The sights, sounds and smells of the developing world.....

K: Every time that I visit a developing country, I am aware of the heightened sights, sounds and smells that surround me. And I have to say that it invigorates me and makes me feel very alive.

First there is the mass of humanity that might seem crazy as cars, vans, bicycles, rickshaws, motor scooters, horse-drawn carriages, pedestrians, and even dogs all vie for road and sidewalk space. Oh, and the traffic doesn't necessarily flow according to any normal traffic rules. There is an incessant honking such that you can't be sure which vehicle or scooter is producing the noise. But somehow it all works. There doesn't seem to be any accidents or any angry motorists. It just flows as it flows.

The various sounds start before daybreak and continue well into the late evening. The sound of the city here is quite different than at home. There is the constant traffic noise and honking of vehicles, and the sounds of people who are out in the streets communicating with one another, selling their wares and just living their day-to-day lives.

And the smells.....the pervasive smell of cooking, all day. In Indonesia it is the local warungs, or food stalls, that line the sidewalks and provide the local population with many of their meals. I keep smelling the sweet sauce of the grilled satays and various local fried delicacies. It all smells so wonderfully delicious if only our western digestive system were strong enough.

In praise of the beer
Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur
Borobudur - the New Buddha!
Borobudur
Borobudur Buddha


V: Wow! Borobudur is simply magnificent! What a wondrous structure of ornate craftsmanship, inspiring engravings, and a place with a palpable 'feel' of serenity, reverence, and antiquity! I've never been anyplace like this, and it truly is fantastic.

I really, really enjoy driving, as Karen knows from our cross-America trek. I have no faith at all in my ability to be able to drive in Indonesia. Absolutely certain that I would mess up the 'flow' that seems to bizarrely work very well here for all the vehicles and contraptions, motor-powered and person-powered, that share the roads. I can never, would never, drive in this country.


Sights: Borobudur - about 40km from Yogyakarta is the world's largest Buddhist temple. Built from 2 million block stones in the 8th century AD, the structure forms a massive stupa. Six square terraces form the base and are topped by three circular terraces. All-in-all, there are more than 500 Buddha images. The reliefs on the walls depict the story of a world dominated by passion, evil and desire, where the good are rewarded by reincarnation as a higher form of life, and the bad by a lowlier reincarnation.

Bites: Jimbaran seafood restaurant. We purchased fresh giant prawns, crab and fish by the pound and ordered it to grill in Indonesian chili or pepper sauce. Washed down with the ubiquitous Bitang, it was delicious.

More restaurants ought to allow you to point to a bin or an aquarium case and pick your specific fish or shellfish and buy it by the pound! Yummy, and grilled to perfection.

Borobudur