Story #89. Trekking Sentul: Curug Cibingbin

Waterfall at Cibingbin

It wasn’t a weekend when we leave Jakarta. Satu hari baik di akhir bulan Desember 2020. Jalanan lengang, berkendara santai sekitar satu jam lebih sedikit menuju Sentul. Bahkan kami sempat mampir drive thru kopi di salah satu rest area.

Setiba di daerah Sentul, peta online mengarahkan kami sejalan ke Curug Bidadari. Saya masih ingat jalan menuju Bidadari karena belum lama juga dari sana. Tujuan kami sebenarnya bukan curug Cibingbin melainkan curug lain yang viral di tiktok. Jalanan makin sempit, melewati area perkampungan warga.

Saat sudah mulai bingung, kami mencoba bertanya kepada beberapa pemuda di sebuah persimpangan jalan. Nampak mudah bagi mereka menebak lokasi viral yang ingin kami kunjungi. Tapi setelah mengobrol beberapa waktu, kami putuskan untuk tidak ke tujuan awal. Kami menerima tawaran untuk trekking ke Curug Cibingbing. Di awal perjalanan, kami tidak membahas berapa tips untuk dua pemuda yang membawa kami ini.

Mountain view

Orang Kota yang Kampungan

We were so excited jalan kaki di area pedesaan. Sebentar jalan tanah, sebentar jalan berbatu, menyebrang sungai, hingga melewati beberapa jembatan kecil dan curam.

Memulai perjalanan mendaki gunung lewati lembah.

Pakaian yang kami pakai casual banget. Plus sandal jepit 😅. Kalau kalian kesini ada baiknya pakai sandal gunung atau sepatu keds.

Ini jalan tanah menanjak

Nyebrang sungai aja saling pegangan.. dasar orang kota😅

Sampai di Air Terjun Pertama

Samar-samar kami dengar suara air. We keep thinking we’re closer but then we gotta walk little further.. and MORE further, lol! Sampai akhirnya kami sampai di air terjun yang ini:

The very first waterfall we stop by and take shot!

Setelah kurang lebih 40 menit trekking, kami sampai di curug Cibingbin yang dibawah. Kami gak foto disana, karena tempatnya kecil dan biasa aja, dan lagi ada beberapa tukang bangunan istirahat ngopi dan ngerokok di situ. Memang sedang ada proyek bangunan yang dikerjakan di dekatnya. Kami lanjut ke air terjun utama, letaknya lebih keatas lagi. Selain harus menyebrangi jembatan bambu yang curam, kami juga memanjat batu super besar! Iya, memanjat batu, pakai tali, seru sekali!!

Sekali-kali jadi anak hutan 😅

Yak! Pegangan donk!

Curug Cibingbin

Kami sampai juga di curug utama. Yeay! Spotnya kecil saja. Yang bisa naik kesini juga terbatas hanya dua kelompok saja. Satu kelompok selesai berfoto, lanjut kelompok selanjutnya.

Finally The Main Waterfall

Semakin ketengah (mendekat ke air terjun), kedalaman air semakin tinggi. Di foto itu saya posisi berdiri loh, bukan jongkok/duduk.

Pose! 🎬

Nunggu Jaka Tarub 😅

Teringat salah satu cerita rakyat. Jaman dulu Jaka Tarub ngintip bidadari mandi, lalu ambil selendangnya.

Selesai main air dan foto-foto, kami menempuh perjalanan balik dengan rute yang sama. Mampir sebentar makan mi instan di salah satu warung di curug yang di bawah tadi.

So far, that was one fun low cost trekking experience! Biaya yang dikeluarkan kurang lebih sbb:

– Tiket masuk curug 15K per orang

– Tips pemandu 100K per pemandu. Karena ada 2 pemandu jadi total 200K. Seperti saya sebutkan sebelumnya, di awal tidak ada pembahasan tentang tarif pemandu. Jadi ya kami kasih saja.

If you guys plan to visit this place, jangan lupa pakai pakaian yang nyaman. Jangan mengumpat/berkata kasar. Jangan buang sampah sembarangan yah 🙂

Sempatkan juga jajan di warung-warung di sana untuk bantu perekomomian warga.

