Indonesia has relatively more beautiful rural area not yet touched by the modernity. Fresh air and the green views are the most valuable factors. Those two things are maybe hard to find in the modern country like USA and countries in Europe. Here, in Indonesia, we have plenty of it.

I live in the rural area of Jogjakarta where I can see the green paddy fields, Merapi, and Merbabu mountain from outside my house. When I come home from the work in the center town of Jogja, all the view heals me from the tiredness. It’s like a therapeutic healing from the work fatigue. By this, the next day will be always a great day to do everything.

Most villagers do for living as farmers. Paddy is the main plantation. Few farmers plants vegetables except those who live on the higher latitude. Vegetables planted on the field around my area are chili, spinach, onion, yard-long bean, and egg plant. A few other farmers plant fruit like watermelon and melon. I will provide the photograph later.

A few meters from my house there is a river where some villagers do things like washing clothes, fishing, and taking a bath. about 10 years ago, there were more people did such activities in the river, because the river was clean. The modernity brings changes to the people’s behavior which slow but sure change the nature either.

Observing the living in villages in Indonesia will be a great alternative vacation for those who lives in big cities.  People’s simplicity, their culture, and natural view are interesting to be observed.

It is great to enjoy life in the village.

Djarum Super Jakarta International Blues Festival 2009 will be held at Istora Senayan Jakarta on Saturday, September 7, 2009. The theme taken for this year is “Back To The Roots of All Music”.

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The Indonesian musicians that will perform are Gugun & Blues Shelter, Blues Train, Kiboud Maulana, Gigi, The Dance Company, The Changchuters. special performance from senior blues artist Yopie Item and two of his children Audy and Stevie Item, Bondan Prakoso and his father who is also a musician, Sisco, Abdee Slank, John Paul Ivan, and Rif’s vocalist, Andi.

International Stars from UK, USA, Australia, Dutch, Ireland, Thailand and Singapura are invited to perform on stages. Artists loke Jan Akkerman and Mike Wilgar will surely give great atmosphere on the show.

There will be four stages on the festival. The ticket costs IDR 100.000 or about US$10. It’s an affordable price to witness the world class blues festival in Indonesia.
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Religious people often visit a place for contemplating their life and communicating with the God. In Yogyakarta, there are several devotional places for the Catholics such as Sendang Sono, Goa Tritis and Sendang Jatiningsih. Here, I want to write my devotional visit to Sendang Jatiningsih.

Sendang Jatiningsih is a devotional place for Saint Mary. The location is at Jitar village, Sumberarum, Moyudan, Sleman Yogyakarta. It is beside the Progo River. As the road is well built, it can be achieved by bus, motorcycle and private car.

Sendang Jatiningsih is a Javanese language; Sendang means water spring, while Jatiningsih means true love. So, it can be described as the place of devotion to Saint Mary who has endless true love. For one who opens the ‘heart’ to receive the love he will have it, in contrary for one who shut the ‘heart’ he will far away from the true love.

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The place is very peaceful, the sound of water from the Progo River is also creating the atmosphere of tranquility. Teak wood trees grow on the place, it becomes the identity of the place and giving shades to the place. The place delivers every visitor in the state of solemnity praying.

What the Catholics do in this place is praying, they do novena for the holy Mary or Jesus. Usually, people are praying asking a help to Saint Mary the virgin mother. They request a help for their life, love, works, family and many more. There are several testimonies from people who pray in this place including me. Besides praying, people are also taking the water from its spring to be used for certain purpose. They believe the water is blessed so that they use it as a media to bless their house, the sick and many more.

My testimony is that I get a work as a government officer, a job that the most college graduated want. About seven years ago, I did novena to Holy Mary. The novena was 9 times, that was done in nine days at the same hour. I prayed at 12 o’clock, at the middle of the night. Accompanied by my friend, I prayed in Sendang Jatiningsih with my solemnity and faith. The answer to my prayer was not delivered shortly it needed about one year.

People write down their testimonies on a book that is provided so that everyone may read it. Many people get the answers of their prayer like get a job, have babies, get married, get better in their school, get well from the illness and many more. But, I did not find the book at my last visit on December 2008.

If you have faith on Saint Mary, believe in blessing and willing to open your ‘heart’ to receive and give true love, I can help to pray for you in the place, simply by send me e-mail or comments to this post. I promise!

teak wood trees

Photo Credit: Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

Observing people’s activities is interesting especially the activity that we don’t know before like the local people’s activity of Drini beach. Drini beach is about 10 kilometers to the east of Baron beach, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. Mostly, the occupation of them is fisherman. Of course they catch fishes for living. Depart from the beach at the night and dock the boat on early morning. Sometimes they have to sail for days only to earn for living. However, they sometimes can’t sail. So, what they do when they don’t sail?

