Monday, 9 October 2017

Post #149 9 October 2017

Gentlefolk,

This post describes our stay in Yogyakarta (aka Jogja) from 8 - 16 August 2017.

Jogja is regarded as the cultural centre of Java.  Vera went to university in Jogja, and still has some good friends there.  Vera's father grew up in Temanggung, about 100 km north-east of Jogja; he did his medical degree in Surabaya and practised as a doctor in Bali and later in Bandung.





We took the train from Malang to Jogja, a seven hour trip.  Jogja is located near the south coast of the Province of Central Java.


Map from Malang, Malang City, East Java, Indonesia to Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta City, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia


There are two famous ancient monuments near Jogja: the Borobudur Temple (Buddhist) and the Prambanan Complex of Temples (Hindu).





Here are some photos of our stay in Jogja.




The train from Malang to Jogja took 7 hours. Nice relaxed trip.  Views of rice paddies; it was kinda hazy mostof the way, don't know if that was pollution or just the day.

Our carriage had comfortable seats. There was a dining car, but most passengers bought food and drink from the attendants and ate in their seats.


In Jogja we stayed at the Hotel Batik, a series of one-room bungalows.  The hotel was a bit old, but had a terrific central location just behind Malioboro, the main shopping street. Cost was reasonable at $40 per night (including breakfast).


The hotel had a nice swimming pool, which we used every day.


There were large posters and banners in every city to mark the 72nd anniversary of the declaration of Indonesian Independence on 17 August 1945.  The Dutch didn't want to give up their colony, and it took 4 years of fierce fighting before they bowed to internal and international pressure.  This poster featured Sukarno, the leader of the Independence Movement and first President of the Republic of Indonesia.  He was a great orator and motivator. Kerja bersama = work together (for a better future).



Yours truly with a group of school gilrs on an excursion.  We noticed that almost all girls / women now wear headscarves (hijab).  About 90% of Javanese are Moslem, but the wearing of hijab has certainly become much more common than, say, 20 years ago.  They were delightful kids, very friendly.



We spent some time in the old market, Pasar Beringharjo. Fascinating place, full of small stalls selling all kinds of stuff. 

A view of the inside of Pasar Beringharjo.  Always crowded with shoppers.  Lots of stalls selling batik in this section.


One of the parking lots near Pasar Beringharjo. So many motor bikes everywhere - it is the most convenient way to get around. Wearing helmets is now mandatory.


Lots of 'becaks' (trishaws) still around in Jogja.  Some are motorised now, and we always took those.  They are a cheap mode of transport.  We were told that the basic wage in Jogja is about A$100 per month - very low - hence the inexpensive cost-of-living here.


'Dokars' (horse drawn carriages) are still common in Jogja, same as becaks.  Taxis are inexpensive in Indonesia, but becaks and dokars are even cheaper. Of course they tend to slow traffic down, but that is the trade-off for inexpensive transport.

The Sultan's Palace ("Kraton") is a tourist attraction.  The current Sultan, Hamengkubuwono #10 still resides in part of the Kraton. 


This stone stele was presented to the Sultan in 1953 by the Chinese community.  Vera's uncle, Dr Sim Ki Ai, is among those listed as giving great service to Indonesia (he was Sultan Hamengkubuwono #9's personal physician).

Some retired 'gentry' hang out at the Kraton, sometimes acting as guides for tour groups.



A clock in the Kraton, using Javanese script on the clock-face. Javanese is an ancient sanskrit language still widely spoken in Central and East Java, although few people can read and write it these days. Bahasa Indonesia is the national language and spoken and taught everywhere.



One of the art shops in the Kraton.  Batik painting is popular here,


We had lunch with Rosie Clynes, the daughter of Nanik and Adrian Clynes who we know in Canberra.  Rosie was living in Jogja while studying Indonesian and drama.  She is an aspiring actress.  We met at popular Raminten Restaurant.  For this photo Vera and Rosie stood next to a statue of the owner/founder.  

Like millions of others, Rosie bought a motor scooter to get around Jogja.  We caught the public bus a couple of times, but it is not very convenient - bike much better.  Rosie said that she pays less than A$10 a week for a room in a share-house.

We had dinner at this famous old Chinese restaurant. Delicious food, but later I suffered because they must have used MSG in their cooking.  In Australia MSG is not used these days (even phasing out in China) but still very common in Indonesia.

