Note: This posting is only relevant for Indonesian Citizen applying for passport. Therefore, I decided to share in Bahasa. Those who need English translation are welcome to use Google Translator

“Sebuah kemajuan”, komentar saya pada saat melangkah keluar menuju tempat parkir mobil. Pagi ini saya baru mengurus sendiri perpanjangan paspor yang habis masa berlakunya. Dan pengalaman kali ini sungguh merupakan kemajuan dari pengalaman saya 5 tahun yang lalu.

Kali ini saya menuju ke kantor Imigrasi Jakarta Selatan, karena lebih dekat kantor. Kantor sementara Imigrasi Jakarta Selatan terletak di Jl. TB Simatupang No. 10. Dari Fatmawati menuju Lebak Bulus, kantor imigrasi terletak sekitar 10-20 meter setelah pool bus Lorena. Halaman parkir kantor ini bisa menampung sekitar 40-50 mobil, selebihnya akan ditampung di parkiran rumah makan Jepang Sakura ayng terletak 10-20 meter setelah kantor imigrasi.

Tahap pertama dari pembuatan/perpanjangan paspor adalah menyerahkan dokumen permohonan. Antrian penyerahan dokumen diatur dengan nomor antrian, yang bisa diambil dari mesin. Pengambilan nomor dibuka hingga pukul 11 setiap harinya.

Saya berada pada antrian ke 20. Baiklah, sambil menunggu sayapun melengkapi sura-surat permohonan: Map & Formulir Permohonan (Ditebus seharga Rp. 5000  di Koperasi), mempersiapkan fotokopi berkas2: Surat Nikah, Surat Lahir, Surat Pengantar dari kantor, KTP, Kartu keluarga dan paspor lama. Semua surat difotokopi dengan ukuran A4, juga untuk KTP, sehingga tidak boleh dipotong. Biaya fotokopi Rp. 500 per lembar, sehingga sebaiknya fotokopi surat2 sudah disiapkan sebelumnya.

Ternyata, untuk 20 orang sebelum saya memakan waktu 1.5 jam. Itupun karena beberapa orang tidak ada sewaktu dipanggil. Alasan utama karena fotokopi surat2 tidak lengkap, atau fotokopi KTP dipotong (Ingat, fotokopi KTP TIDAK BOLEH DIPOTONG, harus ukuran A4). Ruang tunggu cukup panas, karena tidak ada AC. Well, at least, ruang tunggu ini bebas asap rokok, suatu perbaikan yang cukup signifikan.

“Bapak mau foto kapan?”, tanya petugas loket.  Saya sempat bingung, karena 5 tahun yang lalu, jadwal foto adalah 2 hari kerja setelah penyerahan permohonan. Rupanya, untuk yang sudah melakukan pra-permohonan melalui internet, diberikan kemudahan untuk bisa langsung foto di hari yang sama.

Pra-permohonan bisa dilakukan melalui website http://www.imigrasi.go.id. Hal tersulit dari pengalaman saya adalah mempersiapkan soft-copy dari dokumen yang harus dimasukkan dalam pra-permohonan. Instruksi yang disediakan cukup jelas, pada dasarnya semua dokumen harus di-scan hitam-putih dalam format JPG. Proses pra-permohonan ini memakan waktu kurang lebih 1 jam, termasuk scanning dokumen.

Saya lalu dijadwalkan untuk foto di hari yang sama, dan setelah diberikan tagihan, pembayaran dilakukan di loket sebesar Rp. 270.000 (dengan tanda terima resmi). Biaya pembuatan paspor ini juga dapat dilihat di website http://www.imigrasi.go.id. Setelah pembayaran, tepat jam makan siang, sehingga proses foto baru bisa dilakukan setelah jam 1.

Tempat pengambilan foto terletak di lantai 2, dan harus melalui tangga. Mungkin cukup merepotkan bagi orang berusia lanjut. Semoga di gedung permanen yang sedang drenovasi ini ada lift untuk naik ke lantai 2. Antrian proses foto ini cuma makan waktu 10 menit. Dalam proses foto ini, selain diambil foto paspor, juga diambil sidik jari dari kesepuluh jari, dan dilakukan wawancara. Wawancara sebenarnya adalah verifikasi bahwa data yang dimasukkan sudah benar, seperti tidak ada kesalahan ketik pada nama, dll, dll. Total proses sekitar 15 menit.

Setelah wawancara, saya dipersilahkan pulang. Total 4 jam saya di kantor imigrasi, karena terpotong waktu istirahat 1 jam. Waktu yang singkat, karena 5 tahun yang lalu memerlukan 2 kali kunjungan ke kantor imigrasi. Paspor selesai maksimal 4 hari kemudian, dan bisa di periksa melalui SMS atau internet. Dan total biaya yang dikeluarkan? Cuma Rp. 284.000 rupiah, semua biaya resmi dengan tanda terima. Semoga 5 tahun lagi akan jauh lebih baik.

Tips buat yang mengurus paspor sendiri:

1. Lakukan pra-permohonan di http://www.imigrasi.go.id. It will save A LOT of time.
2. Siapkan fotokopi surat-surat: KTP, Surat Lahir, Surat Nikah, Kartu Keluarga, dll. Syarat surat-surat bisa dilihat di website yang sama
3. Fotokopi KTP JANGAN DIPOTONG, harus ukuran A4
4. Datang lebih pagi, kalau tidakmau terpotong jam makan siang
5. Bawa alat tulis (ball point)
6. Jangan malu untuk bertanya, dan senyum

Happy Travelling…..

One catch, though, the hotel is rather old. We suspect that this building was rented as apartment before, because of the washing sink, which is uncommon in most Hotel. The red fabric of the sofa, the wallpaper, and the carpet  is a little bit dull. So does the bathroom interior. But it is clean, and no foul smell whatsoever.

The room is spacious, enough for additional king-sized bed or a living room, with still spacious space to walk around. But most likely you will spend most of your time in the balcony. Sitting there, with the breeze of ocean wind, will certainly make up your evening.

At night, visitor will have 2 options: to go to Gurney Drive or Batu Ferringhi. But why choose, since this hotel is located right in the middle? Rapid Penang bus stop is conveniently located right in front of the hotel, making commuting easy. Service until midnight, bus no 101 will took you to Gurney Drive for dinner in 20 minutes. Then when you need to dump some energy you’ve ate, took another Rapid Penang to Batu Ferringhi.

Morning is best spent strolling on the beach. I always love to have a short jogging along the coast, but hesitantly have to skip due to limited time we have. Kids would also love to swim in the swimming pool, while parents can watch them – and passer byer –  from the pool bar

Breakfast is a little bit below our expectation. “Bistro Delifrance” written in front of the restaurant has gave us a high expectation of the food served. Porridge is served tasteless, and the bread, cold cuts and dessert was served rather ordinary. Probably we just put too much expectation from the “Bistro Delifrance” brand.

