A Month on the Island of Java - Part I: Surakarta

Our month on the Indonesian island of Java was, to say the least, very eventful. We could have spent our month island hopping, ticking as many islands as possible off 'the list' but unless you slow down and start to embrace the culture and way of life of the locals, you can really be oblivious to what makes a place special and unique. We spent our time between 4 of Java's 5 provinces; Banten (the most Westerly province), West Java, Central Java and the Special District of Yogyakarta. The only province we didn't visit was East Java. I will break down our travels into sections to make it more digestible to the reader and easier to follow. Part I will be about our observations of the city of Surakarta and the subsequent parts will include Yogyakarta, Puncak, Tangerang and Jakarta.

Surakarta: Java's Cultural Capital 

View from our Lionair flight of Surakarta. The
cultivated land looks like a patchwork quilt.

The view from the plane window excited me. It looked very different from the concrete jungle that is Jakarta. Although the island of Java is extensively cultivated it looked vibrantly green and healthy from above, small patches of forest topped the hilly mounds that were too steep to farm. Surakarta, also known as Solo throughout Indonesia, is titled the 'Green City', or so the roadside sign claimed as we drove to our hotel after the short 1 hour flight from Jakarta. It was easy to see why from the plane window and the rice fields that squeezed between space in the urban sprawl added a rural aspect to Central Java's second most populous city. We were eating dinner in what seemed like a tranquil country retreat among trickling waters and landscaped woods, only in actuality we were across the road from our hotel on the main Airport/City road. This is the kind of experience Jakarta lacks and something I believe is needed in all cities; a natural retreat. On an island that is called home by more than 140 million people it's no surprise to learn that whatever space isn't lived on, is set aside to farming, whether that be rice paddies or palm oil, guava or coconut. It was therefore refreshing to visit a city in a developing country that manages it's urban space and surrounding area so well.

The setting for the restaurant across the street from our hotel.

Our hotel, The Alana, was a great hub from where to begin exploring. 10 minutes from the airport and 10 minutes from the centre of the city meant easy access to the locations a person may require when travelling. We had only one slight hiccup whilst there which was a double booking of a room and consequently we were kindly asked to relocate about 30 minutes after arrival. The staff were courteous and dealt with the situation politely, even delivering our shampoo to our new room as we'd accidentally left it in the previous room. Breakfast was superb with a wide variety of food although I've still not mastered the art of having chicken and rice at this time in a morning yet. I'm happy with toast and possibly an omelette if I'm feeling adventurous. As you'll come to understand, Indonesian's live, breathe and worship food, especially if it comes with a serving of rice! The hotel even served Venetian all-you-can-eat high tea for a very reasonable price which suited me fine as a cake lover. The lobby was decked in decorations as our visit here was two days prior to Christmas, there was even an Indonesian Santa, definitely not like the one you see in the films.  With our bags unpacked we were ready to set out into Solo.

First things first, Indonesian Mother's Day. I'm useless enough at trying to memorise the day in England when the adverts for Mother's Day start about a month before so it was news to me when I was told on the morning of the damn thing at 8am. Having traveled to Solo with Lidya's parents and siblings we worked as a team, a few distracted their mum to keep her preoccupied whilst we went in search of flowers. One thing that baffles me when in Indonesia is how the markets work. Where in England a market will sell everything from meat, vegetables to trinkets, in Indonesia you find that one road is designated to one item and one item only. Therefore, that morning, we headed to flower street! For me, one or two flower market stalls would have sufficed for everyone's flowery needs in that particular area, so I was a bit shocked to see seller after seller, lining both sides of the road, cutting and preparing roses. Just roses. A few adventurous vendors had dyed some to varying shades of red and pink but that was it. I'm not qualified in the world of business and economics but I'm sure the term is 'market saturation'. We chose our stall,this one branching off from the norm and incorporating different flowers into magnificent bouquets. The attention to detail was outstanding as

they sculpted a grand posy of colour, trimming any flailing stems or leaves. As an avid reader of the natural world and history, I couldn't help being envious towards the great British naturalist Alfred Russell Wallace, as large, tan coloured beetles emerged from among the flowers that were being prepared. As a beetle enthusiast, Indonesia must have been rich pickings for his travels back in the mid nineteenth century, as it appears to still be. The vendors did seem a little bemused why I was interested in them. Our bouquet finished, and costing just Rp40,000, we headed back to the Alana to a happy mother.

On the face of it, Solo appears like any other Javanese city. The streets are lined with food vendors, the roads in the city centre are like a slalom for bikers and moped drivers. But Surakarta is different and has a unique charm that I haven't seen in other cities throughout Java. It is a green city as previously stated. The pavements are lined with trees forming a green canopy above the roads. There stands hugely immense banyan trees, twisted roots and trunk, centuries old giants that have stood through the development of the town. We saw traditional masks depicted local folklore characters displayed around the city, 10 feet tall, adding vibrancy and colour to the greenery. Javanese architecture still prevails in a world that it rapidly modernising. Where Jakarta is becoming a concrete and glass urban jungle, Solo retains a lot of its traditional architecture, even the mosques follow a Javanese structure as oppose to the more commonly seen Middle Eastern domed roof. Regrettably we were in the city at the wrong time to ride on the train, which has become a tourist attraction and one of the best ways to see the city and grasp its cultural heritage. Built in the eighteenth century during the Dutch colonial period for the rich gentry at the time as a way of transport around the city and beyond, it now acts half train half tram like, chugging through the streets. Its 3 hour tours are only operational if upwards of 30 people buy tickets as otherwise it becomes uneconomical as we were informed by the information desk. The ancient writing of Sanskrit is still predominantly used on street signs and some shop signs so the city also maintains its cultural heritage through its written word.

