Borobudur, Indonesia 2/26/2018

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Semerang, Java, Indonesia was our port. Indonesia is number four on the list of highest populations in the world, behind China, India and US. About 56% of Indonesia’s population lives on Java, making it the most populous island of the 17,000 islands in Indonesia. This was a nine-hour excursion with six hours on the bus, but it was well worth it to travel to Borobudur. The artistry and feeling of serenity made this a most memorable experience. We had a police escort which allowed us to travel without stopping for redlights, etc. 

Borobudur is the world’s largest Buddhist temple and is surrounded by rainforests and mountains. It is believed the construction started in 800 AD and lasted for a century. The temple was built over a hill, so while it resembles a pyramid it is not empty inside. Every aspect of it represents Buddhist views of the cosmos and his journey to enlightenment. It mimics the shape of a lotus and has six stacked square platforms topped by three circular ones. At the top, a central dome is surrounded by 72 latticed stupas, which are homes for Buddhas. On the climb to the top, the faithful follow stone walkways for 5-km (3 miles). The walls of the pathways have carved reliefs, 1460 reliefs are narrative and 1,212 are decorative panels. There were 504 Buddha statues and other decorative carvings. There is a lot of reading material available on this amazing site which was buried for years under volcanic ash and jungle before the world heard about it in 1814. It has experienced several restorations. There are twenty-eight active volcanoes in Java and volunteers are needed to clear the ash when a nearby volcano erupts. The drainage system requires constant maintainance. 

On our return trip, we stopped for a break and saw Wajang, a form of puppet theater art found in Indonesia. A dramatic story is told through shadows made by the puppets. We also learned that as the elevation changes the crops grown change. Indonesia is the fourth-largest producer of coffee. Most coffee is grown by small-scale growers and not large plantations. Other exports include palm oil, rubber and cocoa.

Borobudur is the world’s largest Buddhist Temple/monument in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Great views.  This is a popular pilgrimage site and the devout walk up a clockwise pathway to the pinnacle, passing 2672 reliefs and 504 Buddha statues along the way.  The site had to be excavated as it was completely buried by volcanic ash over time.  

The terraced temple is 2000 years old and rises, pryamid-like in beautiful green forests and fields.  We traveled three hours with a police escort through the “Garden of Java” to reach the 9th century Borobudur.  Known for its beauty and the symbolism of its design, every aspect of it represents Buddhist views of the cosmos.  It mimics the shape of a lotus and has six stacked square platforms topped by three circular ones.  There is a central dome and four stairways that lead to the top, one in the center each side.  At the top, there are 72 Buddhas seated within latticed stupas (Buddha homes).  

Construction was a series of stone coverings on a hill that is inside.  Six square terraces and three round terraces topped by a stupa.  Reflect the Buddhist cosmos.  From the 9th century.  Buddha Dharma may be the builder..  Seems to have been slowly abandoned after its completion. Possibly due to volcanic eruptions which may have blocked out the sunlight and adversely effected the farming culture.  Food supplies may have become less available.  

Google for information.  Quite fascinating.  I took over 100 photos but it's too hard to upload them due to the poor internet connection.  

Walkways on the lower platforms are are ten feet wide.  You can see the reliefs carved in stone on each side of the walkway.  There are also niches with Buddhas along these walkways.

There are 72 stupas on the top.  These latticed"bells" are homes for Buddhas.  Sadly, there has been much damage over the years.  Some damage has been caused by bombing.  Some Buddhas have missing heads which are often found in museums in America and parts of Europe.  The site has been covered with volcanic ash repeatedly and required major work cleaning as the ash blocked drainage system.  This ash removal is a recurring problem.   

 There were also many school groups today.
The steps at the lower levels were much higher than normal steps, some were knee-high.

We passed 504 Buddhas on the way to the top.  You can also see more of the carved reliefs.  

Borobudur amazed me.  Wearing all my bug bracelets, just in case.  

There are five km of reliefs along the walkways to the top.   There was much reconstruction needed as Borobudur was unearthed. 

Stairway to the top.

Buddha inside a stupa.  Love the peaceful countenance.  

Stone carvings along the walkway to the top. 

Amazing stone carving everywhere.  

Carvings along the walkways to the top depict moments in Buddha's life.  

There were views in all directions.  We could see the rain coming for quite some time.  

This was a view of Borobudur from the resort where we had lunch under an outdoor pavilion.  

Top of Borobudur - 72 stupas and a Grand Stupa.  

Stupas at the top.

This was a model at the resort where we had lunch.  

This is an example of vandalism.  The heads are often found in museums in US and Europe.  

Some of the steps on the stairways were knee high.  It was a greater challenge coming back down.  

My friend and I went straight to the top as soon as we could.  It was a good decision as there were less people at the top in the beginning.  When we went down as it got more crowded, there were less people on the lower levels so we got better pictures there, also.  

Stupas are amazing.  I bought a book about Borobudur and saw the condition before refurbishing.  It is amazing how well they have refurbished this site.  

Loved the artistry and peaceful serenity at Borobudur.  

It started to rain and as you can see the people poured down the stairway.  It was also time for lunch at a nearby resort.   

This silver model of Borobudur was lovely and kept in a class case at the shops were we stopped on our way home.

