Aptly Named Tour (Yogyakarta, Indonesia)
I just realized how accurate I named the current tour I am on now. Southeast Asian Contrasts.
Today, it really hit me how people can live in such different worlds. I'm not sure why today, but
perhaps if I explain today and backtrack a little I'll find the answer.
Seeing the living conditions here by themselves is certainly not a shock as I have seen many
different types of places during my travels. But, the change in my vision is definitely different
this time. I first sensed a change coming when I went to buy some food before my train trip here
(Jakarta-Yogyakarta) at the main train station in Jakarta, Gambir. A few small kids would hold
out pieces of paper around me. I dropped a coin into one of them. It struck me how this was
happening in the main train station of the capital city in a country of 210 million people. Not a
few million, but 210 million people. Indonesia is the 4th most populated country in the world
after China, India, and the USA. I would hope that a large country would want to keep at least
certain symbols of their country (Like a main train station) nice, clean, orderly, etc...not luxurious
but just free of things like kids begging.
Further fueling this realization in different living conditions is the fact that my most recent
travels have occurred in the USA, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. These places are a world
apart from Indonesia. All are for the most part modern, clean, with the majority of the
population living in relatively comfortable conditions. There are certainly poor and crappy
places in all of these places - more so in the USA than the others I think.
The final hammer today was when I went to visit a hotel - Amanjiwo. The guidebook mentioned it as a nice hotel from which to have a view of Borobodur, a UN World Heritage Buddhist temple
I visited today, and the volcanoes in the area. I didn't realize how nice it was until I got there. There are 35 rooms
and suites in this hotel. The minimum room rate is US$650/night, US$850 with private pool, up to
US$2500/a whole suite. I wonder why the difference. If one can afford US$650/night there is no
reason to think that US$2500 would be any less of a chink in the money bag. Maybe those are
just inflated rack rates....I doubt it. More likely I am not conscious of the differences between a
US millionaire, US multi-millionaire, and US mega-millionaire.
[ For comparison - a new home in a new subdivision here costs between US$8000 (30 sqm) -
25,000 (90 sqm). You could get a VERY spacious home for US$95,000 (270 sqm I think). I
assume these would be homes for the well to do local folks who have risen beyond selling food
in open-air stalls. ...assuming I am reading the brochures that I collected at the shopping mall.
They show the payment plans and floor plans so it's pretty straightforward despite being in
Bahasa Indonesia. ]
What really struck me is how exclusive this beyond 5-star hotel is given the area I am in. The
view from the hotel is magnificent - Borobudur is framed by volcanoes to the left and right. The
vendor circus in front of Borobudur is not visible. The circus I speak of is what must be at least a
hundred open-air stalls / shop areas layed out right in front of the Borobodur park gates where
people are selling souvenirs and food to visitors. That is in addition to the hawkers trying to be
your tour guide or those selling a small Buddha statue, postcards, and picture books.
So what does it mean? Well that is for another article I am writing. I write this primarily to
explain that we are often shown or told certain things many times. We may even experience these
things first hand. But, to finally realize the meaning of something may take a quite a bit more
convincing and showing in different ways.
This latter point is also one of the reasons I am striving to collect so much different data in the
COMPARE AND CONTRAST section. Showing things in many different perspectives.
Privacy, Safety & Bravery (Dec.22)
One of the employees at Amanjiwo was kind enough to give me a tour of the place. He even
showed me one of the rooms with a pool - it is indeed very nice, magnificent! He told me that
before September 11th, 2001 that most visitors were Americans. Now there is more of a mix of
Japanese, Americans, and Indonesians. The place is sold out for the next week. Americans have
15 out of the 35 rooms. A lot of celebrities stay at the Amanjiwo for privacy. He wouldn't
divulge who some of the guests in the past were. But, he did make a comment about guests
talking to their friends on the phone about how safe it really is. After all, Indonesia is on the US
State Department travel warning list. I wonder if the travellers staying at Amanjiwo feel brave
and pioneering as they tell their friends this.
