…From Day 3 – Monday 26 October 2009

Purwokerto for me is a city with memory of my childhood visiting grandparents house, this means : lots of good food and laughter. I still have my aunt living in this city today. Like any other city in the country, the javanese culture moves parallel with the modernity and development. It is the capital of Banyumas Regency, Central Java region, Purwokerto is located near the base of Mount Slamet, the highest volcano in Central Java.

The city is bisected by the Kali Kranji (Kranji River), and lies near two major east-west roads, Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Gatot Subroto (source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purwokerto), it’s a very small city, the local people loves to hang out at Alun-alun (town square), and you can circling this town in just 30 min, you will find yourself back to the same point of departure : Alun-alun. And beside its typical culinary delights such as : Soto Sukaraja, Es Baltik, Tempe Mendoan, etc…Serayu River is one of the main nature scenery not to be passed (actually it’s more for a nostalgic reason for me, where my dad spent his afternoon childhood, biking and playing on the river of Serayu!).

I should’ve stayed more than just one night here, but Bandung, the flower city, the Parijs van Java, just couldn’t wait to see me..

Day 4 – Tuesday 27 October 2009
09.40  Left Purwokerto to Bandung
16.00  WELCOME TO BANDUNG (again!), BEE !!

28 October – 6 November 2009 My must have annual holiday ‘Chez Mes Parents’, I’ve written some blog posts about Bandung and Jakarta, the two most frequented towns in my life – having lived & worked there – so for fun things to do, I will just list here What’s HOT and What’s not HOT in Bandung compared to Bali

Hmm..starting from What’s HOT first and What Bali DOESN’T HAVE! Yay!

1). Multi cineplex (minimum 8 screens of cinema!) giving more choices of movies, with HD surround sound system complete with other entertainment facility, such as restaurant, cafe, live music performance! digital music store, game center, pool, karaoke, function room, merchandise store, a very chic lounge, and lots of beautiful trendy fashionably people…my oh my…

The way Bandung spoils movie lovers..I wish Bali had this..

Gee..and I'm on my way to the rest room! Luxurious touch in cinema..<3

2). Malls and great malls…and more malls

The most artistic & tasteful mall in Bandung : PVJ (Paris van Java)

Where in Bali, can we find a mobile wifi internet cafe like this?

3). Good yummy food with hundreds of price & flavor variation all over the city! The battle of New innovative culinary vs Classic legend food that never ends.

Since 1953, guys....

It's mobile era now...so does SUSHI...yum!

4). Old historical buildings from Dutch colonial period that are still being functioned as international conference building, Post Office, or trade centers.

Asia Africa Building

Post Office Bandung

5). A cutey little pie coquette niece with three dream jobs in one life time : Singer,model, pediatrician & a nephew who thinks he’s Spongebob the Squarepants and a card collector.

6). A large backyard and beautiful garden – with the crazy high land price in Bali, there’s no way people could easily afford a house with a big garden..(they’re lucky to have one actually)

7). Best friends

What’s NOT Hot in Bandung :
1). Traffic Jam almost everywhere – typically big cities in Java

2). Bike Riders who just couldn’t wait and queue on a train railway portal, they have this ‘good habit’ crossing the opposite line to get in the front line, nice…

3). Two different world : The Slum surrounding or just behind a nice glamorous shopping center

Til my next adventure and crazy trip, hopefully one day : Tour d’Indonésie ! Thanks to @bartcatapult for the great pics, love ya’!

Related Post
- ONE WEEK IN BANDUNG – PARIJS VAN JAVA
- Bandung & Jakarta so far

Friday, 23 October 2009
Final preparation : While I was still struggling with packing problem : what to bring and what’s not! and this has been an area I haven’t mastered yet, and at the end Bart is  always the one who wrap up everything for me..:p , well Bart had done his final check list in making sure our maid knows what to do during our absence, and bought mineral water in gallons bottles, gas supply for cooking, left our contact details and some money for emergency, etc..Unfortunately something bad happened to me one day before our departure to Java : I had my back tendon twisted right next to my spinal bone, it hurts sooo much, I couldn’t barely walk, and here I was at Bali Galeria Mal, had to do one last groceries shopping for our trip snacks, with a limp walk, and had to drag my feet super slow, the security at the mal gate starred at me with this strange (and mean) look! I could only say one thing : Why me, and why now?…:)

Day 1 – Saturday, 24 October 2009
03.25 Pray to God that our trip will be a safe & fun one, Amien! Most importantly : JAVA MAP : checked! (like most women, often I don’t understand how to read map…it took 10 min for me to find Madiun, and Bart shook his head several times, I noticed that!), I still couldn’t believe we’re really going to Java by car and not by plane!

