Wonders

Grandad and Nana Came to Indonesia!!

This was no small undertaking. After 48 hours of travel, including two twelve-hour layovers, they arrived safely in Jakarta. Considering this was their first overseas experience, I wasn't sure how they'd do. 

But they were tough, adventurous, and we had so much fun with them.

 

 The Ambassador's house at Merisole was our first stop. I love this picture of Nana and CJ playing their own version of outdoor ping pong. In addition to ping pong, we played badminton, croquet, and tag. And we enjoyed hikes, walks, and runs in the clean air.

We toured the gardens. 

 

CJ fell in the river (the slime factor was pretty gross). Leasie looks like she's going to throwup, but if you look closely, O is laughing pretty hard.

As always, Taman Safari was a hit! I love the screams and giggles as animals entered our car window.

  

 

 We also did a whirlwind 24 hour trip to Yogyakarta. It was an hour flight from Jakarta to central Java. This was the first time I had been there.

We toured the Water Castle which was a swimming area in the 1700s for the previous Indonesian Sultan and his 35 wives. While it was calm and serene during our tour, the guide informed us that it was quite a frolicking place when in use.

 Here, Nana looks on as a woman applies wax in the traditional Batik method of dyeing fabric.

 

 My favorite stops were to the two temples. Prambanan is a Hindu temple. 

 The reliefs depict Hindu teachings and stories.

 

The next morning we walked from the hotel to the Borobudur Buddist temple. From a distance, the temple appeared to be a small city, clustered on a hilltop. But the entire, colossal structure is man-made. 

There definitely was an "awe" factor here. The jungle. The morning mist. The scale. Even the gaggle of school kids could not lessen the feeling of peace and ancient beauty.

 Some lists include Borobudur as a wonder of the world. It certainly is one of the most amazing structures I've seen. Built in the 9th century, the temple is constructed of black volcanic stone forming four levels. Each level contains a perimeter walkway surrounded by stone carvings. 

We climbed the stone stairs to the top and were rewarded with a 360 degree view of the mountains and countryside.  

 

 I am so grateful to have shared these "Wonders" with Nana and Grandad!