Showing posts with label Borobudur. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Borobudur. Show all posts

Throwback Tuesday: Sunrise on Punthuk Setumbu

Throwback Tuesday: Sunrise on Punthuk Setumbu

"What time is it, ma? My husband sleepily asked me behind his blanket
"Time to wake up", I replied with big smile on my face. 
And it was only 3 AM in the morning.
There was no sound other then the humming air conditioner in our room.
"Alright..give me 5 minutes. You get the kids ready" replied my hubby.
And there we were..waking up at 3 AM in the cold morning at Magelang, eager to catch sunrise at Punthuk Setumbu.
The idea of climbing up the hills at pitch black dawn to see the magnificent sunrise overlooking Mount Merapi and the famous Borobudur Temple is indeed tantalizing.

And here's our pictorial stories..



Our adventure at Punthuk Setumbu began as we decided to explore Yogyakarta during our summer break in Indonesia
It was back to 2013, when Bo et Obi were pretty young.

It took us around 40 minutes from our hotel in Magelang to Punthuk Setumbu.
We rent our car from Jogja and drove to Magelang to see the magnificent Borobudur Temple.
Good thing it came with the driver so what we did was enjoying the views, and some traditional food authentically sold in food stalls, along the way. 
The route was packed, with trucks, cars, motorcycles, people. 
But that's the beauty of the road trip, right.
Traffic is unavoidable, so try to embrace it :).

So, long story short, we arrived in Magelang in the evening.
Straight to the hotel after dinner, we have set our hearth on hiking up to Punthuk Setumbu the next morning.
Needless to say I have to convince my kids to come along with us.
I knew it was a bit too much to ask them to hike at 4 AM in the morning, 'just to see the sunrise' (as my son put it).
The compromise was they would come but stayed and slept again in the car.




So, at 3.30 AM we drove there and  apparently we could only park in one of the 'designated spots' in Karangrejo Village. The rest we have to take ojek, the motorcab, to certain area and continued with walking to the top. We paid Rp 150.000,- (around USD 12) per person for ojek and our 'tracking guide' plus the entrance fee. I didn't whether it was that expensive but it was pitch black and we didn't want to miss the sunrise.

We walked around 10 minuted to reach the top.
It was not that bad although it was a bit slippery.
I was so relieved I left my kids in the car with our driver.
Imagine sleepy heads tracking in slippery, muddy path up the hill.

When we got to the top, it was almost packed.
Almost.
But we managed to secure some spots and prepare our gears.
And the rest...
As you can see in the pictures.

All those early morning circus is worth it!





cheers...



If you see the misty part of some of the photos, that's Borobudur Temple.




Here are some of the snaps of Borobudur Temple, with Bo et Obi on it.
Happy to share more about this majestic Buddhist temple, one of the biggest in the world, to you all in another post.
For sure, Bo et Obi loved traveling to Jogjakarta, especially visiting Borobudur Temple.
They did explore the temple and run around the area near the temple.

Whenever I travel , I somehow remember my fellow traveler blogger, Elisa Koraag.
Mami Icha, our nickname for her, has been blogging for the last..I don't know how long LOL. She's been like a 'veteran' to us, blogging since years ago and still enjoying it up until now. She travels a lot as well, either with her beautiful children or with her lovely hubby. For sure, she traveled to many parts of Indonesia, including Jogja and Lampung, my hometown.











That's my sweet memories of Punthuk Setumbu.
What's your lovely throwback memory this week?

p.s : I will keep my Throwback Tuesday features but will post it every Wednesday or Thursday :).



Borobudur ... in a glimpse

Borobudur




 Undoubtedly, Borobudur Temple has long been known for being the largest Buddhist temple.

Fo us, Indonesians, Borobudur will always be one of our world's wonder :).

The first time we set our eyes on this agelessly charming complex of ancient Buddhist temple was from a far. 

the sun was coming...
From the top of Punthuk Setumbu, overlooking Mount Merapi and the majestic temple from above was truly an experience. Our journey started at 3 am in the morning, involving persuading my Bo et Obi to get ready and continue their sleep in the car and climbing up - or rather tracking, the hill in the dark hours of the morning. But again, it all worth the efforts.
Who won't be awed by this amazing scenery...


Amidst the constant clicks and the overflowing hum of shutter release, probably from hundreds of us, - the photographers and the sunrise lovers, like me, - I was hopelessly trying to capture the beauty of it. 
my hubby and I...
I miserably failed, as what we saw that morning was indeed amazing and beyond words...

So, now ...back to Borobudur..
Borobudur from a far..

I remember reading Lalita, one of Ayu Utami's masterpieces, displaying more interesting facts - if not intriguing, about Borobudur. 

How we tend to forget how majestic this temple is...
The philosophy behind those meticulously carved reliefs filled with thousands of messages are overwhelming...

How to get closer to our Creator...
How to achieve Aruphadathu, the world of formlessness, leaving behind kamadhatu, our desires, and rupadhatu, our urge for the world of forms...
How to peacefully become one of the dwellers of Nirvana...



With more than 2000 relief panels and hundreds of Buddha statues, Borobudur Temple will certainly invite everyone's amazement, just like us...


Borobudur during Vesak Day..


We went there during the Vesak Day. 
The celebration of the teaching and inspiring life of Buddha.





I know, not really the best option time unless you are okay with thousand of people flocking around to celebrate or watch the celebration itself. 
But we were more than happy to join this festivity and continue to be wawed by the greatness of this temple.



Too bad I didn't manage to get more details of Borobudur...as I have Bo et Obi come with me and climb those many stairs to get closer to the top. Not an easy job to make sure the kids were on the safe sides while you were taking pictures here and there...
So, although I only got Borobudur in a glimpse, but I let my mind and soul grasp those ancient wonders and immortalize them in my head.

No, we didn't make it to the top but we do have breathtaking view :)
As this complex was built in the 9th century, I can't stop thinking how they could actually create this incredible architecture.




the magnificent statues..

As for the kids, they surely enjoy it...

peek a boo..







So I guess, we definitely have to go back to Borobudur again. 
As Borobudur in a glimpse is definitely not enough



Turnamen Foto Perjalanan Ronde 54 : kabut

Perjalanan seru penuh cerita bersama Udi dan anak-anak beberapa waktu yang lalu menyusuri setapak demi setapak jalan tanah di Punthuk Setumbu, Magelang di pagi buta terbayar dengan pemandangan luar biasa...
Worth every breath we took over those steep and slippery hills :)



Overlooking Merapi and Merbabu Mountains and the majestic Borobudur temple from afar...Precious!

Foto ini diikutsertakan dalam Turnamen foto Perjalanan Ronde 54