It was Kuningan Day in Bali, I noticed some balinese people  were already on their way to the temple to pray and bring offerings, the women, in their best Kebaya and traditional costumes for the men! Woww…! There’s a little bit sentimental feeling as we’re leaving Bali, our beloved island, and Bali in the dawn was awesome..There is no way for Bart to let some great photo moments pass in front of his eyes, we stopped every time he spotted one stunning view of nature or an object, and I knew from the beginning I would find a hard time to choose the pics among all gorgeous ones he always takes..but here are some for you..

06.05 A ferry boat was ready to welcome our car in their ‘garage’, to bring us across  Bali Strait, departing from Gilimanuk Harbour to Ketapang Harbour in Banyuwangi city, East java. It takes about 45min to 1 hour to arrive in…JAVA land!!! Very soon the air, the atmosphere, the accent, the people got changed drastically…I knew it’s going to be one crazy long trip ahead, but we’re excited.

07.30 – 10.30 3 Hours driving. Our first stop destination is to have lunch at Pasir Putih (means white sand) Restaurant in Situbondo, East Java, I remember with my university student trip back in 1996, this place was great, with direct beach access and indonesian buffet lunch, and a chance for us to refresh ourselves: take a shower (actually, it’s indonesian bathroom, so a water bucket shower is more precisely) and change cloths. Surprise, surprise…there were literally only me and Bart at this almost lunch hour, and they didn’t have buffet lunch if it’s not a school holiday season, and their sumatran food (Padang) was…sooo disappointing, speechless…

Our next destination was Surabaya, the capital of East Java,and I’ve NEVER been there! Bart’s cousin would be our host there.

13.44 – 14.48 Stop over in Probolinggo City, known as Mango City. I was thinking if I could stand this road trip as my bum felt : so hottt!!! for sitting for hours in the carrr…Hang in there,Bee, still a long road to go…

Probolinggo, East Java - the mango city !

I realized (just realized) that it was the moment for me where I could get very emotional with some little stuff like : traffic jam, wrong road taken, hungry stomach, tiredness, and I couldn’t help it, as the syndrome comes every month..:(( I also realized that driving a car from Denpasar to Surabaya is not like from Jimbaran to Candidasa in Karangasem, and the highway road in the evening is so much dangerous for us with these bl***y big overland buses that were trying to kill us. It got to the boiling point where I could not take it anymore, with a loud scream from the top of my lung, I said to Bart that we would just skip Surabaya, and go straight to his mother’s place in Madiun, East Java and spend a night there. I’ve even said : “Let’s just pass these Java cities, forget about Solo & Yogya too (which were our main nostalgic cities), and go to Bandung, strraight!!… But Bart, my man, the most patient guy on earth I’ve ever met, just gave this lovely smiles that cooled my nerf down…and we were on the way to Madiun then.

The same question hit me back : why me, and why now…Because when it’s my turn to take the wheel, in Gempol, East Java, there was this most crazy lunatic traffic jam I’ve ever experienced! 2 Hours stuck in the car, and literally : not moving anywhere, and that’s not all, folks! Apparently the bumpy road has been like that since more than 2 years, and nobody knows why the local government does nothing about it…

When we asked one guy next to our car if we’re going on the right direction to Madiun, he shocked as much as I did afterward that we took the WRONG ROAD….#feelslikebangingmyheadtothewall100times# and the great thing was : there was no turning back unless we follow this road till the end …of nowhere…Dear God, I thought I’ve prayed enough for the last 7 days before this road trip day, that we need Your guidance…in every street and road we should take (yes, I was hoping God send His angels to say to Bart and me : take this street, turn left, turn right, etc…).

We were supposed to arrive in Madiun around 8pm, but with so much dramas going on (my drama queen side, actually), we landed at Bart’s mom/grandma house at 11pm, with the rest of my energy on that crazy long day, I tried so hard to give my best smile to her..oh forgive me, Tante!..Bart’s family was awesome, and I couldn’t get a much warm welcome more. His grandma is the oldest person in this Wayut Village, 94 years old, still walking without a stick nor any help, and still making her own Tempe (one of indonesian most favorite food made from fermented soya bean, and the ‘best friend’ of Tahu/Tofu) !! Amazing!! And I couldn’t stop laughing as people here talked to me in javanese language, east java accent that I could barely understand, but it was fun and I will be back to this lovely city!

Day 2 – Sunday 25 October 2009
I usually am not that easy to get a good sleep when I arrive in a strange and new place/city, but the road trip from Bali to Madiun really took all of my energy, I slept like a baby, and woke up feeling good about a new exciting day I’d have.

