Uluru closed to climbers after crowds make final ascent

Yahoo – AFP, 25 October 2019

The permanent ban on climbing Uluru was first announced in 2017

Australia's Uluru was permanently closed to climbers Friday evening to meet the wishes of Aboriginal people who hold the red monolith sacred, but hundreds of tourists scaled it in the final hours before the ban.

With the last-ever climbers due back by sunset, rangers shut the entry gates to the world-famous site also known as Ayers Rock.

The ban, first announced in 2017, had long been sought by the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land, the Anangu, whose connection to the site dates back tens of thousands of years.

There were already signs at the base of the rock imploring visitors not to climb it, but these were not often heeded, especially in recent months as a surge of tourists made last-minute ascents.

"I came here just to see it but it is the last day possible (to climb Uluru), so I have decided to try it," Polish tourist Matt Oswiecimiki told AFP.

For years there have been signs at the base of the rock imploring visitors not 

to climb, but they were not often heeded

The 29-year-old said it was "fair to stop it" tomorrow out of respect for the Anangu, but said the one-time opportunity meant he would still climb it given he was allowed to on Friday.

Tourists are still being encouraged to visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where they can take in the monolith from its base, walk around its perimeter and learn about its indigenous heritage at the cultural centre.

"It's enough for me to walk around and see the rock," Japanese tourist Masahira Suda said.

The 25-year-old said he did not judge fellow tourists for scaling Uluru but he was refraining at the request of the Aboriginal custodians.

"I really have respect for them," he said.

The climbing ban has been long-sought by Aboriginal 

Australians

Spiritual significance

More than 395,000 people visited the park in the 12 months to June 2019, according to Parks Australia -- about 20 percent more than the previous year.

Around 13 percent of those who visited during that period made the climb, park authorities said.

Uluru has great spiritual and cultural significance to indigenous Australians, and the Anangu people will hold a ceremony Saturday to mark the climbing ban.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt likened the recent increase in tourists climbing Uluru to "a rush of people wanting to climb over the Australian War Memorial".

"Our sacred objects, community by community, are absolutely important in the story and the history of that nation of people," he told national broadcaster ABC.

More than 395,000 people visited the Uluru-Kata National Park in the 

12 months to June 2019, according to Parks Australia

Traditional owners have long encouraged people to refrain from climbing the site for its cultural significance, to protect it from further environmental damage and to ensure visitors' safety.

Tackling Uluru's sandstone slopes has not been an easy exercise, and at least 35 people have died attempting the climb.

It towers some 348 meters (1,148 feet) and summer temperatures often hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).

Saturday marks 34 years since that the park's title was handed back to the traditional owners.

Traditional owners and National Park representatives have decided to ban the
 climbing of Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, from October 2019 amid fears it
was being treated as a 'theme park' (AFP Photo/Greg Wood)

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Climbing Australia's giant red rock Uluru banned

The Creation Choir - Mar 21, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll) (Pair 5 - Node: Ulura, Australia & Null: Mount Logan, Yukon Northern Territories, Canada are revealed & activated. The 12 Pleiadians time capsules (The Nodes and Nulls of Earth) within Gaia will now gradually receive information)

These time capsules need to be on the planet as a guide or blueprint for the starting creative energy of Gaia [the Creation Template]. Kryon has told us: that as the time capsules are slowly released, they modify The Crystalline Grid to help Human consciousness shift, and eventually create an ascended planet.  (Text version he Fast-Track Systems")

Australia marks 30 years since Uluru returned to Aboriginal owners

Gaia Global Consciousness Retreat (8) - Mar 24-25, 2015 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

Climbing Australia's giant red rock Uluru banned

Yahoo – AFP, November 1, 2017

Traditional owners and National Park representatives have decided to ban the
 climbing of Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, from October 2019 amid fears it
was being treated as a 'theme park' (AFP Photo/Greg Wood)

Sydney (AFP) - Climbing the world's largest monolith Uluru was banned Wednesday amid concerns it was becoming a "theme park", undermining the giant red rock's deep cultural significance.

Scrambling up the symbol of the Outback, also known as Ayers Rock, is seen by many tourists as a must-do on their visit to Australia.

But they do so against the wishes of the traditional Aboriginal owners, the Anangu, to whom the site is sacred.

At a meeting of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board, made up of traditional owners and National Park representatives, a unanimous decision was made to ban the activity.

It will come into force in October 2019.