Ciao!

Story #88. Chicken Soup

I wrote this in a memory of a very good friend that just passed away few days ago due to her health condition.

Her name is Roswita Manalu. I called her Mbak Wita. We were staying at the same house during university study. About 4 years more and less. We were away from home. She’s such a sweetbabe to everyone. She never bother us with any problem, she helps us instead. When we just don’t wanna sleep alone, she’s there. We spot a thief together but we had no idea that one asshole was a thief. We laugh together, we feel the same worry when a big earthquake hit Yogyakarta on 2006.

But most of all, I remember about the chicken soup that she cooked. That one fine day, I plan to cook for my boyfriend (now already an ex). I had zero experience in cooking, yes, really.

And so I go to the groceries buy all the ingredients. I remember mom usually buy bunch of carrot, a box of chicken fillet, tomato, potato, etc. I just buy and pay at the cashier. Never crossed in mind that mom buy that much for the whole family while I just plan to eat for two 😅.

At the kitchen, I put water in a stir and start to prepare onion and others. I saw mom cooked and it seems easy. But then I realize I didn’t do it right. I went down and knock on Mbak Wita’s room. I said desperately, “Please help, i messed up my soup in the kitchen, i don’t know what else to do!”

We both go to the kitchen and she just do the right thing at the right moment!! Geez, she even told me how to slice the carrot and tomato and potato 😂. First thing she did is she change the stir to a bigger one. The first stir was too small for that so many ingredients.

After a while, VOILA! A delicious chicken soup is done. And it’s not for two, but much more! I share with some other people at the house!

The chicken soup that she made just like my mom cooked. Unless she put more tomato, which actually that was my fault buy too much, LoL. Until today, my ex bf didn’t know that I wasn’t the one cook it for him. But he enjoys the soup as it is a really really yummy.

Thank you, Mbak Wit.. 💝

Rest in Peace!

Story #85 Sunday Fitness

Fitness sejam, ngumpulin niat nya berjam-jam.

Hey there,

Saya nulis ini sembari nunggu kelas body combat siang ini. Ternyata selama ini, tulisan sampah saya yang masih banyak di baca adalah tentang fitness. So this time, i’m gonna tell you 3 reasons why you should consider to spend your precious sunday at the gym.

1. Sepi

Yeah, gym on sunday is a little heaven. Sepi, gak banyak orang. Saya yang awam tentang pemakaian alat dan gerakan fitness jadi lebih leluasa. Di tiap alat ada sih keterangan gimana cara pakai dan otot mana yang dibentuk dengan alat tersebut. Kalau gerakan fitness biasanya saya pernah lihat orang melakukan gerakan itu, lalu saya tiru saja.

2. Towel

Karena pengunjungnya gak sebanyak di weekdays (yang biasanya saya datang sekitar jam 7 malam setelah pulang kerja), stock handuk kecil akan selalu ada. Kadang di weekdays suka “sorry kak, handuk kecilnya abis” trus saya dikasih 2 handuk besar. Sebenarnya malah bikin malu pakai handuk besar buat ngelap keringet, secara keringet saya gak pernah sejor-jor an orang lain. Percuma kan. Jadi inget ada tuh instruktur kelas yang keringetnya selalu ngocor. Bisa kali sambil miara ikan di kubangan keringet dia itu 😂😂

3. Info Program (Personal Trainee, membership or anything else)

Kalau datang hari minggu, di lobby tempat fitness gak terlihat terlalu banyak aktivitas marketing ngobrol sama pengunjung/member (sepenglihatan saya sih ya). Buat kamu yang butuh info tentang jasa2 apa aja yang ditawarkan oleh tempat fitness mungkin lebih nyaman datang hari minggu. Kadang mereka pajang produk protein atau sejenis gitu untuk membantu pembentukan otot. Nah bisa lebih nyaman deh kamu nanya2.

Kayaknya dulu saya juga survey tempat fitness hari minggu gt, baru deh saya decide mau di mana dan butuh program khusus apa gak.

