Enjoying Bumi Sriwijaya

by: garuda magazine
Packed with historic sites and renowned for the quality of its cuisine, Palembang’s charms are attractive indeed

Palembang, the capital of South Sumatera Province, is also known as Bumi Sriwijaya (Sriwijaya Land). In 712 AD this area was the centre of the largest and strongest maritime kingdom in Indonesia, whose influence reached as far as China in the North and Madagascar off the coast of Africa to the west.

“Nak kemano kita kak? (Where are we going now, sister?)” asked Pak Wicaksono with distinctive accent Palembang, the driver who was going to escort me on my journey around Bumi Sriwijaya.

The heavy rain that started in the early hours of the morning actually made me pretty reluctant to get moving. Because Palembang is on average only 12 metres above sea level, and with tides reaching 3 to 5 metres, several lower lying parts of the city, especially on the outskirts, are often flooded. However, I eventually decided to drive around while waiting for the rain to stop and started savouring the city which is officially the 17th Tourist Gateway in Indonesia.

Fifteen minutes out on the road and the rain eased, although the sun was still hiding behind the clouds as I arrived at Jembatan Ampera (Ampera Bridge), one of the city’s icons. It was built by Japan and was opened by President Soekarno in 1964; at that time it was the longest bridge in south east Asia.

The bridge across the River Musi is 1,177 metres long, 22 metres wide and 11.50 metres above the surface of the water. Early on it was called Musi Bridge but then in the 1970s it was renamed Ampera Bridge (the People’s Hardship Mandate).

It used to be that the middle part of the bridge could be raised so that ships could pass underneath. However, since the 1970s, because people are more and more mobile and there are more vehicles, as well as for some technical reasons, the bascule bridge function is no longer in use.

From the bridge, I went to the area around Kuto Besak Fort which is close to the Museum of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin and Mesjid Agung (the Great Mosque).

The Fort of Kuto Besak, whose walls are three metres high, was constructed by the Sultan of Palembang and it took 17 years to complete. It was built as a defence against the Dutch military who tried several times to capture Palembang. It is now used as the headquarters of Kodam II Sriwijaya (the regional military command) and Dr. A.K. Gani Hospital. This means that tourists are only able to see its exterior.

The Museum of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II, which faces the Musi River, is located at the northern end of Ampera Bridge. It was built by the Dutch authorities in 1823 on the site of the Sultan of Palembang’s palace which was destroyed when the Dutch attacked. The museum building, which is a combination of traditional Malay and Dutch colonial architecture, was used as a residence by Dutch officials. This museum has a collection of historical and cultural artefacts from Palembang.

Not far from the museum and the fort, the Great Mosque stands imposingly on the corner of Jl. Jenderal Sudirman and Jl. Merdeka. This mosque is one of the legacies of the Palembang Sultanate and was built by Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin I in 1740. The area in the vicinity of the mosque used to be the capital of the Islamic Kingdom of Palembang.

The tourists flock to the area around Kuto Besak Fort morn, noon and night. Many of them come here to appreciate the picturesque views with Ampera Bridge and the Musi River in the background. What is more, we can also rent a boat and cruise down what is often referred to as the river tourist town.

At night the area promises different charms: the sparkling lights that decorate Ampera Bridge; floating coffee shops offering the sensations of coffee and Palembang specialty snacks, such as pempek, amidst the rhythms and cadence of street musicians and the rocking motion of the Musi River’s ripples.

If the weather is inclement, the most interesting and tantalising tourist activity in Palembang is related to its delicious cuisine.

In almost every corner of Palembang we can find mobile food sellers on their bicycles or motorbikes, and foodstalls and restaurants along the streets, all offering Pelembang’s famous snack.

Pempek is well known and closely identified with Palembang. It is a kind of dumpling made from fish and tapioca flour, served with a thin sauce called cuko made from white sugar, garlic, table vinegar and chillies. It is said to be a dish with some foreign influence and has been in existence since the 16th Century when Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II reigned in the Kingdom of Sriwijaya. An old Chinese man, so the story goes, thought it such a pity that the abundance of fish caught in the Musi River was not being put to good use. They only fried and salted them. After a bit of experimentation, the old man was finally successful and came up with a new snack and hawked it around town on his bicycle. People wanting to buy some called out to him: “Apek! Apek!” (meaning “old” in Chinese). Over the course of time, the food became known as empek-empek before finally changing to pempek.

Apart from pempek, Palembang boasts other specialties with fish as their main ingredient such as model, tekwan and Palembang crackers, also known as kemplang, consisting of fried, grilled kemplang and kerupuk. Several other localities in South Sumatra, like Ogan Ilir and Ogan Komering Ilir, are well know for their salted fish and smoked fish. And another area is known for its Pindang.

