Borobudur, Java

For me, the highlight of our trip to Jogjakarta was exploring the temple of Borobudur, a gigantic Buddhist temple built sometime in the 800's. It was abandoned around the 14th century, when Buddhism and Hinduism fell into decline as Java came under Islamic influence. The temple, which is 120m x 120m (almost exactly square, to the centimeter - how did those ancient Javanese Buddhist build this thing!?), was reclaimed by the jungle until Sir Raffles (of Singaporean fame) heard about it from some locals and sent an expedition to re-discover the temple. The temple has been renovated and restored twice, to great effect - it is truly breathtaking (and not just because there are ten levels with steep steps in between!)

Our trip to Borobudur started at 4am, when our driver Yuli picked us up at the hotel. The drive took almost an hour, and while I expected we would soon find ourselves in the 'country,' the city kept sprawling outwards into miles and miles of towns and villages. Indonesia, the 4th most populous country in the world!* We drove through (literally, through) a morning market, which Yuli said was only open from about 4-6am. We saw all sorts of goods and people balanced precarious on bikes - motor or otherwise.

Moonlit hike (full moon, too!)

Our guide convinced us that instead of going to Borobudur for sunrise, it was better (and somewhat cheaper) to go to a nearby hill and watch the sun rise over Borobudur. Fair enough. We entered 'the country' proper then, winding through (and up) dense jungle on a narrow track. We then parked and began the final leg of the journey, a 'short walk up the hill' (according to Yuli). Surprise! It turned out to more like a 15-20 minute hike in the dark up a steep hill, and it had us all huffing by the time we got to the top. But it was pretty darn exciting too, hiking through the dark jungle with no idea where we're really going, after being brought here by someone we didn't really know...adventure!

At first it was too dark to even take pictures, but little by little the sky lightened...

You can just make out the temple (top center) through the mist

To the left is Mt. Merapi, a volcano.
It last erupted in 2010

The sun peaks through

At times the mist almost completely obscured
the volcano and the temple

It was pretty special to get to share that with my parents and Jacob. I'm a lucky girl.

Some more mountains in the distance.

Upon entering the temple grounds, anyone wearing
shorts is asked to wear a sarong - which they kindly provide
(Though I brought my own). Looking good Dad!

Several groups of Indonesian school kids asked us to
take pictures with them - sort of a funny phenomenon,
it feels a little weird because they're pretty much doing
it because you're white. But they were really polite,
and Mom made some new friends!

Approaching the temple. This was
around 6 am so, blessedly, it was not
very hot (yet).

This place is massive!

Aerial view - each side is longer than a football field.

Hundreds of Buddha statues. Originally, each Buddha would have had a stupa
(one of those peaked dome-like coverings) over him,
but many have broken or been taken - along with many of the
Buddha heads themselves.

Relief on the sides of the temple tell stories of Buddha's life, along with other tales.
The temple was built without mortar - all the stones lock into place using nubs and keystones.
The reliefs were carved after the stones were put in place.

There were many beautiful carvings - amazing to think this was done 1200 years ago.

Not a bad place to meditate.

Really amazing architecture. I can't get over that they built this by hand.
And that, with a little help, it has stood for more than a millennium.

Jacob! No scratching!!

Hehe - I like to think of this as Buddha in a hot tub.

More lovely faces...

Stone grave yard - stones that were damaged and replaced during the reconstructions.

We also stopped by Mendut Temple, another Buddhist temple built around the same time. 

After what felt like a full day, Yuli dropped us off at our hotel - around 10:30 am! We napped, ate lunch at the restaurant, swam, napped some more, played cribbage, and read. Jacob and I hit up Malioboro again and ended up buying a beautiful batik of Borobudur (which is now up in our room, so every morning I can awake to sunrise over Borobudur). We got dinner at the FM Cafe (thanks Lonely Planet!) before hopping in some pedicabs to take us to a museum where they hold nightly Javanese shadow puppet shows. Before the show started, we got to see a man making the puppets. They start with a thin but durable water buffalo hide and delicately tap hundreds (thousands) of holes in them. After the carver/cutter is finished, another man painted them in incredible details - identical on both sides. All of the art and decoration we saw in Java tended to be amazingly intricate and the production of it appeared so very time consuming.

