End of my travels

The next day I visit the House of flowers and the museum of Yugoslavia.

Google maps, while working fine the past two days, all of a sudden can no longer give me directions that includes public transportation options so I download a bus map to try to figure it out like the “old days”. It’s challenging because the language barrier.

I find my directions to the House of Flowers that includes a walk over a bridge and a walk uphill.

The House of Flowers is the official burial place of the beloved (and sometimes not) Yugoslavian leader Josip Broz Tito. Attached to the mausoleum are wall exhibits of photos of different events of Yugoslavia. It was truly a unique type of socialism in Yugoslavia.

Also nearby is the Museum of Yugoslavia. It is a collection of items related to the time of Yugoslavia. There is supposed to be another museum in the complex but it is closed for renovations. This museum is informative and has information in English but lacks some context for certain events, especially in the last 30 years or so. I guess it’s understandable because there are still things that can’t be discussed because there is not the political will. It’s best to just leave it unknown I guess than stir up anger. It is probably still too soon.

Later I tour the beautiful Serbian Orthodox Church the Church of Saint Sava. The church is magnificently beautiful inside. There is so much gold and bright features.

Lunch today is cevapi. Cevapi is one of my favorite Balkan dishes. The only disappointing thing is that this one doesn’t come with the amazing bread.

I decide it is time for dessert and walk to the Hotel Moskva, a local landmark known for its Russian Art Nouveau style. There is a cafe attached here where they serve their distinct Moskva cake, a cake of almonds cherries and pineapples (Moskva šnit). I enjoy the cake with a coffee and get to people watch for a while.

For the evening I want to go check out the neighborhood of Zemun for dinner. Since I know very little about the neighborhood I choose a restaurant as my destination. Google maps is still not working with the public transportation instructions. I suppose I could take a taxi but I am not familiar with how taxis work in town and I’m not in the mood to try to figure it out tonight so I hang out nearby my hotel instead. It’s almost like google maps is no longer receiving a feed from the Belgrade buses. This is quite disappointing for a solo traveler that tends to be fiercely independent and hates asking for help. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have a better go at it.

In the morning I walk down to Kalmegdan to see the old fortress and get views of the city.

I take a break from the heat and pack my things since I leave early tomorrow morning for my long flight home.

I have one last early evening walk.

I stop at a rakia bar try some different flavored rakija, one specifically thyme flavored. I grab a sampler pack to take home with me tomorrow.

Soon I’m off to bed for my early morning flight.

In the morning I am dropped far away from the airport entrance for some reason. I slowly drag myself to the check in and then start the long journey home. There isn’t a fast and easy route to get from this part of Europe back to the USA. My travels were amazing but I am happy to be home. I don’t yet know what is next for me but I am sure I won’t stay still for long.

More Kuala Lumpur

I was originally going to visit the famous Batu caves temple on Sunday which is a Hindu holiday called Thaipusam. There is a big celebration that starts somewhere in Kuala Lumpur then a parade of people, estimated to be multi-millions of people, walk 13 km to the temple at Batu Caves. There are many things going on and chariots are carried up the colorful stairs. I have anxiety about crowds on a good day but I still feel under the weather. I decide it is a good idea to skip this celebration and visit another day.

Another day

It’s raining. I am supposed to go to Batu but don’t feel good and dont feel like dealing with the rain today. I decide to rest and then make myself do laundry instead. I get dinner and then walk around a bit. I see the lively Jalon Alor as it wakes up. It is supposed to be a great place to go get food at night. Wandering around there is one street I call massage row. As I walk by dozens of ladies ask me if I want a massage. For the first time in a while I don’t. I walk past an area where there is a bunch of bar restaurants. I think about getting a cocktail but I still don’t feel 100% so I forgo and call it an early night.

Batu caves last chance.