Next, mungkin saya akan tulis ya alat2 dan kelas fitness favorit saya. Siapa tau, kita sama 😉

See you on my next episode of life,

Ciao! 💪🏻

Story #84. A little heaven named Labuan Bajo

Life is full of surprise and celebration. ~nes, Dec 2018.

2018 is about to end, a year full of life stories, joy and sad, tears and laugh, fight and no regret. I jumped myself into an open trip to Labuan Bajo. It was a sailing trip 3D 2N but I put an extra 1 night staying at hotel before the trip. Here’s few things I wanna share about the trip.

1. How to get your ass to Labuan Bajo

Citilink has direct flight from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo. I thought everyone know this, but some of my travelling partners not know this so here i mention it. If you lucky, you can get IDR 1,8jt – 1,9 per pax by citilink (leave and return). Other flight might have to transit at Bali. Visit a travel fair is always a good idea, or you can keep an eye on traveloka 😍. If you have much time, you can fly to Bali and then sail to Labuan Bajo, I heard people do that. Buy first, think later! Haha!

I was so amaze when I first landed to the airport. It’s like a WOOOOOOWWWW!!! Never seen this kind of view before, poor me! First thing comes to my mind was that it reminds me to jurassic park and kingkong movie.

2. Where To Stay

Labuan Bajo is a small city with not so many people. I talked to my taxi driver, he said that the city is quite safe, people can leave their motorbike in front of their house and it’ll still be there in the morning! No “begal” case, no thieves (in a serious case number), no chaos. I think everybody know everybody, and they just live in peace.

Driver pick me up from the airport to my hotel: The Jayakarta. Pick up is free, just give a tip to the driver. Jayakarta is located in a quite area about 20min from the airport. If you wish for a backpacker hostel or other hotel in town, Le Pirate or other around it would be a good choice, but a bit noise since they had a life music at night. I found that Jayakarta has kind of private beach (?😂) so I explore it myself.

Many hotels (I think all hotels) provide a free shuttle for their guess to explore the city. At 6pm they’ll take you from hotel to town. And they’ll pick u up again at around 9pm. Free! 😍

3. What to do at first arrive

Join an open tour, they’ll start the trip in the morning, which then I decide to come a day before the trip.

When I walk around the city, I found some tour provide 1 day tour, then sailing tour for just 2D1N. I didn’t find this offering when I search for before I leave.

Exploring the city you may go to Kampung Ujung and then Paradise Bar to catch the sunset. I plan it but I missed this out due to my travelling partner was sick and I have no heart to leave.

But then, around 8pm, I took a ride to the city and found a store selling ice cream and gelato!! 😘

4. The Sailing Trip

I got couple of optional vendor for the trip but then I fall to Indonesia Juara, as I found the reviews are fine. Less complain, and yes, we were well taken care by IJ 😘.

You can choose to live on board or do a day trip could be fine as well. This time I join the sailing tour. IJ has 2 type of boat: VIP and regular one. We took the regular one. They have beds and bathroom.

Who can resist watermelon in a hot sunny day 😍

IJ also provide snacks like this fried banana with chocolate sauce and cheese! What a perfect summer day 😘

5. Islands

Florest consist many islands, we had 3 days to explore some islands like the Kelor Island, this is our first destination.

Nice, ha? I reach to the top with an effort. To reach it you have to pass this kind of way:

Sunset at Kalong Island

Bats flies from this island to flores island by the sunset. It’s just an amateur video. The real one was so amazing. Sky full of bats!

Komodo Dragon at Komodo Island

There are 2 island that the goverment use as a captivity for the komodo dragon: Komodo Island and Rinca Island. This time we were not visit Rinca.

Last count of komodo population was 1.600 komodo. At this trip, we just met 3 of them 😂.

Do you dare to touch the top predator?

Wow, Imma is so brave that she friends with komodo. She was touch it heads and say “good boy, good boy…” lol, behind the scene was like:

Hahaha!

Padar Island

This is the icon of Labuan Bajo

Woke up at 3 or 4pm the trekking to the top, catch up the sunrise!

