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November
Last October 25, the 7th Sekala Bekhak Festival (FSB) in 2021 was held at the Liwa Botanical Gaden (KRL) in Lampung, Sumatra. The event which was held in a hybrid way aims to preserve arts and culture of the ancestral heritage, while at the same time to awak entourism and the local creative economy with the theme “Enjoy the Nature and Culture”. The Sekala Bekhak Festival was enlivened with a various of interesting activities, such as Bumi Sekala Bekhak Gambus Orchestra performance, Nyambai Tradition, Sekura Dance, Tourism Culture Photo and Video Competition as well as Tourism and Cultural Destination Story Telling Competitions. Now we will introduce you to one of these activities, namely Nyambai Tradition. According to Suntan Sarif, who is Lampung traditional figure, Nyambai is a gathering of unmarried men and women for social bond, getting to know each other by showing their ability to dance and reciprocate pantun or rhyming poetry.
According to the webpage kemdikbud.go.id, Nyambai customary procession is found in the nayuh ritual or wedding ceremony, which is only done by Saibatin indigenous people in West Lampung. This tradition has a standard procedure. This procedure is determined by Sutan or the local traditional leader of Saibatin, so that in the procession, you just have to follow the same phases. The sequence of Nyambai traditional activities among Saibatin indigenous people of West Lampung are: preparation, opening, implementation of Nyambai and closing.
Preparation for the Nyambai event is carried out the day before the nayuh ritual is held or at noon before the nyambai is held. The night before the nyambai event, there is a procession where meghanai or some bachelors representing the baya (the event owner) pick up the muli or girls in the village around the nyambai will be held. These bachelors come to the girl's house and ask for permission from the girl's parents to take part in the nyambai event and will take the girls back home when the event is over. The girl will start to prepare or dress up if her father or mother allows her. Normally, the event owner has built a ward which is used as a place for nyambai to be held and the next day it is used as a place for nayuh invitees. After the muli and meghanai gather at the event owner's house, the nyambai event can begin. The nyambai executive committee has prepared 4 shawls. Later these shawls are used to determine who will show their skills in dancing and rhyming. This activity is called Throwing the Shawl. The Nyambai tradition begins with an opening by the head of the meghanai (Keala Bujang). Then it is followed by dance performance and welcoming rhymes from the baya (the event owner).
November
Kali Uluh beach is located in Klesem Village, Kebonagung, Pacitan, East Java. This beach is only 35 kilometers from Pacitan City, and it takes 1-2 hours by motor vehicles to the beach. Land transportation is the only way to get to the beach. But you have to be careful with the roads that are up and down, and the roads are steep.
When you arrive at the Kali Uluh beach, you can explore the typical areas of the beach. If you go to the west side, you will find high cliffs that become a barrier between the coast and the mainland. Furthermore, you will also find a collection of colorful fishing boats there. Due to the strong flow, you are recommended not to swim too far from the beach. And if you love surfing, you need to get permission from the coast guard first.
Strong flow with typical waves in the south coast and dominated by corals and rocks is the characteristics of the beach. In Kali Uluh beach, you can also enjoye a beautiful waterfall. The waterfall is usually used by tourists for cleaning their body from sand and sea water. They also can enjoy the view around the waterfall.
October
If you visit an area, it will be perfect if you try to enjoy the special cuisine of the area visited. Take for example, if one day you have a chance to come back to Indonesia, please visit Malang City, East Java. Malang is well known not only for its culinary, such as bakso (meatball), bakwan, perkedel tempe or mendol, but also for its typical culinary dish called Nasi Buk or Buk rice. This is a popular dish in Malang, East Java. Even though it's popular in Malang, Nasi Buk turns out to become Madura’s special food. In the past, Nasi Buk was brought by Madura people to Malang. The name of 'Buk' came from customer's greeting, that called the seller as 'Buk' or Ma'am. In East Java, using "Buk" is a special call for Madura’s adult woment or mothers. After all, this dish has been growing up and better known in Malang than in Madura itself.
