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One of the less well known tourist attractions of Java might be the Ambarawa Railway Museum, in the small town of Ambarawa, about 50 kilometres south of the Central Java capital city of Semarang.

Ambarawa, which was previously known as Willem I, was the site of a major colonial army barracks. The first railway line to Ambarawa, from Semarang, was built for this strategic reason, which was the same reason for the building of line from Yogyakarta to Ambarawa, which required construction of the short (7 km) rack section, the only such example in Java.

Although the Yogyakarta-Ambarawa line has been closed in 1970, part of the line between Ambarawa and Bedono was maintained for tourist trains since then.

There are three rack locomotives kept in serviceable condition in the Ambarawa loco shed. Two of the locomotives are members of the B25 class, the B2502 and B2503. This class was built by Esslingen in Germany in 1902 and 1906. These are the original locomotives built for the rack line.

The other locomotive, E1060, is a thoroughly modern steam locomotive, built in 1966, also by Esslingen, for the West Sumatra rack line. It was among the last steam locomotives built in the world, outside China and India.

All three locomotives are in excellent condition, with most of the original parts intact. It is an interesting fact to know that only several years ago, B2502 was seen rusting in the shed, and the E1060 was actually brought dead from Padang to Ambarawa, but now both are in fully serviceable condition!

Currently all three locomotives can be hired with a consist of equally ancient passenger coaches, to Jambu and Bedono, though E1060 is not allowed on the rack section west of Jambu. There is a plan to resurrect the line east of Ambarawa to Tuntang, and to modify the rack gear of the E10 so it can be used on the whole line.

A typical trip will have a B25 at the head of two or three passenger coaches, all original, on the south side of the Ambarawa station (vintage 1907). Passengers, or tourists, will board here, or more typically, wait just west of the station, with their cameras and camcorders, and wait until the train chugs past them, later to reverse to pick up the passengers.

Everywhere on the relatively flat section between Ambarawa and Jambu, the train can be stopped for photo run-bys. The scenery here is beautiful, especially in the afternoon, when the sun's angle allows the train to be pictured against a backdrop of the backbone mountains and hills of Java, with a foreground of green paddy fields and coconut trees.

At Jambu, 4.5 kilometres west of Ambarawa, the train halts, and the locomotive is switched to the rear of the train, for the climb to Bedono. Rack locomotives are always located on the valley side of the train, for safety reasons. The equipment used on the line has always had hand brakes, so on each coach there is a trainman ready on the brakes.

Just west of Jambu station is a small creek with a small steel bridge, which is a favorite site with photographers. This is also as far as the E10 goes, at least for now.

The train, assuming it is hauled by a B25, will continue slowly over the stiff 6.5% grade to Bedono. Here, tourists can either stay inside the train and enjoy the trip, or make a chase by motor vehicle, which is quite easy, since the railway parallels the roadway on several sections, and never goes too far. It is not allowed to have photo run-bys on the rack section.

It is a 4.3 km trip from Jambu to Bedono, altitude 711 meters, the highest railway spot in Central Java. Bedono station is no longer used by normal passengers, but is in good condition, just as it looked like in the early twentieth century, when it was built.

Here the locomotive will take a "drink" at the water tower just east of the station, similarly the passengers can also buy some refreshments from the vendors in the station. Soon, they will reboard the train back to Ambarawa station, yet they can opt for more photo run-bys (on the flat sections) to satisfaction.

A real railway wonder of the world, isn't it?

Created by Indra Krishnamurti
Last updated June 24, 2000

from: http://keretapi.tripod.com/ambarawa.html

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KOMODO ISLAND

Location:

Komodo National Park is located between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores in the Lesser Sunda Islands, at a distance of 200 nautical miles to the east of Bali. It has a total land area of 75,000 hectares and encompasses a number of islands, the largest of which are Komodo (34,000 hectares), Rinca (20,000 hectares), Padar, Nusa Kode, Motang, numerous smaller islands, and the Wae Wuul sanctuary on Flores. A total of 112,500 hectares of the surrounding waters are also under the jurisdiction of the park rangers.

History:

In 1938 Padar and the south and west of Rinca were declared a Wildlife Sanctuary, but it was only in 1965 that the island of Komodo was formally included in the sanctuary. Komodo National Park was established by government decree in 1980 followed by the designation of Komodo National Park as a World Heritage Site in 1991.

Climate:

Komodo National Park has the lowest annual rainfall in all of Indonesia, with an abbreviated rainy season in the month of January. For most of the year Komodo is dry and hot, parched by arid winds from the Australian desert that blow from April through October. Maximum temperatures reach 43 C, with minimums of 17 C in August.

Topography:

Most of the Park is dry, rugged and hilly, a combination of ancient volcanic eruptions and more recent tectonic uplift of sedimentary seabeds. The irregular coastline is indented with rocky headlands and sandy bays, many framed by soaring volcanic cliffs.

Komodo island is 35km long and 15km wide, and is mountainous on a north to south axis, with an average altitude of 500-600m. The highest peak is Satalibo (735m) in the north. Most of the island is lontar palm savannah with remnates of rainforest and bamboo forest at higher elevations. On Rinca the land rises gradually from the north coast to a plateau that ends at Mount Dora (667m) in the south. The rugged south coast is very sheer as a result of volcanic activity in the distant past, as evidenced by the crater bay in which Nusa Kode nestles.