Then when you look down, you’ll find this kind of wonderful view:

Pasir Timbul

It was mid day and we ain’t hide from the sun!

Kanawa Island

To have this sunset makes me think that Heaven is exist, no? 😘

Snorkling and Manta Ray

Check out this happy face about to snorkling. We should leave the boat and continue with a small boat to reach snorkling spots.

I realize that this picture below makes us look like we’re group of people try to escape from i don’t know what 😜

And then here come when we can see Manta Ray:

There was 4 that we saw. I can not dive (I can’t even swim!) but I can tell you it was so beautiful. The Nemo movie was right, little fish are staying in the manta’s body. I see them like dancing, colorful, and manta’s body is the dancing floor 😂

Port

Many islands provide a deck/port, I guess it’s to avoid boat damage the choral. Deck, sunshise, blue sky! Perfect!

Pink Beach

It’s called pink beach as the sands seems pink. Beside at Labuan Bajo, I heard that pink beach also exist at Malang and Lombok.

There’s one island that we visit but I forget the name. It starts with M 😂

6. What to Prepare

– Personal medice and medicine like: antimo (for sea sick), tolak angin. Prepare vitamin as well, as trip to Labuan Bajo are about: trekking, snorkling, sailing. You’ve got to be at your best!

– Cash!! Stores are still only receive cash. Even at the airport. Can’t swipe debit card.

– Extra hair clip. I break one when I was shower at the boat. I suggest you bring more than one.

– No need to bring hair dryer if you do the sailing trip.

– Sunblock with spf >50. And aloe vera gel to protect ur skin from sunburn.

– Bikini(s), hat.

7. End of the Trip

Well, this is us 😂.

The trip was end at noon, and IJ drive us to the airport. At second floor of the airport you can find stores for souveneer, coffee, and massage. All in cash! Told you. But they’re cheap. There’s a reflexiology cost 130K per person for 60min.

Cup of coffee only cost 22K. Then, if you follow them on instagram you can get a free postcard! 😂.

8. What to bring back home

Special gift from flores are coffee and Sambal Luat. You can get coffee grind or bean package, just simply buy at the airport. Outside airport there’s a store sell it but same price, same item at airport!!

Sambal Luat was special chilli. So spicy you may die 😂

Other than that, you can buy shirts and souveneer!

I’m about to write more but I’ll put my crap at another post!

Cheers for the travellers! See you on my next episodes of life stories.

Story #83. Why Singapore (again and again)

Hey there,

I believe everyone has at least one favorite place to go. And if that everyone is someone like me, then you don’t mind to go to the same places over and over again, lol!

Some thought why I visit singapore over and over again 😅. When I have no idea where to “escape” for a few days, Singapore is the easiest to reach.

1. Close to jakarta. Cheap flight ticket 😍

2. Walking down the street is totally safe. Singapore is the number 1 world’s most safe country.

3. Malls are fine to be reference for VM. The window display at the stores, the stores furniture, how they set up stuff. So as I’m working on this field, this is a plus point for me to come.

4. Hostel is enough

No need to stay at a fancy hotel. I prefer to stay at hostel at Bugis area is my best recomendation. I can have interact with other tourist. I mean more easy to me, as if I stay in a hotel I usually think that I don’t need to talk with strangers. I’m a sceptical somehow and I think it’s not good to be all the time, I feel that I need such social interaction.

5. Food

Similiar like in Jakarta. Not much different. Wanna hit a cheaper price we can go to hawker places.

6. Language

People speaks cantonese and english. No problem at all.

7. Just grab your passport and go, what else you expect to read? LoL !

 

Cheers to the solo traveler!

 

Story #82. (If You Find) Someone Like Me

                                                     

“In a world full of mask, it’s a privilege to see a soul”

People are usually easy to make bunch of statement about others, about me. Through their experience during certain period of time. Some good and bad time, some I care you and some screw you whatever.  I don’t blame them, really. I write this junk with almost no purpose. Just in case in the future you guys find someone like me and you have no idea about the way someone like me act and react, then the bullshit below might help you figure it out.

