Our two days in Yogya were good. On Tuesday evening, we went and saw a traditional Javanese ballet performance of Ramayana, a love story involving gods, bad guys, and a monkey kingdom whose subjects were dressed like Power Rangers.
On Wednesday we walked around the city, visited the sultan's palace, and went shopping for batik and leather puppets. The good stuff is expensive, so it is a good thing that our perfectly decent hotel (with a swimming pool) cost only $9 a night.
We're leaving Yogya on an afternoon flight to Medan via Jakarta. I'm ready for Sumatra, and am ready to see how the islands differ.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Yogyakarta
I'm now in Yogyakarta. We arrived in this central Java city on Sunday and tried to get to Borobudur, but by 4:30 all the buses already left. So we took a "Trans," a municipal bus with fixed stops that operates more like a metro than a bus, to the suburb of Prambanan.
Prambanan is a bit of a hole. Our hotel offered rooms by the hour as well as by the night, but it was reasonably clean and had friendly staff. And it was only for one night. On Monday morning, we got up at the crack of dawn to see the eponymous Hindu temple complex which was amazing. Some of the temples had been damaged by the 2006 earthquake and thus did not allow entry, but they were still very beautiful and really cool looking. We visited two more nearby temples, and by noon we returned to Yogya and left for Borobudur.
Borobudur is a much nicer town, and our hotel was a lot nicer, too. This morning, we again woke up at the crack of dawn and visited the eponymous Buddhist temple, which is gigantic spire built around a big hill. Again, it was really cool. Both Prambanan and Borobudur were built in the 9th or 10th century and had been restored.
Yogya is a friendly, mid-size city. We aren't doing anything today. Tomorrow we will visit the sultan's palace and maybe see a Javanese dance performance.
Prambanan is a bit of a hole. Our hotel offered rooms by the hour as well as by the night, but it was reasonably clean and had friendly staff. And it was only for one night. On Monday morning, we got up at the crack of dawn to see the eponymous Hindu temple complex which was amazing. Some of the temples had been damaged by the 2006 earthquake and thus did not allow entry, but they were still very beautiful and really cool looking. We visited two more nearby temples, and by noon we returned to Yogya and left for Borobudur.
Borobudur is a much nicer town, and our hotel was a lot nicer, too. This morning, we again woke up at the crack of dawn and visited the eponymous Buddhist temple, which is gigantic spire built around a big hill. Again, it was really cool. Both Prambanan and Borobudur were built in the 9th or 10th century and had been restored.
Yogya is a friendly, mid-size city. We aren't doing anything today. Tomorrow we will visit the sultan's palace and maybe see a Javanese dance performance.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Singapore, three years to the day
Blogazon is alive and posting again, if only for a month on this much needed vacation.
I arrived in Singapore safe and sound early this morning after two long flights. My traveling companion and I are seeing the sites I found most interesting when I was here three years ago. After about 7 hours of walking around the central neighborhoods, we have "done" the country. Check. Singapore is still safe, clean, efficient, and kind of boring.
This evening, I am dining with a friend from high school who I haven't seen for 15 years. We're going to some crab place, which sounds pretty delicious. After that, it will be back to the Crowne Plaza at the airport, a very nice and surprisingly not overpriced hotel. Our flight to Java is tomorrow morning, and we'll probably head directly to Borobudur on arrival in Yogyakarta.
I arrived in Singapore safe and sound early this morning after two long flights. My traveling companion and I are seeing the sites I found most interesting when I was here three years ago. After about 7 hours of walking around the central neighborhoods, we have "done" the country. Check. Singapore is still safe, clean, efficient, and kind of boring.
This evening, I am dining with a friend from high school who I haven't seen for 15 years. We're going to some crab place, which sounds pretty delicious. After that, it will be back to the Crowne Plaza at the airport, a very nice and surprisingly not overpriced hotel. Our flight to Java is tomorrow morning, and we'll probably head directly to Borobudur on arrival in Yogyakarta.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Off to an interview
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Próximo viaje (grande)
Late February - early March 2009. My current (fluid) plan is to spend a couple days in Barranquilla for Carnaval, then head to the Santa Marta area for some hiking and diving. Then I'll spend a couple of days in Cartagena before heading to Bogota to wrap up the trip. Ya no puedo esperar.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Kitchen gadgets
Why do I want this salt pig? Maybe because I'm tired of opening and closing a torn plastic bag to get sea salt. Or maybe because I have a thing for kitchen gadgets. Spending close to $40 for what is basically a ceramic bowl to hold salt is a little ridiculous, but this design is clearly superior to its cheaper cousins. It is functional, I would use it, and it would look cool in my kitchen. And I would get purple or green, or, since this is a fancy-pants salt pig made in France, "fig" ou "vert."
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