Borobudur and Prambanan

If Jakarta is the economic heart of Java, Yogyakarta is its soul.  The place is busy, but relatively laid back, and has two world heritage temples at its doorstep.

I've booked for the Buddhist temple of Borobudur, figuring that two temples in one day is just a bit much.  The tour leaves at 5am so we can see Borobudur at its best at dawn, and before the seething crowds arrive.  As we spill out of our minivan I meet up with Laura, an Irish girl from Londonderry, and we spend the next two hours chatting as we explore Borobudur together.  She's around Fiona's age, and is seeing the world on her own.  I give her some tips about Laos, and she gives me some tips about Bali.  This is one of the best parts of traveling - meeting people at random and sharing experiences.  She may even get to NZ one day - particularly if my sales pitch worked!

Borobudur is stunning.  Not as big as Angkor (fortunately), but every bit as impressive and intricately carved. 

You walk clockwise from the base reading the pictorial stories, moving up a level at a time representing successive rebirth until you reach nirvana at the top. 

Nirvana or not, the early morning views over the mist-filled valleys were spectacular, and an added bonus was meeting a couple of Muslim girls wanting to practice their English.  We had plenty of time, so chatted away about Ireland, NZ and our experiences in Indonesia.  At 17 their English was remarkably good, and we had no trouble making ourselves understood (even with Laura's broad accent).

The supplied breakfast consisted of coffee, a hard boiled egg, two pieces of jam toast and a small fruit salad.  Hardly unique to Indonesia, but it was enough to keep us going.  Next stop was a Buddhist monastery, and yet again I'm struck by the incredible sense of calm and peacefulness experienced as you wander around the grounds and buildings.  A little oasis of serenity in the middle of bustling earthly existence.

Back at the van the driver explains everyone else is going on to the Hindu temples at Prambanan and would I like to come too?  Well, why not - it pays to go with the flow in these situations.  And spectacular they are - three huge temples dedicated to the Creator (Brahma), the Sustainer (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva), with a number of subsidiary temples supporting them.  And wait - more groups of Muslim students are waiting to practice their English - but with plenty of time it's no problem doing it all over again.

 It's sad how in the west the word Muslim conjures up images of religious fanaticism and terrorism.  The reality is that most people and their religions share a common humanity with love and compassion as recurring themes.  These girls reinforced my world view that we all live together in a global village, and how we should continually strive to deny fanatics, irrespective of their views.  A special day.