Shoes From Cibaduyut

Cibaduyut Street is the heart of the shoe. The bronze statue of two shoes at the beginning of the street is everything: shoes of all types and sizes make up the majority of what he sells this street. If you’re interested in shoes and as a negotiation, the street was Cibaduyut satisfy both his feet as his wallet. To get there, or take a taxi or take one of angkot Cibaduyut that States, and to get beyond the statue of shoes. Most of the shoe brand may not be the real thing, although many are still of good quality and it is unclear whether it relates to the real thing or not. Besides the fact that most footwear brands are Indonesian, once again, good quality and good value.

Shopping in Bandung City

The epithets given to the West Java city of Bandung can be numerous and varied: such as, for its art deco buildings, it is called “the Paris of the East”; for its floral surroundings, “the Flower City”, and for its parks and gardens “the Garden City”. But it might also be awarded the title of “the Shoppers’ City”. With its numerous factory outlets, which now seem to be in practically every corner of the city, its famous — if not infamous — Jl. Cihampelas, the “shoe street” of Jl. Cibaduyut and the arrival of bigger and better malls, Bandung is maintaining its position as something of a shopper’s paradise. 

Factory outlets have become such a popular place or concept for shopping that they have begun to appear in Jakarta and Bogor but Bandung seems to be maintaining its position as the real home of factory outlets. 

Take a drive up Jl. Dago and you may be left in a state of confusion as to which factory outlet to stop at. They line this street and seem to compete with each other for the largest signage and trendiest frontage. Various designs are displayed to attract the eye but the shopping experience that waits within each of these retail outlets is similar. 

These factory outlets offer an extensive range of clothing and accessories and many of the items are graced with designer labels. 

At times this range can be nothing short of mystifying. For example, quite thick and heavy winter coats seem a little out of place in the hot climate of Indonesia but, then again, for those planning trips to colder countries such items might be ideal. 

The range of items for sale may be varied but the price tags are consistently low. Although the name “factory outlet” tends to conjure up images of shelves stacked high and little or no presentation and/or comfort for shoppers this is, in fact, not at all the case. 

Certainly the amount of stock that is on display can be somewhat mesmerizing but the presentation of the shops is often attractive and the design and general layout of these factory outlets can be such that shoppers may spend quite a good part of the day within just one of them. 

There are factory outlets in the rather up-market Setiabudi district of the city and on Jl. Riau, not far from Bandung Indah Plaza, which are really much more than just factory outlets. 

They have restaurants and cafes within them and even play areas for children that clearly highlight that the owners are willing and able to cater to family visitors and buyers. 

Factory outlets are, then, in abundance all around Bandung but they have also diversified a little to become boutique-type outlets. 

Again, in the Jl. Riau area, there are now factory outlets that are comprised of smaller boutique-type shops all housed within a single factory outlet. 

In these collections of boutiques there might be smaller shops for specific shoppers — such as women’s clothes, accessories, shoes and surfer-dude trendy items and so on. These collections of boutiques are often housed within older, even colonial-era, houses and thus modern shopping is happening in older parts of the city. 

Smaller shopping outlets are also what comprise the “shoe street” of Jl. Cibaduyut. This, although a consistently fascinating shopping experience, is less of a pleasurable shopping experience thanks to the general surroundings. 

Jl. Cibaduyut is a quite long and winding road with a busy flow of traffic coming into Bandung and heading out toward the hill town of Ciwidey. 

As a consequence of the flow of traffic, the road is rather noisy and dusty and thus not a particularly attractive proposition for the pedestrian shopper. 

However, the determined shopper may be rewarded for perseverance as along much of this roadway are huddled as many as 100 shoe sellers and makers. 

This means that the shoe shopper may either buy directly or place an order for a specific design or type of shoe. A similarly busy and rather frantic street is Jl. Cihampelas. 

This street has been known as the “jeans street” in recognition of the vast numbers of jeans that are for sale there but it is not only jeans that can be purchased along this colorful street. 

With the frankly weird and wonderful array of giant figures that adorn many of the shop fronts, Jl. Cihampelas is a sight to be seen — if not a rather tacky and over-the-top sight. Jeans are for sale in abundance as are T-shirts that are typically humorous in nature. 

