The streets of Jogjakarta were bustling with cars, becaks, horse carts, motorcycles, and people. It's chaotic but not in a good way.
Becak
Becaks and horse carts were all over the place, especially in Malioboro Street. Becaks looked like bikes but with the passenger seat in front of the driver.
Yogyakarta had an artistic vibe to it because of the many musicians, street performers, and tattoo artists in almost every corner of Malioboro.I even saw artists carrying violins and cellos performing for random people on the street.
There were also street plays on one of the nights when I was wandering around Yogyakarta City. Didn't understand a word they were saying.
I saw some people wearing costumes loitering around the streets, didn't know if they were preparing for a play, recital, or whatever. Yogyakarta is a vibrant city teeming with music and art. Although significantly smaller than Jakarta, Yogyakarta had a beating heart and a soul that is distinctly Indonesian. The ruins near the city add to the city's personality.
Photo courtesy of Lina Tsuda
My friends and I ended up drawing the type of food we wanted because the waiter at the restaurant couldn't speak English. After all the trouble of drawing and making animal noises, we ended up eating bakso (soup), lost in translation.Kraton
Kraton Yogyakarta was the former seat of power of the sultanate.
Kraton has museums, paintings, and ther buildings that were used by the sultanate.
I didn't find this place that interesting because it was just a former palace that the sultanate used. There were a lot of portraits of the many sultans that have ruled this part of java over the decades. There is a 12,000 IDR entrance fee and a 1,500 IDR fee for using a camera inside the premises.
Taman Sari
After wandering inside kraton, I found myself inside Taman Sari Water Castle. I found this place more interesting than kraton.
Taman Sari was built in the 18th century and had different uses such as a resting place, hideout, and a meditation area for the sultanate. Taman Sari had pools, an artificial lake, and a bathing area among other things.
I was unable to explore Taman Sari completely because I did not know where to look. I didn't know that there were other interesting areas surrounding the main bathing complex I saw. Taman Sari has an entrance fee of 10,000 IDR.
There are other museums that are scattered all over Yogyakarta City. I found myself in Kota Gede where a lot of jewelers resided. Yogyakarta is a nice city to explore, it is also easy to explore since the Transjogja bus only costs 3,000 IDR wherever you go. Taking the becak would cost around 10,000 IDR depending on how well you can haggle, and how far is your destination. Food is also cheap, on average you will only pay around 15,000 IDR or even less for a meal.
