Java Jamboree: Inside a Kraton

I suppose we could count our lucky stars. Kraton Surakarta Hadiningrat may be closed when we were in Solo but Puro Mangkunegaran was not. Umbrella in hand, we walked down the streets in the opposite direction under the hot tropical sun. Taking a trishaw would be nice, I think, since the two kratons were really not so near to each other. We bought our tickets immediately and hired a guide too, who explained to us the intricacies of Javanese dance and took us around the kraton. If you have seen great palaces of the world, maybe you'd not mind missing this kraton unless of course, you want to view the gold chastity lock for the past Sultan or ogle at portraits of the royal family...

Can you spot our guide?

Traveling Tip: Use your umbrella!