went to the Tugu train station (again) by Trans Yogya bus which cost only 3 thousand rupiahs. We had to bought the ticket home to Bandung for January 13th. After we had the Argo willis train ticket home, we continued our trip to Malioboro by becak. It was already dark.. it was bout 7pm, but the atmosphere was nice, it was sentimental, ethnic, the typical of old city of Yogyakarta. I really like it and so enjoy it.

Arrived at Malioboro, we walked for a while entering the craft market along the side of the street untill we found a nice lesehan (traditional small restaurant), we stopped there to had our dinner. We had pecel and nasi gudeg, and cold orange juice for our drink. It was delicious, for we’d been starving after the long trip from Bandung to Yogyakarta. After we had our dinner, we went to Mirota batik shop, the famous batik shop in Malioboro. We bought some nice batiks there. I was so enjoying the atmosphere, it's so ethnic with the dupa smell (traditional aroma therapy) all around the shop and the gending jawa song (Javanese traditional song). We were so enjoying the moment for we didn't realize we had spent quiet long times searching for batik at the shop. It was almost 9 pm, the officer had announced all the customers through the microphone that the shop was going to close at 9 pm. Knowing that the shop was going to close soon, we decided to come again here tomorrow night, because we still needed to buy some batiks for oleh-oleh (gift).

From Mirota, we continued to walk along the Malioboro street, enjoying the night at Malioboro; variety of shops selling batik, traditional handicrafts, the lesehan, and stalls along the street lined with various activities. There were also some modified traditional dance and music attractions. Quiet full of people who were also enjoying the night. That is the typical of Malioboro street, specially during weekend, always so cheerful with its own unique way. On our walking along Malioboro, we had wedang ronde (javanese traditional health drink) on the side of the road. It was so nice enjoying the atmosphere while having wedang ronde at night before we finally back to the guest house by becak. Becak is a nice transportation to have in Yogya, specially at night and not for too long distance, and if it isn't raining.

The next day after our arrival, we traveled to Borobudur. It was on Saturday 12th January morning, we first took Trans Yogya bus route 2B (Rute 2B) from the shelter which is bout 30 meters from the guest house. We then stopped at the Jombor station. It cost only 3 thousand rupiahs (jauh-dekat tiga rebu sazah.. :D *near-far Rp 3000). From Jombor, we took a bus to Borobudur which cost 15 thousand rupiahs. It took bout 1,5 hour from Yogyakarta to Borobudur. I (again) enjoyed the trip, the sightseeing, and watched the interaction of the people; locals also foreigners.

After the bus arrived at Borobudur bus station, we then took becak (cost 10 thousand rupiahs) to the Borobudur park (the temple) area. The entrance fee to Borobudur park is 30 thousand rupiahs per person.

It was almost 9 am when we arrived, the sun rise had long passed, off course!! :P So, there wouldn't be sunrise nor sunset that would be captured on my camera, because I only had the opportunity visited Borobudur that day, and it was impossible for us to wait for sunset which would show down in bout the next 9 hours. So we enjoyed the Borobudur during the day, the sun heated rapidly, sweat beading our body.

To anticipate mount Merapi eruption, the Borobudur stupas were covered. According to http://globaldisasterwatch.blogspot.com, Borobudur Heritage Conservation Agency has begun a disaster mitigation program to cover all 73 stupas in case of further eruptions from Mount Merapi.

(to be continued... )