Hotel Sidji, our temporary haven, arrived late last night. Dinner, a blur after the batik bonanza at Kanoman 54, fades into the comfortable oblivion of sleep. It isn't a palace, this hotel, but it possesses a certain charm, a throwback to those other, cherished Indonesian stays. Hotel Phoenix in Jogja springs to mind – grand old mansions repurposed for hospitality. Here, a courtyard sighs contentedly around a swimming pool, the breakfast restaurant claiming one side. Rooms, like obedient children, line the periphery, their windows peering into the central well of the building. Cleanliness reigns, and a spritz of perfume offers a fleeting olfactory pleasure. Sleep, thankfully, claimed us soon after.
Dawn found me a willing captive to its call. By six, I was already at breakfast, a simple affair. Fried kway teow, perfectly executed, and a fluffy omelette banished any lingering hunger pangs. Sometimes, one eats to live; today, I lived to eat (though perhaps not the most profound culinary experience).
Coffee, a loyal companion, fueled a sketching session. The siren song of "urban sketching," the act of capturing life on location, has been growing stronger. Circumstances, alas, haven't always cooperated, so today's creations were birthed from photographs, the two new additions included. Perhaps later, perhaps another day, I'll succumb to the allure of live sketching.
Minor hiccups, like a graveyard of insects in one room and a rebellious elevator (forcing some of us on an impromptu three-floor pilgrimage), couldn't mar the overall impression. Hotel Sidji, quirks and all is more than decent.
Breakfast digested, coffee coursed through my veins, and sketches safely documented (and Instagram duly updated), a quick shower beckons. The next destination – a batik workshop in Pekalongan, a mere thirty-minute drive away – awaits. Stay tuned, dear reader, for tales of batik artisans and the secrets they hold.
#wheeteck #wheetecktravel #wheetecktravelogue
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