Jogjakarta for me is a city that I spent most of my childhood festive holiday, and there I was years later coming as a tourist to go to ArtJog 2022. Artjog is a yearly event, more of that could be seen here. 2022 event took place in JNM Block and with the ticket price 75K IDR for an adult you could enter the place twice within the same day. I came there as part of my holiday during the weekdays. I would say it was the ideal because it wasn’t very crowded even since the ticket booth. I bought the ticket on the spot and there was no hassle to get one. Once you paid the ticket, they will give you a wristband. It’s waterproof so there is no need to worry on that part.
When you enter the place you will be welcomed by ‘Targigrada’ this part of exhibition kind of taken me aback a bit since it looked foreign but when I read the explanation I could understand why. It is actually to symbolize the resilience that we have during the pandemic situation. A grit to survive – within my own words.
Entering the exhibition deeper, I went to exhibit where Sejauh Mata Memandang put their work “Kisah Punah Kita”. It was to highlight about the endangered animal, their work along with Leuser, and to your surprise you will see the part where you took a picture with a notes that the species inside it is actually the one that could cause extinction of other species.
Going out of that area I went into another exhibit where they show the farming condition whereby the new generation has shift their career out of farming. Farming always has its own corner within me since the older generation of my family did farm so yes, I could relate to the story. Continuing the journey, within the same level, I enjoyed other exhibit too where we could actually take part in making some pieces together. It is actually good like living up our childhood memories. Where we could build, write, stamp, making something. Indeed, actually I was at the part where the creator are not an adult yet. I like their creativity since I seemed to be not able to access it they way they are. Opposite attracts?
After that part, I went to one of the most popular exhibition where there is a slide that you could ride. I like the idea of it like feeling you are on the edge screaming out your lung. the benefit of going in during the workdays.
The building that they used for Artjog2022 has several levels. When I finished with the ground floor, I went to the next floor. Actually i can’t really recall anymore which artwork in which floor. LOL. yet, maybe i could share with you some highlights that really get into me.
Exhibit where they put daily invoices. You know how art is, everyone has their interpretation over the same piece. For me this piece reminds me of the work that I did related to sales and marketing. It just made me reminisce of the old days of mine working with all the invoices and products.
Other than that, I saw the exhibit made from crochet that describe bento yet mixing it with the Indonesian local food made nasi kucing, nasi jinggo, and nasi jamblang to be the highlight. It was quite fun and trigger my memories of each place where the food comes from. They are places that are very dear for me. 😉
There are some other exhibits that caught me too. Paintings which describe todays world where people looks flashy in the social media with all the goods. Painting which show us the main colour and its connection to the greater energy. There was one too as part of digital media showing a video with sound about a house with different weather from sun to rain and morning to night. Of course they mix it with technology and filter. It was an engaging way to interact with visitor. Nearby, there was also an artwork working together with Indonesian army where they perform a dance movement with a song. It was actually triggering some thoughts in my head. Like how the picture really show the tough side of Indonesian army. all the setting was just right to bring us into certain ambience.
Overall, I really like the visit in ARTJOG2022. I like their idea of inclusivity and how they also provide different media and ability for us as the visitor to interact with the artworks. They also have an audio explanation with blank canvas. It was hard for me to use my imagination based on audio explanation like how to imagine all the shape all the colour and so on. In this end, the artworks has been able to bridge the differences then. At least for me, I brought it within me about the other point of view of listening and imagination.
In ARTJOG2022 perhaps because they took place in JNMBlock, a similar concept as the one that the government have in Jakarta as a communal space, there are other things happening too outside the exhibition building such as local market at night, live music, and definitely some cafe and restaurant to grab some refreshment in between.
In the end, I wanted to say bravo for ARTJOG2022. Hope I could see it next year 2023.
Wish you where there to enjoy it and who knows about next year? 😉
Helooo Surabaya! I had been here in 2021 only to land in Java Island for a transit flight so it is good to be back a year after in a much much much better situation. In this trip I took a flight from Denpasar to Surabaya. The itinerary in general is just to enjoy the city for a while, catching up with friends, and trying the Food! 😀 Here, it is 3 days 2 nights story to tell in Surabaya.
Day 1 – The Arrival and City Tour
I took a morning flight so I could arrive and have lunch in Surabaya. The Airport was definitely livelier compared to 2021. Happy to see the business yet there was a bit of foreign feeling. I took an airport taxi and the rest is quite usual going into my accommodation and checking in. Perhaps if you are like me who is going to stay in Surabaya for a while Gubeng area could be a good way to go for a stay. It’s near with many city highlights, restaurant, and Gubeng Train Station if you are planning to continue your journey using train.
City Hall and Zangrandi Ice Cream
As my first itinerary, I went for lunch nearby before I went to the city hall. there was an event in the city hall so I could roam around seeing some pictures and exhibition. The first exhibition was in the basement where they were holding an event related to art while the other one was in the other part of the building where they hosted an exhibition from the fresh graduate out of the local university. Both are good in a way that from the first one I could see local paintings and the second to catch up with what is currently happening in the visual design world. For me, I got another thing too which are some snacks that they sold around the exhibition area. ( oh dear me and my interest)
Once we finished from the city hall, we could across the street into one of the classic ice cream – Zangrandi. I always like such place ’cause its vibes and that kind of specific flavour that excites the taste palate. It made me remeber Ragusa in Jakarta and Tentrem in Solo. They shared some similarities too which made me wonder if they come from the same root during the olden days. The place itself has a good ambience if you want to spend sometime hanging around. I came on Weekend and there was some live music and there was a cart that sold boiled peanuts which you could buy and eat while enjoying your ice cream and having a chit chat with your friend.
Jalan Tunjungan and Lontong Balap Pak Gendut
After the dessert, here comes another walk. My friends and I went to Jalan Tunjungan. This road was so much different compare to the last time I was there in 2015. In 2022, It is lively with people walking around, cafe, restaurant, and all that. Unfortunately, when we were walking the rain starting to pour so we had to cut our trip shorter. Therefore of we go to the next destination to try Lontong Balap Pak Gendut.
We went to the stall which located near to Jalan Tunjungan. The place is spacious and it was not that crowded. The service was quick and the portion was huge. If you are not big eater perhaps sharing 1 portion for 2 persons will be sufficient. Overall I like the taste and if you don’t really like vegetables or bean sprout this food might not be the one for you. For me on that day, Lontong Balap was the end of the day itinerary as it was quite late at night and it was actually my travelling day. let’s call it a day and prepare myself for another day.
Day 2 – City Tour and Another Eateries
Waking up in the morning, I decided to take a walk around Gubeng area and landed my choice to have breakfast in bubur ayam spenxis bang Salim ( lovely chicken porridge ) . It is located in a place which look like a food court so there are other choices too. Another happiness was when I found Jipang. It is a traditional snack made from rice. It’s kind of a reminiscing of the past for me. After I finished my breakfast, I continued to walk around the area where I found a chain coffee shop – Kopi Tuku. Actually Gubeng area hosts many restaurants, so if you want to try some local food you could spend sometime here and it will be alright.
