Deliciously Me

With about 2½ hours to kill before checking in at the airport by 3.30 pm, we decided to check out two Yogyakarta’s major attractions, the Taman Sari Water Castle and Kraton.

From Delta Homestay at Jl. Prawirotaman, it took only 10 minutes to reach Taman Sari Water Castle. The van driver parked his van at the car park area and again, knowing that we have to pay for the car park, we asked on the price. But our van driver told us to pay only when we’re leaving. Without wasting any time, we quickly got off the van. It was a sunny day, and I hate sweating after showering. Blah.

We then sent someone (can’t recall who) to check out the entrance fee while we waited near the van. He came back with surprising news – something about taking camera in and has to pay 50.000 Rupiah (RM18.50).

Shocked upon hearing the news, most of us decided not to take any pictures there. After collecting the money, we then walked in, with another two person (can’t recall who d) got the tickets on behalf of us at the ticket counter.

Then the two came back to us with another price! –”

Only after the third time, we got the amount right. Haiyo. I think we spent like 15 minutes figuring out the correct entrance fee. Pengsan. The entrance to Taman Sari Water Castle is 7.000 Rupiah (RM2.55). To take photographs in the area, one needs to pay additional 1.000 Rupiah (RM0.37) only.

We got ourselves a guide with no payment. He then led us to the four towers where the Sultan and his family would pray. There he explained the background of water castle – like when it was built, by whom, for what purposes, the earthquake, etc etc.

I didn’t really listen to him as I got so impatient because of the weather, blah; but I remembered the important details; like the first Sultan of Yogyakarta built this for his family’s recreational as well as fort and was abandoned after being badly damaged in an earthquake. If not mistaken, the earthquake happened during the 4^th Sultan ruling. Then the Portuguese government renovated the whole castle.

He led us to the bathing area! There we could see two big pools on both sides. The one on the left is for the Sultan’s wives or concubines and the one on the right is for the Sultan’s children. Both pools now look inviting and fresh after renovation funded by the Portuguese government.

Made me feel like jumping in but I stopped after seeing a dead tikus (mice) floating in the kid’s pool.

At the side of the concubines’ pool, there’s a plant with small round green fruits. Our guide took one, squeezed it open, and then told us that in olden days, the ladies used this as nail polish. Then he asked for Elise’s fingers and painted on one of the fingers. Curiously, I offered my left thumb.

He painted. A shining layer appeared on top of my nail, and I happily showed off to Sat. Which made him said this, “good, no need use money to buy nail polish d. Just plant this at home.”

On the left side of the pool, there’s a watch tower. This was used for the Sultan to watch the ladies bathing in the concubines’ pool. If he interested in one or few of them, he would call for them to accompany him to bath at his private pool, which located at the other side of the watch tower.

What an interesting life the Sultan had in past!

The Sultan’s pool is smaller compared to the others, but it’s big enough for him and his chosen ladies to play around.

At the watch tower, there are also changing room and Sultan’s bedroom. The changing room is now empty (like duh!), but I can see that in the golden time, this room must be full of clothes and decorative.

As for the Sultan’s bedroom, there are holes underneath the bed. That’s for the servants to burn the aromatic leaves/woods/potpourris to warm the bed and also to scent the room.

We then walked to the back of the castle. The area is open up, with lots chicken running about freely. The chicken looked well fed too. Lol.

There the guide told us about the connecting route and on houses nearby the Kraton (Sultan’s Palace). He told us all houses here, including his, are occupied by the Sultan’s servants since the first Sultan till now, all generations are still working with the Sultan. He claimed that he and the other guides in the water castle work as guide free of charge, or in other field as way to show gratitude and loyalty to the Sultan for not claiming back the houses they stay. He added, in each generation, there must be one that must work for the Sultan; therefore it’s him who chose to work for the Sultan.

Asked if he works full-time as a guide, he said no. He said that all of them only required to work like 2 or 3 days per week. On other time, he would work other place.

He spoke that they got nothing from doing such service, and off and on tourists would give them tips for doing the job well.

When he spoke on the tips, it suddenly all made sense on why he’s telling so many things about this. Lol. But we all decided to chip in money for his tips, as he did do a good job in showing us around.

Then, he brought us to this handicraft shop located in the same area itself. Our guide told us that the people of the Sultan took handicraft skill to improve their living and hope that we could get something if we like.

