Borobudur

My first trip to Java and to some places that I love saying the names of - Yogyakarta & Borobudur. Despite being a fairly major Buddhist site - the world's largest Buddhist temple in fact - the town felt fairly untouched by mass tourism. It could be in fact that mass foreign tourism has not entirely overwhelmed Borobudur outside the immediate surrounds of the temple itself.

Our hotel was in a small village in the hills above Borobudur.  Sitting with books, watching the afternoon thunderstorms roll in and then the mists hide and expose Mt Merapi was a fantastic way to unwind from Amanda's ridiculous travel schedule and my enjoyable period at work.

Mt Merapi just visible behind the mists

Borobudur stupa

 Borobudur at around 5:00am

 Borobudur a little bit later

 And a bit later than that

 ......

 graffiti wall

 Green vine snake at the breakfast table

Larry David's admirable attitude to spending time on the unimportant

Inappropriate

I will need to check if Zoli was inappropriate. I know Dad can be inappropriate. Amanda tells me I am often inappropriate - she is clearly getting confused with funny.

credit to Kali for the image

Otters

I was very excited to see a family of otters resting on the jetty when heading out for a row today. I am not sure which species it was however the family of around 6-8 were fairly relaxed. In a number of trips around SEA I have been hoping to see otters and the last place I expected it was a man-made reservoir in a Singaporean industrial suburb.

Get it India