Kenjeran Park ( KEN PARK )
After a lovely morning breakfast, i went to Kenjeran park. Resides near to the sea, you could feel Surabaya sun shine to the fullest in this area. Oh dear.. how hot Surabaya is. Entering the park, unfortunately only some parts remain opens. One of it is our main reason to go here to go to the Klenteng. It has a beautiful dragon gate near with the sea as the background. Pssstt.. please be mindful in this area because it’s still being actively use for prayer. Other than the klenteng you could go to the other place just across the street where you can see another highlight which remind me of Thailand. If you see the picture below, what do you think? My visit to Ken Park was short partly because of the weather that was a bit too hot ( bring your umbrella / sunglasses ) on that day and oh well, I wanted to go to other place which is House of Sampurna just another unfortunate event for me at least while this story is being written the place is still temporarily closed therefore we shift our destination to eating lunch in Sate Klopo.
Sate Klopo Ondomohenand Cincau Station
Sate or Satay klopo is one of the specialty food if you come to Surabaya. Unlike other satay, in Sate Klopo you will get coconut flakes (we call it serundeng ) on top of the satay. Other difference as well, the satay will be accompanied with cold rice / rice cake ( lontong ). All in all it’s a good one with a twist that differentiate this satay with other types. Worth to try.
after our lunch, we actually went to a Mall. Oh dear, Mall has been out of the picture for me for a while and being in the mall remind me of a world that I have temporarily detached myself from for a while. Within this mall I have been introduced to another local favourite of ready to drink item named Cincau Station. I would say the taste is accustomed to Indonesian local taste palate. You should try. When we finished and packed our food, here comes another confusion of where should we go next? LOL. the visit is rather unplanned and well, my friends knows the city so well so for me i relied on them and finally we decided to go to Rustic Market by The lake.
Rustic Market by The Lake
Seeing this place, I think it’s one of the hip place to hang around on weekend. The ambience was nice, a lot of open space and it’s indeed by the lake as stated in the name. The concept is rather interesting if you would like to go into the open while still maintaining some comfort. if you want to enter you have to commit on certain value of your order. You will pay upfront for the minimum order then you will be given a wrist band to wear when you are in the area.
Place wise it’s good, you will see different buildings within the area and you can order the menu from anywhere. once you order you will be given a number and this is where things become a bit hustling for the waiters. They have runners and they have people who talk to the walkie talkie informing if they are looking for which order number. You know.. seeing how they are looking for certain number at times makes me wonder if there is another way which is more efficient for all yet it didn’t really affect my experience when I was there. I think because we ordered quite number of food so we still have something on the table when the other haven’t come yet.
When we were there on the weekend, there was live music and actually one building is reserved for a party. perhaps, another option too if you need to host some events? we ended up staying quite long in the area before we left for other places and taking away some other food but that was another story to tell in some other time. For me, it’s time for me to pack my bag and be ready for the journey on the day after.
Day 3 – Going to Another City By Train
Here comes the morning, I can’t really roam around because I chose morning train to go to Jogjakarta. Packing up my bag and here it goes to Gubeng Station. Btw, it is a bit confusing when I used the hailing service as it has 2 gates. Somehow, the driver said to me that between each the distance is quite far, but when I went to it no, it is not really. Anyway, some people just like it to be certain while for me, I don’t know too well of the area so perhaps as a learning for you take a look at on which part of Gubeng station you will need to board your train from.
When you are already at the station, it was actually the same experience as I’ve already shared in this post about Luxury Train. You come to the train station, get your boarding pass, and you will be able to enter the boarding room and ride your train. Gubeng station is definitely smaller than Gambir – Jakarta but it has everything that you need and it’s clean. For this ride Surabaya – Jogjakarta I took the executive class and it is comfortable enough. Just a note though, they don’t have a luggage space so if you bring a non cabin size like a medium or large luggage please book the seat at the first or last row where they have the arrangement of 1 seater. Over that place you will have an extra room for your luggage.
You could see some in the picture below of how the executive class train looks like. You could recline your seat and it has a foot rest. It is quite spacious and with AC plus it has power socket in case you need to charge your electronic devices. It didn’t have an onboard wifi though so you will need to use your own provider. the ticket doesn’t include meal so prepare something for yourself before you board the train or you could go to the restaurant carriage or purchase from the trolley. Oh, and other than that the executive class has an onboard entertainment in a shared TV that I didn’t really use. Not to worry the toilet is proper too and clean. As always, riding train in Java island you will be able to see paddy field along the way. A part of the journey which is enjoyable and giving you some space and white noise. Who knows you get another inspiration?
Saying my goodbye to the city here. Thank you for the kindness Surabaya!
Wish you were there to roam the city and eat the local delicacies with us.
Welcome to another Diving Series, this time, I would like to tell you about Nusa Penida, Bali. I am still quite new into the diving world and when I get into it a little bit more frequent I found that in certain sites they have some recommended time to visit and lies in Q3 here comes the season in Nusa Penida, Bali. It is actually the time of the year where you could possibly meet Mola Mola fish. Some reference for you over here from the ministry. So with a little discussion there I was in the month of August getting myself up into the sea.
How to get there
If you are flying like me, you will need to go to Denpasar, Bali Airport afterwards you could go to Sanur to take the boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida. Getting from Denpasar to Sanur is a bit straight forward but getting into a boat may need a bit more works. It wasn’t because it was difficult but it was more towards the availability since there are a lot service provider to choose within the same price range and facilities. It could get a bit confusing to choose which one. For me, I chose based on recommendation and the timing. Within my itinerary I arrived in Bali and stay in Sanur one day before my diving day. hence, I chose the earliest boat available.
I went from Sanur port in a bustling morning. me. again. going on the weekend. I should have expected that. When I came, the first mission was to find the boat service provider booth. There were many providers and I really need to walk by and read one by one. Mine was somehow quite prominent whereas it has long queue. After Queuing up and paying the ticket, I was given a lanyard in which the colour is the coding on when you should board the boat. I was rather confused when the port officer called through speaker. In general the announcement will look like – ” Passenger of <Service provider name> with <Colour> lanyard please board the boat through Gate <number>” for me my lanyard was orange yet they are calling red. Nonetheless I have noticed the timing, the service provider, and people who started to move has the same colour. LOL problem with colour definition or perhaps the colour look under the natural sunlight.
