For First-timers Visiting Tanjung Puting Area...

...you might be puzzled on how to arrange your trip and whatnot. Here's a site that offers some experiences that you might want to try, in Tanjung Puting area. Feel free to ask around, the guide is friendly and he has many interesting tales to tell. Don't know which questions to ask first? Well, you can start by asking how he got the name "Ancis Banderas". ^_^

Have a pleasant trip, and send my regards to the sky from me, if you want to go there!

Bandung, Oh, Bandung

Bandung is where I live today. A compact metropolitan which is always full on weekends, courtesy of local visitors. A place where fancy diners and small eateries flock. Paris van Java, they say. Trendy city, some like to think so.

To me it is simply home.

In spite of the occasional traffic jams, the so-called gangs that seem to be on the rise, well, in spite of everything, it's still a lovely city. And I am not the only one who believe so. (Ask the visitors why they repeatedly visit Bandung, and perhaps, you'll understand a little!) I believe Bandung can be better. Bandung will be better. It is up to us, the inhabitants, the visitors, to achieve that.

I've seen plenty of hues above, from tangerine to dusty pink, from light azure dotted with white clouds to lavender.

As long as I can gaze at gorgeous sky of Bandung during twilight, I am content.

Be blessed, Bandung. Happy birthday, and here's to many dazzling years in the future!

(Pic was taken in Pusat Dakwah Islam Bandung, also known as Pusdai)

Jejamuran in Jogja

Last March, my partner and I went to Jogjakarta. Our friends, Ronny and Fitri, took us to lunch to Jejamuran. This place specializes in selling dishes made of mushrooms.

Me, I am a big fun of mushrooms! I was really curious, they really sell mushrooms sate? Tasty or not? So we went there. The scenery along the way was fab, we could also see a glimpse of Merapi Mountain.

Jejamuran not only sells dishes based on mushrooms,
but they also sell some fresh mushrooms. Some of them
are pretty unique. I was taken by this salmon-colored ones.
At first, I thought they were roses or something. The yellow
ones are also pretty!

This is ling zhi! Very famous for medicinal purposes.
They also sell dried ling zhi and syrup. I bought the
syrup version. It is supposed to boost your immunity
and strength. It tastes faintly of ginger, but that's it.
I thought it must be bitter, but it isn't.

Bon appetit! This is mushroom sate, Jejamuran style.
It surprisingly tastes like meat. Very tasty and I'd love
to try it again in the future.

Here you can see my partner and Ronny, about to
sample their meals.

Yours truly with Fitri. Typical Indonesians, eh?
Posing before eating!





This place also offers training for those interested in cultivating mushrooms. I think this is fab. So it's a place to eat, have fun and study, too.

My Adopted Tree via Yayorin.org

Finally! I have a picture of my adopted tree. This is my little gift for orangutans. Maybe some years from now, they'll be able to enjoy its fruit. Cempedak is one of my favorite fruits. It's like jackfruit, but more fragrant and tastier, at least to yours truly.

You can adopt a tree via yayorin.org. Adopt a tree today, to preserve the forests and orangutans' habitat! You can even adopt a tree for your loved ones, as a gift.

One day, I hope I'll be able to visit the tree. Maybe I'll adopt more trees in the future.

What kind of trees that you'd like to adopt?

Kit Kat, Japanese Style

What to give as souvenirs from Japan? One might recommend 100-yen store (105 yen with tax), in which you can get plenty of stuff for 100 yen. Omamori--charms (not the official ones issued by temples, though), souvenirs, hats. Woks, books, hair pins. Or perhaps gashapon would be an ideal choice? Some interesting items wrapped in capsule-like plastic. Sometimes toys, pins, watches. Sometimes cell phone charms or even, handkerchief.


I think Kit Kat is an ideal choice! Why, you might ask? Don't they sell Kit Kat anywhere? True, but Japan has oh-so-many-flavors. They are unique and suitable as souvenirs.

Japan has many variants of Kit Kat, depending on the season and the cities. Sadly, some of them are limited editions. Some can only be bought at certain cities. But you can find at least two or three variants in an airport, perfect grab, if you're in a hurry. IIRC, one box of Kit Kat (two packages inside) costs about 120 yen.

Here you can see some variants that I found. Bitter strawberry, yes, they use dark chocolate so it's bitter, with a hint of strawberry. Zunda mochi. It's sweet, but that's it. Sakura matcha... this one is my favorite! Sweet with the fragrant smell of sakura, with a tang of green tea. Wasabi. Weird, but no, it's not like the real wasabi. A bit sweet and sharp, that's all. Roasted tea, also my favorite. Roasted tea is actually the regular tea.

Kit Kat is a symbol of success and good luck, especially for students. Japanese Postal Office also offer Kit Kat postcards. Yes, they also send those to other countries!