No longer a newbie.

Two weekends ago, Darlene and I played tour guide for some mutual friends visiting from Jakarta for the day. There are so many interesting sights, temples, streets and food in Jogja, that we had a very hard time deciding what to show them. Borobudur, an amazing Buddhist temple, and Prambanan, a breathtaking Hindu temple, were both too far away for us to successfully take them to in one day, and they had already been up and down Malioboro, the most famous street in Jogja. We decided our best bet was to take them to 'Tamansari', a majestic water castle about 15 minutes from where we met up. In the spirit of Jogja, we decided to take Andong. 'Andong' is a traditional horse-pulled carriage that can be found all up and down Malioboro. Using my newly acquired Indonesian bargaining skills, I managed to lower the price from 100,000 Rupiah (the normal foreigner 'bule' price).. to 40,000 Rupiah (the Indonesian local price). So we hopped in and 15 minutes later we were at Tamansari. Upon entering, we saw many other foreigners at the ticket booth, so naturally we followed. I had been to Tamansari once before and didn't pay for a ticket, instead, myself and Sabine just payed 50,000 Rupiah for a local tour guide to take us around. The normal ticket would be around 30,000 each, so I suppose we only saved 10,000.. but the experience we got without the ticket was what made it the best. Suddenly remembering this, I dragged us all out of line before we could pay. I took everyone and started to walk into the back entrance where my 'tour' started last time, and suddenly a man appeared asking where we were going. I explained to him that we didn't want to pay for the ticket, and wanted just a tour instead. He agreed that for 50,000 Rupiah he would take all 4 of us on a tour, but we had to wait till the site closed to see the pools. After visiting the underground mosque, seeing the old palace that was ruined by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, it was finally 3 o'clock, closing time. I knew exactly where to go. Ducking under a wall, passing a little old woman's house, and climbing a little ledge, we were on the roof looking over the beautiful pools of the Water Castle.

Dangerous? Nawwhh. 

After taking countless photos, we were all very hungry. We hopped down the wall, said thank you to the woman who's home we passed, and headed straight to The House of Raminten. Now, try to imagine what you think an Indonesian/Touristy/Asian restaurant should look like. Thats Raminten. There are three levels, and you sit on the floor. Sounds of gamalan music, and aroma of incense surround you. The waiters and waitresses are wearing traditional javanese clothing, and there might even be a couple of horses living in the back, right next to the bathroom. (I don't know if thats very Javanese or just an odd quirk of the restaurant, anyway..it was definitely a surprise.)  Darlene and I very often go to this restaurant because not only is the food really good, the aroma is very Indonesian, and it is incredibly cheap. One time, we went as a party of 5, ate till we literally couldn't move, and only paid about 9 dollars. Raminten is always a good choice. After eating, we decided we wanted to get massages. Darlene asked for a good recommendation from a friend, and there we went. It was very relaxing, despite the fact part of the massage was having your masseuse walk on your back... definitely a first, but very relaxing none the less.

I loved this day because I finally feel like this is...my city. I know some of its quirks, it's ins-and-outs. Although i've only been here four months, i've learned to succesfully bargain on Malioboro, and am able to avoid paying the outrageously expensive 'bule' price at tourist spots. Can't wait to see what happens next. SAMPAI JUMPA!