A mosque in a typical Javanese architectural style.

   Current Indonesian president Joko Widodo was born in the city and held the mayoral role in the Solo up until as recently as 2012. The city is very much in favour of his appointment as president and I'm led to believe Surakarta's claim as a green city and its eased traffic congestion is in part down to Jokowi (his affectionate name). It seemed only right then to do what Indonesian's do best and eat at the presidents favourite restaurant. The Diamond Restaurant Cafe had many photographs, proudly hung at the entrance, showing the president with the staff and other government delegates all eating at its tables. It's easy to see why it's his favourite place, the black pepper beef was superb, the nasi georeng (or fried rice. These are the first Indonesian words you need to know!) was beautifully flavoursome, full roasted quail that was rich and tender and even the Western selection was more than adequate. I'm still learning the different ingredients and flavours that make great Indonesian food but judging by the families reaction the meal was top notch. I ate chicken fried rice at another eatery nearby at night that was divine, only it slightly more spicy than my body thought was natural and I ended up drenched in sweat! Indonesian's like spice and it's a little more than my Western palette can handle. The advantage of knowing locals of a place is that you experience life beyond the beaten track. On my first ever visit 5 years ago I bought a Lonely Planet guidebook and the first thing it mentions with regards to street food is to avoid it due to the hygiene. 5 years later and every night we've spent in Indonesia has revolved around eating street food at unnecessary hours in the morning. Lidya, her dad and brother took me to a inner city backstreet, dimly lit at 11pm. Two stalls had pots bubbling away, while whole families sat on sprawled out mats on the roadside, chatting and listening to a guitarist whilst eating their meals. Street food is a way of life in Indonesia, it's a base in which friends congregate and call a hub, it's where families gather and socialise, it's where you practise your instruments, your singing and meet new people. This street stall was also the place where Surakarta gudeg is at its best, a combination of jackfruit, rice and chicken of a stew like consistency, accompanied by chicken feet. The dish is said to be a specialty In Yogyakarta but Solo has a more subtle take on the flavours.    

Workshop where Batik is made. Sanskrit is still used in everyday
life in Surakarta and can be seen on the green sign.

Below shows the original stamped pattern; above, hand painted
golden wax is added to colour the garment.

Surakarta's main claim as Indonesia's cultural capital is due to its production of batik. Batik is a style and production of cloth that is Indonesia's national dress and used in all formal occasions, from interviews, presidential addresses to birthday parties. Right here in the centre of Java is where the true identity of Indonesian dress is born. To understand the work and technique that goes into making the garments we visited Batik Putra Laweyan, in the Batik Quarter, in the centre of Solo. This is an open factory where visitors are educated on this traditional technique and the process can be viewed at various stages. The batik produced here is using the traditional technique. A silken cloth is laid out on a table and, using a copper patterned stamp pressed into melted wax, is stamped, printing the pattern on the cloth. This is repeated over the entire garment to form the background of the material. Once dried, the cloth is then hand 'painted' using a pen like implement with an attached 'inkwell' in which varying colours of wax are added. This pen is used to form mainly dotted patterns around the original stamped cloth to add layers to the design. Different wax patterns can be hand crafted or stamped in numerous stages as the wax dries. This is a slow process as you can imagine and consequently can take weeks and sometimes months to complete one item of clothing. Another technique bypasses the stamping process altogether and is entirely drawn out by hand if a regular pattern is not required. It's not uncommon for this type of process to take several months, made even longer if the natural ingredients used to colour the wax are unavailable locally at the time. Buying shirts from here can cost Rp600,000 (the mixed stamped and hand drawn versions), an expensive by Indonesian standards but reasonable considering the work that goes into it. Unique and designer versions of Batik clothing can cost millions of Rupiah.

The pot in which the wax for hand painting
is melted. 

   After seeing the production process we headed to the Museum Batik Danar Hadi, rated number 1 on Trip Advisor for attractions in Surakarta. Set in a grand Dutch colonial palace, the interior mimics the exterior for grandeur, displaying an array of Batik cloth from before the Dutch arrived to the present day. Unfortunately photography was prohibited inside the museum so we couldn't take any photographs of the designs on display. The sultans of Surakarta and Yogyakarta throughout the ages wore their own unique batik designed attire representing their own empires. The guide, who spoke in English, told us that the Sultan would wear his batik clothing of a certain pattern that would signify his position as ruler, his staff would wear garments of similar design but subject to their rank all the way down to the maids. The Surakartan maids and lowest in rank would have designs that would almost mimic that of the Sultan of rival kingdom of Yogyakarta. I love the pettiness of idea! As the tradition grew so did its range. Batik has spread throughout Asia and Sultans and Emperors across India, Japan and China took on their own designs, using patterns, colours and direction of stamping to signify their own unique place. I asked about their most expensive piece among the 1,600 items on display and the Dutch era Hansel and Gretel, amidst other fairytale designed items, was one of the priciest. It was bought for Rp 150,000,000 (around 7,500 GBP) in the Eighteenth century. When asked how much it would fetch if sold today, the guides answer was 'priceless'.

The wax ready to be melted and stamped with the copper print.

Our two days in Solo weren't sufficient to see everything we wanted although we did get a glimpse at the cultural heritage that the place is famed for. Although not as influential as Yogyakarta, Solo still has a Sultanate and therefore a the city has a grand palace where he resides. There are also a lot of ancient ruinous temples around Central Java that are easily accessible from Solo including Candi Kalasan, Sukuh and Cetho. There are also an abundance of natural sights including volcanoes, rice paddies and waterfalls due to the fertile and undulating volcanic landscape.

An underground market, full of cheap batik style printed shirts.

Coming up: Yogyakarta (Mount Merapi and Prambanan Temple)