ASIAN TRAVELING

     Just came home.  I rushed to my room where I left my laptop running so I could live-blog the second half of the show.  Whew!

     Mataram Sultanate is the last kingdom of Indonesia, or something.  Presenter Anthony Morse is going to the castle of a sultan.

     Kotagede Palace, or the great walled city.  It followed the traditional Javanese design; 3x3 grid.  Only parts of the palace remains and special permission is needed to enter the palace.  It means that it is not open to the public, right?  The royal bathing grounds remain in the palace.  The rajahs or princes bathed in there, separate from the women's bath.

     They went into the throne room and it's small, but it's just a remnant of the palace.

     Palace of Yogyakarta.  Wow, huge bathing grounds.  Anthony has been given special access into the palace's gates.  Very traditional grounds.  Every Thursdays, the puppets are aired out, like a ritual of some sorts.

     Structure buried by the volcano's eruption.  And now, Mt. Merapi has been spewing ash.

     By 8th century, Mt. Merapi's surroundings have both hinduism and buddhism practiced side by side.

     King Boco's place.  It's huge.  During excavation, archeologists found layers of ashes, apparently, priests and even kings may have been cremated there.  There are also traces of sacrifices.  It is considered part of the big city of hinduism, or something.

     Volcanic forces destroyed the buildings so people are building it (reconstructing) on higher ground.  People are matching stones to the tower.  Very tedious process.  They're rebuilding one of the smaller structures.

     Largest temple complex in Indonesia.  Restoration since the 1930s.  Some temples reach 47 meters.  Really gargantuan.  Oh, the stones were just piled on top of the other, but they're earthquake proof.  Ramayana was carved at the facade.  I want to go there.

     First evidence of Ramayana in the 9th century.  Ramayana tells the tale of King Rama and his wife, Sita.  And, Indonesians have a troupe which does the exotic dance.     And, Anthony is in full-character mode.  He said the dance is difficult; his thighs are burning.

     I wasn't able to watch the first half, so forgive me if I just jumped in the middle.  I'll watch the episode again when it gets replayed during the week and make the necessary additions and corrections, too.

    

    

     I might not be able to live-blog the third episode of History Channel's Hidden Cities.  I am about to go out for a drive around Makati to see how the city lights up its street for Christmas. I will be going with my relatives, well, it's actually for the kids' entertainment.  

     Oh, I have worked there for five (5) years and as the premiere business district of the Philippines, I'd say Makati makes a spectacle with their Christmas displays and lights year after year. 

     Going back to the topic, if we get to finish early, I'll go straight to live-blogging the episode.  If not, I'll watch its replay and replay-blog it, if ever there is such a term.  Hee.

     I'm crossing my fingers that we'd get home earlier.