Today, Danny and I had plans to visit the Grojogan Sewu Waterfall. My alarm buzzed at 7:30 am, but I found it challenging to rise. Six pillows were strewn across the bed, with two more resting on the floor. I reached for my phone and sent a message to Danny, asking, ‘Are you coming at 8 or 9?’ Danny promptly replied, ‘Still sleepy, I’ll be there around 9 am.’ I smiled and reset my alarm. In just five minutes, I drifted back into a deep slumber.
At around 8:30 am, I finally rose from bed and packed my backpack. Before departing, I treated myself to a refreshing final massage shower, savoring the last moments at the hotel. At 9:10 am, I descended to the lobby, hoping to find Danny, but he wasn’t there. Returning to my room, I received a knock on the door just five minutes later—Danny had arrived. I informed him of my plan to leave my belongings in the room for a late checkout. In hindsight, reflecting on this decision in 2020, I can’t recall why I made that choice. We then approached the reception, arranged for my luggage to remain in the room, and secured a late checkout, considering that the standard checkout time was noon. At 9:30 am, we set off from Solo for an hour-long journey to the waterfall.
Regrettably, I didn’t capture any images during the last leg of our journey, but the paddy fields we encountered were truly breathtaking! Massive canyons adorned with vibrant rice fields created a mesmerizing scene that I thoroughly enjoyed. Danny kindly offered to stop for pictures, but at the time, I opted to keep moving. In hindsight, as I pen down this report, I deeply regret not seizing the opportunity to photograph those magnificent paddy fields—they were undeniably worth capturing.
Prior to reaching the waterfall park, we stopped at a local town, the name of which eludes me. Opting for a restaurant, we enjoyed a delightful soup for breakfast. To avoid any potential scams, I instructed Danny to enter and place an order for two. I remained outside on the motorbike while Danny handled the order. A couple of minutes later, he called me inside, assuring me that the restaurant had fixed prices. According to Danny, this eatery was renowned for its soup. While I savored the soup, I wasn’t particularly fond of the meat. Instead, I opted for some side dishes, each costing 1000 IDR.
Grojogan Sewu Waterfall
At 11:30 am, we reached the entrance of the Grojogan Sewu Waterfall. I requested Danny to purchase the tickets while I waited. As we strolled down the road toward the entrance, I greeted numerous locals with the word ‘Mongo,’ a term Danny had taught me, signifying a blend of Hello and Goodbye in the Javanese language. The locals appreciated the greeting, chuckling each time I extended the friendly salutation.
Positioned 50 meters from the entrance, I awaited Danny’s return with two tickets. In the meantime, I snapped some pictures of the monkeys. When Danny returned, he handed me two tickets at the local price, revealing that there were distinct rates for international tourists, which would have amounted to 25,000 IDR instead of the local rate of 8,000 IDR. As we approached the entrance, Danny seemed a bit apprehensive, so I advised him to relax and suggested, “Just act as if your nose is bleeding,” a Dutch expression meaning to feign ignorance. Walking towards the entrance gate, Danny entered first, and his ticket was torn. A few seconds later, mine underwent the same fate. Remarkably, the woman at the gate seemed indifferent, and I couldn’t help but revel in the success of our plan.
Descending the stairs, we reached a spacious courtyard after ten minutes, adorned with small kiosks and restaurants. Macaque monkeys were scattered all around, but fortunately, they maintained a respectful distance. Our journey led us to the magnificent Grojogan Sewu Waterfall. It held a special place in my heart as the largest waterfall I had encountered thus far in my life. Notably, this marked only the second waterfall I had visited, the first being Pulau Weh’s Pria Laot waterfall. The presence of fellow tourists around us created a mild distraction. We captured some photos and even joined in pictures with a group of girls who appreciated my attempt at speaking Javanese words to them.
Local Dishes in Solo
After a brief 15 minutes, we found ourselves compelled to depart due to my earlier decision to arrange a late checkout at the hotel. Despite regretting this choice, I didn’t discuss it with Danny. Had I stored our backpacks at the reception, we could have extended our stay, but now we had to head back.
By 1:15 pm, we returned to the hotel, realizing we were running late. While Danny engaged with the reception to explain the situation, I rushed to my room to retrieve my bag. Unfortunately, my card had already been blocked, rendering the elevator inaccessible. Upon returning to the reception, it appeared the staff were indifferent until one employee assisted us to my room. Swiftly, I gathered my remaining belongings and vacated the room. At the reception, I stored my bags, informing them we’d retrieve them at 11 pm tonight, just before my train departure from Solo at 12:30 am.
