Today was a travel day. Left Ubud and took a short flight to Java.
While not ready to fold onto an airplane, I was looking forward to this part of the trip.
On the bus from the airport to the temple, we learned:
Obama spent time here as a boy. They're proud of him for being a great US president and tell stories about him playing soccer and taking long cross-country train trips as an eleven-year old.
Indonesia achieved independence as a result of the Dutch being distracted by World War II.
Our stop today was to Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world. The temple was built on a hill in the eighth to ninth century and has been restored twice to preserve the structural integrity after vandalism and earthquakes.
Many of the statues and carvings were stolen prior to Indonesia's independence and can be found in museums (looking at you, British Museum) and private collections. The site has worked to get them back when possible.
The running joke from the guide was that we'd be taking the shortcut to enlightenment, but it would require an hour and 200 stone steps.
I got to level 9, because level 10 isn't available to tourists. That's fair.
Right now, I'm tired and starting to get grouchy. I better get to bed before I lose a hard-earned level.
Night all! May your day be filled with growth and love. And maybe a nice view.
Looks amazing. I can never hear the word Java without this old Danny Kaye song playing in my brain:
Somewhere off the coast of Java
Fell a little piece of lava
That grew up to be the island known as Bali
Bali la Bali la Bali Bali Bali la
Every native girl looks sorta
Like the farmer's daughter oughter
And for dancing they are simply off their trolley
Trolley la trolley la trolley trolley trolley la
But they hadn't seen a new step
Since Methuselah did the two step
On their isolated island they were way off beat
From jive they where closeted
'Til a storm deposited
On their beach a jivin' jack from Lower Basin Street
He went up and got a look in
And he said hey hey what's cookin'
This here joint is jumpin' but with melancholy
Kolly la kolly la kolly kolly kolly la
So he took their native movements
Added in the groove improvements
Now they're really on the trolley down in Bali
They made him king of the whole darn thing
Love reading your adventures ❤️