In addition, reflecting the huge figures that clamber over or fly out of the shop fronts, many of the shops here feature clothing with images or logos of superheroes. All of this makes for a colorful scene but the shopping experience is rather more “cheap and cheerful” than high-class. The Jl. Cihampelas area has, though, been improved by the development of Cihampelas Walk (or Ciwalk, as it is more typically referred to). Here there is a department store, cinema, an open-air walkway that features a good range of restaurants and various other boutique-type shops. 

Although much of the decor of Ciwalk is bright and colorful, reflecting its near neighbors on Jl. Cihampelas, the general atmosphere here is much more of a pleasing one for the shopper.
This is not least because cars are parked and shoppers can roam freely away from the bustle and dust of a street like Jl. Cihampelas. 

Shopping malls too, then, are part of the shopping scene in Bandung with relatively new and major developments like Bandung Super Mall (BSM) featuring prominently and the central Bandung Indah Plaza (BIP) going through recent renovations to improve it. 

Bandung does then have a diverse, even rather mixed bag, of shopping experiences but the majority of shoppers is likely to find something to their liking. Bargains are there to be found and the bargain hunting in Bandung can be a pleasurable and even fun experience.

Wayang Golek

Wayang golek are rod puppets which are unique to Sunda, the Western half of Java. They have intricately carved and painted wooden heads, jointed arms and elaborate costumes. Performances take place on a low, narrow wooden stage, behind which the dalang (puppeteer) sits. 

One story has it that they were invented by an Islamic ruler in the 16th century, and used to spread Islam by telling stories about the hero Amir Hamzah who was an uncle of Mohammed (the Menak cycles). Today they might be used to tell stories derived from the Mahabharata or, less often, the Ramayana. 

Traditionally wayang golek performances are accompanied by a small gamelan salendro although in recent years some of the best known dalang have experimented with using much larger instruments with an increased tonal range.

What is Wayang Kulit ?

Wayang kulit (kulit - leather) is the best known of the Javanese puppetry traditions and can be used to describe any puppet theatre using flat leather puppets which cast shadows on to a screen. 

The puppets are carved from buffalo hide and painted. As a general rule they have jointed arms, which are manipulated with horn sticks (tuding). The puppets are supported by another piece of horn (gapit) which is split down the middle with one half extending up each side of the figure. 

The puppets used in Java are highly stylised, which is thought to derive from the Islamic influence (which forbids literal representation of human figures) on the arts of Java. In Bali, which retained Hindu beliefs, the puppets are much more realistic. For more on Javanese puppets see Wayang Puppets by Tim Byard-Jones in the Seleh Notes Library. 

The most popular stories (lakon) are those based on episodes and characters from the great Indian epic poems - the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The performances follow a formalised dramatic structure and include humorous interludes featuring a number of clown characters. Traditionally a wayang takes place overnight, lasting approximately nine hours. 

A performance is given against a large screen, traditionally lit by an oil lamp. The dhalang (puppeteer) is in overall charge of the performance and not only voices all the puppets, but also sings and controls the musical accompaniment by means of a variety of cues. 

Traditionally wayang performances were accompanied by a gamelan wayang, a smaller gamelan with fewer saron, a small number of kenong and kempul and without bonang. Today a full gamelan is usually used and a wayang kulit performance is an exciting, colourful and typically Javanese event.

Reog Dance

Reog is a traditional dance that become the main identity for Ponorogo regency.
Because of this, Ponorogo is also known as Reog city.
This theatre has been known wide in Indonesian even foreign tourists.
Reog National Festival is held every years along the anniversary of Ponorogo regency and Grebeg Suro celebration.
Reog dance is also staged full moon nightly in paseban, Ponorogo Town Square.
Reog told about the struggle for a prince who will propose to a lovely pretty princess .
This dance is staged about 25 - 40 dancers and the musician.
The interesting of Reog is his main leading figure named Singo Barong.
The dancer of Singo Barong bear the mask about 30 - 40 kg weight and supported by the strength of their teeth.
The other leading figure in Reog include Kelono Sewandono, Bujang Anom, Jatil and Warok.
The visitors can enjoy this traditional dance only in Ponorogo, East Java - Indonesia. The only area that has REOG dance is Ponorogo, not in other country.

