Love Story at Prambanan

Hello blog friends….

 I hope you all are doing well. This time I’m gonna share about my experience visiting a  tourist destination especially  in Yogyakarta.  I travelled some places in Jogja last year actually, but I think it’s okay to be shared now as it is wonderful and full of historical stories. I was kinda busy (read:lazy)  that time due to job training, plus I should finish my Final Report as soon as possible. I was on the job training when in Jogja for a month. I had free time on weekend so it gave me advantages to explore some places that I have never been to.

Saturday, February 10, 2018

I had an appointment first with my friend who was on the job training at Prambanan Temple to meet there and be my tour guide hehe… I went to Prambanan with a friend of mine by bus around at one o’clock in the afternoon. The ticket’s price was cheap, not more than Rp 10,000 and because it’s a short trip, so  I didn’t prepare any certain stuff, just brought a little backpack. My friend and I waited the bus at Taman Pintar Halte. I didn’t remember the route of the way. It was quite long as Prambanan is far from the city center of Jogja, but it’s okay. We enjoyed the beautiful view of Jogja city from inside the bus.

After an hour taking the bus, we finally arrived at the last halte. The name was Prambanan Halte if I am not mistaken (sorry I’m forgetting now). The halte is across the street near Prambanan Temple. We just need to walk, but it is a highway with so many vehicles passing thus we should be carefull to get crossed the road. I was so exited the first time I saw Prambanan Temple directly. It is such a big temple woow… My friend and I continued walking through entrance gate. Walked walked walked again, and we saw my another friend (the tour guide trainee J ). We bought the tickets for two. I don’t remember how much cost it was exactly, but for local tourist around less than Rp 50.000 and it’s cheaper than international tourist ticket’s price.

“Yeaayy…. Prambanan, finally I met you for the first time”. I was mumbling along the way lol. My first impression was WOW! I couldn’t believe my ancestors have built this. How great they are! I have a short history about Prambanan based on my limited knowledge that I got in History Lesson during Elementary School-Senior High School.  I was not great in history lesson actually (okay who cares anyway) so I’m really  sorry if there’s any mistake.

Candi Prambanan  or Prambanan Temple is a Hindu temple which was built around in the middle of 9^th century, dedicated to Rara Jonggrang. It is the biggest Hindu temple in Indonesia. Supposedly, there was a guy named Bandung Bandawasa who fell in love with Rara Jonggrang. He wanted to marry her, but Rara Jonggrang didn’t love him so she asked him one requisite. Rara asked Bandawasa to build her one thousand temples in one night. If he could build it, he could marry her. Bandung Bandawasa dealed with it and he asked for help to his friends which is genie or astral creature. You know what I mean? He made it with helping of group of genie. When they almost finished, Roro Jonggrang stopped it. She made noisy sound by hit a mortar (lesung) as if it would be morning. It made the genie run away. Bandawasa knew that Rara was cheating and he got wrath on her. He was mad. He curse Rara Jonggrang become an archa and be the last archa from one thousand temple. In the end, Bandung Bandawasa succeed, but he can’t never marry to Rara Jonggrang. That myth is still exist until now. It’s such a wonderful story isn’t it? A story about unrequited love.

- My friend  captured this one of beautiful Prambanan Temple-

-Me trying to pose "ala-ala"-

                                            

Back to my story. I enjoyed the beautiful view of the temple, went around and take pictures. I didn’t feel tired tho as I was having fun. The weather was so hot, the sun’s shining bright and the wind blew fast as well, but don’t worry my friend brought an umbrella hihi… I came into the themple where Rara Jonggrang archa is. I was amazed and I bet she must be a very beautiful woman. Anyway, I was a “Bule Hunter” actually. (Bule: a calling for foreign tourist in bahasa Indonesia). I was very excited when I found bule. I wanted to talk with them, practicing my english speaking and taking picture together. I loved collecting pictures with bule that I met. It might sounds silly or weird, but I was haha. That time, I decided not to search any bule because  I just wanted to enjoy my trip. Fortunately, there was a bule came up to me and asked me a help to take his picture in front of one of the temples. It’s a chance. I took this chance to practice my english speaking skill and  take picture together off course. My friend wanted to, so yaa say “cheese”.

- Om bule with his nieces lol :D -

We continued our way to another temple still in Prambanan area. There is Candi Sewu or Sewu Temple (a thousand temples). Different with Prambanan Temple, Sewu Temple is Budhis Temple. Its architecture similar with Borobudur Temple (another Budhis Temple in Magelang, Central Java), but it smaller in size. We didn’t take a walk as it would take many times, so we went there by a transportation kind of small train and the ticket was Rp 10.000/person. The temple is beautiful too. When I stepped in, I felt like I was back in the era of my ancestor lived. I could imagine people wearing traditional attire passing by. It’s like I’m watching a movie, but I can feel as if it’s real. Do you understand? Am I confusing? Hmmm

- dreamy for future-

- that blue sky background is so beautiful-

- Magestic Sewu Temple and two girls with absurd pose :p -

We stayed there until afternoon. We had so much fun, took many pictures, some with weird poses and happy. The atmosphere in the afternoon is calm and quiet, not so many people. We enjoyed it. Anyway, we went back to Prambanan on foot. Walked walked walked again. It’s quite long and made me feel tired. We passed a market that sell many souvenir and food. Oww…. the food made me hungry. They look so delicious. I really wanted to buy the miniature of Prambanan Temple tho, but we didn’t stop as it was getting darker. The sun is going to set and we were afraid to lost the last bus. Luckily, we still had time, so we decided to stop at “Warung Angkringan” (kind of hole in the wall). After that, my friend and I went back to the boarding house. The tour guide friend went to her boarding house as well. We got trapped on the way back at Jl.Malioboro. There were so many people and so crowded as usual. We stopped at one of the halte in Malioboro. After that, we still had to take a wallk to the boarding house. Yeahh… we arrived finally. It was such a wonderful experience for me. Are you agree? Do you think so? If don’t, pack your stuff and gooooo…..

- Do you think it kinda similar with Angkor Wat in Cambodia? -