#1. Asking me Out

Asking me out is always a good idea. I like to enjoy culinary and traveling as well, especially with fun people !! I like sweet dessert and spicy food. Talk me about life bla bla bla over a coffee or beer after office hour is always good. Have a short trip somewhere by the weekend would be awesome. But sorry to say I’m not always available to hangout. Sometimes busy, sometimes not interest,  some other time I just  wanna be with nobody.

#2. Reply Message

Sometimes I’m not kind of chat-people. I appreciate more on meet people in person. There are some reason why I don’t reply people chat immediately, like:

• For me, works comes first. So i might not text you back when I’m working on something. If you call, there’s a chance I’ll answer. But personal text mostly never an urgency for me. My Chinese zodiac is ox, i’m a hard worker since i was born :-))
• Hangout with friends or in a date, I’d prefer to be with them/him by that time. Replying message can be later. But then, sometimes later become never, lol sorry to say.
• My whatsapp notification is disgusting, really. Like in the picture above, so many notification, can’t help. So when I don’t reply your msg, probably your name is in the so down below I don’t mean to ignore.
• I have almost zero level of interest when people text me like: “good morning / day / night” (i’m alive, i know its a morning/day/night), “have you arrive at office now?”, “have you come back home? let me know when you’re home” (why do i have to report this to you I can’t relate), “it’s lunch time already, don’t forget to have one” (I know I should eat when it’s time, or when I get starve. If  you move your ass to my place and bring me food or take me out for lunch/dinner then it’s totally different story). “don’t eat spicy food, don’t grab a coffee, it’s not good for your health, remember you have a gastro acid” ( I do know what I bring to the table, no need to bother yourself on such things laa.. ). Sometimes I like and I need to be asked like that, but if it happen all the time really it’s boring me. Do it once in a time would be better, would raise up my “like” level to you without you have to effort !
• I need a “me time”. Sometimes I’m not always busy with stuff and people. I need sometimes for myself. Like mostly scorpions, I’m an introvert but I can socialize as an extrovert !

#3. Instagram Post

I quit on Facebook since years ago when an idiot hacked my account and I create a new one, but no longer interest to post whatever. I post social life on Instagram. One post per day is enough for me. I post food, places, and friends as normal people have that social stuff.

Why I don’t post a picture of me with my crush/bf ? I allow people to see what I allow them to see. I don’t share kind of cheesy love life, don’t bother myself, i keep it just personal. I avoid myself on question and cruel statement like “are you seing someone lately?”, “sekarang sama siapa?”, “ini yang mana lagi?, “another new, huh?”, “when will you get married?” Duhh!

Even when I post one now, I do a little privacy-touch.  Is he my bf now? No, he is NOT.

#4. Promise VS Surprise

My only one rule: Don’t make promise you can not keep!

Appreciate on surprises instead of sweet talk and promises. Surprise makes me feel alive even when it’s bad, promise are kind of makes me down and disappoint when it breaks (because the expectation is something sweet).

#4. Gift

I put this in the last paragraph as I don’t get used myself asking anyone to buy me gift. But if you find someone like me and you wonder what kind of gift you would like to give to her, well here are some ideas:

• Bracelet or necklace, white gold, simple design, no blink blink too much, little diamond in it would be perfect.
• Watch. I like it round instead of square.
• Hand bag. I like it simple and with long strap.
• If it shoes, better be adidas (the lifestyle/original kind, not the sport one with 3 lines. My shoes numer is 39 1/3 –> in case that someone you meet is like me till the feet size!!)
• Chocolate, ice cream, other sweets (are they categorize as a gift? lol). Why not flower? Because it’s romantic but then I don’t know what to do with the flowers, haha!
• Tour package include flight ticket and hotel, economy class doesn’t matter (ooh, what an expectation, lol).

Not easy to mention all those stuff as I don’t beg around asking for free stuff from whoever. I’m good finance my self, but i like gift(s) as well :-)).

