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

Waiting for the next leg of the trip

I will start this post by saying that I am one blessed pregnant lady. Ever since we found out that I have a little human growing inside me, I have done some travelling and thank God all of them had been fuzz free. During the first trimester I flew to Kuala Lumpur for 5 days and later during the Christmas – New Year period we travelled to my grands at Central Java. In my 13th week, Phodi and I flew to Brisbane for our full month stay in Australia  (thanks to Phodi’s work ). I am forever grateful that I had no issue with that long haul flight.

See the thing is, I’ve heard so many horror stories of miscarriage due to travelling. I personally think that travelling causes no harm to the little human, but being tired from the travel does. Once a friend of Phodi told us that her friend lost her unborn after she got stuck for couples of hours on the road from Puncak to Jakarta. While the story sounds unbelievable, it opened our eyes that we are indeed so blessed to have a strong and easy going unborn. In addition to the flying bits, we commute frequently between Bandung and Jakarta, and I have to thank God again that most of our trips were traffic free.

Rainbow: sign of God's grace. Thank You for a fuzz free pregnancy!

Now that I have conquered a long 14 hours trip (Jakarta – Singapore – Brisbane – Sunshine Coast), I’d like to share some tips that would make travelling while pregnant more pleasant;

1. As I easily get full but also get hungry, I always stock up on snacks. I stock biscuits in my car’s glove box and pack up fruits when we travel to Jakarta. Having snacks ready is also important on flights as the ones they have on board are either expensive or not that healthy.
2. Hydrate well! Have a water bottle ready or if you’re on a flight, have a glass of water ready at your holder. It’s easier to have one ready than to call the stewardess each time.
3. Make a visit to the toilet before you travel. If you’re like me who has a big issue with public toilet (especially in Indonesia), make sure you empty your bladder before leaving home. Although it is more than likely that you’ll need to go again just straight away!
4. On that note, sit on the aisle seat. Before pregnant, I can handle 8 hours flight without any toilet visit. During this pregnancy, I went 3 times during my Brisbane – Singapore flight. By sitting on the aisle seat, you’ll avoid awkward movement trying to go out from the row with that growing belly. To be honest though, I still sit on the window side because I love the view more – and hubby doesn’t mind to get out from his seat.
5. Take time to stretch and stand up when possible. On a long flight, this might happen on your toilet visits. On a road trip, make use of the time when refuelling or request for a break. Your back and feet will appreciate the stretch.
6. This is true even if you’re not pregnant but wear comfortable clothing. Make sure that your outfit doesn’t put any pressure on the (lower) belly area especially if you’re travelling long haul.
7. Before pregnant I preferred overnight flight but now even with a relatively small belly bump I couldn’t sleep as well. I then found that my day flight was way better. I didn’t feel bad about not able to rest because hey, it’s day light. But when I feel tired, I could just nap for 30-40 minutes and then carry on with the movie. I ended up having more rest on my day flight than on my overnight flight. And the best thing, once I got home I showered, ate dinner and hit the bed.

Does any mom or mom-to-be out there have anymore tips worth mentioning?

Sunshine Coast

The last 4 weeks have been fantastic! This mama-to-be was so blessed with a good health and perfect weather in Australia. The main reason we were in the country was for my husband’s work. I didn’t want to be left alone for a month so I tagged along. My obgyn was happy with our last check up so he gave us the clearance to fly. As a recap, we travelled to Sunshine Coast (via Singapore and Brisbane) on February 1st and did some short trips during the month. I went to Melbourne on the 11th before my husband joined in on the 13th. Then on the 20th, my parents joined us and we went to Gold Coast and Brisbane.

At Movie World, Gold Coast. Time to unleash the child in us!

In between the travels, we had to sort and repack our boxes filled with stuff that were sent from Melbourne back in April 2013. Crazy thing! If you remember, early 2013 my husband (then fiance) got a new job and was relocated from Melbourne to Sunshine Coast, and later positioned in Bandung. Before our wedding in May, we packed our stuff and sent them off to the coast because we thought we would stay there after a 10 months project in Indonesia. As you know then, we ended up staying in Bandung and thus our boxes in the coast were left untouched until last month.

