Della in Jogja: August 2013

Today is my last full day in Yogyakarta and I don't know where the time has gone. As I'm writing this, it's about quarter to 5pm and I've gone without food and water for 12 hours. All the AUA volunteers have been trying to fast for the day. Our Indonesian buddies have been challenging us to do this since the beginning of the trip. With this day always looming in the back of my mind, I thought there was no way I could do it. I told myself and others I would just break the fast at noon or just drink water and not eat. I didn't think there was any way I could do it, but I think I'm going to make it!

This morning we were woken up at 2:30am after just an hour and a half of sleep. All our Indonesian friends had slept over and we all made our way sleepily to the cars. We drove to a restaurant that serves the pre-fasting meal (sahur). It was such an incredible sight. We were at a restaurant in the absolute middle of the night and it was packed. There was a large buffet with tons of choices, so we all filled our plate for our last meal until sunset. I was sort of odd to eat dinner-type food at 3am, especially spicy dishes.

After eating, we hopped in the car and headed out to the Buddha mountains near Borobudur to catch the sunset. During the hour long drive we listened to the radio and at 4:30am the music was interrupted by Arabic chanting on the radio. It was the warning to stop eating and drinking. I quickly chugged what was left of my water bottle tried to not think about the fact I wouldn't be eating or drinking all day.

Once we arrived at the parking lot at the mountain we were going to hike, we realized the sun was already starting to rise. Panicking a little, Katarina, Enggar and I practically sprinted up the hill towards the top. I think it took us about 15 minutes. Hiking through the darkness, I was breathing heavily the whole way up. In hindsight, this was probably not a good tactic to start my day of fasting. It was worth it though because we definitely made it in time.

I really can't even describe how beautiful it was watching the sunrise from the top of that mountain, and the pictures don't do it justice. The sun rose between two mountains and in the foreground mist covered the valley. Borobudur stuck out of the mist and you could see it very clearly. It was such a great last experience with my Indonesian friends and fellow AUA volunteers. Despite the extremely early hour, it was certainly worth it.

We got back in the car around 7am and made it home by 8am. Everyone promptly fell asleep until 1pm, which definitely made fasting easier. Since then, we've been finding ways to distract ourselves from hunger, thirst, and temptation. It's especially difficult when our cook is making dinner around us and it smells delicious. I have to say, it's not the hunger that's particularly hard, it's really the thirst.

I certainly have a new appreciation for what Muslims can do for an entire month. I can't believe the amount of people who have sat with me without complaint or comment as I drank water or enjoyed lunch. I wish I had that willpower. For now, I'm just proud I made it through one day!