Living in Malaysia with the culture almost similar to Indonesia where we can find batik so easily, we scanned through the entire shop – I had my eyes on a piece of batik but never dare to ask the price because I scare it would be expensive and I would find it to be very difficult to say No after that. Haha.

After that, our guide brought us out of the castle to another place. We walked past kampong contoh (excellent village) and could see that the villagers were quite stunned to see us. There’s one that said, “arigato” to me out of the blue and bowed! I was like – err… Do I look like Japanese? Lmao. Lmao.

We then reached a covered area with stairs descending down. Not knowing where we’re heading, I just followed the rest. The scenery changed from proper looking kampung to dilapidated brick houses. They are mostly abandoned.

Spotted an old bird cage. I guess it was used centuries ago. Unsure why it’s left there. Hmm.

Few turns to the left and right, and we reached to a nicer looking abandoned house.

If I’m not mistaken, this place is used to be the Sultan’s retreat house gua. It was quite dark, and deserted, and a bit eerie. There were no light, and the only light we had come from the sky. So I could imagine how dark it was in the past.

Looking at the watch, we realised we had spent more than an hour there. Quickly we walked back to the water castle. Along the way, we collected money of 1.000 Rupiah (RM0.37) – some gave more and then passed to our guide once we got back to the entrance of the water castle.

But before leaving, I asked him if there’s such place where there are staircases all over the place in water castle?

He gave me a puzzled look, and asked me what’s the place called?

If I know about the place, I would have named it – instead of asking staircases place. Moreover, I saw that place in the photo album taken by my juniors during his visit to Yogyakarta last year! How can I be wrong? T_T

Then he shook his head, and said, “I’ve showed you all places here in water castle.”

Lazy on arguing about it, I gave some dumb excuses like probably see the name wrongly or maybe not this water castle; bid him goodbye and left this place. Sat passed 2.000 Rupiah (RM0.75) to our van driver for the car park and drove away after paying.

Initial plan of visiting the Kraton got scraped as we have only barely 1 hour left before checking in as our flight to Jakarta is at 4.30pm and we didn’t even had our lunch yet. Feeling VERY HUNGRY, we asked the driver to recommend us a place to eat.

He then asked if we want to try seafood and went on describing about eating in middle of paddy fields, about freshness of the seafood.

Upon hearing the word seafood, we immediately said NO, and asked for cheap, local food by saying we were all students, not earning yet. Lol. Tell me la, how can we dine like Kings and Queens when it supposed to be a budgeted backpack trip? Lol. Moreover, that’s our 2^nd day in Indonesia only. We can’t afford to toss the Rupiahs around on good expensive food when we could find the equivalent ones in 1/10 the price!

I guess the driver finally got that we’re the thrifty travelers that he brought us to Soto Pak Marto Taman Sari Cabang. We buta-ly (blindly) walked in, not knowing what was in store for us. Sat, Aaron, Daniel and me sat at different table as there weren’t enough for 10 of us.

There is a big menu on the wall, based on the menu, we made our order. Curious on what’s es jeruk, I ordered that… just to know that’s lime juice with assam. Lol.

Few minutes later, the food came. Halfway eating the dish, I realised it contains beef. –“ And they only serves soto; either both mixed up (soto campur) or separately (soto pisah) like mine.

Feeling full from our lunch, the other table started to pay the bills at the counter. Just when the people of our table want to make move, a ahgua (she-male) walked in the shop, went around asking money. Seeing him coming near, I buat bodoh, pretended not to see anything and ignoring him at all.

The next time I know, he uttered insults at me in don’t know what language. And the young girls in the store who understand that giggled and looked at me.

WALAO EH! If the same scenario happened in Malaysia, I would have scolded him back, in Hokkien. But since I was in foreign country and I got a plane to catch later, I just kept calm and continued acting dumb.

The ahgua left after hurling insults. I then paid my lunch which costs 9.000 Rupiah (RM3.30). We had to pay for parking too, 2.000 Rupiah (RM0.75).

From our lunch place to airport didn’t take long. Probably about 20 minutes later, we reached the Adisucipto Airport. The van service ended there, and we paid 50.000 Rupiah (RM18.50) per person which amount to 500.000 (RM185) Rupiah for the 2^nd day service. Since this country is known to tipping guides and drivers, we gave the guide a total of 20.000 Rupiah (RM7.50). That’s like 2.000 Rupiah (RM0.75) per person.

Then we walked in.

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