One Week in Yogya

So we finally spent some time in a city. Yogya, as they call it, is the “cultural centre of Java”. That could well be. It is certainly the shopping centre for touristy goods of Java. The main street which runs through the middle of the city is lined with sidewalk stand after sidewalk stand, selling batik fabric, tourist t-shirts (or t-shits, as one store put it) and other wares. This was a lovely street to walk down once or twice, as we did on our way to the Kraton – the Sultan’s palace.

Yes, there is still a Sultan who lives in Yogya, in some rather nice grounds. He is the ninth Sultan, and the Kraton contains a museum showcasing the achievements, history and memorabilia of the Sultanate.

We stayed at the Phoenix Hotel, which was originally constructed as a residence for a Dutch merchant in the late 19^th century. One can only assume it was a nice residence, because the bones of that residence have been turned into a quite nice hotel. We spent much time on our balcony, which overlooked an interior garden area. The Boy was content to play on a blanket or in his little tent, while we had cocktail hour every afternoon, consisting of Bintang beer and peanuts from the convenience store across the street. Got to keep it real, am I right?

Working around The Boy’s nap schedule, we managed to see all of the important sites around Yogya, of which there are a few. Hindu temples, Buddhist temples, mosques – the area has them all and they are worth seeing. Pictures later...

A week in the city was enough – despite the nice sights and culture, Yogya is still a large, dirty city with really no definable centre. The main street I mentioned earlier is the main street only by virtue of its size, location and proximity to the Kraton. It does not have much of the restaurant or other development you might expect to see.

On our last day in Yogya we were happy to discover a charming little area with several good restaurants and coffee shops, Via Via and the Ministry of Coffee being two of them. Getting take-out food for our hotel was a great way to end our time in the city.

And now, off to the tropical islands of Malaysia!