Malioboro: Old and Now

Amazing Malioboro

I feel like a time traveler who has crossed the time border while writing this story. This is a little story about the most famous tourist destination in the city where I am temporarily living now, Yogyakarta. Most people who visit this city will never miss the chance to stop by and take a look of this place. Without any intention to let your curiosity guessing, then just as we know this place called Malioboro. Almost all Indonesian knew what Malioboro is, especially Javanese. Javanese culture has dominated nuances. However, it is not my point to discuss more about the detailed history of this place because honestly I'm not even a native of the city where Malioboro is. Here,  I just wanted to write a few stories based on the little research that our group has done a few days ago to find out what has the time changed to this place. Our simple method called little chit-chat from heart to heart (Sorry for the bad example of hyperbole) or usually known as a direct interview to a related informant. After a few minutes finding a target, finally we met one of the street vendors in Malioboro that so much older to witness the changes here and willing to answer all questions that being asked. This superbly kind and friendly old man named Trisno Wiyadi. A brief information, he was born in Sleman, on December 31, 1940, now his age is approximately 72 years old.

narcissistic with informant

According to him, the old Malioboro is a market with a fence made of thorns and tiles. Back then when the Dutch was invaded, the Indonesian people are not allowed to enter or walk around  Malioboro, although some people may hide and survive from the chase the Netherlands. However, those who caught in Malioboro is shot to death. Sometimes, many gunshots heard in every corner of Malioboro signifying that there are Indonesia who found by the Dutch were killed there. Old Malioboro is a market with tense and terrifying atmosphere because there is no free activities from many sellers and buyers. The existing vehicles used is only bicycle, car belong to the Dutch, as well as the dragonfly plane which was a most sophisticated transportation at that time. 

old look (source:Internet)

simple transportation (source:Internet)

That is a glimpse of old Malioboro. Malioboro now  is full of people and very crowded. If the old Malioboro has very wide and spacious place, it is now becomes narrower because of the division of roads and parking lots. If they only use bicycle as the main transportation, it is now being replaced by vehicle either publicly or privately owned which is passing by freely. So, no matter what time has changed, it still will not change the charm Malioboro to exist as a cultural tourism destination that became pride of Yogyakarta.

crowded indeed

parking lots (really "lot")