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The minivan picked us up at 5am and our group included 11 very tired looking people. As we drove out of town I saw a striking sight, against the pink dawn sky the volcano Gunung Merapi was silhouetted in the distance. From its mouth a steady stream of smoke curled upwards. I wish I could have captured that very Indonesian moment in picture, but I don’t think I could have done it justice.
After a 90 minute drive we reached Borobudur. Both it and Prambanan’s temples were declared World Heritage Sites in 1991. This means Western admission fees, about $8-10 payable in US dollars or rupiah for foreign visitors, and 1/10th that for domestic. That being said, the places are well maintained. The temple at Borobudur was built between 750 and 850 AD. It’s thought to be made of more than 2,000 rocks, some decorated with very intricate bas-relief, and the entire structure is in the shape of a giant stupa. With the decline in Buddhism, this place was abandoned and fell into disrepair. The Dutch during their administration attempted repairs, but it finally took 10 years and a $25 million USD restoration project finishing in 1983 to do the job. In 1985 opponents of Soeharto planted bombs in the upper levels, causing damage and requiring more restoration work. Next the temple faced damage from the 2006 Yoyga earthquake. Repairs were again made, and the temple seems to be in good condition (now) for something over a thousand years old. I was also very impressed by how well taken care of the temple is - I witnessed security guards patrolling the area, and when another visitor attempted to climb on the rocks a voice came over a loud speaker telling them to stop. However, at the time of visiting I think there were only about 30 visitors, so it was much easier to keep careful watch compared to peak times.
As far as benefits go, certainly this type of preservation and conservation work can be supported through tourism. However, I’m curious if the community of Borobudur really gains anything other than traffic congestion from busses, or garbage left over from visiters. On our tour we did not stop at the town, and the only local people we saw were unsuccessfully trying to sell drinks and souvenirs.
(Borobudur)
I really didn’t get to know most of the people in the group, other than another single traveler Buganj from Kuching, Malaysia. He was very fascinating to talk to, after 50 years of travelling he has seen many places in Asia and the Middle East. The other 9 visitors on the trip were all Europeans, but didn’t seem very talkative and preferred to stick with the people they came with. Those in the tour seemed different than the more youthful groups made up of long term backpackers that you find doing the loop of Thailand-Laos-Vietnam-Cambodia in mainland SEA.
The brochure for Prambanan Archaeological Park, claims Prambanan Temple “is the most beautiful Hindu’s Temple in the world.” Maybe a slight over-exaggeration in marketing, but the architecture of the main complex is pretty nice. These temples were created about 50 years after Borobudur, but most are in worse condition. The three main temples are attractively restored, but most of the others in the complex lay in rubble. Visitors are prohibited from entering, or even getting to close to the three standing temples because of structural damage caused by the 2006 earthquake. Besides the temples, the park has an Archaeological museum and a movie about the complex, a play ground area, Ramayana open theater – where a twice monthly ballet performance takes place during the dry season, a camping area, and 92 souvenir shops and 33 food stalls – so says the information booklet I picked up.
As I was walking around these temples with Buganj he made a comment about the importance of preserving these types of places. Out of curiosity I asked him, “Do you think tourism is always beneficial for a place?” His answer was immediate, “of course, it brings money to a place.” I try again, “but do you ever think tourism might be hurting the environment or negatively affecting the people - like the trash caused by tourism?” Again Buganj responded, “no, people are civic minded. When I’m staying at a hotel I always pick up my trash and put it in the waste bin, not making the people cleanup after me.” I persist, “What about beaches, like in Thailand, like Ko-Phanagn that suffer from garbage after all night parties? That can't be positive tourism.” “Well then the government needs to manage it, have all the garbage put it one place,” he logically replied. I decide not to mention the harm of having all that garbage, even if it is in one place, and decide to instead smile back and change the subject.
I enjoyed spending the day with Buganj, but I think that will be my last tour for awhile. The tours are easy to arrange, but it feels like your missing out when just going around with other foreigners. In addition, the money (usually inflated) is all given to the one tour company and in my case one in Yogya, instead of going to local transport in the area of the attractions or guides who live in that area. In addition, by going on a tour that just visited the temples, I missed possible other areas of interest in the community and surrounding areas.
