Borobodur!!

Just arrived after a long and painful ride to Borobodur and Gunung Merapi with Pa' Henri a young man who is a friend of one of the boys working at the hotel. It did not rain all day and that was a break and the skies was clear enough that you get to see almost all the distant mountains that surrounds the Borobodur. I took quite a few pictures of the place and did two sketches just for show. The small relief panels along the walls of the 'stupa structure was more intresting that the the stupa as a whole for it displayed great workmanship from the ages. Cracked and colored by years of sun and raind the reliefs depicting the life of the Buddha from birth til enlightenment or attaining the parinirvana has an aesthetic quality of its own.
The Borobodur one of 'The Almost Forgotten Wonders World', is one of man's testimony to what he can do collective if and when he wants to just like the pyramids of Egypt or the the Great Wall of China. It may not be as monumental in size compared to the other two but Borobodur still stands on its own in terms of its awesomeness. It is primarily a Buddhist Stupa with relics believed to be stored within and all around the temple walls is depicted with the life of the Buddha in history from beginning till the attainment of enlightement.
The surrounding landscape of the Borobodur is just as awe inspiring with flat lands mostly rice fields stretching from as far as the eye can see into the horizon at the foot of mountains and volcanoes. The skies with its heavy white clouds accentuates the beauty even more. Henri and I stayed up at the structure for an hhour or so and then heade down as it was getting hot and there is really so much that you can do unless you wish to sit and meditate but then there is too much distractions as there were quite a number of visitors present. To have stood and touched such a monumental structure in human history was my sense of accomplishment and the next on my list is the Angkor Watt in Cambodea!! Insha'Allah!.
On the way in and out of the Borobodur area we were pestered by vendors selling all kinds of sovineurs and some of these women were so persistant that you'd think that they would cry at your feet if you do not buy something and I felt deeply sorry for them. I bought a few items for those at home especially my daughter who I am almost positive is expecting some surprises. Well it is the money from their elder brother and so in a way it will be from him whatever i buy. Like i was reminded earlier, I am a man who is totally broke with nothng to my name and all that I am doing truthfully enough is spreading around everyone else's wealth for them. The late Zen master Alan Watts used to say that men like me are elegant beggars.
On the way back we rode towards Mount Merapi which last decided to cough out some larva in may of 2006. The bike ride itself was quite memorable as the road led through some scenic rural areas of the part of Java. I got to see how the local people live which is not really that different from the rural countryside of Malaysia especially in the interiors. As we apporoached the Merapi closer and closer I can sense the prescence of the volcanoe like a sleeping dragon waiting to wake up and belch itself some brimstone and fire into the surrounding landscape. I bought some 'buah salak' along the roadside, a kind of the local pruduct for this area and there were small plantations of these trees which are like a mangrove palm trees from which the fruit is produce.
My last desitnation is the Bromo mountain region where they say the Gods resides. I have got to visit the site as most of the travellers I have met here highly recommended it. I am sure there numerous unique places that I could have discovered given the time and money here in Central and eastern Java but given the fact that both are limited I have to settle for the best or most talked about for now.