Purrfect Cat Cafe Penang

Holidays are over and I spent my first day of 2017 visiting Penang as a transit spot before heading back to Kuala Lumpur. I didn't have much to do during my stopover as I arrived Penang around 630pm from Kota Kinabalu and stayed at a chic hostel called "Syiok Hostel" at Jalan Chulia. A highly recommended place to stay with private quarters for an all female dormitory and shared bathroom. Free breakfast is included with the cost and taken on the top floor. Clean and tidy. Have to use hostel's indoor slippers to go around and your shoes are left outside. I loved the concept. Memang syiok lah! Haha.

I must say that the transportation in Penang is very convenient! The Rapid Penang buses are cheap and you can get around easily with just RM2.70, which is also the cost from Georgetown to the airport. And then there's UBER!

So where did I go in such a short time?

I read about Purrfect Cat Cafe from a map of Penang gotten from the airport. It wasn't that far away from Chulia street and decided to head there before my bus to KL at 12:30pm.

When I reached there, the cafe was still close. The time shown on my phone was 9:55am. Most of the shops were still closed except the Camera Musuem next to it. There were cats there too so I went to play with them first.

The cafe eventually opened around 10am and after looking around the cats' merchandise downstairs, I paid RM13.00 to enter the cat section upstairs. Hands washed and shoes left downstairs, I immediately started to capture some decent cat photos using my Huawei P9 Plus.

He's trying to tell me that he's the boss!

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Princess Treatment at Castle Inn Cappadocia

I first came to know of this "castle-like" accommodation from another travel blogger and decided to give it a try. Initially I wanted to stay at the highly tourist dense town of Goreme to be close to the UNESCO listed Goreme Open Museum but at the very last minute decided to check Ortahisar instead Well, after reading the short details on Castle Inn as read below on Booking.com with an impressive 9.4 score in reviews, you'd too would have a change of heart!

9.4 guys!!! 

"Located in the heart of Ortahisar district, Castle Inn Cappadocia has a unique architecture with a stone-built structure. The property offers a terrace with views over the town, and arched or cave rooms with authentic interiors and modern amenities. The rooms of Castle Inn Cappadocia are equipped with orthopaedic beds and pillows. They all have a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, free Wi-Fi, a minibar, free table PC, a phone with free local calls, and an electric kettle with complimentary coffee, black herbal tea. All rooms have a fireplace and some rooms offer a private spa bath. Daily breakfast is served as an open buffet with local products. You can enjoy your breakfast in the authentic breakfast room with an arched ceiling. 

Goreme Open Air Museum is within 2 km. Nevsehir Cappadocia Airport is 40 km away"

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Travel Nightmare : Sleeping at Hanoi International Airport

To Moscow With Love - Day 1 - Sleeping at Hanoi International Airport 

This is a long overdue post continuing from this post.

I was in the state of "not properly healed" but my soul was souring when I first checked-in for my flight to Moscow with an overnight transit in Hanoi. Knowing that my parents would be worried if I didn't update them before my departure, I decided to post a picture on my Instagram and Facebook instead. I think I was too bummed to reply the  good-wishers. Hehe. #maafSombong

Posted with the #sickGirlGoesTravelling hashtag on Facebook. 

Traveling alone in my state of health (at that time) was not a situation to be joking about. I brought with me all the medicine that the hospital prescribed me and also all the needed lotions to keep my skin moisturized. I was heading to a cold country and my skin was extra sensitive that time.

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10 Things To Do in Palembang Besides Shopping

I spent about four days in Palembang with no intentions whatsoever to go shopping. I didn't realize until just recently that I have many friends who lives in Palembang and I decided to pay them a visit. And while visiting, they introduced me to these spots below which I considered sharing with my blog readers.

1. Have lunch with a local... guy.. :P

It was not intended but I had to buy this poor lad a meal for helping to fetch me from the airport (arranged by a friend of mine who was out of town) and sending me to my friend's place!

Here's dedek Irwin, fresh from college. 

