Indonesia - Borobudur, the Second Round

OK, back to recounting my Yogyakarta trip. Where did I stop last time? Oh, yea, we were still in Dieng Plateau, exploring Telaga Warna and Kawah Sikidang before rain cut short of our visit, forcing us to proceed to Magelang where we will be staying for the night.

It was another 4 hours of long drive from Dieng Plateau to Magelang and by the time we reached Manohara Hotel, we were practically spent. We had been travelling for close to 9 hours since arriving Semarang and in need of a good shower and dinner. 

It was the second time for me and my roommate, staying in Manohara Hotel. The reason why we chose back this spot was that it was really good and worth every penny. Plus, the close proximity to Borobudur doesn't hurt as well. However, the room we got this time around wasn't as spacious as the one last time. After dinner, we retreated back to our room and called it a night. It had been a long day, after all.

Love the serenity Manohara Hotel offers

The next day, we woke up early for Borobudur. Guests of Manohara Hotel can enter the UNESCO World Heritage Site for free as the entrance fee is already included in the accommodation. The day was rather misty, giving the temple a mystical appearance. 

Borobudur temple

Even though it was my second visit, I still find Borobudur ever enchanting. I was actually tempted to take the sunrise package offered by the hotel again given the fact that we didn't manage to catch it last time. However, due to limited budget, I have to scratch that off. 

My fellow uni-mates

It was still early when we were there so we practically have the site to ourselves. This is a good opportunity to capture the temple untainted by people. 

Few of the many shots I took that day

Before long, the temple was crowded with locals and students alike. I find the Indonesian students very friendly. There was a bunch of them actually following my friends around, wanting to take photos with them. The scene was like some celebrities tending to their rabid fans.

These Indonesian students are really funny

Us with Borobudur

When we finished exploring the temple, we decided to go back to the hotel and have our complimentary breakfast. After that, we have to begin another journey, this time to Yogyakarta.

We took the horse cart to the bus station for our bus to Yogyakarta

*TO BE CONTINUED*