Backpacker Girls

No, you're kidding me? i hope its not Ancol, the one that full of garbage and polluted black water from river that cross the city?? No i wont call that a beach thank you so very much, and i wont swim there!! i dont think fish want to swim there ahhahah!

This is just few lines i threw to my sisters when they said we will have Christmast and End year gathering in beach somewhere near Jakarta. After experiencing Belitung and Bangka island with white sand more beautiful than Koh Phi Phi at Andaman in Thailand... why would i ruin it with going to swim with garbage in Jakarta bay?? its so sick... i did miss the beach but i am not that desperado!!!

Its early December 2012 when they-my sisters assign me on browsing for this new beach destination. You know sisters and mom, there are long list requirements among those search. Its not easy to find the next heaven as we call it.

So somehow i found this pictures of Karang Aji beach with stunning view of Cimaja area in Sukabumi. First we want to stay somewhere else but its kind of hectic in my office and those girls not coming back to me again as they promise me.. and its just a week away before the xmast!!!

View from the 3rd floor of Karang Aji You could see some part of the Ocean Queen Resort

So i call more than 5 resort to see if they were available for 7 people! and its very hard to do when you just one week away from the holiday! the one that i would say a "shame" to loose is the booking with Ocean Queen Resort. Its not shabby at all. Its cheap deal and they had this villa few meters from the beach. The owner is an expat who reply my email right away that time. But as i said, i loose it because the due time he gave me and my sister just cant decide--DUH.

So back to Karang aji resort, i got the owner phone number and we text several time, hes very friendly and having this fast response. We got our self 3 separated room for Rp 900.000,- total per night. They had guess kitchen we could use. Its very cheap considering its xmast holiday!

View from the 3rd floor sundeck, amazing!

It took us agonizing 6 hours drive due to heavy traffic to Sukabumi. We stop around 5-6 times to refuel once and last stop is for lunch. We leave the house at 8am and arrive around 2.30pm.

One of the 5th stop near the Sukabumi-Lunch time!

The first surprise is how steep the resort is that we need to go back down again after up about 20 meters and feel like the car wont make it even for the first turn... with the smell of rubber burned (i dont want to know what the hell it was-just think its just the tire). We finally made it to the top!! and its toyota kijang inova we use!! not some junk car!! geez...

Smelly burning tire

First day we spent our time just relaxing at the resort. One thing for sure its not really for kids age below 5 so many stairs made of wooden and theres not much light to show the stairs. Theres also several dogs belong to the owner that keep barking on us whenever we went out to the public kitchen. Its very nice of them to have this and allow the guest to use it. But the thing is its separated from main building, so when its raining youll get wet before you able to cook hehehe...

Theres a small swimming pool for children there, the joy of my niece and nephew. Despite its getting cooler they insist on taking a dip. While my mom making us hot spicy noodles, me and two off my sister thinking of sneaking out to the resort across the street, the Ocean Queen Resort.

Walking down to the street was a struggle due to the steep way down, my sisters keep doing they crazy girlie screaming all way down. My youngest sister even took off her sandals hahahah!! because the street not only steep but in most of part also had lots of slippery green moss...

Crossing the street yet another struggle awaits us on the way to the Ocean Queen Resort.

But its just all worthy,  the resort seemed nicer. And its straight on the beach front. There are more family with small kids here. The bungalow also not so small.

Me and my sister

 And we went to receptionist just to find that the bungalow are full. Huhuhuhuhu....

We were spending some of our afternoon playing at the black sandy beach. Its not as clean as i thought it would be. And the wave so huge... some of the expat family seemed bring surfing boards for their kids as well.

I would recommend this place for family, and even the price bit higher but i think its all worthy. You could bring your cooking utensils and cook at your own bungalows with family. And the beach just less than 100 meters from the door step.

As its getting darker we walk back up to Karang Aji--out of breathe..... catching time for sunset, everyone relaxing and getting massage... what a day!

Sunset.. not so clear tho its cloudy afternoon

I think "Lost in Translation" is always funny"

Listen some gossips at tram-its a confusing cool!

Result of language barrier

Thank you-simple but show lots of respect

I never thought i will ever had the "Street Wise" title. I am still a traveler with less mileage as i said over and over....


I went to a short journey to Singapore few days ago. For the sake of my book writing and also i need to do some med check at NUH a hospital there in Singapore.


