Saturday, June 28, 2014

Excitement in Bali...Snorkeling attempt in rough seas

We are a pretty adventurous group.

When snorkeling was mention as an option at AmanKila, we have a number of takers

Here is the video of the attempt to reach the snorkeling boat.

Click to start.


A Movie of the Indonesian Dances in Borobudur

A unique evening in Borobudur


A Privare evening at the Amanjiwa with Indonesian dances

We are treated to a great evening in Amanjiwa..

While the Rain God decide to show their amazing control of mother nature, we are in for a unique treat local cuisines with a local orchestra and fantastic local costumed dances,








A Sunrise visit to the Borobudur Temple

Borobudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside a perforated stupa. It is the world’s largest Buddhist temple,as well as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.
Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple was designed in Javanese Buddhist architecture, which blends the Indonesian indigenous cult of ancestor worship and the Buddhist concept of attaining Nirvana. The temple also demonstrates the influences of Gupta art that reflects India's influence on the region, yet there are enough indigenous scenes and elements incorporated to make Borobudur uniquely Indonesian.The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology: Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades. Borobudur has the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and abandoned following the 14th-century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam.Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year, Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.






















Our home in Borobudur, the AmanJiwo, a unique place







your hosts with a little Indian indication











I do believe they have nice bathroom...may be Bill moved to the Motel 6 next door!!



Jimmy contributing to Whatsapp!!




Our Flight from Singapore to Borobudur, Indonesia ( Solo Airport)

After a refreshing stop in Singapore, it is time to move on and cross the Equator enroute to Solo, the getaway airport for Borobudur, the most visited monument of Indonesia.

We have a new crew member with us in the Mustang, Arlette.




It is amazing at our attitude to be pass by airliners a 1000 feet above us...Very happy that the RVSM instrumentation does keep us at the correct altitude.



Avery nicely upgraded airplane



The Indonesian ground handler are doing an amazing and speedy handling on the ground, no wait




Refueling is a family business



And yes we did cross the equator on the way down to Indonesia. We have many photos showing the 00 00 00





The funny thing is that we did not cross at the same point.







and do you know what pilot do, when they have internet access:


Amazing also the toy we have on our Iphone

Here are the Flight Tracker showing the last 2 planes approaching the airport