Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine July 2014 | Page 118

116

Travel | Malang
© David Metcalf

The volcanoes of East Java tower over the
Wonosari tea plantation near Malang,
creating a dramatic backdrop.
The friendly, amiable becak drivers of
Malang love to show off their city.
If there are three of you, take three becak.
It's affordable enough and the lighter the load
the quicker you will get around.
Flowers for sale at Pasar Bunga market.

Cycle rickshaws in Indonesia are called becak.
They began being used in Jakarta in about 1936. Becak
were considered an icon of the capital city of Jakarta
prior to their ban in the 1970s. Despite the attempts at
eradication, however, many becak still operate
throughout the country, especially in Java.
Becak mulai digunakan di Jakarta sekitar tahun
1936. Becak bahkan dianggap sebagai ikon Kota Jakarta
sebelum dilarang pemakaiannya di tahun 1970-an.
Walaupun tak lagi digunakan di Ibukota, masih banyak
becak yang beroperasi, khususnya di Pulau Jawa.

I stood outside the Tugu
Hotel in Malang, pondering
which becak (cycle rickshaw)
driver I was going to use for
the day. All of them were
sporting tennis-ball-sized calf
muscles; however, half of them
were asleep, which is no
wonder because their work is
hot, physical and strenuous.
As I stood at the front of the becak line,
miraculously, like dominoes, they awoke
from their dozy daytime slumber one by
one and sat upright, ready to vie for
business. Soon enough I was whisked off
to see the sights of this fair city.
Malang is the second-largest city in East
Java, with a population of 1.2 million. It has

a cool mountain-air climate and is ringed
by breathtaking highland scenery. As you
go by pedal power up and down the small
streets and back roads, you encounter
stately colonial Dutch homes, mostly built
in the 1930s and 1940s. We cut down a
series of green, leafy back streets between
Jalan Semeru, Jalan Welirang and the main
boulevard, Jalan Ijen. It was a perfect escape
from the heat and noise of the main road,
and I felt myself drifting back into colonial
times when Indonesia was under Dutch rule.
These historic homes, many beautified by
cloaks of colourful bougainvillea, give an
air of rich elegance to Malang, and indeed
houses in Ijen Boulevard – the most
prestigious street in Malang, known
as ‘millionaires’ row’ – can command
over a million dollars.
With 12 universities the city has a youthful
spirit and an interesting mix of cultures, as
families send their children here to study
from Bali, Madura, Nusa Tenggara, East

© Richard I'Anson / Getty Images

Becak