Since I'm really bad at blogging, I'm going to start something: Tuesdays with Indonesia. Hopefully brought to you on every Tuesday, although surely it will be late on more than on occasion.
I hope to talk about the things I am reading about and interested in - which is mainly trying to find some non-polluted, untouristy beach to lay on and also try to find an alternative village to live in. They exist! Apparently the brother of a friend is working in one - and although they haven't heard from him since the earthquake, he is coming home soon - once Sumatra turns the power on.
Anyway today's post is brought to you by
Borobudur is a Buddhist temple, laid out like a complex tantric mandala and comprises something like 60 000 cubic meters of stone which were carved, transported and erected around 800 AD. No easy feat. Its survived the earthquakes, even disappeared for centuries under volcanic ash, and more recently was restored after a group of extremists explored an anti-Soeharto bomb in the middle. It is one of the finest temples in Java according to my guide book and I think I want to see it at sunrise.Interesting choice considering I really hate trying to wade through people selling me things, and I hate being in the same location as a bunch of old Europeans wearing Tilley Hats. I really really hate Tilley Hats. But this spot is supposed to be very similar and awe inspiring as Ankor Wat in Cambodia - which I really loved.
Here are some pictures from that little trip (Now mind you these aren't the best pictures I have, but those are lost on some archived photo CD somewhere and these just happened to be online):
All around and within the temple complex are entrepreneurial/poverty stricken Cambodians trying to make a living off their small plots and herds of tourists. Most children we met begged us to buy things from them - anything. But these guys were pretty awesome. We played strange made up games with them for a little bit.
Tuk Tuking around the expansive temple complex was cheaper if you squished everyone into one tuk tuk.
This picture is infamous. I sent it into the Study-Abroad program that sent me to Thailand and they put this picture into all of their Thailand brochures. IDIOTS. Although idiots that paid me! Advertising for Thailand with something that is so obviously Cambodia is a little bit sad.(Speaking of people trying to sell me things: I ended up leaving the temple complex with a million shitty postcards, that really nice scarf around my arms and that straw hat ha!)