"This decision is for both Anangu and non-Anangu together to feel proud about; to realise, of course it’s the right thing to close it," board chairman Sammy Wilson said.

Speaking to state broadcaster ABC after the decision, he added that the site was not a "theme park".

"Some people in tourism and government for example might have been saying we need to keep it open but it's not their law that lies in this land," he said.

"It is an extremely important place, not a playground or theme park like Disneyland."

The rock's traditional Aboriginal owners' connection to the site dates back tens of thousands of years and it has great spiritual and cultural significance to them.

Wilson urged tourists to respect the ruling.

"If I travel to another country and there is a sacred site, an area of restricted access, I don’t enter or climb it, I respect it," he said in the statement.

"It is the same here for Anangu. We welcome tourists here. We are not stopping tourism, just this activity."

Park authorities have long looked to close the climb permanently. It is currently left up to visitors to decide whether to tackle the sandstone monolith, which soars 348 metres (1,148 feet).

About 300,000 people visit each year and, while there are no official figures on how many climb, their numbers are reported to have declined significantly.

Tackling Uluru's sandstone slopes is not an easy exercise and there have been numerous deaths over the years on the rock, where summer temperatures often hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit).

Related Articles:

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Jakarta Gets Kota Tua Repainted for Free, Plus Four Public Buses

Jakarta Globe, Deti Mega Purnamasari & Eko Prasetyo, May 26, 2016

The Jakarta administration has signed an agreement on Wednesday (25/05) with
 a Dutch multinational company for the repainting of Kota Tua in North Jakarta
and several other public buildings and structures in the city. (Antara Photo/Aprillio Akbar)

Jakarta. The Jakarta administration has signed an agreement on Wednesday (25/05) with a Dutch multinational company for the repainting of Kota Tua in North Jakarta and several other public buildings and structures in the city.

Jakarta regional secretary Saefullah signed the agreement with Jun de Dios, president director of AkzoNobel, the company that produces the Dulux brand of paints.

The painting process will be divided into two phases, with the first involving the Jakarta History Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics and the Kota Intan Bridge in Kota Tua. The three structures will be painted in a livelier color and 50 trash cans made from the empty paint cans will be placed around the historic area.

The second phase will involve repainting of the Maritime Museum in Sunda Kelapa, North Jakarta, and the Wayang Museum, also in Kota Tua. This phase will be expanded to other parts of the capital and it will include the repainting of bus shelters, pedestrian bridges, overpasses and underpasses in lively colors.

"We are happy to see the program proceed, as it will maintain the historical buildings, which are essential factors in preserving a cultural heritage," de Dios said after the signing.

The Jakarta administration has also received four double-decker buses from the company.

"I am the most expensive model in Jakarta. For wearing a Dulux shirt and a hat, I get paid four buses and Kota Tua's revitalization," Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as Ahok, said jokingly during Wednesday's ceremony.

"You can have me wear these [clothing items] for a week, but then you must give me seven buses," he added.

Bagan ban: Myanmar stops tourists scaling prized pagodas

Yahoo – AFP, 23 February 2016

Built between the 10th and 14th centuries as part of a powerful early kingdom, 

Bagan's temples are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar and are also

one of the country's most popular tourist destinations (AFP Photo/Ye Aung Thu)

Yangon (AFP) - Visitors to Myanmar's ancient capital Bagan will no longer be able to climb the venerated pagodas for a view of the country's most famous archaeological site, following a government edict railing against "disgraceful" tourist behaviour.

The ban, which starts March 1, will end the daily ritual that sees hundreds of tourists and local pilgrims scaling the ancient structures to watch the sun set over a vast plain dotted with more than 2,500 Buddhist monuments.

Myanmar's Ministry of Culture said the move would protect the buildings, considered holy sites by many locals, while also averting potential danger for those climbing.

Tourists wait for sunset over the pagodas

in Myanmar's northern ancient town of 

Bagan (AFP Photo)

"Furthermore, despite warnings, people who climb the pagodas often behave badly, in a way that is culturally disgraceful such as wearing inappropriate clothing, dancing and sleeping (on the monuments)," the ministry said in a post on its official Facebook page.

"We would like to announce that no one will be permitted to climb on the pagodas for any reason from March 1 onwards," it concluded in the statement published on Monday.

Built between the 10th and 14th centuries as part of a powerful early kingdom, Bagan's temples are deeply revered in the Buddhist-majority nation and are also one of the country's most popular tourist destinations.

