TRIP TO JAVA (25 TO 30 MAY 2010)
Sri Che Che has worked for my family for about 3 years now and we've always been curious about her hometown of Wonosobo. Deep in Jawa Tengah (Central Java), Wonosobo lies between 2 active strato-volcanoes, Mount Sindoro and Mount Sumbing. The town is still very rural, with its population relying mainly on growing crops as a way of life.
In mid May 2010, Mommy saw the opportunity for a short getaway and thought of Java. It would be highly interesting to visit Sri Che Che's hometown and experience the local way of life. The travel plans were put together very quickly, which added to the excitement of this trip.
On learning that she would be seeing her family so soon, Sri Che Che could hardly contain her joy. The night before we boarded the plane, Sri Che Che didn't sleep a wink. She spent the whole night packing her bags, thinking about her family, and worrying about what we would think of her home.
Eti Che Che was very excited too. She is also from Central Java (but not from Wonosobo). She had barely worked a month for my family and was already heading to Central Java for a holiday!
25 May 2010 (Tuesday)
As we neared the Plateau, we saw that a landslide had destroyed part of the paved road. Whilst workmen repaired the road, the only access was by a narrow, rickety wooden bridge. The bridge was shrouded in thick mist, so we had to cross it almost blindly. As we inched across the bridge, we could hear it creak and rattle under the weight of our car. We all prayed that we wouldn't be sent plunging straight down a few hundred metres...
Our guide pointed to the surrounding potato farms and commented that the popularity of french fries in Singapore has made wealthy men of Dieng potato farmers! Our guide then went on to entertain us with interesting nuggets of information about the temples, and to tell us more about the temples and the Indonesian government's geo-thermal project in Dieng.
The attractions at the Plateau were scattered all over, and we had to drive from one attraction to the next. With the guide, there were 9 adults and 2 kids packed into a car. After visiting Arjuna Complex, we drove to Kawah Sikidang, a volcanic crater with steaming vents and bubbling mud ponds.
The first thing which struck us at Kawah Sikidang was the horrible stench of rotten eggs. Sulphur! We walked as quickly as we could to the largest bubbling mud pond for a look-see. Our guide told us the story of how a local girl had jumped into the boiling water to commit suicide a few years ago. He showed us a horrific picture of the mutilated corpse. He also showed us how to get steam out of the vents in the ground with a lit cigarette.
We spent half an hour at Kawah Sikidang, then moved on to the next attraction, another Hindu temple by the name of Candi Bima. We were told that, for good luck, we had to walk round the perimeter of the temple 3 times without smiling or talking. None of us could do it without breaking into some kind of grin after one round! Haha!
After that, we proceeded to Telaga Warna, a beautiful lake with turquoise hues caused by the bubbling sulphur deposits around its shores. We had to pay an entrance fee to enter Telaga Warna. It wasn't expensive to visit the lake, but the fact that it was a gated attraction stole half its charm. Rightfully, a natural attraction shouldn't be gated, but freely enjoyed by all. Having said that, we also understand the need for a gate and funds to conserve and maintain a precious gift of nature like this lake.
The calm beauty of Telaga Warna would be best enjoyed in a serene environment, but that was stolen from us by our guide. At the start of the tour, the guide gave good information, but after a while, he really got on our nerves. He started getting touchy-feely with Sri Che Che and Mbak Suwati, taking pictures of them and generally making them feel uncomfortable around him. He loved to talk and tried to dazzle us with English proverbs, but his attempts only succeeded in irritating us. In the end, we had to cut short our visit to the lake just to get away from him.
Our first mistake of the day was to hire the guide. And our second mistake of the day was to listen to his advice on where to have lunch! He had told us that the best local dish to try in Wonosobo was mie ongklok (noodles topped with chopped vegetables, served with a thick brown sauce and beef satay), and that the best place to try mie ongklok in Wonosobo was Mie Ongklok Pak Muhadi along Jln Ahmad Yani. Mas Nasihin and Sri Che Che's family all knew the place.
We left Dieng Plateau at 1130 hrs and arrived at the rumah makan (eating house) about an hour later. It was raining heavily when we got there. The sky was dark and it was even darker inside, but no one turned on the lights. There were quite a few customers in there, but everyone sat in darkness and ate in silence. It was a strange sight.
We had arranged for Mas Nasihin to pick us up from the homestay at 0800 hrs. By the time we were done with our meal, it was already 0815 hrs, but there was still one more thing we wanted to do in Wonosobo before leaving town - ride a dokar (horse-drawn buggy which is still used as a means of transport in Wonosobo).
There were plenty of dokars near the market. We hailed one quickly. It was a very short ride to our homestay, but the driver wanted Rp4,000.00 (S$0.60). We didn't care to bargain. Mommy, Sri Che Che, Eti Che Che, Su Ann and I hopped on, whilst Daddy walked back. We trotted past Istana Karpet where Sri Che Che worked as a carpet salesgirl in her teens. We didn't go very far at all before we heard someone shouting out to Sri Che Che. It was her friend who was riding pillion on a motorbike. The motorbike travelled alongside our dokar as the two ladies chatted.
Five minutes later, we were at our homestay. Mas Nasihin's car was parked in front of our homestay, and Daddy was already bringing our bags to the car. We thanked our dokar driver, then rushed off to help Daddy load our bags into the trunk of our car.
We checked out of our homestay and Mas Nasihin drove us to Sri Che Che's kampong so we could bid everyone a final farewell. We would leave Wonosobo this morning to return to Yogyakarta. Enroute, we would stop at Borobudur for some sightseeing. Pak Winaryo would join us for the day.
At 0700 hrs, we were at the breakfast table in the hotel's coffeehouse. We spent an hour devouring the buffet spread. The bubur ayam was delectable and we each had a few helpings.
We checked out of the hotel at 0845 hrs and caught a Bluebird taxi to the airport. BlueBird was indeed reliable. It cost us 50% less to go back to the airport by taking BlueBird. The roads were pretty clear on a Sunday morning, and we arrived at the airport 30 mins later.
Sri Che Che has worked for my family for about 3 years now and we've always been curious about her hometown of Wonosobo. Deep in Jawa Tengah (Central Java), Wonosobo lies between 2 active strato-volcanoes, Mount Sindoro and Mount Sumbing. The town is still very rural, with its population relying mainly on growing crops as a way of life.
In mid May 2010, Mommy saw the opportunity for a short getaway and thought of Java. It would be highly interesting to visit Sri Che Che's hometown and experience the local way of life. The travel plans were put together very quickly, which added to the excitement of this trip.
On learning that she would be seeing her family so soon, Sri Che Che could hardly contain her joy. The night before we boarded the plane, Sri Che Che didn't sleep a wink. She spent the whole night packing her bags, thinking about her family, and worrying about what we would think of her home.
Eti Che Che was very excited too. She is also from Central Java (but not from Wonosobo). She had barely worked a month for my family and was already heading to Central Java for a holiday!
25 May 2010 (Tuesday)
At 0915 hrs, Ah Gong dropped us off at the Departure Hall of Terminal One. Just before Ah Gong drove off, Mommy checked the backseat of the car and found a handphone on the seat. Sri Che Che was a bundle of nerves this morning, and had accidentally dropped her handphone in the car. Mommy grabbed the phone and Ah Gong waved goodbye to us, then drove off.
Whilst queuing to check in for our flight, Mommy asked Sri Che Che where she had put 2 of our bags. Those bags were empty ones which Mommy wanted to take along in case we needed extra space for our shopping, etc. That was when Sri Che Che realised she had left those 2 bags in the car as well! We quickly got in touch with Ah Gong and begged him to return to the airport. We hadn't even left Singapore yet, and Sri Che Che had already forgotten 2 different things.
Within 15 mins, Ah Gong was back at the airport with our 2 bags. Those bags proved useful immediately because Air Asia demanded that we repack our bags because of a weight issue...
After the morning's drama died down, we proceeded to the children's play area in the transit area of Terminal One. We had about 30 mins to play before it was time to board the plane.
Air Asia Flight No. QZ7139 took off 20 mins later than scheduled at 1130 hrs. It was only a short 2 hr 10 min flight to Yogyakarta, but Mommy was worried that Su Ann and I would be hungry on board. Mommy pre-ordered chicken rice and a chicken sandwich for the both of us, and the food was served shortly after take-off. Both items tasted vile...
At 1240 hrs, we landed safely at Yogyakarta's Adi Sucipto Airport. The airport was very small. Within 30 mins of landing, we had cleared customs, collected our bags and were outside the airport searching for Sri Che Che's father. We found an adorable little old man with a green songkok waiting for us amongst the crowd. He was Pak Winaryo, Sri Che Che's father.
Sri Che Che had arranged for a driver from her kampong to take her dad to the airport, and to drive all of us to Wonosobo. The driver, Mas Nasihin, lived in the same kampong as Sri Che Che, and he was the only man in the kampong with a car. He would be our driver for 3 days at the agreed rate of Rp1,700,000.00 (i.e. about S$260.00), inclusive of fuel.
We left the airport at 1330 hrs (1430 hrs in Singapore). It was way past lunch time for us, and everyone was famished. Mommy had read online about a restaurant close to the airport called Ayam Goreng Suharti and that was where we were headed. The restaurant is reputed to serve Yogyakarta's best fried chicken. How can anyone go wrong with fried chicken? But we were wrong. We're big fans of ayam penyet (Indonesian style smashed fried chicken), but this has got to be the worst we've ever tasted. The chicken was dry and hard. We really didn't know what the fuss was about.
