Merapi Sunrise

20 August 2010 Waking at 3:30am, we were greeted with hot coffee and ready to head out on a short trek to view Gunung Merapi at dawn. In the past, this volcano was climbed on a regular basis but a handful of minor and major eruptions since the early 1990’s now make climbing more difficult, and actually illegal in some cases. As we finished our...

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Borobudur-Not your everyday temple.

19-August-2010 Borobudur is not your ordinary, everyday temple. It is undoubtedly one of Buddhism’s most spectacular monuments, and is one Asia’s premier cultural attractions. Borobudur easily could be considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It makes our list so far.Borobudur sits on a broad, verdant plain surrounded by rice paddies...

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Finally, Some Culture! Prambanan and The Ramayana Ballet!

17 August 2010 We were excited to visit our first temple of the trip, and as we approached Prambanan in the outskirts of Yogyakarta we strained our necks to catch a glimpse of the tallest temple in Indonesia. In the hours that followed we strolled between and into the large and small and ruined temples taking in the intricate carvings and the serene...

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An Indonesian Welcome in Yogyakarta

17-August- 2010 Becak? Becak? You need taxi? Where you from? What’s your name? Special deal, sir? Welcome to Yogyakarta, (pronounced Jogjakarta, Jogja for short), island of Java, Indonesia. Saying Yogyakarta is a lively place would be a broad understatement. The city is teeming with people, and all forms of transportation are omnipresent....

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Farewell to you, Malaysia

15-Aug- 2010 “Goodbye my lover, Goodbye my friend.” With guitars in hand this is what the happy staff at Uncle Tan’s sang to us as we boarded our boat and headed downstream along the Kinabatangan River. Needless to say, we enjoyed our time in Malaysia immensely. With a few exceptions, getting from place to place is efficient, and food and accommodation...

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