Yogyakarta
ByYogyakarta was a Royal City with grand buildings and monuments. The Kings of Yogyakarta were called Sultans and were held in great respect and affection. They wielded significant political influence and do so right up to the present day. So thousands of Indonesians visit the Sultan’s Palace in Yogya and admire the Royal artefacts on display in the museum. The item which most attracted our attention was a gold chastity belt for men. The spiked tube on a gold chain made Allan wince just to think about it. On more mature reflection we were baffled by its purpose in a strongly male dominated society but we couldn’t get any good answers.
As before in Indonesia we fell easily into friendly conversation with the many people we met. In Yogya we chatted at length with a nurse and her family who were eating lunch at a table near ours. She loved Scotland and we were persuaded to sing ‘Loch Lomond’ there in the restaurant. At our hotel we discussed our travel plans with a man and his family who had the adjacent room. He shared detailed electronic maps on his laptop and gave good local advice. At a road side café we fell into conversation with an Imam, a Muslim religious leader, who was also intrigued by Scotland. Again we were engaged in a very friendly free flowing conversation. We really found Indonesia to be a very friendly country.
Being an ancient Royal City Yogyakarta is surrounded by important historical sights. These include the impressive Buddhist stupa at Borobudur which is justifiably a World Heritage Site and one of the Wonders of the World. Nearby are the massive and beautifully carved Prambanan Hindu Temples towering into the sky. Built in 832 AD the six main temples were surrounded by 224 minor temples. In May 2006 a massive earthquake damaged the main temples and three were closed to the public. Restoration work however is now complete and the temples are once again open to the public.
We really enjoyed our week in Yogya and the many people we met, chatted to and exchanged addresses and telephone numbers with. This was where we left Java and headed off to Bali.
