The End of Week One

Today the whole AUA group had our first of two planned excursions! In the morning we visited the Prambanan temple compounds. The temples were originally built in the 10th century and the compound is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located only 45 minutes outside of Jogja, it was such an amazing experience visiting a site with such a rich history! As Indonesia is located in the "ring of fire," these temples have seen it all. They have been built, destroyed, re-built, and restored countless times due to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other natural disasters. There are supposed to be 508 temples in the whole complex, but most are in ruins at this point. UNESCO is trying to rebuild all the temples in the coming years. We walked around for about 2 hours with a tour guide and got some great photos! 

The largest temple in the center of the complex dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. 

The inside of the temple dedicated to Vishnu. 

Some of the ruins of the smaller temples 

Me standing on the temple dedicated to Brahma, with the Shiva temple in the background. 

Some of the intricate carvings on the temples. 

 After we finished up at Prambanan, we had a delicious lunch and headed to our next activity. We drove another hour outside the city to a farm where they conduct social/cultural activities. There we rode on the back of a motorcycle-wagon, braided coconut leaves, played traditional instruments, planted rice, cultivated a rice field by riding an ox, and hiked around the area. We even had the option of catching ducks by grabbing them by the neck, but we opted out. It was a jammed-packed afternoon, but we all had a blast! It was so great to spend some time outside the city and experience the rural life in Indonesia.

Our artwork made from coconut leaves. 

Riding in the back of a motorcycle drawn wagon. 

Cultivating rice fields with an ox

Planting rice! The mud was so disgusting and squishy. 

On our hike we stopped at a river that carries lava from the volcano after an explosion. The river bed is entirely made of volcanic ash! 

Today was certainly exhausting, but unforgettable! I can't wait to see what my second week in Indonesia brings!!