Borobudur - Sunrise at the top of Borobudur

OK, back to my Semarang trip after a week being dormant...

The magnificent Borobudur

The thing that causes tourists to flock to the town of Magelang has to be Borobudur and Borobudur along for there is nothing much to do comes night. To be fair, we pretty much relied on our feet to carry us around and when the sun set, so too the lives surrounding the UNESCO Heritage Site. Days and nights cannot be anymore contrasting.

Our dinner

Well, much better for us to rest in our comfortable room early in anticipation of tomorrow’s sunrise tour. We woke up at about 4am and by 4.30am, armed with torchlights, we departed the hotel to ascend to the top of the monument.

Poor quality photo but that's the only shot I took...

I thought it might be a big crowd going up but in truth, it was quite a small gathering, which was much better for us to secure a clear spot for the sunrise. We had quite some times to spare before the sun makes its appearance, so I took this opportunity to tour around for a while, pulling off shutterbug stunt, without leaving my spot unattended.

As the sun rises...

The mountains at the background

Alas, the promised sunrise was nothing but an empty word for the clouds and mist obscured the view. The sun finished its performance without much of a hoo hah. However, even without the nature show, we still have a fine time absorbing the rich history of the complex before the arrival of the crowd.

A serene Buddha

In the old day, pilgrims would begin their pilgrimages in Candi Mendut and reach the half point of Candi Pawon before ascending Borobudur. They would be making circles on each of the terraces, slowly making their ways upward to the top of the stupa. They would be absorbing the teachings of Buddha through the reliefs on the walls.

Me at the top of Borobudur (self-portrait is a must, after all)

Well, for us, it was the opposite way. We began our journeys from the top, slowly making our descent to the ground, taking in the engravings which tell the stories of Buddha. Some of the reliefs are in good conditions while some require attentions from the management. Subtle morality tales, all of them are.

Reliefs

We spent a good few hours admiring the beautifully constructed complex, taking photos of every relief came across our visions. When I'm satisfied with the turnout, we went back to the hotel for our free buffet breakfast. A quick resting in our room before bidding goodbyes to the spiritual haven. More photos after the jump...