Fauna:

The Park encompasses most of the recognized habitat of the largest known lizard, the world famous Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis). The Park is also home to Sunda deer (Cervus timorensis), wild buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), wild boar ((Sus scrofa), the macaque monkey (Macaca fascicularis), and wild horse (Equus qaballus). All the large mammals have been introduced by man, but indigenous frogs, snakes and lizards abound on the island. The sole endemic species found on Komodo is the aptly named Komodo rat. Over 150 species of birds have been identified in Komodo National Park, many of which are migratory and more representative of Australasian than Asiatic species. Distinctive species include sulphur-crested cockatoos, imperial pigeons, white-breasted sea eagles and maleos. The seas surrounding the park teem with over 1000 species of fish and marine mammals.

VOTE IT NOW ON: www.new7wonders.com and vote Komodo Island for the next 7 Wonders of Nature....

For more information about accomodation, how to get there, etc. Please visit http://www.komodo-gateway.org/



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Who does not know Borobudur? This Buddhist temple has 1460 relief panels and 504 Buddha effigies in its complex. Millions of people are eager to visit this building as one of the World Wonder Heritages. It is not surprising since architecturally and functionally, as the place for Buddhists to say their prayer, Borobudur is attractive.

Borobudur was built by King Samaratungga, one of the kings of Old Mataram Kingdom, the descendant of Sailendra dynasty. Based on Kayumwungan inscription, an Indonesian named Hudaya Kandahjaya revealed that Borobudur was a place for praying that was completed to be built on 26 May 824, almost one hundred years from the time the construction was begun. The name of Borobudur, as some people say, means a mountain having terraces (budhara), while other says that Borobudur means monastery on the high place.

Borobudur is constructed as a ten-terraces building. The height before being renovated was 42 meters and 34.5 meters after the renovation because the lowest level was used as supporting base. The first six terraces are in square form, two upper terraces are in circular form, and on top of them is the terrace where Buddha statue is located facing westward. Each terrace symbolizes the stage of human life. In line with of Buddha Mahayana, anyone who intends to reach the level of Buddha's must go through each of those life stages.

The base of Borobudur, called Kamadhatu, symbolizes human being that are still bound by lust. The upper four stories are called Rupadhatu symbolizing human beings that have set themselves free from lust but are still bound to appearance and shape. On this terrace, Buddha effigies are placed in open space; while the other upper three terraces where Buddha effigies are confined in domes with wholes are called Arupadhatu, symbolizing human beings that have been free from lust, appearance and shape. The top part that is called Arupa symbolizes nirvana, where Buddha is residing.

Each terrace has beautiful relief panels showing how skillful the sculptors were. In order to understand the sequence of the stories on the relief panels, you have to walk clockwise from the entrance of the temple. The relief panels tell the legendary story of Ramayana. Besides, there are relief panels describing the condition of the society by that time; for example, relief of farmers' activity reflecting the advance of agriculture system and relief of sailing boat representing the advance of navigation in Bergotta (Semarang).

All relief panels in Borobudur temple reflect Buddha's teachings. For the reason, this temple functions as educating medium for those who want to learn Buddhism. YogYES suggests that you walk through each narrow passage in Borobudur in order for you to know the philosophy of Buddhism. Atisha, a Buddhist from India in the tenth century once visited this temple that was built 3 centuries before Angkor Wat in Cambodia and 4 centuries before the Grand Cathedrals in Europe.

Thanks to visiting Borobudur and having supply of Buddha teaching script from Serlingpa (King of Sriwijaya), Atisha was able to improve Buddha's teachings after his return to India and he built a religion institution, Vikramasila Buddhism. Later he became the leader of Vikramasila monastery and taught Tibetans of practicing Dharma. Six scripts from Serlingpa were then summarized as the core of the teaching called "The Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment" or well known as Bodhipathapradipa.

A question about Borobudur that is still unanswered by far is how the condition around the temple was at the beginning of its foundation and why at the time of it's finding the temple was buried. Some hypotheses claim that Borobudur in its initial foundation was surrounded by swamps and it was buried because of Merapi explosion. It was based on Kalkutta inscription with the writing 'Amawa' that means sea of milk. The Sanskrit word was used to describe the occurrence of disaster. The sea of milk was then translated into Merapi lava. Some others say that Borobudur was buried by cold lava of Merapi Mountain.

With the existing greatness and mystery, it makes sense if many people put Borobudur in their agenda as a place worth visiting in their lives. Besides enjoying the temple, you may take a walk around the surrounding villages such as Karanganyar and Wanurejo. You can also get to the top of Kendil stone where you can enjoy Borobudur and the surrounding scenery. Please visit Borobudur temple right away...

Text: Yunanto Wiji Utomo
Photo: PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, Prambanan & Ratu-Boko
Map & Artistic: Sutrisno

from: yogyes.com

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Stay healthy

Temperatures on Mount Bromo are refreshingly cool during the day (although sunburn is still a real danger), but outright cold at night, as temperatures can drop to zero in the summer and are rarely much above 5°C in winter. Some of the cheaper places to stay may not provide adequate blankets or heating, so come prepared. If needed, you can rent jackets and hats at Cemoro Lawang and at the Penanjakan viewpoint for about Rp 10,000.

There are cases of Malaria each year in the lower foothills of the park and any visitor planning a long stay or to camp in this area should take necessary precautions. This is not though a problem for those visiting Mount Bromo or the high plateau only.

Stay safe

The "path" at the top of the steps up to Mount Bromo is only about 1 metre wide and in places the drop into the crater is sheer and considerable. Be careful, make sure you have a flashlight for any pre-dawn climb and always have your wits about you.

Bromo is an active volcano, and Semeru is a very active volcano. In June 2004, two tourists were killed at Bromo by rocks flung from a sudden explosion. The Smithsonian Institute's Volcanic Activity Report keeps an eye on both, and is worth checking.

It gets very cold up on the high tops at night, probably colder than anywhere in Indonesia outside of the glacial highlands of Papua. Be suitably prepared for nightime temperatures not far above zero.

From: wikitravel.org



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