Old saying said that life is not about waiting the storm to pass, it’s about how to dancing in the rain. If you meet someone like me, I hope you can enjoy every moment of togetherness. All the fun, sweet, witty, crazy, silly, silence, sad, care, screw, angry bla bla bla  is just the way someone like me express who she really is because someone like me would never pretend to be someone else that we don’t.

Ciao!

Story #81. How About Thailand

“Just GO.”

Back to 2016 : D

Call me useless to post it soooo late, i don’t mind, i don’t care, we still friend anyway :- *

2016 was complicated, yet so colorful ! I went to many places without knowing what i was exactly doing. Sounds stupid but I regret nothing. One of places that I go was Thailand. HURRAY !! We were 6 people. Couple of husband and wife, couple of lover, and then couple of mom and daughter (yeah it’s me, lol).

 

Mom’s First Flight Abroad

Having a night flight, still remember mom was very excited since this is her first flight abroad. I persuade (read: push) her for months till she finally have a passport. We took an economy flight. I prepare my self a backpack and a suitcase for mom. Just in case I should bring them both it would be easier instead of having two suitcase. Thank God she was all the best of her health during the vacation.

Hotel, Places to go, and what to wear

Bangkok have many hotels, 3 stars ++ are quite cheap, we choose Metro Hotel to stay. It close to Platinum Mall. Mom was very impressed the first time we check in the hotel, the front desk were so friendly and so pretty. Damn pretty, no kidding! but then we know they’re a lady boy once we heard they talk : p   After a good night rest, here is our morning look:

Our tour guide is speak Bahasa Indonesia. So we have no problem with language during our trip, as long as we’re together with the tour guide, lol. I think my only one problem was on breakfast time. It’s hard to tell to the omelet guy to make me a scrabble egg, but just the egg white I don’t eat the egg yolk. It’s hard because they don’t speak English, not even in Bahasa Indonesia.

 

Thai trip is more like monastery tour. We went to many place where people usually do praying. Here is one of it:

 

I have no idea that we’re about to come to such places. I prepare my shirts as I usually go for a summer trip: hot pants, tank top / sleeveless shirts. I have to rent a coat / shawl every time we enter a temple. Average rent cost is 20BHT. Cheap, but you know it’s not about the money. More than that: a lot of people use the same coat, only God knows when they wash the coat / shawl. eew!

We went to the famous 3D Studio, and then the garden flowers, also go to the Pattaya Floating Market in the next day. We changed the hotel because at the second day we play around Pattaya. But the third night we back to Metro Hotel. One of these pictures below show that we went to a elephant performance. Even we wear the same shirts with a elephant picture in it. I’m not a kind that excited to see animal performance, I heard most of the animals get a bad treatment and not well feed. My fantashit somehow can’t stop imagine what if we are human perform in such arena, play with stupid stuff, maybe fire and water and then animal watch the performance. Will they think we entertain them well? Ahh… maybe I just don’t like watching animal show, as much as I don’t like to eat rabbit and dog.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Pattaya and The Street Food

Anyway…. A good morning from Pattaya! Walking down the street in the morning was great :- *

At night, there’s a night market. I go with one guy while others falls asleep after the day tour. There’s a street magician perform his action. We meet this kind of street food along the way:

I failed in challenge eat scorpion and other bugs whatever eeww…. really i can’t T.T   I just eat kind of meat or sausage satay. I try crocodile satay when we’re at the Floating Market. Taste like chicken, but I don’t want to eat it anymore. For ever no more. I had enough by that day!  Beside those kind of street food, Thailand also have sweets dessert like Mango Sticky Rice, which is easy to find in Jakarta. For lunch and dinner, we always meet Tom Yam : )), yes, always. The best experience about food it that pork are easy to find. Yess!!

It’s never a vacation without to shops. I tell you where most of the money goes: PLATINUM MALL, LoL. Shirts, bags, shoes, bla bla bla.. so many, and very cheap that’s what makes me getting crazy. Another second place we spent the money was at the gift and snacks shops. We were once go to the jewelry place (i forget the name of the place) but seems like shirts and food still in the first rank.

