The Overseas Adventures of Annie and Steven Berger August 29th through December 18th, 2015: 10/5: Jogja: Market Reflections & Batik Shopping

We hired a becak driver 2 minutes from the guesthouse to take us to Jogja’s central market, Beringharjo Market. The driver asked for 30,000 rupiah ($2.10) and expected us to bargain him down to 20K and was surprised when we didn’t. When he dropped us at the market 20 minutes later, having navigated through hideous traffic, he was beyond thrilled with the sizable tip we gave him.

Photos of our becak ride:

Think this was the first 'Say No to Drugs' sign we'd seen. Also fascinated by the seemingly impossibly heavy loads one person can carry or cart.

Sitting in the becak gets you awfully close to the traffic!

Our becak driver got a LOT more animated once he was paid.

Photos of Beringharjo Market:

Pasar means market in Balinese and Javanese.

First time seeing the Indonesian snack food, tempe, since we had seen it at the tofu making home in Karang.

What a shame it was to have music blasting overhead all the time throughout the market AND then with mostly American musical artists.

Very colorful somethings!

Mashollah or Muslim prayer room in the market with men and women praying on separate sides of the divider.

More of the 'chips.' These looked like potato chips but Steven tasted one and thought it was made from fish.

Rock sugar: A small chunk was great for an instant sugar fix; any more would have sent even me, a sugar lover, over the edge!

Fava beans - I will always associate them with Anthony Hopkins' role in Silence of the Lambs'

Hard to tell from this photo but it's rice.

Seeing these melons reminded us of the colossal number of melon fields
and roadside stands we'd seen yesterday.

Surprised we only saw 2 other Western tourists our entire time in the massive market.

Tub of gelatin - wonder what it's used for in Jogja.

Climbed the stairs to the top level where there were NO other shoppers or looky loos. So quiet there except for the music of course!

Another section of the market.

Farm implements for sale.

So weird listening to ‘Just the Way You Were’ playing on the P.A. system right here.

Market Reflections: I now realize I no longer have the same sense of excitement and wonder wandering up and down aisle after aisle of large scale Asian markets that I once had. Jogja's Beringharjo Market, like others we've seen in Asia, was gigantic with literally stall after stall of merchants selling everything under the sun. I find it difficult wandering through one of the massive central markets with virtually all the merchants clamoring and almost begging for us to buy something. It is not peaceful for me when we have little or no intention of buying something and I feel everyone is looking at us as their next meal ticket. More than a little bit of the old Catholic guilt still in me.

I think for me the situation would be better if we had a list of what we want/need or plan to buy and then leave. Guess there must be a bit of a claustrophobe in me too. I know Steven though still thrives on the ‘market experience’ and doesn’t mind the noises, incredibly tight spaces and crowds.

Food markets and food stalls are in a different category for me as I am still enthralled by the aromas, colors and sights of still new foods. Generally that area of markets is far less frenetic too so you feel comfortable looking and not feeling the pressure to buy.

After a couple of hours at the market, we walked outside to the Jogja's main street, Malioboro St. to see what it was like.

Photos from Malioboro St:

Horse taxis waiting for their fares outside the market.

and becak drivers waiting for theirs.

Busy Malioboro St.

Becaks all ready for passengers.

Political rally or demonstration - don't know which.

Tattoo and henna shops were popular along Malioboro St.

Had never seen so many batik stores in my life as here on Malioboro St! We were on the lookout for just one called Hamzeh Batik and after finally finding it realized that many other tourists and locals must think highly of the shop. Unlike virtually all the other batik shops we’d passed, Hamzeh had lots of customers, both local and foreign, so certainly a good sign as were the very reasonable prices.

Photos from Hamzeh Batik:

These women were applying wax to the stenciled fabric, the first step in the batik making process.

Admiring the batik with a serious case of hat hair!

Hamzeh Batik had a incredible array of gorgeous batik items but I only ended up buying some lovely scarves and other odds and ends.

Steven was thrilled with his woven fabric bracelet he bought here. P.S. Not 10 minutes after I wrote this caption, Steven discovered his .50 bracelet had fallen apart. He's so sad - guess we'll have to look for another one pdq. P.P.S. About 8 hours later now and he's got it fixed !

Pretty tired and hot and ‘feeling the heat’ as Southern women say, so we hired a becak driver to take us back to the guesthouse in relative comfort. This ride was far quicker and less taxing for the older driver as his bike had an engine.