Borobudur

I've long heard back anything from me (read) can. This is simply because I am all the time in Jakarta and I can think of nothing more slowly, could write about. But now there's something again. I was at the beginning of the week in Yogyakarta (Jogjakarta or Djogdjakarta or all of these spellings are correct). Jogja is considered the cultural center of Java. It is an Indonesian special region with some autonomy, similar to Ace. The difference is that in Jogja have to say, not as fundamentalist Muslims in the Ace. Jogja is the only remaining "official" sultanate in Indonesia. Although there are several other sultans, but who have no political power. In Jogja, but the Sultan is also the governor. It is therefore an hereditary monarchy.

But it was not the Sultan, who has moved me to the trip. Rather, I wanted to look at the great temple there, which are among the largest in the world and a World Heritage Site. One is Borobudur , probably the best known. There is a large stepped pyramid, and is one of the largest Buddhist temple in the world. The whole thing is about 1,200 years old and the very existence was not known for many years. About 1000 years before the whole was probably buried in a large outbreak of the Merapi-level and only rediscovered in 1814. Since then he has been restored several times.

The second large temple complex is Prambanan . It is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. Unfortunately there is not so much to see, as in Borobudur, as this investment has been severely damaged since an earthquake in 2006. It's all full of debris and most of the plant may still not be entered.

Also, I've even looked at the palace of the sultan. The city itself also differs quite significantly from Jakarta (as in fact the entire country). Everything here is much more traditional. The city is cleaner, less chaotic. There is no "skyscrapers", as in Jakarta and much less foreigners. Here, as I said the cultural center of Java. Among other things, is here, along with Solo , the center of the batik industry.

That said, earlier this week. Now I'm at the airport waiting for my flight back to Berlin. From there it will go in a few days, but the matter now. Where will not reveal yet, but it's a place where I had not before.