On 11th September 2018, the 7th International Conference on Ion Exchange participants went for an exciting excursion to Borobudur temple, Ketep Pass and Prambanan temple. The journey started at Gadjah Mada University Club (UC) Hotel at 07:00 a.m. It took around 1,5 hour to reach the first destination by bus, which is the Borobudur temple. Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The participants were divided into three groups with one tour guide in each group (2 groups with a tour guide in Japanese language and the other groups with a tour guide in English). After strolling around the temple, the participants had lunch in Manohara restaurant on the northwest side of the temple.
After visiting the Borobudur Temple and having lunch in Manohara Restaurant, the participants went to Ketep Pass. The participants experienced the fresh air and cool temperature on the most beautiful viewpoint spot at Ketep Pass while enjoying the beauty of Merapi Volcano as one of the five most active volcanoes in the world. The Ketep pass is facilitated with a movie theater that played the documentary movie of the Merapi mountain eruption where some of the participants watch it.
The final destination is the Prambanan Temple. The organizers arranged the participants to watch the Ramayana Ballet. However, since the Ballet started around 7.30 pm, the participant went back first to Universitas Gadjah Mada or the participants lodging after visiting the Ketep Pass. They departed at 02:00 pm from Ketep Pass to Yogyakarta. The participants gathered at 5.00 p.m in UGM to depart for the next destination, Prambanan Temple. While waiting for the show, the participants had dinner in Rama Shinta Garden Resto. This restaurant overlooks the Prambanan Temple that looks spectacular when it is lighted up in the evening. Afterward, the participants went to the open-air theatre which lied next to the restaurant to enjoy the Ramayana Ballet performance. This performance enacted by over 200 professional dancers and musicians on an open-air stage that takes advantage of the Prambanan Temples as the background.
Reporter: Aulia Ratri Hapsari