High costs prevent students vacations

High costs prevent students vacations

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post/Yogyakarta

As many Muslims here left for their hometowns to enjoy the feast
at the end of the Ramadhan fast with their families, high
transportation costs kept some university students in Yogyakarta
put, surviving the holiday on instant noodles.

"Back home, after the Idul Fitri morning prayer, our family
usually eats particular foods prepared for the day, ketupat (rice
cake wrapped in coconut leaves) served with opor ayam (chicken
cooked with spices in coconut milk)," recalled Seprizky Pratama,
a native of Neusu, Aceh province, who could not return to his
family for Idul Fitri.

"This year, I could only imagine the taste of mother's cooking
as I only had instant noodles to eat."

The student of Gadjah Mada University's school of engineering
missed his parents and three siblings, but high transportation
costs made him think twice about making the trip.

To go home to Aceh, he said, would cost him at least Rp 1.4
million (US$140) -- Rp 500,000 for the air ticket to Jakarta and
another Rp 800,000 to Medan plus Rp 100,000 for the bus fare to
reach Aceh.

His limited days off made traveling by bus an unappealing
option.

"A single land trip might take four days, if there's no
congestion on the way. So I should have at least eight days, and
I only have two weeks' holiday," he said.

Since he has no family in Yogyakarta, Seprizky stayed in his
boarding house in Pogung Baru for the holiday. The fact that most
food stalls were closed accounted for his diet of instant
noodles.

Another student, Mutaqin, also a native of Aceh, did not go
back home either, although his parents did send him money.

"The money was not much, but enough to buy some new clothes,"
he said.

In order to save money to enable him to visit his friends at
Idul Fitri, Mutaqin broke his fast in a nearby mosque that
provided free meals. "Visiting friends is costly since
transportation fares have gone up. If I don't save money, I might
end up hungry," he said.

Another student, Bima of West Nusa Tenggara, also decided to
stay in Yogyakarta for Idul Fitri since he did not have Rp
400,000 for a single trip home.

"I actually miss my family, but what can I do? My financial
situation does not allow me to travel," Bima said.