At 11:30 we checked out. Rather than boarding the bus to Georgetown, we walk to the toy museum next door. The museum  seems lack of maintenace, with dust lying around the display. Some of the action figure toppled over, with nobody care to fix it. But definitely worth a visit, for some memory of our childhood.

Booking: The hotel was booked through Agoda on Sale price for US$50 a night nett, including breakfast for 2
Going to/from: Rapid Penang bus 101 depart from KOMTAR. Alight at the bus stop right in front of the Hotel.
Tips: Ask for room facing east. The view from the room facing west is blocked by Flamingo Hotel.

The evening was getting better with a pot of tea and 2 plates of finger food. I took my cigar, unpack it from the wrapping, which keep the tobacco fresh. I took a deep breath along the cigar, not to let the fresh smell escape. Moment, later, after 1 pull, the waiter replace the old glass ashtray to grandeur wooden ashtray, specifically built for the cigar.

Evening turns into night, and we gave up our space to the mosquito, starting their long night of labor. But it is still too early for dinner, so we decided to further uncover the Hotel, which was residence of dutch officer. Behind the main building is swimming pool, secluded between towers of rooms. Not many place offers you to swim in the middle of “Art Deco” Architectural. But for us, we are happy enough with the evening tea.

When we finally retreated to our room after dinner, we couldn’t help to look at some details. An oversized oval window was placed right at the end of the bed. The furniture, mostly made from dark-painted wood, add to the classic feeling. A little disappointment came from the bathroom and the LCD TV: the modern architecture seems out of place from the rest of the room.

The morning breakfast have another surprise of itself. Seated near the same plaza of our previous tea time, we were presented with selection of fresh juice, something that is rarely available even in more expensive hotel’s buffet breakfast. I was never so convinced with the honey And if it is not enough, an old lady, complete with hair bud, sat next to juice stall, with a basket full of Jamu (traditional potions). This one you won’t find elsewhere.

Full, but not enough, that’s how we feel afterwards. It is quite a tough choice between spending more time for another cup of tea or continue with our plan. With hesitant, we checked out from the Hotel, thinking that there will be tomorrow for another cup of tea in this classical Phoenix Hotel.

Trip Date: January 2010

Other photo can be viewed at http://www.pbase.com/bennyc/phoenix_jogja

If heaven is identified solely based on number of Church, then Flores is definitely one. “There are more Church &  monastery here than schools”, said Romo Paskal. We were driving with him in his old trusted white Kijang. Romo Paskal is the head priest of Carmelite Monastery, who was hosting us during our stay in Flores.

“The live here is not beautiful, however”, he said as we nearing Maumere. The small roof that we saw up high in the mountain turns into simple houses. “Most people are farmers who depends a lot to the nature”, he continues.  ”How is the crop this year?”, I asked. “Unfortunately, nature hasn’t been so nice to us in a couple of year.” A bitter smile is clearly visible on his lip. “We had a food shortage few months ago. People just can’t afford to buy food when their crops failed”

We arrived at house of Pak Petrus, the headmaster of local community school. He and Romo Paskal set up a pre- school for the village around the Monastery, do the children can have basic education for their future. Without the pre-school, it would be impossible to continue to higher education. Pak Petrus has prepared a warm welcome for us: A cup of famous Flores Coffee perfectly complemented with a plate of fried banana.

Pak Petrus told us a lot about the school, about the kids, and about the teacher. “We are volunteer teacher here. We were not paid, but we do it for the future of the children. They are our future.” As the headmaster, he also had to run errands, taking care of the papers, while ensuring that everything running well. But we only see smile on his face, no tired look, no pity. As is he is doing it for a greater purpose.

We left Pak Petrus’ house with a renewed soul, renewed spirit which urge us to do something to realize the heaven on earth which we saw from up high in the mountain this morning

A trip on December 2006, written for Travel Writing Class, Ubud Writer Festival 2008. To help the school, visit http://ribbon-oflove.blogspot.com. Other photo is available at http://www.pbase.com/bennyc/in_flores_indonesia

Melia Purosani is more towards business traveler than holiday. The only reason we stayed here is its proximity to Malioboro Street, undoubtedly onof the center of attraction in Yogyakarta. Eight minutes walk, and we are at the center of the street. Beringharjo market is few steps away, and our favorite Mirota art shop is within vicinity.

Rooms are rather spacious, with non-smoking floor available. Amenities are geared towards business needs, with working desk and reading chair. Our oversized window overlooked the calm street of Mataram

Coffee maker are also available, which we use to brew hot ginger drink from Mirota. The drink was a perfect companion while submerging yourself into the bath tub of hot water, after a long day walking around the town.

That morning, we finished our breakfast, happily full with the buffet. We walked down the courtyard, passing through the lush garden and small river. For a moment, we feel being at a country side park instead Jogja’s city center. But when the sun getting higher and higher, we have to leave so that we can cross more on our to visit list.

During check-out process, we saw group of people just arriving and checking in at the reception desk. “Enjoy the green lush garden”, I said silently, with envy.

Hotel Website: http://www.solmelia.com/hotels/indonesia/java/melia-purosani/home.htm. We booked our stay through agoda: www.agoda.com

Our first stop is Pak Ndut, who sell Fried Duck. Rumors said that he was the employee of Pak H Slamet, another more famous fried duck restaurant. We took a seat on a mat instead of chairs, and made our order. It is a Central Java-style duck, fried moist instead of crisp. The best part of it is when eaten with the Chili, hot with strong trace of garlic. Well, it is indeed reminds me of Pak H Slamet’s Chili.

We took the same taxi, who was waiting for us at the parking space. After such good dinner, our next stop is Serabi Notosuman fir light bites. The restaurant is so simple, with 1-2 tables inside. That won’t be a problem though, as most people came here for take away. Their branches in Jakarta is nowhere comparable with the one in Solo. The Solo has thicker moist center compared to the one in Jakarta. We ordered take away, nibbling at the snacks as the driver took us to Jl. Keprabon.

There, we stopped by at Nasi Liwet, served in banana leaves shaped in cone. Nothing really special about it, and the accompanying wedang was disappointing. We are  full and bloated, so we decided to walk for a little while, to get the feel of Solo night.

There aren’t much to feel at night in Solo. We hailed a rickshaw to took us to  Rumahkoe, a hotel with, according to my friend, has a nice cafe. There are a middle-aged couple and a foreigner sitting alone when we arrived. The live music has just about to begin. We had a good night chat, accompanied with cup of coffee, cup of tea, and Solo Sausage. Well, it is not really a piece of sausage, but minced meat wrapped in omelette.

Swayed by the music and two full stomach, we decided to end the day, and took a taxi back to our hotel.

+++

The next day, after a tiring venture to Pasar Klewer, we walked to Galaboga, a patch of street transformed into center of culinary by the Ministry of Trade. It was weekend, yet, not much crowd gathers. The light rain might contribute to the sleepiness. Yet, in the middle of it the hidden jewel: Gudeg Ceker Bu Kasno. Although I can’t really enjoy the ceker (chicken feed), the gudeg is excellent that we ordered a 2nd plate. “We originally, and still open at 2am every day at our place, Jl. Monginsidi”, the lady behind the counter said. Well, if they can sell Gudeg at the wee hour, maybe Solo is not as sleepy as we thought. There should be some other side of Solo, where people gather.

