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| A wedding party at the Javanology building |
In April this year, while attending a friend's wedding party, I had a solo trip to the city of Solo in Central Java. Phew, what a pun. Through this passage, I'm gonna recap what I have been doing during the solo trip, places I visited, foods I tried, and so on. Let's get started.
The wedding invitation
In the last week of March, a good friend of mine sent an invitation to his wedding. It would be held in the Javanology Building of Sebelas Maret University, Solo. The wedding party is scheduled for Sunday, 5 April. By sheer coincidence (or not), the event was held during the long weekend from Friday. So, I thought, why not enjoy a little vacation in the city?
***
Friday, 3 April
My train arrived at Solo Balapan station at around 7 p.m., after a 7-hour cruise full of beautiful scenery along the island of Java. As I got off the train, I looked for a toilet, rested a little, and checked the map for the hotel that I had booked in advance.
The hotel is located about 1 km from the station, so I decided to just walk and get some fresh air. It turned out that the distance was not as short as I had imagined. During my walk, I saw many food stalls selling dinner, but I'd rather walk first and think about dinner later at the hotel.
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| A pedestrian bridge connecting the Solo Balapan Station and Tirtonadi Bus Terminal |
As I checked in, I had a little refreshment. I drank a chug of mineral water, I took a shower, and got some fresh clothes. I thought it was probably too late to have dinner outside, so I just walked to the front of the hotel and had some bakso (meatball soup) that I had seen upon entering the hotel.
I brushed my teeth and slept.
***
Saturday, 4 April
Feeling well rested, I got myself ready for an adventure. I wore an all-black hat covering my head, an oversized black T-shirt for my torso, black pants, and a pair of black Adidas shoes.
As I walked out of the hotel to the main street, I searched for a breakfast recommendation and found Sate Kambing Pak Mardi, which happens to be near Pura Mangkunegaran —a palace for the Mangkunegaran administration, in Solo. The restaurant was about 3 km from where I stood, so I booked a ride 'cause I didn't wanna be soaked in sweat that early in the morning.
I found out I was too early, for the place wasn't open yet. The GoJek driver then explained to me about the Mangkunegaran Palace and recommended me to visit it after breakfast. He then showed me a little bit of the surrounding area, the Triwindu market, and dropped me off near the market since the Sate place was not yet open. I couldn't help but thank him and tipped a little for the ride and the little explanation of why Solo had two palaces —Surakarta and Mangkunegara.
At 8 a.m., the Sate place was still closed —it was supposed to open around that time, as Google Maps suggested. So, I waited a little bit. Restaurants usually put a little announcement in front of the door when they are not open, but there was no such paper attached. I took a little stroll and found a little coffee place. Well, a little coffee in the morning wouldn't hurt, I thought.
It was about half past eight. Yeah, the Sate place didn't open. I took a longer stroll towards a Soto Boyolali restaurant. It was nice. Although sate in Solo is a must-try, as my friend suggested. But again, a little bit of soto in the morning wouldn't hurt.
Next, I walked back to the Mangkunegaran Palace. From a few hundred meters away, I saw a queue in front of the entrance door. I approached the crowd and read a banner on what to do and what not to do inside the palace complex. So I learned that you cannot visit the palace by yourself. A group of 20 visitors will enter the palace with a designated guide by the palace administration. Also, you are not allowed to enter the complex wearing a batik with a parang motif.
I paid IDR 30.000, waited a little more to be designated a group. Then I (and the other 19 people) were allowed to enter the palace complex. Our guide was a young man called Pancer. Upon entering the complex, Pancer explained which buildings we were going to enter, and then we were introduced to the Cupid statue waterfall. Pancer said that Pura Mangkunegaran is an assimilation between Javanese and European culture.
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| Posing in front of the Cupid waterfall |
As the tour progressed, Pancer explained many things we need to know about the establishment of the Mangkunegaran Principality by Pangerang Sambernyawa in 1757, its (original) area of sovereignty, and its brief history over time. After Pancer asked us to take off our shoes, we were allowed to enter the Pendapa Ageng —a big building used for various functions. There are two gamelan sets inside the Pendapa —I forgot the name of each— but Pancer said each gamelan served different functions and is played on different occasion.
