🇮🇩🥾 Java is the world\’s most populous island, home to over 150 million people. Almost every square centimeter of land is either built on, or farmed; from the cliff-like slopes of cabbage fields at 2000m of altitude to the superb green coastal rice fields we’re now passing on the train to Jakarta.
For the last ten days here we have revelled in the creativity, diversity, culture and nature this wonderful island has to offer.
Any guidebook or Indonesian would tell you that a trip to Java would be amiss without visiting Mt Bromo; an area of actively steaming and rumbling volcanoes, sand filled craters and magical vistas. We turned down the usual jeep and dirt bike tours around the crater in favour of a self-crafted multi day hike, making up the itinerary as we went. The landscapes were otherworldly and at times post apocalyptic: the hungry rumble of a bottomless volcanic crater, hours of trudging through sand and twilight enveloped in dust and sulfurous mist, while motorbikes roared by, walking up and down hills in powdery dust and burnt scrub under full sun, and waking to ice coating the inside of the tent…. Taking the tent and getting off the beaten track also allowed us to experience the majesty of the volcanic forms from all angles, accompanied by eruption after eruption. We ate our instant noodles in peace away from the crowds, and watched sunset and sunrise from arguably the best camp spot in all Java!
Back at a more tropical altitude, we moved on to leafy Malang, a former favourite of the Dutch colonisers thanks to its relatively mild climate. We tried our hand at Batik; the technique used to create the intricate patterns that cover traditional sarongs and clothing found across Indonesia. Batik is booming again, spurred on by requirements for employees of the public service or public companies to wear Batik every Friday. But don’t think casual Friday, Batik is very formal, often sported by the President, and worn for life\’s milestone moments.
We spent an afternoon with Wennie and Chris in their Batik studio, sketching out patterns on cotton, tracing these patterns with hot wax dripping from a special tool, and painting the fabric. All in all a very meditative process. The wax acts as a barrier to paint and dye, with intricate and multi coloured designs developed through repeated cycles of drawing with wax, painting, and removing wax. We are stoked with our creations and full of awe for the skills of the Batik artists who often spend weeks on a single piece.
With each step west in our journey the cities appear more modern and the populations more cosmopolitan, this was certainly true for our next stop: Yogyakarta !
Indonesia’s art and intellectual heart, a bastion of independence during the Dutch period, still ruled by a Sultan, and with a UNESCO recognised spiritual axis running through the city from Mt Merapi volcano to the Indian Ocean, what a mix!
We loved the great discussions with Aldy the widely traveled street artist and hostel owner, Agus the multilingual silversmith who taught us how to craft silver rings, Krisna the educator and farmer running the permaculture centre we visited in the hills, Tina the psychology professor and Yatimin the Islamic sage who invited us into their home and village to celebrate Indonesia’s independence day, and many more.
The city itself is low density, often sleepy and with a timeless charm. We loved its airy traditional architecture with certain mid century influences, the intricate wood carvings, teak paneled walls, doors and furniture, the myriad antique shops, the trundle of wooden food carts along the lanes and the mango trees shading family compounds.
The traditional complements the city\’s young and evolving face, with plenty of street art, coffee shops open till 2am, small gallery spaces, skate shops, critical progressives etc. In short, it’s got the relaxed yet hipster cool vibe sorted. We even enjoyed our first rave party of the trip, in the alleyway leading to a mosque!
The last week has provided creative and social connections that ticked so many boxes for us and help us to reflect on what we want for the rest of our trip and beyond. We’ll need more workshop space and tools that’s for sure! Now it’s time to see what the heaving metropolis of Jakarta has to offer!
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