Java (Day 4: Staying in Jogjakarta)

After the hearty breakfast at Alun Alun Kidul, we arrived at Hotel Sumaryo at Jalan Prawirotaman around 9am. It's actually a guesthouse, owned by some royal families. The owner also stays there, towards the back of the buildings which is off limits to guests.

There are over 10 rooms available for guests, and all the rooms open to a centre courtyard. There's also a small pool for use. The dining area is located next to the garden, and adjacent to the small reception area.

The house has a 70s feel to it. The room is clean but a little gloomy though. The plus point...is that it's quiet and safe. The gate closes a little after 10pm and you need to ring the door bell if you arrive way after that.

There are some restaurants located along the street. Basically, everything is within walking distance.

Since all of us hardly had much sleep on the road last night, we decided to sleep in. Well, Borubudur can wait till after lunch!

Java (Day 4 : Arriving in Jogjakarta)

We arrived in Jogja at 5.30am, after an 11 hours drive from Bandung. As it was still too early to check in at the guesthouse, we drove around the city...hoping to find some stalls but none was open.

We finally stopped at Alun alun Lor, located on the north wall of the Kraton. Surprisingly it was not deserted at that hour. Locals came by to jog around the square. There was also a group aerobic exercise where anyone can join in. As much as I was still hungry and groggy from the terrifying episode in Bandung, I joined the exercise with Olen, just for the fun of it. It's just amazing to see elders (perhaps in their 60s) could keep up with the exercise.

Entrance to Alun Alun Lor

Outside Masjid Gedhe Kraton (walking distance from Alun Alun Lor)

The entrance to square outside Masjid Gedhe Kraton.

Grobak food

From Alun Alun Lor, we drove to Alun Alun Kidul, which was located on the opposite end of the kraton. Found this grobak that sells chicken porridge. I was hungry and didn't mind the street food. Tried to ignore my fear of getting sick from street food...and it was indeed my best decision ever. It was the most delicious porridge that I've ever tasted. It was of the right texture, filled with chicken strips, nuts, vegetable and crackers. We even had a choice of additional items such as quail eggs, chicken liver, etc. It was a healthy breakfast.

There we were, sitting on the mat, with our backs to the wall of the kraton...eating our porridge, drinking hot tea, and watching the people go by.

Street scene around Alun Alun Kidul

Java (Day 3 : Shopping and the visit to the emergency room)

I woke up early today to the noises made by other guests, having breakfast at the centre court of the hotel. Gee...I didn't feel rested.

We checked out of Wisma Gandapura, right after breakfast. Olen wanted to get some leather shoes, so Ferry took us to Cibaduyut. She found a good pair of ankle length leather boots that was under RM100.

Later on we headed to Pasar Baru. I've started getting a headache from the drive into the parking lot. We went floor after floor, until we got our parking.

Despite been here twice before but I've never reached the upper floors. Well, this time I bought some material. I didn't want to buy lots of stuffs or else I won't have enough space in my backpack.

There are a lot of choices and if you're into shopping, you could spend hours here.

As for me, I decided on a maroon french lace, with elaborate design, complete with beads and sequins. Bought 2 meters of it. Thought I'll wear it for Himawan's wedding in December. It only cost me about Rp200,00 per meter or about RM 80.

We had planned to leave Bandung around 3pm, right after lunch so that we could arrive in Jogja early. That was why we didn't spend a lot of time in Pasar Baru.

My headache had worsened. We had to make a stop so that Ferry could massaged my head. It was a relief until I started vomitting. I thought it was over so we headed for lunch at one of the shops near the exit of the city.

What happened later became like a black hole. I couldn't hold any food at all. Was vomitting my stomach out at the restaurant. The guys didn't really have a choice but rushed me to the hospital.

I was immediately admitted into the emergency room. I was given a shot to stop the spasm. Ferry & Olen spoke to the doctor and told her that we were leaving for Jogja. The doctor told them that I was in no condition to travel that distance. She decided to keep me under observation for several hours.

I was scared...this was only Day 3. It wasn't even half the journey. A lot of things came to mind. What if I'm too sick to continue the journey? What if I have to return to Malaysia? But I calmed myself. Told myself that if I need immediate medical attention, then I would have no choice but call Pak Nasser, one of our staff, based in Jakarta.

