Barack Obama at Prambanan Temple near Yogyakarta on Thursday (29/06). (Antara Photo/Fitri Atmoko) |
Jakarta.
Nostalgia brought former United States President Barack Obama back to Bali,
Yogyakarta and Jakarta for a holiday with his family this week. The visit has
also highlighted many world-class tourist attractions in Indonesia, including
the great Buddhist and Hindu temples of Java.
Obama, the
44th US President, was born in Hawaii but spent some of his childhood in
Indonesia after his mother Ann Dunham married an Indonesian man, Lolo Soetoro,
in 1965.
His
stepfather Lolo, who was geographer, returned to Indonesia in 1966 to help
create maps of Papua.
Along with
his mother, Obama, who was six years old at the time, moved to join his
stepfather in Jakarta in 1967 and lived in the country until 1971.
When they
lived in Indonesia, Obama's family frequently traveled to Yogyakarta where his
mother, who was an anthropologist, carried out a research on village
industries.
Obama, with
his wife Michelle and his two daughters, visited the Buddhist temple Borobudur
and the Hindu temple Prambanan near Yogyakarta and Becici Peak during their
trip, visits which Obama indicated brought up strong feelings of nostalgia.
The trip
has even made some international headlines. American fashion and lifestyle
bible Vogue published an article about the holiday titled "President Obama’s Trip to an Ancient Indonesian City Had a Deeply Personal Meaning."
The family
spent three days in Yogyakarta after spending five days in Bali, before
delivering a speech at the 4th Indonesian Diaspora Congress in Jakarta.
Tourism
Minister Arief Yahya said Obama's visit is a perfect endorsement for the
country's Wonderful Indonesia tourism campaign since it highlights Indonesia's
top tourist destinations, including the resort island of Bali, the royal city
of Yogyakarta and the capital city of Jakarta.
"[Obama's
visit] brings great media value and should attract many people to visit
Indonesia. Thank you Obama," Arief said in a statement sent to the Jakarta
Globe on Saturday (01/07).
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