So, How about Thailand? Well, I enjoyed the trip so much. Anyway this trip is worth for a mom-daughter experience. Mom got all attention form my friends because she’s the only mom in the group : )). When we packed and lift our belonging my friends was like “Mom, leave it with agnes, let her handle (and carry) those shop bags”. HAHA !!

 

Last but not least, I confess that I don’t always know what I do, i mean is it right to do or not. But sometimes in life things just happen, offering just came over and then we decide to do this and that. Travels do open my heart, broadens my mind, and fills my life with stories to tell.

 

Ciao!

See you in my next episodes of life.

Story #80. Road Trip: It’s Not About Arriving at Your Destination

“Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the stuff that happens along the way”. ~Emma Chase.

I’m a road trip traveler since I was in Junior High, as I remember. Now i am 32 turning 33, so it’s been 20years more and less. LoL. Doing a road trip with family members and friends. Luckily I always get a job that give me such traveling activities, so yeah, I experience road trips for work. Well, it all start with a habit from my grandpa. Dad said that he used to doing on a road trip since he was young, going around the Java Island. Maybe some part of Sumatra as well, as Dad was born and spend his childhood at Pangkal Pinang, Sumatra. Then when Dad has us, he take us the same way as Grandpa did to him. For me, it’s a good idea to remembered Grandpa: moment that Dad spent with Grandpa.

Last time I go on a road trip was first weekend of this July. Only three of us: Me, Mom, Dad. From Jakarta heading Jogjakarta. Dad and I took turns driving a car. Friends was like:

“Why driving?”,

“Isn’t it easier to fly? Anyway 12 hours driving might make parents exhausted”,

“Oh, come on, just some time a go you travel with the same route!?” (Yup, we travel the same route about 2 weeks ago, LoL).

People don’t understand, and I don’t expect them to. But I can resume some stuff why a road trip is worth to try:

It’s not about arriving at the destination.

Friends was like: “Udah sampe mana?” , “why are you still at Purwokerto? was it a heavy traffic?”. If you have enough time, It’s fine to stop by at the small cities instead of just passing it thru. We can always explore the food culinary, or famous places to hangout, or randomly visit historical places can be fun. At this part, friends who ask such questions are innocent, wasn’t their fault that I love to stop by and exploring. Anyway we ain’t a travel bus service, no need to rush because it’s about the pleasure of the traveler.

Under the sky, earth is always change.

Before the highway, there are many restaurant along the Pantura way from Cirebon to Jakarta. Now as people use the highway, only Boboko Restaurant that still exist. Years ago, beaches gate along the Pantai Selatan are not as much as nowadays. We experience that things are change. We watch it, we experience it, we sometimes talked to people about the change and how it effect the economy life. Change is something we can never refuse, no? so hit it! Like we hit the road.

People who go on road trips are spontaneous, optimistic, and wise.

Really? Hahaha.. you tell me!

Basically, the more you experience to travel is the more you experience yourself to be spontaneous and optimistic. Wise come along with those two. Road trip will challenge survival skill and instinct different way with other kind of traveling.  Wherever you go (and) or stay, world are full of a diverse array of people and landscapes. No need to be friendly to everyone but once or twice somehow such challenge drives your personality into a better you.

“At the end of the day, the destination is just a stopover. It is only the journey that can drive you to contemplate and find yourself.”

Ciao!

 

Story #79. Kapan Travelling Bareng Gue?

“…karena travelling adalah ritual penyegaran jiwa, apresiasi terhadap hidup, terlepas dari renungan apakah hidupmu telah sungguh berguna atau tidak!

Di sela-sela sibuk dan penat, kadang muncul angan untuk nge-trip. Seringkali angan bersambut  kesempatan hadir di depan mata, tak mungkin dilewatkan! Fakta sesederhana ini yang lalu memunculkan kesan “Nes ngetrip terus ya!” Padahal gak juga, sekedar sempat ya why not, di sosmed gue gak selalu posting foto baru, terkadang foto lawas kok.

Beach or Mountain?

