We visited Prambanan on the 1st day and Borobudur Temple on the second day!

Prambanan has 3 temples surrounded by the deep green forest and has quiet atmosphere. It made me calm and feel that those temples have special power to heal people. Unfortunately, the biggest temple was under the repair, so we couldn't go inside. However, we really enjoyed spending time here. The heritage itself wasn't the one talking to me but somehing, probably the temples were talking something to me.

Borobudur had great impact and the reliefs of "Life of Buddha" on each star were beautiful which made me want to spend time hours to take a look at them. When we got to the top, it started raining, so we prayed and tried to touch the statue of Buddha in the stupa with holding the umbrella We couldn't miss doing it, because it is known to bring luck. The feeling I had at the World Heritage, Borobudur is unforgettable and something I cannot describe in words. I would like to visit there again!

We went to Malioboro Street for sightseeing. There were many supermarkets, cafes and shops which have reasonable souvenirs. Solo is famous for gorgeous batik and was close from Jogjakarta, so there are many shops for it as well. I bought the ones like a poncho at 3 to 4 shops. I really had a great time in Jogjakarta, because it is not like a tourist area and seems very safe to taravel alone.

My first opportunity to lean about Borobudur was when I was looking for a screen wallpaper. The photos of Borobudur Temple, especially the statue of Buddha in the stupa was very mysterious and caught my interest. Since then, I always wanted to visit and see the real one. When I finally had a chance, Borobudur was must to go. Luckily, the tour in both Bali and Java including Borobudur was available, so booked it right away!

Borobudur was different from a same stone-temple, Hindu Prambanan Temple. The both of them are in the large park area and we can feel the dynamics! I could never forget the feeling I had in the temple. My dream finally came true. They were real! I was amazed to see and touch the stupa. It was the greatest experience I could ever had!!

The guide explained to me that touching the fingers of the statue brings luck, so I did. The statue was in the far center of inside of the stupa, so difficult to touch, but I could do it!! Hope something good will happen!

Each stone relief has meanings and the ones in Borobudur are about the world views of Buddhism. The top level is a space of "World of Nothingness" without any statues, but only the stupas.

The local photographer was there, so I asked him to take a photo of me which became a good memory of the trip. It seemed there were not Japanese tourists except myself, but were many local tourists and students. I wish I could see and enjoy the world of the religion quietly.

So many peddlers who tried to sell souvenirs to the tourists. They were so pushy! Comparing with them, Paddlers at Kuta beach are nothing! A male paddler ran up to me once he found me and ran up to me. The maximum 10 paddlers were around me at the same time to sell me postcards or pencils. The price seemed cheaper than I expected, so it might be fun to ask them some discount and buy something as souvenir. (I actually bought a pencil set with the price around ￥100.)

Another souvenir I bought is a wooden statue with a stupa. There was a stone one as well. The price negotiation was fun and made me feel I was actually on the trip!

I knew this tour could be very special for me but it was much greater than I thought! There were so many things I was amazed of, so really want to recomend anyone who are interested in Borobudur visiting there and see everything with their own eyes!

My first impression of Prambanan was a large green nature park. The temples suddenly came into my sight and overwhelmed me by the solemn apperance!!

The oriental and mysterious stone buildings and statues which have the original views of the world welcomed me. There were the statues of Shiva and Brahama which were familiar to me. Walking at the corridor and looking at inside of the buildings brought me a picture that Hindu people praying. It was surprising how realistic I could feel the history there! Many parts of the buildings were under the repair and the rubbles were on the ground due to the earthquake few years ago.

The guide's explanation was very clear and easy to understand. The trees which grew poison fruits in the park were planted by Dutch to gain locals under the control during the era of Dutch colony. (I forgot a name of the tree.) If there was no such explanations, I would just walked by without any thinking, so it was great to learn some historical facts as well.

Another thing I was looking forward to in the trip was lunch at a hotel, Amanjio. On the way there, I could see the local life such as people doing the laundry and hanging out outside which was impossible to imagine that Amanjio was close from the area.

The hotel was AMAZING!! It was like a palace on the mountain and had a original world which was blocked from outside. The cylindrical restaurant was surrounded by the pond with lotus which had the energy of life. At the entrance, they had a live performance of the traditional music.

Only the sound of the glockenspiel echoed through the restaurant and I had a feeling being a king of the palace. The music was relaxing and still in my head. I am wondering whether the CD is available at the store. From the gardern of the restaurant, I could see the great jungle.

When I was looking at the jungle, I found a tiny figure of Borobudur Temple. The time in the palace was VIP and high class experiences to enjoy the meal more delicious! I couldn't see the hotel room area, but I will wait until I actually stay there！！