One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.
-Thomas Jefferson
Day 4
Taman Sari
If Yogyakarta ever crossed your mind in your travel list, Jomblanc Cave is definitely a must go for every traveller out there. Before that, I stopped by Taman Sari with my beloved friend, Hermon. Took a while to navigate to the entrance but nevertheless it was an eye opener just walking through the village, embracing the friendliness the villagers made me feel. What surprises me was the stark differences in the community between my home country Singapore, and Yogyakarta. Everyone here (in Jogja) felt like a community as compared to Singapore where it’s different. You could just hit up a stranger and talk about life without them being skeptical that you are here to sell them something. Anyway, I was the first few who queued up at the entrance at about 9am or so before entering the beautiful palace. Unfortunately, because it was pretty early in the morning, the ponds in the palace weren’t filled up. Didn’t really experience the full beauty of the palace but just walking inside it was a different experience as if you were brought back to the olden days. Shortly after, we headed to Jomblanc Cave that took an hour and a half to travel. Apparently, Jomblanc cave was pretty near the area (Goa Pindul), which I’ve visited 2 days ago. But because the recommended time to visit Jomblanc was 10am-12pm, I wasn’t able to squeeze this attraction into my 2nd day itinerary.
Jomblanc Cave
Lost in the maze of the village, it took a while crossing some rocky terrain before arriving at this awesome attraction. Jomblanc cave is a cave located in the district Semanu, Pacarrejo village, Gunungkidul and it is famous for its heavenly light coming in through the hole on the cave. At the recommended timing, there will be a ray shining down through the vertical hole of the cave. The price for such a visit was 400,000 IDR (if I recall correctly). Though a tad expensive than other attractions, I guarantee you that this place is not only worth the price paid, it is also worth the travelling distance.
Equipped with the respective equipment, I was rappelled down 50m to the ground with a technique they call “Single Rope Technique (SRT)”. Caution here, if you’re scared of heights, CLOSE YOUR EYES because you’re going to be shouting for help as the intimidating levitation scares the shit out of you. At the ground level, we were led to a dark cave. On the way, pavement was pretty slippery and the steps were steep so take extra precaution as you slowly walk through them. Upon reaching the cave, it was phenomenal. Especially when the sunrays shine through the hole of the cave, then and there, gushes of awesome vibes overwhelm you. It’s really hard to explain how it felt like down there, because somehow the impeccable scene right before you puts a goddamn smile on your face. After some photo taking, I loitered around the cave and it was pretty scary because just right beside the accessed area is a bottomless pit. Imagine what would happen if you fell down…
Pantai Indrayanti
After Jomblanc Cave, Hermon and I headed out for lunch at a street side eatery. As time was on our side, we chatted for quite a while at the eatery and through that we became even closer. Gosh I miss that dude… Anyway, having eaten our lunch, an hour of car ride followed which led to Pantai Indrayanti. Around the vicinity was other beaches and based on what I’ve searched online, Barron beach was worth a visit (as recommended). Perhaps to every individual preference, I personally favored Pantai Indrayanti as compared to all the other beaches nearby. Got out of the car, paid a toll of 12,000 IDR to access the top of the beach and what followed afterwards was a period of self-reflection in life and bonding with my buddy, Hermon. We spent 3 hours talking about life and just appreciating the beauty of the beach from a treetop view. Halfway through I wanted to grab a piece of coconut to drink from but didn’t have enough spare change as the seller only accepts small change. Hermon paid for me. This was a pretty big deal for me because although the money wasn’t much to me, it was probably his few days of lunch money. Forgive me if I haven’t mention it until now, Hermon’s the type of guy who wouldn’t spend a single cent on meals and would rather thrift on it for his family. His meals were mainly bread from home.
Then and there, I realized that sometimes we get so busy chasing paper and money that we forget the simplest thing in life. We’re all so caught up by the notion of being rich that we forget who we really are.
As much as I didn’t want to end the day, time was ticking and I had to return back to my hotel or else his boss would scold him for extending the rental time. I gave him extra tip and bid farewell… After that I ate at a nearby eatery that he recommended me and flew back to Singapore the next day.
Something about travelling alone that makes you want to do it all over again… And to all those who have considered of travelling solo but feared to do it, EMBRACE THE UNCERTAINTY. Step out of your comfort zone and you’ll never know if you ever will find a gem. Do it while you’re young because life is unpredictable. If you were to ask me, in a heartbeat, I’d say this trip has been the best decision I’ve made in 2015.
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