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Kalibiru, at the Edge of the World

(continuing from the previous post here)

Our chat, weeks before my arrival in Jogjakarta...

Friend whom I had a crush on : Just list down the places you want to visit in Jogja.
Me : Dieng!
Friend : Dieng? Ok aja!

Our chat a day before my arrival...

Friend : We have to skip Dieng. It's raining and not advisable.
Me : ok #sadface
Friend : Where else? On Saturday, do you mind going to Kalibiru?
Me : Ok. I'll just follow whatever your plans are. :)

I googled Dieng... found pictures exactly like this one that I personally took. It was LOVELY! 

(Later we found out there were some landslides in the Dieng area and I was glad we didn't end up going there.)

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Yogyakarta, a Foolish Girl's Dream Come True

Do you know that feeling when you have  a crush on this person since the first time you've met (early 2013) making your knees weak and face flushed whenever you're in his presence? It took about some time to finally realize that these reactions were immature and down-right foolish. Hahaha.

And to top that foolishness, I also secretly harbored a dream to ride on a motorbike with him and explore mountains, beaches and waterfalls together. Yeahh.. my head is full of horse shit. How to behave myself around him with these thoughts in my head? LOL!

But as months past... (a whole year even!) and having traveled with many people sometimes alone with the opposite sex whom I trust my life and honor with and who became great friends, I suddenly garnered the courage to befriend my crush, minus the foolish thoughts. :)

So one fine day, when browsing for cheap airline tickets online, I chanced upon a cheap RM125 return tickets to Yogyakarta, Indonesia. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that the guy I secretly admire is currently staying there. I decided to test if I could come there by messaging him, asking if he was free to host me.

................ few anxious moments later.............

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9 Countries in 17 Days (Full Itinerary with costs)

Lately, I've been receiving emails and questions on my previous trip to Russia and "other countries" which I didn't quite mention. Most of them requested an itinerary. Hehe. So to answer those inquisitive questions, I decided to answer it with a blogpost.

Day 1 : KLIA - Hanoi International Airport

26 September 2014 - via Vietnam Airlines to Hanoi on the 19:10pm flight. Flight took about 3 hours. I reached Hanoi at 21:15pm and slept at the airport. 

Airport transit time : almost 14 hours. T____T

Day 2 : Hanoi - Moscow, Russia

27 September 2014 - via Vietnam Airlines to Moscow on the 11:05am flight. Flight took about 9 hours. I reached Moscow at 17:55pm and made my way to Friday Hostel near Kitay Gorod Metro Station.

Day 3 : Moscow - St. Petersburg, Russia

28 September 2014 - via train 054Ч Grand Express at 23:30pm and arrive the next morning at 8:35am. Booking of this train ticket can be done here.
Places I covered : Free Walking Tour at 10.45 AM which covered : Varvarka Street, Romanovs Chambers, St. Basil’s Cathedral, Red Square, Lenin's Mausoleum, The Senate Palace, GUM, Kazan Cathedral, Moscow Hotel from the famous Stolichnaya Vodka cover, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Ruins Grotto, The Kremlin.
After the tour, I entered the Kremlin and went shopping at Arbat Street before checking out from my hostel to catch my train. :)

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To Moscow With Love

We have 24 hours per day and still people complain that they don't have enough time. But for me, I'll always find time to travel.But it gets annoying sometimes when people say it's because I have a lot of money when the reality is far from that.

All you have to do to travel are cutting costs and SAVE, SAVE and SAVE!

So it just happens.. that on the historic day, 21st of April 2014, which miraculously coincides with me receiving my salary and also "tunggakan dari Januari" for the increment in salary, that there was a Vietnam Airlines Sale on all international flights. There were flights to Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Moscow.. etc for rates under RM2,000!!

Say what?? Return flight tickets to Moscow for RM1,948.00??!!! I almost screamed in delirium. And many finger-tapping-on-keyboard moments later, I secured the tickets.

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A Roadtrip to West Sumatera - Part 2

Continuing from my previous post on Padang here... We just left Bukittinggi and headed to Batu Sangkar to visit the iconic Pagaruyung Palace.

