After twenty-one hours of traveling, a late-night arrival, and a very delayed next-day domestic flight, I have finally landed in the lovely City of Yogyakarta in Central Java. Standing on the tarmac with the sun beginning to set, and the sky alive in shades of purple, pink and blue, I was in awe of Mount Merapi towering in the distance. The backdrop was as perfect as a postcard — one you could easily get lost in — until your inner voice snaps you back to reality. “Bag! Your bag, you idiot! The one they practically pried from your fingertips, carrying all your belongings. Don’t just stand there — go find it. NOW!” And just like that, the dream was over.
As the minutes passed and the same luggage made its way around, two, three, four times — I began to lose hope. I could literally feel my stomach dropping as each new piece landed on the conveyer belt. Internally, I prayed, pleaded and begged. Hell, I even tried to barter. “If my bag arrives, I promise not to use the F word for the rest of the year. Okay, make that next year, too. Please. Please. Pretty pleeease.” Thankfully after repeating myself at least ten times, the bag came tumbling out, all contents intact. And, like anyone would do, I retracted that last statement. No need to make unnecessary promises, right?
Once outside the door, I was greeted by a young man holding a piece of paper reading “Peralta”, and from there I could breathe easy. By luck, I stumbled upon a travel blog, recommending a small guesthouse on the outskirts of town, and after landing in Jakarta, I shot off an email to the owner — an older French man by the name of Frans — half assuming he’d be fully booked, but much to surprise, that wasn’t the case.
When I opened the car door, lovely lanterns lit up a sea of rice fields before me, with Frans standing in the doorway to greet me. With a quick smile and shake of the hand, I quickly felt at home. I’ve always said that I can read those around me quite quickly, and he was no different. With a soft smile and friendly hello, I instantly knew that I’d be hard-pressed to find a sweeter soul. I had most certainly landed in good hands.