Another kind of food that is no less delicious is celor noodle in Rumah Makan 26 Jl. Ilir HM Syafei. During holidays this smallish restaurant may sell as many as 1,000 portions of celor noodles in a day. The secret of its tastiness is way that the flavour of shrimp is allowed to dominate the other ingredients. The noodles are the yellow egg kind but, while egg noodles are usually curly, these are much bigger and straight rather like spaghetti. Those who have not tried celor noodle before may well think it is a variant of the famous Italian pasta.

It was still pouring when I arrived at No. 30 Jl. Kiranggo Wirosentiko, Ilir, Palembang. Along this street there are a lot of craftspeople producing woven cloth called songket and several songket boutiques. Palembang’s songket, both in the form of broadcloth and scarves, is nowadays well known all over Indonesia, especially after it being heavily promoted at various events, festivals and exhibitions.

Songket is a traditional craft native to Palembang, using silk combined with golden threads woven with a high degree of artistry. It is a cottage industry and normally carried out by women.

Songket, which is usually quite expensive, utilizes various motifs such as lepus, jando beraes, bunga inten, tretes midar, pulir biru, kembang suku hijau, bungo cino, bunga pacik and others. Women usually wear them for weddings, formal parties and traditional ceremonies.

One of the boutiques that travellers often visit is Fikri Collection, which sells different kinds of songket with both traditional and the most up-to-date designs. There are about 20 craftspeople employed there and we can see them at work. There are about 50 others who carry out their craft and work from home. The price varies from Rp. 600,000 to several million rupiah, depending on the type of material and the motif.

Besides visiting the weaving district on Jl. Kiranggo Wirosentiko, I also went to Kampoeng BNI Tenun Songket in Muara Penimbung Village, Indralaya, in the Regency of Ogan Ilir, South Sumatera. The weaving kampong that lies about 35 kilometres from Palembang was inaugurated by the Coordinating Minister of Economics, Hatta Rajasa, last February.

The Songket Weaving Village was developed by BNI to produce songket cloth. This cottage industry so far has not been able to reach optimal production nor have the villagers prospered. In BNI’s programme, called PKBL (Program Kerja Bina Lingkungan or Environment Building Work Programme), the craftspeople receive training, consultation, capital and help with marketing.

Like other big cities in Indonesia, the traffic in Palembang is heavy. In order to provide its people with decent, safe and inexpensive public transport, the local authorities are planning to launch a bus service called “Trans-Musi” to replace the current bus routes. However, those old buses are certainly interesting with pictures covering almost the entire windscreen!

The last ten years in Palembang have seen a lot of changes. The common impression that a trip there will not be comfortable one has changed. Now it is safe and pleasant, and the clean up continues as it prepares itself to become the host and venue for the SEA GAMES XXVI next year.

Getting to Palembang:
Garuda Indonesia has 49 flights on the Jakarta-Palembang vv route every week.

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Maluku, the beautiful archipelago from east of Indonesia

Maluku (Moluccas), a region of Indonesia formerly known as the Spice Islands, was once the source of cloves and nutmeg, spices highly valued for their aroma, preservative ability, and use in medicine before people learned how to cultivate the plants in other parts of the world. Maluku is a cluster of about one thousand islands totaling 74,504 square kilometers, forming part of the Malay Archipelago in eastern Indonesia near New Guinea. The region is divided into two provinces, Maluku with its capital in Ambon, and North Maluku (2002 estimated population 913,000), with its capital in Ternate; other important islands in the group include Halmahera, Seram, and Buru.

Its approximately 1000 islands support a population of less than 1.7 million people. The average population density figure is 19 people per-square kilometer, but the distribution is uneven. Air and sea transportation is the main means, which link the islands together. The province has 32 seaports and 20 airports, and only about 160 km of roads. However, good roads on many of the islands provide easy access to the often-remote places of tourists' interest.
Maluku lies in the transition zone between Asiatic and Australian flora and fauna and has a tropical climate. Maluku's flora includes meranti trees and many kinds of orchids; distinctive fauna includes cuscuses, birds of paradise, wild goats, and parrots. The economy is based on subsistence agriculture, especially sago (the sago palm, producing a starch used in food), and on the export of such products as spices, cacao, coffee, coconuts, fish, and minerals. Important indigenous groups include the Ambonese.

A great variety of endemic plant and animal species are found in the rugged forest-covered and mountainous hinterlands of most of the islands. A few of the best known are the Rucker-tailed kingfisher, the red-crested Moluccan cockatoo, and various brilliantly colored lorikeets and parrots. Most of Maluku sits astride one of the world's most volatile volcanic belts.