There was a lot of silver for sale in the shops where we stopped.  This silver model of Borobudur was lovely and kept in a class case.  

This musician was playing at the resort where we enjoyed a buffet lunch under a pavilion.  

Our group had eight buses.  We had a police car at the beginning of our caravan and one at the end.  They moved us through traffic and we never stopped at a red light.  The escort was necessary to get us to Borobudur and back in the allotted time.  

Lots of farming along the roadways.  I think this is rice.

We stopped for 30 min. with an opportunity to see a puppet show or to shop on our way back to the ship. 

Puppeteer behind the screen.

Not a fancy pilot boat.

I guess this bus driver was tired.  

This was the resort where we had lunch.  The pavilion is pictured on the top right of the sign.

Audience view of the shadow puppets.  

Dancers 2/24/18

 Intricate Balinese dances tell a story, Warrior dances of Baris and Kebyar Duduk as well as the elegance and excitement of Oleg Tamulinlingan and the bird dance of Cendrawasih.  Cheer for the good guys and boo for the bad guys. History is told through the many dances and intricate movements.   Balinese dance accompanied by Balinese Gambelan music.  Gorgeous show with beautiful costumes. 

Bali, Indonesia 2/24/2018

Dancers that were a part of the group greeting us in Bali, Indonesia.

School students heading into the Buddhist temple for a ceremony.  

Another part of the museum

Our guide, we were to call him Ali.  He was a bit hard to understand, but very pleasant.  He offered a lot of information. 

Part of the Museum - Gateway to different sections.

Traffic was heavy.  Scooters were zooming in and out of the traffic  We saw scooters carrying a family of four, furniture, as many packages as they could hang on to, balloons, etc.  It bothered me that the adults wore helmets, but the children did not.  The police also navigated through traffic on scooters.  

These lovely young ladies were headed into the lovely gardens surrounding the museum. 

This is the main shrine of the public Hindu Temple. Jagatnanatha = important Hindu Kahyangan Temple.  Dedicated to the existence of supreme God, Sanghyang Widi.     It is outside.  We watched as a priest blessed a young woman.  Water was sprinkled on her and rice was used too.  

On holidays and special occasions the followers bring these baskets to the shrines.  The home temples had these baskets, too.  

Balinese Gambelan music.  The instruments in the back sound like xylophones and drummers are in the front.  

This is a close up of the outdoor shrine.  There are two lions and a turtle standing guard.  

Bali Museum

Balinese Dance group performed on the Pool Deck.  Stories through dance.

Bali has a thriving arts scene, lush beauty and wonderful seaside vistas, which we did not see.  Despasar is the island’s capital with lots of traffic and an interesting collection of business, houses, etc.  There are many colorful stalls and large emporiums selling bright sarongs and intricately patterned batik and everything else imaginable.  Some of its temples are carved from white coral harvested from the sea.  The total population is four million.  There are 240,000 people in Bali and half of the Indonesia's population lives in Java.  Ninety percent practice the Hindu religion.  Hindus believe gods live in all natural things.  

We visited a public Balinese Hindu Temple and Bali Museum and a market.  3.5 hours.  Densasar has rich history, revered temples and busy markets offering stone carvings, a sarong or batik.  In the Bali Museum, we browsed galleries featuring local art and history and lovely gardens and gateways.  The temple of Jagatnatha is the most important Hindu Kahyangan Temple in the city.  This temple is dedicated to the existence of the supreme God, Sannghyang Widi and is decorated with carvings symbolizing Balinese Hinduism.    

Every family has a temple on their property.  If the family moves to a new location, they will construct a new temple.  The temple must face the mountain.  When you go down a street, on one side the temples will be in the front yard and on the other side of the street the temples will be in the back yard.  There are different types of temples in each community.  There will be a public temple where all are welcome.  There are territorial temples and professional temples like the market goddess of money for vendors, a goddess of rice for farmers, one for fisherman, people of the same blood, etc. 

FACEBOOK  Bali, Indonesia When we arrived in Benoa, our port was bustling with every water activity imaginable including pleasure crafts, parasailing, jet skis, donut boat, banana boat, snorkeling, wakeboarding, water skiing etc.  It was crazy.

We visited a public Balinese Hindu Temple and the Bali Museum in Despasar, the island's capital.  .  We saw coins, theatrical masks, musical instruments, stone carvings, statues, sculptures, weapons, tools, archaeological finds etc.  There were lovely decorative gateways in the gardens surrounding the buildings.    The temple of Jagatnatha is the most important Hindu Kahyangan Temple in the city.  This temple is dedicated to the existence of the supreme God, Sanghyang Widi and is decorated with carvings symbolizing Balinese Hinduism.  This temple is surrounded by sprawling courtyards and a series of shrines.    

Every family has a temple on their property.  If the family moves to a new location, they will construct a new temple.  The temple must face the mountain.  When you go down a street, on one side the temples will be in the front yard and on the other side of the street the temples will be in the back yard.  There are different types of temples in each community.  There will be a public temple where all are welcome.  There are territorial temples and professional temples like the market goddess of money for vendors, a goddess of rice for farmers, one for fisherman, people of the same blood, etc. 

Today's picture is the Balinese Dancers that performed on board our ship.  The stories are told through dance, the costumes and dancers were beautiful.  The performers are a part of a diverse and innovative performing arts culture in Bali.