09.53 – Left Madiun, destination : SOLO, Central Java, the most important city of this trip, as it was the place where Bart and I met <3 . It took about 3 hours less to get to Solo, and we passed some beautiful cities in East Java. Pasuruan, for example, they called it : Furniture city, as they produce lots of wooden furniture and send across the country.

13.00 Solo, at last! Even if it’s just one short night, I enjoyed touring this city, My God, it’s been long time I haven’t visited this place. The city develops like any other big cities in Indonesia : big malls and amusement park, tall high rise building for hotels & business centre, not to mention : apartment/condominium – does Solo people really need to live in an apartment now? Hmm…it’s probably the jakartans people who own most of the apartments, like the case in Bali..

Solo was called Surakarta in the past, the modern culture is mixed with a strong javanese culture, and you can see the international chain hotel or bank, but it still has lots of traditional and cultural sights to offer. They recently launched the one and only Steam Locomotive called Sepur KluthukJaladara as a city tour train, circling around the main city attraction for visitors. A visit to Surakarta Royal Palace is also not to be missed.

Too bad I didn’t have much time to visit the famous Pasar Klewer-a traditional market selling Batik, at a very affordable price! And starting tonight, I’m officially sick : bad cough, flu, sore throat…If we didn’t stay in a nice and clean hotel I would’ve been worse..

Day 3 – Monday 26 October 2009
Yogyakarta, here we come!
12.11 Left Solo for Yogya. I remember taking this express train from Yogya to Solo, cheap, clean and fun. But by car, I had a fun time too. Same as Solo, Yogyakarta is a city that still keep its strong javanese tradition and culture in their people’s everyday life, and the tourism lives from these two elements too, main thing they have to offer for visitors.

On the way to Yogya. They have special line for motorbike, woww I want one of those in BALI!!!!

But a bit different from Solo, I could still feel the strong presence of old traditional life even at the center of tourist place such as Malioboro Street, the famous street to get everything about Yogyakarta souvenir. The ‘Becak‘ (traditional push cart) driver who speaks javanese to us (to Bart, actually, as he speaks perfectly the language), all the street names are written in both latin and old javanese scripture, and I didn’t see big malls or condominium or hypermart like in Solo. Everyone seems like dressing in Batik in my eyes, or is it because I spent hours in Pasar Beringhardjo (Beringhardjo Market) where they sell everything in Batik : shirt, dress, bags, sandals, etc.

Oh I wish I had more time to explore this city.

To be continued…

RECOMMENDED HOTELS

Solo : IBIS HOTEL
Jl. Gajah Mada no.23
Solo 57131
Tel +62 271 724555
Fax +62 271 724666
www.ibishotel.com/asia

More photos on our Java Road Trip 2009 on http://www.beeamazing.com/gallery/

]]> http://www.beeamazing.com/java-road-trip-24-27-oct09-part-1/feed/ 1 http://www.beeamazing.com/5-tips-to-enjoy-bali-not-as-a-tourist/ http://www.beeamazing.com/5-tips-to-enjoy-bali-not-as-a-tourist/#comments Wed, 08 Apr 2009 16:46:40 +0000 Bee http://www.beeamazing.com/?p=249 Bali is a big island to explore, and finding hidden stunning areas and spots such as blue pristine water in a secluded beach area are among the most fun part to discover this island of paradise.

More visitors or even local residents like me prefer avoiding touristy areas such as Kuta Beach (and Kuta Square), Dreamland Beach-who is now known as New Kuta Beach full of Jakarta and Surabaya local tourists! (how on earth those investors from Jakarta dare to change a beach name found once by a surfer in 70’s!), and would rather explore West,North,and East part of Bali.

Here are 5 Tips to enjoy Bali and its nature beauty not as a tourist :

1. Avoid South of Bali such as : Kuta,Nusa Dua,Jimbaran,Sanur – specially Kuta that is already packed with tourists from all over the world specially those shopping mania local tourists from Java. Explore more : West of Bali (Menjangan Island,Pemuteran,Bali National Parc,Medewi Beach), North (Singaraja, Gitgit Waterfall,Munduk Village), and the East where I went to recently (Taman Ujung/Water Palace, White Sand Beach in Perasi,Amed)

2. Hire motorbike instead of car, as you would find yourself in a small narrow road when you are exploring a beautiful village, don’t forget to waive and smile to the school kids who are happy to see you visiting their place (pic below).

3. Go on a non public holiday/weekend/christmas and new year/Idul Fitri period. Because even some tranquil and peaceful beach could be packed with local tourist in their big buses (with a tour guide accompanied them!) and rented cars as they also try to avoid “fellow” tourists and with balinese friend or tour guide they have, some non-touristy spots could be revealed! Oh how I hate when it happened to Dreamland/New Kuta Beach!

