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) 

Journey to The Homeland (Part 1)

Bare with me, i'm trying to type my story.

First, i am so sorry for not keeping my story of writing during my journey to Indonesia. and because of that, i can't write everything in the exact details.

So here i am sitting in Starbucks, Meadowhall, Sheffield, England; trying to pick up the pieces of my memories during my stay in Indonesia.

For a note, i will divide this post into several entries since i went there for 2 weeks and it could be boring to read every single thing at once. Here's the first two days of the journey.

Ok, my reason. My reason for not writing during my stay is because...... Indonesia is always hectic for me. my family, especially, they like the rushy feelings where you just go somewhere like hit and run. LOL. i don't know how to explain things, but my husband, Richard, he always said "every times i went to Indonesia, i feel like i need a holiday when i return." HAHAHAHAHA!

Let alone sitting down and write, i can't even just sit down. Trying to fit so many activities in 2 weeks is REALLY tiring!

Ok, enough with the rant and all the reason, let's start the 'picking up the pieces' story.

DISCLAIMER: this story, review, and every score i put in here are completely from my personal point of view from my actual real life experiences. i do not gain anything from this nor under any circumstances getting any profit towards this. All result can be different if you go and experience it yourself.

INDONESIA.

16 hours flights from Manchester to Jakarta just enough to make you think it's not worth going. BUT, don't even think to judge before you go if you never been.

Beautiful tropical heaven, crowded place that never sleep, palm trees, fresh coconut that actually round.

I have been staying in England for just a bit less than 2 years, i went to Indonesia so many times that i cant even count it. Looking at my passport stamp, rather than founding the answer of how many times i went to Indonesia during these two years, i got confused. Haha.

I know Richard has been writing about Indonesia too. In a British point of view. Now this is mine. As a half local. LOL.


Day 1 - 16th May 2015

Arrived in Jakarta midday, my brother decided to take me around the neighbourhood to grab something to eat. So we went to this restaurant called Bebek Kaleyo. I don't have the picture of the food. I'm really a bad blogger. So here it is, the picture that i stole. Haha.

Courtesy of Arlita Ayu

 Bebek Kaleyo is a franchise restaurant that sells various kind of Indonesian style fried Chicken and Duck. It's superb! My favourite menu in this restaurant is ayam goreng cabe ijo. Which is a fried chicken with green chilli as u seen in the picture. The meal came with a steamed jasmine rice. You can change the rice with coconut steamed rice called nasi uduk. The price in this restaurant is magically cheap! They even did 'apologise' for their ultra-cheap price in their website. For the meal in the picture, you can have them for around IDR 13,000 - IDR 18,000 (approximately GBP 0.65 - GBP 0.90) depending by the kind of chicken that you ask for. free range or not kind of thing. Amazing, right? I honestly wish England has these kind of meal price. For more information about the restaurant, please feel free to visit their website by clicking this. Make sure your website translation is on, because their website is in Indonesian Language.

There's not many things i did that day since i'm practically worn off by the flight. I ended my day with a cup of Caramel Javachips Frappuccino by Starbucks.


Day 2 - 17th May 2015

Hardly getting any sleep because of jet lag, i woke up at 5 AM thinking of what am i doing this early in the morning. Unlike the sun in England, Indonesia sun always rises and sets in the same time everyday through out the day. The sun rises at 6 AM and sets at 6 PM. Everyday. It is actually possible to know the time by just looking at the sky. As a little imaginary preview, if you live in England, the sky in Indonesia at 6 PM everyday will look like 10 PM British Summer Time (BST).

The Shops in Indonesia open from 8 AM to 10 PM. Malls opening time will be 10AM to 10PM through out the year. Most of Starbucks open 24 hours, so is McDonald's. Malls, one very certain type of shopping centre, there's quite a few in Jakarta. Currently, roughly, there is 18 massive malls in Jakarta region only. That obviously what Wikipedia said. It isn't included small malls, and the malls on the Jakarta outskirt. If you can count the exact number of malls in Jakarta, please comment down below as i'm quite curious. So you get the picture, there are a lot of Shopping centre in Jakarta. Apparently, as a country that is not as high in standard income, Indonesians are a massive shoppers, and it is actually quite popular in some tourism countries. I myself as an Indonesian never actually went to a shop where they would say "OMG you are Indonesian! You should spend all your money here!" but i'm used to those look where they look extremely happy to know that i am Indonesian. Haha, pretty funny.

OK. So what did i do on the second day?
I went to the outskirt of Jakarta. The city called Tangerang, a part of Banten province. Located 25 KM on the west Jakarta, Tangerang is the sixth largest city in Indonesia.

As a promise from my brother and mother to take me to eat Chicken Pop, they took me to this Padang restaurant.

To see more about this restaurant, click here.

Padang restaurant is a restaurant that serves food authentically from Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. If you are quite adventurous towards your tummy needs and you are just happen to be in one of the cities in Indonesia, it should not be hard for you to find these restaurants. It came with a different names, but if you want to be safe, i suggest you to go to the restaurant that called Sederhana. It's one of the safest place to try Padang food. They are a franchise restaurant with a speciality of Padang food. Make sure you bring enough money, though. This restaurant can be a little bit pricey. But as much as i am concern, most of the restaurant under this brand accept cards. I mean, your plastic money. *winks*


Don't be surprise when you came in, no one greeted you nor giving you any menus. There is no menus in Padang restaurants. Choose your seat, sit down and relax. Any kind of food that they have cooked that day will come to you automatically. These waitresses are trained to carry more than 5 plates at once in both hands. And don't be panic when you see your table fulfilled with so many different kind of food. In Padang restaurants, they have only one rules. What you touch is what you pay. After eating your food, the cashier person will come to your table to count your bill. In person. Manually. Honestly, until this second of my life, i still don't get how did they count everything precisely without any mistakes. That's talent!

