Yogyakarta

Although their names may be similar, there is little in common between Jakarta and Yogyakarta. While Jakarta is big and traffic clogged, Yogyakarta is much smaller and far slower-paced. It is located in Central Java, two hours from Jakarta by plane. The city was described to me as the cultural capital of Indonesia, and it certainly lives up to that title. 

Sultan Palace

Although Indonesia is a democracy, Yogyakarta is a kingdom. The city is centered around the palace complex of the king.

Palace gate

Palace guard

Sitting room within the palace complex

Water Castle

Nearby the palace complex is a very strange relic known as the water castle. The structure once was a bathhouse for the sultan's daughters, but today it is completely dry.

Stairway to the castle

Castle ruins

Tunnels below the castle

Inner chamber

Prambanan

Just outside of Yogyakarta is the prambanan temple, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. It was built in the 9th century to commemorate the return of a Hindu ruling dynasty in Central Java after a century of Buddhist rule. It was abandoned a century later when the dynasty moved to East Java. The temple was destroyed in an earthquake in the 16th century. Of the 240 temples that stood in the prambanan complex, only the eight major temples and 8 accompanying shrines have been restored.

Prambanan temple complex

Ruins of smaller temples surround the reconstructed central temples

Close up of the main temples

A sarong is required attire for entering prambanan. This one was provided at the door.

Jakarta

Our first stop in Indonesia is the capital city of Jakarta. The city is among the largest in the world--10 million, 28 million including the suburbs. It has grown dramatically in the past few decades which is evident in the city's many growing pains. Traffic is a constant problem due to inadequate public transportation infrastructure. There is no subway, but a bus rapid transit service was recently introduced to ease congestion. The front third of these busses are reserved strictly for female passengers, a policy from the conservative Islamic culture of the city.

Total gridlock.

A BRT station near our hostel. The left two entrances are general admission and the right is female only

A view of Jakarta from an elevated highway

KOTA (BATAVIA)

Indonesia was a colony of the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch government for over 300 years. Jakarta was known as Jayakarta prior to Dutch conquest. The Dutch renamed the city Batavia and made it the center of their colonial empire. The old Dutch quarter of Batavia is now known as Kota. It has many surviving Dutch buildings and has recently begun a revival after decades of decline and neglect.

Dutch architecture in Kota

Former residence of the Dutch Governor General

Night market in Kota

The Cafe Batavia lured us in with a free concert

Steamed rice and chicken wrapped in banana leaves

Bandrek, a traditional Indonesian drink with lots of spices

Torrential rain starts as we have dinner

GLODOK

This neighborhood just south of Kota is Jakarta's Chinatown. It contains a labyrinth of alleyway markets that's stretch for miles, stands where street artists practice their crafts, and is the heart of the city's nightlife.

Are these cobras for sale?

Freedom fighter

Obama is very popular in Jakarta. He attended middle school in the city in the 1960s

Alleyway market

No Chinatown is complete without a Chinese temple!

Political ads are everywhere. I smell an election coming

The old Dutch canal system is in need of some love...

Familiar places: Kuala Lumpur and Singapore

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur airport to find my friend Young waiting for me at my gate. We will be spending the next three weeks traveling Southeast Asia together. The first two stops are places I have been before but I am excited to visit again.

KUALA LUMPUR

The capital of Malaysia and the former seat of the British colonial power in the region, Kuala Lumpur is a rapidly growing city with an interesting history. 

Drinks at our hostel's rooftop bar...

...with great views of the city.

The Brickyards--KL's little India

The food here is incredible...especially the vegetarian

Too many turtles at the Chinese temple.

The old British colonial administrative building looks like a moorish version of parliament.

The old British train station

SINGAPORE

Our arrival in Southeast Asia turned out to have great timing. Young's cousin was finishing his study abroad program in Singapore just as we got in which gave us the opportunity to pay him a visit. Crashing at his apartment made visiting this expensive city easier on our wallets.

Turkish food on Arab street...is this Singapore?

Free concert at Marina Bay

Squirrel Monkeys at the River Safari

Sunset behind downtown

Hindu temple in little India

Street side shops and hawker food in Chinatown

Really gonna miss this incredible city, but I'm excited for uncharted territory--Indonesia

Layover in Istanbul

My third journey to Asia began with a twelve hour layover in the Turkish capital of Istanbul. The city straddles the bospherous strait which separates Europe from Asia. The city's public transit system is pretty extensive and easy to navigate. I only had to transfer trains once to get from the airport to the ancient district of the city the Greeks called Byzantuim and the Romans rechristened Constantinople. If you only have one afternoon in Istanbul, this is where you go.

The Blue Mosque

Hagia Sophia

The Bospherous Strait. To the left is Europe and right is Asia.

The park at Topkapi Palace. I had a nice power nap on a bench here.

Topkapi Palace, residence of the Ottoman sultans.

Turkish Delights. 

The Grand Bazaar--a mix of tacky souvineers and traditional Turkish luxury goods (carpets).

Around five the sky darkened with storm clouds and I took refuge in a small restaurant within the grand bazaar. After a light dinner I headed back to the airport. Between the rain and rush hour traffic the trains were impossibly full. I had to wait for five full trains to pass by before I was able to squeeze aboard (I had to hold my backpack over my head to fit in). 

Fried eggplant and Turkish tea. 

Rush hour train after I was able to make room for my backpack.