Continuing from our day 1 in Melaka…

For dinner, when in Melaka don’t miss the satay celup (dipped/steamboat satay). Based on Google search, we chose Ban Lee Siang (45E, Jalan Ong Kim Wee, Melaka). The idea of satay celup is to have everything you eat in a satay style, meaning your food is stacked on a stick. Then each table will have a pot, filled with hot satay gravy. Not only hot, the gravy is also a bit spicy.

As for the satay, it’s up to your liking because all the satays are stored in a big fridge and you can choose which one you’d like to have. They have meat, innards, seafood and of course vegetables. Each stick was RM .80 and the sauce was free (remember that they’re spicy!) You could also order a small plate of bread as a substitute for rice. Overall we enjoyed the meal as the sauce was really tasty! Of course, don’t forget to order a glass of cold barley to go with the hot and spicy satay celup.

the first half of our first round of satay celup

After our tummy was full, we drove to Jonker Street to see if we can find any ice kacang for dessert. Much to our surprise though, Jonker Street area was dead quiet at night. We knew that the night market is now only on weekends but we didn’t expect that the area would be dead before 9pm on weekdays. So then we decided to drove around the city for sightseeing. We passed Little India which was so vibrant with colours and then we stopped in front of Menara Taming Sari and took a picture of the festive cart in Melaka.

these passenger carts are all around Melaka

FYI, these carts are also available during the day and officially they cost RM40 for an hour. These carts were so festive with dolls (Hello Kitty are the most popular although we saw some Minions and Smurfs) and some had loud music on as well. When night comes, these carts will turn on their lights and voila, turn the area into a festival of lights!

In the morning, after breakfast we went to Jonker Street to see what this famous street is all about. Jonker Street is the place if you want to shop for knick knack… or toys! They have a lot of Lego knock off and sell it for the fraction of price than in KL. The reason for this is because these toys are made in Melaka. Just don’t forget to wear hat and put on some sun screen before you walk around the area.

Jonker Street

my man is strong!

30 weeks pregnant

When noon came, the best thing to do was looking for food. This pregnant lady was exhausted from the heat anyway so we headed to Donald & Lily (No 16 (Ground Floor) , Jalan KSB 1, Taman Kota Shahbandar). We read about this restaurant on a magazine when we arrived and apparently we passed this restaurant when we went for dinner the night before. Donald & Lily has been in business for a long time and they serve classic nyonya dishes. Regardless of the weather, I opted for Laksa and it was yummy! Actually we also ordered Ice Kacang and Fried Kwetiau which weren’t pictured because we ate those as soon as they were put at the table.

Laksa

By lunch time, we have ticked all the must see in Melaka and have explored a bit more. We then decided to head back to KL and went to IKEA. No IKEA story is required, I suppose… so we’ll skip that part. After IKEA shopping and some meatballs (yum!) later, we headed to Firefly Park at Kuala Selangor. We heard about this place on our previous KL trip but we didn’t have time then. The drive took almost 2.5 hours and we blame Google Map for exceptionally dumb this time.

First impression of this tourist attraction? “Eek… what were we thinking when decide to see this?!!” It was so quiet and… dark. It was drizzling as well when we arrived but fortunately the still run the tour. So we paid RM30 for both of us and we walked in the park which was totally empty. We then saw a hut and the guard gave us inflatable life jackets and off we went to the jetty. In the darkness, a man helped us to board a boat and without any introduction or question, we sailed the river. Seriously, it was like a perfect murder scene with a cloudy sky, a hauntingly serene river, a guy that we never met before and us on a boat in the middle of nowhere.

But then we saw twinkling lights, hundreds or probably thousands of twinkling lights among the trees. It reminded me straight away to Christmas and its warmth. We sailed along the trees and those lights were twinkling so beautifully. It’s definitely one of the most magical views I’ve seen in my life. For 20 minutes we forgot about the eerie river, thanks to God’s magnificent creation. Isn’t it awesome how God made such a small animal like firefly so magical that we can enjoy? So was the 4.5 hours drive to the Firefly Park worth it? Definitely yes, we really enjoyed the experience and was so thankful that it was quiet that we could enjoy each other’s accompany more.

We had another night to spend in KL before heading back to Jakarta the following afternoon. We decided to take things slow and just enjoying our time together. So grateful that we could have some time off just the two of us. It’s quite daunting that our next holiday plan will include a baby!

when in KL

To be honest, I was dreaming of a sun-sand-and-water kind of babymoon. To be more honest, I was actually laughing at the word “babymoon” but how could I resist the idea of a trip? I love trips! Regardless of the name, I will always say yes to a trip.

Due to a jam packed calendar in April & May (a terrific combination between family events and conferences), we decided to lengthen our existing Malaysia trip and a road trip to Melaka (Malacca) was decided. Our main consideration was of course the baby. With 30 week pregnant during the trip and most airlines have a restriction of 32 weeks for international flying. Of course it’s still 2 weeks away but the thought of being checked and asked turned my travelling spirit off.