GEOGRAPHICALLY
Maluku province with its capital Ambon, stay at 30 north latitudes 8,300 south latitudes and 1250 - 1350 east longitudes with the area boundaries:
North side: North Maluku Province
South side: Timor Leste and Australia
West Side: Southeast Sulawesi and Central Sulawesi
East Side: Irian Jaya Province

THE WIDE AREA
The wide area of Maluku province is 712.479,69 km_, with the land wide is 54.185km_ and sea wide is 658.294,69km_.
The Maluku Province plain is 85.728 km2 width or 8.572.800 Ha contain of 3 part that is:
- Flat Land: 1.251.630 Ha width (14,6%)
- Wavy Land: 2.417.530 Ha width (28,2%)
- Hilly and Mountainous Land: 4.903.640 Ha width (57,2%)
Almost, Maluku has no upland. The mountain is a back that spread in the middle of the island, forming the mountain with the highest of 3.055 m.

TOPOGRAPHY
Maluku province consists of mountains, islands that spread from west to east and form north to south among 1150 km.

GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION AREA
Administratively, Maluku Province divided into four regencies and one city that is:
1. Central Maluku regency with 15 districts, 296 villages and 6 sub-districts.
2. Southeast Maluku regency with 8 districts, 229 villages and 6 sub-districts.
3. West-Southeast Maluku regency with 5 districts, 187 villages and 1 sub-district.
4. Buru regency with 3 districts, 62 villages.
5. Ambon city with 3 districts, 30 villages and 20 sub-districts.

CLIMATE
Maluku has 2 seasons, that is: west season or north, and southeast or east. West season in Maluku is come from December until March, while April is transition season to southeast season. Southeast season is average 6 months begin from May and end on October. The transition to West season is on November.
The homogenate seasons are give different affect to the land and its sea in this region. The temperature is about 26,2 C (in Southeast Maluku especially in rainy).

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Quite, Peaceful Amed

By Garuda Indonesia Magazine

Few places in Bali allow you to enjoy a simple coconut oil massage while lying on a bamboo bed in the shade of a fishermen’s hut as Amed.

The Bali that was, long-time Bali-based expat residents insist, can still be found lying a two-hour leisurely drive from Kuta.

A calm and peaceful place, Amed has in recent times rose to discrete prominence, a much-deserved status arrested in the past by bad roads and lack of power and communications, which actually complements its irresistible quietness.

Every bay, some sandy, others rocky, appears to be lined with double-outrigger traditional fishing boats (jukung).

The horizon almost invariably is rife with literally hundreds of the boats’ colorful triangular sails heading off to the fishing grounds morning and afternoon.

Amed is a near-perfect destination for the more mature (read: above 50 years of age) travelers though younger people like it too as it offers them a daily fix of peace and tranquility.
The locals lead a quite lifestyle, making Amed an ideal place for you to spend time either writing your bio, taking stock of your life or doing just nothing and relax.

This relatively undeveloped north-eastern coastal strip in the Karangasem Regency of East Bali, where Amed is located, features some of the island’s best snorkeling amidst spectacular sunrises over the neighboring island of Lombok.

On any given time you are apt to come across tourists strolling slowly along the road or the beach. Or elderly couples walking holding hands, rekindling their love for each other in their own special way, Amed-style.

And almost everywhere there you can hop on a traditional fishing boat for a sunset tour, again to reignite the proverbial fire that simmers inside you.

Amed is actually not just one village but a string of smaller villages, starting with the village Amed in the north followed by Congkang, Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah, Selang, Banyuning and ending with Aas.

At present Amed is mostly a quiet place with stunning ocean vistas as well as one of the best places in Bali for scuba diving.

The landscape comprises a series of headlands overlooking bays, lined with fishing boats.
From the top of the hill, one cannot but marvel at the serene scenery and feel grateful that the long tracts of land have no given way to tacky opulence in the way of star-rated hotels.

Located on the dry side of the mountains Agung and Saraya, Amed is short in rain throughout the year. The landscape is very arid and the slopes of the mountain look bare.
The sleepy village still remains untouched by the effects of tourism, but as developments, albeit at a snail’s pace, take place along this strip, Amed is likely to become one of the island’s major tourist areas, a gain for local people in search of a decent livelihood but a pain to advocates of the environment.

In the meantime, many locals subsist by producing salt thanks to their proximity to the sea.
To reach Amed is an exhausting trip but is an experience in itself: it is rich in curves and very steep ups-and-downs.

