My Time Capsule: October 2012

31.10.12

Indonesia: 15 Photos of Sunset in Bali

Sunset in Bali

As far as I remember, I've always loved watching the skies change colour during sun rising and sun setting. It just feels magical to me. I don't really get to see sunrise a lot though, since I go to bed every night (or morning?) just few hours before the sun appears on the horizon.

Watching sunset is a "must do" for almost all visitors to Bali. And because I live in Bali, I have the privilege to experience gorgeous sunset moment almost everyday. Not necessarily watching the sundown below the horizon. The beautiful gradients in the sky colour is enough to mesmerise me.

I love watching sunset from a secluded place where I can sit in peace and absorb the moment without too many people around. So while these famous places in Bali are beautiful, some of them are not on my favourite list to catch the sunset.


Kuta Beach
I have to admit that it's on top of my least favourite beach in Bali. In fact I avoid this area at all cost. In my opinion, Kuta is just way too crowded and noisy. If you're a party person, there...you will love this area. But if you want to experience the real Bali such as its culture, it's better to explore other areas. Please don't judge Bali if the only place you've been is Kuta. Trust me, Bali has so much more to offer :)

 Kuta beach


Jimbaran Beach
A place that's famous for seafood dinner by the beach. There are many restaurants to choose which serve equally same seafood menu. The ambiance is pretty good here for a romantic candle light dinner. My favourite spot for sunset in Jimbaran is next to Kedonganan traditional fish market which is less crowded.

Jimbaran beach


Tanah Lot
One of most popular places in Bali to watch sunset. Famous for its temple, Tanah Lot is visited by tons of tourists everyday. When it's not cloudy, you will enjoy a stunning sunset here.

Tanah Lot


Pura Luhur Uluwatu
Gorgeous scenery with a temple on the edge of steep cliff. It's one of most important temples in Bali. You can watch Kecak dance which perform every day at 6pm while the sun setting. Oh by the way, beware of those naughty monkeys!

NO! of course they are not the monkeys I was talking about :p

Pura Uluwatu


Serangan Island
Known as Turtle island it's a small island not far from Sanur. I think not too many tourists visit this island where you can find a turtle conservation centre. I found a spot here where it feels so serene and the sky is beautiful during the sun setting. Also a great spot to watch moonrise.


sunset in Serangan island

that's the real colour of the sky. No photoshop needed




Lembeng Beach
A black sand beach just 15 minutes away from Sanur area. Located on highway of  Profesor Ida Bagus Mantra.
 
Lembeng beach


Nusa Dua
Located at the southern tip of Bali. There's one place called Waterblow which is actually a great place to
watch sunrise. But I like being here for sunset too, even though I can't see the sun setting but usually the sky  turns into stunning colour after the sun disappears.


new statue, unfinished yet

burning skies at Waterblow


Tegalwangi Beach
A beach that lately has been so famous for a pre-wedding or fashion spread photo shoot. It used to be a hidden beach before. Where you can enjoy magnificent sunset with no one else around but now it's getting quite crowded specially on the weekends. Located near to Ayana Resort.

Tegalwangi beach


Watu Klotok Beach
I've just found this hidden beach last week on the way home from Kesumba beach. I was driving along the highway of Profesor Ida Bagus Mantra when I saw a signboard pointing to this beach. I didn't expect to see a sunset here because this beach in on east side of Bali. Turned out it was one of most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in Bali

Watu Klotok beach

I paint a picture with my camera


Where's your favourite sunset spot in Bali ?

24.10.12

Italy: Rome At A Glance

Italy, March 2012

"Rome is just a tiny city, I would only need one or two days maximum to explore the whole area". That's what I thought before I visited Rome. Oh boy, was I wrong ! After spending one day in Vatican City, I had only 3 days left for Rome which certainly was not enough. There were too many things to do and see in such a little time.
Note to self: Do more research before planning a trip!

Here's some highlights of my trip to Rome. Later I will write some other blog posts to tell you more about these places.

beautiful sunrise in Rome

Buongiorno ! (good morning)


the Colosseum from an ant's point of view

Triumphal arch of Constantine

Trevi Fountain

Capuchin Crypt


Porchetta - grilled pork, Italian style

wild berry tart

so who looks better in Oakley sunnies? Pinocchio or me ?

lunch by the lake of Nemi

purrrrr.....mewww (translates: ciao!)

