Java - Yogyakarta 4 (Kotagede)

One of those days on the trip that screams: “this is what it is all about!” We thought we’d spend the day in Kotagede, a heritage area of Jogja, finding traditional wooden joglo houses, winding alleyways, and its famous silver craft industry. We did find these things, but we also found a whole lot more - meeting a film director and local gamelan group - encounters that are absolute highlights of our trip.

We’d arranged for our cheeky becak driver, who took us to the museum the day before, to pick us up from our hotel. All of us full of grins we took off on the half hour ride to Kotagede east of the city centre. We were grinning because the novelty of riding in a becak hadn’t worn off; our driver was grinning because he had agreed a crazy good deal (Rp 100,000 : £4.50 - twice what the journey should cost). Warmed by this he kept insisting that he could also wait for us and take us back “nose problem, nose problem.” We were firm: we’d make our own way back, he was grumpy… until his face lit up for an approaching new customer.

The Kotagede Great Mosque (Masjid Agung Kotagede) is the oldest in Yogyakarta, built in the 16th century. Passing under a giant banyan tree, its roots a solid curtain to the ground, and through an ancient brick gateway we were in a large courtyard. There was a lot going on. People in their finery. Food. Decorations. I think we had gatecrashed a wedding! We slipped past the celebrations to the inner courtyard to see the traditional buildings surrounding the royal cemetery - Yogyakarta is the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarchy.

After the peace and tranquility of the mosque and cemetery courtyards we were in the bustle of Pasar Legi, the local’s market. It was late in the morning so we’d missed the main vibrancy but we could imagine the intensity of activity in the dark market hall. Everything was here: fruit and veg, chicken carcasses, herbs, spices, clothes, traditional snacks... Outside, stalls spilled out into the road, jewellery and farming tools carefully arranged on blankets on the ground, live birds fidgeting in overcrowded pens, food being cooked on trolleys for shoppers.

Drifting away from the chatter and hubbub we wandered down little side streets, finding
‘Between Two Gates’ (Gang Rukunan) a unique heritage alleyway lined with old Javanese joglo houses, the alleyway named for the two historic palace gates it connects. The alleyway was quiet and still and led us to a tucked away cafe - Longkang- featuring traditional Javanese architecture with wooden pillars, decorative carvings, and patterned tile floors. Here, a shout went out from the cafe owner and before we knew it Eugene Panji had taken us under his wing.

Guiding us around his traditional house before sitting us down on turquoise metal chairs in the open cafe he ordered a healthy looking drink for us to sample on the house. Greens, lime, tamarind, honey on ice. It was good. Both Eugene and his son are here in Jogja, from Jakarta where they live, for the Asian film festival. Eugene is 52 and a film director. He is an established name who started out making music videos, and now makes money directing commercials. In his spare time he makes feature films with social commentary: what he calls ‘charity movies’. His first film - Cita-citaku Setinggi Tanah (Stepping on the Flying Grass) - was about childhood dreams and all proceeds (£1.7m) were donated to YKAKIndonesia, a foundation supporting children suffering cancer, funding nine new shelter homes. He talked to us about his current project, a film focusing on a woman from Aceh, Sumatra who applies for euthanasia in Amsterdam. A very controversial subject here he hopes it will spark debate. He explained he was deeply scarred witnessing his aunt’s slow demise through breast cancer, as she could not afford the expensive treatment. He sat beside her in her last days in pain.

Eugene and his son both hold a warm charisma that we instantly missed when they left to attend the film festival. Eugene’s daughter is to study in London next September so we hope to see their engaging selves again in the future and repay their wonderful hospitality. Meeting this wonderful pair was enough to make this day extraordinary. But there was still more magic to come…

Stirring from the cool calm of the cafe we made our way along narrow alleyways, exploring the old town network of lanes, coming across murals, chickens, small front yards. The sound of gamelan drifted towards us. Following it, I nosily looked in to a covered courtyard as I walked past to see a group at practice. A man noticed my sticky nose and ran after me to laughingly invite me to come in and watch. I called out to a better behaved Lilz and we both sat on the step opposite the five gamelan musicians gratefully watching their practice. A barefooted elderly man, in batik shirt and with deep smile lines around his eyes, used his long stick to direct the group through the musical notation numbers. At the end of their piece they invited an overjoyed Lilz to have a go. Patiently the man helped Lilz along, pointing out the notes on the gambang (xylophone-type instrument) Lilz should strike with his mallet. Lilz was totally chuffed at being able to have a go - a dream fulfilled! - and we left shaking hands grinning from ear to ear. Such welcoming warmth and open generosity was incredible to us and made us reflect on how we hope it is in our gift to pay similar acts of kindness forwards.

Our hearts full we made our way to see the silversmithing that Kotagede is famous for. We visited two grand shops, with high ceilings and large wooden beams. We peered bewitched into glass cases holding exquisite works of art - delicate filigree silver work made into jewellery and home décor pieces. In the second shop (Ansor’s) a man invited us into the back workshop to see the silversmiths painstakingly creating. Reza was fascinated by our trip as he is inspired to start cycling more and had lots of questions for us. It was nice to exchange question for question: silversmithing for cycling. He very nicely gave me a large discount on a silver chain that I’ll use to hang the pounamu stone I have from New Zealand.

With tums rumbling, we left Kotagede on the back of two Grab scooters, and finished off a perfect day with some delicious simple Japanese noodle soup and a night dip in the pool. Days like this are a gift we feel overwhelmed by - that the world can hold so much to experience and wonderful people to meet.Læs mere