THE STREET SCENES OF YOGYAKARTA
The morning flight from Bali
lead us to the southern part of Central Java province of Indonesia. We were at a major tourist destination which
goes by name of Jogja.
Yogyakarta (pronounced as Jogjakarta) is a relatively small city
that walking is inevitable when strolling down the streets for
exploration. There were less western
backpackers as observed, with a quaint and charming ambiance emanating.
We walked for miles
initially to locate Marlioboro Street
- the street famous for nightlife and bargain finds as souvenirs. It was a fail. Holding the map and admittedly not used to
map reading, we were lead to a different direction for the first day in
Yogyakarta.
Arts and cuisine nevertheless
was a good introduction of the city, discovered surprisingly.
Art scenes in the form of
murals comforted us along the way. The splash
of colors and varied messages conveyed by these graffiti’s is truly a mark of
Yogyakarta being a hub for culture and the arts. Visual arts come in unexpected locations and
cannot be said to have been made for commercial purposes. Aesthetics and culture combined.
Traditional three-wheeled,
pedal-powered cart known as becak (pronounced
as beh-chak) occupies the main
thoroughfare of the city. They compete
with space with the buses of Trans Jogja,
serving as main public transportation of the city.
When traveling within the
city, either the becak or the bus is
practical. Cost for the former should
not exceed 10,000IDR (0.75USD) when going to the Marlioboro shopping
district. As for the bus, the Trans Jogja is higly recommended. We availed of the latter on our trip from the
airport going to the city center of Marlioboro.
It only costs 3,600IDR (0.27USD) and regardless of distance. One can even tour the city for the whole day
through public commuting.
As we dine and move from one
place to another, default order for me while in Indonesia is fried chicken. Our
first meal as we alight from the bus coming from the airport was on small
eatery situated beside the bus stop.
Servers were so accommodating and courteous. We hear giggles as they serve us. They are indeed excited to serve guests. The dish turned out to be the most delicious
version of fried chicken that I have tasted in Indonesia and the cheapest one.
For an early dinner, we had
ours at a nearby elevated space of aligned stalls. While my travel buddies were having
cigarettes in one corner, I stood at one of the stalls to place an order. And then I asked how much is the chicken dish
displayed. The vendor could not decipher
what I am inquiring as seen on the blank face she projects. When my travel buddies came, the vendor asked
my friends to translate what I’m saying uttered in Bahasa. And we were all lost
in translation. I thought I could pass
an Indonesian identity. Then an old man
came to the rescue, equipped with English-speaking skills.
The local residents of Yogyakarta are quite reserved yet
amiable. Indonesia is a predominantly
Muslim country with the exception of Bali, and mosques as well as architectural
designs of residential and commercial establishments manifest such.
The next few days were
finally spent at the Marlioboro shopping district. Batik shops
are everywhere with signage prominently displayed. Both sidewalks are occupied by vendors
offering handicrafts, souvenir items, fabrics and a lot more one can imagine as
a souvenir item.
Parked traditional
horse-pulled carts, known as andong or
dokar, adds charm to the vicinity as
well, though their purpose is to wait for willing visitors to be guided on
tour.
At night, several open-air
street side restaurants, called lesehan, operates. For an authentic dining experience, we tried
one of the stalls seated in Indian style. In the course of dining, there are musicians
showing off their skills and asks for donation after the performance.
Situated at the center of
the street is the Marlioboro Mall. The
mall serves as our comfort zone to refresh from the walking stint and consequently
dine in a familiar air-conditioned fast food chain.
Marlioboro Street is said to
be the street for the artists. Street
musicians, painters and other artists showcase their crafts and skills on this
busy street of Yogyakarta.
And just like that – the mere
fact of crossing the streets of Yogyakarta would surely give us a glimpse of
the rich culture and aesthetic prowess they possess.
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