Celebrating Indonesia 70th Anniversary at Surakarta

This year Indonesia celebrating its 70th Independence Day, and I got a chance to celebrate it at Surakarta (Solo), Central Java.

I have never been to Solo before, so I am quite curios and interested to stroll around the city, which is one of my favorite type of travelling. I went to Solo by train from Gambir Station, Jakarta. It took about 8 hours to Solobalapan station.

The first destination I visited in Solo is Danar Hadi Museum, an ancient batik museum which exhibit hundreds batik collection. I choose this museum because the location is not far from the hotel where I stayed in 8 minutes by walk. This museum also listed as the number 1 must visit tourism object in Solo by tripadvisor. And yes, this museum is pretty cool. I can say the guide explain very detail about the batik history and the collection is amazing.

Ayo Kerja!

What I love the most about this city is the wide pedestrian (unlike other cities in Indonesia), the pedestrian also completed with pretty chairs and lot of trees, so even if you are walking for the whole day you will not feel hot.

The other interesting spot is Triwindu antique market. Since I really love unique and vintage staff, I spend hours here just for looking around, there are quite lot of vintage stuff sold here such as radio, phone, charcoal iron, pretty plates and lamps, masks, old coins, stamps, statues, even old photos of common people in black and white.

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I love this street light design so much

Sadly, since August 17 is holiday, lot of shops and restaurant are closed. Also most of the tourist attraction/ museums are closed by 2- 3 p.m. So, I didn't get to visit all of the attraction I have checked on my to visit list. I also didn't visit the palace, because it was already closed at 3 p.m.

I actually planned to visit Taman Sriwedari to watch wayang orang show. But since it was started at night I didn't have enough time because I haven't pack my suitcase.

People gathered for flag ceremony

Ice cream street vendor

I am so into vintage designs

I am so into pretty packaging. If there are two products with the same function, I could choose the one with prettier packaging even tough the price is higher.
One of packaging design that I love is vintage style. Here are two of the recent items I bought with vintage packaging design:

Kellogg's Vintage Tin Packaging

Since I was a kid I always be a fan of cornflakes cereals. I usually didn't really like the packaging,
but some times ago, when I went shopping groceries, I found the corn flakes with this packaging.
I am so happy, because it is petty and you can reuse it.

The Balm lip & cheek cream palette "How 'bout them apples?"

At first I am not sure to buy this because the price is quite expensive (Rp 650000). Plus, I am not a make up fan, who collect lots of make up with various brand, type, and colors.  But the cute packaging plus the great discount makes me cannot resist, and in a few minutes I already click OK and purchase this online.
I am a bit disappointed because the staying power of the lip cream is not good. I never try this as a cheek cream, because I prefer a powder blush as my cheek blusher (but most of the reviews said that the cream palette looks better and stay longer when you apply it on your cheek than on your lips).
Overall I was so happy when this product arrived, because the colors are pretty and the packaging is even prettier :D

1000 steps to Grojogan Sewu

Last Monday I got a chance to visit Tawangmangu, Karanganyar, Central Java. This place can be reached in an hour by driving a car from Surakarta. There is no public transportation option to reach this place, so I suggest you to rent a car to reach this place.

What is the interesting thing to see in this place?

Well, people usually come to Tawangmangu to see the Grojogan Sewu Waterfall, or should I say Sewu Waterfall, because literally 'grojogan' is the Javanese terms for 'waterfall' while 'sewu' means 'a thousand'. It was named 'Sewu (Thousand)' because to reach this place you need to step on more than a thousand stairs (or 1250 stairs as written on its exit gate)

What else?

Here, you can also see monkeys, a lot of, a long the way to the waterfall. But you need to careful, because the monkeys are a bit aggressive, especially if they noticed that you bring food and/or beverages (except for mineral water). 

In the middle of the area there is also a swimming pool. 

There is also flying fox that you can ride, if you wish, children are also allowed to ride it, all in a relative cheap price Rp 11000 (less then a dollar!) 