It was left as mystery until  our next visit to Solo…..

“If Jakarta is the business muscle of Java, Jogja is the soul” - Lonely Planet

I have to agree with the quote above. Strolling at Jl. Malioboro, there are stalls along the road, which to some people might see as chaos. But stay long enough, and you’ll know that it is Jogja, its soul.

While feasting over the street vendor satay, a becak driver told the greatness of the building, which was the presidential palace between 1946-1949. Right in front of it, a bunch of teenagers gather, some of them show off their skills of spinning basket balls.

Not far from there, right in front of Kraton, is the purest event for society: The Sekaten 2010 Night Bazaar. Aside from food stalls and textile product, there are games where people cheering with friends. There are Ferris Wheel, Swing Ship and Tilt-a-whirl. The later one worth a mention, since it is traditionally powered by 4-5 men, rotating the base plate. And they genuinely enjoy the labor, as they perform acrobatic show.

But not all all good soul. A warning sign of pickpocket is placed at the entrance of Mirota Shop. Pickpocket warning also announced in the night bazaar. But that shouldn’t hinder you to recharge your good soul

And not all the soul are fortunate enough in their venture. Late night, we hailed a becak, driven by an old man. He definitely had a hard labor, taking the 2 of us uphill while turning, pushing instead of cycling. We decided to share a little bit more fortune to him at the end of the ride

In our last night in Jogja, we decided to spend the dinner at Angkringan, to experience the Jogja soul once again at night. I almost paid to the wrong stall, until the cashier gave a strange look before saying: “You’re not ordering from here, right? I saw you ordered from that stall.” It is Rp. 8.000 worth food, not much, but the honesty that came from heart that recharged our soul, exactly the reason why we came here at first, and why we will be back here.

The Phoenix, Jogja, 28 Jan 2010

It is the lowest season of travelling this time of year, when people has just spent all they earned for the Holiday, so we have the leeway of having great offer at the last minute.

The original plan of road trip has to be cancelled. The weather is unfriendly at this time of year, with heavy rain expected along the way. And most of all, we are still recovering from all the hassle of our wedding. So we booked our flight one night before

Hotel is another problem, since we haven’t fixed our itinerary yet. With the same reason above, we crossed few places to visit. We want to have a laid back trip, instead of running here and there, catching trains and buses.

And after making our hotel booking at the airport, we finally sit at the Executive Lounge, splurging ourself with a cup of coffee, orange juice, and plates of food. We are ready for holiday

It is indeed very easy to spot foreigners in Hanoi. With the northern hemisphere drops below 0, the 18 Celcius Hanoi is warm. We walked from our Hotel to the Hoan Kiem Lake, 15 minutes walk passing through the Hanoi traffic. “It is chaos. So many motorbike. I wonder where all the people go with their motorbike”, a German that we met told us.

The Hoan Kiem lake itself is a contrasting view. The eastern part is seems untouched by the upcoming Christmas. But on the western part, where all the shops line up, one might hard to feel that they are in a socialist country. Restaurants put up a Christmas Tree, complete with the gifts box beneath it. Ice Cream sellers decorate their shops with cotton for the snow, and a big snowman. Another beer establishment puts up Santa’s reindeer cart, complete with the reindeer. And almost all shops decorates their window with sticker of snowflakes.

The most modest one is probably Quan An Ngon. Two Christmas bells, made from Styrofoam, was hung at the name sign. Beyond it is the main dining hall, tables and chairs placed in vast semi open-air space. Surrounding it is all the food stall selling all Vietnamese food that I know to exist, a real feast for the eyes and stomach. The taste might be slightly less original than the street vendor. Nevertheless, it was still taste great that we return to this place the next day.

“Ah, dari Indonesia”, he said. Be Van Nguyen claims that he is the only staff in Quan An Ngon that speaks Bahasa. “I was working in Malaysia for 2 years”, he explain his language skill. Away from home for so long, we are so happy to meet him. With his help, we made this 2nd visit another feast of Vietnamese Culinary.

Of course, the Vietnamese food from the street vendor is not to be missed. We start our dinner with Phở bò near our Hotel. Communication is an issue here, but money is the one that unite us all. The old lady pull out a 20.000 bank note to tell us how much it cost. And the next moment, we were busy adding chili, and sipping the most original Phở we ate. The stock was less thick compared to one at home, but it is the lightness that make it a refreshing food under Hanoi winter night.

Just before the 21:15 show of the Water Puppet, we stop for another street food salad. Back at home, we fell in love with those refreshing Vietnamese Salad. We watched a lady preparing shredded papaya, mint leaves, jerky meat of beef and pork, topped with crushed peanuts and poured with Vietnamese sweet and sour salad dressing. Smile drawn on our face as the minty, sweet and sour taste races through our sensory nerves, while the crunchy peanuts, vegetables and jerky meat busy entertaining our teeth.

The water puppet show itself tells 17 of Vietnamese folk lore. There are not much dialog compared to the action shown, and story guide is available in 6 languages, including English, and Chinese. It is good to watch if you have time, but definitely not a must.

The last night before we depart, we sat at the Beer Cafe at the southwest corner of the Hoan Kiem lake. Couples talks at a bench not too far from us, people cycling or jogging circling the lake. A voice was heard like an instruction for group of people, doing Tai Chi-like movement. It is 2 days before Christmas, and this once-a-socialist-city is certainly in the right mood.

Trip Date: 22-23, 25 December 2009

Hotel:

• 22-23 December: Luxor Hotel, booked via Asia Travel
• 25 December: Boss Hotel, booked via Agoda

The next thing I know is my flight is delayed for 1 hour!

Had I know that my wishes would be granted so fast, I would wishes to transit in this airport for flight to England.

Whatever your wishes is, I wish you a rocking 2010. May this Holiday recharge your energy with the loved one, and may next year bring you a more amazing places. I wish the same for me as well…..

“The traffic is crazy, be careful when crossing the road”

“So many scam, make sure you wrote your price before getting into public transport”

The corporate slave in me was a little bit worried with those negative reviews found by Google. But not for long. Travel stories from friends, food reviews, and beautiful scenery found in the photos has woke up the travel bug, which soon overules the corporate slave, turning worry itu anxiety. And when my Singapore-Hanoi ticket was booked, its too late to turn back.

Traveling with elder makes me less tolerant to risk. It won’t be fun to stroll your luggage around, from hotel to hotel to check and find decent room, so I pre-booked all the Hotel for the whole trip. But we still have a lot of open itinerary, allowing for time for our soul to guide us.

