Superhot Morning @ Mount Bromo

View from the top of Mount Bromo. Took us quite some time to get to the top - we weren't fit, so had to make a lot of breaks along the way. Didn't wanna get down, but the hot sun was burning the skin.

Photo was taken in 2009. When oh when can I go there again?

Sunset @ Santika Premiere Beach Resort Bali

Spent my birthday in the year 2012 in Bali. Had a very relaxing 3 days by Kuta Beach.

The hotel was awesome. It was nearby a busy road & the airport, but once you are inside the area, the noise disappears. The staff was very helpful & friendly, the food was good, the 2 swimming pools are comforting.

The picture was taken at my favorite spot in the hotel - the walkway to the beach. :)

For more information on the hotel & reservation, go to their website or check out their review on Tripadvisor

Bukit Tinggi, West Sumatra

A post from March 2013.

I did a crazy thing this year. I got off from Jakarta & booked my next flight to Bukittinggi, Indonesia only 3 weeks apart. Well, to some (read: rich people), this is pretty normal, but for regular folk like me, this is kinda crazy. With the money, work & annual leave situation. 

I didn't regret it. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was a relaxing trip. Just sit around & hang out with my 2 buddies. No pressure. A stress-reliever. 

Kawa daun, served in coconut shell

Of course, my favourite Indonesian travel agent (whom I have mentioned in my earlier post), Ade, brought us to this shop that sells coffee that is made from coffee leaves. And it tastes like tea - Kawa Daun, the name. To coffee lovers, this would be the most insulting kind of coffee that has ever existed but knowing the story behind it, you just have to forgive them & let it be.

It was during the olden days when Indonesia was still under the power of the Dutch. Their coffee beans were all being exported by the higher power & leaving them only with the leaves. And so, that's what the people use to make coffee.

Anyway, we had ours with tidbits - goreng pisang, cucur udang, tahu goreng with cili padi & another kuih which-I-don't-know-the-name-of. I kinda miss it tho. Eating & talking & laughing. Super fun time.

Later that night, Ade took us to his friend's wedding. So we had the chance to go to a Minangkabau wedding, in the land of Minangkabau! Yeay! Just do a Google on Minangkabau wedding ceremony & you'll see a whole lot of colorful pictures. 

It was the fanciest pelamin I've ever seen. However, the reception itself was kinda dull. It was the 3rd & last day anyway. They had no music, people weren't talking loudly, and the food was not to my liking. Good social experience tho. And of course, my first time going to a wedding in t-shirt, jeans & red Converse. 

I am definitely going back to Bukittinggi. I wanna try their mie ayam, murtabak, belut goreng, sate Padang & all the other food that I've missed out. 

Apart from the food, I guess what I like most about Bukittinggi is the view. Very scenic, very green, fresh air & so relaxing. I love it there. And the weather is cool too. 

Superb Surabaya

In 2009, with the flu still attached, I made it up Mount Bromo! Using the stairs lah. Hehe.. And, I went crazy.. shopping!! First off, Surabaya. Was very hot when we arrived. Mr. Ade (an accelent Indonesian travel agent of whom you can contact thru his Facebook page - just mention my name) welcomed us at the airport, with our tour guide, Wawan. Had Nasi Padang for lunch @ Silanggang Jaya Restaurant. After lunch, we headed straight to Cemoro Lawang. Halfway through the highway, we stopped by the roadside to see a village which was swallowed by lava.

 

On the way up to Cemoro Lawang, it gets cold. The view was breathtaking. The mist in the woods reminds me of Edward Cullen. I thought at any moment he would jump out of the mist. Along the roadside, there's fresh flowers and vegetables - mostly cabbage & potatoes, the main source of income for the villagers there. We stayed at a hostel called Cafe Lava. Very comfy bed, pillows and blanket! And yes, superb dishes too. We had Nasi Goreng Jawa, Soto Ayam, Nasi Campur dan Potato Cheese. I had a cabin all to myself, coz one of my friend can't make it for the trip. 

  

The sunrise there is very early, compared to Malaysia. 6am there is like 8am in KL. So I woke up at 3am and took a bath in the chilling water, since the heater was broken. Hey, I don't mind - it was refreshing! And when I went out to wait for the driver, I saw a whole lot of stars. I could lie and stare at the stars for hours and hours! Anyway, 4am we took a jeep up to Mt. Penanjakan. It was very cold! Bought gloves for Rp15.000 and rent a jacket for Rp10.000. A lot of tourists there, most of them with high-end cameras. Around 5am++, I can see a yellow line of sunlight. It's a magnificent view! I am absolutely awed by it.

 

Then we went down and continued our journey to the sand-sea, to take up the 250 flight of stairs for Mt. Bromo's crater. The moment our jeep came into the parking area, we we're being chased by horses! Coz u have to walk from the jeep parking area to the stairs. It's about 2 - 3 km and we decided to take a horse instead. First time for all of us! My horse's name is Pablo. The climbing of the stairs was so tiring for somebody as unfit as me! We had at least 5 pit stops before reaching the top. Upon reaching the peak, I have to say it was worth every single drop of my sweat. The view was spectacular! Me & Ely sat at the cliff to enjoy the view, while Linda sat nearby the stairs which covered her from the blinding sunlight - although it was only 7am. I didn't wanna go down, but I figured if I stay too long up there, I might get burnt!

   

By 8.30am, we have reached our hostel for breakfast. I bought a souvenir t-shirt for myself and postcards for my cousin. We checked out early because we wanted to check-out Madakaripura Waterfall. Signboard says 5km. Do not believe the sign. I felt like it was more like, 105km. But we didn't go in because there was some climbing of the slippery rocks involved, plus, there was a naked man taking a bath welcoming us. Scary! You may read the information for this waterfall from this Indonesian travel website.

We headed back to Surabaya, check in hotel. Quds Royal Hotel. The tallest building in the area. Interior is like a castle, but only 3stars. And the food? Superb! And cheap, of course. That evening we went to ITC - International Trade Centre. Where we had dinner @ the foodcourt and do a little bit of shopping. We had Nasi Timbel, and not forgetting Es Teler. I requested to go around the city centre, but it was too far away and we got lost!

That night, me & Ely ordered room service for more food! We ordered Fish & Chip, Pisang Keju & a very nice-looking, and excellent tasting Orange juice. So far the best drink I've had there.

The next morning, we had breakfast at the. I tried every single food and drink available. Nasi Goreng, Ayam, Soup, Sayur Campur, Roti Bakar with Strawberry Jam & Chocolate Rice, Pancake, Omelette.. I ate 'em all! After check-out, we went straight to Plaza Jambatan Merah. We read in a forum that this is the best shopping center. And yes, all too cheap to even imagine! We were expecting to buy "kebaya" for RM50, which we thought was the cheapest. And when we got there, we found a set of "kebaya" selling for Rp35.000. Equals to RM12! We went into most of the shops there, showing my skills on bargaining and finally came out satisfied. Still, with some extra money in the pocket. 

 

We treated our driver & guide for their help. Had Nasi Kebuli, which was good, and then went straight back to the airport. 

 

Surabaya was an excellent experience for me, especially Mount Bromo. I've been thinking of going back there - hopefully soon! But this time I'm not gonna ride a horse. I think I'll just walk. Am afraid with all my extra weight, the horse might not make it uphill.