Solo is both the name of the city (Eastern/Central Java) where I arrived in Indonesia as well as my status deboarding the plane. The only tourist, I breezed through customs and rapidly acquired my "visa on arrival" at the one gate airport.
The neighboring Yogajakarta is the hub for those wishing to see Indonesian culture. Solo is listed merely as a second option for those craving more. However, the main difference is not the offerings, but the tourists - Yoga had many, Solo has few.
By day I zoomed around the countryside visiting temples and small local shops and factories seeing such things as the art of making a gamelin (famous gong-like instrument) and arak (beloved local spirit distilled from palm sugar). By night I attended performances of shadow puppets and traditional theater with the locals. What I missed in English-speaking company was more than compensated for by the experience of the living art form. The performances weren't canned replicas of an ancient art form repeated nightly for Westerners, but continued to thrill Indonesian audiences (including the odd Westerner).
I was lucky enough to have my visit coincide with a major show put on by the local art college. The audience was packed with young and old people who errupted in laughter when the more traditional characters of Indonesian folk lore met with modern day characters such as the corrupt city official, street vendor and local drunkard. While I missed the benefit of a printed English language pamphlet, the movements and voices of the puppets along with the reaction of the crowd continued to fuel my interest and enjoyment.
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