Looking back at the amount of energy spent to unpack, sort, sell/throw and repack, I am glad to have a strong and well behave unborn. My mom was so concern about this, and to be honest, I secretly was too! Especially at those early weeks when I couldn’t feel any movement or sign of the baby. Some nights I wondered if the baby was still growing and moving, all because I didn’t feel anything. Eventhough according to the Android app I have, baby’s movement in 1st pregnancy won’t be felt until week 18 or later, deep inside I was worried.

"Will I get one?"

One thing that comfort me was the sign of my growing tummy. Two of my pants didn’t fit afer a week and so I decided to buy a pair when I was in Melbourne. Surprisingly, this pants was so tight when I wore it during my return trip to Jakarta. That happened within a fortnight! Lucky that I always prefer to wear dresses than pants anyway so I packed quite a lot of them and they fit the Coast’s weather better too. So yes, growing tummy is one sign of a growing bub.

My ever favourite Koko Black's Ice Chocolate

So far, I haven’t felt like missing on anything fun or nice apart from the roller coasters fun that I have to skip on our trip to Gold Coast. But I have tried all the rides so I didn’t feel bad about not able to go. (Psst.. we went to Gold Coast because it’s on my dad’s bucket list. Lol). Also with the abudance of fresh seafood available in the Coast, I’m glad that mom actually pushed me to have more seafood especially prawns. Prawns and crabs are my favourite and they were extremely easy to find (and fresh!!) in the Coast. Yum yum!! I have to admit though, that I miss eating sashimi. Hmmm…

No, I didn't eat the oysters

And thanks to this well behave and eating machine baby, I could savour on every food on my list without issue. This continuously contributed to my growing tummy! Before going to Melbourne I made a list of food / restaurant that I wanted to eat. Most of them were my old favourite such as sichuan food, Menya’s gyu tan don, Laksa King’s loh mee, Thai Culinary’s kana moo grob, Koko Black’s ice chocolate, good slice of cake from La Petite Gateau, spicy bratwurst from Vic Mart, KFC’s wicked wings (haha!) and of course, coming back to our first date spot: Bistro Vue.

It was a funny feeling to come back at the exact spot where we first dated, now with an extra person in tow. We ended up choosing the same plats principaux (viande and poisson) but different entree (my favourite escargot this time!!). We never thought that one day we will be back there, especially not after we’ve left the city for good. God is good

Smilers++

My girls sans Evans and Sheryl

All in all, February was a good month. Catching up with my girl friends (how I miss them soooo much), enjoying fresh air every single day and feeling the sea breeze playing through my hair… how I’ll miss walking outdoor comfortably, just how zen and enjoyable it can be. I will surely be back with my little one!

Every year, Solo and Salatiga are in my family’s year end agenda. The only two times (as I remember it) we didn’t go there were 1) when the family gathering was in Bandung, 2) during my first year in Melbourne and my parents came in to visit me. And both my brother and I had each a 1 red flag for not coming back “home” because of work. Funny thing is, eventhough we never lived in Solo we always refer going to Solo in December as “coming home”.

That being said, last December was my millionth time going to the grands (well maybe not that much). I always love going home, apart from those time when my dad preferred driving rather than flying. It’s always a pain in the ass in its most literal term. The travel time usually takes us 12-14 hours for 562 km, including 2-3 short toilet breaks, a quick breakfast and lunch. The pretty view along the new-ish tollway in Cirebon and some other areas along Pantura give a bit of zen but definitely not doing anything to my poor rear part.

Once you got to Salatiga or Solo though, it feels like a whole different world. Time seems to stop in these cities. The daily holiday routine will usually go like this; 8am: wake  up time, 9am: breakfast (usually Soto or Noodle), 10am – noon: visiting relatives or going shopping, noon: lunch, past noon: going shopping or having nap then chatting about what to have for dinner, night: having dinner then more warungan or angkringan to finish the day. The next day same routine will happen with different kind of dishes to savour! Yum!

There are too many good food to enjoy in Solo and Salatiga for me to post. So if you’d like to know more about what to see and where to dine, shoot me an email or leave a comment below Enjoy!

off we go! Dad went earlier for his high school reunion

Selat Solo (Javanese beef steak) – first meal in Solo

Shi Jack in Solo – fresh milk with a twist

what milk you’re having tonite?

preparing milk. the “milktender” always put up a show

sweethearts

look who visited me in Solo! We treated him with a Nasi Liwet night

cousins <3

Wedang Ronde Jago Salatiga

Wedang Ronde Jago Salatiga – hot ginger and nut dessert with mochi

preparing Wedang Ronde

greens near my grand’s in Salatiga

working!

