Yogyakarta, Borobudur Temple, and Taxi Driver Edwin

On Wednesday, we spend a sunny morning at our hotel in Yogyakarta. By chance, we meet a driver there who transports tourists, and we arrange for him to take us by car to Indonesia’s most famous temple, located near Yogyakarta.

The driver’s name is Edwin. When I ask if that’s his real name, he confirms that it is. He explains that since Indonesia was a Dutch colony, Western names like his are quite common. When we tell him that we’re from Estonia (at least most of us are) and that winter temperatures can reach -20°C, he says he loves snow and would also enjoy experiencing -20 degrees—but he has never experienced either. He has never traveled abroad, though he has traveled within Indonesia.

First, however, we ask him to take us somewhere to eat. He brings us to an expensive restaurant aimed at tourists, which features a large collection of birds and animals—unfortunately not kept in the best conditions.

When we arrive at Borobudur—the world’s largest Buddhist temple, built in the 8th century—it begins to thunder. Throughout the entire экскурсион, heavy rain pours down. Experience shows that during the rainy season, it’s quite typical for mornings to be sunny and afternoons to bring rain. We are assigned a local female guide (visiting without a guide is not an option), who says she has been giving tours there for 20 years, though her English is still very difficult to understand. At least I gather that the temple remains an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists today.

On the way back, at our request, Edwin takes us to a smaller ancient Buddhist temple—the 9th-century Mendut Temple. Edwin explains that while Borobudur was visited during major religious holidays, temples like this one were used for daily prayers. Afterward, we visit a nearby active Buddhist monastery. On the way, we pass very aggressive souvenir sellers—unlike any we encountered elsewhere in Indonesia.