The culture vulture returns

selling chicks
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I had to be up at 4:15 to leave for the airport at 5 and fly out at 6am for jogyakarta on the island of Java.  I had the strange experience of leaving at 6am and arriving at 6am as Jogya is a one hour flight from Denpasar and I crossed a time zone.  I zipped right into a taxi for my new digs.  It took us a little extra time to find because neither I nor the cab driver could spot the sun bleached sign indicating the location of the Delta Homestay.

Now this is a first.  I am the only person staying at this hotel.  I mean the only one.  I was relishing having the pool to myself and I thought now wait a minute there is a key in the door of every room except mine.  HMMM....  No wonder the receptionist didn't even ask for my room number.  Can we say slow season.  The place reminds me of a Florida motel circa 1967.  The rooms are arranged around the pool which is a simple rectangle.  There is an overgrown feel with palms and assorted tropicals.  Each room has two rattan chairs out front with an ashray on the little round table.  The only thing missing is the sun dried prune of an old lady manager with a voice straight out of a 4 pack a day Salems and a Boubon and coke alcohol habit.

A tasty satay lunch
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Instead the place is run by a bunch of sweet natured young Indonesian kids.  After a quick nap I walked out of the hotel and right onto a motorbike driven by a guy named Adi ( must be a common Muslim name).  He ended up being quite a good guide having grown up here in Jogja - that's how people pronounce the knickname.  He took me to the animal market.  This being Sunday the place was packed with folks buying and selling birds.  All kinds of song birds and eating birds and fighting birds.  Then there were cats, dogs and hamsters - for pets and rabbits - for food.  Later we came to the regular food market where I spotted the live version of the eels that I had for dinner the other night.

The handcarved teak interior of part of the Kraton
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Jogja has a Sultan.  He actually has power as the governor for life for the province.  His palace is here and I took a long stroll through it.  40 Hecatres of grounds and housing for the 700 people who work at the site which is called the Kraton.  This includes artists, dancers and musicians as well as groundskeepers and guards.  The whole area is a heritage site that the Indonesian government is protecting.  It is also the first place I have seen some of the damage from last years earthquake which was centered very close to the city.  Indonesia has been getting more than it's share of disasters lately - from Earthquakes, Tsunamis, plane crashes and ferry sinkings no wonder tourists might be giving it a pass.  Most of the tourists here in Jogja seem to be Dutch.  That special relationship with the former colony thing must draw them.

My interviewers at the Kraton
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Twice while I was at the Kraton a group of students interviewed me as part of an assignment to practice their English.  The boys were not too adept but the second group of muslim girls - all headwrapped, were pretty charming and quite prepared as they whipped out thier recording devices.

I did my requisite overpaying for a batik painting and a Wayan - no I did not buy one of the Black comedian brothers.  I bought a puppet.  From a guy named Ari who was a complete clown.  It was worth it in entertainment value alone.

Drying batiks
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I did not buy one of the $200 USD batik silk shirts that were handmade.  Or even one of the cheap knockoff versions as I could not picture myself in so much pattern.

I achieved my evening goals.  One:  to eat the local delicacy called Godek.  The best restaurants I was told are by the Kraton.  So optomist that I continue to be I decided to walk there.  Luckily there were two young girls walking behind me as I turned around sure I was going the wrong way.  They walked me all the way to the restaurant street.  Godek is made from jackfruit which if you haven't seen one is like a big squash like thing.  They make a sort of chutney with it then place a piece of meat like chicken over it.  The second goal was seeing a performance of Javanese dance.  There is an open air theatre here where every night for the touristas they put on a version of the Ramayana story.  They like to call it their version of Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending.  It is more like how many strange animal gods doing battle can we fit on one stage at one time.