Me, definitely beach. But I don’t mind for mountain. Yang penting have fun : ). Kalau pantai, isi ransel gue cukup hotpants dan tshirt2 tipis. Bisa masukin beberapa tshirt warna warni, gak makan banyak tempat karna sepele banget. Hotpants cukup 1 di tas, 1 lagi yang dipake. Sedangkan kalau ke daerah pegunungan, perlu siapin jaket, syal, topi hangat, bahkan sarung tangan dan kaos kaki. Gue kalau gak lagi naik ojek atau lagi dingin banget, hampir gak pernah jaketan. Pernah bawa-bawa jaket pas jalan ke Puncak, biar kayak orang-orang gitu kan jaketan, eh malah pas balik ke Jakarta jaketnya ketinggalan di villa, saking di sana juga gak gue pake ‘tu jaket, LoL. Kalau ke daerah dingin, gue suka tempelin koyo salonpas di udel, mungkin karena itu jadi gue gak terlalu berasa dingin. Koyo-nya yang hangat sedang aja, jangan koyo cabe, bisa kelar udel lo berasa ketampar-tampar : (

Backpack or Suitcase?

Apa aja boleh, yang penting gue bisa masukin hair dryer & catokan : ))

Bukan perkara centil, tapi gak setiap tempat nginap menyediakan hair dryer, jadi lebih baik bawa daripada habis keramas gak bisa keringin rambut lalu berakhir masuk angin! It’s about to cleanse the bitter taste of life from your soul, bawalah barang-barang yang memang berguna membahagiakan jiwa :- p

Camera(s)

Mostly cam yang gue pake adalah cam iphone SE. Tapi dalam beberapa kesempatan gue ada pakai juga beberapa cam lain (kalau lagi niat). Gue ada beberapa cam di rumah, punya bokap sih. Gue gak gitu ngerti gimana pake nya supaya maksimal sih. Mungkin ada volunteer yang mau ajarin gue explore cara pake nya?? Sinih! :-*

Nah, kalo bahas cam, terus bahas obyek fotonya. Yang mukanya cakep, body nya oke sih bebas ya mau gaya gimana aja. Tapi buat yang gak pede an dengan muka dan bentukan ala kadarnya macem gue, jangan berkecil hati, sodara2! Ada banyak trick angle yang bisa kita pake supaya foto-foto kita tetep kece! : ), Anyway kalo di rating ini daftar urutan obyek yang paling gue suka: 1. View (esp the sky); 2. Food; 3. Myself (ini mesti ambil dari agak jauh, biar viewer lebih fokus sama background pemandangan! Hehehe)

Gue gak selalu merasa nyaman untuk minta tolong orang lain buat fotoin gue, so instead of bothering people, I set myself an angle and timer di cam.

Ittenary

Ada kalanya gue memang punya ittenary sebelum ngetrip, jadi tau nantinya mau kemana aja. Ini penting supaya jangan mendadak galau. Tapi beberapa kali juga gue pergi spontan aja. Udah sampe di lokasi, baru deh tentuin enaknya mau jalan kemana. Ini gak susah kok, karena kadang pas udah nyampe di kota yang di tuju, mood baru bagus, cuaca cerah, nah muncul deh ide buat kemana. Lagian ya, kita gak hidup di jaman batu. Ada smartphone, jaringan 3G/4G, kuota internet gak mahal kok, lagian wi fi is almost everywhere, kita bisa googling ada tempat seru apa aja di sekitar kita.

You know what, i mean it with what i’m saying. Really, travelling memang apreasiasi terhadap hidup. Jadilah lebih hidup dengan lebih menghargai hidup. Bekerjalah lebih smart, supaya lebih disayang sama bos, dapet bonus yang baik, dikasih day off (even tough itu adalah hak karyawan) buat pergi liburan. Berbagilah lebih banyak, perduli lah lebih sering. Itulah bentuk nyata dari bersyukur. Last but not least, jangan lupa prepare budget dan ijin orang tua sebelom pergi ngetrip!

Nah, jadi kapan nih, ngetrip bareng gue? :- )

 

Ciao,

See you in my next episodes of life!