Failed Flying Lantern

Yogyakarta., Magelang - May 2014

The second Arisan movie! yes it was the movie that encourage many people to come to Borobudur to see flying lanterns on the Vesak day. Me also becoming one of those people. Provoking by a friend I finally booked a train ticket to Yogyakarta. 

Taking Senja Utama Yogya from Pasar Senen Station on May 24, 2013, We arrived at 5 o'clock in the morning at Yogyakarta Station. It was May 25, 2013, The Vesak day, this is the feast day for Buddhist. Well, May 25, 2013 was being unforgettable moment for tourism, Here's come the story.....

We took a bus from terminal ... to terminal ... (shamed on me that couldn't easily remember a name -.-). Taking bus to Magelang from Yogyakarta took us around 2 hours, from Magelang bus terminal we continued taking another bus to Borobudur and go straight to our guesthouse. 

While waiting another friends to come we decided to sleep! hahahaha... 2 hours sleeping was a good thing to start a long day... 

It's 1 o'clock in the afternoon and we had our lunch. The restaurant was really close to the gate of Borobudur, so we walked while waiting for procession. It was really crowded! totally crowded with the domestic tourists as well as foreigners, standing applause for Arisan movie who had successfully brought many tourists to Borobodur on the Vesak day! *sad smile*

I didn't really get what was the news spread on the social media on that day, what I saw was the tourists, OK more specific, the domestic tourist ( I will call them "local") showed the ill-mannered to the Monks. The local took the picture of the Monks really close, like literally close, in front of their face! Wow, I was quite surprise why they did it. I also took the Monks picture of procession but I tried to keep my manner, I could take it without came after the Monks.

It was around 4 o'clock in the evening when we finally could enter the Borobudur. The main procession had not started yet, so we just wandered around for a while. Then, my friends preferred to had a rest near the Mushola after praying, while me preferred to look around the Borobudur temple.

I actually quite wondered where the Monks would be praying, and where the tourists would have to see the procession because I didn't see the clear line. There was only a huge carpet in front of the main stage. Yet since that was my first time visit Borodubur on the Vesak day, I just let what would be happened next.

We all got together after Maghrib on the huge carpet. It was rain, a heavy rain, and what I heard just "wooo" from many tourists when they heard that the main procession will be delayed due to the Governor had not come yet. I was just seriously??!!! Why were you guys angry??. It's you who chose to come to this occasion, then you just needed to patiently waiting to the whole procession. For your information, there were some Monks prayed when they were waiting for the Governor, and yes! as a tourist we weren't supposed to disturb the sacred worship.

The main procession started at 8.30 p.m., one hour behind the schedule. The flying lanterns? yes, the flaying lanterns was canceled due to heavy rain. As for me, there's no one had to be blame to what happened on that day. It was just a moment to learn. The rain actually made us realized that we weren't supposed to be there. That was a sacred worship, we shouldn't have to come for the sake of our ego to see flying lanterns.

Well, if this sacred worship will still be open for tourists, in my humble opinion, the committee need to work harder to prepare the clear line between the Monks and the tourists, and should have a clear rule for the tourist when the Monks are praying. 

We were back with promiscuous feeling. At the moment we just realized that we weren't supposed to be there.

it's beautiful, isn't it?! (^__^)

The next day, we wanted to catch sunrise in Punthuk Setumbu hill, it's the place to see sunrise with Merapi mountain and Borobudur from distance as a background. We took "Ojek" so early in the morning. Lucky us! there was a man who flew a lantern, only one lanterns but yes, it could solace our failed flying lanterns the night before. 

Thanks to the man who flew this lantern :') for us, for "our wish"

Sunrise over Punthuk Setumbu didn't fail us (^__^)

It was a time when I thought I had to go. Mission accomplished, but who would had thought if it changed 180 degree!.

Taking Senja Utama Solo from Yogyakarta Station on May 26, 2013, I arrived at 2 o'clock in the morning at Pasar Senen Station. It was May 27, 2013, it was just the beginning and to be continued....

Yogyakarta, September 2014

Ke Yogya Ku Kan Kembali