Boarding the boat also has its own story. Well, during that time, there was no physical gate yet, you will find a stair with a number but that was all. and afterwards you will need to dip yourself a bit into the water and it was required of you to put off your footwear. I saw some people already wearing their dress, perhaps a better idea will be to change your cloth when you arrived in Penida as it could get wet in the boarding process. Other than that for the boat seating, the ticket is without a seating number. Based on my experience, it is much better to be at the lower deck back row of the boat yet I know as well from experience people tend to get in the front or at the upper deck. I am not sure about you but being at the back help me in avoiding motion sickness so there I was like literally occupying the whole space for a while since no one wants the back row although in the end they have to since the boat was at its full capacity. It took a while until everyone is fully on board I Departed later than the departure time so I think be mindful when you are planning your trip especially if you want to go diving at the same day as your arrival date.
Arrival in Nusa Penida
Okay, this is another thing that there are multiple ports in Nusa Penida. Please make sure where you will dock. For me when I got off I don’t need to get into the water. There was a passage provided, just need to be careful since it was a bit slippery. Your foot wear plus your luggage will be given at the end of the dock then you are ready to go to explore the island.
Diving preparation
As it was a rather pack and busy day for me, I needed to go directly to the dive center and get myself ready. Thankfully a friend of mine has arranged everything including the picking up. ( If you read this you know I am so grateful of you 😀 ) after arriving the others happen as the usual sequence whereby we need to prepare ourselves and the gear then off we go to the boat.
Diving
In my trip I used a diving boat and went to Blue Corner and Sental. It was a bit blurry for me right now after couple of months writing the experience down the line. haha. I remember the current, how we are drifting away as in we didn’t even need to flap that much since we are following the current. Our guide gave us signal to go near to the reef multiple times within our dives so that we are not brought over too much by the current. For me who have never dived in such current actually it was a bit exciting and frightening at the same time. It was an enjoyable experience though.
As I said in the beginning, It should have been a Mola Mola season yet it might not be my fate yet to see one. It was rather hot on that day and no Mola Mola to be found within my dives yet it doesn’t really diminish the fun or well, it gives me a reason to come back *woops. I still enjoy the coral, the current, and other sea animals. Refresh my boat dive experience too so definitely a good one. How could it not when I ate whole portion of Nasi Padang on the boat in the surface time. In my defense, I need some energy to drift away with the current.
Finishing my dives of the day, we took a rest by the sea for a while. Enjoying the breeze while eating another meal. I was just tad hungry. When everything is finished we are coming back to the accommodation. I had a nice experience throughout the dinner time with the group. It was nice to get in touch with people. always. While writing this I know it was a goodness in life to be grateful about. A good way to end the day.. or not ’cause I had a concall afterwards.
Going Back to Sanur
The next day was the time for me to go back to Sanur. Indeed it was rather a short visit but Life happens. I booked the boat from Nusa Penida to Sanur yet my booking was not there. Thankfully, I could still get my ticket directly at the port. More or less it has the same sequence as going to Nusa Penida. Take your foot wear off, get your luggage onto the boat and pick your seat. Me. landed on the back row as usual. This time I experienced a bit of sea sickness. I blamed my appetite knowing that I ate too much too close for the ride. Yet, when it comes to the time of docking in Sanur area, I was able to function or more towards being forced to function. We had to dip a bit deep into the water above my ankle. I was lucky there was nothing in my pocket. The situation made me forget my motion sickness though I have been able to be fully awake.
Once we got into the shore, Here comes another exercise. Bringing our luggage to the point where our car could pick us up. ( so I guess nature telling me to eat more in the morning because of this ) I used to have people helping me around to carry all my luggage and gear. Now, I know better on how heavy it is. So, yes, if you ( yes you who happened to help me once, twice, or many other times ) THANK YOU! It was quite fun in its own way. A reminder to keep my regime and a test of stamina. Fortunately, my friend and i were able to make it. YAY for US!
When we arrived at the car pickup point. This is where I had to part ways with my friend since we are going into different journey. It was fun but good things come to an end too. So here we are saying goodbye with a hope to have more diving experience in the future!
Bandung, the capital city of West Java, Indonesia. A city that will always have my heart. I spent some years lived in Bandung during my university years. The thought of coming back always spark some excitement and this time, I went there using Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI ) Luxury train. One of the latest class type released by KAI.
It was happened around mid of 2022, a friend of mine asked me to join her into a trip to Bandung and I thought why not? It is also as if I get the light of trying the Luxury train as I have been curious about it for sometime so there I was booking the trip from Gambir to Bandung train station. Excited!
Booking the trip
You could go into several websites to purchase the ticket online or if you want to buy it offline you could also go to the train station. Once you get into the site make sure you choose the luxury type. Afterwards you will see some class, I have been informed that those classes are different depending on the seat position to the train facilities. They said there is a price difference perhaps due to the extra convenience a position has to offer e.g. closer to the train restaurant. However, within my experience I had the same price though it has different class. not sure if it is expected or not.
Going on the Day of the trip – Departing station
If you can, come earlier because you will still have to exchange your booking with a boarding pass and there is no separate place for the luxury class to get the boarding pass. A bit different concept with an air flight. You could exchange it in the self service machine. The process was rather quick as you just need to enter your booking code reference and print the boarding pass. By the way if you depart from Gambir station, there was one machine on the right side near to the boarding gate in which most people weren’t aware of ( including me ) that machine didn’t have any queue while the others are pack. It is actually intrigued me of how for Luxury train they didn’t have a separate place to get a boarding pass but who knows it might be me who didn’t know or maybe there has been an update right now.
Once you get your boarding pass, off you go to enter the boarding room. Again, don’t do it like me whereas I wasn’t aware that luxury class has its own dedicated waiting room in Gambir. So i can’t really say anything on this. Let me know if you have tried it and how’s the experience? 😉
The Train and Its Facilities
Alright now the train has come, the luxury carriage is located in the prime location towards the beginning of the train or I would say the most convenient place possible to board a train. Likewise, the clumsy side of me I went to the different end. ( crying ) It will be quite prominent on which carriage you are in since there will be a steward/ess wearing different uniform in front of the door.
Entering the train, it reminds me of an airplane. It is spacious with 2 & 1 seating arrangement. Only limited seat within the carriage that has extra leg room seat arrangement either in the front or at the back row. If you are planning to bring a big luggage try to get this seat as it will be more comfortable for you. ( talking about the experience getting bumped in a train by the neighbouring luggage ) I am not sure why but train carriage in Indonesia don’t have that med – big luggage storage space.:( Anyway, when you get into your seat you could see that you have a reclining seat ( not flat bed type i have tried ) with its adjustable leg and foot rest too. You have a small screen, if you get into the front seat as I did, it won’t have much use as it is located quite far away from you. Other than that within your seat you will have a foldable tray, charger for you and only you and reading lamp. In terms of privacy, it wasn’t as private as I thought it would be. When you are in fully reclined position ( perhaps only me ) you feel a bit more vulnerable and some separator will be much appreciated, won’t it? Overall, the interior has its luxurious feeling with all the colour and the wood ambience.
