Markets, Sights and Shopping in Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
Up early and down for the fabulous (sarcasm here) one-egg breakfast and hired a Becak over to the Tourist Information Office on Malioboro Street for detailed information. Malioboro Street (I kept referring to it as "Marlboro" - sounds like it) is a well-known shopping promenade and very popular among Indonesian as well as international tourists. The 2km/1.2 mile length runs noth and south from Tugu Station to Sultan's square. Malioboro Street is loaded to the gills with hundreds of shops...View image and street stalls selling souvenirs, batik/ikat, along with touts offering free tours of the workshops, student art touts, and all of this on both sides of the street. This will take a while to browse but at least no one gets nasty when you say "no" or keep on walking. People are just trying to make a living.
The Tourist Information had recommended a camera repair shop because my Nikon Digital/SLR is acting ka-ka, not surprising since I dropped it on the boat in Kalimantan. Very grateful I've followed my own travel advice and brought two cameras (just in case), and thankful it worked with the orangutans.
We headed north looking for this shop, threading our way between shoppers...View image, motor bikes...View image...shops selling motorbikes, fixing motorbikes (this is the business to be in in Java), horse drawn carts, Becaks, taxis. A long, hot, dusty walk, over the train tracks, constantly asking directions until we stumbled across it. Man looked, fiddled with setting, and shook his head no. Well, can't say we didn't try and fortunately it does work occasionally.
Heading back down Malioboro Street in the same direction we came earlier to seriously look and browse. You'll see t-shirts for $1.50 (not the best quality but what do you want for $1.50), Gamelan instruments, sandals, belts, purses, Javanese handicrafts such as wayang kulit (leather puppet), wayang golek (wooden puppet), batik, silverware, traditional outfits, and malls selling western clothing. If you're interested, there's no lack of venues offering nightly performances of the Ramayana, Javanese puppets, and gamelan orchestras. One little mall was lined chock-a-block with nothing but cell phones and cell phone carriers. Another great business to be in. And then a well-needed hour away from sensory overload to Internet (peaceful and quiet), 6,000 Rupiah per hour (60 cents) with really fast connection before facing more sightseeing.
The east side of Malioboro Street had a few street stalls selling semi-precious gems...View image, and little food carts for the next few blocks. There was Opor Ayam (chicken curry with rice cake)- Ayam is "chicken", Bubur Ayam (Chicken Porridge), Siomay (fish dumplings), and Sate Ambal (chicken satay with tempeh sauce). Dragon fruit...View image, homemade sweets...View image, and it all smelled delicious.
One last stop inside Beringharjo Marketplace, Yogyakarta's traditional market, built in the 18th century. There are two levels filled with everything from basic household items (vegetables, fruits, meats) to handicrafts. One extremely nice spice vendor insisted on showing me all his spices along with lengthy explanations (watch video) and neither of us could even muster up the energy to explore the upstairs area. Beringharjo is huge! Very hot, sweaty and tired, we walked outside, looked at flowers...View image... and hired one Becak and rode back to the Wisma Gajah. The two of us in one Becak probably totaled a combined body weight of over 300 pounds, and we could hear the poor driver panting while he pedaled. The cost was only 10,000 Rupiah ($1.00 U.S. - talk about a hard way to make a living) and we tipped generously because we feel so sorry for him. Again, you'll never have trouble getting a Becak. They are as thick as flies....View image.
A very short rest and then back outside down Prawirotaman that changes its name to JL Triptitana Street by our hotel. This is where all the antique stores are located. There were more than seven antique shops within a few blocks of each other with some very interesting objects. However, my shopping impulse seems to have taken a vacation and I couldn't motivate. Starving, we walked back on Prawirotaman to Via Via Restaurant. Great food and recommended in all the guidebooks, we ate sweet and sour chicken, vegetable curry, fried bananas in honey with vanilla ice cream on top, topped off with two cold beers. That hit the spot. Via Via offers some interesting tours that give you a chance to sample Javanese life. Sunrise treks, community outreach, culinary trips, city walks, rafting, a batik courses, and Jamu (traditional Indonesian medicine) massage (sounds like fun).
The serious touring begins tomorrow with Borobudur and Prambanam Temples...
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