Ketep Pass and Another Merapi Story

It has been a long time since my previous story I posted here, basically because I had so few vacations. I just had finished my thesis for almost a year of working and observing, so I barely had free time to travel. So perhaps my posts for next couple weeks would be only a way far throwback, if only I found some pictures in my disk lol.

Anyway, last Eid I did a very short visit to one of my favourite place, Ketep Pass, that is so close to my grandma’s house in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. It is located on the slope of Merapi Mountain so it usually fresh and calming and cold. BUT NOT THAT DAY.

I was lost in Makkah, It Was Beyond Amazing!

WARNING: THIS POST IS TOO LONG TO READ xDD

Read the English version + more pictures >> Here

Sebenernya udah pernah cerita ni di blog sebelah, itu di link atas. Tapi gara-gara kemaren habis baca berita ada anggota rombongan yang ketinggalan terus ngilang, kesasar, aku jadi kepikiran buat nulis ulang pengalaman yang sama: ilang ketinggalan rombongan, di Makkah, yang biar aku bisa dikit-dikit bahasa inggris dan berani tanya cablak sana-sini, masalahnya MEREKA NGOMONGNYA ARAB GA BISA BAHASA INGGRIS!

To note: mintalah kartu nama hotelnya, atau nomer telfon siapa aja yg bisa dihubungi disana. Just in case. Ato buat kenang-kenangan/souvenir aja juga boleh.

More Faces in Quiet Borobudur

Well this post will be basically about Leni's and my faces lol the great scenery and beautiful Borobudur is in this page >> Borobudur

So maybe it's kinda bothering you to see so much human there so I separate it.

Borobudur Temple and A Postponed Sunday

More faces on Next Page

It is the first time I visit Borobudur by my own intention lol. And this time is kinda special because Borobudur was so empty and sunny *well, it’s more like so hot* we only took like 2 hours walk around and up to the temple, and we feel tired already, I mean the heat…ufff

Borobudur Temple

Yogyakarta: Once in A Year - Sekaten Fair

Even 5minutes before our appointment hour, I still couldn’t ensure myself whether I’m going. Last time I went to Sekaten was like 5 years ago! Damn, I didn’t really enjoy our local festival because, well, personal. Sekaten is identic with its play land, its cheap goodies, foods, traditional toys, cotton candy, and the most important one imo is the exhibition in the center, usually educational. About personal obstacle is that.... I never have guts to have fun.

Surabaya Trip Part II: Full Day Trip

Continuing my previous post; EHEF was my main destination. So for these trips, they're only such time killer till the time my train depart to Jogja. But for these trips, I did take so many pictures, since I paid less attention compare to EHEF, hehe

Yogyakarta Station

Surabaya Trip Part I: EHEF 2014

It was 30hrs before my trip, I just decided it very dramatically due to heart break! AGAIN! Isn’t that annoying you have someone disappointed you and you need an escape to at least relieve the pain? That’s what I did, for the second time. At the first, I made my way to escape my country Indonesia! But several days ago, I just made it to Surabaya, but with so much European taste. Hell yeah!

1. European Higher Education Fair 2014

This was my main destination that I finally visited Surabaya. I’ve been dreaming living in Surabaya several years ago but the univ I applied in was rejecting me, so, poor me, staying in Jogja was win-win solution. But anyway, EHEF was an exhibition presenting tens European Universities in one place; they're from: Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.

Beringharjo, The Heart of Traditional Market in Yogyakarta

Beringharjo, as I believe it is the largest and oldest traditional market in Yogyakarta as it has started its activity since 1758 (source), provides like the whole things from A to Z *I guess* hehe

Beringharjo market is very close to main tourism spots in Yogyakarta, which are Malioboro, Fort Vredeburg, Alun-Alun Utara, and Keraton Yogyakarta (Sultan’s Palace).

Batik area in Beringharjo Market

Merapi Walk

This was a quite old trip with friends to Merapi but only in the slope, not to the peak. It’s 3km to the peak of Merapi Mountain and we did enjoy the nature and the giant damage after the massive eruption in 2010 (yes, it’s getting beautiful since the eruption and become one tourism spot in Yogyakarta).

Merapi Mountain in bright day

Semarang: Chinese Temple Sam Poo Kong

Just to close our trip to Semarang, Sam Poo Kong, the Chinese temple, was our last site before we were heading home. And this time I seriously am not capable to tell the history ever since I don’t really read it. But then there’s this power of Google just to answer my curiosity. Or Wikipedia.

Chinese Temple, Sam Poo Kong

I’ll tell a bit more about my trip to Sam Poo Kong. So we were heading from Ngaliyan, and took public transportation or local people call it angkot to Karangayu. There’re some yellow angkot  across Karangayu traditional market that is going through Sam Poo Kong. So twice angkot only cost IDR 6000.

