Maybe you already know that Jogja is one of the main tourist destinations in Indonesia. You probably have heard that this city is famous for its cultural tourist attraction. But today I’m not gonna talk about that. Today I’d like to take you to a lovely place where you can chill and enjoy nature’s beauty. Yes, let me share about Embung Batara Sriten.

Embung Batara Sriten is a water reservoir located on the top of the Batur Agung hills in Pilangrejo,  Nglipar, Gunung Kidul.  What makes this embung special is its location. This embung’s height is about 859 meters from sea level. Compared to any other water reservoir in Gunung Kidul, this one is the highest.

The scenery on my way up to Embung Batara Sriten.

Welcome to Embung Batara Sriten!

There's no fish in this water reservoir "Embung Batara Sriten".

Batara Sriten would be a great location for you who would like to get a stunning view of sunrise and sunset. If you are one of those who are so fancy to capture moments of sunrise and sunset, you shall not miss this place. This is a place for chilling and enjoying the panorama of an awesome green landscape seen from the top of the hill. If you look for a place that can give you a stunning view and fewer visitors, I suggest you visit this place on weekdays.  I was lucky for being there when it had only a few visitors. It made things better for me for I sought silence some time ago.

Batara Sriten has some facilities for its visitors. Officially opened by Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X in September 2014, this embung is facilitated with a  huge parking lot, restroom, a prayer room, a gazebo, and a place to eat.  When I was there I had for myself a bottle of mineral water and a bowl of fried noodles.

If you are in Jogja and plan to visit Embung Batara Sriten, make sure your vehicle is in good condition. Since the embung is on the top of the hill, your vehicle machine will surely work harder to take you there. This place is open 5 AM to 6 PM and its entrance ticket is IDR 3,000.

What I liked the most about the embung was the scenery. For someone who lives in the center of the city, such a view is something rare to find. I really loved to have the wind kissed my skin and played with my hair. It was so quiet and I could even hear the wind had fun with leaves as well. When I was there I walked around and went up a bit to explore the place. My eyes liked what they saw; a green landscape that looked like a green carpet.  It was relaxing.

My favorite view of Embung Batara Sriten.

Look at that hill! Can you imagine yourself living in such a hill with no neighbor?

Apart from Embung Batara Sriten, Gunung Kidul has a lot to see. When you are in this area in Jogja, you can explore many places such as an ancient volcano, caves, and beaches. If you are curious about other places in Jogja with a great panorama view, you can also visit Batu Papal.

That’s all I have for you today. Do you think you’d like to explore Batara Sriten and Gunung Kidul once you are visiting Jogja? Talk about a water reservoir, is there such a place in your area? Is it also touristic? Feel free to share your comment below.

Thank you for visiting Rindumiu.  May we all are in good vibes. Warm regards from Jogja. See ya later!

Are you able to speak Javanese? No? Well, knowing a few words in Javanese will certainly color your interaction with local people. I often see how people get excited when they are talking or listening to a tourist who makes efforts to say a few words in the local language.  The local people will appreciate the effort the tourist has made.

As you probably have heard, Jogja is famous for its hospitality. People are warm and they like to greet one another. Some people do not hesitate to even say hi to foreigners although their English is probably limited. So, if you would like to get more interaction with the local ones, here are 5 words/phrases in Javanese to use during your visit in Jogja :

You just got your 5 Javanese words and phrases. Maybe you find it difficult to say but don’t give up because there’s a famous saying that says practice makes perfect! Oh yeah! Wink! Hahaha…

What do you think about the Javanese words and phrases above? Do you think you can remember them all? What’s your favorite one among those five?  Please share in the comment section below.

I do hope what I share today is informative and useful for you who have a plan to visit Jogja. The Javanese words and phrases I mentioned above can be applied as well when you are in both East and Central Java. Oh, if you are in Central Java, you probably would like to visit Selo to enjoy nature’s beauty and chill there or go to Gua Maria Gantang in Muntilan. 

