According to the tour package we purchased, this was our busy day. Borobudur, bird market, Sultan's palace, silver market, puppet show. Alas, it was not to be.
We started our morning eating a 6 AM breakfast at the hotel. By 6:45 we were on our way to Borobudur. The drive took nearly an hour. Our guide provided background on the city, the government, and the geography. We did our best to stay awake. The drive presented several photo opportunities - a water buffalo plowing a field (with farmer in tow), steam coming from the active volcano that towers over the landscape, beautiful rice plantations. Of course, I didn't take any pictures.
We arrived at Borobudur shortly before 8 AM. The national park and world heritage site requires we use their guides, so our guide handed us over to a park guide and we were off. Well, almost off. It was time for my son's feeding. Instead of climbing the temple in the early morning, before the crowds and the heat, we finally got started around 9:15. By then, crowds of school children had arrived. Apparently, their teachers had instructed them to practice their English by bothering interviewing tourists. They seemed to prefer my father-in-law over any of the rest of us. They kept stopping him to interview him, take pictures with him, ask him how well they spoke English.
In the middle of the night, we noticed our daughter had a fever. We woke her and gave her some medicine, and that brought it down. We gave her medicine again in the morning - the last we had with us - when it had returned, and it went down again. When we were finally ready to climb the steps - the one hundred or so steps - to the top of the temple, her fever was back and she was lethargic. The sun was hot. She was hot. Everyone but her was sweating, so we knew her fever was back. Climbing the stairs of Borobudur is strenuous.
Carrying a three-year-old child as you climb the steps is even more difficult. Doing it while you are also carrying a baby in a sling is next to impossible. Good thing my wife has been working out!
Kidding. I carried our daughter, my wife carried our son. Half way up, we stopped so my wife, daughter and son could sit in the shade and my father-in-law and I completed the climb and the tour. This time I took great pictures.
Legend has it that inside one of the bells atop the temple is a lucky Buddha. If you make a wish and reach your arm through the hole and touch his middle finger, your wish will come true. If you touch his foot, you will have bad luck. Most people's arms are not long enough to reach the fingers. My simian arms (that reach my knees when I'm standing upright) were long enough to reach the middle finger. I'll let you know if my wish comes true.
My daughter was still burning up - and still not sweating - so I called my admin and asked her to find out if there was a doctor in the city I could take her to. Our medical service advised us to take her to the Jogja International Hospital. We went to the emergency room and, just like in the US, 30 minutes later we saw a doctor. They said she had a fever and head cold symptoms. They assumed Dengue Fever, but said to wait another two days and if the symptoms persisted, get a blood test to confirm. They immediately gave her medicine for the fever, and provided us prescriptions for continued treatment of the fever and the head cold symptoms. We filled these in the hospital pharmacy. Total cost of this side trip: $12.
Yep, $12. Emergency visit was $5 for the doctor, $0.70 for the adminstrative fees. The prescriptions were $3.50 each. Who needs insurance at those prices?
The hospital was enough for the day. We returned to the hotel for lunch and spent a boring afternoon at the hotel with my daughter banned from swimming by the doctor, so she missed out on the pools.
This time I got the massage while everyone else took a nap. We had an early dinner and, once again, went to bed early.
In the middle of the night, we noticed our daughter had a fever. We woke her and gave her some medicine, and that brought it down. We gave her medicine again in the morning - the last we had with us - when it had returned, and it went down again. When we were finally ready to climb the steps - the one hundred or so steps - to the top of the temple, her fever was back and she was lethargic. The sun was hot. She was hot. Everyone but her was sweating, so we knew her fever was back. Climbing the stairs of Borobudur is strenuous.
Carrying a three-year-old child as you climb the steps is even more difficult. Doing it while you are also carrying a baby in a sling is next to impossible. Good thing my wife has been working out!
Kidding. I carried our daughter, my wife carried our son. Half way up, we stopped so my wife, daughter and son could sit in the shade and my father-in-law and I completed the climb and the tour. This time I took great pictures.
Legend has it that inside one of the bells atop the temple is a lucky Buddha. If you make a wish and reach your arm through the hole and touch his middle finger, your wish will come true. If you touch his foot, you will have bad luck. Most people's arms are not long enough to reach the fingers. My simian arms (that reach my knees when I'm standing upright) were long enough to reach the middle finger. I'll let you know if my wish comes true.
My daughter was still burning up - and still not sweating - so I called my admin and asked her to find out if there was a doctor in the city I could take her to. Our medical service advised us to take her to the Jogja International Hospital. We went to the emergency room and, just like in the US, 30 minutes later we saw a doctor. They said she had a fever and head cold symptoms. They assumed Dengue Fever, but said to wait another two days and if the symptoms persisted, get a blood test to confirm. They immediately gave her medicine for the fever, and provided us prescriptions for continued treatment of the fever and the head cold symptoms. We filled these in the hospital pharmacy. Total cost of this side trip: $12.
Yep, $12. Emergency visit was $5 for the doctor, $0.70 for the adminstrative fees. The prescriptions were $3.50 each. Who needs insurance at those prices?
The hospital was enough for the day. We returned to the hotel for lunch and spent a boring afternoon at the hotel with my daughter banned from swimming by the doctor, so she missed out on the pools.
This time I got the massage while everyone else took a nap. We had an early dinner and, once again, went to bed early.
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1 comment:
There are so many bells how do you know which one has the magic buddha finger?
All four of you, even Alexander, must have outstanding endurance! Even though you were disappointed by the early bedtimes, you stayed well by not getting overtired. Your pictures will bring back only the best of memories (I hope)
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