Many visitors to Yogya often opt for the infamous ‘one-day city tours’ inclusive of a sunrise morning at Borobudur (which is not much of a sunrise considering the gates open at 6 am but the sun comes up much earlier here in lovely Indonesia… much to my dismay), and then the Kraton. Yogya however, has much more to offer than the Kraton and Borobudur so if you’re thinking of visiting this city, do spend more than a day here. Soak up the sights and sounds of Yogya and I promise, you won’t regret it. I’ve spent 3 months here and still, I feel like there is so much left to see, do and discover… I wish I could spend more time in Indonesia but it’s too bad, reality beckons. Anyway, this is exactly what I told my parents to do when they visited me last week (I am only still 21!!) and so, we decided to take a full-day trip to Borobudur and the smaller adjacent temples, Candi Pawon and Mendut.
Borobudur is an amazing sight. We opted for a tour guide, which cost a very worthwhile 50 000 rupiah. Though he stopped only to explain certain bas-reliefs (I think everyone comes away with the same story), he was helpful in that he explained the reason for some of the discoloured yellow stones on the temple (the Dutch thought they’d paint it to up the oomph factor I think), the holes in some of the stones (made after the second restoration so the restorers would know the exact location the stones came from), and of course the story of the Buddha from birth, his early life as a prince, his decision to leave his kingdom and his search for enlightenment. I’m simplifying things I know, but for the purpose of this blog entry, the story of Borobudur: desire at the first level, subsequent suffering and pulling away from temptation and finally, reaching a state of absolute peace or nothingness, will appeal to anyone regardless of race or religion. In fact, it’s a story we as young people are all too familiar with and my parents, as older people, are all too happy to remind me of. Borobudur is truly a spectacular sight and you have to see it with your own eyes to truly appreciate its beauty. For the moment though, here are some pictures for you to enjoy.
Walking up the steps to Borobudur
Bas-relief depicting one of life's greatest desires: Gossip!! 
A view from the middle section of the temple, of the top of Borobudur
Borobudur is an amazing sight. We opted for a tour guide, which cost a very worthwhile 50 000 rupiah. Though he stopped only to explain certain bas-reliefs (I think everyone comes away with the same story), he was helpful in that he explained the reason for some of the discoloured yellow stones on the temple (the Dutch thought they’d paint it to up the oomph factor I think), the holes in some of the stones (made after the second restoration so the restorers would know the exact location the stones came from), and of course the story of the Buddha from birth, his early life as a prince, his decision to leave his kingdom and his search for enlightenment. I’m simplifying things I know, but for the purpose of this blog entry, the story of Borobudur: desire at the first level, subsequent suffering and pulling away from temptation and finally, reaching a state of absolute peace or nothingness, will appeal to anyone regardless of race or religion. In fact, it’s a story we as young people are all too familiar with and my parents, as older people, are all too happy to remind me of. Borobudur is truly a spectacular sight and you have to see it with your own eyes to truly appreciate its beauty. For the moment though, here are some pictures for you to enjoy.
Walking up the steps to Borobudur
Bas-relief depicting one of life's greatest desires: Gossip!! 
A view from the middle section of the temple, of the top of Borobudur
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Java : Asia’s Most Exciting Destination
Java called as culture city, because many cultural activities held in this city like: Art of painting, art of music and art of dance. Java called as tourism city, because many tourist attraction can be found here like Temple: Prambanan, Borobudur, Sari, Sambisari, Kalasan, King Boko, Bayunibo, Lumbung, Sewu, Bubrah, Plaosan and Ijo
Tour to Asia's is not complete yet before visiting and exploring Java.
Spoorindo Tour & Travel as a travel agent always will help you to design and arrange your tour needs.
www.spoorindo.com
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