ALUN-ALUN - WHERE THE NIGHT BECAME BRIGHT AND ALIVE

9th February 2016 ~ The place is called Alun Alun, somewhere very near to the Kraton with the two huge "Beringin" trees. This is the place people in Jogjakarta go to at night to get some simple entertainment. Although kids would love this kind of ride in a beautifully modified bikes decorated with colourful lights, adults would enjoy themselves. I think you could "drive" this vehicle with your friends as the passengers.

We did not try the ride though. All the pictures were taken from inside the car. 

But now I know an option of what to do in Jogjakarta when the evening gets dull.

[MY JOGJA TRIP MAIN PAGE]

JOGJA SHOPPING TIME - KARITA AND RUMAH BATIK TIRTO NOTO

9th February 2016 ~ The shopping session continued right after the Solo trip. First it was a visit to a "Muslimah" [Muslim ladies] boutique called Karika. The shop decor was modern but the prices of the items sold were still reasonable (according to my friends). These people made a comeback to this shop again the next day, there were more things to buy it seemed. *sigh*

We also went to a few batik shops around town. The photos I took was at a shop named Rumah Batik Tirto Noto. I only bought a pair of batik long pants that I could wear at home. Too bad, I could not find any batik shirt that I liked.

Shopping activities in Jogjakarta are not as exciting as in Bandung. However, with millions of Rupiah in possession, how could one not shop at all.

[MY JOGJA TRIP MAIN PAGE]

HUNTING FOR BATIK, SOLO

9th February 2016 ~ On the third day, after the Prambanan tour, we ventured out a bit to a small city on Java Island called Solo. [Refer to the map for a clearer picture of the location of Solo.]

We stopped at one place called Laweyan as it is well-known for its batik industry. First we went into this one batik boutique and while the ladies were busy shopping, the security officer told me that I could visit the batik-making factory which was just nearby. Then only I realized the whole streets were occupied by batik shops and batik-related thingy.

There are similarities between the batik making process between the Indonesian and Malaysian batik. Both use wax and "canting" [the tool that allows the ink/colours to drop on the fabric]. The only difference would be the design. A piece of hand made batik which is painstakingly drawn with intricate designs wold definitely cost much more than a printed one. 

There were rows and rows of batik shops but thank God, the guide only stopped three times at three different shops or else I would be stuck the whole day in a batik village.

[MY JOGJA TRIP MAIN PAGE]

PRAMBANAN TEMPLE - THE HISTORY UNFOLDS

9th February 2016 ~ On the third day in Jogjakarta, we were taken to another heritage site, Prambanan Temple. Unlike Borobudur which was built for Buddha, Prambanan Temple is a shrine of the Hindu Gods. The building was completed in the 9th century, almost as ancient as the Borobudur. There was no mention of this temple in my history textbook though.

The Dutch initiated the effort to preserve and reconstruct the temple after it was abandoned for a long period of time. Among the many reasons of its abandonment were earthquake, volcano eruption, power struggle and the conversion of local population to Islam.

Prambanan Temple has become one of the top tourists' attractions on Java Island. Even though the structure looked strong, the arrival of tourists continuously all year round has posed a threat to this historical site, besides other natural disasters that might strike any time.

This is another must-visit that should be in your itinerary when you are in Jogjakarta, while it is still there.

[MY JOGJA TRIP MAIN PAGE]