Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine September 2016 | Page 119

Travel | Bukittinggi

117

© Mark Eveleigh

A Minangkabau-style
pavilion at Fort De Kock;
the former colonial
outpost was built by the
Dutch in 1825.
By bendi is the
most scenic and
traditional way to explore
the main streets of
Bukittinggi.

“Bukittinggi is a 300-horsepower town,” smiles Andi
Taufik as he threads his stallion
Benasok through the tangle of
bendis (horse-drawn carriages)
that throng the streets of the
town’s lower market. “I’ve been
driving a bendi since I was a
kid and back then there were
over 1,000.”
The cool mountain air carries the sweet
scent of tropical fruit and dew-fresh
vegetables, along with the spice-laden
breeze from stalls selling cloves, mace, coffee
and the biggest sticks of cinnamon I’ve ever
seen. Horse-drawn carriages are being loaded
up with fresh produce and housewives
clamber aboard, swapping cheery chatter
with their chosen charioteer of the day.
This highland town, perched on the volcanic
slopes of West Sumatra, is famous for its
vibrantly painted bendi carriages. Before
arriving in the town I’d imagined that these
days the horses would be reserved for tourist

trips around the historical sights of the
town but Andi Taufik assures me that, with
more than 300 bendis plying the streets, these
traditional vehicles remain an essential part
of Bukittinggi’s public transport system.
The town was founded in rich farming
country as the central marketplace for
five rural villages in the region. These days,
however, it is a leading business and
educational centre. But, despite being
the second-biggest city in West Sumatra
(after Padang), this bustling town with its
population of 117,000 is surely one of the
most relaxing in Indonesia. Take time to
explore the city at a sedate pace under
horsepower (or on foot) and you’ll see that
Bukittinggi still retains much of its peaceful
country market-town atmosphere.
Although there are bendis on most corners,
most of the must-see sights in this historical
city are easily explored on foot. The Dutch
colonials located their main garrison here
and called the town Fort de Kock after
Lieutenant Governor-General of the Dutch
East Indies, Hendrik Merkus de Kock. The
fort itself, Benteng Fort de Kock, was built as
a major strategic centre during the Padri War
in 1825. The grounds of this old stone fortress

5 Senses – Taste
KAWA DAUN
Kawa daun is a Sumatran speciality
coffee made with leaves rather than with
coffee beans. In Bukittinggi it comes in a
particularly delicious form (called simply
kawa telur) served with whipped egg white
and condensed milk. It’s like drinking
coffee-flavoured tea through raw meringue
mix and is at its most delicious when
enjoyed with fried godok (banana bread).
Kawa Daun merupakan kopi khas
Sumatera yang terbuat dari daun,
bukan biji. Di Bukittinggi, kopi ini disajikan
khas (biasa disebut kawa telur), dengan
kocokan putih telur dan susu kental manis,
rasanya seperti teh kopi yang dicampur kue
meringue dan sangat pas bi la dinikmati
bersama godok atau roti pisang.