Madonna del Divino Amore

sunset in Ostia, the harbour city of Rome

Penis pasta !!! Have you ever tried ?


So which one would you like to read the story about ? Which photo is your favourite ?

9.10.12

Singapore: Food Porn

Warning! Don't read this post on an empty stomach. The risk is all yours.

I visit Singapore at least twice every year for my parent's health check up. What I love the most about visiting Singapore is the food. Singapore’s multi-cultural diversity is reflected in the variety of local cuisine it has to offer, from Chinese to Malay, Indian to Peranakan. It's a small country but they have a seriously  huge variety of food. I do need quite sometime to decide what to eat because of the abundance of choice. These are some of my favourite food in Singapore:


Fried Hokkien Mee
Fried Hokkien Mee. Mixed of yellow egg noodles and rice vermicelli which are cooked in seafood stock and added with prawns, squid, egg and beansprout. Add some lime juice or chili to your liking.



Oyster Omelette
Oyster Omelette. Egg batter which is whisked with potato starch to give it a thicker consistency. Oysters are added just before serving to avoid to be overcooked. A savoury sauce or chili sauce may then be poured on top of the omelette for added taste.



Singapore BBQ Chicken Wings
BBQ Chicken Wings. You can find this in many hawker centre or food courts, find a stall with some rows of chicken wings glistening and turning on a roasting spit. Best eaten hot and share with some friends or family as a snack or appetiser. The crispy thin skin is so tasty, take a bite to those tender meat and the juice will slowly flow out of it into your mouth *gulp*



Roasted delights
What can I say ? I think the picture says it all. It's for those who can't live without meat. You can choose from roast chicken, roast duck, roast suckling pig, to Char Siew (honey glazed BBQ pork). Served either on rice or noodle. My favourites are roast duck on rice and the crispy suckling pig. It also can be found everywhere in Hong Kong.



Pig's Organ Soup
Pig's Organ Soup. The broth is boiled with a mix of pig offal including liver, heart, intestines, stomach, as well as pork meat slices, strips of salted vegetables and a sprinkle of chopped onion leaves and pepper. Maybe it sounds gross for those who doesn't eat organ (of course I'm talking about animal organ, DUH!), but I have to have this everyday if possible. Because we don't have it here in Indonesia :(





Fish ball Soup
Fish ball soup. Usually served with rice noodles in a light fish-flavoured broth. The fish ball are spongy and springy, delicious !



Fried goodies


Laksa
Laksa. Thick rice vermicelli cooked in a rich and spicy coconut gravy with prawn, egg and sometimes with the addition of chicken, bean curd puffs or fish cake . This is a Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese) influenced dish.


Grilled Scallops


Assorted Satay
Satay. Assorted marinated meat on skewers which then grilled and dip in the peanut sauce. The choices of meat are chicken, beef, pork or mutton. Served with sliced raw cucumber and onions, along with ketupat (rice cakes steamed in woven coconut leaves).



Steamed Gong Gong in Spicy Sauce
Gong Gong is edible sea snails which is steamed and served with chili sauce. It's a bit tricky dish because you'll need a toothpick to get the snail out from its shell. The snail is chewy but I couldn't stop eating this, it's a good exercise for your jaw *nom nom nom*



Grilled Stingray
Grilled Stingray. The fish is coated with chili paste which are the mixture of spices, chili, shallots and belachan (fermented shrimp paste). Then it is wrapped in banana leaves and grilled to perfection with lovely aroma.



Fried Mantao & Chili Crab
Chili Crab. This one is so yummy. It's a national signature of Singapore and most visitors would at least try this once while visiting Singapore. Too yummy. The crab is cooked in thick spicy chili-tomato gravy. Yummy ! Best eaten with fried Mantao buns. Eh, have I mentioned that it's soooo yummy ?



Durian, the King of Fruits :D



SG $1 Ice Cream
I love love love this ice cream. It's so simple yet addicting. There are several ice cream carts along the Orchard Road with different brands. My favourite brand is Magnolia. You choose your preference flavour and with bread or crispy thin waffle to go with your ice cream. Only SG $1, so cheap !