I don't feel particularly brave about coming to Indonesia. A little apprehensive at first sure.
Apart from privacy - which is a very valid reason if one is famous, if I had to label anyone who
needs to stay at such an exclusive place to experience Indonesia - I would call them somewhat
cowardly. If one can afford it - fine, but I hope none of them feel brave & pioneering - although
maybe these labels are really just relative to one's own life experience and/or circle of friends.
Boy riding in back of truck with many other men - near Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
A close up
I think this boy is a bit braver.
Note: Eventually I would like to come full circle with my above comments and talk about how
our money, possessions, and our modern world fuel fear. I won't be the first to talk about it...but
I can give an international flavor and point of view.
Am I just a wanna be long term traveler? (Dec.22)
I'm staying at a 3-star hotel the Accor Ibis Malioboro for US$36 total/night. A tidy sum in this
area. Definitely no magnificent views here. But, it is very nice place for the area. I was
beginning to think - I'm not a real traveler - for I didn't come to this city "cold without a
reservation"...even when I know it is the off season and lodging should be easy to come by.
Echos of hotel difficulties in Sydney perhaps... on top of that I used a private car to get to
Borobudur. I knew it would be cheaper by bus - 30k-50 Rph for coach vs 170k I paid. I could
have saved 120k Rph / US$15. It adds up over a year. But, it was easier and I had more control
over the driving plan - like going to the hotel Amanjiwo.
Of course traveler's come in all shapes, sizes, income levels, comfort levels, and objectives.
I just visited a hotel nearby (Monica hotel).....very clean, functional - without A/C - 50k Rph /
US$6, with A/C - 85k/US$10. Definitely on one of the back streets. I'd probably be staying
there if I was on an ultra low budget or just out of school. The air conditioner is noisy most
likely, the rooms are darker. I wouldn't be able to write this if I was staying there...there is no
desk for one thing. The purpose of my travel is not to go cheap the whole way. Especially if it
affects my objectives. But, I likely will move down to a 1-star place tomorrow - 125k Rph /
US$15.
Today, it really hit me how people can live in such different worlds. I'm not sure why today, but
perhaps if I explain today and backtrack a little I'll find the answer.
Seeing the living conditions here by themselves is certainly not a shock as I have seen many
different types of places during my travels. But, the change in my vision is definitely different
this time. I first sensed a change coming when I went to buy some food before my train trip here
(Jakarta-Yogyakarta) at the main train station in Jakarta, Gambir. A few small kids would hold
out pieces of paper around me. I dropped a coin into one of them. It struck me how this was
happening in the main train station of the capital city in a country of 210 million people. Not a
few million, but 210 million people. Indonesia is the 4th most populated country in the world
after China, India, and the USA. I would hope that a large country would want to keep at least
certain symbols of their country (Like a main train station) nice, clean, orderly, etc...not luxurious
but just free of things like kids begging.
Further fueling this realization in different living conditions is the fact that my most recent
travels have occurred in the USA, Australia, Japan, and Singapore. These places are a world
apart from Indonesia. All are for the most part modern, clean, with the majority of the
population living in relatively comfortable conditions. There are certainly poor and crappy
places in all of these places - more so in the USA than the others I think.
The final hammer today was when I went to visit a hotel - Amanjiwo. The guidebook mentioned it as a nice hotel from which to have a view of Borobodur, a UN World Heritage Buddhist temple
I visited today, and the volcanoes in the area. I didn't realize how nice it was until I got there. There are 35 rooms
and suites in this hotel. The minimum room rate is US$650/night, US$850 with private pool, up to
US$2500/a whole suite. I wonder why the difference. If one can afford US$650/night there is no
reason to think that US$2500 would be any less of a chink in the money bag. Maybe those are
just inflated rack rates....I doubt it. More likely I am not conscious of the differences between a
US millionaire, US multi-millionaire, and US mega-millionaire.