We left the restaurant at 1445 hrs. We still had a 3-hr journey to Wonosobo ahead of us. The drive to Wonosobo took us through farmlands and kampongs. We saw bright green padi fields, cattle on trucks, a boy slightly older than me riding a motorbike, a school band performing on the road, etc. Barely 2 hrs away by flight from Singapore, and we were already a world away.
We noticed that minor back roads would only have one lane i.e. traffic heading in opposite directions would share one lane, and major roads would only have one lane going up, and another lane coming down. To overtake another vehicle in Central Java, the custom was to sound the horn then overtake on the right. On hearing the horn, the vehicle in front would slow down and keep to the left. Don't try this in Singapore, unless you want to be the victim of some kind of road rage!
Whilst queuing to check in for our flight, Mommy asked Sri Che Che where she had put 2 of our bags. Those bags were empty ones which Mommy wanted to take along in case we needed extra space for our shopping, etc. That was when Sri Che Che realised she had left those 2 bags in the car as well! We quickly got in touch with Ah Gong and begged him to return to the airport. We hadn't even left Singapore yet, and Sri Che Che had already forgotten 2 different things.
Within 15 mins, Ah Gong was back at the airport with our 2 bags. Those bags proved useful immediately because Air Asia demanded that we repack our bags because of a weight issue...
After the morning's drama died down, we proceeded to the children's play area in the transit area of Terminal One. We had about 30 mins to play before it was time to board the plane.
Air Asia Flight No. QZ7139 took off 20 mins later than scheduled at 1130 hrs. It was only a short 2 hr 10 min flight to Yogyakarta, but Mommy was worried that Su Ann and I would be hungry on board. Mommy pre-ordered chicken rice and a chicken sandwich for the both of us, and the food was served shortly after take-off. Both items tasted vile...
At 1240 hrs, we landed safely at Yogyakarta's Adi Sucipto Airport. The airport was very small. Within 30 mins of landing, we had cleared customs, collected our bags and were outside the airport searching for Sri Che Che's father. We found an adorable little old man with a green songkok waiting for us amongst the crowd. He was Pak Winaryo, Sri Che Che's father.
Sri Che Che had arranged for a driver from her kampong to take her dad to the airport, and to drive all of us to Wonosobo. The driver, Mas Nasihin, lived in the same kampong as Sri Che Che, and he was the only man in the kampong with a car. He would be our driver for 3 days at the agreed rate of Rp1,700,000.00 (i.e. about S$260.00), inclusive of fuel.
We left the airport at 1330 hrs (1430 hrs in Singapore). It was way past lunch time for us, and everyone was famished. Mommy had read online about a restaurant close to the airport called Ayam Goreng Suharti and that was where we were headed. The restaurant is reputed to serve Yogyakarta's best fried chicken. How can anyone go wrong with fried chicken? But we were wrong. We're big fans of ayam penyet (Indonesian style smashed fried chicken), but this has got to be the worst we've ever tasted. The chicken was dry and hard. We really didn't know what the fuss was about.
We left the restaurant at 1445 hrs. We still had a 3-hr journey to Wonosobo ahead of us. The drive to Wonosobo took us through farmlands and kampongs. We saw bright green padi fields, cattle on trucks, a boy slightly older than me riding a motorbike, a school band performing on the road, etc. Barely 2 hrs away by flight from Singapore, and we were already a world away.
We noticed that minor back roads would only have one lane i.e. traffic heading in opposite directions would share one lane, and major roads would only have one lane going up, and another lane coming down. To overtake another vehicle in Central Java, the custom was to sound the horn then overtake on the right. On hearing the horn, the vehicle in front would slow down and keep to the left. Don't try this in Singapore, unless you want to be the victim of some kind of road rage!
Mas Nasihin was very familiar with the roads. He was constantly overtaking other vehicles on the major roads, and travelling at top speed down the narrow back roads where they'd be other vehicles, as well as old women in sarong kebaya, school children and farm animals walking about. On more than one occasion, we would be travelling in the path of an oncoming vehicle with barely enough time to cut back into our own lane. It was a white-knuckle experience. It was only after the trip that we learnt from Sri Che Che that Mas Nasihin had injured and killed several people on the streets before and was imprisoned for the offences.
With Mas Nasihin driving like a race car driver, we arrived in Wonosobo 30 mins ahead of schedule. There was only one international class hotel in Wonosobo and it was the Gallery Hotel Kresna Wonosobo (www.galleryhotels.com/wono.htm). It is said that Charlie Chaplin once stayed there, so you can imagine how old the place was. The rooms looked rather dated, and weren't cheap. This time, Mommy decided to go along with the Lonely Planet's recommendation and made a booking with Wisma Duta Homestay instead. The homestay didn't have a website or e-mail address, so Mommy had Sri Che Che ring them before we left home.
The homestay was at No. 3 Jln Rumah Sakit. Yes, it was withing walking distance of the town's hospital. The property belonged to a Chinese family and they lived in the quarters just behind the guesthouse. The guesthouse had a spacious living and dining area, and 4 ensuite guest rooms. Mommy had booked 2 out of the 4 rooms for our group. Each room cost Rp300,000.00 (about S$50.00) per night, inclusive of breakfast.
Wisma Duta Homestay was recently renovated and it was tastefully furnished. The ensuite rooms were quite basic though. There was no tv, aircon, fan or wifi. Daddy thought he wouldn't be able to survive the next 2 nights, but he did in the end and managed to sleep quite well too!
After dropping our bags off at the house, we hopped back into Mas Nasihin's car for the 20-min ride to Sri Che Che's kampong at Kalierang-Lempong. The car had to go down a fairly steep and narrow path to get to Sri Che Che's house. As we passed the houses which lined the path, Sri Che Che pointed out the houses which belonged to her relatives. We passed her uncle's house, aunty's house, cousin's house, and another uncle's house before reaching hers. Yes, it was a close-knit kampong where everyone knew everyone else.
Once we stepped out of the car, a voice called out to us in English. "Welcome to our kampong!" We turned and saw Sri Che Che's aunty smiling and waving to us from her house. This aunt lived directly opposite Sri Che Che's family. This aunt was Sri Che Che's mother's cousin and, this aunt was married to Sri Che Che's father's younger brother. Yes, everyone knew everyone else. This aunt had spent 10 years working as a domestic helper for a family in Serangoon Gardens, Singapore, and so was fluent in English. Sri Che Che said that many families in the kampong had at least one family member working in places like Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, where there were better paying jobs.
We stepped into Sri Che Che's home, and were warmly greeted by Sri Che Che's mother (Ibu Faini), older brother and younger sister (Mbak Suwati). Sri Che Che has an older sister who is currently working in Taiwan.
Sri Che Che gave us a quick tour of her house. The house was constructed out of wood and had a zinc roof. It was very basic. There was a living area with a sofa set, a tv area with a 14-inch colour tv, DVD player and one armchair, 3 bedrooms, an outdoor toilet and bathroom area where one had to scoop water from a storage tank to bathe, and a kitchen without any modern appliances. The kitchen floor wasn't made out of cement or tiled. It was just mud! There was a larder and a wood-burning stove which Ibu Faini used to cook everything from boiling water to frying chicken.
Sri Che Che said that electrical supply to her house was very limited. Her family couldn't afford to pay for more, so they only had sufficient electricity for the lightbulbs at night and the tv. She said there was certainly not enough electricity for them to watch tv and iron a shirt at the same time! Before this visit, we couldn't imagine life without air-con, fan, refrigerator, microwave oven, laptop, etc., and this was happening right before our very eyes.
Sri Che Che's family didn't have much. Yet, they were very willing to share what little they had with us and had put together a grand meal to welcome us to their home. We were all very moved by their kind gestures. It was a very humbling experience.
With Mas Nasihin driving like a race car driver, we arrived in Wonosobo 30 mins ahead of schedule. There was only one international class hotel in Wonosobo and it was the Gallery Hotel Kresna Wonosobo (www.galleryhotels.com/wono.htm). It is said that Charlie Chaplin once stayed there, so you can imagine how old the place was. The rooms looked rather dated, and weren't cheap. This time, Mommy decided to go along with the Lonely Planet's recommendation and made a booking with Wisma Duta Homestay instead. The homestay didn't have a website or e-mail address, so Mommy had Sri Che Che ring them before we left home.
The homestay was at No. 3 Jln Rumah Sakit. Yes, it was withing walking distance of the town's hospital. The property belonged to a Chinese family and they lived in the quarters just behind the guesthouse. The guesthouse had a spacious living and dining area, and 4 ensuite guest rooms. Mommy had booked 2 out of the 4 rooms for our group. Each room cost Rp300,000.00 (about S$50.00) per night, inclusive of breakfast.
Wisma Duta Homestay was recently renovated and it was tastefully furnished. The ensuite rooms were quite basic though. There was no tv, aircon, fan or wifi. Daddy thought he wouldn't be able to survive the next 2 nights, but he did in the end and managed to sleep quite well too!
After dropping our bags off at the house, we hopped back into Mas Nasihin's car for the 20-min ride to Sri Che Che's kampong at Kalierang-Lempong. The car had to go down a fairly steep and narrow path to get to Sri Che Che's house. As we passed the houses which lined the path, Sri Che Che pointed out the houses which belonged to her relatives. We passed her uncle's house, aunty's house, cousin's house, and another uncle's house before reaching hers. Yes, it was a close-knit kampong where everyone knew everyone else.