That’s all I have for now. Thank you for taking the time to read. I hope the COVID-19 pandemic will be over soon.  Stay healthy and stay positive.  Warm regards from Jogja and see ya next time!

The prayer garden I’d like to share with you is Taman Doa Maria Ratuning Katentreman lan Karaharjan. People here also like to call this place Gua Maria Gantang (Virgin Mary cave of Gantang).  This prayer garden is in Gantang village, Sawangan sub-district in Muntilan. Muntilan itself is about 25 km north of Jogja and it is a district part of Magelang Regency. It was inaugurated in 2017 by Archbishop of Semarang, Mgr Robertus Rubiyatmoko.

The entrance of Taman Doa Maria Ratuning Katentreman lan Karaharjan

The name “Maria Ratuning Katentreman lan Karaharjan” is taken from the Javanese language which means Mary the Queen of Peace and Salvation. The creator of this statue –a-Merapi-artist—Ismanto liked to call this work of art as Mbok Tentrem. “Mbok” is a Javanese phrase comes from the word “simbok” which means mother whereas the word “tentrem” means peace.

Mbok Tentrem is a 10-meters-height statue. This statue’s height symbolizes things that are related to the Catholic religion. First symbolism can be seen from its 3-meters-height of foundation which represents Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The second one is in the height of the Virgin Mary statue. The 7-meters statue represents sacraments in Catholicism. The third one is in the total 10-meter-height which symbolizes Ten Commandments. The last symbolism is in the pose of the Virgin Mary stands on a dragon’s head. This pose is meant to remind people that being with the Virgin Mary will help them defeat the cruel dragon in their life.

Mbok Tentrem

I arrived at Taman Doa Maria Ratuning Katentreman lan Karaharjan early in the morning. The way to this prayer garden was appealing to me. For someone who lives in the center of the city, the view of rice fields was not something I saw in my daily life. It was like green carpets everywhere. Lovely! I could enjoy the fresh air as well though it was rather chilly.

My visit to Gua Maria Gantang began with seeing the statue of Mbok Tentrem. I took time to contemplate and prayed there though I am not a Catholic. This prayer garden was quiet and I could feel in peace there. After taking my time in front of the famous statue of the Virgin Mary, I decided to move away to another spot in this prayer garden. Yes, I visited another area of praying. I sat on a stall and once again, took my time for praying. Later on, before deciding to leave this place I looked around to see flowers there. Yeah, I like flowers and they had various colorful flowers. 

A part of the prayer garden of Gua Maria Gantang.

Can you tell me the name of this flower? I have no clue. This is one of the various flowers I saw in Gua Maria Gantang.

Warm regards from Jogja. See ya!

All set.  Right here, from my house in the city of Jogja, I’d like to know something. Anyone who loves papaya raise your hand! Yes, you! Maybe you raise your hand but no I certainly have no urge to raise mine.

Papaya is not my favorite food. My mind always had this picture of my grandparents’ neighbor fed his parrots with slices of papaya.  I am already like a parrot – so talkative – without any papaya! My goodness! “Papaya is a bird food!” was my statement each time my father served our family a bowl of papaya and it had been being my excuse to avoid eating papaya for years that most of the time the excuse couldn't save me from papaya.

When I was a kid, my father liked to give us, his children, slices of papaya in a bowl. He would make half of the papaya into slices and served them in a bowl then called us. Both of my parents were the same. Maybe this is applied to your parents too. When we were a child, they liked to tell us, their kids, to eat fruits no matter what.  When I was too little of course I could not make any excuse to skip it. But things were changed as I grew up! Ho ho ho! “It’s bird food. I don’t wanna eat that!” I exclaimed. My parents (either my mother or my father) would reply, “Save your breath. This papaya is rich in the vitamin. Good for you and of course it’s tasty!” Yikes! Do you know what would happen afterward? I would sniff those slices of papaya and my father would shout, “Don’t sniff the food!” Aaargh!! It was a battle between a senior citizen and a junior citizen, a battle between the superior and the inferior, a battle the inferior never won for she was just kiddo! OK, I exaggerate. It wasn’t that horrible but I had to struggle to eat papaya. I disliked its distinctive aroma. It was so ewwww… Yikes! Its aroma was not so friendly to my nostrils. There were times in which I had to stop eating it and spit it out for I could not stand the smell. 

