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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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  its 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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When Tama, my 1st Indonesian friend whom I met in Jakarta airport left for Bandung, I killed my time  at  Gambir train station. Blame it on the “girly thing”, the pain is starting to impair me so I couldn’t explore the rest of Jakarta.  It was already drizzling when I walked out of the train station to the National Monument of  Indonesia (MONAS) in Merdeka Square, which was built  in memory of  the heroes’ battle against colonization.  The tower of MONAS is shaped like a flame symbolizing the undying spirit of  Indonesians (it reminds  me of the Quezon Monument in Quezon City Circle) while the pillar symbolizes a rice pestle and the cup as a rice barn which is indicative of an agricultural country and symbol of  Indonesian’s fertility.

I couldn’t figure out the entrance to MONAS and I think the tourist in front of me sporting a Nikon camera is having a hard time as well.

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