Once we stepped out of the car, a voice called out to us in English. "Welcome to our kampong!" We turned and saw Sri Che Che's aunty smiling and waving to us from her house. This aunt lived directly opposite Sri Che Che's family. This aunt was Sri Che Che's mother's cousin and, this aunt was married to Sri Che Che's father's younger brother. Yes, everyone knew everyone else. This aunt had spent 10 years working as a domestic helper for a family in Serangoon Gardens, Singapore, and so was fluent in English. Sri Che Che said that many families in the kampong had at least one family member working in places like Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore, where there were better paying jobs.
We stepped into Sri Che Che's home, and were warmly greeted by Sri Che Che's mother (Ibu Faini), older brother and younger sister (Mbak Suwati). Sri Che Che has an older sister who is currently working in Taiwan.
Sri Che Che gave us a quick tour of her house. The house was constructed out of wood and had a zinc roof. It was very basic. There was a living area with a sofa set, a tv area with a 14-inch colour tv, DVD player and one armchair, 3 bedrooms, an outdoor toilet and bathroom area where one had to scoop water from a storage tank to bathe, and a kitchen without any modern appliances. The kitchen floor wasn't made out of cement or tiled. It was just mud! There was a larder and a wood-burning stove which Ibu Faini used to cook everything from boiling water to frying chicken.
Sri Che Che said that electrical supply to her house was very limited. Her family couldn't afford to pay for more, so they only had sufficient electricity for the lightbulbs at night and the tv. She said there was certainly not enough electricity for them to watch tv and iron a shirt at the same time! Before this visit, we couldn't imagine life without air-con, fan, refrigerator, microwave oven, laptop, etc., and this was happening right before our very eyes.
Sri Che Che's family didn't have much. Yet, they were very willing to share what little they had with us and had put together a grand meal to welcome us to their home. We were all very moved by their kind gestures. It was a very humbling experience.
Ibu Faini and Mbak Suwati had toiled in the kitchen the whole day. There were garlic and prawn crackers waiting for us on the coffee tables. As we munched on those, more food was brought out. Three different types of vegetables, sardines and onions, fried chicken, beef ball soup, mixed vegetable soup and a steaming pot of rice. We dug into the home-cooked food and chatted with Sri Che Che's family, with Sri Che Che and her aunty acting as our interpreters.
After dinner, Sri Che Che presented her parents with a pair of watches which Mommy had bought as gifts for them. Ibu Faini had never owned a watch in her life before. She was moved to tears. Pak Winaryo was also blinking back tears. He had never received such an exquisite gift before. We had also brought along a DVD with pictures we'd taken with Sri Che Che over the last year. Everyone gathered on the floor to watch the slide show on the 14-inch tv.
At 2015 hrs, Mas Nasihin came by to drive us back to Wisma Duta Homestay. We made arrangements to meet Sri Che Che's family first thing in the morning and said goodbye to them.
Enroute to the homestay, we stopped at a carpenter's shop for Sri Che Che to say hello to her best friend, Muna. Sri Che Che was the one who introduced Muna to the carpenter a few years ago, and now Muna and the carpenter are happily married with one child. Daddy and Mommy were hosting dinner for Sri Che Che's loved ones the next night. The dinner would be at Wonosobo's best restaurant, Restoran Asia, and Sri Che Che wanted to invite Muna's family to the dinner as well. Incidentally, Muna's mother has been head chef of Restoran Asia since Sri Che Che and Muna were little.
Muna had no idea that Sri Che Che would be visiting. When Mas Nasihin's car pulled up outside her shop (which doubled as their home), Muna and her family were sitting around in their pyjamas. Muna thought some rich client had arrived to make a late night purchase, so she approached the car in her pyjamas. When she saw Sri Che Che sitting in the car, she exclaimed: "Woman! You're crazy!" and both women burst out laughing. It was heartwarming to watch the reunion of two lifelong best friends.
We were back at the homestay by 2045 hrs, bedtime for most Wonosobans, where nightlife was non-existent. Whilst preparing Su Ann and I for bed, it dawned on Sri Che Che that she had forgotten to pack ALL her toiletries. Mommy was going to offer Sri Che Che some of her toiletries when she realised that she too didn't pack any toothpaste! We had no choice but to go in search of some kind of mini-mart at 2100 hrs.
After dinner, Sri Che Che presented her parents with a pair of watches which Mommy had bought as gifts for them. Ibu Faini had never owned a watch in her life before. She was moved to tears. Pak Winaryo was also blinking back tears. He had never received such an exquisite gift before. We had also brought along a DVD with pictures we'd taken with Sri Che Che over the last year. Everyone gathered on the floor to watch the slide show on the 14-inch tv.
At 2015 hrs, Mas Nasihin came by to drive us back to Wisma Duta Homestay. We made arrangements to meet Sri Che Che's family first thing in the morning and said goodbye to them.
Enroute to the homestay, we stopped at a carpenter's shop for Sri Che Che to say hello to her best friend, Muna. Sri Che Che was the one who introduced Muna to the carpenter a few years ago, and now Muna and the carpenter are happily married with one child. Daddy and Mommy were hosting dinner for Sri Che Che's loved ones the next night. The dinner would be at Wonosobo's best restaurant, Restoran Asia, and Sri Che Che wanted to invite Muna's family to the dinner as well. Incidentally, Muna's mother has been head chef of Restoran Asia since Sri Che Che and Muna were little.
Muna had no idea that Sri Che Che would be visiting. When Mas Nasihin's car pulled up outside her shop (which doubled as their home), Muna and her family were sitting around in their pyjamas. Muna thought some rich client had arrived to make a late night purchase, so she approached the car in her pyjamas. When she saw Sri Che Che sitting in the car, she exclaimed: "Woman! You're crazy!" and both women burst out laughing. It was heartwarming to watch the reunion of two lifelong best friends.
We were back at the homestay by 2045 hrs, bedtime for most Wonosobans, where nightlife was non-existent. Whilst preparing Su Ann and I for bed, it dawned on Sri Che Che that she had forgotten to pack ALL her toiletries. Mommy was going to offer Sri Che Che some of her toiletries when she realised that she too didn't pack any toothpaste! We had no choice but to go in search of some kind of mini-mart at 2100 hrs.
Just when we badly needed a 7Eleven, there wasn't one to be found. Wonosobo is probably one of the few towns in the world where 7Eleven hasn't infiltrated. The only place with some life at that time of the night would be the street in front of Wonosobo's only shopping centre, where a handful of roadside vendors would park their carts. Fortunately, there was a cart selling provisions still open, and we were able to purchase all the toiletries we needed.
Meanwhile, Daddy found his way to a cart selling beef satay and was salivating at the aroma of beef being grilled. Sri Che Che ordered a few sticks of satay for Daddy to sample. The verdict: smelt way better than they taste. Daddy couldn't finish the satay, but they were very cheap. Less than S$1.00 for about a dozen sticks. We called it a night after that culinary flop.
26 May 2010 (Wednesday)
Meanwhile, Daddy found his way to a cart selling beef satay and was salivating at the aroma of beef being grilled. Sri Che Che ordered a few sticks of satay for Daddy to sample. The verdict: smelt way better than they taste. Daddy couldn't finish the satay, but they were very cheap. Less than S$1.00 for about a dozen sticks. We called it a night after that culinary flop.
26 May 2010 (Wednesday)
Mommy had spent the entire night tossing and turning, whilst the rest of us had slept very soundly. Although there was no aircon nor fan in the room, the temperature definitely fell quite drastically in the middle of the night, and the chill kept Mommy awake for most of the night. At about 0400 hrs, the loud hailers crackled and all the mosques in Wonosobo (and there was one for every few households!) simultaneously broke into song, urging everyone to start their first prayer session of the day. Until you've been in a town like Wonosobo, you wouldn't know what hearing the holy Qur'an in stereo surround sound was like. At daybreak, Mommy was startled by a supremely loud screeching sound. It sounded like some animal was being dragged into an abattoir, but it was actually the morning call of some kind of fowl. It was so loud and annoying that it almost drowned out the sound of the rooster crowing (which Mommy heard too).
By 0630 hrs, Mommy was all ready to head out for the day and she shook the rest of us up. It was a lovely morning. A simple breakfast of bread, jam, pisang goreng (banana fritters) and sticky glutinous rice with brown sugar had been laid out on the breakfast table by our hosts, but Daddy wanted to try some traditional Indonesian bubur ayam (chicken congee) for breakfast, so Sri Che Che and Mommy went out to get him some.
Sri Che Che asked a passerby for directions to a bubur ayam stall, and she was directed to the pasar (market). Mommy had never been to a market like this before. Fruits, vegetables, tofu, tempe, etc. were laid out on the floor for sale. A few of the vegetable sellers recognised Sri Che Che and called out to her. Sri Che Che said they were farmers from her kampong. Sri Che Che and Mommy couldn't find the bubur ayam stall though.
They ended up buying a loaf of fried bread with strawberry jam and a loaf of fried bread with pandan jam from a stall with a queue instead. The bread was coated with a layer of condensed milk and margarine before frying. It was sinfully sweet and greasy.
At 0800 hrs, Mas Nasihin came by with Sri Che Che's parents and younger sister. We were all going on a trip to the Dieng Plateau together. The Dieng Plateau is an area famed for its volcanic scenery and for being the site of Java's oldest Hindu temples, which date back some 800 years.
By 0630 hrs, Mommy was all ready to head out for the day and she shook the rest of us up. It was a lovely morning. A simple breakfast of bread, jam, pisang goreng (banana fritters) and sticky glutinous rice with brown sugar had been laid out on the breakfast table by our hosts, but Daddy wanted to try some traditional Indonesian bubur ayam (chicken congee) for breakfast, so Sri Che Che and Mommy went out to get him some.