We also believe that, the objective of the trip is to spend as little as possible.  As written in Lonely Planet, there are no awards for those who spent the less. So, keeping in mind the budget, we booked a quite decent Hotel, tour, and listed several good food and coffee shop. At the end of the day, we want to have stories to tell, and photos worth to remember.

So, finally, after all the stuff packed, I do another search in Google. This time, the travel bug see the other side:

“Halong Bay is heavenly beautiful”

“The paintings are unbelievably beautiful and cheap”

“The food is awesome”

Welcoming 2010, we sell calendar for the new year. These calendars are decorated with 12 photos of our activity in comuunity preschool in Flores.

Price: Rp. 50.000, excl shipping. All profits from this sales will proceed to help education of Indonesian student.

For order, please email to ribbon.of.love@gmail.com

As we enjoyed the famous Nasi Dagang, we saw few people coming in with big boxes. We realized few moments later that it is sound system boxes, and musical instrument. “I hope they start after we left, otherwise it would be to noisy here, ruining the whole evening”, I said to She.

So, we continue enjoying our food. Besides Nasi Dagang, we also ordered a chicken porridge, which seems lack of chicken. It was served with fried wontoon, beef heart, and quarter of boiled egg. Not for long, a couple sat in front of us, at the piazza, chatting as the band prepared.

But their romantic seclusion didn’t go for long apparently, since not long afterwards, few boys join them. Seems that they are the man’s friends.

We finished our food. I’m sipping my Ice Coffee Jelly, which taste so plain. A bit more coffee would make it perfect. The couples sitting at the plaza finally gave up, the left, after waving goodbye to their friends.

The band finally finish with their preparation. But… where is the crowd?

I enjoy my new cup of coffee, not perfect but better, while having a good chat with She. It was a really perfect evening, until I didn’t realize when a boy sat, watching the bands.

We prepared to leave, settle our bill. The crowd finally gathered…. but why mostly kids? Well, it is indeed a perfect evening, even for kids to come and play around, running here and there, chasing each other. As for the parents? probably they still enjoy few cups of coffee and snacks in the surrounding establishment

*Teras Kota (often spelled Teraskota) is located in BSD City residential area, Serpong. From Jakarta, it can be reached through Merak-Cilegon Highway, or through new Serpong Highway. Total travel time is approximately 1 hour through the later.

The giant size of the unfinished Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue

When Sukawati is not so crowd

You can find the well-dressed statue, symbol of the Divine, and the offerings almost everywhere in Bali

A hot soup in Bali to make up your day

The post explain about complain of Tiger Airways passengers, which has been delayed for 3 days due to sick flight crew, and no replacement. So mad they are that, the staff should be flanked by security from the mad passengers.

It then continues with an interesting question which bug me: “Are we right to expect any better than that?”

If I’m among the crowd of delayed passenger, I would also be mad at the staff

Using the same analogy on the website: I don’t expect $20 ‘Old Sporran’ scotch would taste like Macallan, but I certainly expect it to taste like a scotch, not beer. So, when I buy a cheap airlines, I would expect to get airline service, not an economy class of coach service.

Even economy-class bus service would never strand their passenger for 3 days……

Our first stop is at Klapa Restaurant, Dreamland. Great sun, great surf…

Even if you choose indoor seat, the view is still thrilling

The food here is expensive, but for such a great place… might well worth the money….

Or maybe for a party?

I was wondering, why noone seat here to enjoy the sunset. But when the view below is so beautiful, why should sit here?

Continued on Bali in Camera Phone – Part 2

We stopped at Starbucks Coffee for a short Caffeine shot. If there is other multinational franchise that is very consistent across culture, it would be Starbucks Coffee. It is even better that Mc Donald’s, in addition to similar taste; they have similar hospitality as well. I asked how to get the discount booklet near the counter, and end up being given once, which I’m not actually eligible. They end up in my scrapbook.

I can find similarity of Jakarta’s road vs. Kuala Lumpur on Friday night, with exception of the green Kopaja and its orange brother, and the Bajaj. Cruising on the highway, there are queues at nearly every highway’s exit. Jakartans, however, should learn the attitude of driving here. Despite of long queue, there are nobody tried to cut the queue from the right lane. Cash card and proximity sensors are used at some of the gates, improving the overall efficiency of traffic flows. There are few motorcycles cruising on the highway as well. “They drive for free on the highway”, my friend said.

We arrived at Mount Kiara, a luxury condominium area in the downtown. “This is where the boss live”, my friend said as we pass forests of condominium. “But in the middle of the rich, there are stalls and hawker center”. I love the idea of hawker center. It is cheap, and it feels more like locals. But finding parking space at Friday night turns out to be a real trouble. We had to circle few times around the block, until we can find parking space just big enough for our big car.

Martabak, the thick foiled egg crepe with meat, seems to be the favorite here or at least for the three of us. I just sit at our desk, having ordered one, when my friend came back. “I ordered one Martabak, but the lady said that you have ordered it”, he said. Then as I look back, I can see my friend at the Martabak stall, talking to the lady, which soon pointed at me.

We had a good dinner. I enjoying the Kwee Tiau Penang at the country of origin, served with 2 big prawns. And the Martabak, it turns out to be, good enough, but I prefer one at home. We also had a good chat, especially around Malaysia-Indonesia relationship issue. The three of us shared the same thought, that it was the media who blown it up, and exaggerate too much about it. There might be few peoples tried to claim this, or that, but we certainly shouldn’t generalized that all Indonesian, or Malaysian, are bad people.

Back in my room, I was slapped by the fact that this is business trip. So I opened my laptop, and start working on my emails, but with renown spirit from a good evening, and home tomorrow evening.

The trip started with few food mishap. As with other trip, it was started with hell at the office, that I skipped lunch at the office to catch the plane. Instead, I choose a fast food burger outlet, and end up with cheese burger which taste like the “M” Fast Food Chain, priced at the “B” Fast Food Chain.

Aboard the plane, I’m a little bit suspicious when offered chicken with curry, or fish with curry – airlines seldom offered 2 similar meals. My suspicion was proven, when instead of fish with curry, it was fish with green chilli. The taste didn’t change my opinion about airlines meal – just good enough to be eaten.  However, the shiny red-yellow thing helps the meal a little bit. It is Beng Beng, the caramel wafer which I love very much.

In Kuala Lumpur, I’m staying at quite different places from my previous visit. Sunway Lagoon, although quite far from the public train, has much better food selection compared to Hilton @ KL Sentral. The road is filled with food stalls, cafes and bars. Sunway shopping center int he backyard provides all your needs.

The Hotel itself is standard business hotel, with a standard ammenities of instant coffee and teabag. I took a final sip of BOH Cameronian tea, perfect match after a cold water shower. it should help to perfect my rest for tonight….

We met him in the front of Hotel Prapat, where we spent the night before. He was sitting in his motorized tricycle when the innkeeper called him. “This man is good, you would be safe with him”, the inkeeper promote Pak Mawardi to us. Actually, in our 5th day of the trip, we already feel quite save and comfortable here. There’s no sign of safety clearer than finding a woman walking alone at 10pm.