After years in the wilderness under an isolationist junta, Myanmar was quickly embraced as a hot choice for holidays after outright military rule ended in 2011.

The country began appearing on lists of must-visit destinations, often accompanied by bird's eye view images of Bagan's pagodas scattered across a mist-drenched landscape.

Even the Ministry of Tourism has declared that "a panoramic view of this land at sunset will leave you with a lingering sense of awe and wonder".

According to its figures, nearly half a million foreign tourists, including package tourists and independent travellers, arrived through Myanmar's main city gateway Yangon last year, more than double the number in 2011.

Many make a beeline for Bagan, a trend that is expected to continue despite the new rules.

"Bagan can offer other pleasures for tourists," said Naung Naung Han, of the Union of Myanmar Travel Association, which represents private tour operators.

But he said those not able to climb the structures to see a sunset at Bagan would be missing out.

Nearly half a million foreign tourists, including package tourists and independent

 travellers, arrived through Myanmar's main city gateway Yangon in 2015, more 

than double the number in 2011 (AFP Photo/Ye Aung Thu)

"For a foreign tourist, such an experience could be an unforgettable moment in their life," he told AFP.

Tour operator Phyoe Wai Yar Zar, who heads the Myanmar Tourism Marketing industry group, said there was likely to be an impact on business.

"Tourism is a way to display our cultural heritage and this news of a ban in the way heritage is shown will affect the tourism business," he told AFP.

Myanmar is eager to see Bagan designated as a UNESCO world heritage site.

But experts say haphazard renovation work on some of the temples under the junta, including building hundreds of new structures over ancient foundations, has irreversibly damaged the landscape.

Kipling to Jinnah: Mumbai's crumbling colonial homes

Yahoo – AFP, Peter Hutchison, 19 February 2016

The "Kipling Bungalow" is one of several mansions in Mumbai, once associated 

with famous residents but now in ruin (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

Mumbai (AFP) - Hidden behind a blanket of trees at the back of a university in Mumbai lies the dilapidated, but once grand, former home of writer Rudyard Kipling.

Fallen branches, discarded chairs and even empty whisky bottles surround the 19th-century building, while bird droppings mar a bust of Kipling, author of such beloved novels as "The Jungle Book" and "Kim".

"The bungalow is in very bad condition and needs desperate help," the college's principal, Rajiv Mishra, tells AFP.

"We feel cheated that such a beautiful monument has been neglected," he adds, pointing to a rotting wooden post, precariously supporting the historic property in south Mumbai.

The "Kipling Bungalow", as locals affectionately call it, is one of several mansions in the teeming Indian city, once associated with famous residents but now in ruin.

Nearby stands the former colonial home of Lord Harris, an ex-governor of then-named Bombay, widely credited with making cricket the most popular sport in India.

The 147-year-old Esplanade Mansion, formerly the resplendent Watson's Hotel, 

and frequented and written about by Mark Twain, is now a ramshackle shadow 

of its former glory (AFP Photo/Indranil Muherjee)

The gothic building housed school classrooms until four years ago, when pupils were moved out because the crumbling structure had become too weak and hazardous.

A few kilometres away in plush Malabar Hill sits the previously imposing residence of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan and its first governor-general.

The stately home hosted critical talks between Jinnah and India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on partition of the subcontinent, but today its downtrodden appearance belies its historical significance.

Red tape

Heritage campaigners lament the demise of such buildings, blaming red tape and claiming politicians and developers are more concerned with constructing sparkly new luxury towers than preserving Mumbai's architectural history.

"The Kipling Bungalow is just a very sad reflection of bureaucratic hurdles... creating the death of a historic building," renowned architect Abha Narain Lambah, who specialises in conservation, told AFP.

An Indian mason stands on scaffolding at the under-renovation Lord Harris

Higher Secondary Marathi School in Mumbai (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

The wood and stone structure, its green paint peeling, is situated on the grounds of an art school, whose first principal was John Lockwood Kipling, Rudyard's father.

Built in 1882, 17 years after Rudyard was born, the house was home to Lockwood Kipling and subsequent deans until the early 2000s, by which time it had sunk into such disrepair that it was rendered uninhabitable.

"We feel that Lockwood must have had Rudyard stay here and write so we call it the 'Kipling Bungalow'," explains Mishra, who wants the Maharashtra state government to restore it without delay.