Sri Che Che asked a passerby for directions to a bubur ayam stall, and she was directed to the pasar (market). Mommy had never been to a market like this before. Fruits, vegetables, tofu, tempe, etc. were laid out on the floor for sale. A few of the vegetable sellers recognised Sri Che Che and called out to her. Sri Che Che said they were farmers from her kampong. Sri Che Che and Mommy couldn't find the bubur ayam stall though.
They ended up buying a loaf of fried bread with strawberry jam and a loaf of fried bread with pandan jam from a stall with a queue instead. The bread was coated with a layer of condensed milk and margarine before frying. It was sinfully sweet and greasy.
At 0800 hrs, Mas Nasihin came by with Sri Che Che's parents and younger sister. We were all going on a trip to the Dieng Plateau together. The Dieng Plateau is an area famed for its volcanic scenery and for being the site of Java's oldest Hindu temples, which date back some 800 years.
It took about an hour to drive to the Dieng Plateau. The climb up 2000m above sea level took us past bright green rice padis, and terraced farms where vegetables, spring onion and tobacco plants were being grown. Mount Dieng is a complex volcano which last erupted in 1996. The soil in this area is known by locals for its fertility.
As we neared the Plateau, we saw that a landslide had destroyed part of the paved road. Whilst workmen repaired the road, the only access was by a narrow, rickety wooden bridge. The bridge was shrouded in thick mist, so we had to cross it almost blindly. As we inched across the bridge, we could hear it creak and rattle under the weight of our car. We all prayed that we wouldn't be sent plunging straight down a few hundred metres...
At 0915 hrs, we arrived at Arjuna Complex. Ours was the only car in the carpark. A man immediately stepped forward to ask if we needed a tour guide. He quoted a fee of Rp100,000.00 (about S$15.00). He spoke fluent English and seemed knowledgeable about the area. Daddy agreed to engage him.
The guide led us down a path lined by beautiful hydrangea to the site where 5 ancient Hindu temples stood. The 5 temples were Candi Arjuna, Candi Srikandi, Candi Puntadewa, Candi Sembadra and Candi Semar. The ancient stone structures stood on the vast plateau, surrounded by farmlands.
The guide led us down a path lined by beautiful hydrangea to the site where 5 ancient Hindu temples stood. The 5 temples were Candi Arjuna, Candi Srikandi, Candi Puntadewa, Candi Sembadra and Candi Semar. The ancient stone structures stood on the vast plateau, surrounded by farmlands.
Our guide pointed to the surrounding potato farms and commented that the popularity of french fries in Singapore has made wealthy men of Dieng potato farmers! Our guide then went on to entertain us with interesting nuggets of information about the temples, and to tell us more about the temples and the Indonesian government's geo-thermal project in Dieng.
The attractions at the Plateau were scattered all over, and we had to drive from one attraction to the next. With the guide, there were 9 adults and 2 kids packed into a car. After visiting Arjuna Complex, we drove to Kawah Sikidang, a volcanic crater with steaming vents and bubbling mud ponds.
The first thing which struck us at Kawah Sikidang was the horrible stench of rotten eggs. Sulphur! We walked as quickly as we could to the largest bubbling mud pond for a look-see. Our guide told us the story of how a local girl had jumped into the boiling water to commit suicide a few years ago. He showed us a horrific picture of the mutilated corpse. He also showed us how to get steam out of the vents in the ground with a lit cigarette.
We spent half an hour at Kawah Sikidang, then moved on to the next attraction, another Hindu temple by the name of Candi Bima. We were told that, for good luck, we had to walk round the perimeter of the temple 3 times without smiling or talking. None of us could do it without breaking into some kind of grin after one round! Haha!
After that, we proceeded to Telaga Warna, a beautiful lake with turquoise hues caused by the bubbling sulphur deposits around its shores. We had to pay an entrance fee to enter Telaga Warna. It wasn't expensive to visit the lake, but the fact that it was a gated attraction stole half its charm. Rightfully, a natural attraction shouldn't be gated, but freely enjoyed by all. Having said that, we also understand the need for a gate and funds to conserve and maintain a precious gift of nature like this lake.
The calm beauty of Telaga Warna would be best enjoyed in a serene environment, but that was stolen from us by our guide. At the start of the tour, the guide gave good information, but after a while, he really got on our nerves. He started getting touchy-feely with Sri Che Che and Mbak Suwati, taking pictures of them and generally making them feel uncomfortable around him. He loved to talk and tried to dazzle us with English proverbs, but his attempts only succeeded in irritating us. In the end, we had to cut short our visit to the lake just to get away from him.
Our first mistake of the day was to hire the guide. And our second mistake of the day was to listen to his advice on where to have lunch! He had told us that the best local dish to try in Wonosobo was mie ongklok (noodles topped with chopped vegetables, served with a thick brown sauce and beef satay), and that the best place to try mie ongklok in Wonosobo was Mie Ongklok Pak Muhadi along Jln Ahmad Yani. Mas Nasihin and Sri Che Che's family all knew the place.
We left Dieng Plateau at 1130 hrs and arrived at the rumah makan (eating house) about an hour later. It was raining heavily when we got there. The sky was dark and it was even darker inside, but no one turned on the lights. There were quite a few customers in there, but everyone sat in darkness and ate in silence. It was a strange sight.
Sri Che Che explained that, unlike in Singapore where people would chit chat whilst enjoying their food, Wonosobans didn't treat eating as a social activity. To Wonosobans, eating was just the act of filling one's stomach. She was right! We observed that, on reaching the rumah makan, Sri Che Che's parents, sister and Mas Nasihin sat at random spots in the rumah makan and they devoured their food in silence when the food was served.
Now, our verdict on the mie ongklok: worst noodle dish ever tasted. I'm sorry. I really wanted to have something nice to say about Wonosobo's pride and joy, but Sri Che Che didn't like it either. Eti Che Che, who usually eats everything up with no complaints, couldn't even finish her noodles! The beef satay was as bad as the ones Daddy bought the night before. The cut was all wrong, and the beef was tough and inedible. Sri Che Che said she was tempted to dissuade us from eating here when she heard the tour guide recommending the place, but wasn't sure if it would be rude... Oh well, at least we can say "Been there. Done that." when it comes to mie ongklok.
After lunch, we dropped Daddy off at the homestay and the rest of us proceeded to Sri Che Che's house. Ibu Faini was going to cook us some instant noodles on a wood-burning stove instead.
Sri Che Che showed us the compost heap at the back of her house and explained that it was the rubbish dump for her household. Basically, any organic waste (eg. the peel of fruit, skin of garlic, etc.) generated by her family would be dumped in that area. Her brother would then use the decomposed matter to make fertiliser for their crops. Theirs would be the most eco-friendly family I've ever met. Their electrical consumption was minimal, and they recycle and reuse their waste! How admirable!
At 1430 hrs, after we'd polished off Ibu Faini's instant noodles, Sri Che Che took us for a walk around her kampong and surrounding farmlands. Sri Che Che's aunty and Mbak Suwati also came with us. We met Sri Che Che's neighbour who was walking his ducks. We saw freshly ploughed fields, coffee plants, a scarecrow, and a fish pond where the fish fed on human waste! A simple, open-air toilet was built directly next to the pond and Sri Che Che said that human waste would be manually flushed into the pond. A man quickly exited the toilet when he saw us approaching. Sri Che Che also pointed out to us a fish pond where the fish didn't feed on human crap. She said the fish in that pond commanded a much higher price. Poultry wandered about the kampong pecking the ground.
We stopped at Sri Che Che's aunty's house at the end of our walk to wash up. After working 10 years in Singapore, her aunt had made enough money to retire, and build her family a nice house with tiled floor and furnish it with modern appliances like a refrigerator, electric stove, electric drinkwater dispenser, stereo system, etc. Mommy took a picture of all of us in her living room, mouthing the word "Singapore!". The common thread amongst everyone in the photo was that we have lived or still live in Singapore.
Now, our verdict on the mie ongklok: worst noodle dish ever tasted. I'm sorry. I really wanted to have something nice to say about Wonosobo's pride and joy, but Sri Che Che didn't like it either. Eti Che Che, who usually eats everything up with no complaints, couldn't even finish her noodles! The beef satay was as bad as the ones Daddy bought the night before. The cut was all wrong, and the beef was tough and inedible. Sri Che Che said she was tempted to dissuade us from eating here when she heard the tour guide recommending the place, but wasn't sure if it would be rude... Oh well, at least we can say "Been there. Done that." when it comes to mie ongklok.
After lunch, we dropped Daddy off at the homestay and the rest of us proceeded to Sri Che Che's house. Ibu Faini was going to cook us some instant noodles on a wood-burning stove instead.
Sri Che Che showed us the compost heap at the back of her house and explained that it was the rubbish dump for her household. Basically, any organic waste (eg. the peel of fruit, skin of garlic, etc.) generated by her family would be dumped in that area. Her brother would then use the decomposed matter to make fertiliser for their crops. Theirs would be the most eco-friendly family I've ever met. Their electrical consumption was minimal, and they recycle and reuse their waste! How admirable!