I fell asleep due to the shot.My backpack with all my documents and money was with Olen. I basically didn't have anything on me except the clothes on my back. I just hoped that the guys are okay with it.

It was only hours later that I came around. The doctor on shift had changed. Since I was no longer vomitting and the headache was getting better, the doctor discharged me.

We finally made our way out of Bandung, around 6pm. I was still weak, so, I decided to sleep at the last row.

We made a few stops along the way...Had our dinner of nasi goreng (fried rice) and teh hangat (hot tea) at a stall in one of the villages.

As I was still feeling dizzy, I've switched to sit in front. I've never travelled at night before so I was getting restless. It would be morning when we would arrive in Jogja. Fortunately, we made some stretching break.

One thing commendable that I must point out is the condition of the public toilets....which were surprisingly clean. The "highway" that we were taking was unlike the ones I'm used to in Malaysia. It was basically a single carriageway, passing through villages. There are no proper R&R area. So, if you need to ease yourself, do stop at the petrol kiosk. Some kiosks came with a minimart, toilets, showers and some with prayer room (Musolllah).

Travelling at night is also an experience, despite the danger. There are many heavy vehicles that used the same road. I only prayed that we would still be safe. I'm glad that we decided to get our own transport instead of the original plan of taking the public transport. If we had been taking the public transport, it would be really difficult for me especially when I'm sick.

If anyone is interested to take the same route, I would suggest getting your own transport. It allows you the flexibility to travel at your own time and pace. You would also be able to stop along the way, for a taste of local food.

Java (Day 2 : Kampung Daun & Bandung)

It has been a long day. After leaving the villa which we put up for our first night, we went to Tangkuban Parahu and Ciater. Before checking into our rooms in Bandung, I suggested to the group to have dinner at a favorite place of mine, Kampung Daun, located in Lembang area.

Kampung Daun:
I was there 1 year ago, and could barely remember the way there. Nevertheless, I managed to show the guys the way...We arrived just before sunset. This time, I've brought my tripod with me so that I could take night shots of the place. The food is good...and the place is cosy...so romantic.

Here's the link to the place :
http://kampungdaun.net/

Nite #2 : Bandung:

It was 9pm, when we finally reached the place where we are going to stay tonite. Tonite, we're staying at Wisma Gandapura, Jalan R.E. Martadinata, Bandung. It's quite cosy...but I guess, most importantly, it's clean. It has all the basic necessities. The room is big enough for 2 single beds. I miss the aircond...but I don't mind the fan...After all, I'm just too tired to think too much of it. Well, tomorrow will be a longer day as we'll be leaving for Jogjakarta. I'd better head to bed soon.

Java (Day 2 : Tea Plantation)

We stopped by the roadside to take picture of these tea plantations...hills of them. Well, this shot was taken on our way back from Ciater, heading towards Bandung.

Bandung is known for it's tea plantations, which were first opened by Dutch colonials in the 18th century.

Java (Day 2 : Hotspring in Ciater)

After Tangkuban Parahu, we headed on to a hotspring in Ciater, which is about 45 mins away. The place is big. One can either take a bath at any of the spring or plain relax your feet in the numerous pool of hot water. There are some recreational activities that you can take part in such as flying fox, paddling, etc.

Losing your way in this place?

A private pool, anyone?

You can shower here, if you want to.

Hot waterfall

Java (Day 2 : Gunung Tangkuban Parahu)

It was a quiet morning. The guys prepared our breakfast and even hot water for our bath. Gee, we were getting pampered. Hehe.

We left Cipanas around 9.30am, heading back to Bandung. We arrived in Gunung Tangkuban Parahu, 3 hours later after making a few stops along the way.

I've been here before but it still amazes me. In my last visit, it was warm but this time around, it was misty and cold...and I now understand why people say that Bandung is cold. I even had to keep my jacket on.

Well, I got to do something different in this trip. Last year, I've trekked to Kawah Domas with my bestfriends but this time, we decided on horse riding to Kawah Upas, which is the oldest volcanic crater on this mountain.

