-Solo- probably you've known the word as single, solitaire, unaccompanied, or something to do with aloness. Just bring yourself into this city, Solo aka Surakarta, it won't make you feel so-low. Lots of places you can visit to, especially from historical and cultural sites. They're just keep making you busy with curiousness. I've gotto say, I think I'd go there again. Still curious with some places I didn't visit yet.
So here we go... first thing is about Solo itself... Let's check it out on the map. Heeyup there it is...
This is what I got from Google Facts: "Surakarta (also known as Solo) is a city and historic royal capital on the Indonesian island of Java. The 18th-century Keraton (palace) Kasunanan was the royal family’s residence and today is a museum of heirlooms, while Mangkunegaran palace has an elaborately painted pavilion. Surakarta is also a major center for dyed batik fabric, which is displayed at the Danar Hadi museum."
HOW TO GET TO SOLO
It is located in Central Java by the way. Now how to get to Solo?
Easy peasy. You can take all three of them if you want to. By plane, by train, or by bus.
1. By plane
I assume you're in Jakarta, and just order a flight to Solo. It only takes about 1h 15 m, and you're already on Adi Soemarmo International Airport of Surakarta. Then take a cab to your hotel.
2. By train
As easy as by plane. Just order train to Solo from Jakarta (let's say from Gambir train station). Takes about 8h 30 mins to get to Solo Balapan train station. Plus, you get to see beautiful view from train window seat. I live in a city and missing village view, like paddy field, corn and cassava field. Here, I can get all those view while enjoying the sensation inside a moving train. Gives me certain feelings (or uncertain) hahah...
3. By bus
*clearsthroat Ok this one... I'm sorry guys, if you're a bus lover, probably we're agree to disagree. The good thing is you can save lots of money, and get to know the North coast of Indonesia, because that's the inter-province bus track. South coast is narrower, usually used by smaller vehicles. View is mostly nice, similar to train view. Plus, you'll be able to see another fellows with smaller vehicles 'swimming' around your bus. I'm sorry, but for me it's just a horrid thing to see. Is it safe? Well yea it is, but I prefer watch woman with high heels crossing a rope on circus show. And if you really want to feel the sensation, please please pick Kramat Djati bus. Drivers are expert. Buy the ticket on the bus pool. Make sure to take sick pill before trip 😛
My experience: I took let's say... the name was Torpid bus. I went to the bus pool, and bought the ticket about a week before. When the D day I was gonna leave (schedule was 5.30 pm), suddenly some passengers had same tickets. Then they were arguing, and that my friend... took an hour to solved it. So yeah we were late. It happened to be that was the first day Torpid bus using online service system. Left from that pool, heading to another terminal, here we go again... same problem, different passengers. And so on. So we were supposed to leave at 5.30 pm, we left at 6.30 pm. We should arrived at Solo around 3 am, but you know what time we arrived? 9.30 am 😵😵😵 hello sunshine...
Here's the thing about bus: they are unpredictable. They could be punctual in departure time. But arrival, mostly yes they're punctual. But not always. They have to share road with another vehicles, means road can be in low or high density. Kramat Djati is the best, guys. If you're insist to take bus.
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| Tirtonadi Bus Terminal - Solo, 9.30 am |
Even I had bad time with Torpid bus, this Tirtonadi terminal is really chill me. Very comfortable! Nice design, not too crowd, snack and souvenirs booths are neat, sign boards are clear and helpful, and cool place to chill. We got coffee there and some snacks. Really comfy but we gotto go to our place to stay, it's Amarelo Hotel. Quite strategic, clean, and suit my budget perfectly 😛
Time flew really fast when you're in traveling mood ain't it? It happened to me too. Thought it was still midday. We had clean our selves up, and ready to stroll. Alas... it's 3 pm and it's rainingggg geuh... So we stayed for couple hours, then go to public park called Taman Sriwedari (Sriwedari Park) to watch Wayang Orang.
Wayang Orang (Traditional Java Opera)
The opera is performed in GWO in Taman Sriwedari (Sriwedari Public Park), 8 pm - 11 pm, almost every night. The story itself is from Mahabharata and Ramayana. Tickets are affordable, and by far, this been my favorite traditional entertainment. The process is quite like in movie theater but in traditional way. So you buy the ticket, then the lady will show you the layout of the seats on a paper, you pick where you wanna sit, then she cross it out with pen. Then you enter the building, another receptionist will welcome you and take you to your seats.
The dim light inside theater then turns into pitch dark, and the gamelan starts to play, while the gunungan is displayed on the stage. In wayang, gunungan (image resembles a mountain with batik motive) means the show is about to start.
Inside the story, there's a well known figures called 'Punakawan'.
"There are four of them – Semar (also known as Ki Lurah Semar), Petruk, Gareng, and Bagong. Semar is the personification of a deity, sometimes said to be the dhanyang or guardian spirit of the island of Java. In Javanese mythology, deities can only manifest themselves as ugly or otherwise unprepossessing humans, and so Semar is always portrayed as short and fat with a pug nose and a dangling hernia.
His three companions are his adopted sons, given to Semar as votaries by their parents. Petruk is portrayed as tall and gangling with a long nose, Gareng as short with a club foot and Bagong as obese.
The punakawan always appear in the second act of a wayang performance as servants to the hero of the story regardless of who that hero is. Similar characters appear in other Indonesian wayang and theatrical traditions, including those of Bali and Sunda, under different names. The panakawan characters are generally much-loved by audiences who attend wayang plays in Indonesia and their appearance in the plays is usually greeted with laughter and anticipation."
~Wikipedia
Gedung Wayang Orang is located inside Taman Sriwedari (Sriwedari Public Park). Taman Sriwedari was built by Pakubuwana X, the brother in law of KRMT Wirjodiningrat. KRMT Wirjodiningrat bought Sriwedari lot from a Dutch, Johannes Buselar in 1877. I wished I could say much more about the park, but it's lack of maintenance.
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