My travelmates in front of the grandest Mingakabau palace - the Pagaruyuang.

Pagaruyung Palace

Rumah gadang, or also known as a grand palace is an icon of West Sumatera and can be found in many parts of the province. They are solid wooden structures, beautifully carved and has sweeping roofs with pointed ends. This is also known as the Minangkabau style.

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Padang, an Earth-quake and Tsunami Prone Town

Just finished a working paper on a RM7.5 mill project. Right after I emailed it to my boss, I inserted the original soundtrack of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty onto my PC rom and started to blog away. :)

Padang... a town of a thousand tremors. Tremors why? Yayan (our host) said that he has experienced more than two hundred small earth quakes since he last moved there last October. Surrounded by active volcanoes and mountains, and also so close to the Indian ocean, I now could see why Padang is prone to earthquakes.

Padang, big wide ocean on one side and mountains on the other side. Earthquake and tsunami prone!

I suddenly remembered the headlines in 2009, where more than 1000 people died in Sumatera due to a massive earthquake. Having a local recalling the events in detail to me was horrifying. Yayan showed me the part of Padang which is now known as 'kota mati', translated as dead town. Buildings were left empty as they shifted to higher ground, inland. Yayan also showed me the hotels that were greatly devastated by the earthquake, claiming more lives of tourists than locals during that fateful day. Some of the hotels were quickly rebuilt and changed names to bury the dreadful past, but the locals will always remember.

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The Unnamed Hill in Danau Singkarak

I'm still in the post-travel depression mode. Haha.

I was asked an interesting question during my most recent to Indonesia. I was asked which place in Indonesia that I've visited has moved me the most? The one place that gave me the deepest, long lasting impression (what-ever that means. Haha!) My first answer was Papuma Beach but after finishing my West Sumatera trip, I suddenly had a change of heart. :)

I flew to Padang without any itinerary in mind. Accommodation was settled and I was open to anything my Indonesians friends had in mind. This time, my friend from Palembang, Siti Nur was joining me.

Fast forward to the end of our third day there....

After an early ride to Kelok 44 (started our day at 4am in the morning!)...
... from there to Puncak Lawang.....
... and then to Danau Maninjau
....to Jam Gadang at Bukittinggi
... to Ngarai Sianok..
... to Istana Pagaruyuang...
... and ended our roadtrip at Danau Singkarak to enjoy a sunset.

The funny thing about this spot we have chosen is that there's no permanent trail to get there. Yayan (our host in Padang) had specifically researched this place and there was only one other group who has been here. We would be the second group. :P

A no man's land. We were attempting to climb this small hill to view sunset over Singkarak Lake.

Yayan had to ask at a road side stall selling noodle cups on where to start the climb. Later he led us the way, followed by me, then Siti Nur and last by Syahrial (Yayan's friend).

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A Non-Honeymooner Trip to Maldives

I was sitting with two men who were above 50 years old during tea time at my office. One of them began questioning me on my travels abroad. One of the questions that tickled my fancy started like below.

Uncle: So you went overseas alone to Maldives?
Me : Yes, sir.
Uncle : Heee'ehhh! If you're my daughter, I'd shackle your ankles and lock you in the house!
Me : =___="

Suddenly the other uncle chirped in after being quiet all the while.
Second uncle : I'll get her married instead!

And they both laughed out loud. Inside my head at that very moment... "Thank god my father isn't like these two uncles." Hahahahaha! (Ps: I love you dad. )

So Maldives ah? I went there before AirAsia terminated the route effective 1st of March 2014. I had some money left over after a friend paid his debt and mindlessly bought return tickets to Maldives, two weeks before it's route termination.

Frantic to find some hosts to take me in via Couchsurfing but to no avail, I decided to contact my friend who resides there whom I met during my 11 days training in India in 2012. He replied in good spirit that his sister can host me. So I looked forward to my Maldives trip with soaring spirits.

Until.....