Breakfast from Kartoali Salatiga

at Roncalli Salatiga, a nice green complex where my dad learnt English back in the 70s.

dear hub looking at Keleteng Sam Po Kong (Sam Po Kong Temple) in Semarang

more view of Sam Po Kong

Toko Oen – I think it’s the oldest eatery in Semarang

waiting for our lunch at Toko Oen

the super famous Lumpia Gang Lombok (Gang [aisle] Lombok’s Springroll)

Lumpia basah (wet/unfried springroll) ala Gang Lombok. Super good!

Bro waiting for his springroll

the space to dine in is TINY so we have to squeeze

Lawang Sewu (Thousand Doors) in Semarang. They say it’s the most haunted building in Java

Courtyard of Lawang Sewu Semarang

Us with Oma. First Christmas without Opa.

and this is how we roll. Selfie with the whole family.

homemade seafood fiesta at my grand’s, thanks to my eldest aunt

with dad before going to the airport

time to go home. Got the whole airport lounge for us

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

Warning: this post might cause intense hunger and crave for food

Last month we visited Malang for my beloved mentor’s wedding. It was a wedding that we’ve been looking forward to and we were very excited for it. With the short time we had, we managed to have lots and lots of delicious food. All thanks to a friend of ours who’s apparently a great culinary guide and thanks to you who had spared some time to meet us Please keep in touch!

One thing that I regret from the trip was the fact that I only bought one Bu Rudy’s famous sambal bawang! Now I’m left with the last spoonful on the sambal and so desperate for having more. Also, we had so much chicken dishes that we decided to have a chicken hiatus for 2 weeks.

During the trip we went to Ibu Rudy, Pulau Madura (!!!), Galaxy Mall (to its traditional food filled food court), Pasar Atom (to buy some Cakue), Tunjungan Plaza (why not?), Boncafe (to meet up with my lovely girls), Zangrandi (an old school ice cream joint), Ayam Penyet Ibu Sri (another chicken dish), Batu Secret Zoo (2nd highlight of the trip – the 1st was the wedding), Bu Kris (and yet more chicken), Java Dancer (great coffee), Tugu Hotel (fantastic decor as expected), Rawon Nguling (they ran out so quickly!) and of course, the grand wedding that was like a reunion.

From the trip, we highly recommend Batu Secret Zoo. It’s such a great place, not only for kids but also for adults. We enjoyed the zoo and its adjacent Museum Satwa so much that we think it’s better than all the zoos we’ve been before. It’s definitely worth visiting if you’re in the area, or even to be a reason to visit Batu and Malang. For more information check out their website.

But for now, enjoy some photos from our trip and if you’re on Instagram, search for #jnphoditrip for more photos.

Suramadu Bridge – connecting Surabaya and Madura

traditional sweets with coconut sugar on top

traditional sweets

satay is always good

snacks at Pasar Atom

buns!

Chicken and shrimp Chinese doughnut

Zangrandi’s spaghetti ice cream

thank you Ika and Flo!

hello girls!

gone bananas!

at Batu Secret Zoo

pretty in pink

Noah’s Ark at Batu Secret Zoo

honey bear

king of the jungle

ROARRR

]]> https://www.jessicaneva.com/2013/11/a-weekend-in-surabaya-and-malang/feed/ 0 https://www.jessicaneva.com/2013/11/manado-man-lives-to-educate-others/ https://www.jessicaneva.com/2013/11/manado-man-lives-to-educate-others/#comments Wed, 06 Nov 2013 09:06:30 +0000 Jessica http://www.jessicaneva.com/?p=360

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

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Another item on my wish list was ticked last month when dear husband and I visited Bosscha Observatory. The first tick was watching Ramayana Ballet at Candi Prambanan. The story goes like this…

When we first moved to Bandung, I told him that I wanted to go on Bosscha’s night tour. It was previously (when I lived in Jakarta) impossible  to do as they only have 4 days a month opening for night visit, which all 4 would be on weekdays and only in dry months. As always, he’s more than willing to go with me to visit new places (he better be!) So with high determination I called Bosscha in July to book 2 tickets and unexpectedly, the quickest open spot was in September! A bit schoking as I thought I would wait for a month at the most and not two!

