Travel Journal: Makassar Trip (Part 4)

Morning Heat


After a constant go-go-go for the past three days, today is the day when we finally get to chill, sleep in, slack around a little more and all that good stuff. This is partly because somehow we got Andi to convince us that for snorkeling, it's best for us to leave after 10 otherwise the tide, or whatever, would make the water murky, ladida. (maybe it is? I don't know really) Yet, we nodded along because the sound of 'not having to wake up at 5 in the morning' sounds really grand. Especially in your holiday, really. 

Although, when I stepped out our warm hotel rooms (this is not a compliment to the establishment), I did feel a pang of regret. The heat is, uncanny. Although later I did realize it doesn't matter what time of the day, IT DOESN'T GET ANY COOLER. The heat is constantly brutal from the second the sun is out and about. In other words, whether it's 7.30 or 1.30, you can not escape the South Sulawesi heat. My husband had a hand-shaped sunburn to proof it. 

A cute beach pup

Travel Journal: Makassar Trip (Part 3)

So here comes the day, that we have been waiting for, the day we finally head for Tanjung Bira. Woohoo! And it's about time where we head out of Makassar, where the abundance of good food makes it seem impossible to have less than six meals in a day. Good God.

The road to Tanjung Bira (Cape Bira)

The road from Makassar to Bira has recently been repaved, so driving there should take about 4 to 6 hours, depending on the way your driver drive. Despite his one fake eye, our driver/guide/tour operator drove really well, so it took us roughly 4,5 hours.

Along the road, we passed Gowa, Janeponto, and Bantaeng. The prettiest scenery was when we passed  open pastures with grazing skinny horses in Janeponto, but unfortunately there were so many horses coto or soup restaurants in every meters or so too, pretty gruesome idea. 

First sight of the ocean, Bulukumba

After miles of rice paddies, cute houses ("quaint" said pade), and lots of cows, very cool terraces of corn fields, mountains, on our right side we finally had a sight of what seems to be the...SEA! We're there!! Oh, wait. false alarm... 1 hour away from where you start to find sea, now there's Tanjung Bira. When it hits 4th hour and you haven't been to the sea in almost .. too long to remember, a ride to the coast can never be more excruciating.

Travel Journal: Makassar Trip (Part 2)

After all the food the night before, I couldn't believe myself that we actually managed to wake up at 5.30 in the morning, to leave for Maros at 6.00 AM. Well..that was the plan. 

Most of us did get up that early, I was about 20 minutes late. Yet our driver, Andi, slept in and arrived at our doorstop at about 7.00 AM. So we finally left, and was already on our way out of Makassar city around 7.20 AM. 

Why am I being overly minute on this? because apparently where we were going, timing is everything. Andi emphasized that we did not want to see the Makassar Sunday crowd vacationing in Bantimurung, so we need to get there at least before 10. We would have enough time to muck about, and leave right on time when other people just start to pours in. 

Bantimurung National Park, Maros

From Makassar, we drove north for about an hour to reach the Bantimurung National Park in Maros Region. The air in the area is noticeably a lot cooler, and you can see a cool waterfall where a lot of locals play and used the waterfall as a huge (yet rather dangerous) slide with the aid of big rubber donuts. 

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. 

'Gravity' (2013)

Even if inside you feel you want to die, there's a bigger life impulse that keeps us alive. 

(Alfonso Cuaron)

OK. 

I might as well write it all down, while my nausea has not worn off. 

Well, actually it is not from the movie, yet some form of sudden mild vertigo came to me. 

YET, this dizziness (and any mention of any planet names) actually brings me back to that 120 minutes of pure elevated, out of this world ride that is Gravity. 

Hua Hin article, March Now! Jakarta 2013

I should say please grab a copy and see for yourself, but I think this would be enough (for my ego). teehehe..

An article I wrote for this month's Now! Jakarta. This features the more jet-setty attractions of Hua Hin, a coastal area about 200 km southwest of Bangkok, Thailand.

So.. I might later post pics of the trip and also maybe more of my more personal perspective of the region..  MIGHT.

(click here for the pdf version.)

Pastimes of the Digital Age

(Published in: Now! Jakarta January 2012)

It is impossible to deny the phenomenon of Finnish bird-throwing video game, Angry Birds. The game that was initially developed for Apple’s iPhone has now been downloaded over 350 million times through various platforms worldwide. There are thousands of other games developed for smart phones, but by far nothing has been able to compete with the popularity of Angry Birds. This touch screen-based game is now officially the most popular game in the world. Just look at all the plush toys and merchandises - even cupcakes and cookies - sold everywhere. Angry Birds even has its own Hollywood movie coming soon. The birds are, definitely, everywhere!

It is not an overstatement to say that Angry Birds or some other smart phone game might be one reason your child wants an iPad or other fancy gadget – or it could be the only reason. The game is addictive, even for adults. It is the perfect game to keep your thumbs and mind occupied while sitting in Jakarta traffic, the long queue for your movie ticket, or just basically anything that allows you an idle 2 to 5 minutes. The goal is to blast all the pigs on the map using the limited provided birds. The rewards are high scores and advancement to the next level. Every Angry Bird addict knows how it feels to see each level on the map marked with three yellow stars – it is the thrill of achievement.

Angry Birds Pizza!