We were flying to KL separately because Phodi had to travel to Manila before arriving in KL for my brother’s graduation. We flew with Malaysia Airlines and to my surprise, I wasn’t being asked about the pregnancy. Not a single word was asked so the letter I got from my doctor was useless. Heheh. Probably this pregnant belly was not big enough to be a concern (ha!) or it was hidden behind my arm sling (remember my dislocated shoulder?) Anyhow, no question was asked either at the check in counter or at the gate. Nice!

I arrived in KL on Thursday and Phodi arrived just after my brother’s graduation ceremony ended.

My parents took my Popo and some of their siblings to KL for my brother’s graduation so it was like a family trip. Let me tell you that when you travel with my mom’s family, it means walk and shop til you drop (literally!) If you in need of a good leg exercise, you should go with them. Hehehe.

Anyway, after the family left on Tuesday (and totally killed Bukit Bintang), Phodi and I headed to Melaka. We chose Melaka because we both haven’t been there and it’s relatively close to KL. Located 150 km from Kuala Lumpur, Melaka is a UNESCO listed historical city so we thought why not. As per our previous road trips in Malaysia, the drive was so pleasant. Clean, smooth road and light traffic once we enter the highway. We can only dream that one day we’ll have more like it in Indonesia

Welcome to Melaka: “Visiting historical Melaka means visiting Malaysia”

Once arrived, we headed straight to our hotel which was the Hatten Hotel. It’s located at the centre of the city, connected to shopping centres as well. It’s actually not a perfect hotel to stay in a cultural city like Melaka but with 2 large luggages and me being pregnant, we wanted to avoid boutique hotels/motels with no lift. We made the right choice though because the hotel was very neat and clean, and the breakfast buffet had good selections as well.

Dataran Pahlawan from our hotel

After we checked ourselves in and grabbed a map from the concierge, we started our walk around Melaka. We crossed Dataran Pahlawan to reach A’Famosa, a Portuguese fortress that was built by Alfonso d’ Albuquerque. If you did your primary school in an Indonesian school, I’m very sure that you’re familiar with this name. Yes, he’s the same guy that was told during our history lesson.

A’Famosa fortress

D’ Albuquerque was part of Indonesia’s history as well

From there we walked along various museums (Islamic Museum, UMNO Museum and Art Museum) to reach the Stadthuys. It’s a big brick-red building that has become a symbol of Melaka. While A’Famosa was built by the Portuguese, Stadthuys was built during the Dutch occupation in Melaka and was once the office for the governor. Next to the Stadthuys was the Christ Church Melaka, which was also built by the Dutch. The church is still used as a protestant church until today and it’s probably Melaka’s most photographed building.

in front of Christ Church Melaka

When in Melaka, you shouldn’t miss the river cruise along Melaka River. Similar with many other river cruises in other cities, the Melaka cruise will give you a glimpse of the city. For me personally, what’s interesting was the fact that the government has been trying hard to preserve the cultural area. Along the cruise we passed different villages and cute cafes that obviously were decorated to attract tourists. The cruise last about 40 minutes on return journey and costed RM10 a person.

After cruising and walking around the historical area for about 2.5 hours, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up. We had two welcome drink vouchers after all! We headed back just in time for sunset and it was so pretty! After a refreshing non-alcoholic drink (obviously!) we took our car to go for dinner and a night walk at Jonker Street. The story will continue in part 2…

sunset in Melaka

Kesempatan untuk berada di Ambon Manise ini datang karena sang suami mendapat tawaran untuk bergabung dalam sebuah acara KKR yang diadakan oleh pemerintah kota Ambon dan Voice in the City yang bernama “Ambon Berdoa dan Bersyukur”. Karena perjalanan ini adalah sebuah perjalanan kerja, kami tidak berkesempatan untuk mengunjungi pulau-pulau lain di kepulauan Maluku. Beberapa tempat juga saya kunjungi tanpa suami karena komitmen pekerjaannya. Untuk membaca lebih banyak tentang KKR ini, klik disini.

Mata saya terpaku pada pulau yang berada di bawah langit biru dan lukisan awan putih saat Pak Pilot berkata, “Selamat datang di Ambon.” Tidak pernah terlintas dalam pikiran bahwa suatu hari saya akan menginjakkan kaki di tanah Maluku, negeri yang terkenal dengan sagu, cengkeh, pala, minyak kayu putih dan mutiara. Rempah-rempah pula yang membuat kepulauan ini begitu diinginkan oleh bangsa Portugis bertahun-tahun yang lalu.

