Borobudur March
March is about Borobudur. At last, I got my act together and put together a 3D2N getaway to Yogyakarta. More specifically, I wanted to see Borobudur.
What a disappointment it was. Save for our first hotel, the excellent Saraswati and this egg murtabak thingy we had in the city, the trip came close to being a close washout. Sunrise tour of Borobudur it was not. Because of a strange twist of fate, it wouldnt rain for most of Feb and then some of March but when we had to be in Borobudur, the skies opened up. And it didnt help that the front of the Borobudur complex is utterly wasted. Ridiculously dolled up as a wet market, it was a great foil to make us go the other way and waste an hour of walking AWAY from the actual site. It didnt help that the villagers are equally adept at being oblivious to the presence of the UNESCO site within their midst. In the end, we reached Borobudur when the sun is half-high. We were tired and hot so there went any thoughts of enlightenment. So we decided to leave (never mind it costs a hefty $22 each for entry) before the sun is really high over our heads. On leaving the immediate grounds, you are set upon by numerous traders hawking the same gimmicky souvenirs. Finally, to wrap it up all, the Indonesians make all tourists walk through the rundown market before they are ushered out the exit. What a disgraceful way to present the holy site, really.
I know I should ask the hotel staff for more information next time. Especially when I am feeling smug about my gut feelings. Precision,baby! Ambiguity about directions always lead to adverse feelings of stupidity later.
What a disappointment it was. Save for our first hotel, the excellent Saraswati and this egg murtabak thingy we had in the city, the trip came close to being a close washout. Sunrise tour of Borobudur it was not. Because of a strange twist of fate, it wouldnt rain for most of Feb and then some of March but when we had to be in Borobudur, the skies opened up. And it didnt help that the front of the Borobudur complex is utterly wasted. Ridiculously dolled up as a wet market, it was a great foil to make us go the other way and waste an hour of walking AWAY from the actual site. It didnt help that the villagers are equally adept at being oblivious to the presence of the UNESCO site within their midst. In the end, we reached Borobudur when the sun is half-high. We were tired and hot so there went any thoughts of enlightenment. So we decided to leave (never mind it costs a hefty $22 each for entry) before the sun is really high over our heads. On leaving the immediate grounds, you are set upon by numerous traders hawking the same gimmicky souvenirs. Finally, to wrap it up all, the Indonesians make all tourists walk through the rundown market before they are ushered out the exit. What a disgraceful way to present the holy site, really.
I know I should ask the hotel staff for more information next time. Especially when I am feeling smug about my gut feelings. Precision,baby! Ambiguity about directions always lead to adverse feelings of stupidity later.
posted by Ming at 8:15 PM
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