Riding the horse for the first time was a challenge, especially along the long, winding and uneven trails...but what is travel, if it's not for an adventure?

The mist surrounding the souvenir stalls.

Near the crater of Kawah Ratu, busy street peddlars selling souvenirs and food.

Kawah Ratu is behind this.

The travellers riding horses along the ridge.

Kawah Upas

We rode the horses along this ridge.

Siomay

It was way past lunch time and we were getting hungry. Ferry & Erry were waiting for us near the viewing tower, eating this Siomay. In that cold weather, this steamy dish seems so delicious.

After choosing the ones you like from a variety of steamed stuffs, the peanut sauce is added on. Tada...you now have a healthy lunch.

Fancy a vase, made from carved kayu batik?

Java (Day 1 : Puncak)

We arrived in Bandung, a little after noon. Yes, it feels good to be back after almost a year. Ferry & Ery came to pick us up at the airport. Gee, we managed to get a van for our roadtrip and I couldn't help but wondered if it would be fit enough to cover the entire journey.

Right after lunch, we headed for Puncak. It's simply a beautiful place, with rolling hills, planted with tea.

Opss...we later found out that there was slight miscommunication. Ferry thought we only wanted to travel for a day trip to Puncak and that we would return to Bandung for the night...The three of us, however wanted to stay overnite in Puncak.

Fortunately for us, it wasn't weekend and in no time we managed to find ourselves a villa to put up. There were some locals waiting on at Puncak Pass, asking the tourists if they would like a place to stay.

The first villa we viewed was a 3 bedroom and 1 bath, single storey house, located 2 doors away from the mosque. The house felt gloomy...So, we decided to check out another one which was about 1 km away in Cipanas.

It was a double storey house, and gated. It has 2 bedrooms & 2 baths, and a nice cosy family hall in the upper floor. The kitchen was also fully equipped. We immediately decided to take the house. For Rp 400,000 it was damn cheap. It could even fit 1 big family.

The only thing that was missing was the hot water heater. Gosh, it was so cold in Puncak and without a heater, we just needed to boil the water and wait for our turn to shower. Well, I didn't want to wait and it was an experience taking a cold bath.

As for our sleeping arrangement throughout the journey, I will get my own room and Olen & Miss Wong will be sharing. For the first nite, I got a room upstairs...and I felt safe because I have the two guys sleeping at the family hall, just outside my door.

Java (Day 1 : Fancing some titbits?)

Since we skipped Jakarta in the plan, it was natural to backtrack in terms of our starting point. Having flown into Bandung, we drove to Puncak, which was about halfway between Jakarta and Bandung.

Along the way, we stopped to take a picture of River Citarum from the bridge and later stopped in Cianjur, for some titbits. Apparently, Cianjur is famous of it's asinan (preserved fruits) of all sorts....and it's seriously yummy.

I found an interesting fruit on our way, called Sawo Sunda...It looks like unripe mangoes, yellowish green in color...and it tastes like Avocado. Yikes, not something that I would fancy tho.



This titbit which looks like kerepek bawang is just delicious...Oooohhh....the chocolately taste.

Some kedondong and sengkuang asinan.

Java trip - the final plan

With just weeks to go till my ultimate trip to Java...I need to do a minor change to the plan. Initially, we wanted to really rough it out...travelling across the island using the public transportation i.e. buses, trains, etc. Somehow, Olen had a change of heart...She was worried for our safety throughout the trip, and suggested that we engage her local friends who work for a tour agency to help us with the ground arrangement.

We gave our list of to visit place to Ferry and he quoted the fee that we need to pay. Seriously, we got a good deal. Each of us paid around Rp 3,800,000 which is about RM 1400...and that would cover our transportation, accomodation and entrance fee to the tourist attractions.

And that took our headache away.

It's finally in the drawing board

I wrote earlier about my dream to travel across Java. Well, I'm just one step closer to it.

Olen & I took the opportunity of the Indonesian promo at the Air Asia website that ended last sunday.

My original intention was 10 - 14 days travelling but after considering my workload, I figured out that 10 days was the maximum I could take time off. So, I gathered info and asked around. Olen was the only one who responded. That was when we really talked about it. We decided that we were proceeding with it, even if the others would not be joining us.