You can see how effective the thousands of holes are - the shadows are really ornate.

Speaking of time consuming, apparently the traditional Javanese people had a ton of time and patience when their culture was developing. The shadow puppet show we attended was only 2 hours long (alright, we did bail after an hour because we were falling asleep) but the traditional form of the puppet show, accompanied by gamelan, would have lasted all night, taking 7 or 8 hours to tell the whole story (either the Ramayana or the other Indian epic, the Mahabharata). One man worked all the puppets and sang the story/dialogue, accompanied by gamelan and other singers. We might have been able to hang in there a bit longer if we could have understood the words - but we did enjoy the several exciting puppet fights!

Hard to tell, but this is a big set up. Behind the screen is the puppeteer along with maybe a twelve-person gamelan orchestra.

After returning to the hotel, Jacob and I ran around the corner to Bintang Bar for a Bintang (type of beer) and a pancake (with chocolate and peanuts, yum). There was a great live rock band there doing some early rock classics. We didn't last very long though - even with a 2 hour nap we were pretty tired!

Here ends Part II - stay tuned for the final installment!

* Indonesia's population is roughly 238 million people, equal to about 75% of the US population. However, Indonesia has 1/5 the land area of the US, giving it a population density similar to that of Thailand (and Poland) and slightly less than China. (And while we're on the topic, I just noticed that Singapore has the 3rd highest population density for a country, with 19,500 people per sq. mile, behind Macau and Monaco. It doesn't even rank in the top 50 when you consider population density of cities though...and I'm done.)

Jogjakarta - a cool place I'd never heard of either!

Yogyakarta, Djogjakarta, Jogjakarta - spell it however you want, or just call it 'Jo-ja,' like the beginning of Ray Charles' rendition of Georgia on my Mind.

Jogjakarta is a city and 'special district' on the island of Java in Indonesia. It is one of only two locales in Indonesia to still be governed by a Sultan (currently Rama 10).

Which by the way, how COOL is Google's new Treasure Map feature? It's ARRRRHwesome!

Why go to Jogja? Well, we had just heard awesome things about it. There are a few 'main' attractions, and we enjoyed its many little charms as well. Armed with our Lonely Planet; Southeast Asia on Shoestring, the advice of friends, and Jacob's impressively fluent Malay (which is very close to Indonesian), we ventured out into Indonesia!

It is amazing how a two hour flight can transport you a lot further away. Similar to our experience in Bangkok, the moment we stepped into the airport, we knew we were somewhere new. Which is a feeling I LOVE. The first, often wild taxi ride into a city is one of the best feelings, catching your first glimpses of life and people in this new place.

Motorcycles - fun for the whole family!

Motorbikes everywhere. Motorbikes are family vehicles, accommodating mom, dad, older brother and toddler sister. While the adults wear helmets, the kids do not. Hm. Taxi drivers honk frequently, not out of anger but simply to alert other motorists that they're there, that they're turning, that they're going to hit you if you don't move it. All along the main road are shops and storefronts and people selling and buying and working and talking. We pass a big mall, a fancy-looking car dealership, a place called the T-Shit Store. A mish-mash of Indonesian/Malay and English.

The next adjustment - money. Indonesia uses the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), with an exchange rate of roughly 10000 IDR to $1 USD. So 100,000 is about $10. Oh and in written prices, the periods and commas are flipped - 100.000 is one hundred thousand, while 100,00 is one hundred. It is startling when they ask you to pay 55000 for a taxi ride, until you realize it is $5.50, and then you laugh with embarrassment as they hand you back the 100000 bill that you accidentally gave the instead of a 10000 bill. Terima kasih! (Thank you!)

Lobby of our hotel

Dining Area

We stayed in downtown Jogja, near Malioboro Road (the main drag, as it were), at a hotel called the Istana Batik Ratna Hotel. Such a lovely hotel! The amenities were basic but clean, it was charming and relaxing, and the staff was so very helpful. They booked several of our outings for us, including a 4am departure to Borobudur (more on that later). And they brought us breakfast at 3:45am, so we could eat before we left. That's service! There restaurant was also pretty decent, and Jacob and I marveled at a tall beer costing just $3! Toto, we're not in Singapore anymore!

