My eyes were widened when a noise of people group could be heard when they crossed a corridor in front of my room …. Ah, I felt asleep again after Subh prayer a few hours ago. With quick reflexes I jumped into bathroom and washed myself as fast as lightning. After getting dressed, I grabbed my camera and put it in a folding bag. I jogged out of the room to Sahid Jaya Hotel & Convention restaurant.
Arriving at the restaurant, some of event’s participants had cleared their tables and carried their bags to go to bus.
“Hi, Donny. You seem too late to be joining breakfast. You must have slept too well last night, ”Todd greeted me who was in a hurry to put rice and several other side dishes onto plate. Todd was an expats from Australia in my company. He was one of my best friend.
“Oh, yes Todd. Not as bad as I think. I still have 15 minutes to eat my breakfast, ”I replied without seeing Todd’s face at all.
I joined with some friends who were still halfway through their breakfast. Without more talking, I immediately cleared a breakfast menu whicht I took. Just drinking a glass of mineral water, I rushed to a chartered bus no.2 which was ready to leave.
In the morning, second day in Yogyakarta, Year End Party participants would visit Taman Sari in several small groups, each consisting of approximately fifteen participants and one tour guide will be prepared at tourist destination later.
A few minutes later, bus was moving slowly leaving that four-star hotel. Situation in bus was very lively, but I just silently sat while watching Yogyakarta’ streets which started to get busy. Bus slowly crept along Majapahit Street, heading to Patehan area, which was about ten kilometers away.
Not long after, twenty-five minutes later, bus slowly entered a multi-storey parking lot. After getting off the bus, I realized that bus hadn’t actually arrived at its destination. Bus turned out to have to stop at Ngabean Tourism Parking in Notoprajan area, because roads were narrow and bus couldn’t enter to Taman Sari tourist spot.
Committee directed participants per group to ride a small tourist vehicle, i.e Daihatsu Luxio, to Taman Sari. I entered one of them and began to crossing narrow road. Seven minutes later, I arrived at Taman Sari parking lot after rode the car for about two kilometers.
A male guide approached us and introduced himself. After getting to know each other witth all members of group,he started slowly walking while giving an explanation about Taman Sari history. Situation was so crowded, so I couldn’t concentrate on listening to guide’s explanation.
“Taman Sari also was known as Water Palace, because it was often used for bathing the empress and king’s daughter, let me show you the bathing pool“, I heard bits his explanation because I preferred to take some photos of several unique building and must get out from group.
Now I arrived at bathing pool. From many stories which told by a guide, I only heard a important point, of course it was my own version. “Previously the king would stand on top of that multi-storey building while watching concubines who bathing. When the time came, the king would throw a flower at a concubine who attracts his heart, then in the evening the king would get love from the concubine who he has chosen ”. Damn, I only remembered this thing.
Oh No….
One thought on “Throwing a flower in Taman Sari”