He says officials plan to turn the building into a gallery exhibiting students' work and that of decorated artists, and have issued a tender for the contract.

The building has been caught in a tug-of-war between the college and the government for years over what its restoration should look like, but Mishra hopes renovations will finally start in around six months.

Maharashtra culture and education minister Vinod Tawde failed to respond to repeated AFP requests for comment on the issue.

Built in 1882, 17 years after Rudyard Kipling was born, the house was home to his 

father John Lockwood Kipling and subsequent deans until the early 2000s, by which

 time it had sunk into such disrepair that it was rendered uninhabitable (AFP Photo/

Indranil Mukherjee)

A short walk away, work has already begun on the former Mumbai residence of batsman and acclaimed cricket administrator George Harris, who was governor of the city from 1890-1895.

Harris captained England and during his tenure on the subcontinent "did much to lay down foundations for the expansion of the game in India", according to Cricinfo website.

A Mumbai inter-schools cricket tournament called the Harris Shield is testament to his legacy, but his former home was allowed to come close to collapse before long overdue maintenance work started.

The three-storey mansion, part of a public school, was out of use for three years until renovation began in June, and presently stands gutted, surrounded by bamboo scaffolding.

"It was basically falling apart and became too dangerous to be inside," the school's principal, Mohan Bhogade, told AFP.

Jinnah dispute

In arty Kala Ghoda district, a 147-year-old mansion, formerly the resplendent Watson's Hotel, frequented and written about by Mark Twain, is a ramshackle shadow of its former glory.

A bust of author Rudyard Kipling pictured at
the Kipling Bunglow -- the author's birthplace
-- inside the campus of the J.J. School of Art
in Mumbai  (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

Now called Esplanade Mansion, it shows no signs of being restored despite ten years having passed since it was placed on a global list of endangered monuments by the New York-based World Monuments Fund.

Watson's, completed in 1869, is believed to be India's oldest caste-iron building and was the hotel of choice for colonialists and visiting dignatories during the British Raj.

Accoring to legend, the hotel went into decline after Indian industrialist Jamsetji Tata built Mumbai's iconic Taj Mahal Palace because he was denied entry to Watson's, which had a "Europeans-only" policy.

Today the crumbling structure houses a medley of dark cubbyhole offices. A lack of funds and arguments between tenants and city authorities have been cited as contributing to its descent into ruin.

"The idea of heritage has just evaporated," says Naresh Fernandes, author of "City Adrift: A Short Biography of Bombay".

Students gather under the porch at the Kipling Bunglow -- the birthplace of author 

Rudyard Kipling -- at the J.J. School of Art in Mumbai (AFP Photo/Indranil Mukherjee)

AFP contacted a number of officials at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, regarding the Watson's Hotel and the Harris building, but none were available for comment.

Jinnah's house has been embroiled in a long-running legal dispute over ownership between his daughter, India and Pakistan. It lies empty in thick forest behind a padlocked gate.

Lambah doesn't believe the buildings owe their dilapidation to any sort of colonial antipathy, citing well-maintained British-era relics like the Bombay High Court and the former Victoria Terminus train station.

"It's just sheer neglect and bureaucracy," she says.

Photos emerge of incredible Easter Island discovery

News.com.au, June 10, 2015

Archaeologists dig up the famous statues. Picture: Easter Island Statue
Project Source: Supplied

THERE’S a lot more to Easter Island’s famous statues than first meets the eye.

A new series of photographs of the 2012 excavation has emerged that captures the moment archaeologists dug out the previously hidden stone bodies, discovering a surprising secret along the way; the monoliths were covered in detailed ancient tattoos.

The images have been shared widely on social media, being viewed more than 1 million times on Imgur.

They show intricate markings such as crescents, which academics say represent the canoes of the local Polynesians, the UK’s Mirror reports. Little else is known about the markings yet.

Detailed markings are visible. Picture: The Easter Island Statue Project
Source: Supplied

There are 887 huge statues carved between AD 100 and 1800 — which are up to 10 metres tall. Members of the Easter Island Statue Project have been excavating the statues for years, and provided the first photos of their torsos in 2012. This surprised many, with people believing they only had heads.

“The reason people think they are (only) heads is there are about 150 statues buried up to the shoulders on the slope of a volcano, and these are the most famous, most beautiful and most photographed of all the Easter Island statues,” Jo Anne Van Tilburg from the Easter Island Statue Project said.