Nasi Buk consists of rice mixed with cow innard and also special seasoning of jackfruit and Rebung or bamboo shoots. The main dish is cow innard which is processed to be savory and tender. Consumer does not need to worry if he or she does not eat innards, the seller also serves fried chicken. One portion of Nasi Buk is usually served with Lodeh vegetable with bamboo shoots mixed with spit meat, yeast jerky, fried empal and lung crackers. The last thing is sprinkled with Serundeng. Nasi Buk is delicious to enjoy while it's warm.
Before being sold at the stall like nowadays, Nasi Buk was peddled around. Rice and the side dish were put in a basket and carried to be peddled. The seller went around the Pecinan and Kota Lama area until it got famous in Malang. In Malang, there are a lot of restaurants selling Nasi Buk. But if you want to try the authentic one, you can visit 'Warung Nasi Bu Matirah' in Trunojoyo. It is said that the Nasi buk Matirah stall is a pioneer in serving this Madura cuisine. Nasi Buk is relatively cheap; it's around Rp 20,000. This dish is usually sold in the morning as breakfast.
October
If the situation is getting better and you can travel again, please come to Indonesia, there are various interesting tourism attractions and activities. For example, if you visit Boyolali City, Central Java, there is Indrokilo Botanical Garden. While recreation, you can get more insight about the variety of lowland rainforest plants here. This Botanical Garden is located in Kampung Tempurejo, Kemiri subdistrict, Mojosongo district, Boyolali regency. It takes about 10 minutes from Boyolali square to this tourist attraction. During this pandemic, Indrokilo is only open on weekdays, from 8 am to 4.30 pm. At the entrance, tourists get their body temperature checked. In fact, it is mandatory to have at least the first dose of vaccine. In the tourist area, tourists are required to wear masks and keep their distance.
Indrokilo Botanical was built on an area of 9.35 hectares. This botanical garden has more than 900 specimens of plant collections with 7 themes of plants. They are medicinal plants, ferns, conservation, labyrinth, bamboo, local fruit and honorary plants. The special thing about Indrokilo Botanical Garden is that there are seven icons that will later become the characteristics of this tourist attraction. There is Pasingsingan Gate. The gate with the 12-meter height and 25-meter width is inspired by the gates of Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall monument in Taipei. This gate is a welcome door into the Indrokilo Botanical Garden. Passing through the welcome door, you will see the statue of Sosro Birowo. The statue with a height of 17 meters is the closest icon to the entrance of Indrokilo Botanical Gardens. Sosro Birowo is a magic spell from a man named Mahesa Jenar. He is a former soldier guarding the king who is very tough and strong. Another icon is Taman Paku. Taman Paku is one of the thematic parks in Indrokilo Botanical Gardens. As the name implies, this park stores various collections of ferns (pterodophyta) which are divided into two, outdoor and indoor. In addition to increasing knowledge, at Taman Paku, you can also take pictures as much as you want. Besides Taman Paku, you can also visit labyrinth garden. When photographed from above using a drone, the shape of this park has the concept of Gunungan Wayang which symbolizes the unity of the Indonesian nation.
The next icon is a miniature of Niagara Falls in the United States. This waterfall is located on the west side of Indrokilo Botanical Garden with a height of seven meters and a width of 34 meters. The source of this artificial waterfall is Gandul and Sombo Rivers whose flow is dammed and the water is channeled through pipes to the upstream side of the cliff with a pump. There is also the management office of Indrokilo Botanical Garden. There is a building called EBU, which stands for Electronik Banyu Udan that has rainwater processing technology into ready-to-drink water. Don’t forget to visit the Pond Painting Feature too, a replica of Prophet Noah’s ark. According to the story of Prophet Noah, the plan is that the ark will be equipped with statues of several pairs of animals. The Indrokilo tourism management has also provided public facilities such as outbound game rides, free wifi, bathrooms and prayer rooms.
