Semarang, (Borobudor) Java, Indonesia
February 28, 2007
Arriving in Semarang, Indonesia, after Bali, was like arriving in a different country. Since Bali is predominately a Buddhist society and Semarang (or Java!) is predominately Muslim the architecture is directly affected…very different….and it seems so is the economy and/or spirit as well.
Where many temples with bamboo or tin roofs dominated the landscape in Bali, tile roofs on mosques adorned with stainless steel “onion” domes were the norm in Java. Too, the number of shanties, the debris on the streets, and the temperament of the people were different too. Bali seems to be more alive than Java. I would like to return to Bali….not so sure about Java!
That said I had a memorable day leaving the ship early to travel via an air-conditioned bus through the Candi residential district on route to the highlands of the interior dotted with numerous volcanoes. About half way through our 60 mile trip we stopped to visit the Ambarawa antique train museum in Bedono. Eventually boarding an old steam engine train for an hour’s ride into the rice fields, I was reminded of when my friend Hugh Latta and I visited Cuba a couple of years ago and took the exact kind of train into the sugar cane fields. What a great way to see the country side up close and personal. As we slowly chugged along, workers would stop to wave….mothers with their cute smiling babies would greet us…and we got an up close personal look into the small, but immaculate homes of these hard-working people. I will always remember one man forever. Knee deep in the muddy rice paddy, using a long sturdy stick for balance, this elderly man would use his bare foot as kind of a shovel heaping mud from the wet soil up onto the “fence” of mud that separated one terrace from the other. With that same foot he would tamp the fresh mud into place creating a strong and tidy barrier to control the water and thus the success of his crop. Slowly, but steadily, the man worked, moving with the rhythm of a dancer. I couldn’t help but ponder what he was thinking as he toiled under the hot sun knowing that he was working to feed his family. His image is certainly etched in my memory.
We eventually arrived at Borobudor –the inspiring temple of Borobudor! As our guide book so aptly described: “The inspiring monument of Borobudor stands unique among other Buddhist temples. Its creation, without the use of modern engineering and technology remains a mystery today. It was built by Buddhist Kings of the Sailendra Dynasty, possibly to enhance the image of Buddhism when Hinduism was growing in strength across the Indonesian archipelago, and for more than 1,000 years it lay hidden under the dense jungle vegetation. According to historical accounts, it would appear that Borobudor may have been deserted soon after its creation, when the Sailendra Dynsty was overthrown by the Hindu Majapahit Empire around AD 850. Borobudor, the largest single monument in the Southern Hemisphere, was then covered by jungle until its re-discovery in 1814 by Sir Stamford Raffles. Over the next century, Borobudor was cleared and the process of restoring the two million pieces of andesite stone began.” We climbed the steep steps to each of the ten terraces which indicate the path to Nirvana. We finally made our way to the final Great Stupa that overlooks the other 72 Stupa, each with a Buddha protected inside. The views were spectacular. I couldn’t help but think what Angkor Wat in Cambodia must be like. Traveling with us was Chris Ranier, a National Geographic photographer who explained that Borobordur was indeed reminiscent of Angkor Wat but pailed in size….I can’t imagine! So I now I must go to Cambodia!
On our return trip we stopped at a quaint coffee house to enjoy some strong Javanese coffee. There, our kind guide scurried up a tree to retrieve a bunch of “dragon’s eye” fruit that we had seen growing all along our route. The natives protect this delicate fruit by weaving loose rattan baskets that they tie onto the branches. The fruit, about the size of a small marble has a thin but fuzzy brown skin. The translucent fruit is deliciously sweet…I can see why the birds would like them…I did too!
So, although I don’t think I will return to Java for a long time, I certainly enjoyed my experience there and am so pleased that I have walked the ancient steps of Borobudor, eaten Dragon’s Eye fruit, and savored Javanese Coffee. I am a lucky man!
February 28, 2007
Arriving in Semarang, Indonesia, after Bali, was like arriving in a different country. Since Bali is predominately a Buddhist society and Semarang (or Java!) is predominately Muslim the architecture is directly affected…very different….and it seems so is the economy and/or spirit as well.
Where many temples with bamboo or tin roofs dominated the landscape in Bali, tile roofs on mosques adorned with stainless steel “onion” domes were the norm in Java. Too, the number of shanties, the debris on the streets, and the temperament of the people were different too. Bali seems to be more alive than Java. I would like to return to Bali….not so sure about Java!
That said I had a memorable day leaving the ship early to travel via an air-conditioned bus through the Candi residential district on route to the highlands of the interior dotted with numerous volcanoes. About half way through our 60 mile trip we stopped to visit the Ambarawa antique train museum in Bedono. Eventually boarding an old steam engine train for an hour’s ride into the rice fields, I was reminded of when my friend Hugh Latta and I visited Cuba a couple of years ago and took the exact kind of train into the sugar cane fields. What a great way to see the country side up close and personal. As we slowly chugged along, workers would stop to wave….mothers with their cute smiling babies would greet us…and we got an up close personal look into the small, but immaculate homes of these hard-working people. I will always remember one man forever. Knee deep in the muddy rice paddy, using a long sturdy stick for balance, this elderly man would use his bare foot as kind of a shovel heaping mud from the wet soil up onto the “fence” of mud that separated one terrace from the other. With that same foot he would tamp the fresh mud into place creating a strong and tidy barrier to control the water and thus the success of his crop. Slowly, but steadily, the man worked, moving with the rhythm of a dancer. I couldn’t help but ponder what he was thinking as he toiled under the hot sun knowing that he was working to feed his family. His image is certainly etched in my memory.
We eventually arrived at Borobudor –the inspiring temple of Borobudor! As our guide book so aptly described: “The inspiring monument of Borobudor stands unique among other Buddhist temples. Its creation, without the use of modern engineering and technology remains a mystery today. It was built by Buddhist Kings of the Sailendra Dynasty, possibly to enhance the image of Buddhism when Hinduism was growing in strength across the Indonesian archipelago, and for more than 1,000 years it lay hidden under the dense jungle vegetation. According to historical accounts, it would appear that Borobudor may have been deserted soon after its creation, when the Sailendra Dynsty was overthrown by the Hindu Majapahit Empire around AD 850. Borobudor, the largest single monument in the Southern Hemisphere, was then covered by jungle until its re-discovery in 1814 by Sir Stamford Raffles. Over the next century, Borobudor was cleared and the process of restoring the two million pieces of andesite stone began.” We climbed the steep steps to each of the ten terraces which indicate the path to Nirvana. We finally made our way to the final Great Stupa that overlooks the other 72 Stupa, each with a Buddha protected inside. The views were spectacular. I couldn’t help but think what Angkor Wat in Cambodia must be like. Traveling with us was Chris Ranier, a National Geographic photographer who explained that Borobordur was indeed reminiscent of Angkor Wat but pailed in size….I can’t imagine! So I now I must go to Cambodia!
On our return trip we stopped at a quaint coffee house to enjoy some strong Javanese coffee. There, our kind guide scurried up a tree to retrieve a bunch of “dragon’s eye” fruit that we had seen growing all along our route. The natives protect this delicate fruit by weaving loose rattan baskets that they tie onto the branches. The fruit, about the size of a small marble has a thin but fuzzy brown skin. The translucent fruit is deliciously sweet…I can see why the birds would like them…I did too!
So, although I don’t think I will return to Java for a long time, I certainly enjoyed my experience there and am so pleased that I have walked the ancient steps of Borobudor, eaten Dragon’s Eye fruit, and savored Javanese Coffee. I am a lucky man!
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