We negotiated about the price for a tour around the city for the whole day, the visit to Diesel Power Plant, 200 tons structure thrown inland 4 km from the shoreline, the fishing boat found her final rest on top of a house, before then taking a long journey to the beach of Lampu’uk and Lhok Nga. On the evening we would rest at the famous coffee shop, Jasa Ayah, and finally ending the trip for dinner. Our negotiation end up with him saying: “Just ride with me, up to you on how much you want to pay later”. A little bit surprised, we hop into the passenger seat.

The Power Plant and Fishing boat were proof of the wrath of mother nature, but nothing compared to Pak Mawardi recounting his story on the unfortunate day. “It was Sunday morning, and I’m riding my tricycle looking for passenger”, he started his story. We were now in Lhok Nga, sitting under a beach hut.

His eye might be hidden behind the sunglasses on the hot sunny day of Aceh, but his voice can’t hide the ire when he walked home, having been lucky to survive the wave, only to find his home flattened to the ground. There are no trace of his wife and 2 sons in their adolescense. He then continue on how he and the other survivor survived the few days that followed, by scavenging whatever left on the ground, from instant noodle to bottled water that left unscathed.

Lhok Nga beach seems to feel the sorrow mood in us. It was empty. There are no one there, nobody sold fresh coconut, nothing. The road behind us were passed mostly by construction car, leaving thick cloud of dust in the sunny day. Add it with the hot weather, which deter people from visiting this empty sands.

We once again ride on the dusty road to another beach to the south. “That’s the old road”, Pak Mawardi point to a black mass few meters from the road. The road line was still clearly marked, but a huge crack running along the slab of asphalt. There are no sign of the road beyond that slab of asphalt. Nature has swept them all.

On the way back, we stop by at Lampu’uk Beach. This time Pak Mawardi refuse to join us, and choose to get some rest under a tree. We laid ourself under a hut while sipping from fresh coconut. Lampu’uk is beautiful, with the sands and a cove, and green mountain range in the background.The man serving us the coconut is busy with his fish grill. Life has moved on in here, and hopefully elsewhere in Aceh.

That night we recede ourself at Pasar Rex, just across Hotel Prapat. Pak Mawardi has return to his temporary home. His old house is being rebuilt, he has moved on, and planning a wedding few months later. We pay him the price he asked that morning, hoping that sum of money will help him to move on. And now, while eating Sate Matang, we wonder, maybe nature also need some chaos to give birth to the dancing soul – those beautiful beach, and those people who never give up.

Sunday morning starts slowly in this side of Bandung, part of it might caused by the cool air in the city 768m above sea level. Jalan Sudirman, one of main road in which our hotel located, was sparsely passed by cars. We pass few people as we walked, and a street painter painting for face of someone. A little bit ironic, since probably his friend was sleeping in front of it, with his face covered by red cloth. Passing the Otista intersection, there are barely any traffic in the road, which is usually clogged after 10 am.

Passing in front of the Grand Mosque, we can’t help to recollect the memory of 1 year ago, where we walk circling one of the Grand Mosque in Indonesia. There are not many people in the park in front of the Mosque. Some of them was having breakfast, chit chatting with friends, other shops at the peddler along the way, selling CDs, T-Shirt, watches, food and drinks. And in the distance we can see a signage: Linggarjati. A big smile decorate our face as the Ice Avocado served before us. We drink it as if we had no breakfast before, dried up the glass to the last drop. Temptation came to order second glass, but we decide to save it for another day.

We choose different route on the way back to the hotel, passing the road of Dalem Kaum. This small road is crowded with peddler, ricksaw, and people passing back and forth to the traditional market. I can’t help to notice a concrete gate: Tomb of Raden Wiranatakusumah II, the 6th Regent of Bandung. Too bad, it wasn’t properly maintained almost lost in between the growth of the city.

Not far ahead, we arrived at the entrance of Pasar Kota Kembang, a traditional market. We walk inside, taking the shortcut to our Hotel as the sun got higher. The alley in here is just enough for 2 people passing by without hitting each other, lit by the sun passing through the fiberglass roof above. Once in a while, the lady in front of us would stop to look at a handbag, and at another stall for shoes, forcing us to slow down. Maybe it would be nice as well if we had more time, but a friend’s wedding is waiting for us.

The main street was only slightly more crowded that before, seems Bandung wokes up real slow. But it was so much different when we leave for the wedding, with traffic jam all along. But given the chance, I would be happy to have another morning walk in this lovely city….

This Saturday, we started with a lazy morning. It is even very late at 11:30am for brunch at Pasar Cikini, one of the oldest traditional market in Menteng, Central Jakarta. But we love to come here, for the old cake shop, and of course for Durian Juice sold in the small cafeteria infront of the market.

Danisa cake shop is our first destination. The shop has been there since 1967, 42 years ago. Our interest has been the Jumbo Risoles (A small croquette enclosed in small pastry, rolled on breadcrump, and fried), but upon standing infront of stall, we couldn’t help for not picking up other delicious traditional cakes. Not so much crowd in the market, probably due to the day that is late already.

Then we sat at the Durian Cafetaria in front of the market. For a moment, I though it would be nice if you can own such cafetaria, and see how the life drama unfolds differently for everyone. While sipping the Durian, it is hard not to overhear the voice of middle age lady behind me yelling at the phone. Looking back, her son just sit beside her, no expression, probably wondering why my mom was so fussy.

In front of me was a young lady, sitting next to her servant. Most of those who shops here didn’t bring their own bag – they have one or more servant who bring the shopping bag for them, because they are the filthy rich people who have been living in Menteng Area for at least 2 generation. Just have another look at the car in the parking lot, Toyota Harrier and the latest BMW is common view. I can’t stop wondering, if they use Harrier for shopping in traditional market, what car do they use to go to work, or fine dining?

Once in a while, street singer came in and go, entertaining you with the latest Indonesia top 40 music. Or young boy, shoepolisher, offering to polish my sandals. Meanwhile, a lady who seems to be the owner, are busy giving change for payment, or otherwise writing in her notepad.

The sun got higher, and the day got hotter, but cars still come into the parking space, and people still navigating the aisle to shop. We leave, but the day at Pasar Cikini are still far from over…..

On my third day in Hongkong, my body is tired more than ever. Three days of giving training in cold Air Conditioned Hotel’s Business Center, and the chill of Hongkong’s late winter’s wind at night has drained my energy. That evening, I declined the invitatino for another shopping, and opt for a rather physical activity: jogging. Not treadmill jogging in the Hotel Gym, but jogging in the park across the Hotel, which coincidentally is the largest park in Hongkong: The Victoria Park.

I put on my shoes and jacket, and start running. The park has a very nice cemented jogging track, painted in red. I’m not alone, there are few people jogging or just took an evening walk with their friends, adding some joy of my evening jog. The track is equipped with the distance marking. As written on the marking, one lap equal to 500 meters. Don’t ask how many lap I did, because my body was lame that day.