So, there goes. Bought cheap tickets that cost us under RM300 for return journey. It would be from the 26 August until 3 September. We also decided to skip Jakarta and Bali since both of us had been there before.

At the moment, I'm thinking about how to go about with the plan with just 9 days. Too ambitious, I guess. Hehe.

Anyway, these are the tentative plan:

Day 1 : Travel from KL to Bandung / Tour Bandung city
Day 2 : Tour Bandung outskirt
Day 3 : Bandung - Jogja train ride / Borubudur
Day 4 : City tour / Prambanan / Jogja - Solo train ride
Day 5 : City tour / Candi Ceto & Sukuh
Day 6 : Solo - Surabaya train ride
Day 7 : Surabaya - Cemoro Lawang
Day 8 : Climb Mount Penanjakan (to get the sunrise view of Mount Bromo) / Return to Surabaya / city tour
Day 9 : Travel back to KL from Surabaya

So, stay tune for updates!!!

Jakarta (9 - 12th Dec '07)

I was just there in October, and now back again in Jakarta. However, it's a little different this time. We got to stay in the south of Jakarta...putting up at the Gran Mahakam hotel. It's a nice cosy hotel, with lots of detail. The journey from the airport takes more than half hour, costing about Rp 170,000.


Part of the lobby of Gran Mahakam.


The south of Jakarta gave me a different kind of feel than the usual city centre. The hotel is near residential area. There are several eating area near it such as Izzi, and a Padang restaurant are right across the street. An eatery called Dapur would be about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. There are several spa also within the vicinity...but if you're lazy like I was...I only check out the massage service at the hotel itself. A nice, 1 hour relaxing aromatherapy massage would cost around Rp 150,000 or only RM60.

For shopping, Blok M Plaza is also within walking distance. Things definitely to check out there is the local departmental store called Matahari. Found some good blouses that cost me about Rp 130,000 or RM 52. Good workmanship, with european designs. Found some flat shoes that cost me about RM30. Oh yes, do check out the hair salon academy. Can't remember the names tho...I had a hairwash there which cost me only Rp 17,500 or RM 7 (OMG...I initially thought that I heard the girl wrongly).

If you're into local music...check out a big music store right across the hotel. It's called Aquarius. Not that it's cheap but it has a good range. I bought some tho not as much as during my October trip.

Oh yes...talking about this trip...I definitely have to talk about the experience of a lifetime. On the first day of meeting, the organizer decided to give us a local experience during dinner. We were going to a local restaurant called Mbak Jingrak, right at the corner of the street. So, the organizer arranged for the Bajai, a local transport to pick us up from the hotel. It's something like tuk tuk. It fits 2 passenger at a time. Only cost us Rp5000 for the trip.

Seriously...it definitely isn't for the fainthearted. It cleverly maneuvre in the street...or in my standard, recklessly. I had the horror of my life when my bajai squeezed itself between a moving bus and a parked van. I thought the side of the bus was slighly more than a feet away from my face!!! When I reached the restaurant, my knees were still shaken from the horrifying short journey. The funny thing was that none of my Indonesian friends had even gotten into bajai themselves.

Things I saw in Jakarta

These are some scenes one can find in Jakarta.





A typical traffic condition during lunch time on a weekday...crawling...and there would always be someone selling stuffs on the road.



Gamelan set at the airport. Here, in the foreground, two men were playing saron.

Kuching, Sarawak and such

I was in Kuching in October...It's not something new for me as I've been there numerous of times but I thought it would be best to share it with others.

Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak, the Malaysian largest state located in the island of Borneo.

In brief the history of Sarawak...from the 14th century onwards, it was under the Sultanate of Brunei. Sir James Brooke became the first white rajah of Sarawak in 1841, as a reward from the Sultan. Sir James was later succeeded by his nephew, Sir Charles Brooke, and followed by his son Charles Vyner Brooke. Following the World War II, it was ceded as a British Crown Colony. In 1963, together with Sabah, and Federation of the Malay States, it formed Malaysia.

Anyway, for anyone who wishes to travel to Sarawak but do not have the luxury of time, it is best to start in Kuching. There are numerous historical buildings, a bulk constructed during the Brooke Raj (1841 - 1941).

