Travel #5: Slili Beach

Jump in the car, go to Gunung Kidul area, head to the southern part, stop anywhere I want. That's, my friend, is how I go to beach! Haha

Rocky beach!

Gunung Kidul's beaches are well-known for its white sand along its shore line. So, you don't need to decide where to go because anywhere you stop, it will be beautiful and worth to see. However, the beaches have their own characteristic: some are rocky, some are sandy, some are cliffy (is this word exist? Haha)

On this post, I will tell you about one of the beaches I have visited: Slili Beach. It is located near Sundak Beach, in Sidoharjo Village, Tepus, Gunung Kidul, which is around 50 kilometers from the central of Yogyakarta city.

Different from Krakal or Sundak beach that dominated by sands, this beach is more about rocks, smooth one. It is also not wide, one corner to another can be reached in five minutes only (normal speed). However, this beach is good for

Travel #4: Bekah Cliff, Gunung Kidul

The view when you look at the right side

Want to see the ocean but not from a beach? Want to feel the sea breeze from 100 meters height? Bekah is the answer!

Placed in the southern part of Yogyakarta, this cliff gives you a whole new experience in enjoying the sea. Skip the playing-with-the-sand part or swimming-in-the-sea time and let the nature stuns you :)

To get to this place, you have to go further to the east from the famous Parangtritis Beach for about 17 kilometers. Follow the asphalt road until you reach Temon, Giripurwo, Purwosari, Gunung Kidul Area. There will be a small sign on the right side, written 'Pantai Bekah', then you turn right and pass the entrance gate that can be passed by one car.

After that, you have to follow the path. This is not asphalt anymore. So, be prepared! haha For the first kilometer, it will be cemented road. However, you will find

Travel #3: Nglanggeran Ancient Volcano, Sri Gethuk Waterfall, and Bat Cave

My lovely walking shoes took a rest after a long walk

Just had a wonderful day!

Went to Gunungkidul and explored unexpected yet amazing things... Walking through the wilderness of Nglanggeran Ancient Volcano - not the touristic route of course -, walked from one peak to another, got cuts here and there, slipped and landed in not-so-beautiful-pose several times, slapped by tree branches even more...
Went to Sri Gethuk Waterfall... it's been a long time since the last visit. It became too touristic now so just sat for few minutes then left.

The final part was the best: watched thousands, wait, no, millions bats flew out of a massive vertical-horizontal cave when the sun set. They filled the air with the sounds of their wings while the local people trapped some of them with nets. The smell of guano was strong but still, it was absolutely majestic...
This moment stunned me.. it really did..

Indonesia Cultural Camp 2014 - Alternative Project

Let's start understanding, let's spread positive energy, let's build peace!

March 6-13th, 2014, I joined a cultural study camp held in Yogyakarta by Japanese NGO - Alternative Project. This project's participants were five Indonesian students (from Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia) and eight Japanese students (from Nippon Bunri University, Japan). In this project, we did some cultural activities like Indonesian religion workshop, contemporary puppet making, dancing, and playing gamelan (traditional instruments from Indonesia). We also had voluntary work in an elementary school - Sanggar Anak Alam - to teach Japanese dancing and cooking.

What I've learned from this camp was: STOP PREJUDICE.

Two Sides of Tourism

New year, new destinations! Here's 52 destinations for traveling by The New York Times: 52 Places to Go in 2014. Yogyakarta is one of the destinations! I was surprised when my city included in the list. Now it's time for people in the world to know Indonesia as a country with many things to experience, not only in Bali but also in other cities like Yogyakarta.

However, it's kind of dilemma for me. Yogyakarta getting more attractive is nice thing but it also takes its toll. I was born and live my whole life in Yogyakarta so I am aware with the differences in this city.

The Appetite Escalation: Things You Think You Would Never Find in a Restaurant

When I was traveling to Dieng Plateau in Central Java, Indonesia, my friends invited me to go to a small restaurant. We sat there and order a noodles called 'Mie Onglok'. This dish is typical from that area. The taste was so-so but it's nice to try what people eat there.

Same thing happened when I went to another place: I wanted to try their typical food. You know, pizza in Italy must be more yummy than pizza in Indonesia. So, it's a great opportunity to try the dish from its origin place.

Besides, different places have different food characteristics and it's worth to try. Like in Yogyakarta, people like something sweet. Most of the foods are sweet. If you ordered ice tea, you will get sugar with tea, not tea with sugar :D In North Sulawesi, people like something spicy with fantastic number of chili. They even have dish called 'rica-rica' ('rica' means chilli, 'rica-rica' means, well, A LOT of chillies).

