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 Wednesday, December 16, 2009 @ 09:58
day 2: jogja to borobudur prior to leaving singapore, we had already booked our hotel at borobudur for our second night in jogja. we managed to find a driver to get us there, as well as a side trip to surrounding areas (sultan palace, prambanan temple and mount merapi) for 350,000rp (price includes driver and fuel). however, it was only during the day that we realised the price wasn't all inclusive. we had to pay parking ourselves.  we ate breakfast the moment the buffet spread opened at 6am, as the driver was supposed to pick us up at 7.30am. the breakfast at asia afrika hotel was probably the best we had in jogja. there were fruits, soup, rice and toast.   as we drove to sultan palace, we saw plenty of graffiti around the town. there were some which were very nice, while the rest were simply scribbles.  our driver made an unknown and not consented stop. he brought as to a batik shop, where we supposed he would get commission. my parents, aunt and uncle were quite pissed that he brought us to a place not on the agreed list of places. and he told us that the sultan palace only opened at 9am. he could have told us yesterday when we were making arrangements what time to pick us up. totally dishonest. so we had to kill time for about an hour there.   the place had halls and halls of batik art. they were actually really beautifully and brightly coloured. but we were not interested in hauling bulky frames for the whole trip and besides, having visited our neighbours plenty of times, we already have similar pieces at home.  saw a clothes line opposite the batik shop and thought it would make a nice picture.  upon leaving the batik shop, we drove to sultan palace, also known as kraton. similar to cambodia's royal palace, the royal family still occupied certain quarters within the compound. on top of the entrance fee, you have to pay additional 5,000rp (sgd$0.75) for every camera you bring in. and you can't cheat because they will send in a guide with you. also, they are very particular of what you wear--no shorts, slippers or sleeveless tees.      the buildings were mostly coloured green. and they had a huge collections of past gifts from dignitaries from other countries, such as tea sets, as well as uniforms and costumes of the sultans. they were going to have a puppet performance at 10am, which was around the time our tour ended, however, we had a tight schedule that day, so we gave it a miss. next stop, prambanan temple. we decided against going in when we arrived there, as we had been to angkor wat, which is grander in scale. in addition, there was a huge disparity between the entrance fee for locals and tourists. it's 10 times more for tourists!!! locals pay 12,500rp (sgd$1.88), tourists pay usd$12 (sgd$16.80). according to ecko (from ari tours & travel) whom we asked later, it's similar for borobudur. thank god our borobudur entrance fee is included in the hotel stay. after walking around the shops at prambanan temple, we headed towards our next destination--mount merapi, the most active volcano in indonesia.   it was a rather long and grueling drive there. lots of climbing and we had to off the aircon because the slopes were too steep. when we finally made it, our stomachs were growling. so it was lunch in a shack! again, lunch consisted of maggi mee (5,000rp), choice was only between soup or dry.  quite a disappointment because it was so cloudy! we trekked up to the viewpoint and still we couldn't even tell which direction the volcano was. thus, we reached manohara hotel at borobudur earlier than planned. we chose manohara hotel because it is the only hotel within the borobudur complex. the gate to borobudur is just behind our rooms and borobudur complex is just a 10 minutes stroll from the hotel.  the rooms cost 575,000rp (sgd$86.25), which is in the pricey range, but the stay was really worth it. the rooms were nice and the atmosphere even nicer. lots of greenery and beautiful manicured lawns. a great place to just relax for a couple of days if you have the money to spend.  the gate behind our rooms to borobudur. yes, it is that near.  it was really crowded when we got to the complex. in fact, the best time to visit borobudur is between 6-7am. by then, people taking the sunrise tour, which starts around 4am, would be leaving and the crowds start swarming in at 7am. hence, i was really glad i got some people-less pictures.       the compound is nicely restored. you can hardly tell the difference between the stones used unless you look closely. one thing we noticed was that the stupas were made with different stones. the ones on the top most level were cubes, whereas the stupas on the lower platforms were crosses.  the tickets given by the hotel were valid from 6am to 5pm. we tried waiting for the sun to set, but it was still quite bright then. the guards will actually herd you off the complex. if you want to watch the sunset, similar to sunrise, you have to buy a special pass, which costs 150,000rp (sgd$22.50).  after bathing, we ate dinner at the hotel as it was raining. the food was rather reasonably priced for a hotel but the food left more to be desired. the steaks were tough, the mushroom soup was probably cooked from a packet, the fish not fresh and juices were bland. we were only satisfied with the desserts. Labels: family, food, holidays |