How if I did't want to use the stairs?

There are horses at the front gate if you think you didn't want to use the stairs. The price for a horse rent is Rp 100000, quite expensive though. But, I suggest you to use the stairs, because for me that is the most interesting part of this tourism site.

What to eat?

There are not many choices in this area, but there are food stalls, or can I say small restaurants, that sell rabbit satay and chicken satay. 

More suggestion?

You may check the strawberries field not far from this area. You may also pick the fruits by your own, then you can pay for kg of the fruits you have picked.

Or you may also visit Telaga Sarangan (Sarangan Lake) in Magetan, East Java, like I did, it can be reached in less then an hour driving.  The view from Tawangmangu to Sarangan is refreshing because we need to go across the Lawu Mountain to reach it. At Telaga Sarangan, you may ride the horse or the speed boat around the lake, all at RP 60000. Another interesting thing here is the market which is quite crowded but content to look around.

Play with colors

Have you ever feel bored? or feel stuck on the current project you are working on? or you have finished all the tasks given by your boss but the end of working hour still in hours?

What are usually you do to at that time? browse the web? scrolling on the social media timeline? have a chit-chat with your coworkers? go to the pantry and having snacks and coffee there? or just simply create a doodle?

Well, sometimes when I getting bored, I browse the template with "coloring for adult" keywords, download the illustration that I want to working at, print it, then fill the illustration with colors. Because I did not bring my coloring stuff to office, I just using highlighter for coloring. The result was quite pretty, plus you can use it to decorate your boring office desk. You can also choose illustration with beautiful quote to pep up your working day, just like what I did 

Trip to Bangkok Part 2: Wat means Temple

Visiting Bangkok but didn't visit its famous wats (wat is Thai's language for temple)?

I visited 3 of the most beautiful temples in Bangkok:

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of Emerald Buddha)

This temple located in the Grand Palace Area. This the largest temple in Bangkok. Since this is a sacred place, there are some restrictions for the dress you wear. No short pants, short skirts, tank-top, flip-flops allowed, the officer will check if you have dressed appropriately, if not you will be asked to rent a sarong.

This temple complex is very large, and it also have a very pretty architecture.  Most of the buildings were painted in gold,  you also can find gigantic statue with amazing details. Even tough the area is large, but the place was crowded there were so many tourist (it was in the end of January, I couldn't imagine how crowded it will be on summer vacation).

Plus, because this temple located in the Grand Palace area, you can see guards (that reminds me the one at Buckingham Palace, London)

A gigantic statue, look at the details

Praying

The Guard

It is so hot, you must be thirsty

Tourists were waiting for their buses

Wat Pho (Temple of the Reclining Buddha)

This temple located not far from the Wat Pra and the Grand Palace. The size is quite smaller, but what makes this temple interesting is the Reclining Buddha statue. The Reclining Buddha statue represents Buddha during his last illness about to enter parinirvana. The statue was painted with gold, and have a super gigantic size. The soles of the Reclining Buddha's feet was carved with Buddhist symbols, and the walls of the temple painted with a beautiful and colorful sketch.
Note: we need to take off our shoes if we want to enter the temple and see the Reclining Buddha statue

There is also bowls laid inside the temple, tourists may put a coin for each bowl as their money offerings. I tried to snapped a candid picture of a tourist while he putted the coins to the bowl, but he catches my camera.

Wat Arun

To visit Wat Arun, first we need to use a boat to reach the place, crossing the Chao Praya river. You need to pay 3 baht per person on the ticket box.

In this temple area the point of interest besides the 'riding the boat experience'. There is also a temple that you can climbed up. The temple is very high and the steps are very steep, but there is a railing to help you climbed up or climbed down, climbing down is much harder. I climbed up to the top, while the other who traveled with me refused.  It's too high that said, but I think it is worthy, because the scenery is much beautiful form the top.

While waiting for the other, you can rent Thai's traditional dress from some agents, if you wish to took picture with it. You may also interested to take a look at the souvenir shop.