My parents sought a way to encourage me to eat papaya. I should admit they did a good trick to trap me eating the papaya. Oh yeah, it was pretty useful for years! I voluntarily gave myself to open my mouth eating papaya after either my father or my mother served the papaya with lime juice and sugar. First, they would put slices of papaya into a bowl. Then, they would take a lime, cut it, and squeezed it above the papaya. Afterward, to reduce the sour taste, they would take preferably a spoon of sugar and pour it all over the top of the papaya.  Hmmm… it was way much better serving. The aroma of lime juice decreased the distinctive aroma of papaya.

Years had passed. One afternoon my parents brought home good news. As any other papaya-day, they served papaya and as usual, I protested saying it was a bird food and the smell was gross. I was wrong. Yeah, women aren’t always right. Sometimes a fruit proves us wrong. There was a miracle in the city of Jogja, right inside my house. My father prepared us for a different variety of papaya called California papaya. This papaya smelled better. Much better! For the first time in years, papaya won me over. 

Did my parents go to California for the sake of papaya hunting? Nah. They didn’t have to fly across the ocean to get me that papaya. California papaya or Calina papaya is a local innovation. The innovators are Prof. Dr. Ir. Sriani Sujiprihati, M.S., and Prof. Dr. Ir. Sobir. Based on this we can conclude that California papaya is the native Indonesian fruit.  This variety of papaya is famous for its sweetness and its thick yet soft meat. It also has no papaya aroma that always bothered my nostrils in the past. 

California papaya is easy to find in Indonesia and it would be great if you taste this fruit while staying in Jogja. Put this fruit in your must-eat-list. You can buy this papaya in traditional markets or supermarkets. Enjoy its sweetness and if you are curious to try, serve it with lime juice and sugar too! Yes! Then we can be in the same league; The League of Sour and Sweet! Wink! Hahaha…

Nowadays I can eat papaya with no hesitation as long as the papaya is California one but still, I’d like it better with lime juice and sugar. It’s my thing!

Now it’s your turn. I am curious about you and papaya. What do you think of papaya? Do you have a special way to eat papaya? What about the California papaya? Have you tasted it? Please share your story in the comment section below.

Thank you for visiting and reading my blog. Warm regards to you from me in Jogja. Stay safe, stay healthy, and eat some fruits!

• The look of R. Hamong Wardoyo seen from Pandanaran Street.

Hi readers! Welcome to Rindumiu! How are you doing? I hope you are OK and are both happy and healthy! Today I will just execute my a-few-days-ago-plan which is sharing with you my Day 2 of vacation in Selo Boyolali which is in the northeast of Jogja.  If you are curious to know about my Day 1, feel free to check it here.

Now, let's focus on Day 2 of my vacation. On the second day, I went to the city of Boyolali. It was about eating pork that later led me to explore the city. Craving for pork, I headed to a Balinese restaurant only to figure out that they served no pork at all. Oh well, I was there already and a culinary adventure is a culinary adventure even when there’s no pork. I ordered Nasi Campur Bali in this restaurant named Warung Makan Khas Bali Bli Nyoman.  Despite the fact that they replaced pork with chicken, the taste of my breakfast was really good. Good food helps us to have a good mood eh…and my good mood triggered me to seek Tugu Jagung.

Tugu Jagung or Corn Tower. Is giant corn good for pop corns?