From Amed the road south via Jemeluk, Lipah, Bunutan and Selang is narrow but moderately paved, offering stunning views of mountains on one side and the Lombok Strait on the other.

“Jemuluk, which is a protected bay, is an ideal place to begin snorkeling. Four kilometres further south along the coast is Banyuning, where there’s a small Japanese wreck and beautiful coral gardens,” said our driver.

“The corals are alive and beautiful, but you have to travel a couple of meters to find the most vivid colors.”

Diving schools are available in the area, and readily point you out the best dive spots.
Snorkeling and diving off the black-sand beaches here is exceptional for the variety and numbers of fish. But just to be anywhere along the coast or sit in one of the seaside restaurants and observe dolphins playing in the waves is just as enthralling.

To fly from Jakarta to Bali in a 90-minute journey only to settle down in undeveloped Amed might be an uncool thing to do—it is even more uncool if you’re there and cannot manage to visit the site even for a few hours.

Getting to Amed:
Garuda Indonesia flies the Jakarta-Denpasar vv route 50 times per week, Denpasar-Mataram vv route 7 times per week, Jakarta-Denpasar-Kupang vv route 7 times per week, Yogyakarta-Denpasar vv route 14 times per week, Surabaya-Denpasar vv route 21 times per week.

To get to Amed from Kuta, head for the Bypass towards Sanur and exit to take the road on your right that leads into the coastal highway heading east.

The coastal road was completed a couple of years ago; it now allows you to drive all the way from Tirtagangga in a clockwise manner.

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The Sumba Culture: Fascinating, Mysterious

Writer and photographer Alessandro Gandolfi looks into the culture of this Indonesian island that bursts with spirit.

"The ratu? He's sitting over there, trying to figure out if this will be a nice funeral," says a solemn onlooker.

Lying on the bloodied ground are a dozen disembowelled hens, and like an Etruscan haruspex, the elderly ratu – the great priest – solemnly explains to latecomers: "Yes, the entrails say that the one today will be an excellent funeral."

David Danggalolu and his wife Albertina died within a few days of one another, both from illness. A tragic event, which in small Mgambadeta, at the centre of western Sumba, must be honoured with the necessary pomp (and with the sacrifice of at least fifteen buffaloes).

That's why eighteen-year-old Umbu, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, who two minutes earlier smilingly explained that he loved listening to America R&B, doesn't give a moment's thought to unsheathing his parang and slitting the throat of the first buffalo of the day.

Sumba is one of the 18,000 islands in Indonesia. Twice as large as Balì and 400 kilometres farther east, Sumba was frequented by the Portuguese and then the Dutch, traders of the sandalwood. Sumba's isolation has allowed it to be better preserved: its slow rhythm, life marked by the agricultural cycles, the uncontaminated beaches, the raising of horses and the extraordinary megalithic tombs—it is one of the most fascinating and mysterious cultures in all of Indonesia.
At the tourist office of Waikabubak, a starting point for exploring the western zone, about fifteen people in khaki uniforms seem surprised by the presence of a tourist. A woman, Miss Anisa, came to sit in her office and says, "The best part of the island is the western part, Sumba Barat, more fertile and culturally richer than Sumba Timur, the eastern part."

"Here in Sumba, people still have the warriors' temperament," says André, a Frenchman who for several years has been making water wells in some local villages.

The ikat, Sumba's typical cloth so desired by tourists (its characteristic is the dying of the threads before the weaving), often depicts scenes of combat and warriors on horseback gripping long spears.

At the beginning of the planting season, from mid-February to mid-March, the warriors return to combat. Today, they do it during the Pasola, one of Indonesia's most famous festivals: a simulated battle during which groups of horsemen challenge and hit each other with long spears, the hola, from which the festival takes its name.

Pasola, the horsemen's festival, is also derived from another legend: Thousands of years ago Umbu Dula from Wanukaka left his village to go fishing but never returned. After
a while, his wife Rambu Kaba married another man, Tedo Gai Parana from Kori. Umbu Dula, however, wasn't dead: upon returning suddenly to the village, he burst into a rage, but Rambu Kaba didn't want to abandon her new husband and therefore Tedo Gai Parana had to pay Umbu the wife's price: buffaloes, horses, jewellery, weapons and nyale, the sacred sea-worms. To ensure peace, the people of Kori invited those of Wanukaka to a simulated combat, the Pasola, which, ever since then, has been celebrated every year in February and March, exactly when the sea is filled with nyale, the appearance of which is a good omen for the future harvests.

