Muezzin

Trip Start Jul 05, 2008
1
13
30
Trip End Aug 30, 2008


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Where I stayed
Delta Homestay
(Yogyakarta hotels)

Flag of Indonesia  ,
Monday, July 21, 2008

I'm out of paradise, and back in a real place.  Yogya is not bad, but it's not a fuzzy pink cloud like Bali.  There are poor people here, and noise, and no more romping bunnies like in Bali.  However, it's not a bad place.  I'm obviously very paranoid of being overcharged and led astray, but so far I've only met good people here.  I went to the Sultan's palace and some teenager came over and started chatting me up, so of course I assumed he'd turn out to be a "guide" and ask for money... which I told him.  But he wasn't a guide, he was just some young kid student who wanted to practice his English.  He showed me around the palace.  He studies in Yogya and lives with his grandmother inside the (very large) palace compound, for free, because his grandfather used to work for the Sultan's palace and all employees, past and present, get free accomodation on the grounds.  He was so happy to talk to me.  Left to my own devices in the palace (called a kraton) I was quickly approached by an older gentlemen.  "I do not want a guide" I told him.  And he reassured me that he wasn't one, he was a kraton guard.  He showed me around, didn't ask for a dime.  He also gave me some very useful tips on where to go for batik and how to get to Borobodur, cheaply, using public transportation. 
The batik here is stunning, and immediately distinguishable from the crap they try to sell you in Bali.  Here it is clearly an art.  I went to a gallery and watched them making it.  They had a lot for sale there too, and all of it's beautiful, but it's very hard to guage what will be beautiful when you take it  out of context and look at it in Canada.
I wandered around the main drag and found a mall... with air con!  There was "security" at all the entrances to the mall with metal detectors, which was intimidating, except they weren't actually using the metal detectors, just looking around.  I went inside and had an unholy lunch of cappuccino and a doughnut, and instantly felt very ill.
I also found a 5-star hotel that would allow me to use their gym and pool for a pretty reasonable fee.  It's funny to stay in a cheap little hostel, then go to this classy place where people don't see me for the scum that I am!
Tonight I was heading back there, and I decided to take a becak (tricycle driver) so I could get there before it closed.  I said yes to the first one who asked me... and I made this guy's day. He started giggling and jumping for joy and ran to get his becak.  He told me I was the first fare he'd had all day.  He was almost crying. It hit me that I was directly putting food on this guy's plate. He waited for me outside the hotel while I worked out and drove me back. Now, I hate being driven around, especially by someone who is so poorly off, it makes me feel like a sultaness or something, and I hate that. But I was happy to give this guy my rupiah. Plus he was fun to talk to. Excerpts of conversation:

him: "See? When people say hi, I say hi. Not like Americans, no."
me: "Americans are rude?"
him:" Ohhoh, yes. Is problem!"

"In your country, do you use U.S. dollar, or Euro?"

"How far is your country from America? How far is your country from English (aka England)?"

"In Canada, many rich people, like America?"

Another thing to mention about Yogya is that it's mostly Muslim.  I've never been anywhere Muslim before.  It's not strict, as in visitors and many locals don't dress according to "the rules", and I haven't seen anyone in a hejab.  But it's interesting to see the mosques, and a sultan's palace, and to hear the calls to prayer. 

Dear Favorite White Boy, if you're reading this, I can't wait to see you in Bangkok. Travelling solo is fun, to a point, and then you just turn into some whacko who only talks to strange becak drivers all day.

PICTURES FINALLY ONLINE:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=50925&id=512559754&l=0515951d30

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