As we departed from the hotel, Danny inquired if I had ever tried Srabi. Admitting I hadn’t, he proposed giving it a try. I responded with enthusiasm, expressing my willingness to sample as many peculiar local dishes as possible, with the condition that Danny would later inform me about each dish, so it wouldn’t spoil my appetite. We headed to a Srabi shop, a Solo food specialty. The Srabi turned out to be delightful, with the exterior resembling a pancake, while the interior held a subtle sweetness. The filling comprised a sweet rice mixture. Impressed by its taste, I purchased a package of 20 Srabi, each neatly rolled up inside a banana leaf. Outside the shop, I enjoyed three pieces, while Danny indulged in one. The Srabi turned out to be quite filling.
Danny’s House
Later, we headed to Danny’s house. Although we drove by it yesterday without going inside, my curiosity was piqued. I half-expected Danny to be somewhat embarrassed, but to my surprise, his house surpassed the size of my parents’ home, almost three times larger than a typical Dutch house. Danny graciously gave me a tour, revealing that they even had a roof terrace upstairs, though it remained unused. I found the Indonesian home charming and would have been perfectly content staying there.
Initially, I envisioned Danny’s home to be smaller and less appealing, assuming I’d stay there. To my surprise, his house was comfortable, and we spent some time there. As I needed to secure my next hotel, Danny kindly offered assistance. He called several hotels for me, and after 30 minutes, I finally secured one at a reasonable price, complete with Wi-Fi. Grateful for Danny’s help, we left his house after an hour to explore the city. Opting to use his parent’s car, we planned to pick up my backpack from the hotel later.
Danny’s parents owned a spacious Honda car, leaving me amazed. I jokingly remarked to Danny that his parents seemed wealthier than mine, to which he explained they actually had two cars. Eager to explore the city but with time to spare, I asked for a cool spot to grab a drink, and Danny had the perfect place in mind. He drove us to a charming spot with delicious snacks and a fantastic atmosphere. Sipping on my Coca-Cola amidst the captivating lights and decorations, all set to the tune of “Roxanne” by The Police, I was thoroughly enjoying the ambiance. Danny shared his dream of starting a restaurant similar to this one, and I couldn’t help but recall his earlier mention of a small warung on Sabang/Pulau Weh. This place was far from small – it exuded class, and the vibrant local crowd added to its charm.
Subsequently, we visited a nearby small market adjacent to the restaurant. Danny needed to pray, giving me about 15 minutes to entertain myself. As I strolled around, I noticed that the market wasn’t fully operational yet – it was 6:45 pm, and it was scheduled to open around 7 pm. Once Danny returned, we opted to head back to the car. We leisurely drove around the city, and I found myself relishing the radio tunes and the picturesque views.
Danny proposed a visit to the airport, and I thought, ‘Why not?’ So, we embarked on a 30-minute drive to the airport, relishing the journey like teenagers on a road trip. I shared this sentiment with Danny, and we both had a good laugh. While I didn’t explore typical tourist attractions in Solo during these days, it didn’t bother me. For me, Solo was all about savoring the local cuisine, and doing so in the company of a good friend made it even more enjoyable.
Paragon Mall
We strolled through the airport for about fifteen minutes but found there wasn’t much to see, haha. Deciding to head back to the city, we planned to retrieve my bags from the hotel. As we arrived, I heard a commotion emanating from the mall. “Let’s check it out, Danny! We can pick up the backpack later,” I suggested. Given that it was around 9 pm, we had plenty of time. Upon reaching the mall, we discovered a large concert underway, featuring a metal band as part of a promotional festival by Yamaha.
We strolled through the mall, engaging in more conversation. I decided to treat myself to a smoothie, and from the second floor, we enjoyed a good view of the concert, especially three charming girls, haha. They performed after the metal band, showcasing a very sensual dance. After nearly an hour at the mall, we picked up my bags and headed to McDonald’s, where we utilized the free Wi-Fi to pass some time. It was a bit slow, prompting me to suggest to Danny that we go to the train station, where I anticipated better wifi compared to McDonald’s.
Goodbye Danny
We relaxed there for an hour, and Danny stayed with me until the end. Despite my assurance that I would be fine alone, he preferred to wait until his friends and guests left. I expressed my gratitude for his company. At around 12:15, I bid him farewell, thanking him several times for everything. I invited him to visit me in the Netherlands and encouraged him to stay in touch in the meantime. Passing through the gates at the train station, I waited for fifteen minutes until the train arrived, marking my departure from Solo.
