“I want to live here.”
Once, it was just a dream, but just the next year, I lived that dream.
Unlike in other metropolitan areas, Yogyakarta isn’t filled with skyscrapers. Many visited this place to recall a memory of simplicity in their life. The city and its people are modest and even visiting this place just for a short time, humbles you. My younger self thought the same. I got captivated by its charm and told my highschool friends during my first backpacking experience, “ I want to live here.” Looking back, it was just a dream then, but just the next year, I lived that dream. I was moving there, experiencing life in one of the most interesting and unique places in the country.
Every time I traveled around the city, I managed to talk to so many people from outside the city, they told me the same thing. “ Living here is comfortable and it's full of memories.” I don’t know what kind of memories they have but I do have some bad memories in this city that I am trying to break up .
So many people said this place is romantic and I failed to understand it until I went to a place called Alun-alun kidul, a massive lawn square belonging to the monarch of Yogyakarta. In this place, people are strolling around leisurely chatting with each other, though the place is dark but the decorated rickshaw illuminated its visitors. The wind that blows here feels different, it was calming and freshened you up. It helped you rejuvenate from whatever problems you have in life. I hope the pictures will also speak about the emotions that I was experiencing there.
The Location
Getting there is very easy. Everyone knows about this place and google maps too. If you have the energy to walk, you can also walk from Malioboro street just by following the google map to reach the area. This place is located further south of everything else. Just like the name itself, Alun-alun Kidu, as Kidul, a javanese word means South in english.
Inside South Alun-Alun
Some may call this place boring and without too many attractions. But, this place is a place that one shouldn’t miss while traveling here. It sort of completes your day after traveling around Yogyakarta and now you’re experiencing one of the magical places that was built thoughtfully by the royals’ architect. This place carries some mysticism and also deep in philosophical meaning. For instance, in this lawn square there are trees surrounding the edges that symbolizes courage and maturity. In the past this place was used as a training ground for the palace soldiers, as well as a place for checking troops ahead of the Garebeg ceremony, one of the royals’ ceremonies. Nowadays, as you see from the pictures, it is packed with food hawkers, street food vendors and rickshaws.
The Food That I tried
I was strolling around the place to find food that I haven’t eaten for a long time. I found this chatty seller who was using a megaphone to attract the customers. Some of the things he said were funny and that intrigued me to try an ice cream called “ Es goreng”. If translated to English, that would mean Fried Ice. But from what I recall, there was nothing fried during the process, the only thing that seemed fried was how it was dipped with melted chocolate. I also heard that this dessert is a must try while visiting alun-alun kidul and after trying the ice, it tasted quite alright and was actually nice to eat while strolling around. It didn’t melt easily and the chocolate was crunchy. And with only 5000 IDR, it was quite a deal. The funny part was when the seller said, “ In the past it was 500 IDR but now it’s 5000 because of inflation”.
Another food I tried that seemed to be quite crowded was a street food selling sempol ayam and rolled egg on a plastic cup. When I was a kid, it was sold for about 200 IDR each.
Now it’s 2000 IDR each. I can’t quite explain what sempol ayam is but it’s made from flour and a bit of chicken wrapped in a skewer then deep fried. It's as unhealthy as you can get but hey, once in a while it’s okay.
At the same vendor, they also sell meatballs and tofu with some meat inside of it. I didn’t try them because I was too full just by eating 5 pieces of sempol ayam.
Then, I also tried a glutinous rice cake drink called Ronde that consists of bread and coconut milk and sometimes with additional peanuts on it.
I’d recommend visiting southern plaza yogyakarta or alun-alun kidul if you’re into ethic food and is into exploring cuisines.
Bidding Goodbye
It was around half past eight when I decided to go back home. So, that ended this 6 hours series of the week. I hope you enjoyed this 6 hours series and stay tuned for another 6 hours or some other series that I will be releasing soon.
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 | Mac is a jack of all trades. A typical introvert in love with literature, books, technology and philosophy. She is also so into nootropics, productivity, minimalist lifestyle, cybersecurity, and languages. Other than that, she is passionate about cooking and traveling. In her free time, she enjoys learning various things. If you like her content, don't hesitate to upvote, leave a comment or a feedback. A re-blog is also appreciated. |