Sunrise on the Stupa

This was the first of 4 consequtive early morning starts and, on the scale of easy and rewarding versus hard and not rewarding, it was very easy.

We left our hotel at 4am to reach the Stupa in time for sunrise, grabbing only a few Beng-Beng - the ultimate chocolate bar- for sustenance. Arriving at the gate we wandered through with our tickets and walked our way to the front of the huge number of ambling Americans and Japanese taking photos of bins, leaves and anything they could see, stationary or otherwise. This was our first encounter with so many tourists but we powered through the frustration and reached the Stupa just ahead of the crowds.

there are huge relief carvings that truly justify it's placement alongside Ankor Wot, as if the multitude of statues and it's size wasn't enough

Borobudur is a 9th century Buddhist Stupa and pilgrimage sight. It is ranked alongside Ankor Wot among the great asian temples. Although much smaller than it's Cambodian cousin it was, nonetheless, hugely impressive. It is comprised of 6 concentric square platforms the top of which is covered in latticed domes that each house a statue of the Buddha; there are 72 in all. Along the lower platforms there are huge relief carvings that truly justify it's placement alongside Ankor Wot, as if the multitude of statues and it's size wasn't enough. What we found most striking about the whole thing is it's position. It is perched up upon a mound so it towers over the landscape and is visible for miles. At sunrise the surroundings are bathed with a beautiful mist, stained orange from the rising sun; the distant mountain slopes and lush vegetation rise out of it as if above clouds making for a truly stunning view; as if being perched on such an exquisite piece of Buddhist culture and history wasn't enough.

We walked around it many times taking photos, gazing out and just generally appreciating how lucky we were to be here. After an hour or so we climbed back down the steep stone steps and made our way to one of the nearby restaurants to get some breakfast. Once fed we took out the disc we carry everywhere with us and began chucking it about in the car park. Within minutes we had quite an audience of Indonesians and tourists a-like watching us show off our best throws and grabs. By the end of our 30 minute session they were all eager to join in and wated us to show them some of the various throws we'd been doing. Just goes to show a Frisbee is a friend maker; as if the fact that my travelling buddy is a fellow frisbee player hadnt already asserted this fact.

Despite the early start it was a stunning thing to see and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We got back to Yogyakarta about 11 to spend the day chilling ready for our next early start and the journey to Gunung Bromo.