Indo-endo : Jogjakarta Part 2

A mish-mash of my Jogja trip.

I was quite surprised with myself that I did not really had much appetite for food while in Jogja. Maybe it's because I was chugging water all the time for fear of collapsing in the heat. Tsk tsk, I can be such a puteri lilin sometimes ;P.

I asked what is a must-eat in Jogja and was told it was Nasi Gudeg, which is basically rice with stewed jackfruit, served with rendang-like chicken and kulit cape ('sapi' skin, I found out). It comes in many variations; with chicken, komplit etc. Mi baso was everywhere too mainly sold by pushcart vendors.

So, for my first meal there I had nasi gudeg ayam at the roadside stall ('lesehan pojok') along Jln Malioboro, and ordered some lalap as well; a side 'salad' of raw sliced cabbage, cucumber and some ulam served with super hot sambal that had me in tears. Later I was told my becak-man that the locals won't be seen dead eating at those stalls, it's only for tourists and out-of-towners.

Street vendors are everywhere, here the lady sells nasi gudeg.

Wasn't crazy with the taste of this teh botol, I thought it tasted very 'pharmaceutical' but it was strangely addictive especially when served chilled.

I did not have the heart (nor guts) to try out Kopi Luwak - firstly it's USD 8 per cup and secondly, it's basically coffee beans out of a civet's backside.

After dinner I walked the whole length of Malioboro, with a side swerve into the mall, where I tried a keropok ikan Palembang (just okay) and also got myself a refreshing glass of yummy lovely avocado juice, drizzled with chocolate syrup (why? I forgot to ask them to hold this).

Wandered in and out of the many batik and souvenir shops, subjecting myself to endless friendly harrassment from the sales staff. Oh dear. I got a tee and a Mraz hat :)

Becak-men were also a plenty, and I spotted these interesting ones:

Dedicated to RvP.

This is for Stevie G.

Barca. Should be Henry.

This guy, I don't know who from Inter.

Somewhere near the hotel, I went to a batik painting shop; apart from the common patterns there were some really good artwork. Got myself a small black and white one.

Art Studio owner - I forgot his name.

Went to bed at midnight, drifted in and out of sleep, with a little bit of anxiety on the possibility of missing my 5:00 am pick up to the temples the next morning. Oh, and I couldn't charge my phone or camera battery as they didn't have a three-pin adapter. Hmmph.

* * * * *

Bedhot Resto, where I had lunch of Java fried rice and spinach soup.

eFeM Resto, where Masami and I had dinner before the Ramayana show.

I found the gangs (back alleys?) of Jln Sosrowijayan fascinating; they deserve a post of their own.

* * * * *

After my temple outing, I went to the Tugu train station to buy my ticket to Bandung the next day. The one-way ticket on executive class costs Rp 160,000; with an ETD 0927 hrs and ETA 1745 hrs.

The counter service was painfully very leisurely; the young girl was thankfully all smiles.

Waiting for my 0927 Lodaya Pagi train.

I was a bit fearful of crossing the rails just like that, even though it's safe as there are security personnel here and there. Railwayttrackcrossingphobia, that's a new one you read it here first.

I enjoyed Jogja very much, it's small and laid back yet big enough to have everything and it's got some kind of hippie vibe :). There were some places I didn't get to go like the Kraton (closed early) and Kota Gede so I really would like to return one day.

Next : onwards to Bandung!

Culinary Cravings a.k.a. Makan Travels

There was once this programme called The Woman Who Ate Scotland on Channel 703, where the host goes around the country on her bicycle in search of its culinary delights.

By the way, Scotland is not really that well-known for its cuisine, (I can't name a dish, apart from haggis and .. er, Scotch Whisky?) however there are some interesting hidden treats there. I've tried an authentic haggis before and it was alright. Maybe the texture puts some people off.

Anyway, I only managed to catch bits of the series when it was on air, enough to give me some inspiration on things to do during my travels.

So I'm thinking, in planning for my Tour de Malaise, that I should eat my way through the Peninsular, savouring each state's delights.

This is how it looks like at this moment . (x) denotes have been tried.

Johor : Mee Rebus Johor

Melaka : Chicken Rice Balls(x)

Pahang : Murtabak Mengkasar.

Terengganu : Keropok Lekor, Nasi Dagang.

Kelantan : Nasi Dagang, Nasi Kerabu, Nasi Tumpang.

Perlis : ??

Kedah : ??

Perak : Ipoh Hor Fun.

Penang : Oh, this is very difficult. Although I have been to Penang and enjoyed all its hawker fare, next trip I'm going specifically for these : Char Kuey Teow with duck egg at Ping Hooi Coffeeshop; Nasi Kandar at Kedai Kopi Tai Min; Mummy Otak at Kim Lee Coffeeshop. And many more to be discovered. Soon.

KL : Mee Rebus Rosli at Jalan TAR.

Negeri Sembilan : ??

Sorry I have not found out what some of the states have to offer, hence the question marks. Any other must-eats or must-trys?

I'd like to be The Girl Who Ate Malaysia :P

Delhi Belly and Things Like That

A former boss once said of people who suffer diarrhoea, 'Aiya, you people have weak stomach. Not strong!'

Haha.

I am lucky that I do not have a weak or a sensitive stomach. *touch wood* Reading about Delhi Belly and other such sufferings when on the road does make me worry sometimes. The last time I suffered a bad one (not from travelling though) I was in bed for 2 full days and thought it was the worse kind of suffering due to the dehydration and erm, frequent visits to the loo.

Every time I'm somewhere else, I will try the local food. As in, eat what and where the locals eat as long as it looks reasonable in terms of cleanliness and presentation. Usually I'll venture out and try the hawker stalls/street food, as well as the food courts.

In Bangkok, I found the most wonderful, pile-it-high som tam and various sweet desserts at the night market. In Phuket, I had a most flavourful pad thai and other stuff in the Old Town. Even in KL, I love the Nasi Lemak Jalan Alor and the Petaling Street Air Mata Kucing. Penang, Malacca : needs no introduction nor explanation.

So far, so good.

I am cautious with drinking water though, so usually I'll go for bottled, canned or hot drinks most of the time. To be safe, I'm thinking that I should also bring some of those Lomotil pills and rehydration tablets, just in case.

Looking forward to sample other street foods in other places in the next few months!