Every year the government tries to keep the situation under control, but participants are often wounded or even killed on the field of festive battle. This was, in the end, the purpose of many battles in the past: not so much to square away accounts as to let human blood flow in honour of the ancestors, thus guaranteeing a good harvest.

"Do you see that stone slab over there?" says an elderly man during Mgambadeta's funeral.
"It's the tomb of our warrior Rato Dapaduu, who was killed while fighting against the Dutch. And his pistol has been buried along with him."

"Sumba is an island where the tombs are usually in the centre of the village in front of the dwellings to remind the inhabitants that death is the most important event of all," says André.

Funerals last entire weeks and the poor go to many lengths so as to be able to offer a worthy burial for their loved ones, thus keeping the tradition alive. The sacrifice of buffaloes and pigs sanctions the deification of the deceased, and the sacrificed meat is offered to those present in sumptuous feasts.

One of the most beautiful tombs of the island is at Pasunga, about twenty kilometres east of Waikabubak, and it is said that when it was built at the beginning of the last century, 150 buffaloes were killed.

Julius, the 40-year-old head of the village, explains that in 2000, when his father died, 24 animals were killed (more than 15 pigs, 7 horses and an indefinite number of dogs and sheep).

The buffalo horns still ornate the outside walls of his hut. Julius usually gets up at five in the morning and like everybody else goes to work in the rice fields. Today he lives peacefully together with his people, but a long stele on the main road reminds us that, deep down, these people remain warriors at heart.

Twenty years ago there was a conflict with the nearby village of Tamu Au, in which several people died and the head of the enemy chief was buried under that stele.

"We danced for many days, it was a great battle. Since then we haven't had any kind of relations with the people of Tamu Au," Julius says.

The kampung along the southern coast of Kori are among the most fascinating in Sumba. They offer a spectacular view of the nearby beaches frequented by the fishermen, whereas the houses of Paranobaroro and Wainyapu with their straw roofs tower beyond the forest. Raised from the ground, the Sumbanese dwellings have a raised first level with the floor made of bamboo, and a long veranda (the animals live underneath).

Ann McCue, a sixty-something Englishwoman, has lived her entire life divided between Washington and London, but in 2002, when she happened to come to Sumba on vacation and witnessed the Pasola, she fell in love with the island. She returned several times, until a year later she remained definitively.

"I decided to help these people, and I understood that there were two priorities: water and education," she says.

Ann founded "Project Hope – Sumba," which aims to create new wells, schools in the more depressed areas and courses for teachers.

"One out of two children of Sumba abandons school after only three years and is forced to work with his or her parents," Ann explains.

But she also admits that "many of them seriously want to improve. And then, here there's truly a lovely community, social relations, friendship, all of that which cannot be found in England anymore."

Ann thinks for a moment, sips her iced tea and smiles:
"Write down that here in Sumba, in order to improve things, even just a few people can really make a difference".

MapMore on Sumba
Fly to Bali and once there take a ferry. Sumba is one of the islands of Nusa Tenggara that stretches out to the east of Bali. In Sumba, the dry season is approximately from March to October. Waikabubak, the capital of West Sumba, is the ideal starting point for exploring the western part of the island by car or motorcycle.

Places to Stay and to Eat
The Manandang Hotel and the Artha Hotel. In the city, you can eat excellent lotek – rice, vegetables and peanut sauce. In Sangkuring, a warung nasi (rice restaurant) can be found on your right as you leave town heading east along the Bhayangkara.

Source :www.garudamagazine.com

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Jakarta's Old City

Jakarta's "old city", known also as Kota, clings tightly to its rich neoclassical heritage, and offers both locals and tourists alike an authentic and reminiscent glimpse into the country's unique past.

Stretching from the ancient spice trading harbour of Sunda Kelapa to the pearly buildings of Fatahillah Square, Old Jakarta stands as one of the city's sole reminders of three centuries of Dutch colonialism – and what a stunning reminder it is. Such preservations of the past are a rare find in a city saturated with urban infrastructure, mega-malls, and conurbation conveniences.

Right in the heart of Old Jakarta lies Fatahillah Square, a simple but eye-catching courtyard that showcases the best of the Dutch Empire's architecture and artifacts. The colonisers named the area Batavia, and in its heyday, the square was the commercial and administrative nucleus of the new rulers.

Today, the tiled square is free of traffic, and the tree-lined area is decorated with a smattering of abstract concrete spheres and antique street lights, which makes for an entertaining and relaxing resting spot to people-watch. In the centre of the square is a line-up of official Kota Tua bicycle-taxis (ojeks) ready to peddle customers to their destination.

