So the main reason i came to Indonesia (aside from a cheap flight) was a book i bought in high school which was a coffee table book called The Atlas of Dream Places and over time, when i need travel inspiration, i pick places out of the book. That’s how i ended up going to Samarkand, for example. Borobudur is in the book. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple, built in the 9th C and in the shape of a giant mandala from the air. It overlooks an expanse of jungle with volcanoes in the distance.
The thing to do if you are keen or crazy is to go there for the sunrise. I awoke at 3am, was picked up at 4am, and arrived at Borobudur in the dark, climbing the stairs to the top. The cool thing about arriving that early is that there is hardly anyone there and those that there are are focused on the east side of the temple so you can basically have the rest of it to yourself. Perfect for endless photographic variations on the 72 or so bell-shaped stupas atop the temple (each containing a stone Buddha). There is nothing inside (it’s built on a hill) but the outside is covered with intricate carvings which i could speak about had i hired a guide, but i didn’t. What i did do was take 1,000 pictures.
I met a couple of nice girls (German & Dutch) each traveling solo and we hung out taking pictures of each other and chatting. We had coffee afterwards and talked about travel and boys. I appreciated having the company. I had hired a driver for the morning but he didn’t speak English. We (the girls and i) had a good time climbing around the temple and mocking the mockable. Chiefly amongst those who caught our attention was a couple (attractive, early middle aged…looked like they could be in a Cialis commercial) who repeatedly set up their camera to video them walking slowly, holding hands between the stupas, exchanging a loving eye lock. They did this multiple times. I realize the irony of my mocking them for this when i took, like 25 failed selfies, but the manufacture of the romantic moment was hilarious. Plus, who were they going to show this video to? Anyway (irony again noted) here are a few of my better images…
After Borobudur i visited the chicken church, but i really feel like that merits its own post, which you can read about here: https://www.wanderingnorth.ca/the-chicken-church-on-java/
After the chicken church detour i went to Prambanan, a 9th C Hindo temple also on the outskirts of the city. It looks a lot like Angkor Wat in Cambodia. There were a group of very similar looking temples, each of which was accessible by steep stairs and housing a deity statue. It was beautiful, but also very crowded, mostly with groups of young local people who kept asking for photos.
Although in the middle of a lovely park, the temples themselves were away from all vegetation so it was extremely hot. I wandered around until i needed a respite and then went for an excellent coffee in the park and looked at some of the animals in cages, including this sinister bird who i assume was behind bars for a reason.
It was an excellent day. I returned to the city in the early afternoon, exhausted, snd spent the evening reading, smoking, and walking aimlessly until bed.