Photo Credit: Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

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Fixing their boat or broken equipment is a must for fishermen when they don’t sail. But if they don’t sail they get no income. To rely on the tourism aspect is not helping their life much. So, the locals of Drini beach collect sea weeds, small beautiful fish and sea urchin at the shore. They sell them to brokers who buy them in low prices. Doing that won’t make them millionaire, but they can live, simple living, not a luxurious living. Their hard life and intense struggle can fulfill everyday need and even send their children to school. For the matter of good food for children, they usually give some fishes they caught in order for the children to get good nutrient.

Some of the fishermen don’t have their own boat. They rent the boat from the “Juragan”, the owner of the rental. Sharing the catch is how they pay the rent fee. At least, the fishermen get only 30% – 40% of the result. Since the government helps them with boats, they don’t depend on the Juragan.

Photo Credit: Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

What I feel when I visited Sundak beach was something that is called tranquility. It was about 3.30 PM when the sun prepared to ‘come home’. The golden light of the sun warmed me while I was blown by the wind of the sea. The subsided water allowed me to go further, walked on the green sea weeds, found the best angle to capture the moment. All I heard was only the sound of the wind and the wave. I looked at the water, there were many small fishes swam and hide in the coral, maybe they’re afraid of me.

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Sundak beach is not to far from the other beaches like Baron, Drini and Krakal. They make a chain of beaches in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. The view along the road to the beaches is good, the hill with green grass in the rainy season just give a better mood for everyone.

Sundak Beach View Photo by Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

Unlike Baron and Drini beach, Sundak beach is quiet. Its contour is not ideal for fishermen to dock their boats so that there is no fisherman there. In addition, food stalls are outside the beach area. Since it is not as popular as Baron beach, only few visitors visit this beach. However, its beauty can’t be defeated by the more popular beach.

Sundak Beach Photo Credit: Deka~Discover-Indonesia.com

Sundak beach has white sand and rocky hills on the right and the left as a border of the view. On the east hill, there is a building for observing the surrounding or for meditation if you like. From top of the hill, we can see the beautiful view of the beach, small rocky island and the sunset if you’re lucky.
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Credit: deka

Prambanan Temple is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia which was built in the 9th century. It is not sure who has built the temple, but it is believed it was built by one of these kings, King Rakai Pikatan or King Balitung Maha Sambu during the periode of Sanjaya (Çanjaya) Dynasty. The location of the temple is on Prambanan village, about 17 kilometres from Jogjakarta.

Prambanan has eight shrines which is three of them are the main shrines. Those three shrines are called Trisakti, dedicated for Siwa or Shiva, Wisnu or Vishnu and Brahma. The biggest shrine is Siwa which is 47 meters high.

The Siwa shrine is in the middle among the temples. It has four chambers, facing four directions. The first chamber consists of the statue of Siwa which is three meters high. The other chambers consist of the statue of Durga or Loro/Lara Jonggrang, Siwa’s wife, Agastya statue, Siwa’s guru and Ganesha, Siwa’s son.

Wisnu’s shrine is at the south of Siwa shrines, while Brahma shrine at the north of Siwa’s. There are three smaller shrines for the vehicle of the Gods, Nandini, the vehicle of Siwa, Angsa, Brahma’s vehicle and Garuda, Wisnu’s vehicle.
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Story about Ramayana is chiseled at the balustrade of Brahma shrines. The relief at the balustrade of Wisnu’s shrines tells the childhood of Krishna.

Credit: M3R

Ramayana Ballet
Thing that is a must is watching the Ramayana Ballet, telling about Rama and Shinta. The performance takes place at the open air stage with Prambanan Temple as the background. The show is presented from 07.00 pm – 09.30 pm.

Credit: M3R

Diving
The main attraction on Karimunjawa Islands is the show of the beautiful underwater world. The underwater world has 274 colorful fish species and 133 interesting genera of aquatic fauna. It just becomes a new alternative of diving in Indonesia. Although all islands have beautiful view, but Tengah and Sintok islands are the most attractive.

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Dive Wreck
At Kemojan Island, the divers can fulfill their diving holidays by observing a ship wreck, Indonoor, a Dutch coal carrier ship drowned on 1947. The dive wreck is giving a new experience which may not be found anywhere else. It’s just the perfect house of fishes like Butterfly fish and Napoleon and also the perfect habitat for corals. Since the local fishermen believe the place is eerie, fishes at the wreck are bigger than those at the other location.

Snorkeling and other
Due to good water visibility, snorkeling is also possible to work on. For those who have no courage to dive, snorkeling is the best solution. Besides snorkeling, visitors may also watch shark and sea turtles in a pool at Menjangan Island.

How to get there?
To get to Karimunjawa, ther are two possibilities. The first is by plane from Ahmad Yani Airport Semarang to Dewa Daru Airport Karimunjawa, this will take less than one hour. The second is by ship from Tanjung Muria Jepara. The speed boat will take you about 4 hours while the economy ferry will take about 6 hours.

Where to stay?
Don’t be afraid, there are so many homestays and hotels, just choose the cheap or expensive one.