I cross the street back to the hotel, warm and tired, and unlock my room. The Park Lane Hongkong is equipped with nice spacious room, just nice for being lazy after sports, without feeling too crumped. I took a nice hot comfy hot shower before waking a walk around for dinner

Ont he side of the Hotel is road leading to Causeway Bay, one of Hongkong business district. It is known for foreign domestic worker, especially Indonesian and Philippines, so don’t be surprised if you hear the shopkeepers chat in Bahasa among their friends. With such crowd it isn’t hard to find a restaurant, Indonesian especially. But I opt for local Chinese noodle instead, and nearby Ireland Potato before heading back to the Hotel.

The next morning, I’m refreshed more than ever. I enjoy my breakfast, before starting the class. Nothing worth mentioning for the breakfast, but the lunch is much waiting for. During my 5 days stay, I tried all the cuisine, Japanese Sushi-Sashimi, Indian Curry, Chinese, and even repeating the Sushi-Sashimi. And on each day, a cup of Hagen Daaz Ice Cream always complete my lunch.

So, all the luxury of having the park next door, the crown causeway bay nearby, and delicious lunch, is it worth additional US$50 for 1 week?

Website: http://www.parklane.com.hk/

They are a happy family. Their sons and daughters has left the home, live with their own family. But on a clear morning, the husband suddenly came out with a simple, yet complicated question: “Does love still exist between us?”

The Wife is obviously enraged. But she apparently think that act is better than direct answer. So, instead of answering the question directly, she choose to show the love in her act and behavior, supporting him, showing understanding, and keep smiling. But the husband either turn a blind eye, or just being stubborn, keep insisting for answer: “Does love still exist between us?”

Realizing that he won’t get any answer from The Wife, he distributes a pamphlets with the question. He expect that people would help them to answer the question. Instead of getting answer, he was inquired by authority for distributing pamphlets without permit. Even though The Wife shows her affection during the tough time, The Husband still insist on direct answer: “Does love still exist between us?”

Days become week, weeks become month, and months become year. Both of them grew older, but time can’t stop The Husband’s curiosity. One night, he look at the sky, hoping that the star will help him answer the question. It is just before they went to rest that The Wife finally gave her answer.

Tanda Cinta (Metaphor of Love) was originally written and performed to celebrate the 27th wedding anniversary of the actor and actress, the couple Nano and Ratna Riantiarno. Both of them are well known as the founder and crew of Teater Koma, and this act shows an excellent performing skill of both of them, and also the love between them. Especially for Ratna, she has successfully played the wife who, even without answer, seems to really love The Husband

The play might not be the same had it been performed by the other. It might also be the same had it not performed with heart by both of them. Plus that the small space in Komunitas Salihara, made a more intimate performance, as if we all can feel the love among them.

And finally, satisfied with the answer from The Wife, both of them went into the bed, resting, probably forever……, leaving us to answer the question: Does it enough to show love in our daily act and behavior, or should the love be spoken?

Metaphor of Love was performed from 15-24 May 2009 at the new Teater Salihara. For photo, click http://picasaweb.google.com/scalarae/TeaterKomaTandaCinta?feat=directlink

Gambling is not the only entertainment int he Casino. At the center of the hall is a stage with performance definitely aimed for male visitor: erotic dance. “What’s the fun of watching it? What does male feel when they see such dance?”, my travel companion, a straight female asked. Well, she would never know. “You gotta be a male to know”, I answered….

We grew tired in the closed spaced polluted with cigarettes smoke. So we go down and decided to take a walk outside. Macau at night is very bright, lighted up by the lights from the casino.  At the end of the road we saw Wynn, behind it is MGM. Across the street is another casino: Grand Emperor. And they all are hardly a fraction of total Casino in Macau. A real heaven for those with skill, money, or maybe just luck.

But not all of them is glamorous. Some are worn out by time. The carpet looks dark, as gloomy as the face of those who just lose the bet. Then they lit up their cigarretes, adding the load to the air filter, which already too old to effectively filter out the smoke. The casino seems to understand this, and compensate with less minimum bets in their tables.

Realizing that none of us has the skill, money or luck, we decided to take a walk again in Senado Square. The lantern is lit, adding the light to the square. And it wasn’t an ordinary weekend, it was valentine night. Couples celebarte this with flowers and night walk. But not everyone had a good night. At a dark corner, a man standing alone, with flower in his hand. “His date wasn’t coming”, my friend said jokingly. Whatever happened to him, I wish him a great night.

The night was getting late, and we got tired as well. On the way back to the hotel, we stop by at Wynn. Then I saw a table crowded by people – someone win big here. They cheered and he smiled. The dealer shone the white chip with UV light, showing a specialized marking for genuine coin, make a note in his book, and handed over similar coin to him. Then he stacked the coin in front of him, at least 5 of them, and then put another one on the table, ready for the next game. What a lucky man, with luck, money and maybe skill as well.

We recessed ourself to the restaurant for some nice dessert for supper before heading back to our hotel. We might not be lucky tonight, but very content, having seen the 2 faces of Macau.

Photo of Macau during my trip can be viewed at http://www.pbase.com/bennyc/in_macau

It is amazing to see how Macau has transformed since the Fortress and adjacent St. Paul Church was built in 16th century, almost 400 years ago. While I’m standing on 400 years old structure, in front of me lays the new land on top of what used to be the ocean. While the Fortress, and The St. Paul Ruin forms the old face of Macau, a new face has formed, packed with Casino and Hotel in modern world.

The Historical Part of Macau

I set my foot at Senado Square. Arrived at noon through the sea, I decided to visit some historical Macau Building, while the daylight still exists to get some picture.

Senado square was full, mostly tourist as I can tell from their behavior. Macau’s weather has been nice, comfortably warm amid the winter season. Sun shine perfectly for few snaps of photo. Around the fountain there are 2 huge paper lanterns, apparently still in celebration of Chinese New Year few weeks ago. A food hawker was busy flipping his pan, preparing some cookies. “Nothing special”, I said, paid for the cookies, then left.

Direction to the St. Paul’s Ruin, within walking distance from this Plaza, is clearly marked. This ruin has been my source of curiosity of Macau, and hence my main destination for photo shot. How come such a great Church destroyed by fire, and how the facade survived?

On the way to the Ruins, we passed at St. Dominic Church. The renovated Church still maintains it sense of ages, with wall painted in light yellow and window in green. I get in, put a donation, while said a little prayer, thanking Him for the trip.

Passing the Church, we get into a small alley. I would name it Jerked Meat Alley, from so many Jerked Meat sellers on each side of the road. They offer for free trial in a funny way. Holding the meat with thong on the left hand, they offer free trial. Anyone interested should hold the meat, and they will cut it with the scissor on the right hand. The alley is around 200 meter length, and with so many sellers, your stomach would be full.

