Traverse in Kota Lama With Semarjawi

Kota Lama – a byname for the old town which was located in the huge capital city of Central Java, Semarang – had been the precious part of Semarang, that had invited the excursionists to get impressed by its look of little Netherland: the indisputable exquisiteness. I thought, it could bring the tourists get into the past.

A badge sticked up on the building wall at Kota Lama

A deserted street at Kota Lama.

   

Perhaps, people commenced to feel unlucky, to have a trip in Semarang without visiting those renowned places which were located in Kota Lama. These buildings and everything here, could be the appealing traveling-destinations for every tourist. 

   I, was definitely lucky, to grew up in Semarang. That to attain Kota Lama – I wouldn`t take too much times to arrive, how convenient? 

Semarjawi bus seen from the right side, it parked next to Taman Srigunting.

   These days, we had got simplicity to traverse the streets at Kota Lama – to see the places with European architecture on the right nor left side of us. Because now, a lucrative storeyed traveling bus called Semarjawi, the shortened name of Semarang Jalan-jalan Wisata, could be escorting all of you, to do an old-town-tour. The bus escorts people started from Tuesday, until Sunday.

    Semarjawi bus always begins the tour from Taman Srigunting, a park near a church that generally called Gereja Blenduk, with some huge trees and benches for sitting down, while enjoying the historical circumstance of old town. 

   Subsequently, it would be ready to take you traverse around Kota Lama, then take a look at your right and left. Obviously because antediluvian buildings, rivers, streets, and offices, would surround you while the bus moves. 

   But, of course there`s a rule to notice, for your safety. The passengers who choose the seats upstairs, must be careful to the cables and tree branches, that these cables and branches, could be harmful anytime. Hence, if you decided to be upstairs, standing up is not recommended. Despite, presumably, some tourists liked to stand up, whatever their reasons. Perhaps because standing up could produce better graphics if they took some pictures, and of course, there are some other particular reasons.

   Despite the buildings and streets are antediluvian, I was pretty sure, that this small old town, were just keeping billion of stories – the stories which made people embarked to feel curious and desired to figure out about those stories – and the stories were not obsolete still. Too many places existed, so that the bearing stories and histories here, seemed to be unlimited. As the time elapsed, more stories bear and involved in the history. 

   Luckily, Semarjawi had its tourguide, whose knowledge about old town, was absolutely abundant. Like I had seen when I joined a tour with Semarjawi and a homeschooling community, while the bus moved, the tourguide around passengers, was ready to explain and expound stories about Kota Lama, completely! Tourguide knows about chronicles, things occured, and scarcely everything about this old town. It seemed to be really helping for those who feel curious about this historical old town.

A law court in the old time, and now its function is as a restaurant.

Jiwasraya, an assurance office.

    













The first building that passengers would see at first, certainly, was a two-and-half-century-aged Christian church named Gereja Blenduk. We could assume that this building is proper to be remembered, and the reason was, because it`s the first building that had been build in the old town on 1753. And the following places in Kota Lama, that the bus would take you over, were the assurance office, Jiwasraya, a restaurant which was named Restoran Ikan Bakar Cianjur, that was a law court in the past. 

Semarang old town taken from up above

Huge ant ornament upon Marabunta building`s roof.

   Besides, Marabunta building that was an opera building with the huge ants ornaments upon its roof, the station, the bridge which originally called Burg by the Netherland people (indigenous people couldn`t spell Burg well, so we heard "Berok" as the name of this bridge), the central post office, polder, and more destinations, are existing to be visited by you. And there were more buildings that probably too inconvenient to be mentioned. 

   The extremity of the tour, usually comes after around forty minutes elapsed, and it`s ended at Taman Srigunting... just like where we begin the tour :)

   Any of you, desire to do a trip with Semarjawi bus, but you know none about how to start the tour? You might order the ticket in Semarjawi`s official website. Also, the tour schedule has been written there. Or, you might order the ticket at Retro Café (adress: Jl. Garuda 09 Kota Lama, in front of the CPM hostel). And theeen... you`d be able to enjoy the picturesque 'little Netherland' of Semarang. 
 

   Now, are you ready to go traveling with Semarjawi? :D

*Semajawi bus only go traverse after thirty until forty passengers filled the seats. If you go with just few persons or probably you are by yourself, you could order tickets for regular. But, there`s also VIP tickets for those communities or groups that go around the old town with Semarjawi.