Yogyakarta - Our first taste of Java

Arriving in Yogyakarta was a relief. This part of Java is much further away from the Equator than Malaysia or Singapore is, which makes it less humid here. It is still hot, reaching 34 degrees during the day, but since the humidity is as low as 40-30%, you're not soaking in sweat minutes after leaving the refuge of the air-con.We had managed to make the mistake of not paying for our 60-day visa application straight away, so we had to apply for a visa on arrival in Yogya. Immigration in Indonesia is slower and more bureaucratic than the immigration offices in Singapore or Malaysia, but at least the man serving us was good humored and very friendly and we got out with a 30-day VOA after waiting only 30 minutes in the line.

Taking a taxi from the airport into town, we saw first hand what people mean when they talk about indonesian roads and how packed they are with mopeds and motorcycles. In a space where one moped would normally fit, you will see at least three here. Absolutely insane!

Our hotel (1001 Malam) here in Yogya proved to be a real gem in the middle of the backpacker district, close to the city centre and the kraton, the Sultan's Palace. We have a wonderful porch next to a really nice fishpond. The only negative parts are: 1) the minarette right next to us, 2) the airports entry lane is right over our heads, 3) excessive use of room spray in the bathroom (unfortunately it's all automatic, so the bathroom smells like an orchard and it gives you a headache. But at least it doesn't stink and the room is very clean).

The first day, we were lucky enough to see a parade with people in traditional costumes performing traditional dances going down the main street Jalan Maliboro towards the kraton. Turned out to be a parade for the upcoming election, though it had more of a festival kind of feel to it. I would love to see more color, fun and dance in the European election campaigns!

Being newcomers in Indonesia, we fell for the oldest tourist trap trick ever, following a very nice man to see a batik exhibition. Luckily, we got out without being pushed into buying anything and we had to laugh about our beginners mistake.

Nice little street inside the kraton

As Matthias has caught a cold (air-cons are not his best friend), we decided to take it easy and chill out at the hotel for much of the next day and wait until the following day to explore the kraton.Walking to the kraton through the bustling Jl Maliboro takes about half an hour because the sidewalks are so crowded!

The kraton itself was not bad with some nice architecture and a rather featueless exhibition on the Sultan (since all the signs were written exclusively in Bahasa Indonesia, it was not that interesting for foreigners). They do offer you a guide for free, but the old lady assigned to us did not understand our questions neither did we understand what she tried to tell us, so we went off to see the kraton by ourselves.
The more interesting parts of the kraton however are outside the inner palace and you do not have to pay admission to get in here. You can just wander the streets and alleyways, seeing everyday life for the 25,000 people still living in the kraton. There is a nice ruin of a water castle called Taman Sari not far away from the offical kraton, which is worth a visit.

If you are short on time, a two day visit to Yogya should be well enough. The city itself is nice, but you will have seen the main attractions in the two days time. It seems like a nice city to live in though, with loads of students, many of them studying art, which gives the city a creative touch. For the normal tourist, the temples around Yogya are a very good reason to come here and after visitng Prambanan this afternoon, I am really excited about going to Borobudur tomorrow.

Prambanan was constructed in the 9th century and is the second largest Buddhist and Hindu temple compund in Indonesia, Borobudur, which was build 100 years before Prambanan, is the largest Buddhist temple. Both temple grounds are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Here are some pictures of Prambanan: