The USD 15 Borobudur Temple, Jogjakarta, Indonesia.

I heard about Borobudur Temple in a book back when I was in primary school. Since then, I have been wondering how would the real Borobudur Temple would look like. And then it happened, I went to Jogjakarta (some people pronounce it as Yogyakarta) and finally stepped my foot on the Borobudur's ground. 

This is what I saw first and it left me in awe for the rest of my life. 

I didn't expect the whole ground to be that huge. I mean, it's humongous! I'm sure there is still more buried underneath, considering how Borobudur Temple was discovered. It was covered and buried under the ashes  of Mount Merapi. 

Here are some of the history of Borobudur from Lonely Planet:

"Rulers of the Sailendra dynasty built Borobudur some time between AD 750 and AD 850. Little else is known about Borobudur’s early history, but the Sailendras must have recruited a huge workforce, as some 60, 000 cubic metres of stone had to be hewn, transported and carved during its construction. The name Borobudur is possibly derived from the Sanskrit words ‘Vihara Buddha Uhr’, which mean ‘Buddhist Monastery on the Hill’."

It almost 9 floors up the staircase of the temple, and under the scorching sun it didn't help with our DIY tour. Being the noob we are, Dewi and I followed the guidelines to circle the Main Temple clockwise from bottom to top. 

Well, at least we stumbled upon so really weird figurines and carvings that don't seem to fit the whole era of when Borobudur was built. I even saw a figure of a chinese medicine man with his long moustache! (Exactly like those you see on Chinese Soap Opera!)  

The most interesting part for me is the remnants of the Stupas on top fo the temple. Some were ruined when the opponents of Suharto ( the regime president of Indonesia) blew the temple. And the amazing view of Jogjakarta! 

My sister, Dewi and I planned for this trip long long time ago and we were glad that we made this trip. The charm of Borobudur bond us closer, under the shades of Mt Merapi we became closer than ever. A brother sister adventure! :D

Well, why USD 15 temple? We tried to walk in as local, well we thought we had the look and the slang. Too bad the officers at the entrance saw my sister's passport hence we had to pay USD 15 as international visitors. :P

But that was the best USD 15 I have ever spent for temples. A good one. :)

And that's how I fell in love with Borobudur Temple. Till then, keep on traveling peeps! :D

Live in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

twas the excitement,
I shall be back to Yogyakarta, Indonesia. 

Out of all places that I have been so far, Yogyakarta remains the most memorable one;

The first scam, missing the train, the run to the train station, the old lady,the trishaw ride the stranger turned friend and most importantly my sister was with me all the way. 

This is lesehan or Angkrigan where you can eat for RM 1.60 ( 50 cent)

Yogyakarta, Indonesia offers more than just Borobudur and Prambanan Temple. The kind-hearted friendly people, the scrumptious Angkrigan and Lesehan (street stalls) food, the TransJogja and the amazing view of Mt Merapi made it a special city on its own on the vast lands of Indonesia. My memories carved a sign that says " I MUST COME BACK".

my favourite "7-11" in Indonesia, the Alfa Mart!

And so I planned for a comeback, initially thinking of Bali all thanks to Elizabeth Gilbert and her Eat, Pray, Love novel. But as I sat down and talked to my Indonesian friends and reliving the memories I had while I was in Yogyakarta, it sounds like a better plan.

So yeah, am moving to Yogyakarta, Indonesia for 2 months. Well, I want to write my book and publish it first in Indonesia but you know me, I will definitely backpack in Java! So many great things to discover in Indonesia and I am already excited! 

Now I have to think about my KITAS Visa or Social Visa in order to stay more than 30 days in Indonesia. Well, Malaysian only gets 30 days VOA for free. Plus these  visas require an invite letter from a person living in Indonesia who has a KTP (sort of identification card). It is a little bit hassle but I got friends who are willing to help. So fuhhh, glad about that! :D

Malaysians will get this, hence why I should learn Indo fast! hahhaa

In term of housing, I found that it is cheap to rent a KOST ( shared housing area) which will cost me around RM 400 (USD 150) to RM 600 (USD 200) for a sort-of studio house. Equipped with all the necessities such as internet, TV with cable and laundry.

Well,  we'll see how it goes. Till then, keep on traveling peeps! :D