Renew Old Memories in Purworejo (part 1)

Sop Senerek, the Javanese version of Dutch cuisines, the Bruine Bonen Soep. Typically Kedu Residents cuisines who consist of Temanggung, Magelang, Purworejo, Kebumen and surround it.

Hello World!

This week were getting so awesome for me! Yap, just because of its really-really full of adventures. Since my friends Wisnu Pratama got his Kuliah Kerja Nyata (kinda form of community service activities by students in the rural areas) or simply called as KKN  that located in Salaman, Magelang and its near my birthplace city, Purworejo, so I quickly made an appointment with Him in order to accompany me visiting this city. I really excited to go there now, due to I must have "me-time" over there, not like my previous experience. Have my own vehicles, have my own destination to renew my Old memories that already left there for 19 years, so here we go!

“Deze weg is daargesteld onder het bestuur
der Residen van Bagelen Ionkh JGOS Don Schmidt
Auf Altenstadt En R De Filletaz Bousqet En
onder mederwerking van Raden Adipati Tjokronegoro
Regent van Purworejo In de jaren 1845-1850”.

Start at 10.30 am, the bus arrived at Magelang and Wisnu picked me up, then we got our breakfast with the famous Magelang culinary, Sop Senerek Karesidenan, the stall is near the former office of Karesidenan (eng: Resident) Kedu. Its named after senerek, the red beans. Serving in the forms of soup, containing meat/offal, potato, carrot, spinach and of course, rice. This is the example of the acculturations between the local culture and the europeans. Its looks like typical Dutch cuisine, bruine bonen soep, a soup who also named after the bruine bonen, the brown beans. Hmm...yummy, start from this breakfast, its already renew my old memories, because of this Sop Senerek were typically a cuisine in the Kedu region, who consist of Magelang and another cities in the south of this city, also Purworejo.

On 11.00 am, our bikes already down to the Magelang-Purworejo main highway. I love every part of it, because of its offering the enormous scenery, a combination of valley, mountainous and rural area. Then we stoped in Tugu Bener, a monument to commemorate the construction of the highway between Magelang and Purworejo which took a place between 1845-1850. This monument condition seems like never been restored nor preserved. I guess, not so many people knows about the story behind this monument. Taking several photos and the journey continued. After 45 minutes of riding, we arrived in the city of Purworejo.

"Indlansche en Afrikaansche Troepen"
a picture depicting the native (left) and
African (right) mercenaries om KNIL
(source: wikipedia.org)

Not so many changes happend in this city. Even in my memories, several building and several places, just like in their condition during my childhood. This small cities, is rich with the history, just like my stories before here, at least i could mention two of the things that people here must be proud of their city, there's the biggest Aloon-aloon and Bedug in central java is located. here 

Here in Purworejo, once there's a kampoong that populated by african descendants, mainly from Elmina, Ghana that recruited as mercenaries for the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army or simply known as KNIL. This people so-called Zwarte Hollanders, the Black Dutchmen, the Javanese recognize them as Londo Ireng literally also means Black Dutchmen. Between 1831 and 1872, over three thousand Africans were recruited, this recruitment was in fact an emergency measure, as the Dutch army lost thousands of European soldiers and a much larger number of "native" soldiers in the Java War against Pangeran Diponegoro between 1825-1830. Following the independence of Indonesia, many of this african descendants flew back to Netherlands or to Africa, few of them choose to stay in Indonesia, one of their settlements were in Purworejo. 

The street inside the Kampoong even named as Gang African (eng: African Alley) to commemorate this. Located near RSUD Purworejo (city central hospital), here still a lot of houses typically 30-40's tropica architectures could be founded. But now, you couldnt find any Zwarte Hollanders anymore here. I found one's of the residents and said the last remains of this was already passed away in 2008. She only have one child, still looks alike an afro's people, but unfortunatelly, he's suffering for mental disorder even frequently He stay until fall asleep in Kerkhof (Dutch Graveyard) Purworejo, for unknown reason. We try to find Him in Kerkhof but found nothing. 

An old Gardu Listrik/ Tranformator Huis in front of
Gang African. inzet: the noticemen in Three Languages. 

Uniquely, near the Gang African, We met the Tranformator Huis (eng: Transformator House) or here in we call it as Gardu Listrik, that still in complete condition. Here in Purworejo, we could find a noticemen in three languages, Dutch, Indonesian and Javanese to prevent the people from the electricity danger. This noticemen made of Tin and you couldnt find any of these in Semarang, because it must be already taken by the collectors. I wish this noticemen will always there, please God save them from both the collectors and vandalist ;) 

(To be Continued)