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How to Survive a Solo Trip to Europe in Winter 2013

I have to give a hand to fellow traveler Mr Helmi for this idea of a blogpost. Hehe. And decided to go with it. There were several considerations when having only three months of up-front preparations before a trip to Europe, a cheap return ticket to Paris, and almost nill of savings!

I struggled hard to gain and save enough money just to make this dream of setting foot on European soil an unforgettable experience. My very first concern was money, money and more money. And then came the planning, routes and accommodations. I thank mr. Google for all the limitless information. :)

1. Earning enough money

I bought the tickets during an online Saudi Airlines airfare promo which costed under USD500 for return tickets to Paris. Traveling time - next three months! I had almost no savings in my account as I just came back from Korea and Australia the previous months and I panicked! Hahaha.

So how did I solve this? I sold everything that had value and slaved away as a driver or companion to elder people that needed my help. Please.. don't ask for details :)

By the end of three months, I gathered about RM3000 for the trip.

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Searching for Santa in Paris 2013

I think many of my friends on twitter already know my initial intention for going to Europe a few weeks ago. It was none other then to search for Santa so that I sit on his lap and make absurd wishes and experience snow! Snow, an impossible rarity in my part of the world. :P

I started my search the first thing I did in Paris. After setting my sights on Seine River and crossing over numerous bridges...

The Seine River that divides Paris into left and right banks.

.. and getting lost with funny signs to amuse me...

To cross the street or not, that is my question. Haha. 

... and gawked at naked statues in public parks...

OMG! And this is displayed in a PUBLIC area!! *snaps pictures to display in my PUBLIC blog*

...and failing miserably at taking selfies at the iconic Eiffel Tour. ...

I seriously don't know how that lamp post got there. Hahahahaha! 

...and finally... just finally... when I was at the verge of giving up hope in finding my Santa Claus...

I met him... ehh...

Do you dare to say he's fake in my face? How dare you? Hak hak hak =P

And my quest has been fulfilled. Next thing on my to-do list in Europe would be... looking for snow. Coming up soon.. 

Merry Christmas to all my family members, friends and readers who celebrates this and Happy New Year! Have you been naughty this year? If yes, don't dream getting a present from Santa!!

Happy traveling tweeps!

Preparing for my Winter Sonata Trip 2013

Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been preparing mentally and financially for this winter trip. This means taking extra workload (part-time jobs), selling off personal things on the net and researching for the cheapest itinerary possible.

The thing is... I'll be going during winter and I don't have the proper attire to withstand such cold weather. LOL. And so bit by bit, I'm buying things needed for this : heattach clothing from Uniqlo (the fleece, turtle-neck t-shirts are being sold at RM39.90 per piece), leather boots (Jusco is having a winter sale. Hiks), gloves (found at Sogo selling for RM9.90 each!), and a reliable down jacket (still looking for the cheapest one). Hopefully money invested in these will be re-used for my future hiking trips which might involve more snow. =P

So Jard, where are you heading to this December?

Lemme drop you a small hint in form of a picture. :D

Eiffel, I'm in love! #eh (pic taken from google search)

Oh, and why so quiet on twitter? Well... that's quite a complicated question. Haha! Currently having an intense feeling of deep affection for a certain some-one. Wakakaka! So am better off from twitter, else I'll be annoying a whole bunch of followers by my corny tweets. *ahh, jadi malu* Until of course, I'm able to neutralize this feeling. =P

Lastly, I wanna share this inspirational quote I found online.

Be crazy.
Be stupid.
Be silly.
Be weird.
Be whatever...
Because LIFE is too short to be anything but... HAPPY! Happy traveling tweeps! :)

Luna 1878 - Melbourne's Winter Night Market

I hopped on a train heading to Hurstbridge. Clinton Hill is situated right along that line. When I got there, I wasn't sure which exit to use but I only saw one. So.... Hahaha.

