Other things that one could do – a batik class! In Chiang Mai I thought about taking a cooking class or a massage class – I did kind of have an extra day there, but I did other things with it. Same thing here – I could have done a batik class, but I did other things around Yogyakarta. First, I went to an ethnographic and cultural history museum – Java man again, but also lots more – puppets, furniture, statues; Indonesia really has an interesting mix of cultures and influences.
Then it was off to the Sultan’s Palace (it’s good to be the sultan) for a concert – I hadn’t done any cultural performances yet on the trip! The gamelan is a traditional orchestra with 60 to 80 musical instruments, consisting of a large percussion section – which includes bronze kettle drums, xylophones, and gongs – accompanied by spike fiddles and bamboo flutes. At least that’s how Lonely Planet describes it. The book also says that the sound produced by a gamelan can range from harmonious to eerie (but always hypnotic), with the tempo and intensity of sound undulating on a regular basis. After hearing that haunting music at the temple, I wanted to see a concert for myself. The music was accompanied by (or accompanied, depending on how you look at it) a puppet show. That part was okay; I enjoyed the music more and used it to accompany postcard-writing. I also walked around the Sultan’s collections again – turns out I had been a bit crazed the first time.
I had the becak take me to some more batik and wayang places and to the main shopping area where I had been headed on my birthday before I realized I would rather be in the pool. And once again I decided I would rather be in the pool! My timing was good – it started to rain, which was no problem as long as I was in the pool. I had paid for an extra half-day so I could enjoy the hotel some more before leaving. One more satay and a delicious fried banana snack, and then I boarded an evening flight for Bali (and lost an hour while getting there).
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