Travelagys: One Of My Simple Joys...

Sunrise from Punthuk Sitempu, Borobudur Temple.

I fell in love with this man when I saw him in Punthuk Sitempu, Magelang – Yogyakarta. It was 4.30 am, super hot, we walked quite far up to the hill just to get some perfect shots of sunrise and Borobudur Temple. First time to Punthuk Sitempu ( Close to Borobudur temple, I guess the best way to get there – you should ask the local people or hire motorcycle taxi ) I was surprised to see hundreds of photographers, from amateurs to the very professional – they all seemed ready with smart phones, cameras and tripods. We have one mission here : sunrise, what else ?

My friend next to me was busy with his camera. Just like everybody else here, he looked so excited to see the sunrise. I decided to keep the Nikon DSLR camera inside the bag and just using Iphone, very simple. In my head, coffee..coffee...I need coffee. Saw a lady with a plastic cup of coffee standing not so far from me, hmm where did she get that black coffee ? But then my eyes caught this old man sitting at the wooden bench, just behind her. He was wearing cool t-shirt, peci in his head, grey hair, tan skin, wrinkles, smiling to people in front of him. He’s definitely a local guy. Then he grabbed a plastic of tobacco and paper from his pocket, he rolled them and light a match then started to enjoy his cigarette. Instead of taking photos of the sun, I took photo of him. Forget about the sunrise, this guy got my attention. It was the way he looked at people, the way he giggled, the way he stare at the golden light came up from behind the mountain...the sunrise's like a new hope, new start, yes another day to live. He looked incredibly happy to start his day in this place, with his tobacco and all these tourists. Simple joy, aye ?

Here, far away from home - an old man, sunrise, people and breathtaking view of Borobudur Temple, already made my day, even though it was too early to say that well, I had a good day.