Other facilities within the train, there was minibar with a stewardess on my trip, in which you could request for some drinks. I didn’t try tough because they have provided you with some food to be eaten along the way and drinks which were enough for me. Oh, and although I found it weird not sure why many people reviewed its toilet. The toilet between man and woman are separated, one each and it’s dedicated only for the luxury carriage that you are in so with only little passenger (26 total per carriage ) there was no problem in toilet queue. The toilet was clean and the design was indeed looks like the airplane toilet.
all in all the journey was quite enjoyable. I didn’t really remember though. do they have in train wifi? I made some IG stories along the way so it seemed that I didn’t have an issue with my connection. At least that, I could say. Basically you have everything set for you so just enjoy the ride.
Arriving – Arrival Station
Nearing the arrival station, I got a refreshing towel handkerchief handed by the stewardess. Afterwards, you could go down. Another perks in the luxury class is the location is at the most convenient to the exit pathways but once you are out nothing much different to the other classes facilities. So nothing really specific in this area. I was actually more awed by the New Bandung Train Station. Some construction upgrade have been finished and some are still underway. No more walking between rail / train to get into your intended gate. the pathways are nice, clean and modern.Looking at the one that has been under operation I think I could put hopes and looking forward to its final result. Here are some pics for you to see.
To sum up the journey and within my verdict, I think the whole experience was great! kudos to the team. For sure, things have its area of improvement but what is it that don’t have those rooms? I would recommend this if you in need of a little more quiet environment and extra leg room. It will be better perhaps for longer journey. However, if you are going like me from Jakarta to Bandung, I think executive class will be sufficient yet it isn’t bad either to try new thing once in a while, right?
Hope you had/ will have a wonderful experience too within the train!
Dears… this writing will be the first to start the story of my recent journey. 😉 I have been in hiatus a bit too long from this and I want to start again..This time it will be from the deep blue sea of Tulamben, Bali, Indonesia.
The story start with a chitchat with my random friend. At first, we are targeting Sumba island yet after considering this and that I ‘managed’ to get my pal to greet the sea from the inside! Helooo scuba diving.
One fine day in the mid of 2022, we went to Bali. Denpasar was so hot and so happened it was during school holiday in which my friend and I weren’t aware off. The beginning was a bit bumpy but in the end we managed to get through the day and going to Tulamben. Nestled in Tulamben, USAT Liberty wreck. The ship is big and it is quite preserved along with the marine life surround it. Personally, I like this dive site because you can enter the dive site from shore ( no boat needed ), the water is clear with good visibility, warm, and calm. Some of those points were the reason why I recommend this place to my friend and a bit of Hello from us, here!
Our itinerary was more or less looks like this – 1st day : Tulamben travelling day. It was quite a long ride from Denpasar to Tulamben. 2nd – 3rd Day : Open water course (my friend ), laying around and fun dive (me – since I already have my license), 4th day : Fun Dives. 1st day was gone due to the complexities of the day but let’s not let it ruin the rest of the plan, shall we? 2nd day, I took the day off while my friend had his course. For you who is curious about the open water course, this is the first course to be taken if you want to do scuba diving. The course usually takes 2 days, starting with pool + theory sessions before you finally go to the sea. Mine takes longer though since I took it in Jakarta which need to have an additional arrangement to go to the sea. Anyway, the sea part within the course was where I joined my friend. He continued his course while I went for a fun dive sessions. It was actually quite fun to watch my friend getting his lesson under the water. The nervousness, curiosity and all other things in which made me remember mine with lots of its own hiccup. He definitely could make it because the day after, as a way to celebrate him passing the course, we went for some fun dives before we need to go back to Seminyak area.
Our typical morning when we were at Tulamben was full with enjoying the beach such as taking some random pictures, get our breakfast, and prepare the day for the dive. Tulamben located on the eastern part of Bali so you will be able to see sunrise from the beach. If you want to see the sunset, It’s aso possible to get it at Amed though you will need to take a ride to go there but why not if you could? Isn’t it lovely to be able to connect with nature?
Now, let’s go deeper into the dive story. First Dive site, to talk about. Coral Garden, Tulamben. In this dive site, there are some statues ( well many, not just some, actually ) being drowned into the deep sea. This statue has attracted many sea creatures and thereafter has become their dwelling place. There are many shapes of statues that has been submerged, one of it is T-U-L-A-M-B-E-N writing with each of the character stands as its own statue. Why do I want to highlight this statue was because my friend couldn’t even remember this writing despite of the fact there were some pictures taken in this area. Oh dear.. he must have been very nervous. I could imagine yet on the other side, isn’t it another reason to come back for next dive? 😉
Second dive site, USAT Liberty wreck. This site has a lot to explore. The wreck is huugee. A 50 – 60 mins dive definitely won’t be enough to cover it all. I have been here multiple times and each experience has its own virtue though of course you start to develop some familiarity towards the site after some time. On my early encounter, I had the opportunity to see some bump head fish. I remember how I was a bit insecure as a newbie diver who hasn’t dive for so long as it is quite big. However after that one time I have never seen one anymore, perhaps it was a bit too crowded now or could also because I come in the wrong time of the day. Other than the wreck itself, around the area you could also find some anemone and along with it my fav nemo usually will be there. I am that one person who love the animation and to be able to see it with my eyes is another type of joy you could imagine.
Third dive site, Drop off point. This site is more towards wall type. It gives me a better guidance of where I am compare to coral garden or USAT Liberty perhaps because at least it is clearer for me because I could sense the wall is on my left or right side. My sense of direction could be off at times. LOL. One thing that I remembered on this dive was our encounter with an octopus. It could change its body to camouflage itself. It was just mesmerizing to see the process.
All in all, diving in Tulamben is a good experience. If you like to take underwater picture or if you are a newbie or experienced, I think it will be good to come here. Shall you are looking for a dive center take a look at the Let’s Dive Tulamben. I had multiple experiences with them and it was nothing but good experience. As for the underwater photography you could ping Ferry Mozard. He was the one who took all the underwater pics within this post. 😉
Hi.. how are you? If you happen to come to this page I assume you miss flying, don’t you? I do too. I had couple of flights during pandemic and would like to note it over here with a wish we could fly as we used to pretty soon. Have a nice day and nice flight for you!
The Airport Nuance
Flight Booking and Airline Physical Distancing
I have learned my lesson and I haven’t fully gained back my trust to travel agency ( both online and offline ). Direct booking still become my preference. Reason being ,with a direct booking in case you need to change your plan it will be easier. I had the experience where the airline has published the announcement giving the passenger a leeway but the implementation with service partner is another complexity. It took months to managed one of my old booking therefore when I become very careful for any upcoming trips since the whole process of changing your itinerary was quite frustrating for everyone involved. Another notes, I will suggest to go with Flagship airline of the country.