October
October 28 is commemorated as Youth Pledge Day or Sumpah Pemuda. Sumpah Pemuda is the pledge of the Indonesian youths who claim one blood, the land of Indonesia, one nation, the Indonesian nation, and uphold the language of unity, Indonesian language. The pledge was the result of the decision of the Pemoeda-Pemoedi or the Second Youth Congress which was held from 27 to 28 October 1928. This congress was initiated by the Indonesian Student Association (PPPI) and attended by youth organizations, such as Jong Java, Jong Sumatra, Jong Batak, Pemoeda Indonesia, Jong Islamieten, Jong Celebes, Sekar Rukun, Jong Ambon, and Pemuda Betawi. The second youth Congress was held in a building located on Jalan Kramat Raya, No.106 in Central Jakarta. This building is a museum called ‘Sumpah Pemuda Museum’ now. Kramat Raya 106 building is used as a museum because it has a series of historical journeys and is a witness to the long process of forming the spirit of struggle for Indonesian independence. At the place where the second youth Congress was held, the basic principles of Indonesian unity were discussed, formulated, and then the pledge was decided.
Sumpah Pemuda Museum has the main building consisting of front porch, one living room, 5 rooms, and one open room or meeting room that have related photo collections and stuffs with history of Sumpah Pemuda 1928, as well as activities in the Indonesian youth national movement. In 2007, the total number of the museum’s collections is 2,867. Among these collections, there are several interesting collections, such as the Youth Pledge Digital Comic and WR. Supratman’s violin. WR. Supratman is the composer of Indonesian national anthem, Indonesia Raya. With his violin, he played the Indonesia Raya for the first time at the Second Youth Congress.
The collections owned by the Sumpah Pemuda Museum are exhibited in a permanent exhibition room with an arrangement that follows the chronology of the Sumpah Pemuda events in order to describe the sequence of events. Right in front of the entrance, there is an introduction room. The collections include a map of Indonesia with the locations of regional youth organizations, a map of Jakarta showing the places where the second youth congress was held and its current condition, the committee of the second youth congress, the participating organizations of the youth congress and a mockup of the Sumpah Pemuda Building. Beside the introduction room, there is a room for growth of youth organizations. This room describes the early growth period of youth organizations that began the Indonesian Association in the Netherlands. In this room, visitors can also find realia in the form of scouting equipment used in the 1920s. There is the First Youth Congress room upstairs. In this room, the collections related to the First Indonesian Youth Congress are exhibited. Next, there is the Second Youth Congress room. In this room, a collection that describes the events of the Second Indonesian Youth Congress is exhibited. Then, there are the Young Indonesia room, the Indonesian Student Association Room (PPPI) and the thematic room. This student room presents a collection of youth movements after Sumpah Pemuda was sworn in. The PPPI room presents several collections related to the Association of Indonesian Students, after the Second Indonesian Youth Congress. The Thematic Room consists of two rooms, located in the pavilion of Gedung Kramat 106. This room presents several collections related to youth activities in 1945, 1966 and 1998.
October
As the best potato producing village, Sumber Brantas Village in Bumiaji District, Batu City, Malang, East Java usually has a better life of its people by planting potatoes. Even, they have a traditional ritual before potatoes are planted. The ritual is called ‘Potato Ponjo’. Ponjo is a Javanese term which means to plant. Accordingly, Potato Ponjo is the ritual performed just before planting potatoes. The ritual is performed in the middle field and it is usually carried out to start the potato growing season.
Potato Ponjo is held to offer a prayer so that the potato plants are safe from all plant diseases. The ritual of Potato Ponjo is usually carried out in the field where the potatoes will be planted. In practice, farmers must bring many types of food complete with Wungkul Ingkung or roasted chicken. But the others still maintain the old tradition by continuing to carry out rituals in the fields.
