Though technically I wasn't celebrating the Lunar New Year this time around, I still did a little tidying up for good measure. After a frantic day of clearing, I got up at 5am and packed. Also made sure the furballs were cleaned up and fed. Took a cab to Changi AX and almost puked in the cab. For some strange reason, my tummy wasn't settling down very well. Perhaps the fact that I hadn't been on a plane for almost 5 years finally hit me. I confess, I don't like the feeling of the G-force from takes-offs and of course, turbulence and air pockets.
Hunted for a place within the departure gates for food - got tempted by GUCCI for awhile. Saw some funky stuff but got dragged away immediately. Ended up having Spinelli's. Garuda was going to feed us after all. Almost missed the flight as they did not make final calls for our flight to Jakarta. Luckily, we WEREN'T the last passengers on board. Pretty full flight as the Indonesian students were taking the chance to go back for IMLAC. (What they call the Lunar New Year there)
Flight was kinda smooth and the food wasn't too bad; beef rendang, lontong and tempe. Except I managed to drop some of the rempah on my OFF-WHITE tank camisole. Left a stain due to the tumeric in the rendang. Got to Sukarno-Hatta Airport, Jakarta in about an hour and a bit. That was when the long wait would begin.We arrived about 10:00am (Waktu Indonesia Barat WIB).It's like going back in time coz we left home at 10am! Had to clear all our luggage and walk out and re-check in at the domestic counter. Got our first 'encounter' when a Garuda rep comes up to help us and then asks for some 'tips'. Couldn't have been considered tips when he named a price.We had been warned and considering my family's roots, it was something we grew up with.
The long wait began but unlike Changi, not too many shops to browse in. A familiar scent wafted on by from the food court. ROTIBOY, now defunct in Singapore I believe, had reached Jakarta's shores. Except here, they bought them by the cartons. It was amazing to see the travellers carrying boxes of them onboard their domestic flights home. Had some beef pastry at a home grown 'Deli France' like chain; the Snapple caused more than my food.
The connecting flight to Yogya was at 2:40pm WIB. Believe me, it was a LONG wait. It was interesting, however, to observe the people going about their business. One thing I have to say; the rich in Indonesia are extremely rich. One youngish couple in the food court,were decked out in every major designer one could think of. The wife hardly looked like she had given birth to 2 kids and was dripping in diamonds.What's also noticeable is that the affluent also have at least 1 maid in tow wherever they go. Given the designer labels I saw, it was as if I were at some Parisian or Milanese runway show.Again I would like to reiterate, money doesn't necessarily buy style.
Finally got to the gate, only to be told that the flight would be delayed by half and hour or so, as the plane hadn't arrived. The takeoff was a little shaky but things soon settled when we got to cruising altitude. It was a relatively short flight - 50 minutes. Along the way, as I peered out from the window, I could the meandering rivers and the Central Javanese highlands. The landing was a little fast; the runway at Bandara Adi Sucipto was by far, the shortest runway I had ever encountered. It wasn't a shock that the accident on 7 March occurred. It was a relief to get off the plane and finally be able to settle down on terra firma.
The Hyatt limo came to get us; think it was a Toyota Kijang, the Indonesian made mini-MPV. We got a glimpse of rush-hour, Yogya style, which really wasn't too bad. Finally arrived at the Hyatt and what can I say, it was a real change from what I had seen of Java and Yogya so far. The website wasn't kidding about the landscape. Of course, they used ambient lighting for the picture I posted in an earlier blog. Here's my version:
The lobby was on level 2. It's not a big hotel the way that the Grand Hyatt Singapore or Hyatt Bali is. The Hyatt Yogya pretty grand in its own way but yet cozy enough for the casual traveler like me.The room was cozy and despite the hotel being almost a decade old, still had this 'new' feeling about it. It had a huge picture window which overlooked the golf course. I knew I was going to like this place!
Did some exploration before dinner; of course, this being Yogya, it is ineveitable that Borobodur is the main inspiration for the hotel's architecture.
We didn't want to venture out as it gets pretty dark quickly in Yogya so for dinner we ate at the hotel's main dinning hall. It was a pretty costly meal (though slightly cheaper than Singapore standards) but the seafood buffet was scrumptious! Of course, Hyatt hotels anywhere also have a fantastic array of desserts. We ate safe this trip, ie. at the Hotel, fast food chains but then again, this trip was meant to be a recce of Indonesia's cultural capital!
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