Dinner with some old friends of Vera's:  Ahon, Bwee, Tjoe (Bwee's younger sister) and her husband Johnny.  Bwee was one of Vera's closest friends when she was at University in Jogja.




We visited some friends of Ahon and Bwee in Kaliurang, a town about 25 km from Jogja, on the slopes of Mount Merapi. Their cottage was about 1,000 m above sea level; on a clear day they said you can see Jogja and all the way to the coast!




Of course we visited the 1,200 year old Borobudur Buddhist Temple.  118 m x 118 m, it is massive; they estimate it is made up of 2 million blocks of stone, and lots of carvings too.  How could they possibly have built this extraordinary structure more than a thousand year ago?  The mind boggles.  Borobudur apparently fairly quickly fell into disuse and was overgrown until Sir Thomas Stanley Raffles "discovered" it in 1815;  the British ruled Java from 1811 - 16, but then handed it back to The Netherlands at the end of the Napoleonic Wars.

Four square levels are topped by three round levels, up to the apex.

Lots of beautiful Buddha statues, many headless - heads stolen by thieves and presumably sold to collectors.

The other big site near Jogja is the Prambanan Hindu Temple Complex, thought to have been built about 50 years after Borobudur (and only about 50 km away).  But unlike Borobudur which is a huge single edifice, Prambanan comprises six large temples and many small temples.

Vera in front of the biggest temple, Candi Shiva, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.  It is 47 m high, with many intricate carvings.

You can't go to Jogja and not eat at the original Ayam Goreng Suharti restaurant.  This might well be the best fried chicken in the world!!! Delicious.

The menu has a picture of the founder, Mrs Suharti.

Frieda and Vera at the Catholic Sanata Dharma University where they were classmates back in the 1960s.  It was then an IKIP (teacher training college), but now it is a fully fledged university - continues to grow and prosper. Frieda and her husband Johnny came from Magelang to meet us.


We did a trip to Parangtritis, the nearest coastal town to Jogja.  It is geared for weekend hordes from the city.  Apparently now there are nice beach resorts further afield, but we didn't have time to explore them.


At the beach at Parangtritis.


Another photo of the main beach at Parangtritis.  Big surf - few Indonesians are strong swimmers and it would be dangerous. Lots of beach buggies for hire.

Our last night in Jogja we had dinner with Bwee and Ahon, at a ribs restaurant in the new Prawirotaman tourist area.  They have been very good hosts.

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Our 8 night stay in Jogja came to an end.  We met some lovely old friends and had a good time eating and touring.

Next stop Solo, enroute to Salatiga.  That will be the subject of my next post.

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Best wishes, keep well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah
Canberra, Australia
Monday, 9 October 2017









Saturday, 7 October 2017

Post #148 7 October 2017

Gentlefolk,

This post describes our visit to Surabaya and Malang in East Java, 3 - 7 August 2017.

Surabaya is the second largest city in Indonesia (and the capital of East Java), but much smaller and more laid-back than Jakarta. Vera was born in Surabaya and the family moved to Bali (Klungkung) when she was 4 years old. She lived in Bali until she went to University in Jogja.

We flew from Bali to Surabaya, a one hour flight.  Met at the airport by Vera's cousin Arthur Simadibrata and his wife Annie; we stayed with them for two nights, then they drove us to Malang and showed us around Malang-Batu as well.  Two lovely people, great hosts and very kind.







Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city, has relatively few tall buildings. In 20 years time it will be wall-to-wall high-rise buildings, just like in China; population pressure is so great that they will have to build up rather than out.




Map from Surabaya, Surabaya City, East Java, Indonesia to Malang, Malang City, East Java, Indonesia
We had two nights in Surabaya, then Arthur and Annie drove us to Malang.  It is only about 100 km but took 3 hours; there is a toll road which goes about half-way and that was fine, but the last 40 km we just crawled along.




Vera with Annie and Arthur (Vera's cousin); both retired; they showed us around Surabaya and looked after us very well.



We visited the old historic Hotel Majapahit which was the leading hotel under the Dutch; was opened in 1910 by Eugene Louis Sarkies. It has been very well preserved, and was a delight to inspect.


The well-kept gardens of the Hotel Majapahit.

Colonnaded walkways of the historic Hotel Majapahit.