At 1430 hrs, after we'd polished off Ibu Faini's instant noodles, Sri Che Che took us for a walk around her kampong and surrounding farmlands. Sri Che Che's aunty and Mbak Suwati also came with us. We met Sri Che Che's neighbour who was walking his ducks. We saw freshly ploughed fields, coffee plants, a scarecrow, and a fish pond where the fish fed on human waste! A simple, open-air toilet was built directly next to the pond and Sri Che Che said that human waste would be manually flushed into the pond. A man quickly exited the toilet when he saw us approaching. Sri Che Che also pointed out to us a fish pond where the fish didn't feed on human crap. She said the fish in that pond commanded a much higher price. Poultry wandered about the kampong pecking the ground.
We stopped at Sri Che Che's aunty's house at the end of our walk to wash up. After working 10 years in Singapore, her aunt had made enough money to retire, and build her family a nice house with tiled floor and furnish it with modern appliances like a refrigerator, electric stove, electric drinkwater dispenser, stereo system, etc. Mommy took a picture of all of us in her living room, mouthing the word "Singapore!". The common thread amongst everyone in the photo was that we have lived or still live in Singapore.
Just as we were leaving this aunty's house, her sister came by. Her sister worked in Singapore for 15 years and had recently returned to Indonesia for good. She lived in the same kampong as Sri Che Che's maternal grandmother, which was about 25 mins away by car. A sudden decision was made to go to that kampong to visit Sri Che Che's grandmother.
Mas Nasihin drove us to Sri Che Che's grandmother's kampong. The kampong was perched on a hill. At the base of the hill, there was an "Ojek" (transport by motorbike) station. Men with motorbikes made a living by providing transport to those who wanted to travel from the base of the hill to the kampong.
When we got to Sri Che Che's grandmother's house, we were told that she had gone to the mosque and would be back in 30 mins. We had wanted to surprise her, but the plan backfired! Sri Che Che's aunty invited us to her house instead. This lady had spent 15 years working in Singapore, during which time her husband left her for another woman and her son grew up without knowing her. Such is the plight of many Indonesian women who go abroad to find work. Sri Che Che said there were many broken homes and broken homes in the making, but driven by the need to get out of poverty, people really didn't have the choice but to work abroad.
Sri Che Che's aunty was fortunate to have found a suitor again at her age. After returning to Indonesia, she remarried and was looking forward to a second chance at motherhood. She proudly showed us her wedding photos and told us about her plans to start a food and beverage business from a home. Her house was located right next to the kampong's only school and she was going to entice the schoolchildren with es campur, cendol and other sweet things... Clever!
We returned to Sri Che Che's grandmother's house half an hour later to find her waiting for us in anticipation. Sri Che Che's uncle (her mother's brother) had just returned home from the coconut plantation as well, and the family showed us how coconut palm sugar was made. Mommy whipped out her digital camera and everyone wanted their photos taken. They had never seen a digital camera before and were amazed that they could look at the pictures immediately.
Dinner reservations at Restoran Asia had been made for 1930 hrs, and we needed some time to shower and get changed. We bade farewell to the family, and Mas Nasihin took us back to our homestay. We left the kampong at 1715 hrs, and we reached the homestay just before 1800 hrs.
Mas Nasihin drove us to Sri Che Che's grandmother's kampong. The kampong was perched on a hill. At the base of the hill, there was an "Ojek" (transport by motorbike) station. Men with motorbikes made a living by providing transport to those who wanted to travel from the base of the hill to the kampong.
When we got to Sri Che Che's grandmother's house, we were told that she had gone to the mosque and would be back in 30 mins. We had wanted to surprise her, but the plan backfired! Sri Che Che's aunty invited us to her house instead. This lady had spent 15 years working in Singapore, during which time her husband left her for another woman and her son grew up without knowing her. Such is the plight of many Indonesian women who go abroad to find work. Sri Che Che said there were many broken homes and broken homes in the making, but driven by the need to get out of poverty, people really didn't have the choice but to work abroad.
Sri Che Che's aunty was fortunate to have found a suitor again at her age. After returning to Indonesia, she remarried and was looking forward to a second chance at motherhood. She proudly showed us her wedding photos and told us about her plans to start a food and beverage business from a home. Her house was located right next to the kampong's only school and she was going to entice the schoolchildren with es campur, cendol and other sweet things... Clever!
We returned to Sri Che Che's grandmother's house half an hour later to find her waiting for us in anticipation. Sri Che Che's uncle (her mother's brother) had just returned home from the coconut plantation as well, and the family showed us how coconut palm sugar was made. Mommy whipped out her digital camera and everyone wanted their photos taken. They had never seen a digital camera before and were amazed that they could look at the pictures immediately.
Dinner reservations at Restoran Asia had been made for 1930 hrs, and we needed some time to shower and get changed. We bade farewell to the family, and Mas Nasihin took us back to our homestay. We left the kampong at 1715 hrs, and we reached the homestay just before 1800 hrs.
A quick shower and we were off again. We were going to walk to Restoran Asia from our homestay. Mommy had arranged for Mas Nasihin to ferry Sri Che Che's family to the restaurant instead. Restoran Asia was a 10-min walk away from our homestay. We had just enough time to zip into Wonosobo's only shopping centre for a browse and make it to the restaurant for 1930 hrs.
There were 17 of us at the dinner. To feed everyone, Daddy and Mommy ordered 3 portions of hotplate black pepper beef, fried chicken, calamari, 2 types of fish, omelette, claypot tofu, chili kangkong, and brocolli in garlic sauce. When the food was served, all our guests ate in silence, just like what we observed during lunch. Mommy tried to get everyone talking, but they just kept very quiet. It was so strange.
There was way too much food. We got the leftovers packed for Sri Che Che's family. It seems the concept of taking away hasn't caught on yet over here. The restaurant took an exceptionally long time to pack the food. They squashed all the different dishes into one cardboard box and tied it with a string like a gift! The bill came up to about Rp1,300,000.00 (about S$200.00). It was very pricey for Indonesia, and was clearly not a local's regular hangout. The restaurant only had 2 groups of people having dinner there that night - us and a group of beer-chugging European tourists.
Sri Che Che's family and friends thanked us profusely for the meal. We said goodbye to everyone and walked back to our homestay. It was only 2100 hrs when we got back to the homestay. We packed our bags (as we were leaving Wonosobo the next morning), washed up and had an early night.
27 May 2010 (Thursday)
There were 17 of us at the dinner. To feed everyone, Daddy and Mommy ordered 3 portions of hotplate black pepper beef, fried chicken, calamari, 2 types of fish, omelette, claypot tofu, chili kangkong, and brocolli in garlic sauce. When the food was served, all our guests ate in silence, just like what we observed during lunch. Mommy tried to get everyone talking, but they just kept very quiet. It was so strange.
There was way too much food. We got the leftovers packed for Sri Che Che's family. It seems the concept of taking away hasn't caught on yet over here. The restaurant took an exceptionally long time to pack the food. They squashed all the different dishes into one cardboard box and tied it with a string like a gift! The bill came up to about Rp1,300,000.00 (about S$200.00). It was very pricey for Indonesia, and was clearly not a local's regular hangout. The restaurant only had 2 groups of people having dinner there that night - us and a group of beer-chugging European tourists.
Sri Che Che's family and friends thanked us profusely for the meal. We said goodbye to everyone and walked back to our homestay. It was only 2100 hrs when we got back to the homestay. We packed our bags (as we were leaving Wonosobo the next morning), washed up and had an early night.
27 May 2010 (Thursday)
The next morning, we were all at the breakfast table by 0700 hrs. In addition to what was prepared for us the day before, there was also tempeh kemul (deep-fried battered tempeh) for breakfast.
"If only I could have a bowl of mie ayam..." Sri Che Che lamented. Mie ayam was Sri Che Che's favourite noodle dish and she claimed it was the best noodle dish ever. We were a little sceptical, but Mommy agreed that we could all have some this morning.
Sri Che Che led us to the market and then to a random roadside stall for mie ayam (chicken noodle) and bakso (beef ball noodle soup). Both were delicious, and the best part was that 3 bowls of noodles only cost us a total of Rp13,000.00 (S$2.00)! The beef ball at this stall was also the largest we've ever come across. We were glad to have plucked up the courage to eat at such a random roadside stall.
Sri Che Che led us to the market and then to a random roadside stall for mie ayam (chicken noodle) and bakso (beef ball noodle soup). Both were delicious, and the best part was that 3 bowls of noodles only cost us a total of Rp13,000.00 (S$2.00)! The beef ball at this stall was also the largest we've ever come across. We were glad to have plucked up the courage to eat at such a random roadside stall.
We had arranged for Mas Nasihin to pick us up from the homestay at 0800 hrs. By the time we were done with our meal, it was already 0815 hrs, but there was still one more thing we wanted to do in Wonosobo before leaving town - ride a dokar (horse-drawn buggy which is still used as a means of transport in Wonosobo).
There were plenty of dokars near the market. We hailed one quickly. It was a very short ride to our homestay, but the driver wanted Rp4,000.00 (S$0.60). We didn't care to bargain. Mommy, Sri Che Che, Eti Che Che, Su Ann and I hopped on, whilst Daddy walked back. We trotted past Istana Karpet where Sri Che Che worked as a carpet salesgirl in her teens. We didn't go very far at all before we heard someone shouting out to Sri Che Che. It was her friend who was riding pillion on a motorbike. The motorbike travelled alongside our dokar as the two ladies chatted.
Five minutes later, we were at our homestay. Mas Nasihin's car was parked in front of our homestay, and Daddy was already bringing our bags to the car. We thanked our dokar driver, then rushed off to help Daddy load our bags into the trunk of our car.