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| The center of the Pendapa Ageng, where East (Hindu mythology) meets West (12 Zodiacs). |
Pancer then guided us deep further into the complex. He showed us the keputren —bedrooms for the daughters of the royal family. He said the keputren is mostly empty nowadays because as the daughters grow older and get married, they are accustomed to following their husbands. He also showed us the carriage storage room. Pancer said the palace used to have a horse stable for transportation. However, in this modern era, the royal family uses cars for daily mobility and only utilizes the horse carriage on special occasions, e.g. coronation or royal carnival. So, they no longer have horses or a stable; instead, horses are rented when required.
Lastly, Pancer explained about the Pracimasana —a fine dining restaurant in the palace complex— how to book, what kind of foods they offer, and so on. After that, the tour ended and they offered a complimentary drink —a nice and refreshing lemongrass tea.
With a 30K rupiah entry ticket, I think the tour was very worth it.
***
I exited the Mangkunegaran palace complex at around 11 a.m. I opened Google Maps and typed in "Tumurun Museum". It was about 1 km or 15 minutes of walking. Okay, so I re-applied sunscreen and walked to the museum. It was hot as hell, especially if you wear all-black (lol).
On the way to the museum, I saw Sate Kambing Pak Manto. I haven't got lunch any way, so I stopped by. I ordered buntel, rice, and iced lemonade. The portion was too big to eat alone (I thought), but I finished my meal anyway. I forgot how much I paid, but I think it was around 80K. A bit pricey for a meal in Solo. After paying for the meal, I continued my walk to the museum. There were like 50 meters remaining.
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| I forgot to capture the food picture, so here's the store atmosphere instead. |
***
There was another crowd of people, so I supposed that was the museum. I walked inside, paid for the ticket (25K rupiah), and put my bag in the designated bag deposit, for there is a no-bags-allowed sign.
The Tumurun Museum is a private museum with collections consisting of modern art. Artists from all over the country exhibit their artwork here. The museum was air-conditioned, so I could cool down a little bit and get a little rest.
There was no guide like the Mangkunegaran Palace, but visitors were free to explore the museum as they pleased. It was very crowded, especially with young adults and teenagers alike. I saw myriads of artworks, from paintings and sculptures to installations. Here are some of the artworks as captured by my phone.
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| Rendition of 'The Last Supper' chiseled on a wooden board |
In my humble opinion, the 25K rupiah you paid to enter the museum was not worth it.
After pretending to understand enjoying some modern art at Tumurun Museum, I continued my voyage to the next destination. My friend recommended Lokananta to me so I went there. Lokananta was a state-owned music label, but now it functions as a museum. Since I was already too tired for another walk and it was quite far away too, I decided to get there by public transportation. I tried Batik Solo Trans for the very first time.
I walked a little bit from the museum to the nearest bus stop at Slamet Riyadi Street. I waited a little while, and the suitable bus number arrived. I got inside the bus, tapped my Flazz card for payment, and sat back.
I got off the bus at a particular bus stop (I forgot the name), and then walked another 500 meters to Lokananta. It was still hot as hell. Upon arriving at Lokananta, I noticed that it was near the Sunan Hotel, where I had stayed. No wonder the vicinity looked familiar.
I asked the receptionist how much a ticket would cost. It was another 30K rupiah. The employee said that the next guided tour would be held at 4 p.m., but visitors are allowed to enter the museum without guide until the next tour. It was around 3:30, so I purchased a guided tour ticket for 4 p.m., and waited a little while.
I explored the complex, looking for something to drink. I would not be surprised if everything were overpriced in a place like this. However, to my surprise, a bottle of cold mineral water just cost the same as outside. So I bought one bottle of mineral water, chugged it like a camel because of the thirst, and came back inside the museum waiting room.
***
As the 4 pm tour started, I entered the museum. There was a young man who guided us inside. I forgot his name, by the way.
