Days 50-51 Semarang Indonesia

Weather
Mid 80's and cloudy. high humidity

Map

First Impressions

What we did
Today was a 9 hour excursion to Borobudur, the world's largest 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple, located in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. Built by the Sailendra Dynasty in a stepped, mandala-style pyramid, it features over 2,500 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. It serves as a major pilgrimage site and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was covered in jungle growth and volcanic ash for several centuries before being rediscovered in 1814.

We were the first ones off the boat at 7:15 after we docked in Semarang Java. There were 6 busses waiting for us (and a 7th as a backup just in case) with a police escort to help us get through traffic. This was impressive as cars and trucks pulled over for our caravan. There is no way we could have done this excursion in 9 hours without a police escort. We proceeded out of port and rode for 1 1/2 hours to a coffee & tea rest stop and bathroom break. Coffee, tea and snacks were provided to all in this 1/2 hour stop. We then proceeded for another hour and arrived at Borobudur. After getting our bamboo slippers that allowed us to climb to the top level (no street shoes allowed), we were off to explore and learn with our guide. It was a truly amazing visit. The pictures don't do it justice. The steps were very high and steep, with no railing for the top steps. Some steps were over a foot tall. There were a few medical issues today as one passenger suffered from heat exhaustion and another fell. After our tour, the excursion included a sit down/buffet lunch featuring local cuisine that was wonderful. In Indonesia, on most excursions we were able to sample local fruits which we have never heard of before. At lunch we sat with the resident historian (Bryan Babcock) on the ship and his fiance, and had many conversations about the history of the site and world travels in general.

All in all a 9 hour adventure that will not be forgotten!