We checked out of our homestay and Mas Nasihin drove us to Sri Che Che's kampong so we could bid everyone a final farewell. We would leave Wonosobo this morning to return to Yogyakarta. Enroute, we would stop at Borobudur for some sightseeing. Pak Winaryo would join us for the day.
But first, Mas Nasihin needed to pick something up from his house and he invited us in. He lived just up the road from Sri Che Che's house, close to some of Sri Che Che's relatives. They all gathered round when they saw Sri Che Che step out of the car. Mas Nasihin's wife ushered us into their house and offered us drinks, tempeh kemul and keropok udang (fried prawn crackers).
We stayed for 10 mins then proceeded to Sri Che Che's house to say goodbye to her family.
We stayed for 10 mins then proceeded to Sri Che Che's house to say goodbye to her family.
We finally left Wonosobo at 0930 hrs. About half an hour later, we came across a big hole in the road. Part of the road had collapsed. The workmen repairing the road stopped the traffic to collect money from the motorists. We slipped them a Rp1,000.00 (S$0.15) note and drove on. It was puzzling how things worked around here. Who was in charge of repairing the road? Were repairs funded by the Indonesian government or by passing motorists? Sri Che Che couldn't provide us with a coherent answer...
At about 1100 hrs, we arrived at Borobudur, a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist monument. The monument comprises of 6 square platforms, topped by 3 circular platforms and is decorated with 504 Buddha statues. The monument was abandonned in the 14th century, following the decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Its existence became known to the world in 1814 when Sir Stamford Raffles was informed of its location by native Indonesians. It is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the most visited attraction in Indonesia.
Once we stepped out of the car, hawkers selling all kinds of souvenirs started running towards us. Sri Che Che and Eti Che Che tried to tell the hawkers nicely that we didn't want to buy anything, but they wouldn't listen and followed us everywhere and even waited for us outside the toilet! The only person they didn't bother was Pak Winaryo, who found a shady spot to squat, lit his cigarette and watched the bevy of hawkers harrass us.
It was baking hot at Borobudur. I wanted to go swimming, but Mommy wouldn't listen. She insisted that we visit the World Heritage Site and climb to the top of the monument in the sweltering heat. I was very angry and I kicked up a big fuss.
The view of the surrounding greenery was actually very beautiful from the monument, but the heat and relentless hawkers killed our trip to Borobudur. There was a massive market between the monument and the carpark. Barricades forced everyone to walk through the massive market to get to the carpark. This was many times worse than Bali, if you know what I mean.
At about 1100 hrs, we arrived at Borobudur, a 9th century Mahayana Buddhist monument. The monument comprises of 6 square platforms, topped by 3 circular platforms and is decorated with 504 Buddha statues. The monument was abandonned in the 14th century, following the decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java and the Javanese conversion to Islam. Its existence became known to the world in 1814 when Sir Stamford Raffles was informed of its location by native Indonesians. It is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the most visited attraction in Indonesia.
Once we stepped out of the car, hawkers selling all kinds of souvenirs started running towards us. Sri Che Che and Eti Che Che tried to tell the hawkers nicely that we didn't want to buy anything, but they wouldn't listen and followed us everywhere and even waited for us outside the toilet! The only person they didn't bother was Pak Winaryo, who found a shady spot to squat, lit his cigarette and watched the bevy of hawkers harrass us.
It was baking hot at Borobudur. I wanted to go swimming, but Mommy wouldn't listen. She insisted that we visit the World Heritage Site and climb to the top of the monument in the sweltering heat. I was very angry and I kicked up a big fuss.
The view of the surrounding greenery was actually very beautiful from the monument, but the heat and relentless hawkers killed our trip to Borobudur. There was a massive market between the monument and the carpark. Barricades forced everyone to walk through the massive market to get to the carpark. This was many times worse than Bali, if you know what I mean.
It was about 1300 hrs by the time we got to the car, but none of us wanted to have lunch at Borobudur. We just wanted to leave Borobudur far far behind us. Mommy had read rave reviews online about a dish called nasi gudeg (rice served with a jackcut stew, chicken and boiled egg) which originated from Yogyakarta and suggested that we tried it for lunch. We headed for Yogyakarta's most famous nasi gudeg place, Nasi Gudeg Yu Djum.
It took about an hour to reach Nasi Gudeg Yu Djum. All the tables were taken and there was a queue. "This must be good!", thought Mommy and Daddy. We stood in line until we got 2 tables for our group. The tables were very low and we had to sit on the floor to eat. Sri Che Che ordered nasi gudeg and teh botol sosro (bottled tea) for everyone. Unfortunately, Daddy, Mommy, Su Ann and I didn't enjoy the meal. Errr... it just didn't taste very nice at all, and there were way too many flies kissing the mushy stew called gudeg. This and mie ongklok tied for the worst meal in Java. The 4 Javanese in our group enjoyed the nasi gudeg though.
After lunch, we asked Mas Nasihin to take us to Villa Hanis, where we'd be staying for the next 2 nights. Mas Nasihin wasn't familiar with the roads in Yogyakarta and we had to stop to ask people for directions many times. It took an hour for Mas Nasihin to find the villa. On the way there, we were shocked to see a naked man walking down the street, but Sri Che Che said it wasn't uncommon for men and women who were mentally ill to walk around naked.
We arrived at Villa Hanis at 1600 hrs. Mas Nasihin and Pak Winaryo still had a 3-hr journey back to Wonosobo ahead of them. We parted ways at the driveway of Villa Hanis. Sri Che Che tried hard to fight her tears as she watched her father leave.
Villa Hanis (http://www.villahanis.com/) was located 5km away from the hustle and bustle of Yogyakarta. It stood behind Hani's Restaurant & Bakery, which we learned in the days to come, served excellent food. Farmlands surrounded the villa and we could see Indonesia's most active volcano, Mount Merapi, fuming away on a clear day. The villa was constructed out of wood in traditional Javanese style. It had 2 bedrooms, 2 outdoor bathrooms and a private pool. The main bedroom had a huge 4-poster bed which was big enough for a whole family and the outdoor bathrooms were luxurious. The lemongrass soap which they provided were really fragrant. The owner was a furniture maker, and had chosen some exquisite pieces for the villa. It was low season, and Mommy had paid USD125.00 nett (about S$175.00) per night for the villa, inclusive of welcome drinks, fruit platter, daily breakfast, and daily housekeeping. Very good value indeed!
It took about an hour to reach Nasi Gudeg Yu Djum. All the tables were taken and there was a queue. "This must be good!", thought Mommy and Daddy. We stood in line until we got 2 tables for our group. The tables were very low and we had to sit on the floor to eat. Sri Che Che ordered nasi gudeg and teh botol sosro (bottled tea) for everyone. Unfortunately, Daddy, Mommy, Su Ann and I didn't enjoy the meal. Errr... it just didn't taste very nice at all, and there were way too many flies kissing the mushy stew called gudeg. This and mie ongklok tied for the worst meal in Java. The 4 Javanese in our group enjoyed the nasi gudeg though.
After lunch, we asked Mas Nasihin to take us to Villa Hanis, where we'd be staying for the next 2 nights. Mas Nasihin wasn't familiar with the roads in Yogyakarta and we had to stop to ask people for directions many times. It took an hour for Mas Nasihin to find the villa. On the way there, we were shocked to see a naked man walking down the street, but Sri Che Che said it wasn't uncommon for men and women who were mentally ill to walk around naked.
We arrived at Villa Hanis at 1600 hrs. Mas Nasihin and Pak Winaryo still had a 3-hr journey back to Wonosobo ahead of them. We parted ways at the driveway of Villa Hanis. Sri Che Che tried hard to fight her tears as she watched her father leave.
Villa Hanis (http://www.villahanis.com/) was located 5km away from the hustle and bustle of Yogyakarta. It stood behind Hani's Restaurant & Bakery, which we learned in the days to come, served excellent food. Farmlands surrounded the villa and we could see Indonesia's most active volcano, Mount Merapi, fuming away on a clear day. The villa was constructed out of wood in traditional Javanese style. It had 2 bedrooms, 2 outdoor bathrooms and a private pool. The main bedroom had a huge 4-poster bed which was big enough for a whole family and the outdoor bathrooms were luxurious. The lemongrass soap which they provided were really fragrant. The owner was a furniture maker, and had chosen some exquisite pieces for the villa. It was low season, and Mommy had paid USD125.00 nett (about S$175.00) per night for the villa, inclusive of welcome drinks, fruit platter, daily breakfast, and daily housekeeping. Very good value indeed!
The lady in charge of the villa was Mbak Wanti, and she took care of everything beautifully. She did a wonderful job as a housekeeper and was a meticulous concierge. We wouldn't stay anywhere else the next time we visit Yogyakarta!
After a very unsatisfactory lunch at Nasi Gudeg Yu Djum, Daddy and Mommy decided to order steak frites, pasta and mushroom soup from Hani's Restaurant & Bakery. Good quality food at a decent price. Whilst Daddy and Mommy savoured their food slowly, the rest of us took a swim in the villa's private pool. Finally, it felt like we were on holiday.
At 1900 hrs, we took a taxi to Jln Malioboro, Yogyakarta's main shopping belt. Streetfood vendors lined the left side of the street. The right side of the street had hundreds of becak (trishaw) and dokar (horse-drawn buggy). Unlike in Wonosobo where the dokar was actually used as a form of public transport, the dokars in Yogyakarta seemed to be used mainly by tourists.
