Teluk Kiluan, Lampung, Indonesia

I just had an over-island trip with my boyfriend to Lampung. It’s a province in the southern part of Sumatera. We didn’t really organise our trip, actually we decided a week before the New Year’s Eve. With the consideration that G is working in Bandung and me myself is living in Jakarta so it could be said that we are kind of bored to hang out around Jakarta-Bandung, but in the other hand we have no much time to spend on a very long vacation. And because I’ve never been stepping in any Sumatera land before, so the nearest part of Sumatera just popped out in mind.

Our first thought was to reach Krakatoa Mountain, one of the famous local active mountains. Like I mentioned earlier that we had no much time (Friday afternoon – Sunday) and based on some reference, we had Teluk Kiluan as our main destination. I will be more focusing on how to get there and how much did we spend based on the route we took. Overall, Kiluan is a beautiful & interesting place to visit. However, personally speaking, it doesn’t worth the amount of cost & effort that we have to spend.

We started our journey on Friday, 30 December 2011 evening from HI Roundabout (Bundaran HI) because I work nearby. First, we were heading to KAMPUNG RAMBUTAN bus station, where every bus departs. But because of my colleague, Shela suggestion to get the bus from SLIPI JAYA (most of the busses from Kampung Rambutan pass this point) so there we were. To give you an idea, SLIPI JAYA is somewhat an office blocks with a small department store (if I’m not mistaken) and it’s nearby the toll gate, and a lot of people were lining by the sidewalk to get their bus. We waited for 10 minutes until we found our bus to MERAK SEAPORT. From what I heard, we can use “ARIMBI” bus but the fact was, we just grab any bus that passes by. It was an economic bus but with Air Conditioner (AC) with the cost of IDR 17.000/person and it took us to MERAK in 2.5 hours.

We arrived in MERAK SEAPORT at 10.00PM and continued to cross to BAKAUHENI SEAPORT by ferry. The seaport opens for 24 hours so you can take ferry at any time. Honestly, the seaport was not like what I had in mind (dirty and packed) but it’s actually quite clean and has clear signage. Using “JATRA FERRY”, we departed at 11.15PM and it took 2.5 hours to arrive in BAKAUHENI. In the locket we had to pay IDR 11.500/person but once we’re on board, there were Business Room (additional IDR 5.000) and Executive Room (additional IDR 10.000). We went straight to the deck and found our seats. It was quite crowded at that time, some people were stayed on the floor. There were about 50 people on the deck, and it has a small snack bar for those who want to stay awake and sip some coffees. We took turn to sleep because one of us should keep an eye on our stuff.

We met our Couch Surfing friends, Bobby and Remy on the ferry before we got off the board. From BAKAUHENI, four of us started our journey together.  We directly looked for a bus to RAJABASA BUS STATION, nearby Lampung. We got the bus after we had waited for 15 minutes. It was an economic bus with AC that cost us IDR 22.000/person. The journey took 2.5 hours. The interesting thing about this particular journey for me personally was the “culture shock”. It was 3.00AM in the morning and everyone was tired, me myself tried to get some sleep, which I did. But I think I’ve been waking up for 5 times or so because every time the passengers got off / got on, or we passed some main points, people were shouting (or in my dictionary, screaming out loud!!!) saying the current destination “PANJANG! PANJANG!!”, “RAJABASA! RAJABASA!!”, etc. They shocked me and I didn’t get my good sleep on the way, and they scared me because well, I’m originally Javanese and it was my first time came to Sumatera where (from what I heard) people talk so loud unlike us, which is TRUE! Lol. Anyway….

We arrived in RAJABASA at 5.00AM on Saturday, 31 December 2011, and it was raining quite heavily. It was suggested that we were not getting off at the bus station itself because rumor has it that it’s not safe. But because of the rain, there we were waiting inside the station building with local people asking where are we heading to. Tips: ignore those people / agent who offers you a ride, they could be very intimidating and chasing you all the time as long as you’re still there. From here we could go straight to TELUK, GUDANG GARAM where we could find the rented car that going straight to Kiluan. But we visited another Couch Surfing friend, Delta, to have a short catch up while resting for 2 hours.

