 Trishaw ride around town. Easiest and cheapest mode of accomodation  Malboro Street, the main street of Yogyakarta  'Lesehan', a famous lunch option around town.  A gleeful friend with the cast of the Ramayana dance after the show In the future, whenever I recall Yogyakarta, I’ll always remember these two things – trishaws and horse carriages. It seemed like Yogyakarta is a bustling town stuck between two time zones, a modern Indonesia with fast food chains and fancy Western cafes, and a traditional Indonesia, with man-fueled transports (the trishaws and horse carriages) hogging the main streets.
Yogyakarta is a city that doesn’t seem to have city-like folks. Everybody seemed so relaxed and going at the own paces, not rushing to get anywhere at all. It was mainly warm and sunny when we visited this city. I highly recommend wearing comfortable footwear and breezy clothes, because God knows how much sweat has the ability to ruin your adventure streak.We walked around the city by food, exploring the shops, cafes and the old Kraton (the old castle square). We took a trip to Prambanan, where the Prambanan temple is located, and on that particular night there was a ballet performance depicting the famous story of Ramayana. It is a good way to get acquainted to the Hinduism belief that is quite prominent in these parts of Indonesia. The main tourism street in the city would be Jalan Malboro (Malboro Street). It’s a stretch of long road, a mixture of cars, trishaws and horse carriages passing by, and along the street you’ll fine people selling all sorts of things – souvenirs, leatherwear, food, cultural items and batik. It’s a good idea to take a nice walk from end to end of the street, and there’s a tourist information office in the middle of the street, with very helpful staff. Yogyakarta is a mellow place, and one should expect to be just that here. You walk by the street, stare at people who are staring at you, hang out at cafes, buy strange items and randomly talk to people by the street. When it gets too hot you should get yourself a bottle of ‘teh botol’, which is basically iced tea in a glass coke-like bottle, and carry on walking around. More photos here. Where to Eat : In Yogyakarta, you might want to try the fried chicken restaurant chain, Ayam Goreng Suharti. Championed by a botox-clad looking Mama Suharti, the friend chicken is both crispy and moist, and you’ll love it. |
