My friends and I went to Solo, Central Java on the 1st of October 2011. We chose to visit Solo because the city possesses strong and unique cultural heritage. This city was the birthplace of the Mataram Kingdom in the 1755, there are also many cultures and traditions in Solo like making batik, traditional music and its traditional food.

We went to Solo by train, and for some of us it was the first time we had been on a train in Indonesia. When we got there, we went to Laweyan. Laweyan is a place located in the middle of the old city. It is a place where people can learn about batik, as well as learn how to make them. I learned how to make batik from Widhiarso, one of the batik teachers there. I used a canting to outline the design with hot wax. A canting is a small pot made of copper, with a small tip in which the hot wax can flow down. The canting also has a wooden handle.

My friends and I also learned how to play the gamelan and wayang. There are many types of gamelan orchestra; I learned how to play the saron and slenthem. Saron is made out of six brass plates with different notes and slenthem is made of seven brass plates. I played these musical instruments by hitting them with a stick. It was not easy because I was confused when I tried them for first time, but one of the instructors told me that I could still improve. Lastly I learned how to play wayang. There are many techniques to play the wayang, but the most important thing is that I have to multitask because I have to hold wayang in my hands while I move bells with my feet. I had fun and I could do it after a few practices. It was fun because I had a lot of new experiences.