Little did I know there was an underground staircase just outside the station to the "other-side". My host, Soo Ying was panting while she dashed up the stairs to meet me. She was on her way to work and parked her car at the other side. She could've informed me but I might not know where to locate that underground staircase though. =P

We went to her car to store my heavy backpack and we hopped on another train into town. She usually parks her car there before going to work via train as it is more economically-wise. The parking fees in town are so expensive! And parking at this station is free!

A Victorian looking train station.

But the not so Victorian looking train. =P

First stop for me that day was her working place, a dainty Japanese restaurant on Bourke Street called Edoya. She invited me for a seafood dinner with her two colleagues. And furthermore, her place provides free Wi-Fi connection which is simply heavenly for me. :)

Sorry for the low quality of this picture. Used an ipad for this. :)

I was told there was a night market famously known as Luna 1878, being held every Wednesday night at Victoria Market. And Soo Ying asked a friend to accompany me there. I got a bit shy and decided to venture there alone. By walking there by myself. Haha. And instagramming as I went. Solitude is my friend. :)

I visited the famous Federation Square and Flinders Street during the night. Also enjoyed free Wi-fi there.  

Walked towards Queen Victoria Market from there and spotted some artsy alleys with graffiti (left picture). And when I reached the night market, it was crowded with people lining up to buy food! (right picture).

$69 for an artsy shirt is too much for my budget. But I love the ambiance of the place. =P

Concurrently with my visit to Melbourne, last August the Queen Victoria Market comes alive every Wednesday evening, transforming itself into a whimsical winter wonderland full of roving maestros, cabaret stars and stage delights. Thus the LIVE band below.

At one end of the market there was a LIVE band playing the newest hit song. ^__^

I found some stalls selling and serving sizzling hot plates, some exotic dishes made by local hands, and colorful desserts. Basically it was a great spot for youngsters to hang out. Enjoying food and music everywhere. I actually thought that they served free food there, what with all the super long queues I saw just to grab a bite. But lo and behold, it sure wasn't ordinary food they were selling there!

This my friend is hot soup in a bread, shaped as a coconut! You can peel of the bowl-like bread and eat with your soup! AUD 10 per bread bowl! 

I didn't want to go there empty-handed, or at least in this case, an empty stomach! Eh! So I lined up with the other fellow Aussies/immigrants/tourists/whatever and bought this waffle strawberry ice cream for AUD 8.

And so my night in Melbourne is complete! Muahahaha! 

Good music. Good food (albeit expensive), I soon made my exit and headed back to Soo Ying's restaurant so that we can head to her house together. 

So long Luna 1878!! Till we meet again!! :*

The entrance and exit into the area. Luna 1878, celebrating the night! :)

Day 1 in Melbourne - Understanding the Transport System

I stayed at a quieter area located south-east of Melbourne's city center. It is reachable by both trams and trains. The only bus I rode on was the one that reads Melbourne Visitor Shuttle on it which is free! Else all other transport needs a myki card to access.

My journey in Australia started with me purchasing an OPUS simcard from Sydney's international airport before flying off to Melbourne a few hours later. I paid AUD 15 for unlimited calls and internet connection for the next 8 days. I thought it was a perfect deal! And I needed a local simcard to contact my couchsurfing host in Melbourne.

Once I reached Melbourne, I took the SkyBus situated some where outside the arrival hall. $17 one way from the airport to Southern Cross Station.

Just look for the red box like the picture above for a ride into town. :)

While on the bus, surprisingly, a man of Cambodian ethnicity sat beside me. I knew this after we started a conversation. He told me of how he escaped Pol Pot's cruel regime via boat and washed upon Malaysia's shores before being deported to Australia. He told me that Malaysian ringgit was equivalent to Singaporean dollar at that time. I was also filled in on how Australia helped refugees like him get an education, a job and citizenship in Australia. I was spellbound and deeply touched by his story and respected the government of Australia more for helping people like him :)

In all retrospect of things I've learnt from my 8 days stay in Australia is that in one sense, Australia is a country made of and by refugees. Where-ever I went, I'd see Asian/Middle East faces here and there. Even the earliest white settlers were in chains, sent there as convicts because the prisons in their original country were too full. Later-on, many later settlers were people who were either in flight from a hostile country or in search for a better future. It is said that about 650,000 'sponsored' refugees resettled in  Australia after World War II. This proves Australia to be very generous in providing a safe haven for refugees. While doing some history check, I also found this interesting site on Refugees Who Have Made a Difference.