Next destination is TELUK, GUDANG GARAM. We got there by using local rented car (Angkot) colored in blue that cost us IDR 2.000/person to RAMAYANA then change to another purple angkot to TELUK, cost IDR 4.000/person. TELUK is an area, and we waited in a junction where the rented cars are standing by, you can ask the local citizens. We waited there for a quite long time, 1 hour or so. This rented car /mini-van will only take you to BAWANG, the nearest village. But we made some deal and the driver agreed to take us straight to KILUAN. Until BAWANG, it cost IDR 25.000 and to get to KILUAN you need to take Ojek. But our deal was to get us to KILUAN with cost of IDR 40.000/person. To give you an idea, the road from TELUK to KILUAN is bloody horrible! It is totally not recommended to use private car, or else you’ll regret it. From TELUK until BAWANG is tolerable, I could get some sleep. From BAWANG to KILUAN, hell no! I think only local people could pass it. I saw some private cars from Jakarta and they got stuck because the road is wrecked, holes here and there, and it was raining at that time. With our professional crazy driver, Andi, we got to KILUAN after 3 hours journey, we arrived at 3.30 PM.

We supposed to get to the other side of the island but Andi got us off in the fishermen village, where we met the local fisherman Rudi. He took us on his boat to find a place to stay but unlucky for us most of them were full because of New Year’s holiday. In the main island, where people camped out, also full. Tips: you better get to main village by Ojek/car and ask them to help you to find a place to stay, instead of renting a fishermen boat, which will cost you even more expensive. Finally, we met Rusdi and we stayed in one of his so-called new unit with 2 rooms. 1 room can fit 4 of us but Rusdi insisted that because it’s new unit so we had to rent the whole house. After a quite tense negotiation, the deal was to pay 2 rooms but if we could find some group to share the room, we only pay 1 room. 1 room cost us IDR 200.000 but he asked for the whole house, which is IDR 400.000 but we bargained down into IDR 300.000, which means IDR 75.000/person,if no one want to take the other room.

                                                   

          

We planned to snorkel but we met a local citizen who suggests us to go to GAYAU, a beach behind the hill that we can reach without using the boat, so Kemed (the owner of our place) took us there. We climbed a very tricky and slippery hill covered with forest, and the beach is in the downhill. It was an interesting beach with a quite heavy wave and we were just playing in the beach accompanied by the local children too.

We came back before dark and tired of playing by the beach, we got our dinner ready by the owner. For dinner we had to pay IDR 15.000/person. I felt asleep after cleaning myself up while the boys were hanging out in the house-deck. I woke up at 11.30PM, Bobby was down to the bed too, G & Remy still hanging out by the deck. Preparing for the countdown, we asked Remy to waken up Bobby. 10 minutes passed by, I checked Remy & Bobby down into bed, what a shame! Lol. Seated by the deck, as far as we can see, fireworks were everywhere J so HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 beautiful people!!

Sunday, 1 January 2012 at 6.00AM, it’s time for the main attraction, DOLPHINS IN THE SEA! We had to rent a local boat by IDR 250.000 per boat that could fit 3 people. The day before we had a deal with Rudi 4 people in one boat, but Rusdi (the head of the village) insisted to use 2 boats. After another tense negotiation, the deal was 2 boats with IDR 200.000/boat that means IDR 100.000/person. If you want to rent a life-vest, you have to add IDR 15.000. The weather at the time we were there is not really friendly, the wind was very strong, which made a quite heavy wave. In the middle of the sea, not everybody could see the dolphins. Lucky for G and I, we got so many dolphins swim around our boat, not like Bobby and Remy who didn’t see much. After that, we just visited some islands, took pictures, and back to our house.

G and I have planned to go back that morning because we have to work the next day, but the local citizens said that there were no any rented cars operated on that day except if we rent the car for ourselves with IDR 400.000 per car, which is pricey for us. Then we decided to snorkel nearby the main island with Rudi’s boat. The coral was not bad, and it’s quite shallow so it’s okay for those who cannot swim. After 30 minutes snorkeling around, it was raining and we decided to hang out under the tree with the other visitors. When the rain calmed down, we got on the boat and back to the house to have our lunch, another IDR 15.000/person. The fee of renting Rudi boat for 2 days was IDR 50.000, means IDR 12.500/person.

Because of the bad weather, all of us decided to go back on that day because if not, we will spend more money to stay and eat, which we think very pricey. Finally we asked Kemed and local citizens to take us to BAWANG by motorbike, cost IDR 20.000/person. Arrived in BAWANG, the junction was very quiet. After we waited for 15 minutes, there was a car passing by directed to TELUK and we just got on board happily. We were so lucky because the nice driver, Aspani, were about to go home and that was the last ride. The journey to TELUK is another heart beating trip. Moreover, his car was not as good as Andi’s and he drove slower. I think his car is as old as he is J but he’s a very good chap! We spent normal fee for this ride, IDR 25.000/person. Oh, additional information, we’ve spent 6 freaking hours because there was a bloody long jam caused by the massive visitors in one of the beach along our way down.