In 2020 many airlines conduct physical distancing in the airplane but as of now in Q2 2021 many don’t do it anymore so choose yours wisely. The one which still has physical distancing comes with a higher price. It might not stated very clearly for you but the distancing somehow being sold as an add on either you need to choose a higher ticket class or essentially you could purchase a seating zone in booking page just before you go to the payment.
Before Flying Preparation
Good, now you already have your booking you will need another preparation. It may change from time to time so you need to check during your flight time. For Indonesia Domestic flight it usually either PCR Negative result max 3 or 2 x 24 hours from your flight or Rapid Test Antigen Result max 2 or 1 x24 hours from your flight. It may vary depending on your destination. There is also a facility provided at the airport if you need one. Rapid test antigen is quite quick, based on my experience I could always get the result less than 20 minutes. Starting from Q1 2021 there are some health facilities which already connected to eHac ( Health application provided for travellers in Indonesia ) – more about it later.
At the Airport
Aaaahh… now the happy part. I literally smiling ear to ear the first time I put my feet at the Airport. Excited! I went to Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta Terminal 3 Ultimate. After you get there I suggest you to go to Gate 3 because you will need to validate your rapid test / pcr test result for boarding and the place is just right after you get in through Gate 3. The validation process is very quick and there are a lot of stations so this one could be finished within 5 minute or so. Once you have the validation get into the Check in / Baggage drop area. Well, you could still drop your baggage without the validation but you can’t go to the boarding room so just make sure you provide enough time for this.
Gate 3
COVID19 Test Result Validation
Distancing
When you are all set with all the validation and your luggage is packed you could proceed to the boarding room. When you are at the gate, the officer will ask for your boarding information including the COVID-19 test result validation before you could proceed further into the queue. when they are checking the info they will ask you to open your mask once to ensure that you are the same person as your identity information. If everything’s good then you could go into your boarding room.
Of course there are some measures in place such as temperature checking and the distancing. However, I found that we tend to forget it when we are in queue. My suggestion and this is what I did which seems to work. I didn’t wear N95 mask, i tried but I got dizzy so I opted for another one which by wearing KN95 mask doubled with Surgical Mask. I didn’t open it at all during the flight. So yes, hello fasting. LOL.
During the waiting time in the boarding room, It’s a good time to fill in your eHAC. eHAC is an Indonesia Electronic Health Alert Card. It’s being used by the government to do the tracing and also to give the latest information for travelling purpose. You could get your eHAC by installing the application on your phone. Once you have it installed you need to register yourself then you could go under your Account menu and to the HAC section. Over there you will need to create your HAC either you just arrived from abroad or you want to travel intercity within Indonesia. You will need to put your flight number and your seat number. HAC information won’t be necessary for you to board the airplane in your departure airport but this info will be scanned in your arrival airport. Based on my experience it’s better to fill the HAC before you land so yes boarding time is a good window time.
Without further ado, when you have been called for boarding make sure you grab everything ready mask on and try not to touch anything and distance yourself from others. We tend to forget all this in a queue. When i got into the airplane, well i think it depends on which flight that you choose, some put a stricter measure than the others. Still, I wiped everything down and sanitized my stuff and my hand. I observed that every passenger has their own ritual so relax no one will judge you, well unless you wear hazmat suit perhaps. Throughout the flight, I recommend this Do not rub your eyes or open your mask if it’s not necessary. Well, for me not opening my mask for drinking was not that hard. I think Ramadhan fasting has trained me therefore I could enjoy the flight. How could I not? My excitement level shot up the roof seeing the white cloud and blue water beneath. Enjoy the flight until your landing time.
Airplane
Window view
Once you landed, the changes are about the same as the one in Soekarno Hatta Airport. The main difference is the eHAC checking part. So you need to show your HAC, there is a QR code generated for your visit and the officer will scan it through. Since you get it all ready before you depart it’s all good the process will be quick. After the scanning you could get into conveyor belt and there you are off you go to wherever your destination is.
Masih dalam edisi karantina wilayah dan pembatasan pergerakan ini mulai mencari tempat baru untuk dikunjungi dan akhirnya memutuskan pergi ke Perpustakaan Nasional. Tentunya karena masih masa pandemi jadi perlu melihat detailnya seperti apa untuk pergi ke perpusnas ( perpustakaan nasional ) seperti jam kunjungan dan tata cara kunjungan.
Registrasi Kunjungan Online
Sebelum datang ke perpusnas untuk saat ini pastikan untuk melakukan registrasi kunjungan karena ada jumlah maksimal batas pengunjung tiap hari. Pendaftaran bisa dilakukan melalui tautan berikut untuk kunjungan perpusnas. Jangan lupa siapkan kartu tanda pengenal (seperti KTP ya ) karena akan diperlukan untuk registrasi. Pendaftaran dibuka setiap hari jam 5.00 WIB ( GMT+7) siap – siap deh ini daftar pagi-pagi dari pengalaman saat aku coba daftar di sekitar jam 8 pagi kuota sudah habis. 😦 akhirnya dapet kuota lagi setelah coba daftar di hari lain di sekitar jam 6.00 WIB. Setelah selesai registrasi saran aku langsung download dan buat backup screen capturenya karena nanti akan ada QR code yang discan di beberapa tempat saat kunjungan.
Registrasi Sebagai Anggota Perpustakaan
Ok, tadi di bagian pertama adalah registrasi supaya bisa berkunjung masuk ke perpusnas kalau sekarang ini adalah bagian untuk mendaftar jadi anggota perpustakaan. Highly recommended! silakan daftar online di tautan ini. Beberapa manfaat keanggotaan adalah untuk peminjaman buku dan untuk akses masuk ke beberapa bagian di dalam perpusnas. Catatan jangan lupa untuk isi alamat email ya (meskipun data tersebut tidak wajib diisi ) saat pendaftaran keanggotan karena ini akan digunakan untuk reset password kalau nanti lupa. belajar dari pengalaman saya soalnya baru selesai daftar terus nggak bisa masuk karena tidak memasukkan email jadi mau tidak mau harus datang ke lokasi.
Kunjungan di Perpustakaan Nasional
Setelah selesai registrasi untuk kunjungan kita bisa datang bebas kapanpun sesuai dengan jam buka perpustakaan. Di lobi nanti akan ada jalur antrian dan untuk scan QR code yang diberikan saat registrasi. Melewati pintu depan kita akan dibawa masuk ke semacam anjungan dengan beberapa penjelasan dan pameran terkait dengan aksara, media penulisan, dan membaca. Cukup menarik tapi bagian ini bisa langsung dilewati jika tidak memiliki cukup banyak waktu. Keluar dari bagian pertama ini barulah nanti akan bertemu dengan gedung baru perpustakaan nasional.
