A place is well known as Alkid

In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, there is an area called Alun-Alun Keraton where most of the Javanese people (who are Yogyakarta origin) consider as sacred place in superstitious way. At this area, when evening comes, you will see many street vendors offering corn grilled on charcoal, warm traditional ginger drink called Wedang Jahe or Ronde (I really like this ginger drink, they usually added peanuts and this sweet chewy balls which I don’t really know what they are), and also some traditional snacks of the Javanese such as sweetened tofu and tempe called Tahu and Tempe Bacem, sweetened brown cake made of glutinous rice called Wajik and there is another one that is called Jadah.

In the middle area of Alun-Alun Keraton (more known as Alun-Alun), there is an empty space (a field) that sometimes people use for afternoon soccer; and right in the middle of the field you will find 2 Bayan trees standing next to one another. While around the field is covered with green grasses, there is a path that separates the two Bayan trees and this path is not covered with grasses whatsoever. The superstitious belief of the people related to this Bayan trees and the path is that if you are able to reach the trees by walking on the path with eyes closed, your dreams will come true. My Indonesian colleagues informed me that the Javanese strongly believe some invisible power and more to ghosts actually, live in the trees; so many people are actually scared by the trees; it is been said that the trees been there for years and never once ever cut down whatsoever.

When you go to Alun-Alun, there will be a couple of guys standing near a table, and on their table you will see the piece of cloth that they will be using to cover the eyes of whoever willing to try their luck; walking through the path trying to reach in between the trees. While I never try myself, but to my opinion, it would be easy as long as you follow the path; as the path is the only way that lead to the trees and have no grasses at all; so you know when your feet touch the grasses, you ought to move a little either to right or to your left, to get back to the track.

At Alun-Alun Keraton, on Saturday night you will definitely see many youngsters and lovers at the street vendors. The light at these street vendors are very dim and almost too dark to even see what you have ordered. I like Alun-Alun in broad daylight better, sometimes you can see a couple of elephants there and sometimes vendors selling second hand stuffs and mostly are antiques stuff, and some other times there are exhibitions and entertainments take place at Alun-Alun area.