Exploring Borobudur and Prambanan

 

 

 

I sunk lower into my seat, sweat starting to bead on my forehead. The piercing heat of the midday sun was making itself well known, and the minibus was quickly growing into a greenhouse with the heat trapped inside. The air conditioner in the vehicle, while turned on, only spewed out warm air. It was clear by now that our 11 hour trip from Probolinggo to Jogjakarta would be sans air conditioning. Our group of 5 made do, rolling down the windows, partaking in lots of liquids, and enjoying the scenery of the countryside as it passed us by. We tried not to think about the heat, yet every once in a while a muffled groan or wiping sweat off one’s brow would remind us of reality. Still, the landscape was beautiful. Corn and rice fields filled the landscape, while mountains took up position to the south and west. As the heat of day slowly turned into the cooling of night, the lowering sun made for a splendid display as the mountains turned dark and the corn gleamed that familiar golden color. Our long trip from Probolinggo, while uncomfortably hot, was otherwise a peaceful journey to Jogjakarta.

 

We arrived in Jogjakarta and our fivesome dwindled to a threesome, as my new friends Rudy and Laura joined me in our hunt to find a hostel at 9:30PM. Backpacks slugged over our shoulders, we made our way from place to place, checking out each homestay, losmen, and hotel for that perfect yet elusive point between price and comfort. Ironically, after searching through about eight different places, we ended up settling on the first place we looked at.

 

 

Jogjakarta, a pretty little city in its own right, plays host to the even more stunning Borobudur and Prambanan temples, located just outside the city’s confines. It was to these destinations that I was in pursuit of when I set my sights on Jogjakarta in the first place. The losmen we stayed at offered to procure a one day tour to both sites for a reasonable fee. Starting at 5:00AM we would hop on a minibus, drive for an hour to the location of Borobudur north and west of the city, spend a couple hours there, then turn around and head back to the city and through it to Prambanan temple, located just east of the city. It would be a long day, nine hours in total, but a fulfilling one.

 

The sun was rising as we entered the UNESCO World Heritage site of Borobudur, its magnificent tiered structure spread before us. We climbed up the first set of stairs in silence, and separated from each other without words. Tackling a temple such as this seemed to innately require that you spend some time alone absorbing the incredible reliefs, the stunning sculptures, and the vastness of the temple as a whole. The size and scope of the temple rivaled cathedrals I had seen in Europe, and castles I had explored in England. The rising sun, the mountains and volcanoes in the distance, and the imposing architecture I was walking through created a silence yet spoke a story of its own.

 

 

 

Soon the silence of the stones was broken by the chatter of school children. Bus loads of them. It seems Borobudur is not just a popular destination for tourists, but one that is equally favored by local schools. The children were delighted, as I soon discovered, by the Western tourists whom they could practice their English and take pictures with. I was soon swamped, and I do not mean this lightly. I was at times totally surrounded by children, with the back of a temple wall trapping me, as cameras flashed like paparazzi. I felt like a superstar at a movie opening. It was strange, fun, yet at times unsettling. I practiced English with the students, signed their homework papers, snapped pictures with them, and then realized that I should turn my camera on them. So I did. Each time a group wanted a picture with me I in turn asked if I could take a picture of them. What resulted was something unexpected. I had tons of candid shots of school children, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of yearbook pictures from my middle school years. I was pleasantly surprised with the candor some of these shots portrayed, and a revelation peaked through in my mind. I realized I really enjoyed taking people pictures. Face shots. Capturing the mood, the personality, of my subjects. An idea formed in my head as I continued to take pictures on my way to the pinnacle of Borobudur: The Faces Series. Pictures of local faces in the different destinations I would visit. Borobudur school kids would be the first.

 

 

 

 

I left Borobudur exhausted yet with a sense of accomplishment. During the ride to Prambanan I solidified my idea. Prambanan, another UNESCO World Heritage site, was no less spectacular than Borobudur, yet if I had to choose one I would pick Borobudur. Prambanan is a Hindu temple while Borobudur is a Buddhist temple, and Prambanan’s temples are each very similar, so much so that I got confused and disoriented while exploring each one. The stairs, inner chambers, and outer walkways were all so similar in each temple that after a few I had difficulty remembering if I had already visited the temple or not. The disorientation annoyed me enough that I had to stop and look around to reorient myself. The heat of the day and possible dehydration were probably culprits as well. I spent the majority of the time investigating the temples, and the remaining time snapping pictures for my new project.

 

 

As I made my way out of the temple complex and back to our meeting point I reflected a bit on not just what a great day this had been, but the last month as well. My time in Indonesia had gone really smoothly, and for the first time since starting my trip in late August I felt like I had found my traveling feet. I was comfortable, confident, and settled in to this traveling life. The early stresses and anxiety had melted away, and I hoped that I was entering a new stage in my trip, turning to a new chapter in my traveling experiences.