Tugu Jagung or Corn Tower is a 15 meters height copper tower which of course looks like corn. This tower is one to replace the original one made from piles of corn. Once, this tower was viral in social media here and many people went there to put that corn tower (together with them) in a frame.  An iconic tower! Yes, you’re right. I visited this copper corn and took photos there.  Oh, I am like any other people eh… Hehehe…

After making a memory with Tugu Jagung, I started off to the R. Hamong Wardoyo Museum.  Located on Pandanaran Street No.19, this museum has a free entrance. All you have to do is just filling in their visitor book. This museum was built in the year 2015 and the name of the museum came from the name of the first regent of Boyolali who led after Indonesia proclaimed its independence.

"What are you looking at, Miss?" If the statue of Mr. R. Hamong Wardoyo could speak...

R. Hamong Wardoyo Museum has an appealing architecture, in my opinion. Dominated by the color white, this museum has collections that pretty much explain to us about Boyolali. What I saw first was collections of heritage items; old Hindus – Buddhist statues. Apart from statues, they also exhibited photos that showed the progress of  Boyolali and its regents from time to time, examples of local industry products, tools for farming, traditional clothes, and so on.

A photo of Soekarno, the 1st president of Indonesia, visited Boyolali in 1954. He was at the guard's post of Mount Merapi.

Statues you can see in R. Hamong Wardoyo museum

Who's that chick?

Boyolali has its local traditions and they put that as well in the museum.  I saw dioramas of Saparan Sebaran Apem Kukus Keong Mas and a traditional ceremony of Sedekah Gunung Merapi. Saparan Sebaran Apem Kukus Keong Mas is a thanksgiving day in Sapar month (the second month in Javanese calendar) in which thousands of steamed apem is given away. Apem is a traditional snack that looks like a mini thicker pancake made from rice flour.  People like to get this apem because they believe this apem will give them a good fortune. Sedekah Gunung Merapi is a traditional ceremony done in Sura month (the first month in Javanese calendar).  This ceremony is a tradition in which people pray to God asking for protection and safety.  In this tradition, people present alms and a buffalo’s head to God by putting them on the top of Mount Merapi. They present the buffalo’s head by giving it away through Mount Merapi’s crater. 

A diorama of Saparan Sebaran Apem Kukus. You can see here people are so enthusistic to get the steamed apem.

A diorama of Sedekah Gunung Merapi. The guys in traditional clothes walk to Mount Merapi.

On my way out of the museum, I saw a statue of a cow.  As information for you, Boyolali is the number one city of milk-producing in Central Java and no, I don’t have the photo of the cow, unfortunately. It’s a mystery why I didn’t take its photo. Uhmmm…

If you would like to know Boyolali better, you should visit this museum. You can learn about its history, its culture, its tradition, and many more. And… yes, you can take a picture with the cow I mention in the paragraph above, something that I missed to do while I was being there. 

In brief, my second day was pretty short. The rain fell in the afternoon but luckily I already reached the backpacker’s hotel I stayed in.  During my trip back to Selo, the sky was cloudy. It turned grey. What I was rather afraid of was the fog. Oh yes, the street was being grey and foggy and it limited my sight. Fog reminds me of horror movies and any other scary thing! The sky poured rain for the rest of the day and I had to be happy being in my room.

I left Selo in the northeast of Jogja early in the morning. The air was fresh and I could enjoy nature’s beauty while leaving the area. Overall I was happy spending time there. If you would like to visit Selo, make sure you plan it for summer. Oh, once again let me remind you! If you haven’t read my first blog post about my vacation in Selo, just click here.

Bye Selo, bye vacation. Welcome to the real life!

Thank you for reading.  I should have taken the cow’s photo. It was a real size chubby cow! Uh… Anyways, I am curious. Are you a museum person? If so, what’s your favorite museum to visit? Do you have any unforgettable experience with any cow? If so, what is it? Please share on the comment section below. I’d like to know your story.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. If you plan to visit Jogja later, maybe you would like to put Selo in the northeast of Jogja as well on your agenda.  

Stay safe, stay healthy, and see ya in my next blog post!