Yogyakarta - Indonesia ( Nava K's Travel Guide)

God save me please! Yes, only god potentially can. Are you wondering why? Lemme tell you. Each and every time I travel, forget about me carrying home bundles of travelling experiences, what is a shocker on the other hand is the envy and jealousy of people. Seriously everyone, I can't get it. Nevermind if they travel, nevermind if they are travelling all the time and nevermind if they are constantly social media sharing where their fun-fantastic, globe trotting wonder lust is, of course all beautifully displayed. But when its my turn, damn, you should hear the comments. In fact, even my part time cleaners have indirectly sounded I am a lady of leisure until I don't dare show them I am on the verge of packing my travelling bags (Osaka Japan). Additionally, I have stopped with telling anyone I will be away, including my family, because, trust me, it does get ugly behind my back. Everyone obviously is under the impression I am a rich lady. So much so, people are not shy in messaging me for borrowing money. Come of it people. Give me a break please. 

Listen. Anyone for the matter can travel these days. Air Asia is ever willing to get you on board, there’s so many choices to no frill hotels or accommodations and you can do budgeted sightseeing instead of opting for all paid for tours. So, what’s holding you back? Unless you want to die at your job or you are not interested in travelling, or your monstrous devilish kids are uncontrollable, or you can't spare a couple of hundreds, or you have no guts to travel alone, what am I suppose to do? Cry for you? For me personally, I save, I find the time and whether you like it or not, I am not, as far as I know, gonna pull my travelling brakes. Look. I am already 53, I only started travelling in my late forties, if I don’t travel now, then when? When I am six feet underground and return to haunt you like the clown looking, white powder smeared, and two black patches under their eyes Tamil movie ghosts? Please stop. Stop sulking. Can you be happy for me? Anyway, lemme point blank tell you I am in no way affected by your envy eyes or ears. Period.

This 4 nights 5 days Jogjakarta was actually long overdue. All my previous plans to discover Jogjakarta for the last 4 years didn’t materialize due to reasons I am too tired to tell you. Finally, I told myself I might as well hop into the back-wagon of the group of five, a family of three and the elderly couple, though initially I hesitated, because not many people can put up with my straightforwardness. Nevertheless, since I was already all frantically hyped up, primarily for a live experience of Borobudur, I told myself what the hack. I am going. Waking up by 5am was definitely a messy misery for me, despite I had set my Iphone alarm, I hardly slept throughout the night, worried if I will miss my flight. Off to the airport, flight took off, as usual flight delay is a norm these days, and by afternoon, we have landed in Adisutjipto airport. 

Ushered and greeted by our tour guide, Pak Adi, by the way, everyone in Indonesia is a Pak, likewise, everyone in Korea is a Kim or Park (Seoul Korea & Incheon To Seoul), we journeyed for approximately half an hour for our first Indonesian meal in Sekar Kedhaton Restaurant. Wow-aw ambiance, demure and heart touching service, and me being out-rightly a true lover of Indonesian food, I absolutely enjoyed every bit of the sambal, fried stuffs, raw salad, stir fried veggies, fried chicken, sweet sour fish, and fresh fruits and buah salak for dessert. Remarkable. Tabik/salute you Indonesia! 

Hunger put into tummy perspective, thereafter, we were dropped off in Harper Mangkubumi hotel. Good choice. Impressive. Harper Mangkubumi undoubtedly won me over. Tastefully set up lobby area, a cafe on the left, appreciated service, albeit I had to exchange my RM at the next door Hotel Manohara. Not a bit deal anyway, subsequently, the moment I entered my room, I couldn't be happier. Spacious, vibrant color theme, nothing no short of all those things you look for in a hotel room, clean, wifi at Indonesian sambal power speed, more importantly, I couldn't help sense like my room has been patiently awaiting me. Mind you, I really felt its positive vibes. As though its my guardian angel for thwarting “Orang Bunian”, “Pontianak”, “Hantu Galah” or you name it, any various types of hair standing ghosts and spirits. Nevertheless, to safe guard myself, you never know, I had already noted down the room numbers of my tour buddies. In case its gonna be another hammer house of horror like in Sungkai (Sungai Perak) or in Sri Lanka where the Human Satan in the form of the male receptionist who insisted and persisted in room crashing me (Negambo & Colombo), thinking I am a rich lonely women who need servicing and maybe he can be my permanent Sri Lankan toy boy. Nonsense!   

Out of room within the next half an hour after washing up and picturing, began our long walk for exploring "Malioboro Street". Welcome to the hustle and bustle and madness of Jogja's traffic jam everyone. Hundreds of people walking up and down, let alone the number of cars, of course uncountable number of motorbikes vrooming in and out, we walked in the blistering sun at the stares and giggles of the locals while checking out the shops. Frankly speaking, unless you are into street shopping, Malioboro Street should be out of bound for you. What else is new in Indonesia? Batik, knick-knacks, slippers, souvenirs, clothes, leather goods, bags, so on and so forth, the same things over and over, again and again. Having said that, in all fairness, Malioboro Street is a must experience. Like I always tell you, remember, its all about seeing for yourself instead of believing others who do over-exaggerate on the whole plot of shopping, only god knows why when we can buy the same things here in Malaysia. Of course, go ahead and shop at your whims and fancy, but make sure you bargain till you drop. Don't let go. Otherwise, I'm afraid you will be taken for a joy ride.  

Two hours of aimlessly walking in and out of the shops, we then entered Malioboro Mall. Another shopping mall, that’s it, no need for you to get paranoia, we went all the way up to the food court is for quenching our thirst, simultaneously for resting our legs.

Half an hour later, back on the street for reverse walking to our hotel, while trying to mutually agree where dinner should be. I, to tell your the truth, I badly wanted to eat at the street stalls. Being seated on the floor laid by mat and akin a lay man's communal humble eating, alongside the locals. But my tour buddies, die-die refusing. They just didn't want to. No doubt, I agree its dusty and cleanliness is a question mark, oh-please, stop putting on a drama people. As if our Malaysian coffee shops and street stalls, or other similar dining experiences in other parts of the world won't give you the toilet runs? Just carry along charcoal tablets, and if you really have to sit in the toilet, the tablets I bet will curb it. 

My tour buddies despite me coaxing them, wouldn't give in eating at the street. I too gave up. Not because I didn't dare, but because I definitely would have freaked out walking back on my own. Mind you, darkness in Jalan Malioboro Street has set, moreover, trust me when I say there were some unpleasant, stern and quite weird looking characters who gave me goose bumps. Dinner however continued to linger on, in the end, my patience ran out. I broke free from them and headed to my room. I showered, I called for room service and I tucked into the sumptous Nasi and Soup Ayam set meal which did put a big smile on my face. I tell you, above all, sambal was a rocker.  

The  next thing I knew, whats-app messages kept buzzing none stop, one after the other. Who else except my other half-half. This man of mine, as he grows older, he apparently is lost without me. To cut short on you text, I text you in return, honestly, I am not someone who is fond of finger tapping messaging, I called him for our marriage love travelling reporting. By 12.000am, I forced sleep over me because I must be ready by 4.30am for Borobudur Sunset Watching and touring Borobudur temple as well.    

To be continued.