I have one last chance to visit the Batu Caves and temple. Luckily I don’t feel as terrible as I had previously. I was going to take the train but the train would take me over an hour and I had to switch lines whereas grab was less than 30 minutes. Grabs being so affordable it was a no brainer. I get there a little after 8 am. The crowds are thin. It is finally not raining but it is humid. I take some pictures out front before I get all sweaty. I ask a lady to help me with a photo, in return she wants to take a photo with me – the weird looking giant (I’m 5’3). I start up the stairs. I am sweating for sure but I am not as tired as I thought I would be. Either the steps are not as bad as I thought they were or my traveling stamina is kicking in. There are monkeys everywhere. They find food where they can. There was a large Hindu celebration two days ago and not much of the mess has been cleaned up; or maybe it has but there is still so much left. The monkeys pick through the garbage to see what meal they can make of it. There are piles of sandals everywhere. There are temples below and two more temples at the top. Chickens roam the place. Once I get inside the top is open like an open air cave. You can hear the birds fly above as well as the chickens below. People walk into the temples to get blessings. Some carry bowls up the stairs which I believe are milk. I think about how crazy crowded this place must have been just a couple days ago.

After my visit I walk to the nearby train station. I am told that the next train isn’t for two hours. This is obviously a commuter rail system and not a regular metro or subway system. There is nothing to do in the area so I don’t want to wait for two hours. I call grab. It is so cheap it again is a no-brainer. I ask to be dropped off at the Islamic Arts Museum. I want some culture … and air conditioning.

The Islamic Arts Museum is a good visit. One exhibit talks about the history of mosque architectures and the differences in the different countries of Islamic peoples. There are good dioramas displayed. There are various old Quran books on display. There are some other books and inventions used by people of Islam. Finally there is a large exhibit dedicated to this one type of sword. Weapons are’t really an interest of mine but I do spend some time here getting educated on it all.

After my visit to the museum I walk by the mosque nearby and other interesting buildings as I head back toward my hotel. There is also a market I walk through.

It’s time to eat so I seek out the other place on my radar to try, Lai Foong LaLa Noodles and their spicy clam soup (LaLa Noodles). It is very good.

In the building that houses that cool bookstore I noticed a weird ice cream shop. Today I am in the mood to try some. I get some cheesy boozy ice cream as dessert.

That pretty much finishes off my visit to Kuala Lumpur. I didn’t see all there is to see but I did a good amount considering I felt pretty bad most of my time here. This is also a good example why I always try to schedule extra down days while I am traveling. You never know when an illness or transportation or whatever is going to take you down. Having padding in the schedule relieves some stress of it all. I need to remember to keep doing it.

Tomorrow I head to Bali where I am spending a couple weeks. I again have a little anxiety about the vaccine entry requirements. The websites say I need to download this app and upload my proof of vaccine ahead of time but the feature to upload the proof has been down for maintenance for over a week. I guess we will see what happens when I get to Bali.

Prambanan Temple

After an amazing morning visit to the Borobudur temple I head over to the Prambanan temple closer to Yogyakarta in the afternoon. It is also a 9th century temple but this one is a Hindu temple. Not as impressive as Borobudur but still a nice temple to visit.

Prambanan is a UNESCO sight that happens to be the largest Hindu complex in Indonesia. Some bricks lay outside the main temple structures that must have been remnants of a 16th century earthquake that destroyed the temples. Restoration efforts started in the early 1900’s and continue to present day. Luckily they have restored a good part of the temples for us now to enjoy.

It is a warm beautiful day at the temples. The crowds are thicker here with school children and seemingly mostly local visitors.

It is at Prambanan temple that I started to realize how popular I am in Indonesia. I stand out pretty much every where I travel (I never do a great job at fitting in) but in Indonesia I really stand out. At places like Prambanan that doesn’t get as many western tourists I am a novelty. I am used to students in south east Asia wanting to speak with me to practice their English – I even welcome it. However in Yogyakarta it proved to be a little inconvenient, especially at these temples. There were so many groups of students and not as many of “me” types so I am constantly being stopped for school projects. Besides the students there are groups of males wanting to take pictures with me. It is flattering only to a degree but then I spent the rest of my visit literally hiding behind temples until the coast is clear to go exploring again. I know it sounds like I am exaggerating but the attention is excessive. Looking back maybe I could have made time for every group of students that wanted to talk with me, maybe not. At least I hope I am a positive representative of an American while I am a guest in the country.