Behind the meat shops, St. Paul’s Ruin slowly unfolds, grandeur in design, as if showing that it is the king among other building. It is packed, tourist, tour group, people taking picture of themselves at the stairs, the only thing that separates me and the Ruins. I climb up, passing the facade, my mind wander to 400 years ago, to the time when people gather for mass. Across the hall is stone wall, in the place of the old altar. Looking from the facade, the wall behind the altar should also grandeur as well. Too bad, it is now only in my imagination.

The old altar of the Church was built on top of the Crypt of Father Alexandre Valignamo, founder of the St. Paul College. The crypt is accessible, sacred as it is, surrounded with the remnant of the martyr during the era. Next to the Crypt is  St. Paul Museum, open for public free of charge. The Museum holds the property of the church, from paintings, statue and the Holy Grail.

My soul is satisfied when I left the Ruin, but then I notice massive structure next tot he complex: The Monte Fort. Some thought running through my head, as I slowly climb the fort. “How come such symbol of war and peace stands side by side? How can people pray when they hear the sounds of Canon, defending the island from intruder? Or is it by design, so that the people can ask for forgiveness after the war?”

Inside the fort is a tree covered garden, where people strolling, or taking pictures. Tour guide lead their group around the park, explains some history which I overhear. In the middle of the garden stands Macau Museum, on top of the old structure of the fortress. The museum, painted in white, match perfectly with the surrounding area.

The sun hangs low on the sky when I finally back on the mouth of Jerked Meat Alley. We wait for our friend there, and made our way back to our Hotel, getting ready for another side of Macau…..

Continue….. The Two Face of Macau [Part 2 of 2]

“Tung Chung”. I can hardly remember the words when he first said it. Three days later, I’m humming them subconsciously. My friend said the words like ten times a day, showing his interest to the attraction in the area: The Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car.

The cable car running for 5.7km, taking you from Tung Chung area to the remote village of Ngong Ping, going up to 934 meters on its highest point. To get there, alight at Tung Chung MTR Terminus, and follow the direction. You will arrive at the cable car station in less than 5 minutes. The last car leaves at 6pm. Fortunately, we made it in time for round trip (HKD 96).

Early on the ride, it incline at very steep scary angle. I grasp my breath for a moment, looking at the vast ocean down below. The cross wind swaying the cabin does not helps.

But fear soon turn to joy as I look back: Through the thin mist is a barren land, where the airplanes took off. It is the Hongkong International Airport. From the distance, the jumbo jet looks small, just like toys. It starting at the other end of the runway, slowly. Not for long, the nose lifted, and finally the whole jet. It is like watching the whole scene on a slow motion.

The airport vanish behind the mountain as we pass the highest point. Ocean is replaced by green land, with hiking trail clearly visible from above. Nobody’s there, noone is crazy enough to tread the train in the winter cold. But not for dog, as they run around each other below.

Arriving at Ngong Ping, we don’t have much time. The last car is about to leave, so we took some quick snap of pictures, then dash to the cable car station.

The sun has almost set on the way back. Passing through the peak, Hongkong International Airport is magnificent as the sun goes out. LIghts are up in the terminal building, clearly showing the Y shape. Had it been sunny summer, where the mist is thin, it would be a very wonderful view. To the right is the Tung Chung cityscape, which has also begin to light up. As with other area in Hongkong, the apartment skycrapper dominate the skyline.

Total journey time for one-way is 25 minutes. It definitely worth the money, especially if you have more time to laid back at Ngong Ping.

PS: I would recommend to buy one way ticket. Get to Ngong Ping village from Tung Chung bus terminus by bus, and return on the cable car. The bus ride from Tung Chung might have a hidden beauty.

Ngong Ping 360 website (For booking, inquiry, etc): http://www.np360.com.hk/html/eng/front/index.asp

Photo of my trip to Hongkong is available at http://www.pbase.com/bennyc/in_hongkong

Since I haven’t stay in these Hotels, I won’t be able to review how decent are they. But they are definitely better than the couch in Airport Terminal . Reservation are recommended, since I had a friend who was almost stranded trying to book these hotels.

You can click on the title for their website and contact number. Some of the hotel provides online booking, some other only provide phone reservation. Check on their website for phone number and latest rate. Finally… enjoy your transit here in Jakarta

Sheraton Bandara Hotel

Being part of Starwood Hotel chain, its quality is guaranteed. Plus the ease of reservation through Starwood Reservation system, these hotel might be the first choice for international traveler, or first timer in Jakarta.

The Hotel is located 3km from Airport Terminal. It provides free shuttle service to-from Airport Terminal. When doing random checks through the online booking system on their website, the lowest offered rate is USD 87++

FM7 Resort Hotel

It is located around the Airport Area, 2 km from the terminal building. Slightly shorter than Sheraton, but the complimentary free airport pick-up/drop-off made this distance irrelevant.

This Hotel is rated as 4-stars Hotel, with room rate offered from Rp. 540.000 nett (Around USD 54). And better yet, the Hotel also offers special rate for stay less than 6 hours, for purpose of transit.

Update 30 Oct 2009: They apparently has spin-off the transit hotel. I called them tonight and no reservation can be made for the transit room. They claim that the room is equipped with en-suite bathroom

Jakarta Airport Hotel

Nothing beat the Hotel in terms of distance, except Airport Terminal Couch. The Hotel is located in Terminal 2 building, just one escalator away from the Terminal entrance.

Daily rate from the website is USD 110++. Similar like FM7, it also offers 6 hours use of USD 65++.

Ibis Hotel Slipi

Should you be unfortunate enough and can’t book any of the above Hotel, your next best choice would be Ibis Hotel (Part of Accor Hotel chain) in Slipi, Jakarta’s downtown. It does not have complimentary airport shuttle, so expect to pay for your own cab. You will also need to allocate extra time to get to the airport in the morning to catch your flight.

Rate offered are from Rp. 508.200 nett (USD 51) for one night stay.

Grand Tropic Suites

This hotel/apartment might be better option if you are stranded with more than 2 friends. Its single bedroom suites is more expensive than Ibis, but the 2 bedroom suites is cheaper than renting 2 room at Ibis.

This Hotel is located close to Ibis Hotel, so you might spare some cash and time for your transportation to/from the airport. The 1 bedroom suites starts from Rp. 735.000 (USD 74), and the 2 bedroom suites start from Rp 790.000 (USD 79). Is is unclear in the website, whether the price inclusive of tax or not

The writer, Agustinus Wibowo, has been traveling around the world since 2003. With so much experience, guidebook might become useless for him (Although he still admit though that, he packed 6 guidebooks at the moment). But think of people who are anxious to start their first adventure, but lack of experience, network, or guts to really travel to new places without tour package. For them, those guidebooks have provided some level of comfort, to finally start getting wet in the world of adventure. Maybe even strictly following the guidebook has given them joy beyond their imagination.

As those people packed more experience in their belt, they might become bored with the guidebook, and start looking for other source information, friends, internet, and travel magazine. Or they just keep following the guidebook. Whatever they choose, as long as they have fun (which is very subjective), they have no problem.