I asked Aspani to get us off in a rented car pool that can take us straight to BAKAUHENI. We departed from TELUK at 9.00PM by rented car (Travel) with cost of IDR 35.000/person. From BAKAUHENI we paid the same amount like before, IDR 11.500/person for the ferry to MERAK. From MERAK to JAKARTA we got the same bus like before, IDR 17.500/person. There was an interesting story in the bus, which everyone should be very cautious about this one. While G and I were asleep, he woke up and found his backpack has loosened up. And he caught with his eye some guys were opening the passengers bags, because most of them were asleep (4.00AM in the morning). G said that one of the guys was checking the passengers’ bags one by one while the others were standing by. He thought that they had checked his bag too but luckily there’s nothing was taken. Well, be careful friends if you travel at night, better you take turn if you want to sleep.

As a total, we’ve spent IDR 423.000/ person in KILUAN. And here’s G & I personal rank (1-10)

Transportation: 6.5

Food: 6.5

A place to stay: 7.5

Snorkel spot: 6.5

Overall: 6.5

Say It

You were my passion, before you turned me down

You said you love me, but now you don’t

You left me, you pushed me out

You put all finger on me, I don’t know what you were talking about

Say it, I don’t read people’s mind

Well I do, but not with you from now on

I am standing strong, even though I keep thinking that it is wrong

I am ready to be on my own, but you keep hanging around

Tease me, bother me, upset me

Why suddenly you wonder much about my days?

Say it, I don’t read signs

Well I do, but not from you anymore

I loved you, not a question

You hurt me deep, you’re out of my concern

"Jangan Sakiti Anak Yatim" - Don't Hurt the Fatherless Child

I had a quite long chat with a friend of mine in the middle of the night in the dining room. Just 2 tired people tried to kill the night, and it happens that he's one of my new friends so that we had a lot of things to be talk about. I told him to be only 30 minutes staying at my house because we need to take a rest to work in the morning, it turned out to be 2 hours long conversation.

Talked about each of us, I think I was dominating the conversation with my experiences such as traveling, meeting new people, staying abroad for 3 years, family, etc. From our conversation that night, one thing that struck me at that time and hardly to forget was his comment about how lucky I am.

I did tell him about my fluke that happens almost all the time in any way from anyone. And it was quite obvious for someone who believes in good luck. He just listened and suddenly drew an assumption and says,

“Of course you have a great luck, God loves you, and He protects you. And do you know one thing? Don’t you dare to hurt the fatherless child. You know why you always get things done smoothly? He’s granted your prayers. That’s why I always be careful with the fatherless children because their prayers are powerful“

At that time I was surprised. In a way, that I know for sure and no doubt that God loves me, I feel it in my blood, in my heart, and in my soul. But still, I don’t know that it’s that powerful (or he's exaggerating! lol). It’s what I’ve been looking for, I’ve been looking for a father figure. Well, He always there beside me even INSIDE of me all the time. It totally makes sense to me, I always see that father is someone who always keep your back no matter what, who will always be the one you come into when you got troubles or when someone is hurting you, someone to complain to, or someone who will highly proud of you when you achieve something great.

And I know that for this whole time, I did that to my God, I have no father who is physically in front of me or even just a call away when I feel either sad or happy. So I did it all directly to him. I did it to my mother too, but what can a single mother do, she’s far away, she’s not 100% healthy to come over, she has my brother to be taken care of, all that she can do is just sending me the most powerful medicine in the world, her prayer.

God really is my father. I’d been angry to Him, felt that life is not fair, why too much disappointment, why I got this and that, blah blah blah. He’d punished me from being naughty or annoyingly requesting too much of things. He’d guided me every time I feel confused. He’d calmed me down every time I feel angry. He’d embraced me every time I feel lonely.

I just realize it now... and I’m deeply in love… :)

For those who still have both of their parents, well obviously you should be grateful for that because that's the most beautiful thing in this world, to have a grand family. However, beautiful for me is about receiving of what you’ve been giving as painful as it is could be, but you still happy with it :)

“God is an experience of supreme love”

Me In A Trip

Finding me inside the trips, I am drowning into some habits that I only realize while writing this blog.


Personally talking about a quite long journey (out of town/out of country), I enjoy the excitement before the journey begins, the imagination of what will happen next and what will I see there, beside of all the plans that I already had in my head. This moment is one special moment of the whole traveling itself. I have never felt completely prepared for a journey to be honest. Even though I love traveling, I really hate packing. I never packed my things and felt so ready before going to bed, and about to have a journey on the next day. I have always met this situation when I have no time left to be ready or to think what I have been forgotten to bring, but at that moment, I have to go. Yeah, now I do realize, I have never felt 100 percent ready for a journey when I started it.

