Thanks to Areep for the idea of the route to Asta Tinggi. Although I'm not sure I can write the route like what you want. Because, I'm very bad in navigation. (Don't ever ask me where the west direction or east direction. I will never know where it is! ^0^)
We'll start it with the easiest way, okay..
To traveling to Asta Tinggi, after we arrive at the Gate of Sumenep City, just has 3 turns. Turn left, turn left, and turn right. I mean it! ^_^
After we arrive at the Gate of the Town, we just follow the main road, until we find The Downtown Monument. (If we saw the monument, we are in the downtown yet, The Sumenep People call the circle around the monument with "Downtown").
And then we turn left, and don't care about intersections until we meet a road where make us to turn left. ^_^ Why? Because it does like that. It's just a main road which turns left. ^0^
And then we will across the Bridge of Kebonagung above the Kebonagung River.
When we arrive at the bridge, it means we have just one step remain to Asta Tinggi. We just look for the sign. There is a sign to turn right to Asta Tinggi.
The road to Asta Tinggi is so abrupt. So, if you are new in driving, just be careful. It's Asta Tinggi, anyway. The high location graveyard.
In outside of Asta Tinggi area, it's not just the graveyards of the kings which can be seen. There is a cave from calcium, the cave goes to the edge of Kebonagung River.
The cave named Gua Jeruk (Gua=cave, Jeruk=orange the fruit)
When I was a kid, I entered often entered the cave, and I would show up at the edge of the river and go home. I loved to enter the cave, It just like I was Indiana Jones. Full of adventures.
But shame, Gua Jeruk is no more in cares. I don't know why the cave is not being an object of tour. It's full of rubbish now.
I am so sad, looking to the cave that's being a trash bin by the people around the Asta Tinggi. If we looked at to the trash, who will enter the cave then?.
I hope, The Government of Sumenep will care of the cave. It's a potential object for the tourism.You can also read this article in Indonesian, here...
Anda juga dapat membaca artikel ini dalam Bahasa Indonesia, di sini...
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Asta Tinggi, Part II
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Asta Tinggi: The Graveyard of The Kings of Sumenep
After holding Baantaran ceremony in Sunday (November 2nd), the day after (Monday, November 3rd), we took the in-laws to travel around Madura island. We when to Asta Tinggi, the graveyard of the kings of Sumenep.
Located in Sumenep, on the top of hill, Asta Tinggi is dedicated to be a graveyard of the Kings of Sumenep and their descendants.
Asta Tinggi (Asta=Grave,Rest Area), consists of three parts of graveyard. The first is lower graveyard, that is the graveyard which is dedicated to the lower noble people. The ones who "only" has "Raden" on their name, have right to be buried in here.
The second is, outside graveyard, for middle noble, -which I don't know what noble it is-, But the fact is they're not the straight descendants of the Kings of Sumenep.
I don't know why, but this graveyard looks like old graveyard and not taken care. Maybe it's because there's no one who has right to be buried here.
And the last one is, inside graveyard, where the descendant of the Kings be buried.
People who've been buried here are the straight descendants of the Kings of Sumenep. Usually their noble are Raden Panji, Raden Bagus, and Raden Aju (Raden Ayu, in Sumenep, there is no noble of Raden Ajeng, there is Raden Aju which is read by Dinaju)
So many things we can learn in Asta Tinggi, such as the Kings of Sumenep's history. Because in this graveyard there are graves of famous Kings of Sumenep i.e. Pangeran Jimad, Bindara Saod, and Pangeran Panji Pulang Jiwa. (This last one has made me peevish! Later I'll told you.)
Pangeran Panji Pulang Jiwa has made me peevish? Yes!.
Listen, there is a myths in Sumenep that if we take pictures of inside graveyard, our camera or the results will be broken. I don't believe it!.
Mummy's told same thing too. She had ever come to this graveyard and taken some pictures, with analog camera. All the results were burnt. I don't believe it!.
And yesterday, with full of confidences I took the pictures of inside graveyard (the grave that has red blanket on the gravestone). And when I arrived at the grave of Pangeran Panji Pulang Jiwa, my camera battery was dropping out (I used the digital camera). My camera was broken after I took the Prince's grave. (>_<)
Can you imagine how irked I was? It so irked me!.
I took the MMC out from my digicam at once. Who knows what will happen to the memories?.
And I continued taking pictures of the graves by my phone camera. I don't care if my mobile broke. I just can buy the new one. I wouldn't miss this rare changes. I don't have idea when I will be back here again and taking pictures?.
You know? When we went down from the graveyard of Asta Tinggi, my digicam was back into normal again. (@_@)
Believe it, or not?You can also read this article in Indonesian, here...
Anda juga dapat membaca artikel ini dalam Bahasa Indonesia, di sini...