Cozy rooms - with air-con!

Reception

We arrived in Jogja on Wednesday afternoon and, after settling in, took a long walk down Malioboro Road. The covered sidewalks are lined with tables and tables of stuff for sale - batik clothing of every kind, shoes, watches, keychains, bracelets, shadow puppets, trinkets, wooden toys and carvings, a zillion t-shirts, handbags, wallets, fans, hats, sunglasses...you name it! And very eager salesmen and women ready to offer you a 'very good price.' And almost everything was super cheap. Jacob got a pair of $4 sandals while I got a pair of pants and a skirt for $4 combined.

The traffic in the streets was so interesting - motorbikes weaved between cars and regular taxis, while pedicabs (bicycle cabs) and horse-drawn cabs vied for space as well.

Chillaxin'

We also entered the Beringharjo Pasar, a covered market, but it was right at closing time and it was hot and crazy. We bailed pretty quickly - it was hard to even breathe! We returned to the hotel (Jacob and I stopped off for some ice cream) and took a dip in the pool before getting ready to go to dinner and the Ramayana Ballet performance in town.

Dinner Buffet

Sinta & Rama dancing

The Ramayana Ballet tells portions of the Indian epic Ramayana in traditional Javanese dance. We went to the performance at Puriwisata, enjoying an Indonesian buffet before the show. There was a full moon over the outdoor theatre, and apart from the heat (not a breeze to be found), we thoroughly enjoyed the costumes and dancing and even some pyrotechnics. The dancing was very stylized, much of it slow and graceful. I'm not sure how the women could dance, considering all their costumes involved tightly wrapped dresses with a train that wrapped between their feet! The headdresses were also just amazing - they must have been quite heavy! The ballet is accompanied by traditional gamelan music, which is made up of various gongs, cybals, drums, marimba-like instruments, and singers. We heard and saw several gamelan orchestras throughout our trip, as it is the traditional Javanese music form. While it was sometimes hard to follow with my untrained ears, it has a wonderful meandering and mellowing effect. However, it is also quite complex and, along with classical western music and Indian music, is one of the most developed forms of music.

Our hotel even had a gamelan

Gamelan music at dinner

Another gamelan, from the Sultan's palace (I think)

More to come about Java - this place really captured my interest and imagination, and I want to take my time to share some of the amazing things we saw!

Welcome to Singapore, Mom & Dad!

We have been having an AWESOME time hosting my parents in Singapore and traveling with them to Indonesia. I can't possibly fit everything in one or two posts, so I'll split it up a bit (and go heavy on the pictures, since I think that is everyone's favorite part anyways).

Singapore

You made it!

When making plans for visitors, we've found ourselves encouraging travelers to spend 3-4 days in Singapore and then also get to another city in Southeast Asia. Singapore has some fascinating sites and attractions, but it is a small island after all, a

nd you can hit the highlights in a few days. And my parents did just that - quite admirably, especially considering the jetlag, time change and the ridiculous heat! I had trouble adjusting to Singapore's heat when I arrived in September - and that was coming from a still relatively warm summer's end. Imagine transporting from snow to an 100 degree heat index and 80% humidity! Despite the heat, M&D were intrepid tourists, and Jacob and I finally got a chance to do some of the tourist-y things we'd been putting off until we had guests.

A rundown of excursions:

Saturday

Such cool Lego art!

After a late night arrival and a 2am bedtime, we slept in a bit before a pastry-filled breakfast and some exploration of our neighborhood, Clementi. It was fun to show off our little corner of Singapore - the HDB apartment buildings, hawkers centres, small stores, playgrounds, and cats. We took a long walk along the canal path (which included a green parrot sighting - never seen that before!) before stopping off for some cool drinks and chicken bao at our local hawker.

