Our weekend excursion this week took us south of Yogya to the town on Bantul then on to the Indian Ocean. The stop in Bantul was truly a moment of religious syncretism. The local Catholic church, built by Dutch factory owners in the 1920s, shows what happens when European Catholicism is brought to the island of Java. Ganjuran Church offers mass daily and a massive stone shrine towers above the bamboo thatch work roof of the church space. Ascending the steps of the shrine one finds a status of a “Javanese Jesus.” Jesus, clothed in traditional Javanese dress, looks back toward the church. During our visit, a dozen or so Christian pilgrims were waiting to pray at the top of the shrine. To a degree, Ganjuran is a tourist place as oleh-oleh shops (souvenir) dot the main road, selling crosses, rosary beads, Jesus statues, and t-shirts.
After Bantul we journeyed a bit farther south to Parangtritis Beach where we were met with sweeping views of the Indian Ocean. Weekends at Parangtritis are busy as many locals from Yogya travel to the sea for sun and breeze. However, swimming in the ocean is strictly forbidden due to strong rip currents. And, quite honestly, the waves looked a bit intimidating, too. So, instead of a swim we took a “dokar” ride along the shore (small horse-drawn cart with local Indonesian man riding on the side guiding the horse). We were taken to a quiet part of the beach that is considered sacred in Javanese culture. At this site locals make offerings to the sea.
As the sun was setting we ventured down the beach a bit to Depok for a seafood feast. Here, local fishermen sell their fresh catches then a warung prepares the feast. Our group picked out a sampling of sea treats…ranging from snapper and tuna to crabs, squid, and shrimp. At the warung we all sat on the floor around low tables as the rice, vegetables, and seafood were being served. By the end of the evening we were all full and exhausted.
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