Heeling time in Bali

We go to Bali! Finally, we got vacation to Bali after a few years not visit Bali. We discuss about this plan with Astrid but since she already took her annual leave, so she can't leave her store. After last discussion with Rose, we go there with 2 friends which are Fritz and Moudy.

We go after fasting month end and after Lebaran so the vacation was over for everyone. Remember for my quote that never go for a holiday when the peak season come. So, we are waiting for month to month. We plan for all the accommodation and we decided to go there by plane and use Lion Air again as the safety and cheap plane so far.

Fritz will come through us to Bali with another plane, since he has an interview first in Jakarta. But, we only miss one hour schedule from him, so we met him in Airport. The day when we arrives we are so excited to see Bali again and we saw so many differences such are so many restaurants, outlet and Starbucks Coffee also.

We must booked a car to drive us to Kuta to our hotel in IstanaRama. We must pay for 50.000 IDR to drive us to hotel. The hotel located in front of Kuta beach even it's far enough from Hard Rock but we can walk through the street. It's nice to back here! A few years ago, we were having on the job training. When we asked for our reservation to the receptionist, we are so starving so we must hurry up to eat in Warung Made since we have to walk to get there. We order a Balinese fried rice in different style. It's so delicious!

Before it's getting late we try to find a restaurant for our dinner that we never tried. We heard that they are a restaurant which are unique and has a good service. So, we are curious to try some. It's Babagum. Perhaps you might hear from all news or magazine since it all mention. We order in different food and beverages. After we order and before order all the waitress have to yell to all customers about what we choose. The choices are says, " Run Forrest Run" or "Stop Forrest Stop". Yup! It's all about Forrest Gum. That's why they put a movies of Forest Gum non stop hits, means never stop and never change to another movies. All surrounding were full of many funny or serious quotes from every famous person in the world. Even, the prices were so expensive for those kind of food and beverages but I think it's worth with the service. Because when we eat, we saw certain customers serve with a special treat. They give a surprise treat to a customer whose celebrate their birthday and they sing in their style and bahasa.

At night,we have to sleep tight because we have so many plan by tomorrow morning until night. The best yet to come. We rent a car including the driver from hotel and named Mr. Made ( as some of all Balinese guy nick name). We go with him to the ATM first because we run out of cash from Jakarta, and we told him about all plan we'd like. We'd like to go to Kintamani, Nusa Dua, Pasar Sukowati (as the famous market ever in Bali) and I forgot the last destination that Rose and i did a shopping for a bags. It's cost for 50.000 IDR only for 1 set of bags. So cheap! (Even lately I know from my friend that she can get 30.000 IDR for 1 set, Hmmmm.. )

We shop a lot in Pasar Sukowati, even Moudy did the same things for his girlfriend and his partners at store. We shop from a shirt, pan, children's shirt, sarong, neck less, bracelet and some accessories. Before we shop we took lunch in Ibu Oka and it's one of a famous restaurant there because of the grilled pork. We can't eat there because Moudy not allowed to eat just like us, so we go to Kintamani restaurant which is in front of Gede Mountain and it's so freezing and cold. The atmosphere were great and nice to see from upstairs! We can see the whole Bali.

We go to Nusa Dua beach to play a water sport that only Moudy and I did. We have a flying fish and it was fun! We are having so much fun. We order 1 package there beside the flying fish. We asked for a boat and we can see a turtle seizure and corral from middle of sea. We are not forget to took a picture when we are on boat and every where we are. Then, we go to Dreamland. The white sand already wait for us! We play in the beach and when all the guys going to sea I have my own massage with some local women there. It's not too worth with the money that I spent, it cost for 50.000 IDR for 2 person and she only massage my legs.

The beaches was so beautiful and has so many heavy waves which are good for surfer. Then, we wait until it sunset and we love to have dinner in Jimbaran for the seafood. We change all the clothes there especially us the ladies.

Finally, we have to ended the holiday with some anger. Moudy got a phone call from his store about some problem. So, the holiday was ruin with a minutes call. So shame to hear that but that's the fact that works still shadowing us where ever we go. Before we go to the Airport, we enjoy the last sunset in Kuta beach without talk at all. I bet Rose and Moudy were sleeping behind their glasses.

Road to KL - Sing

We go there by 5Th October 2006 and what I said before in adventure of Thai - PhiPhi island that I will travel with Rose and Marry. Both are my best friend and know exactly what we all need and wants!