Annie and Vera in the tastefully furnished lounge area of the Hotel Majapahit.
Dinner with Arthur and Annie, their son Michael and his wife, and Arthur's brother Robert and his wife and daughter.


Arthur and Annie's son, Michael, has a flower business which he started while at university. 


Michael's workshop where he employs about ten staff. He doesn't have a regular flower shop (ie doesn't sell retail); he makes up flower arrangements against firm orders.  He said it was not uncommon for rich Indonesians to spend $500+ on flowers to celebrate a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary.  His 'value-add' is innovative design.  He admitted that he would like to try some other business, but "the profit in flowers is too good".


The three largest manufacturers of kretek (clove) cigarettes are Sampoerna (now owned by Philip Morris), Gudam Garam and Djarum.  The headquarters of Sampoerna are in Surabaya and incorporates a museum which we visited. Here is Annie pretending to run a stall selling Dji Sam Soe, one of their biggest brands.

A poster promoting Dji Sam Soe kretek cigarettes, featuring bull races on Madura Island.  The Museum was full of fascinating stuff.  There is a cafe next door, also housed in a Colonial-era building, and we had afternoon tea there.



Every Saturday morning a group of about 20 couples walk for an hour and then have breakfast in the carpark of a local school.  Everyone brings 'a plate' - delicious!

Arthur and Annie attended a wedding in Surabaya, and we tagged along.  An impressive Catholic Church.  


The bride wore a lovely wedding dress with a long train.  During the ceremony the train got too close to a candle, and started smoldering; luckily one of the groomsmen noticed and quickly put it out.  


The church choir sang during the service - very nice.


On the way to Malang we stopped at Porong to look at the Lapindo site.  Om 29 May 2006 P.T. Lapindo Brantas was drilling for oil/gas when the well blew. Hot, stinking mud inundated surrounding villages. Special retaining walls/levees had to be built to stop the mud spreading (in some places 10 metres deep!). The mud affected a number of villages covering an area of 1,200 hectares. The nearby Porong River has been severely polluted.  It was, and is, an ecological and social disaster to this day.

In Malang we stayed in Fendi's Guest House, and old Dutch residence whose original name was Schoonzicht = nice view.  These days it is in the middle of the city, and the only view is of shops and restaurants on Jalan Kawi.  Malang is about 500 metres above sea level, so a cooler and more pleasant climate than Surabaya.
Fendi's Guest House was full of "old stuff" including these wall hangings. Good atmosphere.


Jalan Besar Ijen is an attractive boulevard in Malang, lined with Dutch-era houses many restored to their former glory.   The street is closed to traffic on Sunday mornings - lots of families and kids wandering about.

Annie and Vera posing in front of St Mary's, an impressive Catholic Church.  The banners in the background mark the 72nd anniversary of Indonesia's independence which is celebrated on 17 August every year.

Arthur, Annie and Vera in one of the lovely public gardens.

We had a look at the Shalimar Boutique Hotel which is in a tastefully refurbished old Dutch building.

This photo was on the wall of the Shalimar Hotel - it started life as the local Masonic Temple, 100 years ago!



We had a look at the Splendid Inn - great name, isn't it? - which was a leading hotel 50 years ago but has now fallen on hard times.

Lunch in popular Madam Wang's restaurant. From left, Caleb, Arthur, Annie, Lance (Caleb's wife and another of Vera's cousins), Vera and me.

One of the dishes in Madam Wang's restaurant.  Well presented and delicious food. From the name I expected Chinese food, but it was mainly Indonesian cuisine.

We spent a day exploring Batu, a hill resort town about 20 km from Malang.  Batu is a popular weekend get-away for people in Surabaya and Malang. Visited the impressive and large Jambuluwuk Resort.



Free standing villas for rent at the Jambuluwuk Resort.




We also visited the recently opened Batu Flower Garden, built on a steep hillside overlooking Batu.  It's still a work in progress.


One of the attractions was the 'I Love You' sign overlooking the valley; cost the equivalent of $1 to access the sign.
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We had a most enjoyable 5 days in Surabaya and Malang - helps if you know people and they show you around. 

On Tuesday 8 August we caught the train from Malang to Jogja (full name Yogyakarta, but most people just call it Jogja) in Central Java and regarded as the cultural centre of Java.

Jogja will be the subject of my next post.

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Best wishes, stay well and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah
Canberra, Australia
Saturday 7 October 2017.