After a very tiny island we headed to a much bigger one: Java. This is the main island of Indonesia with the capital Jakarta situated in the west end of the island. We didn't visit the capital, though. In stead we went to Yogyakarta - the historic capital of Indonesia. On our way there we say an incredibly beautiful sunrise from above the clouds.
We weren't entirely sure if we'd be able to go to Yogyakarta after all since it's located only 30 km from the Merapi volcano, that had been erupting for a few weeks. But while we were there, the volcano (sadly) stayed quiet
Here we visited the sultan's old palace, some markets and gazed at all the street art that can be found in the city.
Since there's not that many western tourists coming here, the locals also like to come and practise their English with you and take photos. This much attention we haven't had since Vietnam.
Our main purpose for visiting Yogyakarta was, however, the nearby temple of Borobudur. Borobudur is the biggest Buddhist temple in the world and built in the 9th century. To reach the top, you are supposed to circle around the temple one level at a time for 5 km with all the walls filled with amazing stone carvings and statues. Viewed from above, this temple resembles a mandala.
The day we arrived to Borobudur was Vesak or Buddha Day and there were thousands of Buddhists celebrating it in the temple. Thousands of lanterns were released in the night which was a beautiful sight.
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