Melaka to Jogjakarta

                  

  Melaka to Jogjakarta
   By C S Wan


“ Anyone else want to go to Borobudur?” 

My niece’s voice drifted from the kitchen to the living room where I was seated with my wife and sisters.
Borobudur?
The word conjured image of a towering Buddhist monument  with its six square platforms and three circular platforms.

 ‘Not for me’, I thought.

As for my niece and her cousins, there should not be any problem. They had been climbing quite steep slope at an early age.

Kecik-kecik dah pandeh panjat

What about the other ’empek, engku, engcim, and engkim, who were joining the trip?  My initial doubt was quickly dispelled when I thought about  the long practice and preparation they had made before the trip: line dancing, dieting, walking, ’urut’; the tongkat, koyop etc. I was confident they would make it to the top. 

While the ‘younsters’ sat back and relax my three nieces: Joon, Adeline and Lisa were busy making arrangement for the trip. 

A few weeks before the trip I received an email from Joon.
‘Are you sure you don’t want to join the Wan family for the Jogs. trip? It is is still not too late to change your mind, I have booked a 20 seater micro bus _ plenty of space.’
They had chosen the right date, the right time and the right number of people. I was not going to spoil the party, so I kept my silence.

So, on 12-12-12 at 12pm , eleven of them took a flight from the LCCT Internatinal Airport, Kuala Lumpur to Jogjakarta where Joon was waiting for them; exactly 12 members in the party.

The trip as recounted by Siew Leng.

Joon waited for us at the Jogjakarta airport with a 20-seater micro bus to take the 12 of us to the hotel. 

"Apa nombor bas?"

"7147"

"Eh, sini tak jual empat ekor."

The view on the way to the hotel.

Nampak macam Simpang Empat, Alor Gajah.

"Buah apa ini?"

"Inilah buah salak pondoh."

                                        "Wah, berat juga!"

                                           "Bu, manis atau masam?"
                              " Boleh tahan."

After the long trip, we wait for lunch to be served.

"Dah lapar, tapi terpaksa senyum for the camera woman."

"Tak perlu bayar,"

"Semua dah masuk akaun buku tiga lima, kemudian baru bayar."

" Tengok banyak lagi wang rupiah!"

"Tak 'pa lah , boleh pergi casino."

                   Checking into the Manohara Hotel. 
                   " Mana paspot, gua?"

C

                   

                   At the Manohara Hotel garden

A video show on Borobudur was screened at night

and this was followed with a dance performance.

No, we did not perform. Posing saja with the gamelan.

All dressed up for the climb up Borobudur monument.

Eh, bukan nak gaya.

 Tourists are obliged to wear the batik sarong as a mark of respect for the holy place.

   Banjaran gunung masih diselimuti kabus tipis.

It is before seven in the morning and the distant mountains are still shrouded in mist.

                   Our group, looking rather tense, standing stiffly

                    in front of the Borobudur monument.

                   "All hands on the hips."

                    "Ah, like that more sexy."

                   We are just following our tour

      guide instructions.

                           ' Pakeh dark glasses, tiang pun tak nampak'

                  " Nak rehat dulu sebelum panjat"

                 Statue of Buddha silhouetted against the light
                    of dawn

                   Paying homage to Buddha

                   Tired, but we made it to the top.
                    Lutut sakit sikit.

  At the Istana Batik Ratna Hotel

   One of the lanes near Malioboro Street

    The facade of the Purawisata where we watched

  the Ramayana ballet

  The beautiful and colourful Ramayana ballet. 

    The performance was preceded with music that sounded like

    'Are you sleeping brother John, brother John' Hehe!

       The rather haunting and soothing music can lull one to sleep.

     'My mommy tidur through the performance'

All eyes on the food.

                     "Sup apa tu?"

                   "Jangan pandang sini. Cepatlah makan, nanti lauk 
                     habis"

                    At the Kraton ( Sultan's Palace)

                   In the compound of the kraton

               Traditional Javanese architecture in the kraton.

Visit to the prambanan Hindu temples complex.

Originally there were 240 temples, but now there are only about twenty temples. The May 2006 Java earthquake damaged some of the remaining temples. 

                   
                    After the hike to the temples.
                   "Dah lapeh ni."
                    "Tunggulah sekejap."

                   One of the many trishaws that can be seen on 

                the street of Jogjakarta.

                   Joon: "Can be scary, when you are seated in front and you see the on-coming cars rushing past you."

                    

                   Kereta kuda lebih selamat.  Slow and
                    steady. 

                    

After the hike semua boleh relaks dan senyum

                  

 A huge thanks to Joon, Adeline and Lisa for their

                    time and effort in making this trip a truly 

                     enjoyable and memorable one.

Notes: This piece is  specially written for the members of the group, families and friends. Other readers are welcome to share
the story. My apology to the non-peranakan speakers who may find difficulty in understanding the peranakan words in the text. 
This piece is written in good faith. No offence intended. 
Hope you enjoy the story and the slideshow.