Today we were going to treat ourselves to a comfortable train ride, Executive Class, from the capital in West Java to Central Java. The train departed in time, and was as comfortable as we expected, so it was easy to concentrate on the landscape unfolding as we ran along the northern coastal plain, which is a rich agricultural region that easily compares with the Sacramento Valley and produces a good portion of the rice consumed in Indonesia. Stil, Irvan tells me, Indonesia imports rice from Vietnam to meet its domestic demand. I am reminded that this is quite a populous country, with 275 million people eating rice three times a day.
One of the perks of Executive Class is the food trolley, which provided us with indumai or noodles for our elevenses, and for lunch a delicious but very spicy rice bowl with cooked dried beef, a yummy herb I had not tried before, and salsa that would put hair on your chest. Right about lunch time we crossed the low backbone chain of mountains to reach the southern coastal plain. The new geomorphology was a welcome diversion, with happy mountain streams descending from partially eroded but still lofty volcanoes. This is Irvan's home turf, so he enjoyed talking geologic nonsense and boasting of legendary hikes he has done with his buddies. The vegetation is tame and from the train we could actually see a fair amount of outcrop, so the time passed quickly.
We got to Yogyakarta at about 2:30 pm, and Irvan quickly arranged for a taxi to bring us to my hotel (he is going to spend the next three nights at the apartment he shares with his buddies, a couple of blocks from where I am staying). He assured me that he would come fetch me at 7 pm, obviously worried that I would go wandering through the city on my own (which I of course did as soon as he turned the corner). The Gajah Mada University (named after the home-grown Napoleon that consolidated many of the islands into the proto-kingdom of Indonesia in the 1300's) dominates this part of the city, which has the typical crazy scooter traffic and a pervasive student presence throughout. I am going to visit the university tomorrow, but from the periphery it looks modern and attractive.
I found a bakery where I bought myself a roll filled with durian pulp (yes, it was a little stinky), and wasted some time looking at shirts that could pass for traditional stylized flower or geometric designs. Too small for me :( I will give it another try in Bali, where I hope the local merchants might cater to larger bule ("foreigners").
Dinner was going to be a formal affair, organized by Irvan so I could meet his housemates. They were picking me up at 7 pm, in a two-scooter fleet. I was to ride the one scooter, and Irvan was going to double up with Irham. Off we went, me trying to follow the boys through the interweaving maelstrom of scooters. I was doing pretty well, my eyes glued on Irvan's green jacket, when they narrowly missed death by swerving around a car. I was not going to defy death so blatantly, so I fell behind, my eyes always on the green jacket. Then they turned and I followed 20 m behind, only to be confronted by a sea of green jackets, which are worn by the mototaxis as a form of advertising their services. The boys were gone and I was stranded in the middle of lively evening traffic. Not to panic. I located myself in Google Maps, sent a pin to Irvan, and five minutes later the boys were back. OK, change of plans. This time I was to ride behind skinny Irvan, seriously taxing his balance powers. But he did OK, and 10 minutes later we arrived at a crowded iconic restaurant, Raminten, where we met his two other housemates. Together they could be the cast for an Indonesia version of The Big Bang Theory.
The owner and founder of Raminten, Jogia, is a movie actor who made his name acting in drag, so the first thing see when you come into the crowded lobby is a full-size, full-color statue of "her" (we of course had to take a selfie there), and a small "movie theater" where the customers can wait for their table while watching some of his old films. The decor is eclectic and fun, the food is really good, and a trip to the toilet is a must, because the toilets are in the stable, where he keeps his favorite nags and riding saddles. Even though his Queen character would be very much against the mores of Indonesian society, Jogia is a beloved actor, very conservative in his personal life, and a good friend of the reigning sultan and his father before him. Jogia is quite the businessman, and besides three or four restaurants he also owns clothing stores known for their Batik shirts. Overall a fun and slightly different night.
No comments:
Post a Comment