Before the Potato Ponjo ritual starts, Chanting prayers using the Javanese language is also said by the elders of Sumber Brantas Village. After praying together, the Potato Ponjo process starts, the elders and the people enter 16 seeds of potato into the soil. A total of 16 potato seeds is not just the number. The number has been determined from the Javanese calendar in which the potato planting day is on Saturday Pon. In this ritual, the people should pay attention to the Javanese calendar. After as many as 16 potatoes are planted, farmers are free to plant their fields until they are full. This ritual also starts the performance of Kaki Langit Festival held in Batu City. This festival is a form of preserving the culture of growing potatoes, while at the same time, this potato planting is a moment to establish friendship while drinking coffee and Nunu or baking potatoes.
October
Yogyakarta province has many interesting tourism destinations; one of which is Tourism Village of Tinalah. This tourism village is located in the Tinalah River and Mt. Menoreh area with the concept of unifying nature and cultural values. This tourism village is on the Menoreh hill area at an altitude of 117 meters above sea level with a daily temperature of 25 to 32 degrees Celsius. So, anyone who comes for a tour will be greeted with the cool air of this village.
About 25 kilometers or 1.5-hour drive from downtown Yogyakarta, Tinalah Village can be reached by land transportation. Arriving in this city, you will be treated to the beauty of the natural scenery of the Mt. Manoreh and green rice fields. In this tourism village, you can learn many things, such as walking along the Tinalah River, educational outbound activities, hill tracking, and other interesting tourism activities. Besides offering natural beauty, the village is also developing service applications that can be a means of entertainment and tourism education. One application that makes tourists feel at home in the village is because of the Read Aura application. This application encourages tourists to learn about the environment, recognize the names and characters of various types of plants that exist in the village. The method is unique by matching the characters of the plant with the characters of visitors who use the application.
The tourism village of Tinalah not only has a river area, a stretch of rice fields, the unique culture of the residents, but also co-exists with several other tourism spots closely, such as Sriti Cave. This place was used as the hiding place of the national hero, Prince Diponegoro against the Dutch colonialist –VOC. Kleco Peak allows you to enjoy the sunrise and the camping area. Tinalah is also rich in unique culinary potential, starting from banana debog (stem) chips, wingko, coffee to chocolate. Tinalah Tourism Village has already quite complete facilities and infrastructures, including parking lots, prayer rooms, toilets/bathrooms, rest areas, camping ground, viewing post, outbound games, and so on.
October
If the situation gets better and you can travel, come to Indonesia where there are a lot of recreational activities. One of them is a culinary tour. Palembang could be your culinary destination. Bumi Sriwijaya is known for its delicious culinary delights. Pempek is famous and Ragit Jalo is very delicious. At glance, the Ragit Jalo has the shape of a net like Indian net bread.
Ragit Jalo is a flour-based dish that is eaten with curry sauce. What makes it unique is that the yeast dough is shaped like a folded net. Then, it is eaten with curry soup. The ingredients of Ragit Jalo are wheat flour, eggs, salt and cooked water. These ingredients are mixed together to make Ragit Jalo. Then, the dough is poured into the frying pan and shaped like a spider web. Then, it is cooked until done. When it is cooked, the dough is formed in a triangle or rolled up. The curry sauce is made of ingredients such as a budge, a plantain shaft, hot peppers, curry leaves, orange leaves and laurel, sugar, sufficient salt, powdered curry, powdered broth, flavorings, coconut milk, and beef cuts. The Ragit Jalo covered with curry gives the flavor of savory, delicious, spicy, and slightly sour taste that is appetizing.
It is said that the recipe of Ragit Jalo was obtained from traders from Gujarat, India, who entered the territory of the Sriwijaya Kingdom in the early 7th century AD. The delicacy of Ragit Jalo was so popular at that time and it became a favorite dish in the royal family. If there was a celebration held in the kingdom, Ragit Jalo was certain to be one of the mandatory menus to be served to the guests of honor. This snack was also favored by traders from Persia who stopped over and settled in the royal area. Currently, Ragit Jalo can be enjoyed not only by the royal family, but also the whole community. The price is also quite affordable from Rp 9,000 to Rp 15,000 per portion. For those who are interested in trying it, they can come to the Arab merchant community at Kuto Market, Kuto Baru and Sayangan in Palembang City, South Sumatra. On normal days, Ragit Jalo is usually served as a breakfast menu or when there is an alms event. But don't worry! During the fasting month, Ragit Jalo is easily obtained at Ramadan culinary centers in Palembang, such as Jalan Ratna Talang Semut. Because in the month of Ramadan, Ragit Jalo is one of the typical iftar menus for the people of Palembang.
