The Pinay Solo Backpacker

“To baptize him after a Hindu god must be of paramount importance“, I murmured while trudging the surprisingly cold sea of sand known locally as Laut Pasir in my cheap flip-flops.

Mt. Bromo is an active volcano that lies in Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park.  The unique volcanic activity of Mt. Tengger created the five volcanoes in the massif namely: Mt. Batok, Mt.Kursi, Mt. Watangan, Mt.Widodaren and the famous Mt.Bromo.

I was with throngs of foreign and local tourists, mostly the oldies; some of them opted for a more convenient pony ride for Rp20, 000.  Poor ponies!  But you can’t really blame the locals because that’s how they earn their living.
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A friend asked me, ” With all the countries that you’ve been to, where would you like to return?”

I’ve only been to a few, and I would say for now, it’s Indonesia.  I’ve never felt  so genuinely welcomed than in  Java. (more…)

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It was cold and dark when I got off the 4×4 jeep .  A raw and strengthening wind is funneling down  the highlands straight into our faces. I wore every piece of cloth I found in my backpack ;  a thin sports jacket, with 4 shirts inside, still I’m freezing, my feet is also exposed, I’m only wearing a  cheap flip flops and it’s freezing cold at 5 degrees!  ”Rp10,000“, the old woman vendor is handing me a winter jacket for rent, I was tempted to buy but like I said, I have few cash left.

Teeth chattering and body shaking, I  traversed the uphill climb towards the sunrise view deck in Mount Penanjakan with 2 European girls on a backpacking trip during Italy holidays. (more…)

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After a grueling 10 hour  road trip from Yogyakarta we finally arrived in Probolinggo, a city on the north coast of  East Java, Indonesia. I can see the wide smile of the poor driver.  Imagine he had not eaten a full meal because our tire broke down and he had to fix it while we we’re all having lunch, though I handed him some chips  it wasn’t enough to satisfy his hunger.

Upon arriving in Probolinggo, we we’re gathered for a quick briefing, then we we’re transferred to another van to head to our hotel in Cemoro Lawang, a small town in the top of a hill to the north-east of the Mount Bromo (East Java), Indonesia. (more…)

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Prambanan temple photo

The sun was shining at the towering pointed aspires of  Prambanan temple. Legend  has it  that the largest  Hindu temple in Indonesia is a story of  love and  it’s fulfillment is owed to revenge.  I was dwarfed by the grandeur of  the temples whilst I was surrounded by history and lush manicured greenery… it’s as if time stood still.

Prambanan  temple depicts a masterpiece of the Hindu temple architecture in its classic glory. (more…)

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“We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.”
— Hermann Hesse (Siddhartha)-

Originally, Buddhism was not a religion, but a doctrine that explained the steps to reaching Nirvana, a release from life’s misery. My curiosity about Buddhism started back in high school when  I found a classic book in my grandmother’s house ” Siddhartha” by Herman Hesse, one of my favorite books to date.  I  never expected that when I grow up, I will come face to face with a Buddhist sanctuary because I thought that traveling outside the country is only for the rich.  The world famous UNESCO World Heritage Site -> Borobudur Temple known locally as Candi Borobudur (candi means ancient temple),  is an ancient Buddhist pilgrimage site carved out of volcanic stones during the reign of the Sailendra dynasty in Central Java. The temple actually sits between two volcanoes;  Sundoro-Sumbing and Merbabu-Merapi.

Indonesia broke my practice of not joining packaged tours, (more…)

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Gang I and Gang II in Jalan Sosrowijayan (Jalan means street) are the backpacker’s haven in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.  You can actually walk from the Tugu train station up to these streets. I made the mistake of  getting a cab to Gang II, should’ve just walked or took a becak.  Becak is a pedicab, a transportation mode for short distances such as residential areas where the driver is sitting at the back of the passenger.

From the main entrance of the train station, you can turn right and cross the railroad towards Jalan Malioboro.  (more…)

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