“This suggested to people who had not seen photos of (other unearthed statues) that they are heads only.”

They are fascinating. Picture: The Easter Island Statue Project Source: Supplied

In 1919 pictures of the first excavations by the Mana Expedition to Easter Island revealed that some statues were full sized. The discovery was confirmed in 1955 by the explorer Thor Heyerdahl when his Norwegian Archaeological Expedition excavated a statue.

Over subsequent decades the discoveries were gradually forgotten, known by archaeologists but not by tourists, who began visiting the isolated island in the 1990s.

They’re discovering an island that was first settled by Polynesian people who arrived by canoe as part of a great wave of Pacific colonisation.

Much remains unknown about the statues — how were they made? How was such a remote island populated? How were they moved around the island? And what happened to the society that had resorted to cannibalism by the time Captain James Cook visited in 1774?

Related Articles:

The Mysteries Revealed of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) (5) - Oct 18-21, 2014 (Kryon Channelling by Lee Carroll)

"The Timing of Creation" – Aug 12, 2012 (a message from Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll)

Russia and China team up on 'red tourism'

Want China Times, Xinhua 2015-07-01

Li Jinzao, left, and Du Jiahao, governor of Hunan province, lay flowers in front
of a statue of Mao Zedong during the signing ceremony, June 29. (Photo/CNS)

"Red tourism," tourism featuring visits to historical sites with a communist revolutionary legacy, is a natural area for cooperation between Russia and China.

According to an agreement signed by tourism chiefs from China and Russia on Monday in central China's Hunan province, from 2015 to 2017 the two countries will work together on popularizing red tourism, develop destinations and routes and cooperate on marketing.

The memorandum was signed by Li Jinzao, head of China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) and Oleg Safonov, head of the Federal Agency for Tourism of Russia, one of a series of promotional activities held between June 28 and July 1 in Shaoshan, the birthplace of PRC founder Mao Zedong in Hunan province.

Safonov said China and Russia have great potential to develop tourism resources together.

Li Jinzao said both China and Russia have rich red tourism resources. This year is the 70th anniversary of victory in China's War of Resistance against Japan and Russia's Great Patriotic War (as World War II is commonly referred to in the respective countries), and red tourism is all about remembering history and cherishing peace.

Also on Monday, China and Russia published ten red tourist routes and over 20 travel agencies from both countries signed a cooperation agreement.

CNTA data showed China's red tourism sites received more than 4 billion tourists in the past decade, with numbers growing by 16% annually.

Indonesia Formally Waives Visa Requirements for 45 Countries

Jakarta Globe, Novy Lumanauw, Jun 12, 2015

Visitors at Fatahillah square, the heart of Jakarta's old town known locally
known as Kota Tua. (AFP photo/ Romeo Gacad)

Jakarta. The Indonesian government this week finally formalized a visa-free travel regulation that was announced months ago for citizens from 45 countries, in a bid to boost tourism and improve relations with those countries.

President Joko Widodo signed the presidential regulation on visa-free travel for tourists on Tuesday.

“Visa-free travel is offered to citizens of several countries and special administrative regions in consideration of the importance of reciprocity and benefits,” Indonesia’s Cabinet Secretariat website quoted from the regulation, in a post published on Friday. “Those citizens are allowed to stay for 30 days but the visit permit can’t be extended or changed to other stay permits.”

The regulation was originally set to take effect in April.

Citizens from the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as well as from several other states could already travel to the country visa-free, but the complete list of visa-free states and territories is now:

Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Brunei, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Philippines, Chile, Morocco, Peru, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Macau, China, Russia, South Korea, Japan, United States, Canada, New Zealand, Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and South Africa.

Australians, the third-largest group of foreign visitors after Singaporeans and Malaysians according to the latest available Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, will still need a visa to enter the country, although tourists can buy one on arrival.

The five international airports through which citizens of the 45 countries and territories can enter Indonesia visa-free are Soekarno-Hatta in Jakarta, Ngurah Rai in Bali, Kuala Namu in Medan, Juanda in Surabaya and Hang Nadim in Batam.

Sri Bintan and Tanjung Uban seaports in Bintan Island and Sekupang and Batam Center ports in Batam will also provide the facility.

