Travel Journal: Makassar Trip (Part 1)

We arrived in Hasanuddin Airport, Makassar, very late at night, more like early in the morning, like 1 or something. After surviving our crazy taxi ride from the airport, through the calm Makassar city street, and dropped dead in our hotel room, I managed to actually wake up at 9.30 am Central Indonesia Time. 

We stayed in Mega Inn, a neat and reasonably priced hotel on Jl. Gunung Lompobattang. Here's a picture I took from their facebook page because silly me I didn't take any picture the whole two days we were there: 

copyright Mega Inn, Makassar. Picture is actually quite accurate (Oct 2013)

For around Rp. 250,000 we got ourselves a deluxe room with clean bathroom and working cable. We actually paid for a standard room (Rp. 200,000) and did stay in it for one night. But unfortunately because it's location by the stairs, we can hear every footstep that every guest in the room makes, and everything anyone in the kitchen was doing. We were also exposed to this bright light right outside our window which had only a thin white, hence useless, blind to block the glare. So we asked the hotel manager to move us to other room. (Although I later found out that the kitchen is not for cooking and they get their breakfast food from nearby stores, so I don't have any idea what all the noises were.)

We were then moved to a much bigger room in third floor, with no additional charge. So it was a really nice thing for them to do. Breakfast was a pack of Nasi Kuning (yellow rice) with its supporting lauk pauk delivered to our rooms. 

We headed out of the hotel at around 1 ( i think), and so the foodie adventure begins! 

Check out my food review in my other blog (in Indonesian), but in summary, this is what we managed to greedily stuff our tummy with by 8 pm: 

1. Es Pallubutung & Es Pisang Hijau at Toko Hokky

2. Sop Konro Karebosi at Jl. Lampobattang (cabang Kelapa Gading!! hahaha)

3. Toraja Palawa Coffee Shop (Mediocre coffee, but nice ac-ed shelter from Losari beach's insane heat)

4. Pisang Epe Stall in front of Toraja Cafe

6. Toko Kue Mama (Selling quaint Manadonese yummy sweet and savoury snacks)

7. Mie Titi
8. Lae-Lae Seafood 

So, yeah, officially the most amount of food/food place I've had in approximately 6 hours. And it's not that we actually just stopped and try food at these places, each and every one of us (except my husband that has a food tolerance of a 7 year old boy) pretty much gorged ourselves to every food group. 

Oh, we also stopped over at Benteng (Fort) Rotterdam at one point but my big tummy  and trauma of the gluttony obstructed my memory of the historic place. I am terribly so sorry. But there are pictures though. 

The established Fort Rotterdam land marker

Fort Rotterdam Complex by @chikaloman

Inside the fort complex, we also went in to the La Galigo museum that stores historic artifacts and display of the Bugis, the ancestors of the South Sulawesi people, heritage. You do need to pay a little contribution up front Indonesians, 15.000 for foreigners). Although not abundant, I am pleasantly surprised by some of the more artistic displays in the museum. They display some miniatures of the renowned phinisi --a type of sailing ship indigenous of the Bugis people-- and the replica of the La Galigo script. (I believe the dutch is safekeeping the original copy of it.)

An impressive hand-painted design of a Macangnge (Lion) Flag from 9th century Luwu Kingdom
This flag was to be raised when the kingdom was in danger

I think this is some kind of mill (La Galigo Museum)

Hand-embroidered artifact of the old Pare-Pare City 

The Gang, on top of the neolithic remnant of Fort Rotterdam

Highlight of the day: Deep-fried Squid with 2 kinds of sambal at Lae-Lae Seafood on Jalan Datu Museng Road and Toko Kue Mama 

Low Blow of The Day: I broke my camera filter, which at first I thought was the LENS. Crrushed. 

Lampobattang street through a broken lens filter