INDONESIA - Java Part 1

Hello from Surabaya,

Time has flown by once again, and now our journey through Java is almost over :(

Two weeks ago, we landed in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. It was clear to us already there that Java is not as touristy as Bali, for example. It was quite rare to see a tourist, even at the airport and in downtown Jakarta. However, we didn't feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary!

In Jakarta, there wasn't much to see except for the hectic traffic. After 2 days, we took an early morning train to Yogyakarta, which we almost missed because we underestimated the traffic in Jakarta. The poor driver must have felt a bit rushed ^^

We actually wanted to book an economy class ticket, but unfortunately, only executive class was available. It was comparable to the normal second class in Germany.

Slums of Jakarta - unfortunately, there are many of them.

During the 8-hour journey, we passed countless rice and other agricultural fields, villages, and at least 2 volcanoes.

Yogyakarta is considered the cultural heart of Java and is located in the center of the island. Although Yogyakarta is one of the highlights of any trip to Java, the city is very authentic and not touristy at all. Yogya (as the locals say, and we say now :D) was initially only intended as a starting point for some excursions.

Street art is legal in Yogya, and there are many great artworks throughout the city! For me, good street art always adds that special something to a city!

Parangtritis Beach - a picture that doesn't reflect this beach, as the other side was filled with locals, horse-drawn carriages, and some SUVs. The Javanese people were so excited to see us that we sometimes couldn't move forward due to taking so many photos. It was a bit crazy!

On the way back from the beach. Fields everywhere - agriculture! I'd love to have such a cool bike!

On the second evening, we found a complex from which we had a good overview of the city. On clear nights, we could see the Merapi, Merabu, and Sumbing volcanoes (not in the picture). By the way, I read that the Merapi (on the right in the picture) is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world!!

On the way there, we passed many warungs (mobile food stalls) where the locals gathered with their families for dinner. Blankets were laid out on a large meadow, and there were many stalls with balloons set up around them. A road led around the place, with converted colorful cars playing atmospheric music. It had a bit of a fairground atmosphere. And that was the case every evening! We had never seen anything like it and thought it was great - we walked there almost every evening.

The city has a special charm that we already miss! What was initially booked for 3 nights turned into 7 in the end!

My first highlight was the visit to Borobudur. A Buddhist temple that has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In Asia, it is very popular to visit attractions at sunrise. So we were picked up at 4:00 am and taken to the temple, where we waited for the sunrise along with unfortunately many others. It was very cloudy, and the sunrise was therefore - let's just say, nothing special ^^

But shortly after, most people left, and it became much quieter. The light got better and better, and I was able to take some pictures and take a closer look at the temple and finally enjoy this place!

On one side, there was the lava field, and on the other side, agricultural fields and a view over the clouds!

I often look at these pictures during the day with a big grin on my face :)

Now we have arrived in Surabaya.

By the way, the hotel in Surabaya is totally cool :D

I'm looking forward to returning to Java soon and exploring the east of the island! Tomorrow we're heading back to Kuala Lumpur. We're really looking forward to Indian food and plan to make the most of the 1.5 days there! After that, I will continue to Vietnam, and I'm very excited to explore this country on my own! Unfortunately, it also means that the shared travel time between Melli and me is over after 2.5 months :(

It was a great and unforgettable time!

See you soon,

Regards from the island of Java