Last year,
my sister, aunt, uncle and I went to Yogyakarta (Jogjakarta). We rode a train
going there and boy, was it an experience that was unforgettable. Not that
something super unbelievable or breathtaking happened to us along the way but
because it was something new for me since it was my first very long train ride.
The ride usually takes 8 hours to and from Jakarta and Yogyakarta.
So from Jakarta, we went
to Stasiun Gambir since that's the starting point of the trip. Our tickets were
booked online by our uncle's staff. The porter helped us and told us that we
need our tickets printed first (since we only had soft copies of our tickets).
Stasiun Gambir
Here's
a copy of my ticket. It cost us Rp 342,500 each from Jakarta to Yogyakarta
(around Php 1,400)
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We arrived at the
Station around 8 in the morning. We still had time to kill so my family and I
ate breakfast upstairs at HOKBEN. There were lots of stores and restaurants
inside the station so buying food won't be a problem there.
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my
breakfast at HOKBEN
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When it was already okay
to go inside the waiting area for the train, the porter came back and assisted
us with our bags. We had to go through ticket checking first just like
immigration. My uncle and aunt were already residents in Indonesia so they showed
their Ids, while my sister and I showed our passports together with the
tickets.
By the way, the porter
that helped us (I forgot his name) was really nice and he really did well while
assisting us with our check in and all. Although I'm not sure if he spoke
English well because my Uncle and Aunt did all the talking. But nevertheless he
was really helpful. All porters should be like him. Kudos!
The train we rode,
according to my aunt, was one of the older trains that's why the restroom
toilet is to be used in squatting position. I think newer trains have the
traditional toilets that I am used to.
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| GENEROUS LEG ROOM |
We left Jakarta on time
at 9 in the morning. The ride was smooth and thank God we didn't encounter any
problems along the way. There were a few stops on different stations along the
way to drop off passengers and accept other passengers who were on the way to
Yogyakarta as well. Apparently this wasn't a non-stop ride.
A female attendant went
seat to seat and handed out a menu for lunch. I'm not entirely sure if the
lunch was included in the ticket but I did, however, see my aunt pay the
attendant after we ate our lunch.
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My lunch. Nasi Goreng Ayam
(chicken with rice). It also had a bit of krupuk. Food tasted well. It wasn't
the best but it was good.
There was also a male train
attendant who came back and forth with a cart full of drinks and chips asking
us if we would like to buy some. He also had hot noodles on hand too. My
sister and I each got a drink from him. One thing that was funny was that
after he left, he would come back again just a few minutes later to offer us
food and drinks. He kept on doing this during the whole trip. Not that it was
annoying but I guess that was his marketing scheme to sell more food and
drinks.
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During the trip, I was
really amazed with the view. I admired the rural parts of Indonesia. I saw
different types of houses, transportation, kids with big smiles and more. That
made the trip more interesting. There wasn't any wifi inside the train but the view
was more than enough to ease boredom. Too bad I wasn't able to take fabulous
photos though.
Because it was an 8-hour
trip, I expected that we would arrive at 5 in the afternoon. To our surprise,
we arrived at Jogjakarta station at 4:30 pm. That was 30 minutes earlier than
expected.
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The
guy in orange was our porter. He was a bit old, already showed some age. Okay
so this time we got a not-so-nice porter because he was a bit rude to my aunt
and he didn't really give any care in handling our bags which was really
disappointing. I hope the management does something about porters like him.
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facade
outside the station
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Finally
arrived at JAVA Region. Hello YOGYAKARTA =)
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TIPS:
For those who want to
visit Yogyakarta and wanna see a few rural sights along the way and don't mind
sitting for 8 hours, this is a good option to consider.
Though I would, however,
advise to take a pee at the station before riding the train. Squatting
restrooms are just so not for me. I actually had a hard time holding on to the
bars while the train was in motion. But if you could handle it then why not.
I would also like to
point out that the distance of the Airport and Jogjakarta Train station is a
bit far from each other. The Jogjakarta Station is much near Malioboro area.
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| NOPE! SQUATTING IS NOT FOR ME |
It is also good if you
bought snacks to bring along the trip. The food on board might be a tad bit
pricier but I'm not really sure since my uncle and aunt paid for the food and drinks that we
got. Speaking of drinks, again, minimal water intake is advisable if you get the
train with a squat for a toilet.
Bring a camera! Don't be
like me who failed to take nice pictures of the views along the way.
Would I ride the train
again going to Yogyakarta? YES! Definitely =)
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| I miss my Uncle and Aunt. Can't wait to visit them in Jakarta hopefully soon. |
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