Borobudur to Merapi

This morning started with a trip to Borobudur, an ancient Buddhist temple.  Why is it that the major tourist sights here are from religions that are no longer practiced on a significant scale in the region?  Anyway, all the guide books kept raving about how amazing it is at sunrise and sunset.  I knew they were probably right, based on my experience at Angkor Wat, but I also knew the night before that I would not enjoy waking up before dawn again.  Instead I requested to wake up around sunrise for the hour drive there.  It turned out to be perfect for me—I arrived while it was still relatively cool, and during that perfect time between the "dawn patrol" (those there to watch the sunrise) and the school groups so I had it mostly to myself.  Still, the few Indonesians that were there all insisted on getting their photos with me.  I assure you, I do not resemble anyone famous on so little sleep and with my travel wardrobe.

This temple is basically a hill converted into a temple so it’s huge and vertical.  Built of stone, it has several tiers of panels that illustrate the life and teachings of the Buddha and you’re meant to ascend it by circling each tier in a clockwise direction.  On top are several tiers of giant bells with holes in them, through which you can see statutes of Buddha.  His life-sized statues are also line the upper tiers, and it’s considered good luck to touch his feet.   A pretty spot, especially for its view of the surrounding mountains, but I think I still prefer Angkor Wat.

On the drive back I mentioned to my driver my interest in geology, and the next thing I knew we were driving to Mount Merapi, the site of an eruption just back in October.  How did a geology geek like me miss that this happened?  At first, we just saw slate-colored ash and rock that had filled the river channel and was being removed.  Its depth and our distance from the volcano gave me some perspective of its size.  We drove past rice fields and leafy green jungle that hid any sign of disturbance.  And then we were there, staring at the mountain and driving towards it on the hardened lava that was now serving as an ad-hoc road to a vantage point.  There were a few singed palm trees near where we stood, but towards the summit there were no trees and hardly any vegetation at all.  Instinct took over as I collected a few rock samples, excited to hold some of the newest earth on the planet. But it was mingles with a tinge of guilt at the thought of villages destroyed.  On the drive back we passed temporary shelters while they rebuild their homes.  It seems they’ve accepted that this devastation is necessary for the rich soil that sustains their life, just a part of the cycle.

We returned to the hotel less than an hour before I needed to leave for the airport, which was just enough time for a quick swim in that seductive pool.  The fellow guests must have thought I was crazy, but it was so worth it!  And with that, I bid farewell to Yogyakarta and flew back to Jakarta.  I’d been too busy having fun to drink enough water, and dehydration caught up with me while we were stuck in traffic.  By the time we reached the hotel I was so nauseous it was all I could do to climb up to my room and collapse.