You may want to start at the Kuching Waterfront. There's a historical walk that you may want to follow. It's indicated by the 13 bronze plaques located at the waterfront. Suggest that the journey starts from the Riverbank Suite, walking towards the Main Bazaar.

The waterfront:


From there, you would also be able to see part of the Fort Margherita across the river. The Fort was built in 1879, and most of it's existence it had served as the police headquarters.

As you walk further up, you'll be able to see the Astana.



The Astana was build by Rajah Charles Brooke in 1870, for his wife Ranee Margaret. It is now the residence of the Governor of Sarawak.

Other historical buildings that you can see along the way are the temple Tua Pek Kong, and the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

At the esplanade, you can't help but notice the Square Tower. It is located on the site of Kuching's first fort, which was burned down in 1857.



And about 50 metres away from the Square Tower, you'll notice another colonial building.



The above building is the court house, built in 1874. Now it serves as multi purpose centre.

If you want to get a unique local experience, you can take the boat ride across the river. Otherwise, you can check out the bazaar and also India Street. Also, walk past the court house and you'll see another colonial building i.e. the General Post Office, looking majestically with its Corinthian columns.

Walk further up, you'll reach the Padang Merdeka. Surrounding it are numerous historical buildings as well, such as the St. Thomas and St.Joseph schools, the Pavillion, and of course, the must see building of all is the Sarawak museum. It is said that the museum houses one of the most comprehensive collections in South East Asia.

I might have missed other buildings but it would be quite sufficient for the entire day. Be mindful to wear a good walking shoes as it'll be quite a walk.

Other things to check out in Kuching:
1. Climb the mount Santubong
2. Visit the Sarawak Cultural Village (Good to start on cultural awareness of the multi ethnic people of Sarawak)
3. Buy the famous kek lapis Sarawak (layered cakes but with artistic designs)
4. Eat Laksa Sarawak
5. Seafood, seafood, seafood

The ultimate Java experience

This is something that I've been toying with. I've asked around if anyone would be interested to travel with me but to date, only Dill is. Cousin Ron was lukewarm...as he already has plan to travel to LA for the Olympics.

Well, I've been travelling a bit to Java island. The more I see it, the more I'm interested in everything it has. So, it has got to be the one trip of my lifetime.

The plan is to fly to Jakarta, then take a train via the south route, travelling from West to East of Java. I haven't really decided on which stops but the south route should take me from Jakarta-Bandung-Jogjakarta-Surakarta/Solo-Surabaya.

I intend to make a stop at the major cities for 1 to 2 days. Among the must see sites would be Borubudur and Prambanan. Of course, not forgetting to visit the keratons in Jogja & Solo (the 2 great Mataram empires) and listen to the gamelan performances.

However, it doesn't stop there. From Surabaya, the journey continues to Ketapang, a town to the east of Java. Then take a ferry to Gilimanuk, Bali. Then fly back to Kuala Lumpur from Bali.

I'm not sure how long it will take me but I assume that it would probably take me more than 1 week. Rather ambitious...So, now I really have to plan carefully, especially on the logistics and timing.

Well, just check this blog from time for updates!

Jakarta (October '07)

I had an opportunity to visit Jakarta again, for a 2 days business trip.

The group stayed at Hyatt Hotel, just by the famous fountain and welcome statue. The hotel is connected to Plaza Indonesia (PI), so, I managed to browse and window shop. We took time off after the buka puasa to walk to Sarinah. There's a good collection of batik, of higher end. I bought myself a batik silk shawl. I was eyeing some kebaya but didn't buy any. Bought telekung for Tini, as a birthday gift.

After the meeting, I extended my stay for another day, just to go around a bit and then meet up with Wan. As Wan was working, I took the opportunity to buy music CDs at the PI. The shop that I had bought gamelan CD in the last trip, was closed. But I managed to locate other music stores and ended up buying tonnes of local pop music. For original CD, each cost about Rp 30,000 or RM12...which was so much cheaper than KL. I bought a range of music, from both known and unknown artiste. I also bought a coffee table book on Bali architecture, which cost me about RM100.

