Monday, 12 Feb 2024
Today is our last day in Jogja. After having breakfast at the hotel, we checked out.
We had a few hours to spare before our flight back at 5:30PM, so Pak Puji took us to some nice souvenir shops.
We went to Bijak Jawa, selling batiks, t-shirts and a variety of souvenirs. I personally find the quality of goods at Bijak Jawa to be higher than the average shop at the temples.
From Bijak Jawa, we headed to Bakpia Pathok. It is a store selling Indonesian snacks and sweets which are perfect for souvenirs. They also provide wrapping service for check-in into the flight. The place seems famous as we see a lot of tourists with their luggage buying large number of snacks.
As our last meal in Jogja, Pak Puji took us to Warung Soto Kadipiro. It is a well known local chain specialising in soto.
During the drive to the airport, we passed by the statue of Nyi Ageng Serang (1752 – 1828). She is a national hero of Indonesia, remembered for her valiant efforts in the fighting the Dutch colonial government.
We arrived at the airport around 2PM. We thank Pak Puji for his hospitality and patience with us, and reassured him that we will definitely be recommending his service to our friends.
At the airport, we had time to explore the shops at the departure area. There was a nice bookshop and even more shops selling premier grade souvenirs.
Our flight departed on time. All in all it was a good trip. I got the opportunity to spend quality time with my parents, and we managed to see some really interesting sites. Save for the cloudy Mount Merapi, the other tours were definitely satisfactory. The weather was pleasant too throughout the trip.
I have always admired the Indonesian people. I envy the spirit and strong nationalism they display for their country. They show respect to the pancasila and they always speak highly of their own country. As stated by their national motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, I see them celebrating their very diverse nation and using it as their strength. It’s a beautiful principle and I envy them for having such strong and visionary founding leaders that shaped the core principles of the nation.
I could only dream of Malaysians of having the same sense of identity and nationhood. Some Malaysians don’t even know the Rukun Negara! I understand that given the large scale of their geography, physical development will take time as the leaders need to strike a balance between priority and balance. The Indonesians have shown they are very hardworking and I have no doubt they will eventually be a developed nation sometime in the future.
Imran Jaafar 