Our second stop in Indonesia found Jo and myself in the wonderful central Javanese city of Yogyakarta (or more commonly spelled Jogjakrta). It is listed as a special province within that country and happens to be the smallest as well. Furthermore, it is the only province in Indonesia that is still governed by its precolonial monarchy.
Jo and I arrived late in the day and after a quick bite to eat, found ourselves in the center of town. There are two large trees in a central park that are said to have special powers. If one can wear a blindfold and walk from one end of the park to the other, through the trees, it's said that you're wish shall be granted. Jo and I each gave it three shots. We failed three times. On my last attempt, I made it to the trees, but then quickly veered right and missed the opening. Some people trying to make their way through the trees were only able to take one or two steps before turning aside.
The first full day found us at sunrise at Borobodur... an awesome sight.
After that, we started our trek into the mountains to see the holy water flowing at the cave of Mother Mary in Sendangsono. We also visited Mendut Temple and local artisans. The day ended with shopping overload on Marlioboro Street.
Our last day in Jogja was also packed! We ventured to Tamansari, the Water Castle. It was amazing to see this little village built around an amazing house with exquisite pools. From there we drove to the Kraton, or Sultan's palace. We hit a few other places, but our last stop was Prambanan.
Unlike Borobodur, it's a massive Hindu Temple. It was constructed around the same time as its Buddhist conterpart and is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Music, used with permission from Jason Shaw/audionautix.
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