[ For comparison - a new home in a new subdivision here costs between US$8000 (30 sqm) -
25,000 (90 sqm). You could get a VERY spacious home for US$95,000 (270 sqm I think). I
assume these would be homes for the well to do local folks who have risen beyond selling food
in open-air stalls. ...assuming I am reading the brochures that I collected at the shopping mall.
They show the payment plans and floor plans so it's pretty straightforward despite being in
Bahasa Indonesia. ]
What really struck me is how exclusive this beyond 5-star hotel is given the area I am in. The
view from the hotel is magnificent - Borobudur is framed by volcanoes to the left and right. The
vendor circus in front of Borobudur is not visible. The circus I speak of is what must be at least a
hundred open-air stalls / shop areas layed out right in front of the Borobodur park gates where
people are selling souvenirs and food to visitors. That is in addition to the hawkers trying to be
your tour guide or those selling a small Buddha statue, postcards, and picture books.
So what does it mean? Well that is for another article I am writing. I write this primarily to
explain that we are often shown or told certain things many times. We may even experience these
things first hand. But, to finally realize the meaning of something may take a quite a bit more
convincing and showing in different ways.
This latter point is also one of the reasons I am striving to collect so much different data in the
COMPARE AND CONTRAST section. Showing things in many different perspectives.
Privacy, Safety & Bravery (Dec.22)
One of the employees at Amanjiwo was kind enough to give me a tour of the place. He even
showed me one of the rooms with a pool - it is indeed very nice, magnificent! He told me that
before September 11th, 2001 that most visitors were Americans. Now there is more of a mix of
Japanese, Americans, and Indonesians. The place is sold out for the next week. Americans have
15 out of the 35 rooms. A lot of celebrities stay at the Amanjiwo for privacy. He wouldn't
divulge who some of the guests in the past were. But, he did make a comment about guests
talking to their friends on the phone about how safe it really is. After all, Indonesia is on the US
State Department travel warning list. I wonder if the travellers staying at Amanjiwo feel brave
and pioneering as they tell their friends this.
I don't feel particularly brave about coming to Indonesia. A little apprehensive at first sure.
Apart from privacy - which is a very valid reason if one is famous, if I had to label anyone who
needs to stay at such an exclusive place to experience Indonesia - I would call them somewhat
cowardly. If one can afford it - fine, but I hope none of them feel brave & pioneering - although
maybe these labels are really just relative to one's own life experience and/or circle of friends.
Note: Eventually I would like to come full circle with my above comments and talk about how
our money, possessions, and our modern world fuel fear. I won't be the first to talk about it...but
I can give an international flavor and point of view.
Am I just a wanna be long term traveler? (Dec.22)
I'm staying at a 3-star hotel the Accor Ibis Malioboro for US$36 total/night. A tidy sum in this
area. Definitely no magnificent views here. But, it is very nice place for the area. I was
beginning to think - I'm not a real traveler - for I didn't come to this city "cold without a
reservation"...even when I know it is the off season and lodging should be easy to come by.
Echos of hotel difficulties in Sydney perhaps... on top of that I used a private car to get to
Borobudur. I knew it would be cheaper by bus - 30k-50 Rph for coach vs 170k I paid. I could
have saved 120k Rph / US$15. It adds up over a year. But, it was easier and I had more control
over the driving plan - like going to the hotel Amanjiwo.
Of course traveler's come in all shapes, sizes, income levels, comfort levels, and objectives.
I just visited a hotel nearby (Monica hotel).....very clean, functional - without A/C - 50k Rph /
US$6, with A/C - 85k/US$10. Definitely on one of the back streets. I'd probably be staying
there if I was on an ultra low budget or just out of school. The air conditioner is noisy most
likely, the rooms are darker. I wouldn't be able to write this if I was staying there...there is no
desk for one thing. The purpose of my travel is not to go cheap the whole way. Especially if it
affects my objectives. But, I likely will move down to a 1-star place tomorrow - 125k Rph /
US$15.
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