Semarang: Lawang Sewu

The afternoon, the best part in my opinion to take a nice walk to the center of Semarang city. We got the best moment for sunset and a nice view for Lawang Sewu. We started our trip after visiting Masjid Agung a.k.a The Great Mosque of Central Java by taxi only cost IDR 25000.

Lawang Sewu

Semarang: Culinary Trip

Not only visiting some popular tourism spot, we also went for some foods especially traditional and local food of Semarang. The spot that providing local food located in Simpang Lima, Semarang and also Pandanaran, very close with Simpang Lima that you need like 10 minutes walk.

Simpang Lima Semarang

Semarang: The Great Mosque of Central Java (Masjid Agung Semarang)

Our first journey to Semarang was started in Masjid Agung Semarang, or The Great Mosque of Central Java. I was going with my other 3 female friends and all of them are a very very, very good Muslim, so they’re happy when I recommend them this place J As well as because we’re from Yogyakarta and there’s no such huge mosque like this Great Mosque of Central Java (Masjid Agung Semarang) so we kinda curious to see the greatness of it.

The Great Mosque of Central Java from 19th floor Tower

Sukuh Temple "The Erotic Temple" and Jumog Waterfall

Six riders were going through 80km by motorcycle from Yogyakarta to Karanganyar, Central Java. There're two tourism spot we visited. There's a lot more nice places to visit actually but we only got one day trip and we wanted to really enjoy it so we only took two places.

Candi Sukuh (Sukuh Temple) a.k.a "The Erotic Temple"

I'm not really mastering about the history of this place. So if you need any reference about this Sukuh Temple, you can read on Candi Sukuh Wikipedia

Sukuh Temple

Jakarta, Monas (The National Monument)

I was spending one day short trip to Jakarta, my first and priority was to get to IMAX because there isn’t any in my city, Yogyakarta. But the movie and walk around the Gandaria City Mall was only last like 2 hrs since I'm not really a mall lover. So, I took a nice and enjoying afternoon walk in the center of Jakarta, the heart and the symbol of this capital city of Indonesia, which is Monas, that stands for Monumen Nasional (National Monument). We can actually go inside this National Monument and going up with its lift to see Jakarta city from above. Unfortunately it’s open only at 8AM till 4PM, and I arrived there around 5PM.

National Monument (Monas)

Don’t worry, this place is never quiet. There’re always and will always be people. Even some people there only for little jogging or vacation, me, I like to enjoy the nice view while this National Monument wasn’t so crowded. It was Ramadan, the fasting month for muslims. Many people were selling traditional food of Jakarta, which is kerak telor in the yard of the place. I didn’t buy any since I got no companion and too awkward to eat all by myself in an open crowd. So I just took pictures of The National Monument and some other interesting stuff.

Late Summer in Singapore [Part II]

So we had the first part of the evening with walking around ION and… a nap! Sweetest nap ever since walking around all day was so tiring and gave me one royal backache.

After took a rest for a while, we were going back to Merlion Park at night, Saturday night, to watch song of the sea. 

street food Chinatown

Late Summer in Singapore [Part I]

September 2013, I was kinda sad, mini brokenhearted lol. I wanted to release this sadness while at the same time, I knew my friends was about to take vacation. So I joined them and fortunately we had same flight so we departed together.

SGD

We had evening flight from Yogyakarta and arrived in Singapore at 10pm. We were so amazed with the sophisticated look of Changi Airport so we took like 2 hours to look around. The Singapore’s International Airport is very clean, very tidy and roomy. Most of the floor is covered by carpet, thus there’re many people also took a rest there, sleeping on the floor. Yes, it is very common to see many people sleep on Changi, like we did! And the best, its free wifi is amazing, absolutely waaaay better and faster than in my hometown :D  

Fun in Bogor [Part II] - Fooding

Several food we ate while in Bogor. It is a must for you to try the typical food of Bogor too, which are: Talas/taro (or any processed food of it like Lapis Talas cake, etc), Asinan Bogor, and Roti unyil.

"Some frustrated travelers were so tired to hunt awesome foods and chose to take junk-fast food instead"

Fun in Bogor [Part I] - All Play

Earlier this year, I spent 2 short days in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia, enjoying holidays and trying largest play land. So I started my holiday from Yogyakarta by train. We took night train so the next morning we already were in our first destination, Pasar Senen train station, Jakarta. From Pasar Senen station, we went to Bogor Station by commuter line.

Ramadan in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [Part XII] - Price List

Talking about price list for one Umra trip, it's a bit more expensive when Ramadan because more reward as well than the other months. I'll write down several goods with its price even tough honestly I didn't buy all of them. I know it by asking when you know, window shopping :D

price list of  umra in Ramadan