I also went to the National Museum, taking a Blue Bird cab. If you're adventurous, you can take the busway. There's a station in front of the hotel, and later you can stop at the MONAS (Monumen Nasional) station.

The museum consists of two buildings. One is old and another new, adjacent to the old one. The old wing contains vast collection of statues, ceramics, and brass. Whereas the new one has a collection of all economic activities, gold, etc.

The entrance fee to the museum was only Rp 750, much to my surprise. Anyway, the museum is extremely, so, it would be good to go with friends. As I was alone, I got myself spooked...Foolish me.

As I went there on Friday, the museum closes early. I think it was noon. Point to intended visitor, do check out the business hour to avoid getting chased out of the museum.

The museum was across MONAS, so, if you have the time, you might want to visit the surrounding.

Going away...again...

As much as I'm still upset about the cancelled Jakarta trip, I can't help but feel excited about the upcoming trip.

Next week, I'll be away in London and Wales. I've checked the BBC weather news. It's a bit chilly now in London. Maximum temperature around 19 degrees celcius. It'll be much colder in Milford Haven tho.

My preparation? Well, I'm done with the financial part. Only left is to exchange some pocket money and inform HSBC about the trip. The exchange rate is around RM7 to every pound sterling. Well, that leaves me with not much choice about how much for my subsistence expenses.... I've also bought myself the other day, a long jacket and other accessories to keep myself warm....Now I need to figure out what I can do during the 13 hours flight out.
Schedule is quite tight there but hopefully, I'll be able to enjoy it.

Milford Haven

Besides London, we'll be travelling to Milford Haven by taking the train from London to Port Talbot. From Port Talbort, we're taking a car to Milford Haven. For the return journey, we're making a stopover at Bridgend. [I believe my colleagues intend to check out the designer outlets at Bridgend. :) ] From Bridgend, we're taking the train back to London.

Yay, London, I'm coming...to see the Queen...

Bandung (Day 3) - Saying Goodbye

Our flight was in the morning, therefore, we get to do much things on the last day.

My take away from this trip...an entirely new experience. I felt like I was a sponge, trying to absorb my surrounding, from it's food, noise, architecture, and nature. I left with a sigh! Well, I'm glad that I chose to spend my Bandung trip in this manner and just for shopping.

Not everything was great but what I gathered from the not so good stuffs, is a feeling of humility. Say...when I saw an old lady, cradling a child, sitting by the roadside, I told myself that how lucky am I to be born in the condition that I am...that I can live comfortably.

As much as people warned about street children, I believed that what we can do is just be a better human.

[While waiting for Shima & Miza shopping at an outlet, I was sitting outside the shop...there were a group of children, selling newspaper. It was a hot day and I didn't have a heart not to do anything. Not that I needed a newspaper but there's this urge to do something. So instead of giving them money, I bought drinks and gave them to the older kid, for her to distribute to the others...One of them later came to me, and thanked me. Well, it didn't cost much, only a meagre RM1 per child. And the feeling out of that...was something that I carried along with me for a long time.]

Well, goodbye Bandung...I'll come back again.

Bandung (Day 2) - Kampung Daun

Wan recommended me to go to Kampung Daun. Apparently it's known for its great ambience. But nothing really prepared me for the experience.

We arrived in Kampung Daun at about 4pm. It's located at an exclusive housing area (something like Country Height, Kajang). It's not a restaurant per se but spread across an area. You can either make a reservation or walk in. The reception is located at the entrance. The eating area is consisting of numerous huts of various sizes, located all over. You can have a view of the hill, streams and waterfall.

Our sauk (hut) is by the hill. The distance from another hut was within 2 metres, so, one can really have the privacy. Everything is green...it's like you're transported into a dense jungle...close your eyes, listen to the sound of nature...it's really soothing. The service is very personalised. To call for help/assistance/order, just hit the bamboo chime. The waiters would be just right at your hut within minutes. Great service!

As for food, I can't really comment much as everything seemed new to us. We decided to try out varied food, range from sambal belut, rice in bamboo, etc. Desert was serabi...it looks like the kuih panjeram, except that it wasn't made in brown sugar...but used other stuffs. We took the one with banana.

Price wise...it's really reasonable considering the good food.

