Reunions in Java, Indonesia

Postcards from Asia, Part 22

Dear friends,

If I’ve learned anything over the last 15 years of traveling, the most meaningful experiences happen around other people. New connections with locals, short reunions with good friends. These are the moments that you tell your family back home about.

You might not remember every single fact you learned at the National Museum of Indonesia, but you will remember how Javanese local Nash, his mother, and his 6-year-old cousin gave up their Saturday afternoon to show you it.

Over six months of travel in Asia, no country had more welcoming people than Indonesia. I received messages from locals many months in advance offering me free lodging and advice: where to go, what to eat, and how to avoid tourist scams.

In Jakarta, I was welcomed to the sprawling capital by my friend Nash and his sweet parents. Even though they were busy preparing for Ramadan, they showed me the city and shared delicious family meals, always checking to see if the dish was too spicy for me.

Istiqlal Mosque

We visited the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, right across from a Neo Gothic Catholic Cathedral, and toured the impressive national library. Nash took me to meet his friends at a concert and afterward we played songs on ukulele in Bahasa Indonesian (I’m still apologizing to Nash for my pronunciation).

Jakarta also introduced to me a variety of world-class art centers, including the Wayang Puppet Museum. I have not once in my life been interested in puppetry, but friends, I became obsessed with this art form.

I spoke at length with artisans whose family had been crafting the puppets for generations. One puppet can take three months of assemblage, and every region of Indonesia (as well as China, Malaysia, and other countries) has its own version of Wayang. They use them for storytelling, religious performance, to highlight complicated political commentary, the list goes on. One performance can feature up to 500 puppets.

Besides the puppets, I learned more about the major Indonesian islands by visiting Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. This theme park is for nerds like me who enjoy learning about a place’s architecture, food, and art forms, all in a walkable green space with water features and science centers for children. Think the Epcot version of Indonesia (minus the alcohol).

Tongkonan, the traditional home of South Sulawesi. The theme park showcases architecture from around Indonesia.

From Jakarta, I took a short trip to Yogyakarta, or what many consider to be the cultural epicenter of Java.

I met up with my friend Koryn from Portland who had come to Indonesia for a diving trip. With Ida, our Dutch friend we met at our hostel, we went for a sunrise hike and then a tour of Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, and the Prambanan Temple Compounds, a Hindu complex featuring 500 temples.

Borobudur Temple

I also reunited with Ferry, a Yogyakarta local who I first met in Taipei a month earlier. This was my favorite part of the trip as I spent time with friends and learned more about Java’s cultural heritage.

Reuniting with Ferry in Yogyakarta

I’ve spent years traveling alone, and although I cherish the independence of solo travel, it’s places like Java that remind me why shared experiences are often sweeter. For future trips, I hope more friends and family members will come along.

Until next week,

Ash

Ida and Koryn in Yogyakarta

Taman Sari Water Castle

Borobudur Temple

Prambanan Temple