Di bagian pintu masuk gedung utama ada area tempat duduk yang bisa digunakan. Area ini di luar ruangan mungkin bisa dijadikan pilihan untuk yang lebih nyaman berada di luar ruangan terutama di masa pandemi. Di sebelah kiri pintu masuk ada bagian khusus untuk mengembalikan buku. Masuk melalui pintu utama kita akan langsung disambut dengan arsitektur yang cukup menarik dengan rak pajangan buku yanng menjulang bertingkat – tingkat ke atas. Di sini lah perjalanan di mulai.
Pintu Masuk Gedung Baru
Aksara
Phinisi
Lobi Depan
Lobi Gedung baru
Penitipan Barang / Ruang Loker
Jadi jika ingin berkunjung dan memasuki area perpustakaan untuk membaca buku barang bawaan kita perlu dititipkan di lantai dasar. Dari pintu masuk gedung utama nanti bisa ke bagian informasi di sebelah kanan. Pengunjung bisa mendapatkan kunci loker dan ada tas tembus pandang yang dipinjamkan untuk menaruh barang bawaan. Tidak ada biaya untuk peminjaman loker dan tas.
Loker
Mencetak kartu perpustakaan
Setelah saya memasukkan barang bawaan ke loker saya langsung menuju ke lantai 2 yaitu untuk bantuan akun keanggotaan perpusnas dan untuk mencetak kartu keanggotan. Layanan ini terbatas ya saat saya datang kalau tidak salah hanya 300 orang maksimal per hari jadi kalau ada perlu sebaiknya datang di pagi hari. Pada saat datang ambil nomor antrian dengan memasukkan informasi keanggotaan online bisa dengan menggunakan nama lengkap, NIK, ataupun nomor anggota. Begitu mendapatkan nomor antrian tinggal tunggu giliran sampai dipanggil. Prosesnya cukup cepat untuk saya hanya beberapa menit untuk bantuan reset password dan pencetakan kartu nanti akan difoto langsung di tempat dan kartu fisik pun akan langsung jadi.
Tempat Umum, Ruang Multimedia, dan Koleksi Buku
Selesai mendapatkan kartu saya langsung menuju ke lantai 22 untuk melihat koleksi buku yang dimiliki di perpusnas. Koleksi buku terbuka ada di dua lantai, yaitu lantai 21 – 22 namun lokasi masuk adalah di lantai 22 dan lokasi keluar ada di lantai 21. Di lantai 22 nanti QR code yang didapatkan saat mendaftar kunjungan akan kembali discan. Secara koleksi sebenarnya cukup banyak namun mungkin memang bukan untuk tujuan rekreasi karena kalau saya lihat lebih banyak untuk buku referensi. Ada komputer yang disediakan dan dapat digunakan untuk melakukan pencarian buku. Di lantai 21 dan 22 juga disediakan meja dan kursi yang bisa digunakan. Di lantai ini juga saya menyadari satu hal ada box hitam yang berjalan di bagian langit-langit. Oh wow.. ini adalah kotak yang sama yang saya lihat di lantai dasar sebelum pintu masuk untuk pengembalian buku. Saya tidak bertanya untuk memastikan, tapi sepertinya box ini berfungsi untuk melakukan pengantaran buku. it’s quite cool. Saat sudah selesai bisa keluar melalui lantai 21, jangan lupa scan lagi QR code untuk keluar.
Tidak menemukan buku yang saya cari, saya pikir lebih baik menggunakan waktu ini untuk melakukan hal lain. Akhirnya saya pergi ke lantai 19 bagian multimedia. Lantai 19 hanya bisa diakses oleh anggota perpusnas, jangan lupa daftar online dan cetak kartu ya di lantai 2. Saat memasuki lantai 19 kartu keanggotaan akan discan. Setelah itu kita bisa memilih apakah ingin menggunakan komputer yang disediakan oleh Perpusnas atau tidak. Saat kunjungan saya membawa komputer pribadi sehingga memilih untuk menggunakan area kerja dengan meja dan kursi saja. Sebagai catatan, di Perpusnas tersedia layanan wifi gratis dan bisa diakses oleh seluruh pengunjung. Bisa ke bagian informasi ya untuk mendapatkan infonya. Di lantai 19 juga tersedia stop kontak di beberapa titik jika perlu melakukan pengisian daya perangkat elektronik yang digunakan.
Saya menggunakan ruangan di lantai 19 sampai sekitar pukul 1 siang. Berharap kantin sudah lebih sepi saya pergi ke Lantai 4, namun harapan tinggal harapan. Lantai 4 masih ramai. Saya masih merasa tidak nyaman untuk melepaskan masker saat ada banyak orang akhirnya saya memilih untuk kembali ke lantai dasar di bagian pojok ada kafe yang saya sempat lihat saat datang pagi hari.
Lt. 22 – Buku & Boks hitam otomatis
Lt. 19
Kali ini untuk turun ke lantai dasar saya memilih untuk menggunakan eksalator dibandingkan elevator. Sepanjang jalan turun setiap lantai memiliki peruntukan yang berbeda-beda. Rasanya agak asing mungkin karena memang saya bukan targetnya. Anyway, akhirnya sampai di lantai 1. Saya memilih untuk mengambil barang di loker terlebih dahulu baru ke kafe. Pilihan memang tidak terlalu banyak tapi setidaknya tidak ramai dan bisa pilih untuk pesan makan di luar ruangan.
Setelah semua selesai dan akan pulang, saya menempuh jalur yang sama dengan jalur masuk, keluar dari gedung baru dan memasuki gedung lama tempat pameran, baru benar – benar keluar ke lobi depan. Pada saat keluar jangan lupa untuk melakukan scan ulang QR code pengunjung dan selesai sudah kunjungan kali ini. 🙂
Sedikit catatan, pada saat saya ke sana pagi hari sekitar jam 8.30 WIB diputarkan lagu Indonesia Raya. Anda dipersilahkan berdiri ya.
Suatu hari tiba-tiba rasanya pengen banget liat lukisan jadi lah kan cari tau di Jakarta ada di mana sih? Akhirnya ketemu soal Galeri Nasional Indonesia di Jakarta. Googling soal galeri ini dan cari tau soal protokol selama masa pandemi.
Daftar Secara Online sebelum berkunjung
Sebelum pergi ke sana harus daftar dulu ya via website ini registrasi pengunjung Galnas. Jangan tanya kenapa websitenya kok alamatnya beda dengan website utama, ku pun kurang mengerti. Nanti di website bisa pilih waktu kunjungan hari dan jam. Perlu jadi catatan bahwa maksimal dalam setiap slot waktu kunjungan ( 1 jam kunjungan ) hanya boleh ada 20 orang. Setelah registrasi nanti akan dapat konfirmasi via email dan ini nanti ditunjukkan saat di lokasi. Sebenernya bisa juga sih registrasi di lokasi dengan catatan masih ada slot tersedia ya. lebih baik daftar sebelum datang sih jadi nanti tinggal masuk. Sssstt… untuk masuk ke pameran permanen ini tidak dipungut biaya.