King of Indonesian Fruits is "Durian"

Durian is considered by many Indonesians to be the “king of fruits”. It is a large greenish brown fruit with hard spines. The hard outer skin needs to be pried open with a large knife to reach the yellowish, soft and creamy textured flesh inside. The flesh is eaten direct from the stone. The strong smell can be overwhelming and many people find it disgusting, however for those who love the sweet taste of the durian the smell just arouses their appetite! Some supermarkets sell segments of durian in sealed plastic packs. Durian flavored ice cream or cookies are also popular. 

Cempedak Fruit

Cempedak is similar to nangka but smaller and more orange colored and with a much stronger smell and taste. It is not usually eaten raw but is fried in batter or cooked in cakes.

Jackfruit (Nangka) Indonesia

Nangka or jackfruit is the giant of Indonesian fruits, often measuring 50 cm in length. Because it is so large it is usually sold in cut sections. Nangka has a tough, prickly skin and segments of firm yellow flesh. It has a strong smell and flavor. Nangka that is not yet ripe is often cooked as a vegetable in some Indonesian dishes.

Longan Fruit (Kelengkeng or Lengkeng)

Kelengkeng or longan is another seasonal fruit similar to rambutan or lychee, but smaller with brown skin. The flesh has a refreshing sweet-sour flavor.

Rambutan Fruit From Indonesia

Rambutan, sometimes known as hairy lychee, is in season from November through February. The bright red or orange yellow spiny fruit is easy to spot at roadside stalls and stores and looks attractive in a fruit bowl. The soft spines resemble hair, hence the name rambutan, which means hairy. Several varieties of the fruit can be found, the most prized and tastiest one being the rambutan rapiah, which is yellowish with short hair. Rambutan is best eaten soon after being picked from the tree. Cut through the outer skin or break it with your fingers and eat the white flesh. In some varieties the flesh comes off the stone easily while in others it sticks to the stone.

Srikaya Fruit

Srikaya or buah nona is known as custard apple or sweetsop. It is somewhat similar to but smaller than sirsak and has a sweeter custard-like flesh.

Soursop Fruit (Sirsak) From Indonesia

Sirsak or soursop, on the other hand is very sour as its name implies. It is a fairly large irregular shaped green fruit with sparse soft spines. Inside there is white pulp around black seeds. Usually the pulp and juice is scraped out and the seeds are removed. Sugar can be added to the pulp to be eaten fresh, or it can be made into sirsak juice.

Sawo Fruit From Indonesia

Sawo or sapodilla plum is a brown-skinned medium-sized fruit. Peel off the thin skin with a knife and eat the soft brown flesh inside. It is sweet with a flavor reminiscent of honey.

Snakeskin Fruit (Salak) From Indonesia

Salak or snakeskin fruit is generally not very appealing to the western palate. The shiny, dark brown, scaly skin can be peeled off and inside there may be two or three irregular sized segments. Rub off the membrane covering each segment and eat the crisp cream-colored flesh. Inside larger segments is a hard dark brown stone.

Markisa Fruit From Indonesia

Markisa is a kind of passion fruit with a yellowish brown hard outer skin, occasionally becoming purple. The black seeds inside are enclosed in sacks of sweet juice that can be swallowed whole. Cut the markisa fruit in half and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. It can be used for desserts, added to fruit salad and is commonly made into a syrup that makes a refreshing drink when mixed with iced water or soda. 

Kedondong Fruit From Indonesia

Kedondong or kedongdong is a kind of greenish yellow, fibrous, sour, plum like fruit also know as Spanish plum. Wash well and cut the flesh from the large stone. Raw kedondong is used in rujak (mixed fruits with sweet and hot sauce) and it is sometimes eaten cooked.

Star Fruit (Belimbing) Indonesia

Belimbing, the star fruit or carambola, is believed by many Indonesians to have qualities promoting good health. It is a pale yellow fruit with ridges that form a star shape when the fruit is sliced across. Belimbing is not very sweet but juicy and looks decorative on a platter with other sliced fruits. Wash thoroughly; remove any discolored parts, slice and serve. It can also be made into juice.