Visiting a Natural Wonder of the World

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Our goal was to climb to the peak of a seven story ancient ruin before the noon-day sun scorched us to death, so it was a very early morning to board mini-buses for the drive to Borobudur -- the sight of an Indonesian Hindu temple.  Officially, Borobudur is one of the man-made wonders of the world, like the Egyptian temples or Angkor Wat, so we were excited to see what it was all about.  Apparently it is also the single largest temple in SE Asia, another important accomplishment.  When arriving, the most obvious thing is the gorgeous surrounding scenery -- the temple is literally enveloped in volcanos and Indonesia jungle. 

First thing after we arrived was an EXTREMELY dull video... the contents of which I don't even recall, and Liz didn't mention it in her journal... so the memory is lost forever! 

We then started the climb -- the 7-layered climb.  With the help of Arnault, we learned that every single stone in Borobudur has some meaning.  First, the temple is designed into 7 layers -- like a pyramid sort of.  The first two layers tell the very famous story of Ramayana through hundreds of sandstone-carved bas-reliefs.  It was incredible to see the detail on the bas-reliefs and I have a few examples, but imagine that these panels are covering 4 LAYERS of a massive temple and they curve all around the entire temple.  Absolutely astounding.  One other layer has carvings displaying good and evil, symbolizing balance.  We walked around the perimeter of every layer, gradually climbing higher when we had completed a level.  One level was very interesting because it was covered in Buddha statues.  Many of the Buddhas have been vandalized, usually by having their heads removed to be sold, but there still exist many, many Buddhas in near perfect condition.

The last three layers are about nirvana... I don't remember all the details now, but the last two especially are very symbolic.  Basically, after having climbed all of the other layers, by the time you have reached the 6th layer, you should have meditated quite a bit and are ready for nirvana.  The final 7th layer is the ultimate point of nirvana.  At these levels, there were no more carvings, but instead hundreds of chedis that all contain Buddhas.  It was quite incredible to see these hundreds of chedis -- the construction of the chedis is identical for chedis on the same floor.  The construction of the diamond pattern in the chedi changes as you go higher.  In one chedi, there is said to be a lucky Buddha, who grants your wish if you are able to rub his "foot".  So we all took turns reaching inside the chedi to grab at the Buddha's "foot".  Hope my wish came true! 

The view from the top layers was stunning, as the jungle and mountain ranges were in fine form.  The sky was clear, so we could see the distant volcanos and joked about what way we would run if...well, you know.  The joke wasn't too far off because 300 years ago, the volcano 70 km away exploded with such force that the foundation of Borobudur was covered with volcanic lava -- we saw the damage, which still exists. 

Descending Borobudur, we realized what great condition the temple really is in -- thanks UNESCO!  As an official World Heritage Site, the temple has had quite a bit of reconstruction, which contributes greatly to its current state.

Actually leaving the temple, though, was quite another adventure!  The path from the temple to the parking lot is constructed like a maze through -- you guessed it -- vendor stalls.  Everything from mini Borobudur replicas to postcars to t-shirts to Batik paintings was available throughout these winding stalls.  And the sellers were mighty persistent!  Several times, they tried grabbing at us, trying to put clothes on us and insisting that we were wearing was just not nice and we needed new.  Liz and I both relented and bought new skirts -- but in fairness to us, we had been looking for new skirts, and I was quite happy with my $3 deal.  The pathway was just infurirating though -- it just kept winding and winding.  You would turn a corner and think you were done and there would just be another path!  We were over 20 minutes late to meet our group by the time we finally emerged from the maze-hell. 

We found the group at the restaurant and by now we were all in a thoroughly bad mood -- the others had meandered the maze as well.  Even eating lunch, we were easy prey, and the vendors just amassed from nowhere.  Not a moment's peice!  And they really try to make you feel badly... "I have no mother, I can't go to school, etc."  Geez....

After lunch, the tour was supposed to include a stop at the silver factory, but only half of the group continued on.  Liz and I, the Dutch, Rachel and the crazy Americans continued.  Liz and I both really enjoyed the factory.  First, we saw how they produce silver jewlery from silver threading, by hand weaving tiny threads into intricate patterns.   It was pretty complicated-looking.   The factory's store sold everything from huge silver bowls to necklaces and tiny pendants.  I bought some crystal silver earrings for about $5 USD, so I was pretty happy and Liz got a pendant for her charm bracelet in the shape of an elephant to remember the trip. 

After such a very long day, we were pooped by mid-afternoon and rested before dinner, which was another Yude local inspiration.   The meal was very interesting a featured something called a jack-fruit, which was extremely sweet after being pickled and marinated in some juices.  They baked everything in these juices, including the eggs and meat.  It was very yummy, but quite rich.

And so ended a fantastic visit to Jodja and Borobudur!