The area has attracted a sizable presence of young locals who keep the vibe energetic.
"The younger generation, those in their early twenties and teenagers, they appreciate this old town – especially the creative industry people. They always ask me, 'Can we live here?'," says co-founder of Jakarta Old Town Kotaku Ella Ubaidi.

The youth wander in packs throughout the square's nooks and crannies, enjoying the ojek services and posing for a stream of photos for their friends' cameras and cell phones.
At the head of the square is the Jakarta Museum of History, a grand building that boldly displays "Gouverneurs Kantor" (Governor's Office) above its main entrance. The 37-room building, surrounded by Portuguese cannons, was the original Town Hall for Batavia in the 1700s. Today, it displays memorabilia and antiques from several of Jakarta's foreign influences.

The most breathtaking part of the collection is the striking teakwood furniture from the Dutch renaissance period. On the first level there is a handsome oversized table set at which the council deliberated the fate of convicts, as well as a pair of six-metre high filing cabinets that once stored state records. The balcony at the top of the staircase provides the best vantage point to view the square and the chorus of Indonesian flags that are suspended from its buildings.

Also overlooking Fatahillah Square is the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics, which was not only the former office for the Council of Justice but also functioned as military barracks. The stunning columnar-style building is bordered by elegant white pillars and a moat of palm trees. Its gapped-tooth floorboards and spiral staircases create the perfect environment for the museum's extensive collection of porcelain, sculptures, glass paintings and art from around Asia and Europe, many of which date back to ancient times.

The award-winning Batavia Café sits at the base of the square, and is the only business that is open through the evening (minus the smoky billiard room next door). The two-story restaurant/café/bar elegantly meshes Chinese décor, including red lanterns, art, and entertainment, with its regal architecture and antique furniture collection. There is an eye-catching wall behind the stairs that is choc-full of an eclectic collection of black and white photographs – featuring pop-art, political figures, celebrated faces and even fetish-style images. The collection extends through the upstairs bathrooms also, where Audrey Hepburn's sly smile greets you at the door. The upstairs bar is full of shimmering chandeliers, heavy drapes, candle-lit tables, and ceiling-high floral arrangements – a combination rich in romanticism.

Just to the west-side of the café stands Wayang Puppet Musuem – the former site of Batavia's Protestant Church. The museum is filled to the brim with an enormous and eclectic collection of wooden and leather puppets and dolls from all around Indonesia and Southeast Asia. The collection at the Wayang Museum inserts a more traditional and indigenous touch to the Fatahillah Square. I am told that if you visit on a Sunday morning you can witness a live wayang kulit, a shadow performance with leather puppets.

The town of Batavia expanded vigorously in the mid 1600s due to its proximity to Sunda Kelapa harbour, the major port for the booming spice trade at the time. Even to this day, the harbour boasts the world's last functioning sailing fleet. The daily activities of the waterfront action are truly a sight to behold; the scene unfolds as a virtual re-enactment of centuries past. Rust-stained pirate-like boats encircle the port's perimeter, while hundreds of tanned dockers tirelessly transport their goods from boat to land and land to boat on a flimsy plank barely forty centimeters in width. Their backs are draped in layers of thick fabrics to assist in the manual transfer of heavy loads.

A young slight boy who perches on the wharf routinely hands out a single bamboo stick to every one of the stream of workers who enters the Suderhana Jaya boat – they are then counted to calculate the total quantities on board.

The workers quietly dine along the seaport's assembly of warungs that offer rice, noodles, and deep-fried treats from within tents strung with bananas and rambutan.

It is here that I discover that I too, as a blatant western-looking westerner, am also an attraction for the workers at Sunda Kelapa. One truck driver asks me if I will pose for a photo with him for his 'collection'. The driver's wares are another nod to the harbour's history – his truck is transporting crates of Jamu, traditional Indonesian medicines produced from leaves, fruits, flowers and roots.

The nearby Bahari Maritime Museum offers respite from the heat of the dock, and is located in the original storage warehouse built by the Dutch East India Company in 1652 for stocking their commodities. The three-storey warehouse comprises several buildings, each complete with iron-barred windows curtained with fading blue-shutters. The stooping doorframes between the buildings are the result of a gradually rising coast level. The rustic buildings are filled with models of sailing boats, larger-scale vessels, navigational apparatuses, cannons, and stunning photography of the harbour's days gone by. A 30ft long boat from Papua can be found in the rear building. Just south of this is the VOC's Uitkijk post - the port's lookout tower. The site under the tower was where prisoners were jailed at the time.