20 minutes later... I reached Southern Cross Station. It was humongous!

Southern Cross Station, the third busiest major railway station in Melbourne.

I later contacted Soo Ying Oi via SMS and she sent me directions to where we would meet. Before using the trains here, I first had to purchase a myki card and reload it. Unlimited usage per day to any stations in Zone 1 costs me AUD 3.50 and AUD 7.00 for Zone 2 during weekdays. And during weekends, all stations in both zones will cost only AUD 3.50. 

This card enables me to use all the trains in Zone 1 in one day. 

I bought the card at a ticket counter in Southern Cross Station and it comes with a booklet that contains the train network map. You could also see the zones as denoted in yellow and blue respectively in the picture below.

Map taken from here. 

After getting my bearings sorted out, I then headed to Clinton Hill Train Station to meet up with my host. That will be on my next post. :)

Till then, happy traveling tweeps!

Surviving a Trip to Australia Alone

I mindlessly joined a friend to book a flight to Sydney for August. It was during one of those AirAsia's sales where you get two tickets for the price of one. Australia was one of their chosen destinations. :)

But in truth... nope....

I never thought I'd be going to Australia this year. Like ever! Haha!

It was a last minute impulse decision and I get to pay for the tickets in monthly installments. The tickets costed me RM831 all-in for a two-way ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Sydney. Fortunately, with the monthly installment plan (ha ha!), I get to pursue more pressing financial issues such as buying a local flight ticket from Sydney to Melbourne. Since I'll be going to Australia, why not cover Melbourne as well? Right? So my plan was 3 nights in Melbourne, 1 night on a bus and 2 nights in Sydney. 8 days in total. :)

Thus these are how I survived the expensive Australia (to fit my budget)

1. Couchsurfing

This was the very first thing I thought of before braving this trip. Couchsurfing! I went to search for hosts straight away once my tickets were bought. Sydney proved to be difficult and resulted of me getting more offers from males instead of females (especially from those who live alone in big apartments. SCARY!). So I ended up booking a hostel dorm instead. :(

Melbourne? Well,  I get to stay at a two-room apartment, hosted by Su Ying Oi and her sister at a suburban area just outside of Melbourne. A struggling student, paying off her tuition fees by working two to three jobs per day in mid-town Melbourne, I couldn't help but to adore and love her dedication! :)

Me with Su Ying at Brighton Beach, Melbourne. She's also a solo traveler cum photographer,

2. Drinking water straight from the taps!

Both Sydney and Melbourne sports clean local bathrooms. So all I needed was an empty water bottle and when-ever I'm thirsty or out of water, I'd just fill in my plastic bottle with tap water. Mostly from the public bathrooms! Haha. If not, I'd have to fork out about AUD 3 for a bottled mineral water. That's just too expensive for me!

Free tap water vs. AUD 3.00 bottled water

3. Opted in taking a GOR day tour instead of renting a car

I've researched ways to visit the Great Ocean Road. Some of my twitter friends actually suggested renting a car. But since I'd be traveling alone, I opted a local tour instead, costing me AUD 120. An additional $21 because I wanted a bus with free Wi-Fi on board. =P

My tour guide for GOR. I forgot her name but she loves saying "Woo-Hoo!". Hehe.

All types of day tours from various operators can be made from Melbourne Visitor Center near Federation Square in Melbourne. I booked mine there after browsing through various operators. You could also get free information, do your travel bookings and also buy souvenirs, though it's a bit costly. And it's actually situated underground. Woo-hoo!

4. Use free transport when-ever available

Do mind the time in which the free bus or tram services ends. It doesn't operate until night time. I used the free shuttle bus in Melbourne to get around. And spent most of my time in the bus sight-seeing and only gone down to Victoria's market. Hehehe. 

