YOGYJAKARTA

Our departure on August 25th 1997 for Yogyakarta, a birthday present from James.   train down, a flight back and 3 nights at the Radison.  Luxury. The train was executive glass, with TV . Delicious food from a trolley was served every 20 minutes.  The trip took two hours.

Yogyakarta (often called 'Jogja") is a city on the Island of Java known for its traditional arts and cultural heritage, also as the city of Universities.  Its ornate 18th century royal complex, or kraton, encompasses the still inhabited Sultan's Palace.  Also within the kraton are numerous open-air pavilions that host classical Javanese dance shows and concerts of gamelan music, characterized by gongs, chimes and plucked string instruments.






Some people live in the greater kraton compound which consists of its own market, shops, batik and silver collate industries, schools and mosques.  Over 25,000 people live there. 

The street with 'becak's waiting for customers. The rides are very cheap. 




The Sultan, his wife and 6 daughters live within the luxury quarters. 


The old baths where the sultans entertain their many lovers.  The present Sultan is faithful - so they say!!

The area around the palace is all dirt - not one blade of grass.  You have to pay a small amount to enter with a personal guide.  There are lots of beggars outside the wall, but if you give to one, you are soon surrounded by many. Add caption

For two nights, we listened to a different group at the Radison. 

Borobudur is a 9th century Buddist temple in Magelang, central Java, as well as the world's largest Buddhist temple, and also one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.  The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. The temple is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.  The central dome is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues, each seated inside a perforated stupa.  It is a world heritage site.

Evidence suggests it was constructed in the 9th century and abandoned following the 14th century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam.  Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians.  Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations.  The largest was taken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, FOLLOWING WHICH THE MONUMENT WAS LISTED AS UNESCO  World Heritage Site.  It is still used for pilgrimage: once a year, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction. 










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