Dec 8, 2012 - Borobudur Temple

Today we went to Java, Indonesia. The hills and mountains were pretty. We stopped at a coffee plantation. They are famous for their coffee. Bella bought a fan and I bought a key chain. We bought daddy some coffee. I miss my daddy. Then we went to the temple of Borobudur. It is a temple where the Buddhist worship. You can stick your hand through a "stupas" and try to touch the Buddha for good luck. The temple is huge like a pyramid. It was hidden in the jungle for years before someone found it. I climbed all the way to the top. Next we went...

Sep 5, 2012 - postscript on Java

Before leaving Java, we felt it was important to visit the Sultan's palace and see how the other 0.00001% of the population live. A sultan's life over the last century has been a kind of reverse inflation. The dynasty started with 75 children for the first sultan with obviously more than one wife (10 actually) while these days the present incumbent is down to 1 and 5 respectively. All daughters. Now you fathers of daughters think we had it bad but at least we did not have four day weddings for 2,500 guests. Four married, one still...

Sep 3, 2012 - Borobudur

First things first: an ATM for some reddies. But how much? 500,000 whatsits must be enough but I just hoped it would not exceed my bank's daily allowance. I needn't have worried. It was only worth about 30 pounds, so I had to splash out and become a (rupiah) multi-millionaire to get through the next few days. Java is only one of about 17,500 islands in Indonesia but pretty densely packed. It represents about 7% of the country's landmass but 60% of the population. So that is like packing the population of England south of the Wash into...

Aug 20, 2012 - Back to Java and Bali

As the winter is not the best time to visit Indonesia, we are making a special trip back to Java and Bali after many years, with side trips to our 'second' home, Singapore, and for the first time to the island of Lombok. Not nasty and boring, more Nasi Goreng.

Mar 8, 2012 - Borobudur our 3rd Wonder of the World

We had a great day today at what is the third Wonder of the World we have seen on our travels. It was truly beautiful in glorious greenery with mountains and volcanoes for an awesome panoramic background. Check the pics, look carefully and you'll see the volcano poking through the top of a cloud. Much love C & P xx

Dec 18, 2011 - Indonesia - Borobudur

Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues

Jun 12, 2010 - Pangandaran

now, that's better...adam's homestay, a lovely place owned by a european couple...ans you notice the difference: everything is that bit more cleaner, a bit more effort in decoration and food that tastes like home...homemade bread, homemade jam and homemade muesli...sometimes all you need to be happy! did a surfing-lesson after relaxing by the pool for a while...i think that would be more my thing, even though i wasn't very good and the board hit my head :-D countryside tour was planned for the next day (12 euro!!!)...went to see a waterfall...

Apr 21, 2010 - Solo

And onto Solo, Yogjakarta's quieter neighbour only an hour or so away. Its off season so that means that there's plenty of rooms available and I end up at Mama's Homestay, the only guest there. The family's pleasant enough apart from the man who only talks to me when he wants to sell me something - obviously doesn't know how tight I am. It was hard work finding a motorbike to rent which flies in the face of what the LP has to say on the matter, but I got my hands on an old underpowered one in the end, its has wheels and engine so it will...

Apr 17, 2010 - Prambanan and Borobodur

I hired a motorbike for the day here with the intention of driving out to the old Hindu ruins of Prambanan some 17k's away. The collection of temples are relics left over from the time when Hinduism was the main religion on Java and most of the temples are located together on one site. Now one of the benefits of your own transport is that it allows me to take a look around the circumference of the site and see if I can spot a hole in the fence, which I did. Yes I know its maybe immoral but one thing the Indonesians always do is try and rip...

Feb 19, 2009 - Borobudur et Prambanan

Alex Beauvais et les Temples Maudits!! Je tenais mordicus à visiter le temple de Borobudur, le plus important vestige bouddhiste de l'Indonésie et je crois le plus gros temple bouddhiste du monde en fait. Le temple possède plusieurs étages concentriques dans lesquels se trouvent des bas reliefs relatant l'histoire de Bouddha. Il y a un sens précis dans lequel on doit le montrer. Au sommet, il y a de nombreuses stupas, des cloches à l'intérieur desquelles se trouve une statue de Bouddha. La vue était magnifique, car nous sommes arrivés et le...

Oct 12, 2008 - Borobudur

by Lora We awoke at 4am to take a sunrise tour of Borobudur - a large Buddist monument about an hour outside of Yogyakarta. It was constructed around 800 AD, and was re-discovered in 1800s. We had the fortune of having Fatah as our tour guide - he grew up right in front of Borodudur and it used to be his playground as a child! The stupa has 9 tourable platforms, which are viewed in a clockwise fashion. Each level has various reliefs which depict the life of Buddha. Fatah told us that when Buddist pilgrims come to Borobodur and climb each...

Mar 9, 2008 - Pangandaran, Java

Monday 10 March 2008 Finally arrived at Pangandaran following a very long journey by train and bus from Jakarta. But the journey was well worth it. We set off from Jakarta bus station in a tremendous storm (having flown in from Singapore the afternoon previously). Along the bus journey at the various stops, we were visited by hawkers trying to sell us their various wares - fruit, pastries, savouries - even musicians joined us, or just plain poor old beggars. The bus was quite full and for most of the journey I had a local lady fall asleep...