At 1900 hrs, we took a taxi to Jln Malioboro, Yogyakarta's main shopping belt. Streetfood vendors lined the left side of the street. The right side of the street had hundreds of becak (trishaw) and dokar (horse-drawn buggy). Unlike in Wonosobo where the dokar was actually used as a form of public transport, the dokars in Yogyakarta seemed to be used mainly by tourists.
We asked the taxi driver to drop us off at the largest mall along Jln Malioboro. The metered fare was about Rp25,000.00 (S$3.80). The shopping centre was like any other in Singapore, just smaller.
We bought some clothes, then had dinner at a mie ayam restaurant in the shopping centre. Mommy thought it wasn't as tasty as the roadside stall in Wonosobo, but it was satisfying nonetheless.
I didn't try the mie ayam though. There was a 24-hr MacDonald's in the shopping centre. Su Ann and I made Mommy buy us our Happy Meals. MacDonald's in Yogyakarta had a different menu though. We had a choice of spaghetti bolognaise or fried chicken with steamed rice for our Happy Meals. No french fries!
The shopping centre closed at 2100 hrs, and we were one of the last customers out of there. We walked along Jln Malioboro, and watched some crazy tourists dance to Javanese gamelan music. Jln Malioboro was quite an interesting street, with the roadside vendors, becak, dokar, gamelan musicians, etc. creating a-step-back-in-time atmosphere.
At 2145 hrs, we took a taxi back to the villa. This taxi-driver tried to rip us off by going the long way. Daddy sensed something was wrong, but the driver pretended not to understand Daddy's displeasure. In the end, it was Eti Che Che who told the driver off sharply.
That night, we chilled in the villa's lounge till 2300 hrs before going to bed. As we were getting ready for bed, Mommy saw a black rat, the size of a cat, sprint across a wooden beam in the main bedroom. The rat disappeared behind the beam, but it freaked Mommy out so much that she had trouble sleeping again! Poor Mommy, it was her third sleepless night. We found out the next morning from Eti Che Che that the huge rat had disappeared behind the beam and re-appeared in her room... She said there were many rats and mice in farms, and it was very common for them to enter homes near the farms.
28 May 2010 (Friday. Vesak Day)
I didn't try the mie ayam though. There was a 24-hr MacDonald's in the shopping centre. Su Ann and I made Mommy buy us our Happy Meals. MacDonald's in Yogyakarta had a different menu though. We had a choice of spaghetti bolognaise or fried chicken with steamed rice for our Happy Meals. No french fries!
The shopping centre closed at 2100 hrs, and we were one of the last customers out of there. We walked along Jln Malioboro, and watched some crazy tourists dance to Javanese gamelan music. Jln Malioboro was quite an interesting street, with the roadside vendors, becak, dokar, gamelan musicians, etc. creating a-step-back-in-time atmosphere.
At 2145 hrs, we took a taxi back to the villa. This taxi-driver tried to rip us off by going the long way. Daddy sensed something was wrong, but the driver pretended not to understand Daddy's displeasure. In the end, it was Eti Che Che who told the driver off sharply.
That night, we chilled in the villa's lounge till 2300 hrs before going to bed. As we were getting ready for bed, Mommy saw a black rat, the size of a cat, sprint across a wooden beam in the main bedroom. The rat disappeared behind the beam, but it freaked Mommy out so much that she had trouble sleeping again! Poor Mommy, it was her third sleepless night. We found out the next morning from Eti Che Che that the huge rat had disappeared behind the beam and re-appeared in her room... She said there were many rats and mice in farms, and it was very common for them to enter homes near the farms.
28 May 2010 (Friday. Vesak Day)
Breakfast in the morning was lovely. From where we were seated, we could see the peanut plantations, with Mount Merapi in the backdrop. We had a choice of American or Indonesian breakfast. The Indonesian breakfast turned out to be a much better choice.
Mbak Wanti had arranged for a driver to pick us up from the villa at 0930 hrs. Daddy and Mommy had plans to visit some furniture makers in Bantul and the pottery village of Kasongan. It cost Rp400,000.00 (S$62.00) to hire a driver, inclusive of fuel, for the day.
The driver wasn't familiar with Bantul so we kept going in circles and stopping to ask for directions. It was a boring morning for Sri Che Che, Eti Che Che, Su Ann and me, but Daddy and Mommy did make contact with a furniture maker whom they hope to work with in the future and found some fancy but affordable decorative pieces at Kasongan.
Mbak Wanti had arranged for a driver to pick us up from the villa at 0930 hrs. Daddy and Mommy had plans to visit some furniture makers in Bantul and the pottery village of Kasongan. It cost Rp400,000.00 (S$62.00) to hire a driver, inclusive of fuel, for the day.
The driver wasn't familiar with Bantul so we kept going in circles and stopping to ask for directions. It was a boring morning for Sri Che Che, Eti Che Che, Su Ann and me, but Daddy and Mommy did make contact with a furniture maker whom they hope to work with in the future and found some fancy but affordable decorative pieces at Kasongan.
It was almost 1400 hrs before we stopped for lunch at Gubug Makan Mang Engkin at Jln Godean Km8, Minggir, Slemen. It was a long drive from Bantul to Slemen, but for once, our hunt for food was well worth it! Mommy had read favourable online reviews about this seafood restaurant. We were initially skeptical after our disappointments at Ayam Goreng Suharti and Nasi Gudeg Yu Djum, but Gubug Makan Mang Engking bucked the trend.
The restaurant was set amidst rural farmlands. A series of bamboo longhouses on stilts above water formed the seating area. The dining tables were very low and diners had to sit cross-legged on the floor. A waiter ushered us to a table where we had a great view of the farmlands. We could see sheep grazing in the distance, fish and even water snakes in the water just beneath our longhouse. Daddy ordered the popular set meal which was excellent value. We had 2 types of fish, 3 types of prawns, gado-gado, chilli kangkang, steamed rice and drinks for under S$50.00. The food itself wasn't exceptional, but it was tasty, especially the honey-grilled prawn and the chilli fish. That combined with the ambience of the place made Gubug Makan Mang Engking an excellent place for lunch.
We left the restaurant at 1500 hrs, and Mommy asked the driver to take us to Prambanan. Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. It was built in the 9th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We reached Prambanan at 1600 hrs. We saw the massive souvenir market and roving hawkers, and were turned off instantly. We caught a glimpse of the temple, snapped a quick shot and left without entering the main compound of the temple. This time, when I said I wanted to go swimming instead, Mommy complied.
The driver dropped us off at the villa and we went swimming! Mommy ordered sandwiches, cheese croquettes and chicken cordon bleu from Hanis' Restaurant & Bakery. and we pigged out after the swim.
Sri Che Che was still craving mie ayam, so at 1930 hrs, we met our driver and asked him to take us to the best mie ayam place in Yogyakarta for dinner. We had expected him to pull up at some roadside stall, but he took us to a restaurant called Mie Pasar Baru Jakarta. Apparently, they served award-winning noodles. The noodles were nice, but couldn't beat the simple mie ayam stall in Wonosobo. The service staff there were really friendly though. Su Ann and I received a mask and balloon from them.
By 2000 hrs, we were done with dinner. The night was still young, so we asked the driver to drop us off at Jln Malioboro and we bade farewell to him. It was very crowded on Jln Malioboro that night. Thousands of people thronged the street, probably because it was Vesak Day, a public holiday. We walked the length of the street, then hailed a taxi to take us back to our villa.
The restaurant was set amidst rural farmlands. A series of bamboo longhouses on stilts above water formed the seating area. The dining tables were very low and diners had to sit cross-legged on the floor. A waiter ushered us to a table where we had a great view of the farmlands. We could see sheep grazing in the distance, fish and even water snakes in the water just beneath our longhouse. Daddy ordered the popular set meal which was excellent value. We had 2 types of fish, 3 types of prawns, gado-gado, chilli kangkang, steamed rice and drinks for under S$50.00. The food itself wasn't exceptional, but it was tasty, especially the honey-grilled prawn and the chilli fish. That combined with the ambience of the place made Gubug Makan Mang Engking an excellent place for lunch.
We left the restaurant at 1500 hrs, and Mommy asked the driver to take us to Prambanan. Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia. It was built in the 9th century and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We reached Prambanan at 1600 hrs. We saw the massive souvenir market and roving hawkers, and were turned off instantly. We caught a glimpse of the temple, snapped a quick shot and left without entering the main compound of the temple. This time, when I said I wanted to go swimming instead, Mommy complied.
The driver dropped us off at the villa and we went swimming! Mommy ordered sandwiches, cheese croquettes and chicken cordon bleu from Hanis' Restaurant & Bakery. and we pigged out after the swim.
Sri Che Che was still craving mie ayam, so at 1930 hrs, we met our driver and asked him to take us to the best mie ayam place in Yogyakarta for dinner. We had expected him to pull up at some roadside stall, but he took us to a restaurant called Mie Pasar Baru Jakarta. Apparently, they served award-winning noodles. The noodles were nice, but couldn't beat the simple mie ayam stall in Wonosobo. The service staff there were really friendly though. Su Ann and I received a mask and balloon from them.
By 2000 hrs, we were done with dinner. The night was still young, so we asked the driver to drop us off at Jln Malioboro and we bade farewell to him. It was very crowded on Jln Malioboro that night. Thousands of people thronged the street, probably because it was Vesak Day, a public holiday. We walked the length of the street, then hailed a taxi to take us back to our villa.
We had a flight to catch the next morning. After packing our bags, we all went to bed.
29 May 2010 (Saturday)
By 0700 hrs, Mbak Wanti was already at Hanis' Restaurant & Bakery waiting to serve us our breakfast. We'd pre-ordered our breakfast the day before so we'd have ample time to eat before leaving for the airport. The freshly squeezed juices at breakfast were such a treat.
