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span class="inline inline-left">Reproduction: The Ullen Sentalu Museum in Kaliurang near Mount Merapi features this giant replica of a Borobudur relief.Batik with one of the subtle, russet motifs of Yogyakarta was flapping lazily on a clothesline, seen through the open window of the unassuming warung to the southeast of the city.

Warung Sido Semi, built in 1957, conjures up a different era — a Yogyakarta of old — with ancient soda bottles lining the walls, simple wooden tables and chairs seemingly dating from the place’s beginnings and messages in Javanese tacked up here and there.

One Saturday afternoon there was a steady stream of customers arriving to enjoy the simple menu of bakso and selection of ices on offer. One frequent customer explained, “The bakso here is different, it’s not like the bakso everywhere else. Here it’s like they used to make many years ago. It’s really good.”

The warung on a quiet lane in Kotagede will not be found highlighted on any maps of Yogyakarta, but for visitors to the city known for its sultan and his palace, the teeming shopping of Jl. Malioboro and the numerous temples dotting the area, it is worthwhile to note that there are even more joys to be had in this beating heart of Java — on both the city’s major thoroughfares and its tranquil backstreets.

Only a few kilometers from Kotagede, previously home to the Mataram kingdom and sprinkled with many noteworthy vestiges of that former glory, sits Yogyakarta’s bird market on Jl. Bantul, a vast, orderly complex brimming with birds of all shapes and sizes. There doe-eyed owls brood silently, all manner of chickens and pigeons strut and stammer about and prized perkutut (zebra doves) in elaborately carved wooden cages sing sweet melodies.

The keeping of perkutut is not insignificant. Javanese philosophy prescribes five things a man should possess for the perfect life: a wife (wanita), a home (wisma), a bird (kukila), a kris (curiga) and a horse (turangga). Not necessarily to be taken literally or in that order, lessons are to be drawn from each about how to conduct oneself, including the idea that the sounds of a bird bring the same tranquility to a home that one should strive to cultivate within oneself.

The serenity engendered by those chirping melodies is nowhere more manifest than sunrise at Borobudur, the 9th century stone wonder of Buddhist piety about 40 kilometers from Yogyakarta. From darkness at the peak of the majestic monument arrives shades of pink, and a veritable orchestra of birdsong emerges from the nearby forest and hills, creating a soundscape to merge with a landscape that positively is like no other.

An alternative to that panorama can be found at the enchanting Ullen Sentalu Museum in Kaliurang, 25 kilometers north of Yogyakarta on the slopes of Mount Merapi. Beyond the many neat little galleries offering unique takes on the history of Yogyakarta and Solo royals (including an exhilarating focus on the women of the court) are verdant gardens that emanate with serenity and a quiet power.

Then turn a corner. There materializes a looming, massive replica of a Borobudur relief, set dramatically askew. Museum guide Jonathan Haryono said, “This was created to make a statement about the lack of protections for Indonesia’s historical places. The panel is not level to demonstrate the problems with archaeological protection in the country.”

But, even with all the difficulties preserving Indonesia’s dilapidated historical sites filled with the relics of artisans of centuries past, Yogyakarta now practically seethes with artists, with galleries and street murals dotting its roads and alleys.

One gallery, the Cemeti Art House on Jl. D.I. Panjaitan, was recently exhibiting an eclectic selection of works, including an adorable rattan sofa with the silhouette of a cat emerging from its fibers by Dian Ariyani.

Cemeti founder Nindityo Adipurnomo said, “We offer scholarships for artists for three months. They live here and use the place as a workshop … Then they exhibit their work here at the end of the three months.”

The gallery was founded in 1988 by Mella Jaarsma and Nindityo Adipurnomo at the house they were renting, and the two have since helped to shape new generations of contemporary artists from the place they call home, creating a supportive and lively home for artists as well with their residency program.

For visitors desiring a luxurious home of their own in Yogyakarta, at least for a night or so, the new Grand Aston Yogyakarta on Jl. Urip Sumoharjo is sure to satisfy. The north-facing rooms boast priceless, unobstructed views of Mount Merapi that make one want to snuggle up in the beyond comfortable bed and watch the weather pass over the mountain. The scene changes from hour to hour, the active volcano — sometimes shrouded in mist, sometimes clear as day, sometimes cloaked in deep gray — towers from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms at this gleaming hotel.

From there one can walk or take the ubiquitous becak to any number of spots near the center of Yogyakarta, including to a splendid respite for the weary, Kaki Sehat on Jl. Adisucipto.

Colorful: Yogyakarta’s bird market on Jl. Bantul is a vast complex brimming with birds of all shapes and sizes, including racing pigeons housed in these multihued quarters.The place is humble but the masseurs are powerful, with one-and-a half-hour full body massages focusing on pressure points. The weary can let their thoughts wander amid the soothing scent of eucalyptus oil for only Rp 50,000 (US$5.40).

Perhaps let those thoughts meander back to the Javanese philosophy of the path to a perfect life, to a journey that satisfies many needs: for sustenance, peace, spirit, respite, movement.

Enjoy the treats peddled from small storefronts. Listen to birds singing sweetly. Journey down the small paths of Kotagede along with the occasional bicycle or becak. Embrace the day and adhere to that Javanese “rule of five” in your own way, perhaps also following your five senses.

Then head over to Warung Sido Semi on Jl. Canteng and order from the list of ices like es coklat with tape (fermented cassava) and sticky rice for Rp 3,000 and ponder the messages on the walls penned in elegant Javanese script. A helpful tablemate translated one: “Don’t forget to lock your motorcycle.”

— Photos By Deanna Ramsay