Fruit Rojak
Rojak. A local kind of salad which consist of fruits, dried tofu, dough fritters, some vegetables and dried cuttlefish which are tossed in a prawn paste sauce topped with crushed peanuts. The taste is a delicious mix of sweet, spicy, sour and savoury flavors. Psstt.....this is a secret but I eat this everyday during my stay in Singapore. Well OK, sometimes even twice a day :p



Pastries from Bread Society

Chocolate Pizza from Max Brenner Cafe


So which one would you like to try ?Or what's your favourite food in Singapore?

1.10.12

Belgium: A Groping Incident in Brussels

Belgium, March 2012

That day didn't start well. I've made a booking online a day tour from Amsterdam to Brugge, Belgium and paid €60 per person. I arrived at the meeting point not far from Amsterdam Central Station at 9am. When I handed my voucher, the operator told me that there won't be any tour to Brugge that day. Apparently the website I've booked the tour from has put some wrong information. I was trying to reach the call centre but it didn't go through. I was so bummed, I've been wanting to visit Brugge for long. The operator offered to change the tour for the next day which I declined. Because I was supposed to fly to Rome the next day. So in the end I took a day tour to Brussels and Antwerp instead. I've been to Brussels before but I thought it's better than nothing to do at all.

Antwerp

Antwerp
First destination was Antwerp, the second largest city in Belgium. It took about 2 hours from Amsterdam by bus. We were given 3 hours to explore the central Market Square and surroundings. I spent most of the time admiring the beautiful architecture of Cathedral of Our Lady. I managed to grab a quick lunch before gather with the rest of the group. We then headed to Brussels the Capital of Belgium and is the administrative heart of the European Union,  which can be reached in less than 1 hour.

beautiful tinted window inside Cathedral of Our Lady

perfect vehicle for city tour :p

there was a parade but not sure what event was it

view of the Cathedral from afar


Brussels

Atomium

Arriving in Brussels, we made a quick photo stop at the Atomium, an impressive colossus, which was inaugurated in occasion of the 1958 World Fair. Next stop was the Grand Place or Main Market Square, we were given 4 hours to do some shopping and sightseeing. The square was very crowded. A lot of people were enjoying the sunny day with their family or friends. Do you know that Belgium is very famous for lace and chocolate? We bought like tons of dark chocolate and pralines from one of many shops there.

Brussels Town Hall

Grand Place


Manneken Pis as a surgeon
We also visited the famous landmark of Brussels which is Manneken Pis. A sculpture of naked little boy who has been urinating into the fountain's basin since 1618 (that's a very long time, lol). The statue is dressed in costume several times each week. His wardrobe consists of several hundred different costumes, many of which may be viewed in a permanent exhibition inside the City Museum, located in the Grand Place.

There are a lot of souvenir shops in that area. My sister and I decided to get into one of the shop to buy some souvenirs. I was browsing around the items when the shopkeeper walked towards me to say "Hi". He was standing very close to me when I felt that his elbow brushed my breast. I stared at him and he was still talking nonsense, showing me some items I didn't interested in. He then took a T-shirt and pretended to measure whether it fits me or not. I was about to walk away when suddenly I felt he squeezed my breast. In a split seconds I didn't know how to react, I was in shock!! I stared at him while he was grinning like a mad cow. I was furious and wanted to punch him on the face but all I've done was just cursing %^#@*(*& !!
I quickly dragged my sister to get out from his shop. I really couldn't understand, I wasn't even wearing a revealing top or something flirty. I was just wearing a turtleneck sweater and jeans :(


screw you !! *beeb*

 I was very upset but I wouldn't let a pervert like him to ruin my day. And there's no better way to light up my mood other than food which is abundant in that area. I found an escargot cart opposite of the Manneken Pis. The snail is boiled in broth and butter, very delicious ! I also bought some Belgian waffle and fries which you have to try if you ever visited Belgium. My tummy was happy so I felt slightly better after that.

Biscuit heaven

escargot in broth and butter

Belgian waffles !



Have you ever experienced any kind of harassment while travelling ?

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