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Posts Tagged ‘temple’
From Hotel Surya, our van went uphill to Jalan Raya Penelokan where we were told about the absolutely breathtaking view of Mount Batur and Danau Batur. Mr van driver pulled a stop at one of the look-out point along Jalan Raya Penelokan. Before getting down, Yoga warned us about the persistent handicraft sellers there. He told us only look and bargain for the good if we wanted to buy. Else, ignored them.
So we did. We got down and walked to a very narrow lane built on a cliff, behind a handicraft shop.
And my, the view is indeed beautiful. Again, every one of us can’t believe that we just climbed that mountain few hours ago! It looked so complicated, so untouchable, so unconquerable from afar. Yet, we managed to do so!
One of the night during Chinese New Year, my family and I happened to drop by a temple in Armenian Street. I rarely go praying around in island, so I don’t really know much about the temples there unless it’s the super famous and prominent ones – like Kek Lok Si and Kuan Yin Teng. But somehow fate brought us there that night.
Apparently Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple is famous in giving ‘numbers’!
While dad prayed to the deities in the temples, I took the opportunity to take pictures of the surrounding using my Olympus miu! No, I didn’t bring my DSLR out that day. Lol.
Last CNY, I went to Kek Lok Si twice! Once in the day, once at night!
I went on the hmm.. Can’t remember which day d – the 5th day if not mistaken. It was a sunny afternoon and I was practically sweating nonstop.
There were many people there; all decided to drop by Kek Lok Si during CNY because of the yellow and red lanterns hung all over the temple. Very nicely decorated. Hehe.
This was also when B decided to try tactics he read before long long time ago. He just never got the chance to try it (as he only wants me to be his guinea pig, huuhuu) so that’s part of the visit purposes. Haha.
We then continued our journey to Borobudur. On the way, we stopped at the petrol station for refueling, where the guys were calculating on the price of the petrol in Indonesia after conversion. Haha. Then the van moved.
I looked at the sky, there were dark clouds hovering above the area. I was praying hard for clear sky, so that our visit wouldn’t be in vain. After all, the pictures wouldn’t be nice if were to photographed in rain.
Few minutes later, we reached a small town. We then passed a small candi (temple) where the van driver pointed and said softly, “Candi Mendut” and Daniel being our translator, pointed to us and said aloud “Candi Mendut”.
A minute later, we saw the peak of Borobudur! From afar, we could only see the peak but as our van were driving towards it, it became bigger and bigger until it got out of our sight when the driver took a right turn to the entrance and ticket counter.
The moment we got down, the local armed with rock statues, shirts, souvenirs, keychains, and postcards; surrounded us and kept following us! But after telling them, “no, thank you” or “tak mau” while shaking my head, they got the drill and left me alone.
There are two entrances/ticket counters. The open air ticket counter on the left (which looks shabby) is the entrance for the locals. If not mistaken they only have to pay like 9.000 Rupiah (RM3.30). On the right, there’s this closed up building, with air-cond, and sofas and, water and coffee dispenser. That’s for the foreigners like us. How much we need to pay?
11USD or 120.000 Rupiah. And free small bottles of water – can take as many as one like.
So much of difference right? I know, but it’s bearable because after conversion it’s RM44~45. That’ll be the 5th interesting fact I found in the trip.
And we got a guide for 75.000 Rupiah (RM27). His name is Lambang. 
Lambang is a rather quiet guy, only spoke when he needs to explain about the temple. But once he got used to our presence, he joked with us nonstop.
From the ticket counter, we’ll need to walk about 10 minutes to get to the temple. The walk was a pleasant one, while the guys kept snapping and videotaking along the way and the girls talking and listening to the guide at the same time. Haha.
When the temple is considerably quite near to us (where the whole temple can be captured with our camera, all of us automatically stopped walking and snapped! Then Lambang said, “come, I show you a better place to take picture”, with his hands doing the photo shoot gesture.
Woohoo! Today is a public holiday, many thanks to Phophet Muhammad! It’s his birthday today! Though I’m not celebrating his birthday, but I’m glad that with this holiday, I’m able to be at home resting, spending time with my family and updating blog!
Last year I wrote about the carved riverbed and Cambodian food at Borey Sovann Restaurant. Today I’m gonna cover 3 temples – Banteay Srei, Banteay Samre and Prasat Kravan. So this post is gonna be lengthy again. Or should I make it short and break this post into two? Oh well, let’s the flow decides the length.
Prasat Banteay Srei is located about 15 minutes from Kbal Spean; was built in honor of female deities – therefore the name “Citadel of Women”. This temple representing strength, unity, and safety and was told by Siya that the whole temples was carved by ladies!