Dibalik keindahan pulau ini, masih tersimpan kesedihan mendalam karena konflik 5 yang pernah terjadi di tahun-tahun yang lalu. Saat kami menuju pantai-pantai indah yang ada di pulau ini, Pak Aleka, supir yang membawa kami berjalan-jalan, beberapa kali menunjukkan puing rumah-rumah yang habis terbakar saat terjadi keributan di Ambon. Miris rasanya mendengar begitu banyak amarah dan kekerasan yang pernah terjadi di sini sementara kami mata kami terus menerus dimanjakan dengan hamparan air laut yang begitu meneduhkan.

Selain mata yang dimanjakan, lidah kami juga dimanjakan dengan berlimpahnya ikan bakar yang ada di kota ini. Sebagai sebuah kepulauan, tidak heran bahwa makanan yang mudah ditemui di Ambon adalah ikan bakar dan hasil laut lainnya terutama cumi-cumi. Sebagai pecinta makanan laut, saya menikmati berbagai ikan bakar yang tentu saja ditemani oleh segarnya sambal colo-colo. Jika setelah perjalanan ke Surabaya kami memutuskan untuk puasa makan ayam (baca ceritanya disini), tidak demikian dengan jalan-jalan ke Ambon. Kami malah tambah ingin menyantap ikan bakar yang segar seperti yang kami dapatkan di Ambon.

Saya begitu terpesona dengan keindahan alam pulau ini dan saya berharap bisa kembali lagi suatu hari nanti. Mungkin untuk membawa anak-anak saya untuk bermain dengan bebasnya seperti anak-anak manis yang saya temui di Santai Beach. Satu doa yang saya selipkan seraya memandang keindahan matahari terbenam di Tanjung Latuhalat adalah agar Ambon Manise bisa kembali berjaya dan dicintai.

Menuju Ambon

Feri untuk menyebrangi Teluk Ambon

Pepeda, makanan khas Maluku yang terbuat dari Sagu. Alat penyendok bernama gata-gata.

kuah untuk Pepeda

Makan Rujak di Pantai Natsepa

makan rujak dengan matahari terbenam

menikmati matahari terbenam di Pantai Natsepa

Pattimura, sang pahlawan dari Maluku

mengunjungi Museum Kebudayaan Maluku

berolahraga di Lapangan Merdeka

nuansa natal di sekitar Kota Ambon

ulang tahun ke 25!

Makan ikan bakar setiap hari!

Es buah khas Maluku yang menggunakan jus sirsak

Talam sagu, cemilan khas Maluku

Babi goreng dan sate babi. Oink oink

Coto Makassar, dimakan bersama boras (sejenis lemper)

Ikan dan udang bakar dengan sambal colo-colo yang segar

cemil-cemil di sore hari dengan sirup pala yang menyegarkan

Rarobang; kopi susu dengan serpihan kenari

Pantai Pintu Kota

Pantai Pintu Kota

saya jatuh cinta di Santai Beach

air laut yang menggoda untuk diselami

air pantai yang begitu jernih

Bersama Pak Aleka di Tanjung Ratu Halat

matahari terbenam di Tanjung Latuhalat

Have you ever heard of Bunaken? The world famous underwater marine park located in the province of North Sulawesi. Last August my parents, brother, husband and I were privileged to be able to visit this beautiful area for a full 3 days. It was quite a rush but my brother was about to go on his final year internship in Kuala Lumpur so we had to maximize the time we had. However, limited time wasn’t an issue as our accommodation was special. A family friend of ours who are Manadonese have a holiday house in Airmadidi district and they very kindly offered us their house. Very blessed indeed!

We experienced a whole new experience during our stay in Airmadidi. Having been living near a mosque in Jakarta, we were surprised that instead of hearing morning prayer from a mosque, we heard Christian songs and community announcements travelled through the air. Apparently it’s a custom in the area that people pay Rp.2000 (A$0.20) to request a song as a donation for church building or events such as Easter or Christmas. The “radio” opened for request from around 6am so it was like an alarm that woke us up each morning.

One most memorable thing from our trip to Manado was a Minahasan (the biggest tribe in Manado) philosophy that was also the slogan of the city; “Sitou Timou Tumou Tou” which means “Man lives to educate others” or in Indonesian “Manusia hidup untuk menghidupkan orang lain”. I found it profoundly deep and heart warming. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a city with a slogan similar to this. It was a great reminder for everyone that we had a purpose in life and not to live selfishly.

Writing this blog is my way to educate others; by sharing pictures from places we’ve been, recipes of food that we love and my thoughts on everyday things. What would yours be?

breathing freshest air each morning

pretty wooden house at Airmadidi

exploring backyard

very zen

making new friend at Airmadidi

family that travels together stays together

Mount Lokon

Jesus Christ statue in Manado

Linow Lake

Bukit Doa aka Prayer Hill

Prayer Hill at Tomohon

we just had to stop and pose! En route to Tomohon

Bukit Doa / Hill of Love

at Sulphur filled Hill of Love

Old cemetery complex

sunflower

a very big horn

on our way to Bunaken

amazing day to be at the sea

ready to snorkel

Bunaken Marine Park

enjoying gorgeous sky and sea