This is where I first boarded the free Melbourne Visitor Shuttle. Stops can be read here. 

5. Booked all local transportations beforehand in Malaysia and via online.

I booked via Jetstar for an airplane ticket from Sydney to Melbourne (AUD 60++)

Then I booked via Greyhound to book an overnight bus from Melbourne to Sydney. I wanted to try out different ways of transport in Australia. Hehe. (AUD 75++)

My first experience with Jetstars from Sydney to Melbourne. :)

6. Joined a FREE city walking tour in Sydney

I didn't get to pay anything because it turned out I didn't have small change to tip the delightful tour guide. :(

The meeting point was at 10:30 am near the town city hall and a guy in a green t-shirt will greet us. Once a crowd has gathered, we'd follow the guided walking tour of Sydney from there to the rocks and ends at Circular Quay.

I was given this free map at the hostel I stayed in. 

Once I got my bearings straight, I can now roam Sydney at my own leisure. Oh, I also used the free bus shuttle here that goes by the number 555. 

7. Opted a day tour to Blue Mountains

I studied the details of each itineraries of various operators and decided one that allowed me to get close and personal with a real life koala and feed the kangaroos. Everything else seemed to not matter. Hahaha. But since it included the Blue Mountains and a free pick-up from my hostel, I just couldn't resist it anymore.

So with a tour bus to the Blue Mountains, I go! Costs incurred = AUD 109 (AUD 99 if booked online)

The 20 seater bus that I rode on. Luckily it was a small group that day. Only 12 people including me. :)

And thus I end my survival tips in Australia. All ground tours and hostel costs were paid in cash while I was there. I brought only AUD 500 which is deemed a lot by my fellow friend who went to Sydney with me but had a completely different itinerary. Haha. We met only on the last day where I got treated with Kangaroo Burger! Yummmm!!

Till my next post. Happy traveling guys! Will be boarding a plane to Korea in less then two weeks! :)

Getting Crazy at Jember Fashion Carnival 2013

From Jombang and then head back to Surabaya via bus to team up with a few couchsurfers to share car rental, an Avanza, to Jember, just to see a fashion carnival. The total trip took almost 10 hours on the road.

Was it worth it?

Apart from getting to spend a night on a beautiful beach (Papuma as blogged here), I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Picture taken hours later after that spectacular sunrise at Papuma Beach.

We headed to Jember a wee bit after 10 am. Got lost trying to locate the house that belongs to a friend of my Surabaya CS's host. Sadly I forgot his name. But he has a big house and many bathrooms. We took our own sweet time recharging all our electronic devices and taking bathes ( we haven't bath since yesterday morning! hahaha!)

Recharged, bathed, watched some TV, have eaten.... We only came to the carnival's venue just after zuhur. And lo and behold! The crowds that gathered were overwhelming!

I can't see how a parade is going to pass here without being harassed. hehe. 

We actually walked from my friend's house to the roadside above which is situated near the end of the 3.6km route for the catwalk as seen in the picture below - Jl. Gajah Mada. Most of my friends were near the starting point of the catwalk so we met some where in the middle. :)

Not shown in the picture were the many food stalls and walking salesmen selling stuff to the big crowds by the roadsides. They even managed to set up small tables and seats for potential customers. Hehe. So creative!

The routes were closed to specifically allow the models garbed in their costumes to do the 3.6km catwalk! [source]

So all we did was to wait for the models to come.........

... and I was in for a BIG surprise!

I didn't imagine that the costumes would be this BIG! 

Imagine these models walking 3.6KM with a heavy thing on their backs! I was filled with high respect for their sheer dedication in making this carnival successful. And the models were all SMILES despite the weight, pushing crowd and heat from the afternoon sun! ^__^

Thankfully, some models had some help which involves wheels and some pushers. Hehe

I believe he was showing an artistic expression. *thinking*

Some including myself, thought the backs of the models has much more to offer. Haha.

