Mendut Buddhist Monastery

Mendut Buddhist Monastery

Beautifully manicured lawns with lush foliage of trees and flowers, the bell-shaped marble stupas lining along a square pond and the clean terrazzo paths evoked a sense of serenity even to the most indifferent mortals. I had read that you were to have a monk accompany you through the monastery, but no one stopped us as we wandered around in respectful silence and awe.

Mendut Buddhist Monastery

After walking along the exquisite square ponds, and after a number of steps, you will arrive at a large prayer hall where a colossal Buddha statue made of gold in lotus position.

storage of rice in a house in Borobudur

This is where all the rice is stored after harvest. I'm not sure where it goes after that. It's just an open room beside the kitchen. It reminded me of a sandbox in a playground, rather than the staple of the people's diet.

Ceiling and roof one in the same in Borobudur

This is the only light that is in the kitchen of this house. There is electricity in the front room, but none here.

Dwelling in Borobudur

At outskirts of the village was a house that Dino's driver knew the occupants. For a small sum, they allowed us to tour the house. This dwelling is about 200 years old. This is the kitchen, with the fire below the clay mound where the pots and pans were. To the left is the "sink" which is nothing but a huge tub that they fill with water. Two elderly people live here, their children are grown and have moved to the "big city" of Jakarta.

Dino the wonder horse

After the sunrise visit to Borobudur, we hired Dino and his driver (we never did find out the driver's name). We took the horse and buggy around the small village of Borobudur. It was the day of legislative elections, so many things were closed. But it made for a peaceful, quiet journey to the edges of the village.