ArtScience Museum

We then lunched and napped before hopping the MRT and heading downtown to Marina Bay. There we visited the ArtScience Museum, which currently houses The Art of the Brick Lego exhibit (cool!). We then crossed the awesome 'double helix' bridge, found a geocache, and made our way to Makansutra (Glutton's Bay) for dinner. My parents turned us loose to bring them a variety of Singaporean fare and bravely tried everything - carrot cake (a savory dish nothing like our carrot cake), chicken and beef sate, chicken rice, and prawns in chili sauce. Jacob then headed over to his gig with the Thomson Swing Band and M&D and I took a river cruise across the bay and up the river to Clarke Quay and back. We ended the evening by watching part of Jacob's gig outside the Marina Bay Sands before making our way sleepily back to Clementi.

Crossing the Double Helix Bridge

Makansutra - supposed to be Signapore's best hawkers

Marina Bay from our river cruise

One of many pics the boat driver insisted on taking!

Sunday 

Orchid Garden

We started the day with some breakfast and a trip to the wet market and grocery store. It was fun to share the exciting - and even overwhelming - sights, sounds and smells of the market, though add in the heat and we ended up needing another early afternoon nap. We waited out the heat of the day, eating a lunch of leftovers and watching SNL (they hadn't seen the Timberlake episode yet! Admittedly, the Moet & Chandon sketch became an important part of our trip - celebration! luzury!).

Searching for the geocache

So pretty!

We then packed up a blanket and umbrellas (just in case) and bused our way to the Botanic Gardens. We spent several hours walking through the gardens, and though the thunder threatened, the rain never came! We found another geocache in the rainforest section and spent some time in the Orchid Garden (especially enjoying the 'Cool House,' which was, as the name suggests, a welcome relief from the heat!). We then enjoyed Magnum bars on the lawn by Symphony Lake, watching the Thomson Big Band and Thomson Swing band play sets. Jacob was playing with the second group, and we had a great time listening to jazz as the evening cooled off a bit. There were hundreds of people there, mostly families, and the kids themselves were great entertainment. The only thing that could have improved the situation was a bottle of wine! We finished off the evening with dinner at Relish (mmm burgers!) before returning home, yet again exhausted.

REALLY searching for that geocache!

Concert on Symphony Lake

Monday

Birthday girl with the Merlion!

Buddha Tooth Temple

Mom's birthday! With Jacob and I both at work, M&D ventured out into Singapore solo (well, duo!). They returned to Marina Bay to check out the Merlion, ate at One-Raffles Place and went to the Asian Civilizations Museum. Jacob caught up with them later in the day and they explored Chinatown, including the Sri Mariaman Temple (Hindu) and the Buddha Tooth Temple (Buddhist). I flew out of work, picked up a cake and met them at Boat Quay for dinner at Pasta Fresca de Salvatore. We celebrated my Mom's birthday with fantastic Italian food, wine, champagne and chocolate-hazelnut cake! To cap off the evening, we had drinks at 1-Altitude, the rooftop bar on the 63rd floor of One-Raffles Place. From there we watched the Marina Bay Sands light show and gazed down at the lights of the city. Surreal, and a great way to spend the evening!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!!

Drinks in the sky

Nice view!

It's pretty swanky :)

Tuesday

The gardens getting ready for Easter

Coolest green house ever?

Once again, I was at work, but Jacob and my folks spent the morning at the Gardens by the Bay - and LOVED it. (Now I want to go!) Looks beautiful from the pictures! We all met for lunch at a bakery near my work before taking a brief tour of Duke-NUS. They returned home to pack and when I got back, a delicious dinner was laid out (spamburgers, salad and mango lassies!). I packed hastily and then we grabbed a taxi and went to the Night Safari - it's like a zoo, at NIGHT! We saw fire dancers, hyenas, lions, civit cats, an adorable otter, mouse deer, a tapir that chased the tram, a bunch of other animals, and a man who nearly wet himself during the Creatures of the Night Show (to be fair, they did put that boa constrictor on him with very little warning). Zoos are the bomb.

Wednesday starts our trip to Jogjakarta, which I'll cover in the next installment!

Outside the Gardens

Night Safari! (Hard to take pictures there...)