Round Java Island -- Day 4 ( part 1 )

We have three main items in our itinerary for today ie: Borobudur, Candi Prampanan and Kraton, ( the Sultan's palace ) around the city of Jogyakarta.


Borobudur, sacred Buddhist temple, the largest in Indonesia, is one of the monuments to civilization in our world today, which still magnificently endures.

永垂不朽的婆罗浮屠，印尼最大最著名的佛教圣地,今天三大行程之一。

It's 4.30am, we walked from our hotel, through a park, to the famed Buddhist monument Borobudur, a Unesco heritage site. Accordingly to our guide, it has been raining for the past few days, not sure if we could see the sunrise today. We were equipped with umbrella and torch light.

为了要看日出，彻夜未得安眠，唯恐误了时间。据向导说前几天清晨都在下雨，今天运气如何？
凌晨四点半已摸黑出发。带备电筒和雨伞。

We were really blessed, not a single drizzle this morning at dawn.

天即破晓，菩萨加持，虽有云层，却滴雨未下。

No word should spoil this sanctity.
此时无声胜有声。

Feel this.....
感受这一刻的肃静与庄严。

....from the Almighty creator...
伟大的造物者。

Silence is golden.

问佛，佛不语
俯眼视众生

And there is only one ' Sun ' ( or One Malaysia? )

一日照大地
人间处处有光明

A peaceful, serene atmostphere.
屏息，无声的震撼力如排山倒海似得冲击心灵深处。

Located about 40km away from town, we can see the devastating traces of Mount Merapi's eruption in Oct 2010.

远眺2010年爆发的火山。

Reaching nine terrace tall, the view of the rolling valleys below makes it worth every moment trekking up the stairs in this early morning.

如此美景，吾不虚此行。

缝隙中并发出的光芒四射。

From the upper terrace of Borobudur, nature with its gently blowing wind opened the windows of our heart.
从高处望下，心旷神怡。

At sunrise, when the morning dew enveloped the villages surrounding Borobudur, the serenity of the night still lingered.
晨曦下， 山峦从林重重叠叠，夜雾依稀流连。

佛曰：吾不欲观也。
One of the statues inside a small stupa that is intentionally opened.

It's 6.00am now, the monument is opened to general public. Visitors are slowly coming in.
虽是清晨，游客已陆陆续续进来。

The relief on the temple's alley.
走廊上的浮雕，刻画佛陀的生平。

After the 2010 explosion, the temple was covered in nearly 10cm of ash. If the ash isn't removed, it could potentially damage the relics while the rain will spread the ash in crevices which in turn cracks or loosen the bricks. It was closed for almost a month while the ash was removed. On this board shows how the cleaning-up job was done.
述说火山爆发后的修复工作。

Walls and passages covered with intricate reliefs, concavities containing statues of Buddha.

走廊一隅。以浮雕装饰的出水口。

Jaladwara ornaments at every corner of Borobudur, function as water spouts.

依然得面对火山爆发的隐忧。

The volcano can erupt anytime.

鱼鳞般的云彩与层层的浮雕，相映成趣。

像万圣节的南瓜。
Like Halloween's pumpkin.

View from a distance.

A model showing Borobudur from bird's view.

Built between the seventh and eighth century, Borobudur is a sacred Buddhist edifice. Its actual shape is not that of a temple, but of a stupa constructed on top of a storied shrine.

婆罗浮屠模型。六层方，三层圆，合九层高的建筑，与北京天坛天圆地方同工异曲。

牧童。

7.00am -- Breakfast at hotel after the magnificence sunrise of Borobudur.
恍如隔世，回到人间，不过才早上七点。享用美味早点。