We go to the Airport with Rose family car and we go earlier to stop by Moudy's store which is my store a year ago. I have said that we are going by Lion Air because of the price that they offered. We should be take off at some time, forgot about the time. When we already sit in the plane the stewardess directly gave us some candy and orange juice. Then, a few minutes later the pilot announced that they are technical problem and we have to wait for another plane by a hour. But, you know what? The plane was delay until 2 and half hours later. So bored! Yeah, that's us! Indonesia. Who has bad image in the transportation that delay and not safe for certain transport.

The delay worth with what we expect to when we arrives at KLIA (KL Airport). It took 1 and 45 minutes for the plane and the Airport were nice, organized and cool design also. For me the building nicer than Changi Airport but they only has less outlet. FYI, the time only different 1 hour from Jakarta.

We took so many picture in KLIA and we also go the bathroom (just like all the ladies did whenever they go to check their make up and take a pee). After we took a picture, we just realized that all luggage were not there and we just know from some local staff and we just found out that she was a training student from hospitality school. She told us that we have to use train to go to another gate to pick up our luggage. Wow! That's cool. What if Indonesia have all those kind of transformation? It's a unique way for me.

They are not there!! The luggage. Because of the time that we had for took all picture, the immigration keep our luggage in another place and it's not safety at all. I can not imagine what if we loose all the belongings there. Fiuhhh.... It's just a beginning for our road because we will have another surprising things happen.

William, another my best friend who stay in KL pick up us in KL Central. He ask us to take a walk and still bring all the belongings that another my friend offer a nice hotel to us. When we see the hotel, it was not nice at all. What can we do? We already booked the room for 2 night and it's what Kiwi (another friend of mine) offered. Of course the price were so cheap and the room so standard. We just need the room for sleep and to put all the luggage, right? It's a hostel and so noisy with all the club surrounding us. We are far away from our themes which is relax! We are starving and Will took us to a Chinese restaurant and it's a great restaurant for the first place we visited in KL. The meals were so yummy because it contains of a slice pork, pineapple which put in a rice that wrap with an aluminium's foil and they are many mozzarella cheese top those kind of ingredients. So, when we eat the cheese still melt in our mouth. Hmmmm... Hmmm.... So, yummy!

Will leave us alone to shopping to each mall because he hasn't slept for a day form his work. FYI, He's a chef in Concorde Hotel. He leaves us with all the excited, tired, shock come together in mind to searched for all shoes, sandal and all stuff. We shop till we drop! We go to one by one of mall and always get out with some bags in hand. Especially Rose, since she's freak of shoes and either do we. We shop in Vinchi and Nose. The best store to spent money with. We buy many shoes and sandal that Jakarta also have with premium price.

We took so many picture every where we go. The day after, early in the morning we have a breakfast in McD because we leave the hotel at 6AM. They have breakfast package and all stores are open for 24 hours. Wow! We choose to eat some big package meal that contains of an omelet, burger and potatoes. The burger made from tortillas. It's 6TH October 2006 and we are plan to visit "Petronas Twin Towers Sykbrige".

We have to wake up earlier for this day because we have to queue in line and it's a long line to queue. Our group will get in at 9:15 AM and we should wait for 15 minutes before we enter the bridge. We have to use green tag for our group to avoid any stranger join to the group. We are together with another foreigners from Japan, Korean and India. While we are waiting some ladies form India asking to Marry to take a picture with her family. Marry just said " Why? Why"". Me and Rose are just laughing and laughing because of that matter. It's so funny! The ladies asking where are we coming from? Japan or Korean? When we said Jakarta, Indonesia they seem so surprised and shocked!

There we are! The bridge was so cold and freezing! FYI, we are in 41ST Floor from the ground floor and it's so high and the highest building I see ever. We ask some Japanese guys and they are cute enough on that age to take all our picture there. But, we have to use our body language because we can't speak Japanese language fluently. Even we did at college.

After we finish, we go to Suria KLCC, it's a mall and have a wonderful garden behind it for everybody seat after they shop. We have to wait for Will there so we can visit 2 Starbucks coffee and buy some city mugs with cheapest price than us. It just 35 Ringgit (35 * 2.500IDR).

We took the picture for all the Petronas tower and it's Will ideas to take a picture with wonderful angle like we are on that building. Even we just cross the street.

At night, we just walk, walk and nothing except walk and took a picture. We took a picture in front of Lecka restaurant, it's dark enough and they have great atmosphere because it's open space and they have so many sofas and curtain which are our favourite for hang out and sit in long hours. After we put all the shopping bag to the hotel, we take a walk for a few hour to have window shopping around Bukit Bintang street.

It the last day for us in KL. So, Will brought us to his hotel. Before we say goodbye to him, he treat us Roti Prata and Teh Tarik in some place out of town and it' so delicious. Many thanks for Will for being a tour guide there and thanks for the kindness. You're the men!

