Yogya? YogYES!

Setting-a cafe in Palembang Indah Mall, 3 lovely ladies are having a delicious lunch and chatting...

Deirdre: Jogjakarta is beautiful and amazing and everyone should go there.(paraphrasing)
Hafiza: Can it be done in a weekend?
Deirdre: Yeah, I think it could.

Eye contact followed by mental dialogueMe: Fiz, could we do it?
Hafiza: Yeh, defo. How about this weekend?
Me: Right before our long holiday? Why not?
Exeunt eye contact

Me and Hafiza: WE'RE GOING TO JOGJA!

We booked our flights the next day, found a cheap hotel, and headed to Jogja the following Saturday morning at the delightful hour of 5am.

Ahh, Palembang in the morning!

This is how excited Hafiza was to travel with me

After a quick layover in Jakarta, combined with the usual dash to find the correct gate, we hit Jogja (Yogya) running. We headed out to the famous shopping district called Jalan Malioboro and saw more batik shirts and tourist shops than I thought was possible. Jogjakarta is an extremely popular destination for Indonesians and foreigners alike. Palembang isn't quite so popular so we enjoyed the vacation vibe along with everyone else.

Skyscape en route to Jogja

City center

Check out the behind on that birch!

A fancy becak we rode around in

 One of the main events in Jogja is Ramayana ballet, a traditional Javanese dance that tells some of the stories about the Hindu gods. We booked a package deal of a buffet dinner along with an open air performance for later that night. Before dinner we went for a stroll and enjoyed not being in Palembang.

Our candlelight buffet dinner was delicious! There was a good mix of both Western and Indonesian style dishes for every palate. After dinner it was a short walk across the courtyard to the amphitheater performance area. The show was interesting and very well done. After the show we caught a becak back to the hotel to hit the hay before an early day on Sunday.

For Sunday we had booked a car and guide for the 2 main attractions for Jogja which are the temples of Borobudur and Prembanan. Borobudur is a massive Buddhist temple and Prembanan is Hindu. First stop was Borobudur and it was absolutely stunning. 

 

 Inside each of those domes is a buddha like this one

 Check out those clouds. Whoa.

Unfortunately for us, foreigners are a pretty big deal and at some points we became more of an attraction than the temples themselves. Here is one of many groups of Indonesian students asking us to take photos with them.

A short car ride later we went to another temple called Mendut that houses another 3 Buddhas. Then it was onward to Prembanan!

 I think these monkeys are the cutest things ever.

At the end of the day we were exhausted from many hours spent in the sun, in the car, and on foot. Luckily, there was a pizza place not too far from out hotel and we stopped in for real pizza with real cheese on it. If there is one thing Indonesia doesn't know how to do, its pizza, but this place was pretty good for our standards. The next morning we caught the first flight out to Jakarta and on again to Palembang followed by a full day of teaching. Great sights with a great friend! Terima kasih Jogja :)

Diwali!!!!

Not only did I get to witness Diwali decorations in Singapore but I was also lucky enough to celebrate Diwali in Palembang! A few weeks ago Hafiza and Amy made some Malaysian-Indian friends and they invited us over to celebrate Diwali with them on November 15th. Luckily enough, we had that day off for Muslim New Year anyway. Party time was set at 8pm and the girls and I got all dressed up, hired a taxi, and headed out to the house. Unfortunately, navigating the intense labyrinth of Palembang is quite the task and my usual driver (Samsudy) got us unbearably lost and we ended up here.

Next to a dirty Palembang canal, driving down a road that wasn't a road, with no idea where we were.  Eventually we did end up at the party after a few more interesting turns and 2 confusing phone calls.

When we walked into the foyer, we were greeted by our hosts, as well as the most gorgeous design ever.

 SO BEAUTIFUL!

 If you could see from the other photo, it was 2 peacocks surrounded by tea lights

 A close up on the dyed rice

After that it was all about Indian baked goods and delicious food! I met a bunch of new people and made many new friends. Overall, it was a fantastic night and I'm so sad that I only get 2 more months with everyone before I head back home. Happy Diwali everybody!

 

Songket

Most places in Indonesia have their own form of traditional printed and/or woven fabric that is specific to that location. In Palembang the traditional fabric is called songket and it is a finely woven fabric made with a loom and ridiculously expensive. Recently, one of the Indonesian teachers I work with took myself and the British Invasion to check out some of the shops. It was pretty interesting and I although I couldn't afford any songket I was able to buy some unique gifts for friends and family back home. Enjoy the photos!

printed batik fabrics

a woman using a loom to make some songket

the finished product

 gorgeous material but too rich for my blood

These are the traditional hats worn by men at important events(i.e. weddings) in Palembang

Hafiza and Amy probably laughing at the silly American (me!)

 

Singapore

As I mentioned in my last post, a few weeks ago I spent a long weekend in the thriving metropolis of Singapore. That city, and my cousin who lives there, are life-savers.  The main reason for this trip was to get extra pages to my passport. In my recent years of travel and visa collecting, I have run out of places for countries to stamp my entry and exit of their lands. Aside from that, I had 5 days to explore, shop, and relax. Awesome.

Indonesian shops have the greatest names

The view from the guest room at Cousin Jim's apartment

My first 2 days were spent shopping on Orchard Road and getting my visa taken care of. The apartment is only a half mile walk from the shopping district and that is quite dangerous.

  The ION center in all of its glory

Given that this was my 5th trip to Singapore it was about time that I made an effort to see Chinatown and Little India. Best. Idea. Ever. Both areas are within walking distance of each other and so after I got off the metro stop in Chinatown I spent the rest of the day wandering, eating, and taking pictures. Here are some of my favorites.

One of the market streets in Chinatown

  The gorgeous and massive Buddhist temple

Entrance to the temple

An ornately decorated Hindu temple

 Naturally, I run into a church wherever I go

My next stop was Little India and unbeknownst to me, Diwali (Deepavali), a festival about light, was just around the corner in November, so the whole area was decked out in amazing colors and signs for the holiday. Diwali is one of those festivals that I've been teaching to my ESL students for the past two years without any idea of what it actually entails. This was a very pleasant surprise.

Happy Deepavali everyone!

Fantastic street signs and amazing food to boot!

 Another Hindu temple

I happened upon a marketplace and loved the decorations and clothes being sold

 My amazing lunch at a vegetarian Indian restaurant

Goodbye, Singapore! I'll see you in January when my contract is over and I meet Dad for our Thailand adventure!

The night skyline of Singapore from Cousin Jim's apartment