The young man explained the history of why Lokananta was established, how the name was chosen —in Javanese mythology, it is the name of a gamelan set which plays itself beautifully up there in the heavens to entertain the gods, how the Bengawan Solo song was originally recorded, how music was produced in the past, how the Proclamation of Independence was re-recorded and spread across the world, up to the point of why Lokananta as a recording label fell. The guided tour ended at 5 pm but visitors were free to roam until 6 pm.
Again, with the 30K you paid, the visit was so worth it.
***
After finishing the tour, it was pouring. I wanted to try the "Bakso Patung Kuda Manahan" for dinner, so I ordered an online taxi. The ride took about 15 minutes. I made small talk with the driver. I enjoy making small talk with taxi drivers because sometimes they give you wisdom, recommendations, or... yeah, small talk. As we arrived, unfortunately, the bakso place was closed. Bad luck this time. But I am hungry. So I walked a little to get any open restaurant. As I walked around disappointed, I randomly passed by a sign that said 'Chilipari Catering'—jeng jeng! A iconic Solo easter egg, I guess. I ended up having fried chicken at an Ayam Kremes place nearby
After finishing my dinner, I went back to the hotel by GoJek to freshen up and sleep. Zzz...
***
Sunday, 5 April
It's the big day, the main reason of my visit to Solo. My friend's wedding party at the Javanology building was that very day. I got myself ready early in the morning. I wore my batik, stepped down to the receptionist to check out, and ordered a GoJek. The party would not begin for another hour, so instead of going to the Javanology directly, I stopped by a "Cold-n-Brew" coffeeshop for a morning coffee and pastry breakfast.
As the clock turned 9 a.m., I booked a ride to the venue. It actually was just another kilometer —not that far for a stroll, but I thought it would be so damn improper to attend a wedding party soaked in sweat. The ride took approximately 5 minutes. The venue has been set but no one was there, except for some wedding organizer's crews and family members. I met Eko, who is another friend during my college time in Yogyakarta. I said hi, and we entered the venue together.
The ceremony started at around 9:15. We were feasted with a 3-course meal. An appetizer of Selad Solo, a main course of nasi tumpeng (or something), and a dessert of ice cream. During the ceremony, other friends also came to the venue one after another. So it also became a little reunion for us.
As the family members and VIP guests went home, the groom cued us to get on the stage. We took group photos together, made small talk, and I also took this opportunity to say goodbye.
As the party ended, I walked to the university mosque to pray and get a little nap...
***
After a 30-minute nap, I walked out of the campus. I went to a Lawson store to buy some mineral water. I still didn't know where to go, but I felt too tired for another museum tour, so I finally decided to go to a shopping mall. I asked my friend which mall is the nearest to the train station. It was the Paragon Mall. I waited in the bus stop for the bus going toward the mall. But after waiting for like 15 minutes I gave up and ordered a Grab instead.
I explored the mall interior. Well, it just consisted of three floors, if my memory doesn't betray me. I just explored and window shopped along the mall until I saw a Batik Hadinata stall. I browsed a little, found one short-sleeved batik —which I didn't have— and checked it out.
As it got dark, I ordered another Grab for the Cold 'n Brew near the train station. It was my last destination during this solo trip before getting back to real life at the following midnight. I had had an appointment with my online chemistry student for 7 p.m. so that is why I stopped by at the coffeeshop. I ordered an iced latte and another pastry and went upstairs, ready for my online class.
After finishing my online class at around 9 p.m., I got out of the cafe to take a little walk. I asked a bloke which way to the station, and found out it was just less than a hundred meters away. I felt a little hungry because it was dinner time anyway, so I went to a small bakso stall and had a bowl of bakso for my dinner.
I paid for my dinner and walked into the station. I had myself checked in using the face recognition gate. I had registered my face into the KAI app a long time ago, but I just utilized the function that very time. I was flabbergasted nonetheless. Around midnight, the train came. I searched for my seat, put my bag in the rack, leaned my seat, and closed my eyes...
***
Epilogue
I had a blast during my solo trip in Solo. I posted several WhatsApp statuses, and of course a lot of my contacts commented to me to go to "Tembok Ratapan Solo" (the Wailing Wall of Solo). And, of course, I didn't go there. There were some places I haven't visited and foods I haven't tried though, so maybe another day.
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