12th September came and I was a little worried as it had been raining the whole week. That day the sky was cloudy and dark in the afternoon so I started to pray, wishing for a bright sky. Around 4pm, the sky was clearing up and off we went to Bosscha with a cheerful heart.

After driving for 35 minutes in an easy weekday traffic (won’t never happen on weekends), we reached Bosscha Observatory. We headed to the registration office to pay the entrance fee (Rp. 10.000,- or A$ 1) and the nice reception lady chuckled a bit when she realized there were only us 2 in the group. I peeked at the list and saw that other groups were 70 kinder kids, 40 high schoolers and few other big groups.

Bosscha Observatory

We the headed to the main observatory building and I was delighted! I always have this warm fuzzy feeling whenever I’m in a place where I’ve been dreaming of, regardless of how silly others might think. This feeling was the same feeling when I stood at Monas’ viewing platform or entering Melbourne’s Regent Theatre. Back to Bosscha Observatory, may I present you the main building named Kupel!

Kupel at Bosscha

Inside the Kupel building, there was it, the gigantic Zeiss double refractors. This telescope weights 17 tonnes or to put it into perspective, it’s the same weight as 4 elephants. However, due to its smart design this telescope can be manually redirected by a person.

Zeiss double refractors at Bosscha

What’s more amazing from the Kupel were its rotatable roof and adjustable floor. We’ve seen this technology everywhere nowadays, but do remember that all these were built in1920s. Impressive! Unfortunately, the Zeiss wasn’t allowed to be used by public but there were 2 other telescope that we could use.

Kupel’s rotatable roof

The first telescope we used was called the Bamberg. Through this telescope, we could see the surface of the moon. Too bad I didn’t find any rabbit on the moon and because I wasn’t satisfied with one gaze, I queued again for a second look. What was the moon’s surface look like? Just like the one you saw on movies. The second telescope was a much smaller telescope, but a digital one called Cassegrain GOTO. That day we were suppose to see Mars and Venus but unfortunately Venus was a bit shy, covered with clouds.

Bamberg (inside the building) and small Cassegrain at the front

Bamberg Telescope, directed at the moon

Overall, it was a good experience for us. We were blessed with mostly clear sky and great cool weather. Most importantly we were reminded that we’re like a speck of dust in this vast universe, yet we believe in a God who controls that huge universe. So why do we have to be worry?

After having a great cultural day on day 1, we were tired  and thus didn’t start our last day in Jogja early. We had breakfast in the hotel then checked ourselves out before going out and about in the city. Day 2 main destinations were Keraton (the Palace), Taman Sari Water Castle and of course, buying souvenirs. We walked around 20 minutes down Jl. Malioboro before we reached the Keraton. The first half of the road was fine as it’s sheltered but then the second half of the road was definitely hot and dusty. So if you’re planning to walk, don’t forget to put on sunscreen and wear a hat and a pair of sunnies.

squinty eyes!

The Keraton is open for public everyday from 8 am – 2 pm and there’s different art showcase on each day. The entrance fee didn’t include guide fee which we could easily find near the entrance gate. I would highly recommend hiring a guide as there are no sign or information inside the Keraton. The guides are Abdi Dalem, royal servants of the Keraton and there’s no official fee for their service. Interestingly, they usually won’t mention any amount as they see themselves as servants of the Sultan. It’s a public secret that Abdi Dalem receive little salary from Keraton but they believe that their service to the Sultan will give them an eternal reward. Thus, to fulfil their needs many have second job outside the Keraton.

Jogja’s Keraton is still used as residential for the Sultan and his family and so there are some areas closed for public. The Keraton was built in the 18th century and has gone through some renovations over the years but the main structure remains the same. One interesting point was the mix of cultures and religions shown in the architecture; Deutsch, Chinese, Portuguese, Islam, Buddhist and Hindu. The beautifully crafted columns that support the main bangsal (open space) were influenced by different religions in that era, and some elements in the Keraton are influenced by other cultures as well. Clearly the world was never that big!

Pretty part of Keraton

After listening to Kasultanan Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat’s great history, we headed off from the Keraton to Taman Sari. Taman Sari Water Castle was the royal garden of the Sultanate which located on the Keraton ground. As the complex is huge and there’s no information sign available, I would recommend hiring a guide who can tell the full history of the complex. Similar to the ones in Keraton, guide fee at Taman Sari is based on mutual agreement.