Old Jakarta town also provides many surprises- just driving around the area you can see flashes of the past – be it the large Dutch Empire's great V.O.C sign on a building side, or the famous Dutch drawbridge over the Kali Besar that was used two centuries ago. These remnants are perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the old city – they indicate its profound ability to stand the test of time despite centuries of inattention and unrelenting tropical weather.

Although the area has infinite historical value, aesthetically, many of the structures of Old Jakarta leave much to be desired, and it is no secret that the area is in dire need of attention. Countless buildings, despite being categorised as heritage sites, are revealing dilapidation that has all too easily been overlooked in the exuberance of Indonesian independence. At Fatahillah Square, just mere metres behind Café Batavia is a poignant example of such disregard – the hollow, windowless building highlights the severity of the area's ruin. This part of Old Jakarta does not make the postcards.

It seems the former hub has been deserted in favour of the postmodern gleam that oozes from new Jakarta – and the cracks are showing through. While its days are by no means numbered, make sure you visit this capsule of Indonesian history while you still can.

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YOGYAKARTA - JOGJAKARTA , the Best Place to see the Historical

Yogyakarta Special Region (Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, DIY) is officially one of Indonesia's 32 provinces. Yogyakarta is one of the foremost cultural centers of Java. This region is located at the foot of the active Merapi volcano, Yogyakarta was in the 16th and 17th centuries the seat of the mighty Javanese empire of Mataram from which present day Yogyakarta has the best inherited of traditions. The city itself has a special charm, which seldom fails to captivate the visitor.

This province is one of the most densely populated areas of Indonesia. The city came into being in 1755, after the Mataram division into the Sultanates of Yogyakarta and Surakarta (Solo). Gamelan, classical and contemporary Javanese dances, wayang kulit (leather puppet), theater and other expressions of traditional art will keep the visitor spellbound. Local craftsmen excel in arts such batiks, silver and leather works. Next to the traditional, contemporary art has found fertile soil in Yogya's culture oriented society. ASRI, the Academy of Fine Arts is the center of arts and Yogyakarta itself has given its name to an important school of modern painting in Indonesia, perhaps best personified by the famed Indonesian impressionist, the late Affandi.

Yogyakarta is often called the main gateway to the Central Java as where it is geographically located. It stretches from Mount Merapi to the Indian Ocean. There is daily air service to Yogya from Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali as well as regular train service and easy accessibility by road. Yogyakarta is commonly considered as the modern cultural of Central Java. Although some may prefer Solo as a good runner up, Yogyakarta remains the clear front-runner for traditional dance, Wayang (traditional puppetry) and music.

Yogyakarta has more than just culture though. It is a very lively city and a shopper's delight. The main road, Malioboro Street, is always crowded and famous for its night street food-culture and street vendors. Many tourist shops and cheap hotels are concentrated along this street or in the adjoining tourist area such Sosrowijayan Street.

The key attraction of Yogyakarta is 'Kraton' (the Sultan's Palace). The Sultan's palace is the centre of Yogya's traditional life and despite the advance of modernity; it still emanates the spirit of refinement, which has been the hallmark of Yogya's art for centuries. This vast complex of decaying buildings was built in the 18th century, and is actually a walled city within the city with luxurious pavilions and in which the current Sultan still resides. Yogyakarta is also the only major city, which still has traditional 'Becak' (rickshaw-style) transport.

Geographically
Yogyakarta Special Region is geographically located almost equidistant from Indonesia's two most important international gateways, about 600 km from Jakarta and 1000 km from Bali. Yogyakarta also has excellent transport connections by bus, train or plane to the rest of Java, Sumatra, Bali and Lombok. Yogyakarta's Adisucipto Airport is in the process of changing its status in order to receive not only domestics' flights from Bali and Jakarta, but also direct charter and scheduled flights from other countries.

Geographically, Yogyakarta Special Province is situated in the Southern part of Central Java and lies between 7 degree 33' and 8 degree 12', South altitude between 110 degree and 50' East longitude. Some regencies of central Java Province surround the administrative boundaries of this region:
Southern East: Wonogiri Regency
Eastern: Klaten Regency
Northwestern: Magelang Regency
Western: Purworejo Regency
The Indonesian Ocean borders the Southern part of Yogyakarta. The borderline of the seashore stretches from West to East of which the length is around 100 km, started from Congot Beach in Kulon Progo Regency and ended at Sadeng Beach in Gunung Kidul Regency.

Because of its location, Yogyakarta is strategically positioned for the economic activity network in Java as well as for the tourist destination area. The special region of Yogyakarta lies midway on the axis of several main tourist destination areas, Jakarta and West Java westward, Central Java northward, East Java and Bali eastward. It is linked by regular rail, road and air services to other parts of Indonesian archipelago.