4. Although supporting local vendors around beach areas usually called ‘Warung’ is great to have them recognize your face on the next visit and make friends, buying small beer ‘Bintang’ at 25K when you could get it half price for the big bottle is only making the food & beverage ‘market price’ there unaffordable for us,local residents who also want to enjoy Bali in a non expensive way. Bring your own small cooler box contains water bottles,orange juice,beers,and if you still want make friends with the beach street vendors you could ask one  of the ‘Ibu’ gives you a nice massage at 20K for 30 minutes or so. Hhmmm..

5. Do not tell anyone about the tranquil non touristy spot you just found. Less tourists know this place, the better for enjoying the beauty of that Bali nature. Take some great shots of it and share it on your blog or Facebook, make  a title :”Hidden Beach I won’t tell you where“….(see pic below)

Enjoy the Sea,Sun,Surf,Sand of Bali!…..

Note :

- Thanks to Bali Blog-WhyGoBali www.baliblog.com who constantly and consistenly writing all the beauty of Bali in a most detail and adventurous way!
- www.ProBlogger.net , here is my most fav task for 31 DBBB so far :p

December 2007. So we do this tour trial. Safety briefing is a must. I used to work at SOBEK Bali-another adventure tour operator in the island that has rafting, cycling, trekking, and 4WD adventure, and I feel like going rafting without the raft boat and paddle. It’s a fantastic mix of trekking, swimming, physical challenge !

It’s extremely fun, and the hardest part is to walk against the water current. Several stops at waterfalls, cave,clear mountain spring water make all these fatigue, muscle ache, and slips worthwhile!!

This tour ended after 2 hours of exhausting water adventure, by arriving at this breathtaking view from Natura Resort lobby, up hill.  A Balinese Nasi Campur lunch concluded my day.

If  you want to try this outdoor adventure sport, make sure your are on your top fitness level on the day of the trip. What to bring & wear : river sandal is the best, t-shirt, short, swim or wet suit,change of clothes, sunscreen, hat,camera.

COME ON, COME TO BALI!!!

‘Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, covered in scars, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ‘yahoo!’, what a ride.’
-quoted from Bear Grylls blogspot – http://beargrylls.blogspot.com/

If there was a man who inspired me the most today and made me down at the same time,that would be a TV host, motivational speaker, author – BEAR GRYLLS. It took couple of spelling mistake of his sir name (gyssll, grysll) to be able to google his blog and website.

Many of you must know him from his famous TV show on Discovery Channel : MAN vs WILD, every Tuesday night at 10.15pm-Bali Time (GMT +8), a TV program that my Benny adores it so much and has been a while inspired him as well, as he also has the same passion as Bear :  NATURE & ADVENTURE!

Yes, talking about a man who not only has a huge passion on outdoor adventure, but mainly living his dream, pushing his limits,and overcoming challenge. A life that is far far away from dullness,he has, for sure! He has become an international speaker in many countries by using his experiences on climbing a Mount Everest at the age of 23, and how these can help us in our life and business environments. For him, fear,doubt,nervousness should not be an obstacle in focusing to your goal of life and dreams, in fact it will make you become stronger to achieve whatever you want to be and to get. Woww…

I tried to look on his background to justify all his character and experiences : served in British Special Air Service, black karate black holder, trained in unarmed combat, desert and winter warfare, combat survival, medics, parachuting, signals, evasive driving, climbing and explosives. In late 1996, broke his back in a free fall parachuting accident in southern Africa. In 1998, at the age of 23,he entered The Guinness Book of Records as the youngest, and one of only around thirty, British climbers to have successfully climbed Everest and returned alive, etc.etc…Just to say to myself : no wonder he is that strong.

But now I would rather see it as a person who, firstly, know what he wants to do in life with his passion, skill, and ability, and then use it for his own good, to inspire,motivate and strenghten people. Bear Grylls,in brief has motivated me more today to do something different,dare to face a challenge, become a fearless person yet fun! (woman).

If at first I said he also made me down at the same time, it is because seeing his tv show and read his blog,made me see how flat is my life now, being stuck at 9 to 6 office situation, answering phone calls and emails, although I’m working at an event company that has so many things going on now, still…nothing compare with all the crazy and wild outdoor experience of Bear Grylls.

2008 – is The Year of the new beginning, that is my vision. It’s September now, and I’m still looking forward for something excited, crazy, thrilling, adventurous, and new happen with my life. Once again, I would like to quote what The Man vs Wild says on his blog,that : “Feeling nervous is normal though, I guess. What matters is that you still go, and give your everything, no matter how hard it is.”

Bear & Shara – whereever you are now, and miraculously could read this, I just want to say thank you for giving me the inspiration to get something new and exciting and passionate in my life.

Visit also a website of a very blessed woman :

http://www.sharagrylls.com/