Taman Sari was used as the resting and bathing place for the Sultan and his family members, as well as a hiding and meditation place. Built in 18th century, some areas of the complex were destroyed during the British  invasion in the 1812 and big earthquake in 1986. However, I suppose the main eyesore in this complex are houses that were built irregularly that made the complex more of a village rather than a heritage site.

Originally consisted of an artificial lake where Sultan and his family would go canoeing, it is unfortunately the lake has turned to residential area. A little imagination was needed to be able to picture its beauty. Close by the lake, there’s a 2 story underground mosque which built on Islamic values. From the underground mosque, we then visited the bathing complex. This area had gone major reconstruction and now become the main attraction of Taman Sari. Back in its glorious time, Sultan would choose between paddling through the lake (of course his servants would paddle!) or walking through the underground passageway. Rumour even has it that there’s an underground corridor between Keraton, Taman Sari and the South Sea of Jogja where Sultan can hide to safety.

The bathing complex consisted of 3 baths; one for Sultan’s daughters and young sons, another for his concubines, and a special one for the Sultan himself and a chosen wife. Each of this baths has its own change room and sauna, and the bath for Sultan even has an additional room for a siesta. To choose a lady that would accompany him bathing, Sultan would ask his wives and concubines to bath first while he went up to the tower and threw a flower. The one who picked the flower first would Sultan’s accompany for the day. Nearby the bath stood 2 stones that were used as aromatherapy and hair dryers. Servants would start fire to create heat which was used to dry the ladies’ hairs. Very smart indeed!

Fancy a dip?

Refreshing

At the back of the bathing complex, there were 4 gazebos where Sultan and his companies would relax while listening to music before going back to the Keraton. Our guide told us that when Sultan decided to go for a bath, it would mean a full day trip that consisted of musicians, servants, wives, daughters and young sons. Eventhough the distance between Keraton and Taman Sari was considerably short, it was the pace of the group that made the trip long. I suppose Sultan and his family should remain graceful at all time.

Musicians hut at the backyard

We then headed back to our becak to visit Mirota Batik in Jl. Malioboro. Becak, or cycle rickshaw, is a vehicle that traditionally used human power. However, our becak was a modified version that used small motor and it surprised us because the becak driver didn’t turn on the motor on from our first leg of the trip (Keraton – Taman Sari). We didn’t know back then that motorized becak was illegal and our driver could be penalized if known. Riding the motorized becak was definitely nicer as it was faster and cooler as we caught more winds yet it’s also more dangerous. With it’s size and design, becak wasn’t designed for high speed. However, to be honest we enjoyed our fast ride more.

a motorized becak in disguise

Mirota Batik was very crowded and the aisles were so packed that moving around was a challenge but I have to admit that Mirota is a good place for souvenirs. You could get everything from batik dresses to wallets, traditional coconut carvings to fridge magnets, aromatherapy essences to traditional drinks. We went here because my dad asked us to buy him some Wedang Uwuh or Junk Drinks, if we translate it literally from Javanese. Wedang Uwuh consisted of ginger, sappanwood, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemongrass root, cardamom and sugar. If you’re familiar with spices, you will know that Wedang Uwuh would taste sweet and spicy which also mean soothing for the throat. Looks aside, this drink is very pleasant and thus is highly recommended.

To close our Jogja trip, we met up with 2 of our Jogja friends who took us to early dinner in a wedangan near the Keraton. Wedangan is not a restaurant but more like a small kiosk / stall that sells various kind of food. There are lots of wedangan in Jogja (and also in Solo) but tourists should be aware that some wedangan would charge tourists more than locals. They can easily do it as most wedangan don’t have menu / price list. It might be a good idea to ask around (hotel / guest house reception or locals) for some recommendations. Our weekend in Jogja then ended as we arrived at Tugu Station to board our 8pm Lodaya Malam train straight to Bandung. The train was freezing cold, as it always is, but we were ready to cover up with socks, shawls and jackets. It felt like Melbourne winter all over again.

First long haul train ride

We arrived on time at Bandung Station on 3.30am, feeling a bit sleepy but thankfully we were able to sleep through during our train ride. As it was hubby’s first long haul train ride, he was satisfied with the experience as the train was clean and the seats were very comfortable for sleeping. His only complain was the lights that were kept on for the full trip. We should remember to pack our sleeping eye pads if we were to go on another train ride. Anyhow, our trip to Jogja was educational and fun, and has made me even prouder of my country and its heritage.