An A.M. visit to Mendut Temple. It houses the most significant statue of Buddha in Java: a 3 metre high figure flanked by the Bodhisattvas. The Buddha is noted for sitting western style, instead of the usual lotus position. 
Then it was off for a short trip to Yogyakarta. Yogya is the cultural capital of Java. . At last, a real city again. After we DB&B (drop bags and bolt), we found a motorcycle rental place and it was off for a drive through “Jogja”…. a flow of becaks, bikes, motorcycles, cars and trucks, all managing to keep a steady pace.
An hour at the local Internet Café…they served beer and had a fan positioned over the PC…finally someone who understood the simple requirements of a Westerner. Dinner was at a beautiful garden restaurant, Kedai Kebun. White wine and a great local dish and a charming waitress…and a very wet ride home as the rains come back for the evening downpour.
Then it was off for a short trip to Yogyakarta. Yogya is the cultural capital of Java. . At last, a real city again. After we DB&B (drop bags and bolt), we found a motorcycle rental place and it was off for a drive through “Jogja”…. a flow of becaks, bikes, motorcycles, cars and trucks, all managing to keep a steady pace.
Our first stop was McDonalds- for our Big Mac fix. McDonald’s in SE Asia wasn’t exactly “fast” food….particularly if you’re looking for a burger. Their pre-ready meals were mostly chicken and rice, eaten with your hands. As we ate our Big Mac, the skies opened up and it was another torrential rainstorm. We were at the end of the rainy season and the rains were amazing. So, we headed for a walk down Marlboro Street, the main drag of Jogya. It was a long drag of storefronts and street vendors selling the tackiest souvenirs. Our only purchase- a PPT, Pro MegaWati T-shirt. The towns in Java were filled with political T-shirts, flags and signs - and the election was still over a month away.
We finally headed back out on the bike to find the local “puppet maker”. After a lot of backtracking, a nice Indonesian woman led us to the puppet store. The local guy was a hoot. We managed to get a conversation going with the help of a dictionary. He did a mini puppet show with two puppets, saying, “I am from America”, “I am from Indonesia”, “ I am 55 years old”, “I am Bill Clinton”. How could we resist buying something from him…so we bought the most grotesque puppet- a giant eating a man…For $6.00, it was a steal.
An hour at the local Internet Café…they served beer and had a fan positioned over the PC…finally someone who understood the simple requirements of a Westerner. Dinner was at a beautiful garden restaurant, Kedai Kebun. White wine and a great local dish and a charming waitress…and a very wet ride home as the rains come back for the evening downpour.
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