Aulia131’s blog

If you have visited Bali Island in Indonesia, or you are planning to visit Bali, extend your vacation for more few days to visit its neighborhood, Lombok Island. It is a small area – about 4,725km2 – located just east of Bali.

You can say that once you arrive in Lombok as if you are visiting a “paradise”.  Unlike Bali, the island is much comfortable and relaxing place to stay.  There are many parts of the island you can visit.  The Lombok Island is also a gateway to the famous Gili Trawangan.

Now let start the exploration of Lombok Island:

WEST LOMBOK ISLAND

In West area you can visit Pura Lingsar.  The place is mainly for Hindus community.  The Pura Lingsar is belongs to animists beliefs of the time.  The place has spring-fed pools within the temple grounds and is home to large freshwater eels. Other temples you can find are Pura Narmada (or Narmada Temple), and Pura Suranadi.

EAST LOMBOK ISLAND

There is a place called Masbagik, it’s a small village where you can find and see the pottery being made in the small yards. Purchase the wares as souvenir for amazingly cheap prices.

CENTRAL LOMBOK ISLAND

Pringgasela, in central Lombok, offers weaving ikat. Visit the small houses and shops here to purchase traditionally woven, colorful fabrics.

Then you can go to Tetebatu, on the southern angle of Rinjani Mountain.  It is a cool mountain and is a lovely place for walking or a day trip with lunch at one of the nearby restaurants.

Roro Jonggrang was a very beautiful princess from a Javanese kingdom, Prambanan Kingdom hundred years ago. Her famous beauty was known throughout the country, and princes from far and different land and kingdoms came to propose her. However, her beauty did not make her humble, instead she grew her arrogance even more. She refused all their proposal, and sometime in harsh as well. Many returned brokenhearted.

There was a famous prince by that era, Prince Bandung Bondowoso. He was famous by his strength, power, and good looking. He owned a big kingdom with thousand of soldiers. He too heard of Roro Jonggrang’s amazing beauty that he set up to the kingdom to propose her.

Having heard that Prince Bondowoso was coming to marry her, Roro Jonggang grew worried. She disliked the idea of getting married, however, she too understood the consequence if she refused the proposal. She knew that Bondowoso had thousands of soldiers that could attack her kingdom if she disappointed him. So when Bondowoso arrived and proposed her, she was willing to accept it with one condition.

Bondowoso had to make her 1000 temples in one night time. If he failed, then Roro Jonggrang would not marry him. Now, Bondowoso was not only strong, he had thousands of men working for him, and not only men, he owned the power to control the genies as well. He agreed to fulfill Jonggrang’s wish and started to work it immediately. He used his power to call all the genies and asked them to keep on working until they completed 1000 temples by the time the rooster crowed the next morning.

The genies worked without stop any second. They would only stop by the time the rooster crowed. Soon hundreds of temples were completed. This made Roro Jonggrang restless. She could not sleep or even closed her eyes. She tried to think any way to fail Bondowoso. Finally, she got an idea. She cut paper in the shape of a circle and glued it in front of a candle holder. She lit the candle and carried it to the chicken coop where the rooster slept. When the rooster saw the candle, it thought that it was almost dawn and the sun was going to rise soon. The rooster quickly got up and in a second, it crowed.

The working genies heard the rooster and thought that the morning had come. Instantly, they stopped working and disappeared leaving the undone temples. There were 999 temples that completed. One more to be built. Bondowoso was disappointed to see this. He was very mad. When he found out that it was the work of Roro Jonggrang, he came to her and cursed her into a stone.

Until now, we can still see the statue of Princess Roro Jonggrang in one of those temples that Bondowoso built for her. The temples are now named Prambanan.

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton