Me and Her, We Say...

I like what I do, I do what I like.

Se-ma-rang - (n.) A beautiful hilly Java island coastal city which steals my heart...

Ah, good morning readers! I'm glad to see you again in this lovely rainy Sunday morning. It's a totally indulging day, with much cooler temperature than it is usually in Semarang. Yes, Semarang, the city where I live and love is heated hot city in Central Java, Indonesia. 

Do you know Semarang? Where it is? What's so special about it? Have I never tell before?

Seems like I never did. Okay well, here it is.

I call this city as a humble metropolitan in Indonesia. It is located in one if Indonesia's province in Java island. It's right on the north coast of Java island, one of the most densely populated island in the world. The city itself now has 2,1 million inhabitants, which means it is the 7th biggest city in Indonesia and it's metro has 6,8 million residences - the 4th biggest metropolitan in Indonesia. 

Okay enough with the lecture... 

This is a tropical Indonesian coastal city, and it can heat your body up to 42°C (104 °F) and I swear you can feel your arms burned when you ride a motorbike and you let it exposed by the sunlight, especially in the midday. So no wonder, in this heated temperature, most of the people tends speak loudly, hot-blooded and seems impatient at the very first impression. Most of the household owns one up to three motorbikes. It explains why it could be so very crowded and noisy along almost every single road in Semarang.

Ah, I’ll skip to the beautiful part about Semarang.

First, its geographic condition.

So we have two unclearly separated town, which is based on it’s altitude. Semarang is located down the mountain in the foothills of Ungaran mountain 25 km away from the downtown, and goes to the narrow coastal plain of the gulf of Semarang. The gulf of Semarang curved from the West side in Mangkang village eastward and going further northward when it reached Sayung in the neighboring Demak Regency. And therefore, the city is divided into two part: the plain coastal hotter downtown and the cooler hilly rugged uptown. We call it Semarang Atas (The Upper Semarang) and Semarang Bawah (The Lower Semarang).

            As it is geographically divided into two different relief, it’s population are crowded in both two type of geographic appearance. So the settlement can be properly ordered in streets in the plain, or nestled in the hillside all over Semarang. The hilly area are stretched from east to west, which creates a narrow plain in the west to the wider plain in eastern Semarang.

            The best thing about this, is that you can see beautiful picturesque and photographic breath-taking scenery from both side. On the downtown, you can look upward to the uptown where hills and mountains are decorated with sparkling city lights lined along the southern horizon. You can notify easily the highest point in Semarang, the Gombel hill, by its tower jungle and its red blinking lights right in the center of the Upper Semarang. You can also see how small houses jostled on the hillside to create space for people to live, standing from the downhill to its peaks. From the Upper Semarang, you can also see how streets lined, lights and shows it squares of settlements. Right on the edge, in the coast of Semarang, a bright port of Tanjung Mas draw our attention by its shining bright light. Once you look at this, it’s like you want to stop for awhile, looking at the relaxing scenery and thinking about life, contemplating, take a little bit of breath, sigh…

Second, its temperature.

            Yes, I know it’s totally hot and it can burn your skin, makes your skin darker and tanned. It’s average temperature during the dry season is about 32°C indoor and may climb much higher when you’re on the road. That’s why most of Semarang motorbike riders, even though it’s hot but they still wear jacket to protect our skin from sun burnt. Good thing about it came during rainy season.

            Because Semarang is usually hot and dry, wong Semarang always love to feel something fresh and cold! Of course, when you’re in the middle of the desert, what will you love the most? A glass of iced beverage! That’s what we really like about it. So there are a lot of choices of ice like es dawet, es doger, es rumpi, es pisang ijo and those are all popular during dry season when the heat comes. It’s like a paradise in your throat once you feel that freshness rolling down your chest!

            And during the rainy season like this, it’s always lovely to feel the breeze of cold water and get ourselves soaked under the rain. Not that it’s healthy or a custom, it’s just that it’s fun to do it. After a long dry and hot wind blew our head for months, we’re ready to have some freeze. Well, actually it’s not that freezing, hello, it’s a tropical two-seasoned country. But it’s at the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold. What I remember the most about the coming of rainy season is the smell of newly wet soil, touched by its first rain water after months. It’s so calming and relaxing…

Third, it’s Little Netherland! 

Not many city in Indonesia has a lot of old Dutch-constructed building left. But Semarang has it’s own old town that will bring you back to the 18^th century. Located in the north side of town, just a kilometre away from the port, Semarang old town or Kota Lama Semarang is one of the biggest Dutch colonial town in Indonesia. Started from Jembatan Berok (which originally named Burg but then turn into Berok because of the Javanese tongue), it’s spread over a 31 hectares of land full of old buildings.

            Unfortunately, some of its buildings are not well-preserved. Probably because most of it has been abandoned by its owner, but mostly because of rob – intrusion of sea water to the lower plain in the coastal area. This rob has caused a lot of problem for old town Semarang, especially because it stimulates molds and mosses that slowly damage the aging buildings. Last year (2014), two buildings were collapsed due to its age, lack of maintenance and its crawling woodbind, mosses and molds.

            But the government started to pay attention to this potential tourist destination. Festival Kota Lama (Old Town Festival) is held every once in a year and invites a lot of artisans, collectors of antiquities, and communities all over Semarang and Central Java. This festival successfully attracts tourist to visit and come back again the following year. Some of the buildings has also been renovated like Spiegel house, Marba, Blenduk church, Galeri Semarang and many others. Semarang Municipal Governmentas has also invite investors and small enterprises to open their business in old town Semarang, though this effort can not be considered as succesful. But with the currect pace, I hope that Kota Lama will regain it’s victory as a new tourist attraction in Central Java and Indonesia.

            The good thing is, for photographer and vintage lovers, this old town provides you the best you can get of a vintage image and pictures. Just walk and wander around from place to place, just spot yourself then click the camera and you’ll get amazing pictures you expect. No wonder this place is a magnet for pre-wedding photographer to take some beautiful photos for their costumers.

Still waiting for something else to catch? Just wait. This section is to be continued…