After lunch/early dinner, we walked around a bit at the compound. There was a waterfall right at the end of the path.

If you're interested to go to Kampung Daun, go there early while it's still bright and stayed on until way past sunset. First, its because of the view. Secondly, because the condition of the road is bad.

Personally, I think it's such a romantic place. Can't help but dream away...a romantic dinner with loved ones...perhaps, getting a marriage proposal...hehe...I wish!

For further info, here's the website to kampung daun. http://www.kampungdaun.net/

Bandung (Day 2) Gunung Tangkuban Prahu, Bandung

Over in July, my friends and I decided to travel to Bandung. It was I who decided on our holiday destination, simply because I didn't get to see much of the place the last time I was there in March. Second time around, I would do it my own way.

Anyway, I'll write in a different posting about my Bandung trip later.

This time, I would like to share about Tangkuban Prahu. Most of the Malaysian that I knew who had been to Bandung, never actually went to Tangkuban Prahu. [The typical shopping habit of Malaysian explains it!]...It's such a shame. No one should go to Bandung without going to the mountain.

The journey from Bandung city to the mountain took us close to 1 hour or so, passing the mountain village of Lembang. Gunung Tangkuban Prahu, an active volcanic mountain has not had any major eruption lately. The mountain is over 2000 metre in elevation.

It doesn't take much effort to get there. The car can take you right to the rim of the crater of Kawah Ratu actually. Among the things that I noticed as I got there is of course the smell of the sulphur, the strange looking trees that looked like they are from the LOTR movie, and lots of dragonflies flying around us.

To get a good view of one of the volcanic craters is to go to the watch tower. Be very mindful of the local peddlars, who would go around and pester you to buy stuff. As much as possible, be polite and FIRM! If you'd ever say, "Later" rather than "No", they would literally take it. So, really mean what you say. If you think that you would buy the souvenirs just because you're being polite, forget it. The souvenirs are so much more expensive than the city.

Also, when approached by locals wearing the Guide vest and offer to take you the nearest volcanic craters i.e. Kawah Domas, do ask how much they charged. We had a hard lesson the other day. We thought it was just like any other national park or so, where rate is standard. Apparently not!!! We only knew it when we were returning from the crater.

[We had a scary experence though. Besides the guide, the souvenir sellers actually followed us to the crater. It did cross my mind on how dangerous it could be for us. There we were, 3 ladies travelling, with about 5 or so men, trekking along a lonely trek at the mountain. If something were to happen to us, there would be no way anyone would come to our help. There were no one else in sight, perhaps not within 1 kilometre. Besides being lighteasy about the walk, I couldn't help feeling uneasy about it, especially when Miza was walking way ahead of us with the guide, leaving me & Shima with the men.]

Well, back to the crater...the walk DOWN will take you more than half hour, if you're not fit. The guide told us that it would take us about 20 minutes, trekking down the 1.2km. Oh boy, we were fool to think that it would REALLY take us 20 minutes.

Do take it slow. The trek down is okay but do remember to get a good walking shoes. Be extra careful as the trail might get slippery...and you could trip over uneven steps. Enjoy the view and scenery. Notice that the vegetation changes as you walked further down the mountain.

After making a few stops, we finally arrived at the bottom of the crater. Coming from a non volcanic country, it was an amazing experience for me. There you'll be able to see the bubbling water from the hot spring and steam coming out from the ground.

If you're up to it, get to relax your feet in the hot water...and since there'll be strong smell of sulphur, don't stay too long...it's kind of hazardous to be exposed for long.

The trek back didn't take us as long as we did when we came down. The reason is that we took the short cut back to the main road. If you decide to do this, make sure you inform your driver to wait at that point....otherwise, you'll have to find other means of transportation to take you back to the top or...TREK back...The short cut was of easier trek as we only needed to climb up to about 100 metres and then trek alongside the mountain until we reach the main road.

It was definitely a trip to remember, which was coming very close to a volcano (well, my Gunung Batur trip didn't count. )

Last pointers:

• It is not that cold at the mountain (if you're comparing it to Mount Kinabalu), so, you don't really need a warm clothing


• A good pair of walking shoes would be excellent, though a normal flat shoes is sufficient.