Borobudur

Having visited places like Angkor Wat & Bagan, I was very keen to check out Borobudur, in Central Java. And I wan’t disappointed. Being able to watch the sunrise between two volcanoes from the top of Borobudur, with the growing light revealing the mist and smoke shrouded trees and villages, was very cool.

Borobudur is contemporaneous with the construction of the temples around Angkor , making it around 1100 years old. I find the fact that there was no cement used in the construction totally amazing. Part of the attraction was the mystery associated with its construction, as there is very little mention of the whys & wherefores in the written histories of Central Java.

Making the trip to Borobudur satisfied some of my curiosities, but learning about the area has created new ones. I found out that there are two other temple complexes (Pawon and Mendut) in the area and together with Borobudur, make a straight line stretching about 3-4 km. Something to investigate on another trip? I was also hoping to visit Prambanan, which is a 10th century Hindu temple closer to Yogyakarta, but didn’t get the time. Definitely enough reasons to come back. Next summer, maybe:)

Myanmar

Visiting ancient places has always given me a feeling of … I’m not sure exactly. Excitement isn’t the right word, nor is interesting. Hmm … maybe fascination is a better word? Anyhoo, I have been fortunate enough to visit places such as the Great Wall & Ming Dynasty tombs in China and Angkor Wat in Cambodia (twice!).

Being sandwiched between India and China, South East Asia tends to be forgotten, despite the fascinating history of the area. I have been fortunate to have visited almost all the ASEAN countries and last week I finally made it to Bagan in Myanmar.

There are so many temples, pagodas and shrines on the plain in the area it seems as though someone has scattered a bucket of them. It is noticeable as you drive around, but more so when you get up high. Many of them are quite small but there are several large ones that are very much worth visiting. And although they are very old (perhaps 800-1000 years in some cases), there are some that are still functioning.

We happened to be in Bagan in time for the full moon, which is an auspicious time for buddhists. The day of the full moon was a public holiday and there were large crowds of Burmese people at some of the temples. In the carparks were many small trucks packed to the gunnels with people, with their belongings piled on the roofs. It was interesting to see, though my daughter Matilda become a little tired of the attention she attracted from local people.

Bagan is an amazing place and I would love to go back at some point. A balloon flight over the temples would be and taking the boat from Mandalay would be very cool.