Indonesia tour - Part IV(Bandung-Jakarta-Batam )

Sadly to say, that the last part of the journey has no pictures to show. Reason: We have used all the memory in our digital camera and the rest were taken using my hubby manual camera. And I don't have the pictures with me now to be scanned and uploaded. Sorry, sorry, sorry.

From Jogjakarta we rode an 17 hour train journey to Bandung, and owh my waist! We were seated in normal coach, which the seats were not adjustable so we had to survive with the 110 degree angle. During nights my hubby saw the rest of passengers sleeping in the aisle, so he did the same. Who cares, the more the merrier. Thus I was able to lay down bending my knee. Yet, the whole story did not end here. At 5 in the morning, I didn't know where the stop was, after a few minutes, a woman woke me up, demanding the space. Luckily, my knight in shining amour is nearby, he squeezed back beside me, and we slept with both legs at the window till 9.

When we reached Bandung, I totally forgotten to upload pictures in my camera to memory stick. Why? Bandung is actually shopping heaven for branded item like Nike, Navy Old Man, Abercombie and Fitch just to name some of them. So just imagine how I went nuts. But, I did not buy anything because my backpack was fulled and I had been warned, "you buy more things, you have to carry it by yourself. My shoulders are bruised already with your things". I got the message. Huhuhu.

The rest of the journey was sight seeing. Nothing special in Jakarta. Too congest, I don't like it. Then the quarrel with airport officer, bad food, bad journey till we reached Batam. As I was hungry, once we reached Batam I had a plate of nasi lemak, totally the Malaysian style. 7th heaven, but not so long. It all came out during the ferry ride from Batam to Singapore. Just imagine, with sambal.. it was torturing.

Now, we have friends in Jakarta, a family whom live in Barcelona. I can´t wait to follow them (one day perhaps, with God willing) to redo the Jakarta tour. Already day dreaming with good massage, good food, good day of sight seeing... hmmm when it will be...

Indonesia tour - Part I I I(Borobudur )

From Solo we moved east to visit a world heritage of Borobudur. It is gigantic! It is not only the temple which dedicated to Buddhism that amazed me, but the surroundings and the people too. And the day before our visit, the whole are is closed for public because the local said Beckham family were there. I never know the truth, and I don't care. As long as my schedule is not upset by them, it is good. Let them plan their own visit, and leave mine alone.

Experiencing a weird train journey from Solo to Jogjakarta, heading to Borobudur
The chandi is gigantic, we should have a wide angle lens...
A sign acknowledging visitors about UNESCO world heritage
View from far..
School children having a performance like Maori war dance kind of thing
Paddy field as far as the eyes can see

I felt in love with the place. Last time my hubby went there he made friends with Anas and Pras. That time he was single. The second time we went, he is married. We are looking forward to meet Anas and Pras, and their family too, but this time we are also with family. Just wait for us.

Indonesia tour - Part I I (Solo )

During the visit to Solo, I took the opportunity to learn about my roots. My father's late grand dad was from Boyolali, Semarang, a town nearby. I never been there, but I told my self, one day, ojala (I hope). So here are those pictures around Kraton Solo and Chandi Sukuh.
At one of mural in Keraton Solo
Gold carriage of the king, only used once
'Dandang' the old-fashioned rice cooker
After a tiring day, at Solo Mall enjoying our dinner
The followings are pictures at Chandi Sukuh, one of the sacred fertility temple according to the local, heritage from Hinduism
The offerings for better decedents err aka more children?
They don't called this place Fertility Temple for nothing...
The chandi...
The story...
The visitors....
An urchin who had grown up..

Indonesia tour - Part I (Bali )

I can't stop blogging. The vacation mood is really getting into me, even the day has not yet started. Now I am digging my photo album to upload all the previous visits and vacation. So, just bear with me ok?

Last year, before moving to Barcelona, my husband and I decided to enjoy our paid leave by backpaking. We took a month and started our journey in Bali. The course was Bali-Solo-Borobudur-Bandung-Jakarta-Batam. It was amazing. (Of course, no working but the money is never fail to be in account on date. Tell me is there anybody who does not like it?)

The famous pic of my facebook.
Among the first pictures where he is smiling with teeth. You don't believe me? Ask his family and officemates.
One of Bali market
The following are pictures in a chandi (temple of Hindu) during a religious ceremony. Can't remember what it is called but the event is changing the checkered cloth worn by the statue.


The famous pic of my significant half's facebook. Yeah, it is in Bali, not Hollywood, Forest Gump.
Crossing the strait to Java Island.

I need a break!

I have left my blog for quite sometimes, kind of miss it. But today, even know I have a lot of things to do, my laundry, the mess, the kitchen, the dishes, vacuuming, all can wait. As I have no assignment due, I take a risk of writing something here.

Besides of the traffic of workloads, now I am also excited. We are planning our family vacation next Christmas. And this is our first vacation since we set our feet in Barcelona. I can't wait and believe me, like a child I am counting the days. Another 26 days before we start our Manchester-Edinburgh-London tour. So, Syamsul & wife, Ruzi & hubby, wait for us ya!

In addition, I am already 'provoking' my husband about the destination of our Easter holiday. Yet still, he is acting kewl...His favourite words, "Tranquila cariño". So I need to have a break and calm down. Guess what I did, I uploaded pictures during his favourite lifetime achievement cycling tour to Laos-Cambodia-Vietnam, and hope he got the message. Unfortunately, the message he got was calling his cycling buddy and said,"Naz, how about our plan to cycle again? Where now? India? Nepal?" Duh!

Whatever it is darling, I still love you.

Previous journey - hardcore style

What a view...
Another view to die for..
Instead of cycling up hill, they decided to hitch hike and climb the hill in better option. By the way, it was cold there, foggy all day long.
A house
A village
Their 'office'
A main road and the guy is my love...
Another main road
The bridge..

Previous journey - hardcore style

My husband's friends always asked about his pictures during his Laos-Cambodia-Vietnam cycling tour. As he is a person who hates to write, so I am taking a move to upload those pictures (selected) but without comment. I try to, but since I was not there, it is damn difficult. So why don't we be a little bit creative, imagine the situation and put our own caption?





haaa, now you know, it is difficult, right?

The road not taken

The Road Not Taken
by: Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -
I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference.

This poem I have learnt during my college years as my elective. Then, when I started my teaching career long donkey years ago, this is part of the syllibus needed to be covered.

But, it reflects me more than a piece of nicely written words. As for me I took also 'the grassy and wanted wear'. I enjoy every momment of it, yet still there are ups and downs. As for now, it is down. I wonder, did I make a wrong choice at the divergence? If I took the normal road, would the thing that I wanted will be achieved? I am miserable, stuck in this misery. Still I believe that Frost is right, "I shall be telling this with a sigh, Somewhere ages and ages hence:,Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - , I took the one less traveled by,And that has made all the difference". Even now, it is me who made me. Entonces, Cogito Ergo Sum.