Temple Run

After a quick test drive of my bike and fuel stop last night, I was ready for my first Indonesian road trip and was 60% confident that I wouldn't die. The ride to the first temple was around an hour and a half and I had my ticket booked for 8.30 so I left at 6.30 to give myself some extra time to get there. Thankfully there was a holder for my phone on the handle bars and google maps worked perfectly so I only had to navigate the gizillion bikes and cars on the road but luckily it was a straight enough road with few right turns!

I arrived at Borobudur Temple and struggled to find the entrance but got in eventually. It was a guided tour up through the 9 levels of this Buddhist temple. The guide was extremely friendly and as there was a large Polish group where another person was translating, we were provided with the information slowly and the translator had lots of questions so it was great for learning a little bit more about Buddhism. At the top level are the stupas (bell-like shrines with Buddhas inside) that the temple is famous for and it was cool exploring in and out of them.

Afterwards I escaped up the hills for a mountain view lookout and also visited a paddy field for a drink and a rest from the midday sun.

Next up on the temple safari was Prambanan which was another hour and half ride away. It rained a little on this ride and the big rain drops really feel like hail or bullets hitting you on the bike. My arse was also partially, if not completely numb by the end of the journey; those bikes don't stay comfortable for long!

Prambanan was a little bit more relaxed compared to Borobudur. It's a Hindu temple and it wasn't a guided tour this time so I was free to explore. I got there around four in the evening so that I could enjoy the sunset there. There was a haze around the temple but the sun was shining through in the background so the grounds had an ethereal feeling. There was no spectacular sunset due to the haze, just encroaching darkness which meant it was time to head back to Yogyakarta to get some food and chill before getting my first night train.Read more