MOVING ON

Dear Readers,

I'm moving my blog to as this blog has reached it's photo quota of 1GB.


Travel Blog: - http://aliciakcng.wordpress.com/ 

Everything Else: - http://aliciaks.wordpress.com/

Cheers!
Alicia

Another Highland Story

I just came back from Ba Kelalan, the interior of Borneo where the air is fresh and the people are friendly.

This is one of the best trip to for me so far with nice and cool people coming along. It's always filled with laughter the whole trip despite some bumpy rides.

Although it's a short working trip, we managed to have a day of leisure walk while doing some interviews and a BBQ dinner with lotsa pork, lamb and chicken wing!

.:Silly.. hehe:.

.:The view Point of Ba Kelalan:.

.:Before we went off by flight:.

.:How can I miss photo with my favourite gang:.

.:I love this photo, very dramatic:.

Every Dog Goes to Heaven

Rest in Peace Iwan Ng '24 September 2012' ... We'll always love you very-very much. Since young you have always been quite and gentle son. 

I've only got his blood test report on Friday night. He was infected with a serious Protozoan Parasites and since he had kidney problem. It was more complicated for him... :(

.:Part of our family:.

.:Even mum & dad love him alot:.

.:He passed on the way to the vet on 24 September 2012, 6.15pm:.

Iwan... :(

The vet said he only got 50/50 chances to survive or less... I personally felt really sad and I knew he won't last too long since he stopped eating for many days now. :(

Iwan is like my son. An 8 year old son which is having a pretty serious kidney problem and have been going through life with fluid injection every three days.

I really hope that he would stay strong but if he really can't fight anymore it's ok to let go... I really feel helpless this time... I don't want to lose him but then again, he shouldn't suffer like this...

.:Iwan May 2011:.

.:Today at the vet... he was really weak:.

I can see in the vet's face, it tells that the situation was NO GOOD...

Carrefour Plastic Bag

Honestly, I'm curious to find out if anyone knows what does biogredable actually means... I've never read or heard such word until today when I went shopping and they've put the stuff in the plastic bags even before I get to say 'No need plastic'...

.:The plastic bag:.

I tried to google and went to dictionary.com and those sites were quite helpless. If it's a typo error that Carrefour Malaysia has made. I'm very surprised. O_o

Amazing Architecture in Jogja

8.00am Day 2 - I hopped on a SUV and started the journey to all the amazing historical buildings that took my heart away. The three places's information can be obtained at http://www.borobudurpark.com/

First it was Borobudur

There's really a lot of people visiting the temple. For a foreigner, the price is Rp135.000 per person and you get free flow of coffee, tea or mineral water.

.:Ticketing Counter:.

.:The mountain range that resembles reclining buddha:.

.:A lot of students:.

.:This according to the guide is prambanan and was carved long before prambanan was built:.

.:Love this shot:.

.:Posing next to the buddha statue:.

After Borobudur, I wanted to go to the volcanic mountain area and on the way, we took a pit stop at Candi Mendut. A buddhist temple, I did a little prayer myself in the temple.

.:It's a small temple but nicely located in a big field:.

.:Me inside the temple:.

And then we reached the volcanic mountain area but I didn't go to the peak area because it was very cloudy.

.:Entrance to the visiting site:.

.:You can rent the bikes to go up:.

.:Aftermath from 2011's volcano eruption:.

Next stop was Prambanan.. my favourite of all.

This is a place where I spent 30 minutes admiring it without much blinks. The only thing that I didn't do was cry coz it's so beautiful! Although I almost did... and there's no one around for me to share the moment and talk about it.. I was basically talking to my camera.. lalala

.:The Majestic Look:.

.:While I was sitting, i took this shot:.

.:The view from the back:.

.:View from far.. have to walk:.

The last place I went was Ratu Boko Palace at Rp90.000 per person inclusive of a meal and drinks. There's not much there but they have a good spot to view sun set.

.:The Ticket:.

.:Ratu Boko entrance:.

.:Yes it was hot:.

.:Left-overs:.

.:When you travel alone:.

.:View from the Boko Sunset cafe:.

As I am not a fan of typical western food or Indonesian food and craving for roasted pork or duck or chicken, I've asked the driver to drop me at the famous deep fried duck rice outlet called Bebek Goreng Hj Slamet. The driver told me they are very famous in Jogja because of it's super spicy condiment. I bought 1 packet back to try. I would give it a 3/5 because the duck feathers were not properly cleaned.

.:Pricing:.

.:Info in the shop:.

.:See the skin:.

One thing that really drew my attention was the Kopi Luwak also known as Civet Coffee. I've always heard about it but I've never try and it's only Rp5000 for 5 packets and can be found in 24 hours mini market or supermarket.  It's supposed to be one of the most expensive & exclusive coffee in the world but since it's produced in Indonesia, it's god damn cheap. More about Kopi Luwak

.:The coffee:.

Day 3 -  On my last day before I left Jogja, I went for a shopping trip to the latest mall and the famous Malioboro street with Emi. We used the public bus and it was a joyful experience. Their bus stops are so cool and much nicer that my home town where nobody really uses bus because the buses are never on schedule.

