AN ancient seat of royal power, Solo is about as laid-back a city of this size can be on Java, an island of more than 120 million people. Though the majestic days of the rajas are over, the town is scattered with the remains of palaces and other imperial constructions.

Compared with congested and much larger Yogya, Solo is a more authentic Javanese urban center, its skyline broken only by three- and four-story buildings, and trains run down the