Climate and Weather in Yogyakarta
The average daily temperature range between 26 degree and 28 degree Celsius with its minimum 18 degree C and maximum 35 degree C respectively. Average humidity is 74% with its minimum of 65% and maximum 84% respectively. The Yogyakarta Special Region lays approximately 7 South of the equator line and is bathed in tropical; sunshine along the year. This region has a tropic climate the daily atmosphere feels a little bit hot and humid. These are only two seasons along the year, the wet or rainy seasons and dry monsoon. Usually the wet seasons begin at September and lasts about August. Generally there is no rainfalls from may to August and there fore the atmosphere feels hot and humid on the day and cool in the night and early morning. The monthly rain falling Yogyakarta varies between 3mm and 496mm in which those above 300mm take place during the month of January up to April. The heaviest rainfall usually occurs in February while the lowest commonly happens between May and October Average annually rainfall is about 1,900mm.

Populations of Yogyakarta
Based on 2000, the total population of Yogyakarta special Region amounted to 3.311.812. Yogyakarta Municipality that has 461,800 inhabitants spread over 32,50 kilometers or the average population density is thus over 14,200 persons per square kilometer. The least densely populated districts is in Gunung Kidul regency which has 720.643 inhabitants and cover 1,485 square kilometers or the density rate is 485 persons per square kilometer. Since a very long time ago the Provincial territory of Yogyakarta Special Region and its surrounding has been decently populated.
The majority residents of Yogyakarta Special Region are Javanese whose language derives from ancient Sanskrit. However, as Yogyakarta is considered to be "Indonesia's academic city" due to the numerous centers for higher learning, many of the inhabitants are student who come from all over Indonesia to study.

Culture of Yogyakarta
The culture Yogyakarta province with its status as a special region lies in the Southern part of Central Java, in the heartland of Javanese culture. As the former capital and the center of several kingdoms in the past, this region and its people are very rich in a variety of cultures. It is widely known from to historical records that the civilization, art and culture had developed well in the center of those kingdoms respectively in the Ancient Mataram Kingdom (8th - 10th Century) era, the second Mataram Kingdom (17th - 18th Century) and Sultanate Ngayogyokarto from the mid of 18th Century up today.

It should be noted that the cultural heritage from the past includes the magnificent temples, the ruins of palaces and monasteries, the various kind of traditions, cultural events, traditional folk and performing arts, architecture and other traditional activities. It is important to note that this is all part of the living culture of Yogyakarta, color of daily activities of live and the local inhabitants behavior, particularly the Javanese community with its traditional way of life and customs. Therefore, because of its culture richness and heritage, Yogyakarta has long been known as the cradle of Javanese culture.

The other legendary name for Yogyakarta City, among the elders as well as the youth generation that is the City of Art and Culture. Traditional and modern exhibition are held almost every day and night about the art of theater, pantomime, music, classic and contemporary dances, poems, etc. Those are flow in the heart of the city. Even more, there are abundant of cultural ceremony, such as Sekaten, Gunungan, Labuhan, Malioboro Fair, etc, which make the city has high value of tradition, art, and culture.

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ACEH (NANGROE ACEH DARUSSALAM)

Aceh is rich of events, attraction and unique cultures that it will fascinate anyone. Aceh is also rich in natural beauty, waves and sea garden, which is suitable for diving. Some of most beautiful Aceh tourism and historical sites and beaches have been damaged by the massive earthquake and Dec '04 Tsunami. The name of Aceh Darussalam is come from Aceh language means the welfare and peace Aceh country. Aceh is located in the Northwestern of Sumatra Island with the area of approximately 57,365.57 km square or 12.26 % of size of Sumatra Island. It consists of 119 islands, 73 major rivers and 2 lakes.

Geographically
Aceh is surrounded by:
North side: Malacca Strait
East Side: North Sumatra Province
South and the west Side: Indian Ocean.
The capital of Aceh is Banda Aceh. The Special Province of Aceh with its area of 57, 365.57 square kilometers covering 1.17 per cent of Indonesia is situated at the northern tip of Sumatra Island, between latitudes 2

Weather & Climate
The dry season in Aceh usually lasts from March through August. The rainy season starts in September to last until February. The average annual rainfall ranges from 2,000 mm to 3,000 mm, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 30° Celsius. In the highlands, the average temperature is 200 Celsius. The amount of rainfall varies between all parts of Aceh. The western and southern coasts have more rainfall than the other parts. The weather along the coastal areas is usually warm. In the mountains tend to be cooler. The humidity varies from 65 to 75 percent. The wind from the west begins in June through November while the wind from the east begins in December through May.

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