On the way (by car/motorbike/bus/train/ship/plane) is another moment. This is when the excitement lessen, I usually become more relax yet the name of the place (e,g., Jakarta) sticks in my head all the time. The closer I get to the destination, the lesser I feel excited. It is being replaced by the fact that I'm actually in "this place" (Jakarta) and I will  find myself exploring the new environment, the reality in front of my eyes.


On the new places itself, honestly it is the most ordinary moment in the whole trip. Maybe it is because I can't imagine it anymore, I'm facing the reality that (Jakarta) is like this, it's not like what I have been imagined it would be. And most importantly, there's no time to even imagine it. I will be busy looking here and there, asking this and that, and answering my curiosity. It is the reality, what can make you feel excited about it. You can only feel sad/happy about the reality, you feel excited about what you imagine it will be.

Next, is on the way back. This is the saddest moment of the whole traveling, I must say. On the way back home, no matter how long the trips are, I will suddenly feel that it is not enough. I would feel that "oh, I should go ......, oh I should do ......., oh I should stay longer". Once I am on the bus/train/plane I would be quiet and recall all the activities I have done along the journey, including the excitement in the beginning of it.

And another habit is, I rarely unpack. I would just leave my backpack and only take out the dirty laundry, and keep the rest inside. When I need my camera, I will take it from my backpack and I remember about the trip. When I look for my notes and it is inside the backpack, I will remember another pieces from the trip. It will continually go on until my backpack is empty and ready to be in another journey..

The Simple Story

I woke up this afternoon when it was heavily raining. having a thought in mind to continue embrace this comfortable circumstance (oh i looove love love rains) and sleep, I checked my phone in case my boyfriend buzz me to chat. indeed he was! so instead of closing my eyes off, I chat with him which turned out he's busy with his design. losing my urge to get back into the dreamland, I started to shuffle my iTunes and here it is catching my attention to accompany this coziness, Feist & Jane Birkin - The Simple Story


from the beginning, I tell you, it is catchy! I had it quite long time ago but it never attracts me much like now. sometime it only needs a right time, a right lyric & rhyme (song) and a right feeling to complete a moment to feel.... sentimental. yeah that's one of my peculiar characteristic, easily being such a sentimental creature, nostalgic, weak, and whatnot. so it is a right time: rainy time, a right song, then what is the right feeling? I'll share you the lyrics, and even though it is not correlating exactly to my current mood, I find it genuinely representing my relationship or may be any relationship. We all fight, we all argue, we all lie.. and those all started from a simple story..


Feist & Jane Birkin - The Simple Story


The little thoughts came rushing in
Whilst I watched for a sign from him
When all the while was clear as day
That I should go and he should stay


I took his love like it was mine
I squeezed the truth until it lied
It took some time for cracks to show
Should I stay or should he go?


The simple story that you told me
Is a little different than what you showed me
The simple story unfurling slowly
Is if you lay down with a dream
You'll wake up lonely


The fog will cast a certain shade
So what you see is how what's made
it's mark will show you what to do
When hope pretends it's made you new


Love lied
Love lied
But I'm the reason
Love died


The simple story that you told me
Is a little different than what you showed me


The sky wraps 'round the mountaintops
The watch unwinds until it stops
Some things will always be the way they are
And that is how they'll stay


The simple story that you told me
Is a little different than what you showed me
The simple story unfurling slowly
Is if you lay down with a dream
You'll wake up lonely

Hello there :)

surprise surprise, finally I enter this blogging world, which i never thought of before lol.

just to make it clear and short (so that you won't feel strange either), I'm an Indonesian who is practically studying in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I've been chasing this degree certificate for three years and this is my last semester (hurray!). I start blogging to fill my spare time after I finished my thesis (yeay!) as well as waiting for my exams. bored with reading updates on twitter and facebook, I think why not I start to write, even though I doubt about its worthiness lol.

I'm a 21 year old girl who fortunately never caused any big problem that could lose my mom's temper, even she admitted once that she is very proud of me (that's very thoughtful of her to say, concerning that me and my mom's relationship is not physically close). the most protrusive thing that I like is traveling and luckily my mom has never became an obstacle of it regarding parent's permission. and it seems that I'm naturally meant to travel a lot (lol) because once I found my "kid's diary" (you know, small cute pink notes that has been written about daily activities at school or whatsoever) and I wrote "someday, I want to study abroad". can you imagine how a fifth grade kid had that kind of wish? I know modern kids do, but it was a long ago before studying abroad is a trend or common. and in my defense, I lived in a very small village, so yeah I'm proud that I thought about this stuff back then LOL.

So far I've been to 4 countries (one new country every year started on 2007) and I know it hasn't something yet, but I believe I'll be all around the world someday :) I can start rambling about my trips but it will diminish my main purpose: to greet you all!

all right then, so welcome to my blog :)