October
Edan-Edanan Dance is a typical dance of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. It is one of a series of Javanese traditional wedding processions. The dance is rooted in Punakawan. In the world of Wayang (traditional shadow puppet), Punakawan is known as a group of entertainers who can lighten the mood. This dance often appears in Yogyakarta traditional weddings to ward off evil spirits. Generally, this dance is performed by a couple of dancers who wear green kebaya (Indonesian women traditional clothes) and gaudy makeup like a clown.
In the kraton or palace environment, the Edan-Edanan dance is a dance tradition performed in the grand bridal procession. This dance is named Edan-Edanan Kagungan Kraton dance because this dance originally comes from the Kraton. In the wedding procession, dancers will accompany the groom, when he comes out of the knight ward to the golden ward. They will bring feather duster and household utensils with the aim of cleaning the aisle from evil spirits. The Keraton Edan-Edanan dance can only be performed at Kraton weddings. As time goes by, this dance experiences renewal. Dance Art Study Program at Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta, through Setyastuti, created a new choreography, which does not go out of the elements of the Edan-Edanan Kagungan Kraton dance. The dance is called "Edanan-edanan Nirbaya Dance". "Nir" means rejecting, "Baya" means danger, so this dance is interpreted as a dance that rejects danger either during the wedding procession or after the wedding procession to the marriage life. This dance is performed in pairs, male and female.
In the Edan-Edanan Nirbaya dance, every movement contains a philosophy. The dancer's initial movement is cleaning the aisle, which means cleaning up danger. The next movement is spinning, which means that life is always spinning, the spin becomes the starting point for the next life. The use of dance properties such as sticks containing the symbol of a horse, feather duster and fans have the meaning to ward off something evil. The shawl used by the dancer has a meaning that every flick of the movement is a continuation of life. The closing gesture means that life will continue if the bride and groom can work together. If in the Edan-edanan Kagungan Kraton dance the dancers only accompany the grand bride, then in the Edan-edanan Nirbaya dance, the dancers will dance until the end of the event. Besides warding off misfortune, this dance aims to entertain guests who come in the wedding procession.
October
The beaches on the South Coast of Yogyakarta are indeed directly adjacent to the Indian Ocean which has strong waves. The ferocity of the waves sometimes makes people afraid to play on these beaches, but it does not mean that all beaches cannot be used for activities. In Gunung Kidul, there is a beautiful beach whose location is protected by coral islands so that the beach waves are quite calm and safe for activities. The beach is called ‘Nglambor Beach’.
The location of Nglambor beach is very strategic, flanked by two beaches that are also famous in Yogyakarta, namely Jogan Beach and Siung Beach. This beach is in Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta. From Yogyakarta, Nglambor beach takes about 2-3 hours by motor vehicles. The condition of the road to Nglambor Beach is not too wide so that big buses cannot enter. Motor vehicles cannot park on the beach because the location is quite narrow. So, you have to walk from the parking lot. The sand on this beach is a little different, rough and black in color. Nglambor Beach sand is formed from broken shells of marine life and corals that are eroded by continuous waves. The uniqueness of Nglambor Beach can be used for snorkeling. The condition of the waters on the beach that resembles a basin is safe for swimming and snorkeling because there are two coral hills located in the middle of the sea that function as breakwaters and wave guards.
The entrance ticket to Nglambor Beach is only Rp 10,000. If you don't bring snorkeling gears, you can rent them worth around Rp 50,000. What must be remembered before doing snorkeling is that you should contact the manager first to find out information about when is the best time to do snorkeling, because the level of clarity and visibility of the water is determined by the tides. If you want to snorkel on weekends, you should make a reservation so that you don't run out of snorkeling gear at the rental place.