BOROBUDUR

We are currently in Borobudur.  Home of the largest Buddhist Temple in the world. (It is an ancient temple, built by hand, with incredible intricate stone carvings of amazing detail, especially for the time when it was created.)  Absolutely beautiful, and definitely worth taking the time to come here.

So, to back up a bit, we traveled here by bus on Thursday after paying a visit to the Sultan's Palace in Yogyakarta.  We are staying at the LOTUS II, a lovely guest house recommended by lonely planet.  We have a huge four poster bed covered with a lace mosquito net ~ a romantic fantasy bed except for the blue bedspread with cows printed on it!  Our bathroom is larger than our whole room in Yogyakarta was, and we have hot water ~ yay!  We have a balcony overlooking rice paddies.  I sort of thought that a swarm of mosquitoes would rise from the rice paddies when evening fell, but they haven't really been a problem, although I am diligent about repellent anyway!  We are served tea, meals, and semi-cold beer on our balcony.
The only downfall to this wonderful place is that when the call to prayer from the nearby Muslim Mosques begins, which is broadcast over loudspeakers, the mosque closest to us has a horrible chanter, truly.  There must be 3 or 4 mosques close by, and the ones further away have lovely chanters, but the one next to us is just terrible!  I can't imagine that it is easy to bow in reverent prayer to this man's voice!  In addition, the early morning call to prayer is at 4:30am!!!

Yesterday afternoon when we arrived, we walked to a couple small temples in the village, and were able to walk around the grounds of a beautiful buddhist monestary.  We got caught in the afternoon rain, and even though we had raincoats, ended up soaked to the bone by the time we got back to the LOTUS.  All those people offering us rides all day completely dissappeared! So we walked home in a raging downpour singing SINGING IN THE RAIN  & RAINDROPS KEEP FALLING ON MY HEAD.

Our experience with the friendly people here continues to be very positive, although there is somewhat of a circus atmosphere around the temple here in Borobudur with people selling wares of every kind ~ Buddhist temple ashtray anyone?  There was even some kids carnival rides & arcade games!  Luckily all these people are kept away from the temple itself.  The temple brings a LOT of money to this village, with as many as 90,000 people visiting on Festival days, luckily there was nothing like that number here today!
The people here, especially the children shout Hello as we walk by.  I am sure we say hello to everyone we pass! It turns out I am something of a curiosity here with my pale white skin.  I have been asked to take pictures with quite a lot of the people here.  Mostly Muslim women whom I look like a giant standing next to. (Vanessa, if you are reading this, you would feel tall here!)  Even Glen gets comments from the men about how tall he is.   I was worried about not being covered from head to toe, as many women here definitely are, but after being asked to pose for pictures with these lovely women, my worry is gone.  I am just a curiosity!  (People have asked for pictures with Glen and I together also.)  We are finding that most people DO NOT think we are married.  I guess the idea of an interracial marriage is a bit foreign too them.
Well, I guess I will close for now.  Tomorrow we are off to BALI!

Salamat Malam (Goodnight)
Carrie

PS.  Did I mention this wonderful room with such hospitable hosts cost the grand sum of 150,000 rupiah, (about $17.00)!