java...wonders of the world...and a bit of surfing.......

Yogyakarta

Another early pre dawn start to the day with a flight from Bali to Java. The city of yogya` immediately strikes us as organised and clean.

From the airport it’s equal for all on the rules of catching a taxi. We hunt around for a room and settle in for a quiet day. We stay near Jalan Sosrowijayan, a really groovy inner city area with narrow gangs (walkways), little restaurants and losmens displaying ‘Full’ signs. Javanese tourists are in Yogya enmass and fill the main streets sidewalks and department stores looking for Idul Fitri sales bargains, a bit like Boxing Day sales.

Becaks, bikes, kaki limas, cars, buses, motorbikes and horses..its all here yet the city seems very organised.

An evening dinner and Ramayana performance is a real touristy outing. Buffet dinner and then the show moved indoors because of rain. It didn’t quite have the authentic feel that you get when performed in front of a temple or palace....R

Prambanan temple

We use the local public bus service to and from Prambanan an extremely thorough service and only 40cents for a 40min ride. The temple complex is spread out over a large area, but the main Hindu and Buddhist temples are within a reserve. The Shiva Temple is impressive and surrounded by partly or completely fallen outer temples. Rows of stone are awaiting restoration. The Buddhist Temple is in a similar state and the ground surrounding the fallen shrines shows the buckling from the 2006 earthquake. We stand there alone with only the restoration team hammering away in the back ground, the place still awesome in a broken state.............R

Borobudor

Going early to Borobudor proves to be a great idea; the hordes don’t arrive till later. We arrive at 6am for the opening of the gates.

With the mist still enshrouding the valleys, the outline of the temple is just visible. Its strength and beauty are awesome. As we approach, the size becomes more obvious, it’s truly a magnificent structure. Built from 2 million blocks of lava stone, it is in the form of a massive stupa. There are six square terraces topped by three circular ones. Four stairways lead to the top, north south east and west.

Although I want to walk the path of the monks, we also have a desire to reach the top before the crowds arrive so we can enjoy its peace. Once again I find it hard to find words. Surrounded by mountains, there’s a tranquillity that seems to penetrate my soul. Buddha statues abound although many have lost their heads!...(But haven’t we all!)

There’s only a smattering of people around so we really get a sense of the place. We sit as the early sun begins to penetrate all the crevices and highlight the incredible relief carvings. Feeling a tad out there and exposed as the crowds begin to arrive we abandon our meditation and head back to the base.. Starting at the eastern entrance, the WAY, is to walk clockwise all around each level. The walls inside and out are carved with the stories of the Buddha, a textbook of Buddhist doctrines. The lower levels are square in formation and I love coming around the corners to be greeted by yet another Buddha image staring serenely down at me with another backdrop of ever-changing scenery. There are a total of 504 of them! Each level signifies the “journey”, spiralling up to the heavens. The final three levels are circular, symbolising reaching nirvana. At this top level there are another 72 buddhas encased in huge latticed stupas. An enormous central solid stupa caps it off.

It’s a five km walk to reach the top, time going up a level at the eastern stairwell. Our walk around is peaceful and calming...walking a giant mandala. Most people just go straight to the top so we avoid the masses, that is, until we get to the last 3 levels and by this time the crowds are huge. It’s Saturday and still Idul Fitr holiday so it’s very crowded. I continue my way uninterrupted but dodging people. At the final exit point i am asked to be photographed with “my family” ... I am so relieved the request didn’t come sooner as I witness several tourists been asked to be part of family photographs. I completed the walk in my uninterrupted way....bliss.

It’s a wonder........ Ax
















Batukaras

We finish our Indo trip with 4days at the coast, an over night bus from Yogya to get here. At the end of a bay is the village of Batukaras, picturesque with trees reaching down to the water from the rocky outcrops. Surf breaks from the point and runs down the beach to a second point and on to the next beach. Its 7am when we arrive and you can’t see the beach or water for the local tourists who come and go in and endless stream until dark. Truck tires, boogie boards and banana boat rides to hire and pop music blarring from the life guard tower keep them amused. And if you can’t swim you just sit in the water and let it tumble you along. They leave in an entertaining array of vehicles from big buses, overflowing cattle trucks, small utes, cars and, up to 5 per motor scooter. Although its chaos this first day..the crowd thins out the next day as the holidays finish and everyone returns to school/work.

The number of locals surfing is only a few, so once you’re beyond the shore you have the waves to yourself. The weather is not idyllic with tropical storms dumping huge amounts of rain throughout the day and overnight. The sun makes a brief appearance one day but we still don’t know the orientation of the beach. We are told East-West, giving the place a similar lay out to Byron, the surf and how the waves break are very similar....... R