We have to go to bus station alone without him and buy a ticket for us. The station not that safe, because we just like tourist so everyone asking "where do you go?", "Do you need Bus?", "Johor?", "Singapore?", "Batam?", etc. Fiuuhhh... Finally, we booked a bus and we have to wait for 2 hours for the bus. We are luck that we kept the ticket because it has a number on it. When the bus arrives, we have to go down stair with all luggage and I'm the one who help my friends luggage. I'm the wonder women in town! Then, I asked Marry to sit first to the bus while me and Rose pack and put all the luggage to the baggage. But, when I enter the bus I saw that Marry has a small arguments with a group of Indian. They insist to sit in our chair and they don't have the ticket! What the @#$#.. So, I asked the bus driver to explained about the matter and they get out form the bus. Because they are not using the bus, they are going to another place.

Here we come Singapore! The day we arrive we directly plan to Sentosa Island since it's the first time for Marry to visit there. We use MRT from Orchard to Harbour Front then use some orange bus in some station. After that we bought a ticket to entry for $55.5. It's not that expensive when I visit with my family a few years ago. $ 55.5 or named with Imbiah surprise package contains of 1 games which is Luge 1 ride (it's fun enough for us and for me who can't drive a car at all), images of Singapore, Island admission, merlion and butterfly park, sky tower and the last is Sentosa 4D Magix with instant draw prize.

We took a picture in front of Subway Restaurant and many more pictures coming. We go to the zoo park and the others. We go to Sentosa sky tower and after that we got a free fruit punch and we have to pay additional charge for the picture that they took when we were in the tower.

At night,we buy so many chocolate and eat in different kind of restaurants. From cheap until expensive restaurant in that town. We bring some foods like Roti Prata and Teh Tarik again. The day after that, from morning until noon we are shopping near the Orchard because it's the time we have to go home. We shop in Setan, Takashimura, Bugis and others. We buy many of shirt and accessories that we are going to wear for the next meeting.

Finally, we have to ended the road for shopping time! The road was so perfect and I want back again girls.

Adventure of Phuket - PhiPhi Island

We plan this adventure starting from middle of 2006. It's the first time we are saying the same destination which is Thailand. We'd like to go there to know about Phuket which is known as the cheapest shopping ever in Asia beside KL. We also plan to visit Phi-Phi island as the island for the movie maker which is The Beach. The place known as the goddess island in Thai. We plan this adventure only for the 3 of us because one of my friend cancel to join us because he just bought his camera and it worth same as our budget for this journey. Poor him! But, lately I'm glad that he bought the camera because whenever we travel around he brought that and I'm the one whose being his model and object for each picture. Glad to know when the picture are nice to see and all were wonderful picture ever.

We decide to go on October, before everyone are busy with fasting and new year. And the first thing came up in mind, we don't want to travel when holiday comes! Never do that certainly because it will not worth with the holiday themes that we want which are relax and shopping.

My travelling friends this time are Rose and Marry. We are going with a budget that we earn and kept a year from our work and family. Of course we still need money from family that they gave us before we go for our travel time, even it only $200 but it will help us much when we need for the transportation.

Then we have asking to many agent travel and it's a coincidence that Puri just open their travel exhibition. Finally, the last discussion coming to Tara Tour, as Marry's family agent and mine too. They offered some package price and premium offered because it's only the 3 of us and they allowed us to have our own tour guide there with an additional charge of course. We decide to go by by Lion Air which is cheapest than Garuda because including insurance also.

But, God not in our side. We are not allowed to go there! So sad to hear and so stressing when we know that we have to loose $100 for the cancellation ticket because they have to pay to the hotel that they booked before and it was nice hotel from the brochure we read. We have to cancel our travel for our safety since they just changing the new government there and makes some tourist are not safe anymore for the time being.

Can you imagine? Thailand, Phuket, Bangkok, Phi-Phi island and all the beaches that we are through. Arrgghhhh... I'm wondering, what the taste like when we sit in the cough beside the resort in the beach and drink some punch fruit juice with some lemonade on it pair with some fruit from that island. Wow!!!!!

It's so sad and a bit of embarrassing also! We already announced to everyone that we are going to Thai and like to play sport water in Phi-Phi Island. Yeah, maybe the luck not in our side for that time.

All the money that we give to the agent not completely use up. We plan to another place which is almost same like our budget before which are KL - Sing! Yipi... I never go to KL before even one of my friend did. So, wait for the story of my travel time with my girl friends and it was so adventuring!

