Solo – A Long Awaiting Journey

Every time I went to Yogyakarta by train, I always stopped for few minutes in one of train station of Solo. I used to think, I should come to to this city someday.  I can say that it’s a non-traffic jam city compared to Surabaya. It must be great to visit it.

Finally!!!! I went there on Friday morning, June 26,  2009 by Sancaka train which cost only USD 6. It took 4 hours and 28 minutes from Surabaya, how amazed that I can be there at the right time! As exactly written in the ticket!!! I accompanied by my old camera, Yasicha FX – 3 Super, and Kodak Easy Share CX6330 that I borrowed from Aswid. Then, I directly check in to the Solo Inn Hotel, a lovely small hotel with some friendly staffs. Then I was a bit disappointed on the first news that I had. I told that than the Solo Batik Carnival, it’s an event that I really wanted to see, held on June 28, 2009 instead of June 26 – 28, 2009 as I read in the websites and posters. sniff….

Side walk in Solo

Then I decided to explore Solo alone to get some scenes to be taken, since my friends who I will meet still working. I took a bus from the hotel to Pura Mangkunegaran, belongs to the Royal Family of Mangkunegara. It’s a great place to go. Then planned to go to the Kraton Kasultanan Solo, but it’s closed on Friday. So I decided to go to Klewer market by becak, then I  trapped inside and couldn’t find a way out hahahah…. It was still around 4 o’clock when I returned to the hotel. After took a bath, I went to mall and found a place to have massage. With USD 5 I can have 1 hour Indian head massage with aromatherapy. Then back to the hotel and my friend picked me up to take me out for dinner — nasi liwet yummie, showed me around and made a plan to go to the Grojogan Sewu (waterfall) – Tawangmangu in the next day.

@ Pura Mangkunegaran

I woke up around 6 in the morning, felt so sleepy, I didn’t get enough sleep because there’s a party in the lobby that only few meters from my room.  After having light breakfast, my friend and I went to the waterfal, about 40 km from Solo. It took around 1 hour with motorbike. When we got there, we have to take 500 m  stairway down to the waterfal. We walked like old fellas :p After few menutes, we got there. It paid well. The scene was beautiful! Then…. it took a great struggle to walk up. But finally we made it and wet by sweat ) Then we had lunch, delicious sop buntut, then ride back to Solo and enjoying the beautiful view of mountain, hills and rice field.

Grojogan Sewu - Tawangmangu

It was almost 2 PM when we reached Solo. We directly went to the Kraton Kasultanan Solo, took some pictures, get some rest. Then we bought some foods for the people at home, one of them is the famous Serabi Notosuman. The most delicious one.

Kraton Kasultanan Solo

After picked up my luggage in the hotel, we went to bus station to catch 5 PM train. Time to say goodbye to Solo, friends and lovely experiences at there. Well…. I’ll be back someday…. ;p

Thanx to Setyo Hanugoro for take me around Solo without complaining ;p

Setyo (a good guide ;p) and I