Another taste of nostalgia came in the form of Mandarijn cake from Toko Roti Orion. I used to have it in my lunchbox after we returned from our Solo holidays. Eating the lapis Surabaya (two-layered cake with pineapple jam in between) was the highlight of my childhood years. Orion, which opened its doors in 1930, is still small, its many cakes drawing hungry customers.
Even older is nearby Roti Ganep, a bakery on Jl. Sutan Syahrir 176, Tambak Segaran. Opened in 1881, Ganep was given its name by King Pakubuwono X. In Javanese, the word “ganep” means whole or complete; it can also be interpreted as the state of being in good health. It was first owned by Auw Like Nio, who then became known as Madam Ganep, and five generations later, it is still in the family. Ganep is famous for its roti kecik (small cookies), which resemble French ladyfingers, but are crunchier, made to a time-honored recipe.
Royal Tour
I decided to follow up my bakery indulgences with a stroll around Solo’s palace, the Keraton, home of the Mankunegaran court. I paid Rp 10,000 for another becak ride, and 15 minutes later, arrived at the Keraton. To avoid the weekend crowds, I asked the driver to take me around the palace complex itself, enjoyable at a leisurely pace in the cool afternoon breeze. We passed Baluwarti village, a traditional housing complex for palace workers that is divided into sections according to the residents’ roles in the palace.
We continued on to the alun-alun (square), where two royal trains are on display; also in residence are a pair of banyan trees, just like in Yogyakarta’s famous square. When the becak passed South Square, I saw that herd of white water buffalo known as Kyai Slamet. These animals, which are considered sacred, are put on parade during the Sekatenan Carnival and on the night of the Islamic New Year. The bones of the original Kyai Slamet buffalo are stored in the Keraton museum.
According to the chronicles written by Raden Mas Said, the original Kyai Slamet was a gift from the Ponorogo regent to Pakubowono II and was that grateful recipient’s favorite pet. The water buffalo got its name from its role guarding a royal heirloom named Kyai Slamet, which only members of the royal family were permitted to view.
Batik Buys
While in the becak, I thought I might as well go batik hunting. The most famous spot for this is Klewer Market, but after the crowded excitement of Pasar Gede that morning, I decided to head instead to one of Solo’s two batik villages, Kauman and Laweyan. Kauman was closer, so we went there.
Kauman is full of batik and textile cottage industries, with numerous batik galleries and shops along its narrow alleys houses in old and well-maintained buildings. Shopping in Kauman’s batik houses is a convenient pleasure – it comes with a free personal-shopper service. Every customer has a private shop assistant to help them select batik. As most of the shops are near the factories, customers are welcome to see batik-making in progress, or even sign up for a batik class.
Once loaded down with bags of wonderful batik items, I hailed another rickshaw to take me back to the hotel, but a text message from a friend sent me in another direction – she wanted a set of old-fashioned tin mugs. It was already 4 p.m., and Solo’s markets usually close by 5 p.m., so I made the quick detour to the city’s renowned flea market Triwindu.
Triwindu Market was a gift from Mangkunegoro VII to his daughter on her 24th birthday in 1939. In Javanese, the 24th birthday is the third (Tri) eight-year (Windu) cycle in one’s life, hence the name. Situated about 150 meters south of Mangkunegaran Palace, Triwindu used to be a square where people haggled over wares. In the 1960s, several merchants built semi-permanent stalls and Triwindu gradually turned into a flea market.