Tour de Java

Hmmm.... After a few months work in Puri and it was so exhausting and tired from all the routines, finally we can go for a holiday.. We have to wait until every partners (that what we called in our company for employee) resign and moved to other store. Because we can't ask permission for annual leave for all of us in same store.

It just start when Sam and Yosha leaves the store, Acha moved to JSX and I moved to Airport. So, only Chamid and Moudy who still survive in that store. We arrange the schedule and asking for permission to each store manager and family also. We plan to go by bus, plan and bus again! Hmm... I bet it will be a long journey and will be a mess adventure with all the guys. We go there only the 5 of us, 3 males and 2 females. And it really unforgettable memory and a love attraction memory that I had with one of those male. Uppsss.. Out of the record which guy I have been closed!

We start the journey with plan from Lion Air early in the morning to Surabaya. Before we go all the guys keep saying that "Please, females don't bring so much stuff! And don't bother us with all the belongings". And it was Acha whose the victim for this story. She bring 2 bags and a bit disturbing us when we travel. All of us use bag packers and bring some foods inside and only some shirt neither do I. So, here we go.. Fyi, Chamid was scared with the plane when it take off and when boarding also!

We arrives a few hours later and Yosha already wait for us in Airport. We go to Malang for one night in his home with his family permission. He bring his car which is Panther to bring all of us and all belongings. When we arrives in Malang it already 4AM and we are starving! So, we are looking for restaurant who open at that time and we got it even the taste not really good as they offer for the price. Then, we sleep in one room beside Yosha and the day after that we eat Kupang and it was weird enough but quite delicious. Unfortunately we have to leave the city and thanked to his family who serve us with a lot of Rawon and it's so yummy. We stay for two night there.

We continue the journey by transportation car from Malang to Solo and the driver were crazy! Chamid and Moudy who sit in front and we are in back seat and we are glad for that. It just a matter of time we are going to dead or not. We are freak out because of that and we can't sleep even we are in back seat can sleep for a while. Even the journey took for more than 4 hours but we need to be passion and just pray to God.

He drop us to bus station and we continue to Kudus to find a place there to hang out. We go with some public bus and really really public. Because many of farmers who still bring his chicken and hoe.. And I was the cutest girl and the whitest girl in that town and bus! All my friends make me scared when the guy ask me to buy his food. He sell all the food by put in our cough and sometime they insist us to buy. Then, after a few minutes we have to continue with small public bus which took 1.000 IDR each person. So cheep than us in here.

Finally, we found a hostel to put all our belongings and we all so tired and hungry. In here I make a mistakes with Acha. I put her towel as a doormat for bathroom, I thought it was form the hostel. Sorry for that Cha!

Wow, we took so many photograph there! Moudy who bring his camera and it was big camera. We have some good picture but I can't scan here. I still look at the picture if I miss all the guys and of course the journey also.

We eat a lot there! I love to stay here. We eat "Nasi Kucing" and each only 500 IDR for that time. I don't know for now. We eat Chicken Soto together with the rice in the bowl and it took for 2.000 IDR.. So, yummy and cheap! The guy visit the famous and big mosque in that town while I just eat "Tahu Petis" in front of the town square.

We moved to Yogya by using a bus again! But, this time we use a nice and safety bus and all of us fall a sleep tightly. We have to rent a car for drive us from station to down town which is Malioboro road to find some hotel. We find one hotel but they only had 1 room and it not fix with all of us. Because of the limited time and it's time for us to have lunch, so I asked them to stay in hotel. Actually, it's a five star hotel and we use my credit card first then they will pay to me later in Jakarta. Named, Garuda Hotel if I'm not wrong and we spent for 600.000 for one night. We stay for two night also in here.

In Yogya, we eat Gudeg in different place and we go to different place with "Andong" and "Becak". We feels like a foreigner who travel to our country. Because we never use that kind of transportation in our town, right?

We visit the museum and Sultan place. It was assume and beautiful view. We have the guide there from local people. He bring us to the cage and the room for Sultan to sleep with all his wife.

BTW, we also visit the local market there, named "Bringharjo" and all the stuff was cheap unless we can offer base on our budget. We also eat in that market and bring so many stuff for all partners in Puri store. Not forget, we go to the mall! Yeah, we are "Amol = Anak Mall" like in our town.

After 2 days here, we also visit Silver Factory from the cheapest and the expensive one here! All of us buy some silver like rings, bracelet and neck less either do I.

Finally,we have to ended our journey. Back to normal life again guys! We use plan which is Lion Air again for our transportation that we booked from Jakarta (PP). For the record, they only give us candy and Aqua. It's worth with the price.

FYI, the journey was 2005 and we spent over all for 10 days.