Mysterious Ancient Palace Ratu Boko, the Perfect Spot to Catch Yogyakarta’s Sunset

Jakarta Globe, Wahyuni Kamah, Jan 14, 2015

Ratu Boko is the locals’ best-kept secret for sunset and sunrise viewing in the
 tourist spots surrounding Yogyakarta. The complex offers a wealth of history.
(JG Photo/Wahyuni Kamah)

When the chief executive of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, visited Indonesia October last year, he went to Borobudur Temple in Yogyakarta to watch the sunrise.

Following the tycoon’s lead I asked, where is the best site to view the sunrise? “Ratu Boko,” answered Ari, my Yogyakarta driver.

Out of curiosity, I asked Ari to take me to the site one afternoon to catch the sunset. Ratu Boko is about 18 kilometers to the east of Yogyakarta, situated at the top of a 196-meter-high hill.

The road to reach the site curves with sharp turns.

“It’s challenging for a big bus to pass this road,” said Ari. During the hot season all I could see from the road was the villagers’ huts on bare soil. “Water is scarce in this area during hot season,” Ari said.

The Ratu Boko complex is located across two villages, Sambirejo and Bokoharjo, in Prambanan, Sleman district, Yogyakarta.

As I approached the complex a number of visitors were taking selfies by the entrance. A number of people carried professional cameras to capture the sunset.

The Ratu Boko site’s location on the hilltop offers gorgeous surrounding scenery: the Prambanan Temple to the north with Mount Merapi in the background and villages in the area. Indeed a good spot for photos.

The complex has three levels, or terraces. On the first terrace, no ruins remain but the rock wall supporting the second terrace, several steps above.

A 3.5-meter wall of andesite rock divides the second and third terrace. A small tunnel which may have been a moat also marks the division. To the south, I could see scattered rocks of on-going archaeological works.

A few meters from one of the many second terrace entrances lies the small Temple of White Stones. Stepping to the second entrance, I reached the square in the center of Ratu Boko site.

The breeze blew softly. Before the dusk it generated a sense of quietness and serenity.

The path leading to Ratu boko. (JG Photo/Wahyuni Kamah)

Setting it aside from other ancient buildings in Central Java which are mostly temples and for religious purposes, this complex suggests it had once been a grand residence.

It is still not clear what Ratu Boko once was. Only archaeological evidence like inscriptions and artefacts can help to reveal its history.

According to the evidence, Ratu Boko is an ancient archaeological site that has both Hindu and Buddhist influences.

As written in the ancient Abhayagiri vihara inscription dated 792 CE discovered in the Ratu Boko complex, the site was originally built as a place for seclusion and spiritual tranquility, a monastery for the monks.

Remains of Buddhist stupas (structures containing relics, including the remains of monks) were also found on the site.

Other inscriptions told that the complex had then become a residential palace of Hindu ruler Rakai Walaing Pu Kumbayoni, a descendant of the Sailendra dynasty, beginning in the ninth century.

Some ceramics from the dynasties of China, including Ming (from the 14th to 17th centuries) and Sung (stretching from the 11th to 13th centuries) were also discovered.

In 1915, F.D.K. Bosch, a Dutch archaeologist, named the ruins “Kraton van Ratoe Boko.” The excavation of the complex begun in 1938 and continues.

Sunset at Ratu Boko. (JG Photo/
Wahyuni Kamah)

I stood for a while enjoying the spectacular panorama from the hilltop. When I looked up at the sky, I thought it a matter of luck to be able to catch the sunset as the cloud started to cover the sun.

The signage in the square pointed to the pendopo in the southeast which I would’ve liked to explore. However, on-going archaeological works left some scattered rocks making it too difficult. As the sunset approached, my best option was to follow the sign pointing towards the best view.

There are steps leading to the platform. On top is a small open house for visitors to view the surrounding scenery or to meditate. From there, I could see Prambanan temple in the distance.

At dusk, I was almost face to face with the sunset when the cloud unfortunately started to hide it.

Despite failing to catch the sunset it was a nice experience to be in the Ratu Boko complex — named after the local legend Roro Jonggrang.

According to the legend, it was the palace of Ratu Boko (literally “king of stork”), the king of Boko, who had a daughter named Roro Jonggrang.

The legend Roro Jonggrang also explains the origin of Prambanan complex.

With its mysterious background, Ratu Boko site is indeed attractive; the atmosphere, surroundings, ruins, the peacefulness and mystique are something not to be missed.

On the way out of the complex, I stopped by the Plaza Andrawina. This is the best spot to get a breathtaking view of the valley, part of Yogyakarta and different angles of Prambanan Temple and Mount Merapi in the distance.