But did the guide book screw the travel industry? Does Hotel and Restaurant then compete to be in the guidebook, to be on the top of the list? And when the guidebook said a Hotel is not good, the Hotel will have a hard time checking in guest? I know a Hotel, listed on the top of the list of a guidebook. The Hotel is sold to new management and changed its name, so being listed on the top of the list won’t ensure a success for a Hotel or restaurant. Good premise will sell itself. Besides, in the era of Web 2.0, where independent travelers write their experience in their blogs, mailing list or travel website, I began to question the effectiveness of listed in guidebook, compared to getting a good review from the community?

Besides, when guidebook enables more and more people to travel, I can’t see why it hurts the industry. Those people who use the guidebook to travel might not travel without one.

I believe though that, the article has inspired some people to the next level of their travel & backpacking experience. Independent traveler who usually depends on guidebook might find that there is another level of traveling. I myself use the guidebook for some level of comfort, as reference during planning, and backup plan during the trip. But I believe that the guidebook has given great benefit to the industry, rather than hurting it.

PS: Which one piss you more, someone who travel purely by guidebook, or someone who asked a place to stay in a mailing list, which is just discussed 1 week ago?

The town of Takengon, capital of Aceh Tengah Regency, is located at the bay of this vast lake. It is a small calm and slow-moving town with nice weather, from its height of 1.120 amsl. But not with us. Exaggerated with the curiosity of Danau Laut Tawar, we woke up at 7am, and by 8:30 am, we already seated at a nearby restaurant to enjoy our breakfast: Nasi Gurih, served with curry chicken, peanut and shredded meat. Accompanying the breakfast is Gayo’s coffee, mixed with raw egg. I remember tried this drink before, and it kept me awake until dawn; a real energy drink.

We rent a motorized tricycle, first to take us to Hotel Renggali, and then chartered to take us for a half-day tour around the lake. We pass through farmlands when suddenly the lake magically unfolds before us. The morning sunshine reflects from its calm surface, a golden beautiful color. We still fascinated, when the driver stop at a cave, the Cave of Putri Pukes.

“Why should we stop”, I mumble, and then decided that it might worth a visit. I was right. What fascinates me is not the legend about a princess turned to stone because she breaks a tradition, but that I’m in a cave dated from pre-historic age. The cave is said to extend 15 km into the mountain, most of them is not passable due to rupture. Some pre-historic tools, such as stone axe is displayed, shined with an incandescence light powered by a generator. There are several artifacts for display, each with its own light, which are practically the only light sources here. In the middle is a well, dry at present, but once in a while, it is filled with natural water. Not far from the well is a monkey-like statue, worshiped by the ancient animism.

From this cave, we continue tracing the length of this lake. The lake itself is not too wide, and in this clear mountain air, the mountain range on other side is visible. It is filled with green lush, interspersed with farming land.

At the opposite side of Takengon, along the length of the lake is Desa Bintang. A huge horse statue at the pier tells everything about this village: Horse Race. The sky is perfect that day, and with the lake as background creates a maestro painting of the horse statue. In this village, the Indonesian Independence Day is celebrated through a traditional horse race.

Not far from here, we stop at Pantai Menye (pampered beach), hoping to rent a fisherman boat for a tour on the lake. We were disappointed for not finding any, but our disappointment immediately replaced with the nearby crowd. The beach is full with family and friends, boys running all around, teens play the water cycle, and the adults chat under the rented hut. The atmosphere is very lively; I smiled as I feel joy in my heart.

We trace back the same road as we ride back to Takengon. The road looks different from the other side; I notice a small wonderful terrace farm behind the hill. The surface of the lake is still calm at near 1pm in the evening. A divine being probably dwells in this lake, keeping all this beauty and serenity intact.

Upon our arrival, we were given a broad selection of room, from a backpacker tent to the suite room. Even though in a backpacking trip, I certainly didn’t prepare for camping, so we consider, between taking the next available room at 500k, or taken back to Kalianda Hotel, with nothing to do or enjoy at night, and maybe at similar price, or head back straight to Jakarta, to arrive at dawn. It didn’t take long before we decided to pamper ourselves in the 500k room. Unfortunately the room was not available until next few hours, so we store our luggage and head to the pier.

The pier extend around 150m to the sea, formed a circle at the end. In the middle is a small embankment, and on one side, a wooden boat anchored. We sit at the edge, resting our hand and chin on top of the rope fence. Our feet hanging over the clear ocean, over the fish playing beneath it. Wind blows slowly, along with the sounds of wave breaking up in the distant. As the darkness fall, light showed up one by one from the distant, from the fishing boat or from building on the land across.

A phone call from the reception brought us back from daydreaming. Our room is ready, and we were checked in one of the room in a new 2 storey complex. We passed a wooden path, small ambient light guiding our way on the left and right, then circling the swimming pool right in front on our room.

I’m instantly fallen in love with this room; it is spacious, with two huge windows at two walls, one facing the ocean, the other facing the swimming pool that we passed. The room is equipped with 21” TV, with only 5-6 channels – nobody cares about TV when staying here anyway. Bathroom is rather standard, with shower and no bath tub. A minor problem with the shower when the cold water is dripping rather than spraying – something that we were forced to live with until we checked out the next day. The bell ring and we were given a complementary fresh fruit to close our evening with.

+++

The next morning, I’m crawling to open the curtain of the window facing the ocean. The sky is bright, the ocean reflects the sky, but the sun is nowhere. I crawl back under the comfortable sheet, got a short sleep, and woke up by the sunrise. This is actually a special room; there are only 4 rooms in the new complex with window facing the ocean, from which you can watch the sunrise from the comfortable bed.

The wonderful morning made us lazy, and when we finally sit at the restaurant for breakfast, it was out of necessity rather than desire. I must say here that the food in this resort was awful. The porridge was served cold, and the pancakes are too hard to be enjoyed. Even from our dinner last night, the burger has a slight chemical taste, either from the patty or the cheese. The Kwee Tiau is better, although not extraordinary. Then again we ate quite a lot, out of necessity for a trip back to Jakarta later today.

We spent the rest of the morning exploring the beach and the complex. The beach is full of corals and rough sands, which reminds me of beach of Anyer. There are beach volleyball court, and beach soccer. In the middle of the complex, a large open stage is available for outdoor performance, to be watched from the restaurant. Near the reception is an announcement board full of package offered by the resort. There are packages for family, backpacker, or even trip to Krakatau – offered at very reasonable price for large group.

Kalianda Resort enjoyed being the only decent beach-side sleeping place along the road from Bakauheni to Bandar Lampung. It is best visited with private car, since the resort is located 3 km from the main road, with no public transport except motorbike taxi. The room itself should cover various budgets, from backpacker tent to family cottage, and the resort should left some nice memory behind. As for myself, I would definitely come back for the nice evening and the spacious room.

Photo of our trip is uploaded at http://www.pbase.com/bennyc/kalianda_resort