Tiba di Lokasi Galeri Nasional
Waktu sampai di Galeri Nasional nanti bisa langsung dari gerbang masuk lurus terus lokasinya agak di dalam di sebelah kiri untuk pameran permanen. Waktu itu sedang tidak ada pameran khusus jadi tujuan utama memang hanya pameran permanen.
Di pintu masuk nanti perlu menunjukkan bukti registrasi. Ada QR code yang dikirimkan nanti ini akan discan. Protokol kesehatan tetap berlaku ya di sini jadi nanti ada pengecekan suhu dan kalau semua aman baru boleh masuk dan ada tempelan stiker galeri nasional yang perlu dikenakan ( yang mana sampai keluar dan pergi ke tempat lain pun ku lupa copot -_- ). Selama berada di lokasi harus selalu mengenakan masker dan jaga jarak . Anyway, Here we come!
Koleksi Permanen Galeri Nasional
Dari Pintu masuk nanti akan diarahkan naik tangga. Setelah itu akan ada dua area pameran. Pertama-tama aku ke sebelah kiri dulu untuk koleksi seniman Indonesia. Waktu masuk, wah… hawa galeri yang dirindukaaannn…. level bahagia naik tajam dan pencahayaannya rasanya cantik banget sih. ( sambil mikir dalam hati ya iyalah ya ini galeri nasional. )
Mencoba Memahami Arti
Jadi untuk koleksi pertama, nanti akan ada beberapa ruangan dibagi berdasarkan periode dari paling lama sampai paling modern. Di bagian pertama ini ruangan yang lumayan jadi gongnya sih. Karya yang menarik perhatian sangat itu terkait dengan kisah penangkapan Pangeran Diponegoro. Waktu ke sana diinfo ini yang ada di buku sejarah waktu jaman masih sekolah dan saya nggak inget sama sekali. LOL. Jadi ada dua lukisan di mana lukisan pertama adalah kejadian yang digambarkan oleh pelukis luar dan lukisan kedua yang digambarkan oleh pelukis Indonesia. Terdapat perbedaan nuansa di antara kedua lukisan di mana yang satu seperti menggambarkan kekalahan sedangkan satunya lagi adalah semangat yang masih berkobar. Rasanya menarik ya untuk melihat satu kejadian yang sama bisa sangat berbeda dari sudut pandang yang berbeda. Tapi di luar makna intrinsiknya ada juga perbedaan dari cara melukis yang cukup kentara bisa dilihat di gambar di bawah ini.
Perbandingan Dua Lukisan
Dari Ruangan ini kalau disusuri lagi ada banyak karya lain juga tidak hanya lukisan meskipun karya yang paling mendominasi adalah lukisan. Ada beberapa instalasi seni lain seperti patung, audio, ataupun yang bergerak. Beberapa karya kadang terasa tidak biasa. Untuk setiap ruangan yang dimasuki nanti jalannya berputar ya jadi waktu keluar pun akan keluar melalui alur pintu masuk.
Instalasi
Miniatur Monumen Pembebasan Irian
Setelah selesai dengan area pertama bisa menuju ke area pameran kedua. Di bagian ini ada karya dari seniman luar negeri. Saat memasuki bagian kedua ini ada rasa yang berbeda, mungkin sama dengan cerita tentang penangkapan Pangeran Diponegoro, seni tergantung orang dan mungkin juga dipengaruhi dengan lokasi sepertinya.. jadi ada perasaan yang berbeda dari segi pilihan warna dan yang lainnya.
Di Area kedua ini masih didominasi oleh lukisan namun tetap ada bentuk instalasi seni lainnya. Ada beberapa lukisan yang makin membuat ingin jalan – jalan secepatnya ke luar dari Indonesia karena ada beberapa lukisan pemandangan yang memang tidak ada di sini apalagi kalau terkait dengan musim dingin dengan salju yang tidak ada di Indonesia. segera ya semoga pandemi cepat berakhir.
Kembali
Area Duduk
Instalasi Seni
Sayangnya karena waktu berkunjung yang terbatas dengan batas maksimal kunjungan adalah 55 menit, saya jadi cukup kilat menyesaikan area kedua ini karena kita akan diminta meninggalkan area pameran supaya dapat memberikan alokasi waktu yang cukup untuk persiapan menerima pengunjung di slot waktu selanjutnya. Setelah keluar dari ruangan pameran, kita masih bisa menikmati area Galeri Nasional. Tempat ini memiliki beberapa gedung tua yang bisa jadi salah satu ajang ganti suasana juga kalau biasanya tinggal di rumah atau di gedung modern. Di beberapa dinding akan ada gambar juga misalnya seperti gambar berikut.
Mural
Untuk yang kadang merasa kurang paham tentang seni, saya pun sama kok. Tidak semua karya rasanya bisa klik ataupun ada karya yang terkadang kok saya nggak ngerti ya ini maksudnya apa tapi semua itu tidak mengurangi keinginan ataupun perasaan khusus saat melihat karya seninya.
Dari kunjungan yang cukup padat dan singkat ini cukup lumayan bisa mengobati rasa rindu pengen liat lukisan atau pergi ke galeri sampai nanti bisa liat lagi lukisan di galeri negara lain.
Wish you were here and get lost in the artsy environment. 🙂
When Sunshine hit, there is that surreal feeling. Our Last Day in Nepal. Today, We were going to Khatmandu and that was it. We will say goodbye to the country. My notes would be, if you are in a pack and wonder about tipping for your guide and / porter calculate it based on day of the trip and give more to the guide as the guide holds bigger responsibility. Please separate the tip for each person and give it in the morning or at the start of the trip because people may went off earlier. That was what happened to our pack some went off before we reached Khatmandu. Hence, tipping at the end of the journey didn’t work. The same if you want to give some items / souvenir to them, the best time is to do it in the morning. Including picture like the one that we had here!
Last Pic with full team
Once everything we good to go then off we go to Khatmandu. The road between Besisahar and Khatmandu was already in the modern road type so you don’t really need the 4 wheel drive as what we used the day before from Manang to Besisahar. It’s crucial to start early in the morning. We started at 8 AM and I must say it was a bit too late. The traffic was no JOKE. The road was jammed awfully until you could just turned off the car’s engine and you will be alright, in a sense you won’t go anywhere. It will be a good idea to pack some snacks and drinks and perhaps some book / games For me, I was tipsy due to the medicine so I was so drowsy and slept through the most part of the journey. We only stop by for a breakfast. We didn’t eat breakfast in the Hotel. Our guide said that we should go early and it’s better to have breakfast on the way. I still agreed with this decision.