There were several themes of this fashion carnival, each accompanied by a truck with loud audio-speakers and a mixer. So through-out the parade, we'll be hearing loud music. Different according to each theme.

The sound master at his mixer on top of the many trucks that spun past me.

The only theme that I could remember correctly (since it's featured on the official webpage. Haha) is the Bamboo theme! And also because the colors reminded me of my mother whose favorite color is green.:)

Still all smiles even when he's nearing the end of the catwalk.

That is one large bamboo themed costume. Hehe

With that I end my post on the vibrancy of Jember Fashion Carnival 2013.

And guess what?

I'm certainly coming back NEXT YEAR! InsyaAllah. :)

Papuma Beach, a Heaven on Earth

Last month, I spent a week in Indonesia before flying off to Australia the following week. I truly wished I'd be still traveling for months after that but alas, it was only wishful thinking before I'm slapped with REALITY. :(

Although I enjoyed the cold weather of Batu in Malang, the friendly chanter of locals in Jombang and the famous Fashion Festival of Jember but staying the night at Papuma Beach hits my heart the most. The sun that met me in the morning was to die for and climbing up a hill to view the other-side simply took my breath away. :)

The ultimate fun thing about traveling solo is that I'm not tied with anyone and I can change my itinerary anytime to my heart's desire. Many unplanned stuff happened during my Jawa trip and it only made it more awesomer!

Random thing #1

I was totally prepared to sleep here. on the "tables" of cafes found there. Haha! 

Sleeping at the beach. Initially we (I was with a group of couchsurfers from Surabaya, renting a car together to Jember) planned to sleep in town. That didn't happen. After asking around to find a proper place to sleep, we found out that ALL the chalets and rooms were unavailable. And since we simply didn't want to rent a tent, we eventually ended up sleeping anywhere possible. Including on the sandy beach of Papuma with the moon and the stars high above us!

Random thing #2

I saw a butt naked fisherman when a group of boats came during late at night to bring in their catches. Boy was I shocked! *tutup mata* I thought what I saw was a trick to the eye (not that I'm horny btw)  but my travel-mate who was sitting beside me attested to what I saw when he saw it too! *pengsan* Sorry peeps! No picture! I'm no PERV!

Random thing #3

Waking up to see this wonderful view!!! What with the lack of sleep the night before and uncomfortable sleeping conditions, I doubted that I'd be able to wake up early! hahaha!

For the love of life! This is the most beautiful sunrise ever!! Like EVER!! *over*

And while acting like an imbecile who never seen a sun before, snapping selfies, I suddenly became aware that I was being watched. Embarrassing so that when I looked up it was Andreyongs!! The famous couchsurfer of Jember! (Handsome stud too!) =P

Andre (the guy in red) was so nice to come and meet my new friends. He even helped them with an issue regarding Ijen. Thanks Andre!

Oh god.. that was embarrassing being caught snapping pictures of self. Gahh!!

The whole gang watching the sun in the horizon. I'm the one in chocolate by the way. :)

Random thing #4

We did some climbing. I didn't know what to expect because I didn't do any google search on this beach and the spectacular view totally surprised me. I was totally smitten with the whole place! Love! Love! Love!

I mean LOOK. AT. THAT!!! PS: Don't look at me. *shy*

And if I turned my head to the right, I'll be greeted with another awesome view!

Paradise on earth!!! 

I mean, just look at the color of the ocean!! It's so BLUE!!! I was almost tempted to just jump over the cliff and meet the blue waves below. Haha!

See!! You see what I see!! So BLUE!!!

Yeahh.. I guess after much  ohhhhing and aahhingg.. the hunger pang in my stomach finally started to sink in. What better to end my trip to heaven on earth than by eating Indonesian's most favorite dish ~ IndoMie! And also because I'm a cheapskate. So. 

Fried IndoMie!!! Muahaha

After having our breakfast fill, we finally headed to Jember to attend the prestigious International Fashion Carnival. That will be on my next post. *hopefully* =P

Till then, happy traveling!