Our last days in Yogjia have been pretty nice and more relaxed due to the fact that our travel plans changed slightly. We could not travel to Probolinggo where we would have visited Bromo National Park and seen the sunrise from one of its mountains and volcanos but all train tickets were sold out due to an Indonesian long holiday weekend or Easter break so we had to stay in Yogjia. Our last day we visited a "water castle", Samir Tamar, an underground mosque, a local fresh market, Bheringajo market and walked the old city centre of Malioboro. The next day we had a train journey to Surabaya, where our plane to Kupang (West Timor) was taking off, was also a pleasant one although we could only book the economic class tickets and we were sitting in 3 seats rows. It was nice though that we had a very smiley family of four with a toddler which provided lots of funny faces and expressions throughout the trip.
In Yogjia we used Grab a lot, their extra-cheap Uber app service that would take us around the city in a hearbeat for just a few thousand Rp. We both wonder how this is gonna affect all the tuktuk drivers that approched us constantly. For about a fair cheap price you get a car with AC and there is no haggling. Sorry guys, it is a clear win.
Curiosity that I had to google: We have seen a lot of indonesians, specially javanese men, with extremely long nails. Pinky and thumb fingers. When I say long, I mean VERY long, which to be honest has been very hard to look at. I have been pretty grossed out about these. Turns out -google says - that having these long nails is a way to show others that they are some sort of high-class as they could not have these long nails if they were to work in a rice field. Which it kind of makes sense...I guess. Some other people say its fashionable and some other say that means they use these nails to sniff cocaine which by the amount of people I have seen with these nails would mean a huge problem for this island is that was to be true.
Again, all the people have been extremely nice and as helpful as much as their poor English allows them to be. That does not mean they respect lines and taxi drivers don't try to suck your money up but it is what it is.
During our trip to the market I thought of buying some pants and trash a pair shorts. I would get to cover my knees more often and they are actually like pyjamas so they are pretty comfortable. Having said that, I was in no rush and neither had a real need so I played the haggling game with some vendors that had the patterns I liked. A girl from the Philippines that morning had told us she got them for 25000 so I was going for that. Obvious "challenge" though is that I am pasty white and I could not get a lower price from 35000, which is OK but I ended up not buying them.
We also visited Taman Sari Water Castle, the site of a former royal garden of the Sultan of Yogyakarta) where the highlight was the underground mosque of Sumur Gumuling. It was intended to only have access from the castle, but the entrance from the castle is now blocked and another entrance now exists to enter it.
Our stay in Yogjia was very nice overall and we got to meet other nice travellers that are awesome for interesting and amusing coversations and getting some travel tips for future destinations. Hola to David, Zorrina, the french couple, Rachel from Phillipines, the three superyoung and blonde german girls, Andy, Mike, Tia, Bonzo (the diva dog) and Damon!
We also wanted to share David's Book of Names. He collects in his book each new language he encounters on his travels and asks the person to share a thought or comment. We found the Catalan one with, of course, a call for a free Catalunya.
In Yogjia we used Grab a lot, their extra-cheap Uber app service that would take us around the city in a hearbeat for just a few thousand Rp. We both wonder how this is gonna affect all the tuktuk drivers that approched us constantly. For about a fair cheap price you get a car with AC and there is no haggling. Sorry guys, it is a clear win.
Curiosity that I had to google: We have seen a lot of indonesians, specially javanese men, with extremely long nails. Pinky and thumb fingers. When I say long, I mean VERY long, which to be honest has been very hard to look at. I have been pretty grossed out about these. Turns out -google says - that having these long nails is a way to show others that they are some sort of high-class as they could not have these long nails if they were to work in a rice field. Which it kind of makes sense...I guess. Some other people say its fashionable and some other say that means they use these nails to sniff cocaine which by the amount of people I have seen with these nails would mean a huge problem for this island is that was to be true.
Again, all the people have been extremely nice and as helpful as much as their poor English allows them to be. That does not mean they respect lines and taxi drivers don't try to suck your money up but it is what it is.
During our trip to the market I thought of buying some pants and trash a pair shorts. I would get to cover my knees more often and they are actually like pyjamas so they are pretty comfortable. Having said that, I was in no rush and neither had a real need so I played the haggling game with some vendors that had the patterns I liked. A girl from the Philippines that morning had told us she got them for 25000 so I was going for that. Obvious "challenge" though is that I am pasty white and I could not get a lower price from 35000, which is OK but I ended up not buying them.
We also visited Taman Sari Water Castle, the site of a former royal garden of the Sultan of Yogyakarta) where the highlight was the underground mosque of Sumur Gumuling. It was intended to only have access from the castle, but the entrance from the castle is now blocked and another entrance now exists to enter it.
Our stay in Yogjia was very nice overall and we got to meet other nice travellers that are awesome for interesting and amusing coversations and getting some travel tips for future destinations. Hola to David, Zorrina, the french couple, Rachel from Phillipines, the three superyoung and blonde german girls, Andy, Mike, Tia, Bonzo (the diva dog) and Damon!
We also wanted to share David's Book of Names. He collects in his book each new language he encounters on his travels and asks the person to share a thought or comment. We found the Catalan one with, of course, a call for a free Catalunya.
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