This post was originally from February 12, 2025

On Monday we set off early to catch the train from Bandung to Yogyakarta. The train ride was almost 8 hours long, but the time flew by as the train was both comfortable and gave us the most breathtaking views. Passing through the countryside, we were able to see endless rice paddies, gorgeous mountains and meandering rivers. All of this in the brightest green hues that truly took your breath away! 

Yogyakarta is known as the cradle of civilization on Java. It’s interesting because Indonesia was once controlled under an imperial power by many kingdoms for hundreds of years before the Dutch colonized them. When Indonesia finally regained their independence in 1945, the President replaced all the kingdoms in Indonesia with its own government. They did however maintain two kingdoms that remain today – one being in Yogyakarta. The reason they kept this kingdom was because it was so massive and helped them win their independence against the Dutch. 

Monday night a bunch of us took an Indonesian style tuk tuk (basically a two seated carriage that sits in front of a motorbike) around the city and to watch the Ramayana Prambanan ballet. Basically it’s a show that combines dance and drama without dialogue. It’s based on the Hindu Ramayana story, but adapted to the Javanese culture. Before the performance, we were taken backstage where we could meet some of the dancers. It was kind of funny because after meeting them, the only way to get to our seats was by coming from behind the curtains on stage. Performers were literally playing instruments and a lady was singing, people were in the audience waiting and out from behind the curtains we appeared! 

The show itself was probably an hour and a half, although if I was the artist director I could have probably cut it down to 45 minutes. At one stage they set off fire crackers and that certainly woke me up. All joking aside, the dancers movements were beautiful, but I couldn’t understand which monkeys were good and which were evil. I must have had a look of slight confusion the whole time except during the parts that I closed my eyes for a quick power nap. Give a girl some slack and let’s chalk it up to jet lag!!!

Before jumping on our rickshaw I decided to duck into the washroom. There was a tiny step going in and the next thing I knew my ankle went CRUNCH and I went head first into the toilet. Yep! She’s done it again folks!!! I sprained my ankle!!!! It wasn’t the one I destroyed in Brazil so I was just evening things out with the left one!!

Although swollen and bruised, I can still walk/hobble so the adventure continues!!

Yesterday there was no rest for the weary as we had a full day of exploring. For the first part of the day we visited different sites within Yogyakarta. Our first stop was a place where they make batik art on fabric – a process in which they use hot wax to make designs. The finished pieces are absolutely stunning. If we had more wall space, I would have definitely brought one back.

By tuk tuk we then went to the Sultan’s Palace. It serves as the official residence of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta and his royal court. This sprawling complex showcases traditional Javanese architecture and design, with intricate carvings, elegant pavilions, and lush gardens. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed into their living quarters (for obvious reasons) but it was still cool to see the areas that we did.

And lastly, we visited the Sultan’s Water Castle. It was built in 1758 by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I, as a rest house and pleasure park for the Royal family. (A pleasure park is a nice way of saying a sex house/harem!)

After lunch and a bit of a reprieve from the tropical heat we got to go to one of my bucket list stops of this trip – the Prambanan Hindu Temple which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surrounded by the Merapi Volcano, the Prambanan Temple is a complex that once consisted of 1000 temples that were built in the 9th century AD. The temples have collapsed over the years due to earthquake, volcanic eruption and shifting political power but they were rediscovered in the 17th century. 

According to history, Rakai Pikatan, a Hindu prince from Sanjaya Dynasty, who had married into the ruling Buddhist Sailendra monarchy built all the temples and dedicated them to the Trimurti, the expression of God as the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu) and the Destroyer (Shiva). In its original form the temple complex contained over 250 large and small temples. The temple compound was expanded by successive Mataram kings and it served as the royal temple of the Kingdom of Mataram for its religious ceremonies and sacrifices. In the 10th century the temple was mostly abandoned because the Mataram Dynasty moved to East Java.

All the original pieces remain on the grounds and restoration has been in constant progress since 1918. It takes about two years to restore 1 temple by finding the interlocking stones as well as using modern methods like adding concrete to strengthen the temple structure. We were able to climb into many of the temples where inside each one housed different statues of Hindu Gods. Pictures certainly don’t do this place justice. Not only were the temples massive, but they were also intricately carved with stories that depict the Ramayana. This incredible sacred site definitely stole my heart and gave me a sense of peace and grounding that I will carry with me. 

One thing that has been quite comical since our arrival is how often locals ask to take photos with us. Our local guide has told us, that they look at foreigners like celebrities and will often have photos of random people on their walls. This photo was a group of high school kids and the photo started when just a couple asked to take a photo with us, but then it quickly turned into dozens!