Courtesy of Sederhana.

My suggestions will be for you guys to try their Rendang (thick curried beef), Ayam Gulai (yellow curry chicken), and Ayam Pop (steamed-deep fried chicken). Now that last one is my favourite!

Ayam Pop, Courtesy of Gapracoolz.

Ayam Pop is magical! soon as i have a bite, i will not be able to stop until i really cannot breath anymore. I am no good at cooking, so i don't really know what the special ingredients in this one certain food other than a chicken. All i know, they marinated the chicken over-night, steam it, then dip it in a very hot vegetable oil for a couple of seconds. And that, my friend, why the chicken looked white, although the have a delicious scrumptious crispy skin.

Dan't forget to dip it into the chilli that comes in pair with the chicken. Because when magic is paired to magic, it became unbearably magic combo! Seriously worth driving for hours.

My score towards this food? 9 out of 10. The other one goes to the amount in one plate. I don't understand. Somehow, they always put two pieces of chicken on the plate. I NEED MORE! To get more, you have to order again, and wait for it to arrived. They always made it fresh. I mean, the dipping it into the piping hot oil part. And for some reason that i don't know, they never serve it on your table along with the other food. So if you don't know it's exist, there is a big chance that you've never tried it before. Like them secret menus on Starbucks. You gotta know how to order it to get it.

Enough with the chicken, i went to a small shopping centre with my best friend that happened to came along with my family to the Padang restaurant we went just now. Nothing to review about this shopping centre. Just another mall in the metropolitan Indonesia.

At night, though, we went to a bar in the area called Kuningan, South Jakarta. This area fulfilled with expatriates. Why? I don't really know.

Most of the high-end bars, clubs, pubs, restaurants are mostly sited around South Jakarta. Five stars hotels, big buildings, and all sorts of International Companies will be found in this area too. Wait, that's probably why this area is fulfilled with expatriates. Driving around this area will make you feel like you are in another city. Big city with all the glam and fancy buildings.

Back to the night with my best friend. Her name is Sweety. That, is her real name, by the way.

Courtesy of Loewy

Sweety and i started our night outing journey to a bar called Loewy.

This Bar and Restaurant is popular among urban people around Jakarta.

This retro chic style bar will serve you the best of the best cocktails to brighten up your night and fill your hungry late night stomach with a delicious classy meals.

Courtesy of Asia-Bars.com

Of course, since it is a hi-end bar, you are entitled to dress up. Smart casual to semi-formal will be their dress code. Don't even try to get in with a flip flop if you don't wanna be stopped by the security that would not let you in without you changing your apparel. Sounds bitchy, but that's life.

Trust me, i have been there.

But other than that, this place is simply cozy. Lively at night, but won't force you to scream to your friend's ear just to say hi.

This place is one of my favourite place to hang out. Almost all the crews are friendly. Almost. :) - Leave it that way.

For more informations about reservation, menus, and all the pretty little things about this bar and restaurant, click here.

The night still young! Leaving the cozy bar, we head off the dance floor!
Yep, it is club time!

We went to a club situated in a (again) hi-end mall in Indonesia called Plaza Indonesia. From the mall building, you can actually see the second most popular iconic place in Jakarta called Bundaran HI. I will not show you the picture of the area. Don't be lazy, Google it. There are too many pictures of Bundaran HI that are taken by too many excellent talented photographers. So help yourself by Googling it if you really want to see what Budaran HI looks Like. Or... Just click here if you are that lazy to type. You are welcome.

Just a little explanation about Bundaran HI:

Bundaran HI. Bundaran means roundabouts, HI stands for Hotel Indonesia. You got it right if you guessed that Bundaran HI is a big roundabouts near (used to be called) Hotel Indonesia. The hotel itself has been refurbished and renamed as Hotel Indonesia Kempinski. Bundaran HI also known as Tugu Selamat Datang (Welcome Monument). The monument has been completed in the year 1962 under the order of Indonesia first president, Ir. Soekarno. The monument was made with the intention to welcome the visitors of the Asian Games IV that held in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Monument was sketched by (at that time) the vice governor of Jakarta, Sir Henk Ngantung and sculpted by Indonesian sculptor called Edhi Sunarso. Fun fact, the monument's constructions started on the 17th of August 1961. Which is the exact sweet sixteenth anniversary of Indonesia Independence day.

Courtesy of Immigrant

Back to the club. I went to Immigrant.

The club is located in the sixth floor of Plaza Indonesia.

Immigrant is a restaurant and bar in day time, lounge and club during night time.

For those who haven't got their name in the guest list, you need to pay 300,000 IDR (approx. 15GBP) to get in after 10 PM. This price is included one drink that you can choose at the till before you get in.

As much as i concern, you need to be over 21 to get in. It is a legal age for drinking in Indonesia. But then again, sad to say, it's Indonesia. If you are under 21 and are allowed to get in, count yourself as lucky. :)

I drove home and arrived home at 5:00AM the following day. Do not try to do that to yourself. Thanks to that night, i am completely broke the day after and my feet was swollen. Been in hilly part of England for almost two years made me lose my ability to stand on my platform heels for more than two hours.

Well that's it for today. I will write more about the journey tomorrow.

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Cheers everyone!

Lidya

Twenty Toes UK