Go to different place and try their foods~

With this post, I will not write down a list of foods, the characteristic of the dishes, or its recipe. Here, I would like to invite you to the place where you could buy the food: the restaurant *applause*.

Let me give you an advice before you visit a restaurant in Indonesia: lower your expectation. Again, lower your expectation about the restaurant. Don't compared it with fancy restaurant you have visited in this, there, or that country.

Now, I will give you some hints about things that you may find in the restaurant in Indonesia. Maybe it makes you laugh or wonder or lose your appetite. At least it makes you well-prepared. So, be ready! :D 

City for the Art Lovers

I am not good in dancing, singing, or playing music instrument. Since I'm not good at those things, I love to see other people doing it. Admire their skill and enjoy their performance. I love to watch somebody moves their body, making beautiful movements whether it's fast, slow, or still. I enjoy hearing somebody sings -of course somebody with good voice- whether it's classic, folk, jazz, blues, pop, or even Gregorian song. I voluntarily come to a musical performance. Sit, feel, and then fly away as the music swings my mind.

With that go-to-performance hobby, I will say that I'm extremely lucky to live in this small city called Yogyakarta. Why is that? Why do I feel lucky? I feel lucky because Yogyakarta is art-lover-friendly city (at least I feel this city friendly to me :D ). And yeah! This city successfully makes other people jealous because of its friendliness~

So, in the end of this November, I went to a jazz concert held in Yogyakarta. Casiopea 3rd, jazz-fusion group from Japan, was one of the performers. The atmosphere was amazing. The night was stunning. The people were contended. I enjoyed their music. I really did. And I felt really lucky to have the chance to see this internationally-known musicians.


The next day, I met a Japanese guy. After the introductory conversation, I said, "Hey, I

Food #1: Bakpia

I went to Bali a few times. When I came back, my family asked me,"where's the gift for us?" Other time, I went to Bandung. My family and friends asked the same thing,"where's the gift for us?" A couple years ago, I went solo to Thailand for a month. Still, they asked same question when I came back,"where's the gift?"

So, the idea of travelling in Indonesia is bringing back gift as many as you can. Family and friends rarely ask you 'how was your holiday?' or 'how do you like the places you visited?'. It is just like: I don't care where you've been gone, just give me some souvenirs :D

That's why, each area in Indonesia has their own unique souvenirs. In Bali, they have brem. In Bandung, they have peuyeum. In Yogyakarta, we have bakpia. Many travelers (usually domestic tourist) will go the shop and buy bakpia for their relatives and friends back home when they visit Jogja. Well, you can say it is also as a prove that they've visited Yogyakarta~

Q: But, what is bakpia?
A: Bakpia is the name of a famous pastry from Yogyakarta with mung bean filling~
 

Bakpia

Wanna know more about bakpia? Here some brief explanation. (The information is based on personal knowledge from simple interview with the employees) :D

Travel #1: Candi Ijo

A must place to visit when you are visiting Yogyakarta, Indonesia is the temples. There are two famous temples: Prambanan and Borobudur Temple. These two temples are amazing with their unique architectures and stories. However, if you want to see something else beside these famous landmarks, I will tell you about Ijo Temple.

It is an Hindu temple that has three main temples and three smaller temples in front each the main temples. It was built around 9th or 10th centuries. 

At this moment, only 6 temples are rebuilt. However, you can still see stones debris around the site. It is said that if all the temples have been rebuilt, Ijo Temple site will be bigger than Prambanan Temple site. Wow...

The name Candi Ijo is taken from the word 'ijo' that means green in English. It is named Ijo because the temple is placed in green hill area.

My friends and I in front of one of the temples.

The Story of a Bowl of Rice

As an Indonesian, the view of rice fields is something usual for me. It takes only 15 minutes by motorcycle from my city and there it is, green rice fields~

I've seen rice fields so many times, but still, it never bores me. When it already grows around two or three months, the wind blow will move the green straw beautifully. Ah...simple thing that brings peace in mind. Don't forget the birds' and crickets' chant.  Also, you can deny the beauty of fireflies' illumination in the night~

Village girl posing on the rice field

 However, not all people knows where the rice comes from. Does it grow on a tree? Or is it a fruit? Or does it come from the root? The answers for those questions are no, no, and no. Rice is grains, just like wheat.

For planting it, it needs around 4 months. And, (in my region) it is all done by hand. So, for a bowl of rice, it needs hard work of many people...