Malioboro is a long street with plenty of souvenirs and Indonesian Batik shops. It ranges from cheap street stall to expensive boutiques that offers better quality of goods. There are also food stalls and street buskers peforming on and off. Very happening and packed. 

.:Jogja's bus station. You pay at the station instead of on the bus:. 

.:Malioboro I:.

.:Malioboro II:.

.:Malioboro III:.

.:Maliaboro IV:.

Day 4 - It's time to say goodbye.

.:Jogja Airport:.

As I was supposed to visit Jogja with another person but cancelled last minutes, I was kinda down because it's a lonely and quiet trip. I've been talking to the drivers etc but it's like an informative conversation. To look on the bright side, my mind was clear and fresh after the trip as I did a lot of thinking.

Yogyakarta is forever Special – Day 1

.:Graffiti is a norm in the street of Jogja:.

That was the tagline I saw on a wall in the street of ‘Jogja’ aka Yogyakarta during a trishaw sightseeing trip in the busy street of the city. Two and a half hours flight from Kuala Lumpur has landed me to a land rich with culture and warm people. I was so glad I decided to proceed with the trip after a friend cancelled last minutes.

For a relaxing holiday, 4 days 3 nights is just nice. I’m blogging in detail on my trip to Jogja so enjoy!

Day 1 I arrived at 8.35am from Kuala Lumpur and after grabbing my luggage from a cute luggage area, I bought a taxi coupon which is a small counter on the left side after passing the arrival gate. It’s still inside the airport itself. The fee from Airport to Jetis was 50K IDR.

After being checking into a homestay recommended by a colleague in Jetis, I rested for 2 hours because it was a long morning which I woke up at 3.30am to catch the bus from KL Sentral to the aiport continued with a 2.5 hours flight….

.:My Room:.

.:The bathroom is even bigger than my own room in Kuching!:.

At 1pm, I took a taxi 20KIDR to visit ‘Keraton’, the royal palace which is in the middle of the city. The entrance fee was 3KIDR + 1KIDR for photography fee. Right after I got the ticket, a guide get hold of my ticket and I knew he was going to made me hire him for a guide. Since I was undecided of what I wanted to do in Jogja, I agreed at 50,000IDR (I didn’t bargain). I was a little disappointed with how small the areas within the palace that was open for visitors comparing with Golden Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. Anyway he was meticulously explaining about the ritual, the history and the culture of the royal family in Jogja. I found the 3^rd King’s outfit awesome. Hehehe

.:Sight from the Palace:.

.:3rd King of Jogja:.

After the palace visit, he brought me to an art gallery but I didn’t find anything I like so I didn’t buy anything there, plus the prices were quite expensive for me. I then asked him to introduce a trishaw ‘Becak’ man for my visit to Taman Sari, a leisure water castle for the king. He asked a trishaw man to bring me to Taman Sari and some other places which he spoke in Indonesian Malay and agreed on a payment of 20,000IDR. This I had no regrets because he brought me to few good and reasonable priced Batik boutiques and art galleries. It’s pretty cool since I’m in Jogja to shop for nice stuff anyway and the prices in the boutiques are standardized so you won’t get the privilege or headache of bargaining. ‘I hate bargaining!’

At one of the Art Gallery, he introduced me to a local guide Pak Jari who offered to bring me around in Taman Sari for a freewill contribution. I liked him because he was a cheerful man and I can see deep inside his eyes, he loves his city very much. After the trip, I passed him 10,000IDR considering the trishaw man has to cycle me around at only 20IDR. The entrance to Taman Sari was 3,000IDR.

.:Taman Sari... the King will see the wifes from top floor:.

.:The bed of romance... hehehe:.

.:Me & Pak Jari:.

.:While riding on a trishaw:.

I was reading about the staple food of Jogja ‘Gudeg’ pronounced as ‘Gu-derk’ so I asked the trishaw man to bring me to a popular place. I bought him a set of ‘Gudeg’ with duck wing but he refused to sit inside and was eating in his trishaw. Oh well, as he wished. I’m sure he won’t be comfortable anyway.

.:Gudeg:.

He dropped me in the middle of town as he told me to send me back to Jetis was too far and suggested me to grab a cab. Seeing a lot of people was heading to a street, I asked him before he left on what street was that, he told me ‘Malioboro’ I had planned to visiti Malioboro on my last day so I took a slow stroll and grab a ‘Becak’ that wanted to send me to Jetis, where I was staying. We got lost a little but it was a good opportunity for me to look around Jogja. The fee he charged was highr than taxi which was 40,000IDR but since we got lost and I feel for him cycled me in the city with my heavy shopping bags etc, I paid him & said Thank You.

.:Parking Spot for Trishaw:.

.:Monument:.

.:Outside the homestay:.

At night, I went for my dinner at Kopitiam Oey right across the street from where I was staying. The eating place was very interesting for me as the name of the shop itself, bore my family’s surname! Food was OK but the coffee was great. The dinner damage was 53,000IDR I’ve never like Indonesian food too much so I didn’t have high expectation.

.:The entrance:.

.:Love the setting:.

.:Special Coffee:.

.:Steam Rice:.

.:Super sweet dessert:.