A pretty last minute arrangement, I got on a tour with my sister who was craving for a travelling trip before her great next step :)
And thus, my first overseas trip with Nik! How exciting it is with a pro camera finally!
Jogjakarta or Yogyakarta, or Jogja in short, is a major tourist destination in Indonesia. I realize that many, or most of the people around me would have mistaken it for Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, instead of a totally different cultural city by itself. Located at Central Java, it is prone to earthquakes, and houses a number of active volcanoes, including the recent renowned erupted volcano, Gunung Merapi, that had few hundreds sacrifices.
This city is nicknamed "Kota Pelajar" meaning the Town of Students, as the city has the most numbers of academic institutions in the country and students flock in from everywhere else to study here. Interesting, isn't it?
To start off the 4D3N trip, we arrived in the early afternoon greeted by a young lady tour guide. In a mini van as transport, we travelled to our first destination, Kota Gede. This is the capital of the ancient Islamic Mataram kingdom, housing the tomb of the Mataram kingdom's first king. Silverware was the main trade of this area.
Nearby the royal bath
Sendang kakung - bath area for guys
Around Sendang Seliran - the area separating the great mosque and the royal cemetery
Having time to spare, we paid a visit to the Loowak coffee production house.
The beans from the 'shit'
A taste of Kopi Loowak
Silverware factory visit
The way each strand of silver thread is fixed in shape
Finding the ceiling roof of the dinner place interesting
Calling it end of the day, we checked in our hotel, a new modern one.
The hotel lobby
Second day!
Headed slightly outskirts, a visit to the renowned volcano, Gunung Merapi!
Not a hiking trip, but it definitely was an unexpectedly tanning and dusty adventure!
In Indonesia, you will be either Prince or Princess... or otherwise.
An adventure indeed!
Posing happily and clean on the jeep
With a rocky jeep ride towards the mountain, we finally see the magnificent
Warming the hands
Invisible eruption there?
An effective sun-tanning!
Muzium Sisa Hartaku - exhibition of the remains after the 2010 eruption
Herds of cows are sacrificed - this is the remaining skeleton of one
a horse?
The eruption time encrypted - the smoke melted the hands of the clock permanently on the clock face
An aquarium
Melted CDs and cassettes... this was the house of a more well family
Smoke-covered traditional musical instruments. Wonder if they do belong here initially.
How about wild cranberries in the midst of the dusty volcanic area?! They were freshly plucked from a cranberry tree that sprung up somewhere after the volcano eruption. Mysterious!
Volcanic ashes are put to good use. Even after 3 years, we can see hot steam emerging from within the ashes when they are being dug! Amazing ain't it?
Just imaginable, we were covered with dust and ashes throughout and after the ride, to add on to the suntanning from the great big morning sunshine. Hot and smelly as we were, the bumpy jeep ride was an amusing adventure indeed! :D
Stay tuned for Part 2!
Just imaginable, we were covered with dust and ashes throughout and after the ride, to add on to the suntanning from the great big morning sunshine. Hot and smelly as we were, the bumpy jeep ride was an amusing adventure indeed! :D
Stay tuned for Part 2!