At 0745 hrs, our pre-booked taxi pulled up at the villa to take us to the airport. We were at the airport within 30 mins, and were in the transit lounge by 0840 hrs.
At 0925 hrs, Lion Air Flight No. JT553 took off for Jakarta. There were many saffron-robed Buddhist monks on the same flight. They must have gone to Borobudur for Vesak Day. We landed safely an hour later at Jakarta.
The domestic terminal in Jakarta was old and the toilets were filthy. The baggage handlers were also very inefficient, and it took an exceptionally long time for us to claim our bags.
The domestic terminal in Jakarta was old and the toilets were filthy. The baggage handlers were also very inefficient, and it took an exceptionally long time for us to claim our bags.
When we stepped outside, we realised that there was no proper taxi rank. Mommy had read online that BlueBird taxi was the most reliable taxi company in Jakarta. The others had a bad reputation for not using their meters. We spotted a counter for BlueBird taxi, but it was not manned. A man from a different transport company stepped forward and started persuading Sri Che Che and Mommy to use his company's services instead. Since there was no one at the BlueBird desk, they had no choice but to go along with this fella. We paid Rp200,000.00 (about S$30.00) for the ride to Novotel Mangga Dua.
Jakarta's roads had no lanes drawn on them. A road wide enough for 3 cars would have 6 cars jostling for space, and hawkers peddling goods walking in between the cars. It was crazy and traffic was very sluggish as a result. It took almost an hour for us to get to our hotel, which was in a district which was supposedly not too far from the airport.
The receptionist informed us that our rooms would only be ready for check-in after 1400 hrs. It was 1230 hrs, so we decided to leave our bags with the concierge and head off for lunch at the adjacent Mangga Dua Square shopping centre.
The receptionist informed us that our rooms would only be ready for check-in after 1400 hrs. It was 1230 hrs, so we decided to leave our bags with the concierge and head off for lunch at the adjacent Mangga Dua Square shopping centre.
Karaoke was available at one end of the food court, and an elderly Chinese man was crooning away. We chose a table at the opposite end of the food court instead. There was more mie ayam to be had...
After lunch, Eti Che Che took us to the arcade, whilst Mommy and Sri Che Che went shopping for clothes.
Daddy returned to the hotel to move our things into the rooms. The hotel said they had upgraded us to larger rooms for free because we had asked for non-smoking rooms, but they could only provide us with smoking rooms. The rooms we had had a separate sitting area, but the rooms didn't look very new.
The hotel's pool was very nice though, and we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming. The hotel also provided us with welcome drink coupons, which we used at the lounge by the pool.
That evening, we took a taxi to Ancol. This area is by the sea. There was a marina which Daddy wanted to check out. We weren't too impressed with the marina though. A far cry from marinas like One Degree 15, Raffles Marina, etc. in Singapore. We walked along the seaside promenade and watched the sun go down, then we took a taxi to the famous Bandar Djakarta seafood restaurant.
We got to the restaurant at about 1830 hrs, and there was already a phenomenal queue. This restaurant was positively the largest restaurant any of us had ever been to. It could feed thousands of hungry diners. Part of the restaurant was sectioned off as the waiting area. Sri Che Che registered her name at the counter to join the queue. Fortunately, the queue moved fairly quickly, and we got a table after half an hour.
After lunch, Eti Che Che took us to the arcade, whilst Mommy and Sri Che Che went shopping for clothes.
Daddy returned to the hotel to move our things into the rooms. The hotel said they had upgraded us to larger rooms for free because we had asked for non-smoking rooms, but they could only provide us with smoking rooms. The rooms we had had a separate sitting area, but the rooms didn't look very new.
The hotel's pool was very nice though, and we spent the rest of the afternoon swimming. The hotel also provided us with welcome drink coupons, which we used at the lounge by the pool.
That evening, we took a taxi to Ancol. This area is by the sea. There was a marina which Daddy wanted to check out. We weren't too impressed with the marina though. A far cry from marinas like One Degree 15, Raffles Marina, etc. in Singapore. We walked along the seaside promenade and watched the sun go down, then we took a taxi to the famous Bandar Djakarta seafood restaurant.
We got to the restaurant at about 1830 hrs, and there was already a phenomenal queue. This restaurant was positively the largest restaurant any of us had ever been to. It could feed thousands of hungry diners. Part of the restaurant was sectioned off as the waiting area. Sri Che Che registered her name at the counter to join the queue. Fortunately, the queue moved fairly quickly, and we got a table after half an hour.
Daddy ordered gurame fish, prawns, cumi-cumi (calamari), otah, fried chicken, and sambal kangkong. The meal cost about S$50.00. Having seen the queue, we had expected the meal to be really good, but sadly, it wasn't. Half the meal was overcooked, and the other half mediocre.
We were back at our hotel by 2045 hrs, but we weren't ready for bed yet. We zipped back into Mangga Dua Square shopping centre. Mommy bought me a pair of sandals and ice-cream. At Rp2,000.00 (S$0.30) a cone, it was the cheapest soft-serve ice-cream we've ever had.
We were still feeling restless after that and there was still one other thing which Mommy wanted to do in Jakarta - taking the bajaj (a 3-wheeled taxi). Daddy wasn't keen though, so he returned to the hotel. The rest of us piled into a bajaj which was waiting near the mall. The back of the bajaj was designed to carry just 2 passengers, but 5 of us managed to squeeze into the tiny space. It was such a tight fit that the door flew open in mid-ride! With the noisy engine ringing in our ears, we manoeuvred through the busy streets of Jakarta. It was an exhilarating experience!
We got the bajaj driver to drop us off at the Monas (national monument in Central Jakarta). Thousands of Indonesian teenagers were hanging out in the breezy compound of the Monas, chatting and laughing. Everyone was having a good time. There were several pushcart stalls outside the Monas selling food, and this was where Sri Che Che and Eti Che Che had their final dose of mie ayam before our flight back to Singapore.
After supper, we returned to the hotel by taxi. It was 2330 hrs and Su Ann and I were very tired. We fell asleep as soon as we slipped on our pyjamas.
30 May 2010 (Sunday)
We were back at our hotel by 2045 hrs, but we weren't ready for bed yet. We zipped back into Mangga Dua Square shopping centre. Mommy bought me a pair of sandals and ice-cream. At Rp2,000.00 (S$0.30) a cone, it was the cheapest soft-serve ice-cream we've ever had.
We were still feeling restless after that and there was still one other thing which Mommy wanted to do in Jakarta - taking the bajaj (a 3-wheeled taxi). Daddy wasn't keen though, so he returned to the hotel. The rest of us piled into a bajaj which was waiting near the mall. The back of the bajaj was designed to carry just 2 passengers, but 5 of us managed to squeeze into the tiny space. It was such a tight fit that the door flew open in mid-ride! With the noisy engine ringing in our ears, we manoeuvred through the busy streets of Jakarta. It was an exhilarating experience!
We got the bajaj driver to drop us off at the Monas (national monument in Central Jakarta). Thousands of Indonesian teenagers were hanging out in the breezy compound of the Monas, chatting and laughing. Everyone was having a good time. There were several pushcart stalls outside the Monas selling food, and this was where Sri Che Che and Eti Che Che had their final dose of mie ayam before our flight back to Singapore.
After supper, we returned to the hotel by taxi. It was 2330 hrs and Su Ann and I were very tired. We fell asleep as soon as we slipped on our pyjamas.
30 May 2010 (Sunday)
Mommy caught the sunrise at 0530 hrs. She didn't manage to sleep well during this trip. She packed our bags, then woke us up for breakfast.
At 0700 hrs, we were at the breakfast table in the hotel's coffeehouse. We spent an hour devouring the buffet spread. The bubur ayam was delectable and we each had a few helpings.We checked out of the hotel at 0845 hrs and caught a Bluebird taxi to the airport. BlueBird was indeed reliable. It cost us 50% less to go back to the airport by taking BlueBird. The roads were pretty clear on a Sunday morning, and we arrived at the airport 30 mins later.
Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport was definitely more chaotic than other airports we've been to. There were no clear signages to direct passengers to their check-in desks and we had a hard time locating ours. There were also large groups of Indonesian women sitting on the floor of the airport obscuring the path to the check-in desks. Sri Che Che explained that Indonesian domestic helpers heading to the rest of the world to work would fly from this airport, as Jakarta was the site of many training centres for domestic helpers. Sri Che Che and Eti Che Che both flew from Jakarta when they first came to Singapore. Sri Che Che pointed to the women in Muslim garb and said that they were probably headed for Saudi Arabia. Her own mother worked in Saudi Arabia as a domestic helper for 6 years when she was a child.
By 1000 hrs, we had checked in for our flight and were milling about the transit area. The shops weren't very interesting, but I had fun pushing our trolley about the various wings of the transit area.
At 1120 hrs, Lion Air Flight No. JT154 departed from Jakarta. It was a short flight to Singapore, and we landed safely at 1400 hrs. This would count as one of the most interesting trips I've ever been on.
By 1000 hrs, we had checked in for our flight and were milling about the transit area. The shops weren't very interesting, but I had fun pushing our trolley about the various wings of the transit area.
At 1120 hrs, Lion Air Flight No. JT154 departed from Jakarta. It was a short flight to Singapore, and we landed safely at 1400 hrs. This would count as one of the most interesting trips I've ever been on.
posted by jinjin at 10:42 PM
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