Borobudur

Wed 25 oct

The shopping mall forecast to be open today so off on the bus (50% overcharge for the first time) to find the mall not open for another hour at 9.30. Opportunity to look round the back where a traditional market has a third of the stalls open and I buy potatoes and tomatoes. In the mall I get orange squeezer, milk, bread and cheese. Back at the hostel Biwa and Wati are entertaining some of Wati’s relations – I join them in the courtyard for early lunch, eating my take-away salad that I bought earlier. Thomas invites me to visit Borobudur, it will be busy in the holiday and a long way but an opportunity I cannot miss out on. Pak Biwa gives directions and with all the power of this current m’bike under him Thomas tears away through the traffic and the countryside at breakneck speed. Mount Merapi looming over us on the right and the central Java mountains, our destination directly ahead. The route takes us alongside large irrigation canals and m’bike only tracks, including an old Dutch suspension bridge over a ravine and through the forest up to the monument. Like a pyramid but carved out with terraces, processional ways and covered in carvings it truly is impressive – the largest Buddhist construction in the world. Half way up though, on a terrace I just flake out and weep – I know that if I push myself any further I could be in serious trouble so I persuade Thomas to complete the journey with the camera while I seek some shade and a rest for half an hour. T then persuades me to complete the ascent slowly and Wow! – really dramatic with the pinnacles, the surrounding hills and the views down towards Jogya 40 km away. The journey back takes another hour (cars take two hours and the bus more than three) to a shower, iced coffee and a lie down. It appears that Pak TO did not attend a meeting of Pak Biwa’s DPP yesterday which Biwa is not happy about but he and Wati will nevertheless call on him tonight for the traditional Idul Fitri greetings and says he wants to talk to me about Pak TO when I recover from the journey. He also invites me to visit a farm on the south coast on Saturday where some giant rice is being developed (sounds suspiciously like GM?) and meet his preferred next candidate for the presidency – agreed.