DI Yogyakarta Day 1: [Jakarta] Soekarno-Hatta International Airport [Yogyakarta] Adisutjipto Airport, Prambanan Temple, Mataram Kingdom Graveryard Kotagede, All Seasons Hotel

Friday, January 13, 2012

Indonesia AirAsia Aircraft Airbus A320

This was my very first experience fly through Terminal 3 Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, it’s new and modern building. I was using Indonesia Airasia Airlines heading to Yogyakarta QZ7556, also my first. The boarding was on the time, and the take off also. The aircraft was surprisingly comfortable, without none of expectation before. I arrived in Adisutjipto Airport, Yogyakarta about 7 am. The flight only took around 1 hour from Jakarta. Overall nice flight.

Adisutjipto Airport, Yogyakarta

I took TransJogja, a shuttle-to-shuttle bus provider, first heading to Prambanan Temple in Sleman area. Prambanan Temple was located in the border of Yogyakarta (Yogyakarta Special Region) and Surakarta (Central Java). The TransJogja was actually the same with TransSarbagita in Bali island, because they have no special way, like TransJakarta. The ticket fare is IDR3,000 for all destination, one-time travel.

TransJogja bus and shuttle

This is what I called development, I feel proud of my country which every city has concern about their each development, so they could afford the convenience of tourist both domestic and international. I found it started many international tourists coming to Yogyakarta, since I believe Yogyakarta offered different specific tourism objects.

Entrance info in Prambanan Temple Complex

Prambanan Temple, Yogyakarta

Prambanan Temple was one of Hinduism temple constructed in 850 CE by Rakai Pikatan. The temple should be in many numbers, since the giant earthquake shoke Southern Yogyakarta in 2006, Prambanan collapsed. Less than 10 biggest temples were remained. Now, they still reconstructed and I really don’t get how could they probably make the temples back to their origin.

Me in Prambanan Complex

After my super tired and tanned journey to Prambanan temple, I was picked up by Sekar, my nice friend, also with his brother, Adi. They took me around, and first destination was Bakso Sido Semi in Kotagede area. ‘Bakso’ means meatball. I ate a bowl of meatball and also a mungbean porridge, their specialties. The price for a bowl of meatball is IDR6,000 and the mungbean porridge is around IDR4,000. The kiosk building was old, located not really far from the complex of Mataram Kingdom Gravery Complex.

I did my Friday Prayer in Mesjid Besar Mataram Kotagede (Mataram Big Mosque, Kotagede). After the prayer, we continued our religious tour inside the gravery complex. So, Mataram Kingdom was ruled all Java until Nusa Tenggara Island, in the past. You could imagine, how big the kingdom was. Before entering the complex, we should obey some rules, including not allowed to take any picture inside the complex plus we should wear a traditional costume. Here they are.

The uniform you should wear before entering the complex. Sekar with me.

In this complex, they were all of the important person of Mataram Kingdom, so, the people in the area were supposed to be very respect the soul buried here, so the rest of the visitors coming. The ceremony were took about 45 mins to be done. So, if you would like to find inner peace by praying for the ancestor soul which you adore most, go get here.

The ceremony entering the graveyard

In front of the building. Very spooky.

After all first interesting destination visited, I checked in to the hotel in Dagen Street, 10 mins walk from Malioboro area. The room was nice, new, and modern.