Kuta Beach and Java, Indonesia

Hello, friends. We've got a bit of catch-up to play, as we have been thoroughly vegged out the past two weeks in Indonesia. After our indulgent holiday on the Gili islands, we headed back to Bali one last time for a four day stint at Kuta beach. Kuta is known as the Aussie party haven on Bali- perhaps not that unlike Cancun for Americans- so we were expecting it to be one big party. Actually, as was the case at many great stops in Bali, tourism is suffering in Kuta, and instead of packed clubs, we saw empty clubs- with throbbing music, and promoters shoving party promotion flyers into the hands of passerbyers. We don't want to diminish the allure of Kuta, though... we really enjoyed four days at a California-style, sand bar beach, with nothing more to do each day than lay on the sand, play in the waves, and consume cheap food... and enjoy the company of our new friends from Germany, both conveniently named Alex (hey guys!)

We followed the Alexes, who are pro-SE Asia travelers, to Dewa Bharata, a very reasonably-priced guesthouse set in a pretty garden with a pool for 100 Rp (approx. USD 11) per night in the heart of Kuta. The guesthouse is actually located only 100 meters or so from ground zero of the 2002 Bali bombing, and there is a memorial and empty lot (formerly a club), filled with pictures and remembrances right in the midst of surrounding nightlife, which still pulses all around. Over 200 people died on that spot when a truck bomb exploded out front in the midst of a busy Saturday night in October of '02. It is a bit of an eerie contrast, to be honest.

Here are some pictures of Kuta:

From Kuta, we decided to take the intrepid, overland route into Java. It actually went much more smoothly than we could have dreamed. It started at 4:00 AM in the morning, when a cab ride to Gilamanuk, a three and a half hour drive from Kuta, and the western-most town on the island of Bali. We arrived at the public ferry with our packs on, just in time for the locals' morning commute to Java. The ferry ride was a bit surreal. We were both exhausted, and Arabic music was blasting on the main deck. A couple of guys were up at the front on a microphone, trying to sell everything from backscratchers to toy trains. The boatride was fast enough, and sooner than we knew it, we were deposited on the eastern shore of Java at Ketapang. Confusion ensued as we walked through town, in search of the train station, which our out-of-date guidebook promised was "500 meters" from the dock. We located it, and luckily the one daily train to Surabaya was leaving in half an hour.

The train was an experience. All windows were sealed shut (though they all had spidercracks and were busted), but there was no A/C, so it was quite hot and stuffy. Roaches began emerging from the curtains and armrest areas and had a full run of the place for the seven hour journey. Unsure of what was appropriate dress in Islamic Java (silly tourist, Megan), I kept my long-sleeved sweatshirt on for the first four hours of the journey until I finally stripped it off in a moment of quasi-heat exhaustion.

In Surabaya, we switched trains at the station and were lucky, twice- the five hour train to Yogyakarta (or Yoyga, for short, pronounced "Joe-gjah") was leaving in one hour. This train was much better, although a terrible American Bflick scary movie was playing on repeat (mixed in with Indonesian childrens' programming and Beyonce music videos- yes!) We arrived at Yogya around 10:00 PM, set off into town on bicycle taxis ("becak"), identified a place on Jalan Sosro, the budget acommodation hub, and got to sleep.

The biggest obvious different between Java and Bali is religion. Bali is overwhelmingly Hindu, while Java, like the rest of Indonesian, is mostly Muslim. There is a call to prayer five times daily, and you can hear competing calls broadcast from multiple mosques at once all around the city. Yogya is an artist and a university town, and the people are very curious as to where we are from, etc. Tourism has unbelievably suffered even more in Java than on Bali- our becak driver told us it was down "99%" since the bombings- and many guesthouses, cultural performances and restaurants listed in our Rough Guide are now out of business.

Yogya:

(because it is the windy, "bayu" season- and the dry season- kids flying kites are everwhere in Indonesia, like this one.)

(at the Sultan's Palace)

(wayang puppetry, from behind the screen)

(wayang puppet show)

Our main incentive for coming to Yogya was to see neighboring ruins at Borobodur (Buddhist)- the largest monument in the Southern hemisphere and the largest Buddhist stuppa in the world, and Prambanan (Hindu). They did not disappoint. We elected to travel early in the morning to catch Borobodur right as the sun was rising. The stuppa is five levels high, each ascending level representing a further stage in the quest for enlightenment. At the highest level, the walls fall away, revealing the surrounding mountains and volcanoes, with 72 smaller stuppas with a lattice design and buddhas inside. The lower 4 levels are all incredibly done in relief sculpture.

Borobodur:

Prambanan is about an hour drive from Borobodur, and was badly damaged by an earthquake one year ago. As a result, tourists can only observe the temple from a roped off perimeter. The temple is extraordinary, though it was frustrating to not be able to see the sculptures inside (due to the damage). Apparently over 6,000 Indonesians were killed, south of Yogya, in that earthquake.

Prambanan:

Other highlights of Yogya were the Ramayana ballet, performed in classic Javanese ballet style, and the wayang kulit puppet show. The puppets are crafted from buffalo hide, and are held behind a white cloth screen, behind which a light is shining so that the puppets' silhouettes are clearly outlined for the audience. The puppeteer does all of the characters, and a gamelan orchestra provides music.

After taking care of some errands in Yogya, we grabbed yet another train to Jakarta, where we were looking forward to meeting up with friends from the OPDAT Indonesia program. Rob, our OPDAT Indonesia RLA, and his family were kind enough to offer to put us up for a few nights, and we had a great time at their place hanging out with their adorable kids, singing karaoke with interpreter and FSN friends (hi to Ratih, Cut, Michelle and Avi!) and catching up on sleep in a gloriously air-conditioned, Western-style home. Michelle and her husband Peter showed us a tour highlighting the culinary delights of Indonesia including delicious Chinese noodles, Sundanese food (the salted fish fins were our favorite), and avocado juice, something we had been shying away from on menus, but actually isn't that bad- it's a mixture of condensed milk, chocolate sauce, and blended avocado. Michelle and Peter also took us all around Jakarta to museums and haunted spots. All of us went out to karaoke on Saturday night, which was noraebang-style and a real hoot. We even got Rob and Vivian to sing some Abba. Thanks to all for really making us feel at home in Jakarta. We miss you guys, and hope to see you in the USA next year!

Having fun in Jakarta:

We are now in Malaysia, having flown to Kuala Lumpur (KL) late two nights ago. We ventured up to the Cameron Highlands this morning, and will update more, soon!

Be well!
Catt and Megan