One of the friendly groups of students I chatted with

Walking back to the park entrance I find these fun straw creatures being assembled nearby.

I’m beat after a long day of sightseeing so I head back to my hotel to rest up and get ready for a night food tour I have scheduled. Been a great day so far in Yogyakarta, looking forward to trying to new food.

Sunrise at Borobudur

One of the most popular things to see in Yogyakarta Indonesia is the Borobudur temple. This 9th century UNESCO temple is considered to be the largest Buddhist monument on Earth.

I am going to see it at sunrise.

Borobudur temple sunrise viewing is probably the best sunrise viewing I have ever witnessed.

I almost regretted this 3 am wake up call for sunrise but I am definitely glad I went to see it.

I tried to nap during the car ride to the temple. Everything is still pitch black when I arrive. I arrive at the main building to check in and retrieve a sticker to show I have paid admission. The plan is to head out to the temple to watch the sunrise then head back to the main building for a buffet breakfast.

It is off in the dark with a little flashlight to the temple.

I get up to the top of the temple and soon the sun starts sneaking up the horizon.

I find the dragonflies flying around the temple at sunrise charming. Someone tells me their life span is very short.

I actually had tears in my eyes watching the colors off in the distance against the shadow of the mountains. I have never cried at a sunrise before.

The sun puts light on the temple so gently.

After the sun rises I view the temple in full light.

It gets quiet in areas as the crowd dies down. It really is a peaceful experience.

I descend the temple to walk to the main building get my buffet breakfast. Not memorable but I enjoy the coffee (I am so addicted).

Temple from the bottom looks very different

Video of the experience….very sorry about it being vertical.

After breakfast we head out to another temple. I am definitely going to nap on the way!

Bali Silent Retreat Day 2

We are given a warning gong in the morning to wake up and another to signify the start of meditation in the morning.

It is my first morning at the retreat and I missed the first gong – I must’ve slept through it. I hear the neighbors stirring and I don’t have much time until the second round goes off. I contemplate skipping meditation because it is 40 minutes long and I really don’t know what I’m doing but I go anyway. I never got around to buying yoga pants during my travels and show up in my PJ shorts and T-shirts. My attire seems to work out ok. Meditation is challenging since it has been a long while since I have last attempted meditating. During the class I sit there and pretty much do my own thing and I guess that is fine.

Next is yoga right after the meditation. I think about skipping out on that too but I stuck around. Luckily all the poses I have done before for the most part (Sun salutations, warrior poses). However I am out of shape so the poses are challenging enough. I sweat like a pig. There are no fans and no AC so it’s not the greatest for me. I run back to my room and shower before breakfast.

Breakfast is amazing especially the sourdough bread they provide every day however there is no coffee. How did I not notice that there would be no coffee or caffeine for three days? I’m going to die. I start looking at maps to see if there are any local coffee shops. It appears that there is nothing nearby. There is an optional temple tour coming up today so I table the issue. Maybe I’ll find Coffee near the temple. Except during our temple outing I left my money in the locker in the ashram🙁. It doesn’t matter since there was no where to buy coffee anyway.

We go to a temple where we see them prepare offerings. So much work goes into making little baskets and such.

Batu Karu temple

Temples

I come back from the temple tour and eat all the delicious lunch. I wish I would have taken a picture of the spread but I respected their wishes and kept my phone out of the kitchen.

The rest the afternoon is spent wandering the retreat, resting, writing in the journal and reading.

I read some more in the lodge until it darkens. I walk back to my room and prepare for bed. I hear some noises from around: talking in the distance, kids playing, birds, bugs, and some evil geckos. The water usage from the rooms around me seem to echo loudly in mine but I try to pay it no mind. I fall asleep soon enough.