Temples of Yogyakarta

This is a follow up from a day in Yogyakarta [link]

The easiest, and most sensible way to try to fit in two world famous temple complexes was to hire a car (and driver) to take us to the two places, Borobudur first.
There is not a lot to add, as it is a sensational place but there is not much I can add from a personal point of view that has not been said before.

The temple is a massive step pyramid structure made from giant stone blocks, built on a hill, surrounded by valleys and hills. The levels rise up representing the stages of enlightenment. [link]

One thing I did notice was that it was a very popular location and with many domestic tourists. It was also the first time for a very long time indeed that I was approached by young children wanting to interview a foreigner in English. This used to happen quite regularly when I used to travel about in Japan but it has not happened for a while - though this may be because of my solo nature. It was fun, actually, to talk to the kids and they were quite excitable with their questions. I'm not one to answer simply all the time though - hope it did not cause too many problems.

Borobudur is not super close to the Prambanan complex so we had some lunch along the way - while there was a torrential downpour.
Again, it was a phenomenal place which felt a little more spaced out but the detail and thoughts were stunning. 

Situated in a picturesque plain dotted with archaeological monuments amongst rice paddies and villages, you will probably be impressed by the Hindu Prambanan temple complex before you even pull in to the park, the height and pointed architecture of the temples gives an impressive welcome. [link]

The rain continued here and some entrepreneurial souls decided it would be clever to sell umbrellas to the tourists that were not equipped. I thought it was a great idea - until it stopped raining and the umbrella would not close. I couldn't discard it as the rain was intermittent but it was pretty inconvenient when holding a camera too. Not a patch on the Singaporean umbrella traditions.

It was a pretty full day and so all i did in the evening was get an incredibly painful massage. I could barely walk afterwards - and I needed to walk on the next day on the way to Surakarta.

Yogyakarta, Temples of - click for photo album