the 91% humidity near yogyakarta tried to dissolve my camera (and my will)
i'm sitting on a cracked concrete step, the sun already hammering down even though it's barely 8am. the air is like a soaked blanket you can't wring out - it just sits on your skin, heavy and relentless. i just checked and it's... tropical soup out here, hope you like that kind of thing. this is central java, somewhere between the ancient temple of borobudur and the colonial streets of yogyakarta. i came here as a history nerd with a cheap guidebook and a dream of seeing sunrise over those massive stone stupas. but i missed the pre-dawn alarm (again) and now i'm wandering around like a zombie, dragging my camera that's already fogging up from the humidity. the locals call this time 'pagi that feels like siang' or something. someone told me that the humidity regularly hits 90%+ and today it's mocking me with my own sweat dripping into my eyes. if you need to pinpoint exactly where i'm stranded, here's the map:
yeah, that little blue dot is me, somewhere in the middle of rice paddies that stretch further than my patience. the landscape is a patchwork of green and gold - rice fields, some corn, and the occasional tobacco drying on bamboo mats. i even saw a woman standing in the grain field, throwing grasses up to dry.
i tried to take a photo but my lens is already condensing like a bathroom mirror after a hot shower. maybe that's why i keep seeing blurry water buffalo in the distance. are they real or just heat mirages? who knows. i heard a rumor that the best nasi goreng in these parts is served at a warung right by a small lake, but you have to find the lady with the red scarf. i spent an hour looking for that and ended up at some guy's house where he was terrified of my presence because his rooster started crowing nonstop. i left quickly. (the rooster, not the guy.) that's the problem with relying on drunk advice from a traveler at a hostel - they might be mixing truth with too much cheap bintang. the lake itself was a large body of water sitting next to a lush green field, its surface reflecting the heavy clouds.
as i watched, a group of people in a small boat paddled across, their silhouettes blurred by the humidity.
anyway, as a history buff, i'm supposed to be here for the candi. the sailendra dynasty left these massive buddhist monuments, and the mataram kingdom later added hindu temples. it's a crossroads of cultures, where the volcanic soil nurtures both rice and empires. but right now my brain feels like it's marinating in that same humidity. i've read that the volcanic ash from nearby merapi makes the soil incredibly fertile - that explains why these fields are so lush. also explains why the stone carvings at borobudur have this eerie, almost liquid quality after centuries of monsoons. some stones are so worn they look like they're melting. it's like the mountain itself is slowly exhaling into the ruins. as weird as it sounds, the pressure feels off. i don't have a barometer but i read that the normal pressure here is around 1011 hpa, and today it's dancing around that number. my ears haven't popped, but i sort of feel it in my sinuses. i guess that's what happens when you're 91% humidity and the ground level pressure is low. it's probably why my headache is blooming like a lotus. or maybe it's the few hours of sleep i got last night because the hostel's aircon sounded like a dying whale. when you get bored of this sweatbox, solo is just a short drive away - it's like the cultural capital of java with its own palace and batik workshops. or if you need a beach vibe, parangtritis is a short drive south and supposedly the waves are rough enough to scare off tourists. i haven't gone yet; i'm too busy trying to revive my camera with silica gel packets that do nothing. i keep thinking about the people who built these temples. they didn't have deodorant, obviously. they carved massive stones with bronze tools and dragged them across this very landscape. and here i am complaining about a little humidity. shame on me, really. maybe i'll try to find that warung with the red scarf lady later. for now, i'm going to sit under this banyan tree and let the mosquitos have a feast. i've heard they carry dengue, but i'm starting to wonder if a fever would cool me down. oh, and if you're planning a trip, you should definitely check out the official borobudur website - they have the weirdest opening hours (they close for prayer at noon, which i missed). also, tripadvisor has some hilarious reviews from people who complained that the sunrise was too early. like, no kidding. and there's this local blog called 'java jive' that writes about hidden waterfalls near here. i'll link a few: tripadvisor: yogyakarta attractions borobudur official java jive blog the local warung owners also swear by 'sate klathak' near the market. i haven't tried it yet; i'm too busy sweating. let's see how long i can last before i melt into the pavement. maybe i'll become a puddle and get absorbed by the rice field. then at least i'd be part of history.
You might also be interested in:
- https://votoris.com/post/boankras-monthly-budget-breakdown-freelance-photographers-messy-guide
- https://votoris.com/post/manzanillo-mexico-where-the-ocean-whispers-and-the-streets-laugh
- https://votoris.com/post/barcelona-brain-dump-146384-1196136222
- https://votoris.com/post/tangiers-static-the-smell-of-mint-tea
- https://votoris.com/post/childcare-costs-in-canagatan-a-street-artists-survival-guide