Playing to kill time
road condition
Arriving in Khatmandu
We arrived in Khatmandu quite late. The traffic was so bad. It kind of made us shall rethink about our planning since our guide told us it will be impossible to continue with our original plan due to the place opening hour and our flight time. So we adjusted it to stay only Thamel, Boudhanath Stupa and afterwards directly go to the Airport to catch our flight back to Indonesia.
First thing first, our late lunch in Thamel. Thamel is a hustling place. There are many stores and restaurant in this areas. I would say the area is well suited for tourists and for those who is going to hike himalayas. You could get all of your staples in this area. For us this time, we would like to buy some souvenirs to bring back home. If you are looking for t-shirt, magnets, chai tea, coffee, himalayan salt, etc you could get all over here. remember that you could bargain the price. Just happened that in one of the store the keeper could speak Bahasa Melayu. Oh, how do i miss Kuala Lumpur. Anyway, you could see some pictures of our stroll in Thamel below.
custom pack your purchase
stores in Thamel
Boudhanath
We couldn’t stay too long in Thamel, once we finished our meal and purchase, we directly went to Boudhanath. It’s structure is very unique with the eyes at the top as if you are being watching. It’s a beautiful view to see and enjoy but please do not forget that it’s also considered as a holly place for Buddhist. During our visit there was an event over there so it was quite pack and since we arrived nearly 6 PM we can’t enter the place further because the place was already closing down. Within the vicinity you could circle around and found many shops as well. For us, we were already too tired so we decided to just sit and enjoy Boudhanath view. Btw, Kathmandu during that time was very dusty. If you are quite sensitive or have allergy I think it will be better to wear mask at all times.
The Eyes that See You
From Us
who is too tired to move
Nepal Airport At Last – Tribhuvan International Airport
We couldn’t really spend that much time in the Boudhanath area since we need to catch our flight. So here we were with a bit of heavy heart of a trip that was going to end soon. Thankfully the location wasn’t too far from the airport and it wasn’t jammed heavily.
When you get in the Airport the process was pretty standard. You need to check-in and drop your baggage afterwards you go for security clearance and immigration. The Airport was as busy as it could be. If you are not planning to bring back Nepali Rupees or if you have more than what you need you could exchange it around check in area after immigration I didn’t remember I see any so it’s better to do it before immigration clearance.
And that was it folks..! We finished our trip in Nepal. It was a long trip for me going from Indonesia ( Jakarta ) – Malaysia ( Kuala Lumpur ) – India ( Amritsar, New Delhi, Agra ) – Nepal ( Khatmandu, Besisahar, Chame, Pisang, Manang ). I was exhausted emotionally and physically but that’s about life. I wonder what is the empty feeling that started to creep out yet there is that serene and grateful feeling grows out. If you could do the trip around the world. Each trip gives out something that I would love to remember through life. The reason why I write it over here so that I could revisit it when I want to.
I wish we could go back and you could go together next time. Please stay safe, healthy, and happy! 🙂
Entering last part of Nepal trip. So by now, we have gone through most part of the trip. We have reached Manang, spent a night sleepover, and now It’s time to go down by car. We opted to use car for the benefit of time. It’s actually also possible if you would like to go on foot if you have the time. Our trip this time would be Manang – Besisahar. To leave Nepal we must go back to Khatmandu however It’s not recommended to go directly from Pisang to Khatmandu and based on my experience it’s indeed not recommended so please adjust your travel plan accordingly. For us, we have been informed that it may take around 6 – 8 hours drive from Manang to Besisahar by our guide. So there we were waking up in the morning, eating our breakfast, soaking the last Manang air, and loading all luggage to the car.
Breathing Manang’s Air
The road From Manang to Besisahar was like an off road. Again, I was just so amazed by the driving skills. We rode a 4 wheel drive ( for sure ) and it was a cloudy day. Basically, if we move a bit too far left or right, it was already a cliff. We were driving in a white haze. Yet, somehow I felt safe. LOL.. that kind of feeling like when you ride a plane. There is no going back once departed and you could only trust the pilot. It’s also worth noting that sometimes there will be roadblocks and land slides. Hence it’s important to calculate and put some ample time into your estimation. We were still able to get through this time but sometimes we can’t and need to get down, offload and load back our luggage to another car. Just like what we had in the beginning of the trip to chame.
The Road and rain
roadblock
cloudy cliff
Along the way, we have noticed that Manang – Upper Pisang ( that killer trail in day 2 ) was only about 2 hours drive away by car. hahaha.. my city girl kind of thought was intrigued, “why didn’t we just use car then?” anyway, it’s not that I regretted the experience – Just a thought that crossed my mind.
Our trip was rather quick. I think our driver was like either a respected person or very famous. He kept on getting a call and when there was another car passing many said hi to him. He seemed to know the road pretty well so yes it helped to fastened our trip. We stopped 2 times . One stop was short, there is an apple farm between Pisang and Besisahar, you could stop by over here and get a fresh farm products or getting a bit of a refreshment. Second stop was actually for our lunch. By this time, I don’t know how many momos or noodle that I’ve eaten. Food wise, I tend to go with a mild taste so I found that Dal Bhat is a bit too strong for my palate but my friends seemed to like it. The one in our last stop I could accept it. Worry not, Dal Bhat default type will be suitable for vegetarian. The meat if you want to is treated as an add on. Portion is very generous and you could ask for more rice with no additional cost, well.. for me, it seemed we could get more of everything (besides the meat add on ) with no additional cost. Definitely enough for us to carry on through until our destination in Besisahar.
Dal Bhat Lunch
We reached Besisahar so much faster that we originally planned. I think it was around 2 PM. What we did was we checked in to the logging and as usual we planned out dinner ahead of time and agreed to meet each other at dinner time. Taking a bit of a stroll in Besisahar somehow felt strange. Besisahar looked like a modern city with many vehicles passing by. It was a rather busy city. By this time, I didn’t remember to take pictures anymore. unfortunately. ;'(
For me, since I still felt a bit under the weather, I only took a bit of stroll around the city. trying to get some more surgical mask to fight the dust and so that my sore throat didn’t get worse. Thankfully there was a pharmacy nearby the hotel. The experience to buy things was a bit confusing because we didn’t use to the brand and what I found was that the medicines choices somehow went towards Herb or Ayuverdic medicine. I couldn’t really get the usual medicine that we have back in Indonesia. Well, my throat was killing me so i tried one. For Mask, they didn’t really have surgical mask, they have the usual mask though but it’s an ear loop so if you wear hijab just make sure you have the mask head loop add on. We went there before the pandemic so it was still uncommon but now it’s available in many places make sure you pack it too. Basically just that before I went back to the hotel and stay for the night getting into hot Shower, Electricity, Internet access, and food, usual items that I appreciated more after I went hiking.
I wish you were there with us drunk by the mountain trip with happiness in our heart.
Wanderer 