A4 – While managed to leave Jakarta’s rainy weather back on the middle of February 2013, we finally escaped the capital longing for the sunny days of Yogyakarta. Located approximately 500 kilometres east from Jakarta, Yogyakarta mark their presence as one of historical city for the early birth of the young republic, Indonesia.
Years back during the struggle days for independence, Yogyakarta was honored to be the third capital of Indonesia, ‘replacing’ Jakarta and Bukittinggi which is located far in West Sumatra, and fall deep into the Dutch’s hands.
As a tourism spot, Yogyakarta or better known as Jogja is probably too comfy to met the dreadful fact, which accidentally happened right on the Valentine’s day. Friday the 14th… Boo…!
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Yes! All is much because the erupted mount Kelud in the next neighboring province of East Java just firing away its heavy loads all night long through the skies of Java island. Right in the morning, the ‘package’ were all poured down all over Yogyakarta, giving the sensation of ‘color run’… which unfortunately dominated only by single color… that is grey!
Being a guest, which room placed high in a top floor of a three stars hotel, means we got the views of room’s window straight into the open skies scenery that accompanied us fall asleep during the night.
Later, finding ourselves waking up after 7 am also means that we’ve got all the ‘full shows’ started right in front of our eyes.
It’s Valentine… eh?
Grey is the theme of the day, as it won’t stop pouring hard anytime soon. Birds were panic, hard to find nowhere to land. For sure…! There will be no flight available to escaped the town at the moment. Okay… backup plan set!
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The fact is, Jogja is far from being a ‘rookie’ for another test of mother nature. The nearest peak, Merapi, is once erupted a couple years before, giving the jogja’s resident a ‘live’ experiences to cope another new ‘similar’ disaster in the future.
Our guess is all right! As it well shown on the hotel’s lobby by the employees. The staff on duty take the matter easily without affecting any delayed services for their special guest.
So… having our night finally extended, we choose to grab back our well packed gear and started to planning walking around, for the taste of streets…
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Set the breakfast done, we later hustle up our masks and eye glasses on. We are soon stepping out the hotel’s lobby through the main street of Malioboro which now covered thick in grey ashes. Visibility is poor with people vanished from sights, contrary to the normally crowded Yogyakarta’s historical main street.
All turn grey…
We continuing our step all along the misty path with only a few vehicle trying to pairing the road ahead. The eruption ashes covering almost all the surfaces, from the streets, shops or street lamps, leaving nothing on sight but a single grey.
Later, as we getting hard to breathing, our eyes also hit by the same symptoms, which is hard to perform well, although all is well covered behind a glasses or mask. A bathtub sounds like a priceless heaven now…, Indeed!
A few meters ahead, a glimpse of ‘sight’ suddenly captured our attention. Blimey! This one department store called Ramayana is opening their business normally in such a disaster day! Their door is widely open, while the music is playing loud to attract visitor to come in. The question is… Who will normally even think to pay a visit to a commercial store in such disastrous condition??!
“Yes! We are open… Phew…!
They’re just pouring the store entrance with waters, hope to eventually clear the patio away from the incoming dust and ashes, so the store can still operating normally.
Hell right! The store manager or owner probably kept thinking of gaining another penny as much as possible even if God himself just proclaiming a start of apocalypse’s countdown.
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After sack out another mineral water bottle, we continuing heading south, hoping to witness the Jogja’s royal palace ‘facelift’ on its newly ‘grey colored .
Left or right…?
Well… Looks like we’re not the only one who share the same idea. Let say, some kids on their early twenty scattering all around the ‘historical’ traffic light with their camera blinking around, hoping to capture their ‘moment of glory’.
Thankfully, they stepped out our viewfinder spot as soon they saw our press ID, giving us a space to do our duty.
They probably need a Stryker…
This time, is the local PD’s shows. They’re starting their ‘first aid’ by dumping loads of water cannon into the main street of Yogyakarta. There’re also some standby officers whom offering a free mask around, regarding of maintaing public safety.
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The messy condition continuing until three days later. Failing to board the plane due to unfinished airport clearing schedule after the fourth day of ‘grey’ valentine, we finally choose to catch the midnight train, which brought us back to the capital city of Jakarta.
Back to Jakarta, back to the pouring heavy rainy days… Phew!
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#Jogjakarta
AnonyMeter 