The Hindu Temples of Prambanan

From Borobudur, our group made a quick stop at another temple, was herded into a silver making factory to watch the skilled workers mold tiny bits of silver into earrings, broaches and other overpriced pieces that we were encouraged to buy (I didn't fall for it), and then we soon saw the iconic spires of Prambanan. As a counterpart to the Buddhist shrine of Borobudur, Prambanan is a relic of the Hindu domination of the land of Central and East Java. These were also built sometime between the 8th and 10th centuries, though they are thought to have been destroyed by a large earthquake during the 1500s. Eventually they were also restored, making their way on to the Unesco World Heritage list (along with Borobudur), providing a day trip full of remarkable temples from Yogyakarta. More recently, the pointy temples of Prambanan were also toppled by a strong earthquake (around 6.0) just a couple of years ago, so as we walked into the sight, large piles of rubble lay in piles next to many of the temples, waiting to eventually be rebuilt to form the surrounding temples. Due to this, I actually thought the scene leading up to the temples, revealing a flat field with five or six spires jutting up into the sky as perhaps more impressive than the experience of walking among the rubble and actual structures, since only one of the temples is currently open to the public.

Walking through the thick tropical heat and humidity, I passed from one site to another, alternating between staring up at the temples and finding shady spots to stand and enjoy a more relaxing view of the spectacle. The main temple rises 47 meters (150 feet) above the ground, followed closely by a few surrounding temples. Apart from the main complex and the surrounding piles of stone, a few more temple sites are scattered throughout the park, so I made my way around, passing children playing in the playground, workers lounging in the shade and locals enjoying picnics on the shaded benches. As expected, I found more temples and shrines to Hindu gods, surrounded by piles of rock ready to be reconstructed in the constant battle against the seismically active landscape. On the way back, I found a wonderful view of the temples from a shaded bench underneath a massive tree, providing some shade and a perfect place to soak in the whole atmosphere. Much like a day spent in Mexico, this was one of my favorite parts of the whole experience, allowing me to sit back and marvel at the monumental buildings and enjoy the warm weather with no one else around. Unfortunately, this serene moment only lasted for about 30 minutes, as I had to hurry back to our bus, making it back through a maze of souvenir stalls to find the exit and my awaiting bus. During the evenings, there are performances of a traditional Hindu ballet/opera/dance, set with the lit backdrop of the temples, and it sounded pretty impressive, but I opted to pass on this performance, as Bali is said to be the place to see cultural events like this.

Back in Yogyakarta, I walked up and down the streets in the area of my cheap hotel, finding some cheap arts and crafts and a few local restaurants lining the street, all mostly selling the same combination of fried rice, fried chicken or fried fish, offering mats on the floor and tiny tables under which you are supposed to sit. Not being very flexible, these aren't the ideal seating arrangements for me (something I fear during the Japan portion of this trip), but I managed to sit there long enough to finish my fried chicken and rice as the local children stared at me, still somewhat impressed by foreigners, despite the large numbers of tourists who do come to visit the two temples in the area. Apart from that, I found a local woman who cooked chicken satay (skewered chicken with peanut sauce) over an open fire in the middle of one of the alleys, so I enjoyed another cheap meal that day while watching the local children run around the tiny square and play badminton, a very popular sport here in Indonesia. Not knowing what to do next, I found a tour to an imposing set of volcanoes in East Java and decided to save myself the time and hassle of trying to arrange a network of local buses, content with paying the $10 extra for the convenience of taking the tourist shuttle to Mt. Bromo.

(The pointy temples of Prambanan, standing tall against the flat plain surrounding it.)

(One of the outer temples, in a bit of disarray, yet still impressive.)

(A few of the taller temples, enjoying the blue sky as the sun burned away the morning haze.)

(As you can see, the main temples were mostly not damaged by the recent earthquake, but there are still piles and piles of stone to be rebuilt around them.)

(One of the few trees in the complex, looking a little out of place, not at all like a tall, light-skinned foreigner in Indonesia.)

(My first view of the temples from the beginning of the complex.)

(A set of young rice fields just outside the silver factory we visited where we were encouraged to buy some local handmade goods, though I resisted the urge to pay 3 times the normal price at a spot like this.)

(A beautiful water lily for your viewing pleasure. This was in a pond around one of the smaller temples in between Borobudur and Prambanan.)