Trotting with Javanese Rickshaw

When I was at a junior high school,  I occasionally ride a very traditional rickshaw. I mean it was really an old school one, ugly seat, sometimes it just a wooden seat, minimalist colorful textile decoration and the color nearly fade away with an old man who riding the paddles. 

It’s a simple one, compare to Singaporean or Malaysian rickshaw, which I personally thought those one are a very touristic rickshaw. The men who ride it wear sort of flowery shirt and fully decorated flower on the rickshaw. Well the one that I used to ride was sort of ordinary village rickshaw.

Now that I recall, I think I was mean enough back then. My friends and I occasionally ride it way back home after school and so there us, around four to five kids on a rickshaw with a normal price for a person. You know, back then as a student, mommy only gave me small daily allowance and riding a rickshaw together with other kiddos was the most affordable one. I felt sorry for all old men who gave us ride back then..

  

And after such a long time, I experienced it again couple of weeks ago. That was a normal two persons carried on a rickshaw with healthy old men gave us ride to explore a tiny bit of Banyuwangi city in East Java. It was such a humid and sunny afternoon for exploring a corner of a town with a tiny rickshaw. That was fun though..we had a quick drop at a local afternoon market. 


Ooohh I luurrrvv traditional market especially the clean one. You know, some traditional markets are just smelly and wetty and I can’t stand on it at long time.  Apart from cheap price to get some goodies there are lod things to see. The way the street vendors sell their things and you might see an unusual scene which might probably cracks your day. Fruits, veggies, household equipments, meats and dairy products, clothes, hats, just name it. And it’s a benefit if you have an awe bargaining skills. You might get half of the price offered by the vendors. 

Oh really I wasn’t plan to buy anything until I entered the market and the colorful things sold by the vendors are just too catchy to be ignored. Fresh veggies, fruits, and there you are..one of my fave fruit was there. Those who live in a tropical country must have known that each of tropical country fruit has its own variety. For instance, an orange might have more than three varieties. 


And I was tempted by a mango variety which tastes super sweet and has a very good smell and soft textures with pale orange color inside. They are small and what best was, since I don’t have a fridge at my room..’ooohh pitty me’, this sort of mango can last for around a week  at a room temperature. I don’t know what its called in English anyway…. Now, mind you..the price was extremely cheap.  Only IDR 4,000 per kg, its only half dollar! So for USD 1 you will get two kgs!

Oh lorddd…..and I bought another fruit. It’s honey avocado. The texture is soooo creamy and taste almost like honey. Not that sweet, which I like, and very thick inside once you opened it. The cost is a bit higher than the mango but still its sooo cheap! IDR 6,000 which might equal to 75 cents? I felt like want to bring as many as I can but that’s gonna be heavy…

Well, that alrite, at least I got a kilo of mango and a kilo of avocado.

Ah I forgot the rickshaw; yes it still waited for us to finish the city exploration. A heritage Chinese temple located at a Chinatown of the city. Chinatown… I wonder how many countries in the world has its own Chinatown? They are just a true adventurer in the world and mind you..for expanding their trade business opportunities..

Like any other Chinese temple, the main decoration is red color which is believed will bring luck.  Hundreds of Chinese red lanterns..and lods of God-goddess statues inside…I think those people are really rich, they occasionally give charity for adding any ornaments to complete the temple. And its really pricey, a copper jug might cost around USD 2,000! Well on a good note, they believe that the more you give is the more you take. Which I personally think is a wise and common sense. If what you give is something good then you might get a better one in return..vice versa somehow..

The day was not finished yet, I’m gonna do a rice field track with mountainous background and a rest stop with endless hilly rice field view and fresh coconut water from the fruit which might be taken by one of the hotel staffs who will accompanied the trek..