Yogyakarta is one of big cities in Indonesia. Jogja, another popular
name, is also known as cultural city because Javanese traditional culture is
still very strong. Besides that, there is a kingdom called Keraton Yogyakarta which governs this province. Moreover there are
many cultural heritage which become appeal to attract domestic
and foreign tourists.
People who come to visit Jogja, they must go to
Malioboro. There, tourists spend their money to buy many things such souvenir,
food, etc. There are so many shops and street sellers offering their goods. Everyday,
this place always crowded by people, moreover, in holidays, this place would
become more teeming. For instance, in New
Year holiday, this place is full of people and vehicles because they come to
see fire works there. This event attracts people who live in Jogja or even from
other cities to visit Jogja.
On September, 2012, I went to Malioboro to refresh my mind which was
full of college activities. I just killed my time walking around and sight
seeing there without buying anything because I did not bring much money. I went
with my friends who had same purpose like me. Suddenly my friend suggested to
take picture in a sign where written Jl. Maloboro
and Java scripts which was always showed in television when it broadcasted
Jogja. At first, we tried to find this sign while remembering the scene on the
TV. And finally, we found it and took picture.
The sign was green like other signs which showed other names of the
streets. It located near a bank as seen in the picture. On the left side of the
sign, there were many motorcycles parked in front of the buildings. While on
the right side, it was the main road where vehicles passed by on one way. The road
users were mostly motorcyclists and motorists. And right beside the sign there
was a zebra cross which the white color began to fade.
The weather was very hot and stuffy of various odors. This might be
caused by pollution from motor vehicles and smell from many things sold there
while there were only few trees and plants there. Along the Malioboro area,
there were many buildings such as shops, restaurants, hotels, and others. Many signs
and nameplates with several shapes and colors decorated the buildings, and
those were shine in the night. Moreover, the road was divided into two parts:
the main road for motor vehicles, and another part for non-motorized vehicles
such as bicycle, pedicab, Andong (horse
cart), and for pedestrians. Sometime in
this road there were street performances seeking for money and many visitors
interested to watch. Furthermore, the main road and parking area and the
buildings were bounded by curb such as where I stood on the picture. On the
curb there were green grass, ornamentals plants, and some beautiful statues. This
part became interesting objects for taking picture. Although Malioboro street
was very crowded, but the arrangement of the area was good so visitors still
felt comfortable.
If we go back to 1919-1920, Malioboro was totally different with
what we can see today. Take a look at this old Malioboro photo. This is very
different with my photo before. Malioboro area was plain and because there were
only few buildings, the area seemed wider than the present. The spaces where
the current buildings stands, at that time there were only few and more trees
and plants instead. The road was two
ways and was not divided into two parts. Main road was used mostly by Andong and cyclists, while there were
few cars passing by. Moreover, both sides of the road were paths for
pedestrians and there was no parking area. Besides that, there was no curb
between main road and pedestrian path. On the picture the road signs and zebra
cross were not seen. I think the area was less polluted because there were few
motor vehicles there.
This is photo of Beringharjo,
marketplace in the south area of Malioboro. There were many shops and vendors
along the roadside. Architecture of the building was influenced by Dutch
culture as at that time Indonesia was colonized by Dutch. There were no
decorations on the roadside like Malioboro today. People still used bicycles
and pedicab to go everywhere. On my personal opinion, it would be nice if
people today also use bicycle instead of motor vehicles because the city would
be less polluted.
Beyond of it, Malioboro Yogyakarta still has its own charms which
attract people from anywhere even over the world to visit Yogyakarta. This
place becomes special icon of Yogyakarta which other places do not have. It would
be not satisfying if we go to Jogja before visiting Malioboro.
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