7. Feb
The next morning we went on a trip to the famous Borobodur, one of the oldest and biggest Buddhist Temples in the world and a small world miracle by itself. The trip started at 5 in the morning and after we spent a couple of hours at the temple, we were back at 10 – in time for second breakfast.
The Borobudur is one giant block and was built on the base of an unfinished Hindu temple of an even earlier civilisation. It is one big symmetrical complex of different levels. It was inspired by the cone shaped volacano Mount Merapi, which towers and smoked in the distance. The mountain connects Earth with Nirwana and the Borobodur symbols this as well. For this each level of Borobodur has engravings on the inner and outer walls. On the first level the engravings display a very earthly life and with each higher level the motives become more spiritual. The idea is to follow the engravings around the temple instead of climbing straight to the top. By doing so you follow the story of enlightenment, which you reach once you arrive at the top.
Just from the building itself, we actually found the Prambanan temple complex more impressive than the Borobodur. Borobodur is a massive block of stone while Prambanan consitsts of several cone shaped temples. To summarize it, a small model of Borobodur as a souvenir does not look good, a small model of a Prambanan temple does. 
Nevertheless the landscape around Borobodur is much more amazing: wild mountains and endless palm tree forests compared to a small groomed and touristy park at Prambanan. Furthermore Prambanan’s main stupa was just in a renovation process, they fenced the temple complex and they built an atmosphere disturbing podest with green stairs in front of it (you can see at the first picture of Prambanan in the Prambanan entry).
So we definately took much better pictures at Borobodur. Please enjoy them in the following slide show:
Diese Diashow benötigt JavaScript.
And now the pictures in bigger:
Welcome to Borobodur
Sunrise at Borobodur
Sunrise at Borobodur
A new day begins at Borobodur
Buddha watching the gorgeous landscape
Each of the 72 (!) stupas contains a Buddha
Jasper in front of stupas
Whereever you are at the temple, a Buddha is watching (over) you
Buddha watching Jasper watching Buddha
Borobodur contains 5km (!) of engravings
View from Borobodur
Mount Merapi, the inspiration for Borobodur
Peaceful Buddha
Borobodur in full light
Mount Merapi
A lot of students at Borobodur (luckily only some wanted a picture with us)
Borobodur from the edge
Jasper (small) and Borobodur (giant)
Top of Borobodur
Borobodur from a distance
Jasper at Borobodur
Tags: Borobodur, Borobodur vs. Prambanan, Mount Merapi, Prambanan
