I feel the easiest way to connect with nature in the middle of the city is by visiting a city park that gave me a good surprise.
That morning I jogged to the city center area. I felt peaceful. There was no traffic jam, no need to worry about the crowd because in this small, developing city.
I am still unfamiliar with some places in this city. So there is nothing wrong with me following Google Maps. I searched for the nearest popular place that is usually visited by tourists.
I found a park that is a tourist destination because it is one of the historical places. TAMAN SRIWEDARI. Precisely located in Surakarta City.
"Taman Sriwedari (Sriwedari Park) was previously used as a place to relax and rest for the royal family. The name of this park also means heaven garden."
So indeed in the past, in this park there were many art performances to entertain the royal family. While some art activities are still running until now and make Taman Sriwedari still a center of culture and art for the surrounding community.
Unfortunately I came to this park in the morning and also on a weekday not a holiday. So, there are not many activities in Sriwedari Park. It's just that there is no need to worry. I can walk around this large park with a surprise that I will tell you later.
Before entering the gate of Sriwedari Park, there is a stage that is usually used for art performances. On this stage there are two cannons, called Sriwedari cannons.
Right from this stage we can see the classic gate of Sriwedari Park and for me it feels thick with many stories of the past.
In the area beside the stage, there are signs of historical places that are popular with tourists. The area can even be reached on foot.
Meanwhile I walked towards the gate of Sriwedari Park. The lower part feels good because the ground area is covered by neat natural rocks. In my opinion, besides being neat, it is also good at maintaining the function of water absorption to avoid flooding.
Indeed, in the area around the ancient kingdom which is now used as a historical tour, it will look neat with the covered ground similar to the streets in Europe. Meanwhile, in my former place of residence, my city was not as neat as the streets in this city.
I also saw that large trees were also a characteristic that made the city look cool even though there were already large roads passing by vehicles. It worked quite well as a source of oxygen that reduced pollution.
At the front gate of Sriwedari Park, the sturdy buildings from the era of the kingdom that flourished in the past in this city were still clearly visible. The classic nuances were still there with greatness.
At the top of the middle of the gate there was a mask that was often used in regional art performances. Added with the presence of distinctive carving motifs.
I also saw large trees on the right and left sides of the entrance gate to Sriwedari Park that seemed to frame it with a balanced structure.
I walked into Sriwedari Park. Near the gate itself, there were statues that caught my attention. But it turned out that these statues were not there from the beginning when Sriwedari Park was built. The statues of Rama and Shinta were actually built to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Sriwedari Park. Based on sources I read.
When it's not the weekend, also in the morning, Sriwedari Park looks like an ordinary expanse. While in the afternoon and weekend, Sriwedari Park will change into a market where many people sell, especially selling local art toys. And performances are also held by the art community.
The inner area of the park looks very spacious. Some parts, especially the middle of the park, are covered in green grass.
I was surprised by the arrival of the deer. This was the first time I felt like I was close to deer like this. Usually I only see them at the zoo and can't interact directly with deer.
I didn't bring food but the deer approached me. They smelled like goats ehehe, maybe because they both eat plants.
Luckily in the back area of Sriwedari Park there are sellers of carrots and water spinach for deer food. I bought 0.5 dollars for two packs of carrots.
I was excited to feed the deer! The deer also approached me and sometimes I felt ticklish because I was afraid that the deer would lick my clothes. It turned out that it didn't happen, thank God.
I was quite comfortable interacting with the deer. It turned out that they were nice, not as aggressive as I thought. I stroked the deer while feeding them.
In the area next to the park there is also a small pond. I saw some people fishing in this pond.
The area around the pond is also has several park benches for visitors to sit on.
Sriwedari Park is free for anyone. As simple as we breathe fresh air in the outdoor area. The bonus is that there are deer that are friendly friends in Sriwedari Park. See you again with my travel story.
Best Regards,
Anggrek Lestari
Anggrek Lestari is an Indonesian fiction writer who has published two major books. Now She is a full-time content creator. She has a goal to share life, poem, and food content that makes others happy and can get inspiration.
Contact Person: authoranggreklestari@gmail.com
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