Ngayojakarto

Here are the Yogyakarta pics, as promised. The sky wasn't as cooperative, but it could have been worse. And honestly, the view we had were still at times, breathtaking to be honest. But the photographers in all of us, always wish for something more - redder skies, rounder sunrise, wrinkled faces. Still I've learnt that sometimes, we all need to put the camera down and absorb the surrounding. What good is a storyteller when he doesn't know the story he's telling.

The name Yogyakarta comes from the words 'Ngayoja' and 'Karto' from old Sanskrit; both of which means "No Conflict" and "Prosperous" respectively. It's an old sultanate that hails from many years ago when life was much simpler. Although, it's still simple now - the people seems content to carry on with their day to day, happy to oblige for a photograph, eager to please when they can, at peace with their lifestyle.

I personally find it pretty amusing; to think that these are the same people living in a city - rich with a culture and heritage, that it's basically a hotspot for history - and they carry on like it's normal. In a way it is. To them, it's just part of the everyday life. The children at Borobudur were more interested at the sight of blonde tourists with DSLRs than they were in awe of the temple's majestic steps.

Yogyakarta feels like someone pressed a pause button sometime ago. And the city has not changed since. If there were improvements to be made, it would be made the same way it was done many many years ago. The people are content. They are happy to see things as it has always been - this, from a city teeming with history.