Yogyakarta is certainly a touristic city. It feels strange to arrive in such a place after not meeting other foreigners since Jakarta. My guide book states that Yogyakarta is the cultural capital of Indonesia. People mainly come to Yogyakarta to see the Kraton, the Sultan’s palace.
As usual in places with many tourists you tend to pay less for accommodation (because of competition) but more for food (unless you go to the non-touristic parts of town).
Walking around the narrow streets in the Kraton at midday was very hot. On the bike I don’t seem to notice the heat the same way. With the constant air flow it’s just more comfortable.
One day I randomly ran into David from Barcelona. David is also a long distance cyclist and we met a couple of months ago in Malaysia. Our plans are very similar, both going to Bali and then Australia, not on the same flight though. It was nice to end the day sharing Indonesian cycling stories.
With the appetite returning it was time to leave Yogyakarta. After a couple of days without cycling the body really wants to get back on the road. It might even be possible to talk about an addiction – luckily a quite healthy one.
