A Meaningful trip to Yogyakarta - Day 2

On Day 2 of sightseeing, we woke up at an unearthly hour of 4am (or was it 3am) to take a jeep ride up Mt Merapi for sunrise tour. As my boyfriend is a hiker, our initial plans was to hike up the mountain. To this day, i am glad that he had the foresight to abort that stupid plan and take the jeep ride. It was cold and there really wasn't a person whom was as badly prepared as i did for a hike (flip flops check, shorts check, walking insect bait check)

Our hotel drove us to the pick up site, while we waited for the jeep ride to start. In total darkness, we ride up the mountain - just using the tiny electric light on the jeep. Hanging on for dear life, surging up and down mounds of soil and grass.






Where the lava flowed



The bunker where the poor villages hid and died


The abandoned villages which turned into a museum of sorts. The local villagers were so used to warnings that they grew complacent and immune until it was too late :(





Once we completed the morning ride at Mt Merapi, we made our way to the Candi tour (Hindu temple tour). We did a hit and run tour of Candi Plaosan, Ijo, Sari, Kalasan,

Candi Plaosan



Candi Ijo - high up on a quiet mountain top




Candi Sari


Candi Kalasan



By then, we were all Hindu temple-d out, and decided to make a quick getaway for some shopping in the city. We wanted to visit an actual palace called Taman Sari.

It really needed help


We escaped for shopping, walking and a quick rickshaw ride for the 2 heaviest people in Yogja


Cold jackfruit curry - a local specialty. Even the egg was sweet !




We ended the night at Kesuma Restaurant. A local restaurant ran by a french-Indonesia couple, the husband did front of house and the wife cooked in the kitchen. Lovely table service and food for a long, tiring day.