I meet new people, things that i enjoy during my trip. I always remember a shy version of me will never talk to anyone i know hahaha so.. a stranger would be a no option for me. I am not that very social and chatty. I had VERY LACK of self confident. Zero social skill... all i do i put the mad face-dont talk to me or ill do a mad thing to you kind of face. Not quite friendly... but everyone had their own issue i guess.


As an adult and travel by my self.. i gain more and more confident to talk with many people with different background and point of view. I know how to made a debate i know where the point i just had to shut my mouth and just keep my own opinion, even if i had to bite my own tongue.


I dont know if i could categorize that as a street wise either.


I learnt lots of lesson every time i go.


I went to Singapore because i feel im not good enough with looking for a treatment for my "facial paralysis" something that i got over 22 years because of a silly accident with my backyard iron swing. It hit side of my head and apparently cause damage to one of my nerve. Nerve is damaged cause my muscles not work and the muscles work less better then the other side---there you go... you see me smiling "differently". Not that i would like to.... but hey.. i wrote this not to made you feel bad.


Anyway... when i went to hostel in Chinatown called  "A Beary Nice". I met this girl.... sitting with her laptop on, on lower bunk bed of mine. I was arrive almost midnight that time. Soon i realize she can't walk right and wear a crutches, i didnt see it before, but to be honest she got that very nice smiling face that light up the room when you see her. I envy her.... i didnt talk to her that night, just small normal conversation "can i put my luggage under your bed?" such that conversation. 


Day 3 after a long day at hospital and i feel the world not so kind to me, i just cant help it but talk to this girl to find out that shes ALSO FROM INDONESIA. We talk a lot that night.


She said more than once a compliment over my achievement as a traveler, i could see that she think i am cool...... but deep down inside... she doesn't know that ME, i adore her because she travel by her self with her disabilities. She just cant walk since she was born... we had same thought about our condition that made us feel different and how its very hard to talk about our condition with our family... as they feel the guilt as well....


I adore her... because she is very strong and smart girl. I knew her for just few hours and yet i knew... she is much stronger than i am... (i weep while i wrote this).


My result came, at the end of my trip. I knew i CAN NOT do the surgery that i wanted to, to get my smile back... because the total sum of the surgery is out of my reach (over US$33000). Where on earth i could get money that much??? i cant spill all details here.


Its bit personal, but i had to write this.


I cried... i did... its hurt to know you able to do this kind of stuff to made you feel better but you dont have the tools to do so.


But i remember that girl. I remember lots of people that i met on street.. while in Germany, while i was in Thailand... i cried till my heart out i think... it was hurt... but thinking about the girl (sorry i forgot your name) that i talk with at the hostel... made me feel better... the way she look at me, made me feel stronger.


I knew i cant smile, but i knew i could brought some lights into some people life... i knew.... my stories matters for some... i knew when i look in to their eyes... i could encourage them to do the same.


I feel thankful to all people i met on street.... they change me... some made me stronger....


I know you might think you're not perfect--just like i do, but that doesnt made me not to think of you less perfect as an angel for giving me strength when i need it.


Kind of remind me of a quote;


When people think of angels, they think flowing robes and halos. But in the Bible, they also look like ordinary people. Why not today?
Joan Wester Anderson-In the Arms of Angel

To the girl that i met at hostel, (i knew SHE READ MY BLOG because once she said she did, and she knew one of my writing....)

Start from March 23, 2012 Indonesian International gates (airport and sea) dismissed the rules to fill out the embarkation and disembarkation card! Indonesia now becoming one of the 44 countries that apply the border control management.

buh bye Indonesian embarkation card!

But this is only for local/Indonesian citizen and not for expatriate or tourist that come to visit Indonesia :)

You could see the full news in Indonesia language here.

I haven't see what kind of device they use to create data for the incoming and outgoing people from Indonesia but i hope its just like the one that they use in Malaysia (finger print scanner). Its sure will safe sometimes and also will eliminate the "fear" for some people who just like me---loose the card somewhere on my journey!

No more spending time to wrote the tiny cards and no more worry when you loose the card..... yay!! all you need to do just to show your passport and boarding pass to the immigration officer and instead of the card they will add more stamps to your passport... hehehe and its fun to see the stamp as it seemed like you travel even more hahah!





Note:
Pictures taken from this address.