Yogyakarta and their temples.

Another long trip until arrive to Yogyakarta because in those days it was public holidays and all tickets for the train were sold, I arrived to the most cultural and artist city in Java.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4Vjgjm85Q0&feature=youtube_gdata

Characterized for Malioboro street. Here you can find all kind of shops, supermarkets, malls, restaurants, Indonesian food stands and a lot of people asking you for see their Batiks (supposedly all of them are the official, but is not like this. All of them are fakes less in the Official School of Batik Art. The enigma is where is this place.

As long as you arrive to Malioboro and start to walk, waves of people come to you to notice that the Batik National Exposition finish tomorrow and you should have a look or, others come and say to you that they know where the authentic school of Batiks is, or maybe they just want to be friendly with you, give you some tips of Yogyakarta and explain you a little of their culture for at the end bring you to some Batik shop exposition. Despite the advice of LoneyPlanet to don’t go there, I wanted to have this wrinkled experience. I followed one of them and I entered to one kind of exposition, all the walls where full of paintings.

He offered me a tea, water, to see the painting blab la bla. I were curious to know for the process of confection, he explain me all the methods, features, the way to get the colours, etc. Obviously I make myself really interested to buy one just to get all those information and at the end he put me the price, it was too much… after intense negotiation I left without buy it and you can’t imagine how he got angry!!! It was really funny but scaring in the same time...

In one of the numerous passageway I found my cheap accommodation. Nothing of the other word, but with a big terrace where is possible to have your scramble eggs or pancake for breakfast. There I met Bella and Jan. We made a good team for stare at the sunrise in the hill next to Borobudur temple and go to take some pictures in the magic and spectacular temple.

Just a pinch of history for keep in mind. Borobudur temple id a Buddhist monument with more than 1200 years. It’s surrounded for green rice fields and traditional rice-growing kampong, all overlooked by soaring volcanic peaks. This enigmatic and mystical temple has more than 60.000 cubic metres of stone. The name means ‘Buddhist Monastery on the Hill’. This temple is famous because has repeatedly suffered attack from forces of nature such a volcanos eruptions and earthquakes and numerous attacks of human hands.

Looking for the intent of find a good temple with less people, the next day I faced renting a bicycle and riding under the sun for twenty km way for see more piles of stones. Prambanan is one of the other Unesco Word Heritage list in 1991.

There is not too much to do from my view point because I didn’t want to spend a lot of money climbing Gunung Merapi for see the sunrise that probably could be really beautiful. Neither in Yogya city is worth to the Kraton or Museum Kareta. The best thing is get soak up for the soul of the streets, the live music, the ‘nasi goreng’ (fried rice with vegetables and egg), the shopping stand and the performances dances.

 

 

Let’s go back to the nature!!!