Traveling in Semarang Within a Day

 

It's around 8:00 am when I came down in front STEKOM Baru, it's near Krapyak highway gate, and the Giri Indah Bus which I rode entering Semarang highway because it'll heading to Solo. I thought that I'll be come down in the downtown of Semarang. Luckily, it's next to Semarang Rapid Bud Shelter. I decided to take the bus, because the ticket officer said that this bus will pass Simpang Lima and Tugu Muda (Lawang Sewu). It looks quite vacant on the bus. I only saw a few persons and some students who want to go to school, maybe because it was a Saturday the third Saturday on the beginning year of 2012. It only cost 3,500 Rupiah to take a Semarang Rapid Bus, and less than 200 minutes I got to stop at the nearest shelter of Tugu Muda.

The first object I have to visit is Lawang Sewu, the iconic historical building in Semarang. I saw some visitors on this morning. Several freelance officers within ID card hanging on are standing on the gate waiting for visitors to be guided around the old building owned by PT. KAI. The entrance ticket is 10,000 rupiah and for the guide service is 30,000 rupiah in each group. For me, it’s a bit expensive to pay 40,000 rupiah alone. Finally I decided to wait for other visitors to join, so that it can be cheaper for me to pay the guide. Anyway, the entrance ticket is excluding the ticket to get into the basement sanitary corridor which cost the same as well.

A bit long to wait another visitor who roughly fit for me to join, finally there are 4 mid aged women who also just arrived in Semarang allow me to join them. So lucky, they pay the guide, while I only pay the entrance ticket only. But, I should be their artisan photographer instead, never mind.

After we had finished walking around in the Lawang Sewu building, I was willing to take a public transport to other location, I already say goodbye to them because they’re going to another tourist location as well. But I think why don’t me joining them. It more save, more efficient, and have a friends along the trip. And luckily, one of them is offering me to join. Apparently mbak  Eva, the person who offers me to join, drives a car and she lives in Semarang, while 3 others are her friends who came from Jakarta.

  

The next destination is Avalokitesvara Pagoda in Watugong. From Semarang you can take a public bus which heading to Ungaran (regularly the buses are from Semarang to Yogyakarta or Bawen or Solo) and only takes around 20 minutes from Tugu Muda. This pagoda is octagonal building and has 7 flats roofed. In the courtyard of the pagoda there is a Bodhi tree planted by Narada Mahathera in 1955 and there is a golden statue of Buddha underneath the tree while a statue of the Goddess Kwan Im is on the stairs to pagoda. Inside the pagoda there is a statue of Kwan Sie Im Po Sat and all around the outside there are other gods and goddesses statues.

From Watugong, we returned to the downtown of Semarang to have a lunch at Ikan Bakar Cianjur in Old Town area. All around the Old Town area, there are so many old building such as Indonesia Post Office, Tawang Railway Station, 'Immanuel' Blenduk Church, Srigunting Park, and other old buildings from the Dutch era. The building of Ikan Bakar Cianjur itself has aged as well, it seen from the architectural. Large doors, large windows and high-roofed interior coupled with the old antique stuffs.

From the old town area then I dropped off in Simpang Lima, because they want to go home while I want to go to another location. I was going to a friend’s board in BSB, heading to Kendal if am from Semarang. But I cancel it because I blind with this area. Moreover, it was 3 pm while there are some places I have to visit.

After having a short break in Simpang Lima Baiturrahman mosque, I went to Sam Poo Kong temple. I took a red minivan public transport heading to Sampangan from Simpang Lima then I came down in Kaligarang next to the bridge and then I have to walk around 400 meters to Sam Po Kong Temple. The entrance ticket is only 3,000 rupiah on the gate, while to get into the temple’s holy building itself is only allow for those who want to pray, but it allows anyone to enter if they are to bring incense which can be purchased at the kiosk at the entrance costing only 10,000 rupiah for 2 pieces of incense. In this temple there are 3 main buildings with 3 roofed stacking in Chinese architecture, statues of gods and stone carvings looks on the walls and pillars of the building. While in front of the temple there is the biggest statue of Zheng He's (1371-1435), the peace envoy of Chinese Emperor. It is said that Zheng He was a Muslim and the early arrival of Zheng He's this temple was functioned as a mosque.(www.Indonesia.travel)

 

Since it was 5 pm and I had not showered since the morning, so I was bathing in public restrooms in this temple. The bathrooms were quite clean and maintained well by an affable old man or maybe because it is behind a big tree so few people come into.

From Sam Poo Kong temple I went to the Grand Mosque of Central Java. I took a yellow public transportation in front of the temple to Karang Ayu traditional market then up again to took a red public transportation heading to Penggaron and had to come down in Macro (Lottemart) near Kabluk. This red public transport was passing through Tugu Muda and Simpang Lima also. From the intersection of Kabluk, because it was after 6 pm there was no more public transport to the Grand Mosque. Alternatively take  tricycles, motor taxi, or by walk around 1.7 km.

It was dark already when I arrived at Grand Mosque. Not much I can see clearly at night, moreover the heavy rains pouring down until 9 pm. It’s only seen mosque’s tower with one of the main domes and six giant closed hydraulic umbrellas. The tower named Asmaul Husna in 99 meters high was closed due to rain as well. Inside the mosque it’s seen a few people waiting for the rain let up while looking at the biggest holy book of Qur'an, giant bedug (drum) and ornate crystal chandeliers that hung under the main dome.

I got out of the mosque at around 21:30, having eaten Javanese noodle in front of the mosque, fill an empty stomach in cool air of Semarang after the rain. I asked a place to get sleep. Firstly, I wanted to spend the night waiting for the morning in Simpang Lima round about, but because of the rain it seems did not allow me to sit in the middle of the city until the morning. To find a mosque or somewhat also seems rather difficult, especially for this big mosque which would be closed at night. So, my destination is a gas station that is open 24 hours. I so thankful because there is a prayer room that I can use to sleep on the second floor in the Gas Station of Central Java Grand Mosque. The bathroom is clean anyway. Although I had to walk about 900 meters to the gas station, but I sleep soundly here. The next morning I have to go to Ambarawa and towards to Yogyakarta via Magelang in the evening.