With the first theme of our trip, biking, thoroughly played out, we were ready for theme 2 - a visit to ancient temples on the island of Java. Our destination was the city of Yogyakarta in the south central part of the island. "Jogya" is a rapidly growing, bustling university city. The main evidence of these two characteristics is the prevalence of young people, who seem to be mostly on scooters, and the snarled traffic, especially around the airport. Interesting forms of transport included pedi-cabs, motor bike cabs, and horse-drawn carriages. We rode all three forms as well as city buses.
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| A human-powered kiddy ride |
Our first cultural event on Java was a performance of the Ramayana Ballet. During the summer, the performance is held in front of the floodlit Prambanan Temple, but during the rainy season the show is moved inside. The story involves the adventures of Prince Rama, who is an incarnation of Vishnu, as he hunts a golden deer and then rescues his fiance, Sita, who was abducted by an evil king. The performance involved dancing to the accompaniment of a gamelan orchestra. All of the actors and dancers were in very colorful costumes. Here are a few scenes.
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