India: Petualangan si Neng di India

Jujur aja ya Aa dan Teteh sekalian, Neng mah sudah suka sama film India teh dari zaman heubeul, dari zaman si Neng masih sakola TK sampai sekarang oge masih suka pisan.

Film India yang pertama Neng tonton teh film yang ada gajah na. Lupa judulna apa, tapi Neng inget sediiiiiiih pisan nontonnya. Kalau gak salah yang mainnya teh Mithun Chakraborthi. Dia teh yang terkenal di film Disco Dancer. Mungkin ada yang pernah dengar lagu "Jimmy Aaja Aaja" hits dari film Disco Dancer?

Tak disangka tak dinyana, si Akang nawarin buat jalan-jalan ke India sekalian nemuin temen-temen kerjana. Oh girang tiada tara hati si Neng ini. Segera kami teh cari tiket murah. Ternyata tiket Jakarta - India lumayan murah. Berangkat dari Jakarta - KL - Goa cuman kisaran 800ribu dan pulangnya 900ribu per orang.

sering-sering si Neng joget Bollywood di India

Kata si Akang mending jangan bawa banyak barang biar gampang jalan-jalannya. Jadi berbekal tas ransel kecil dan tas slempang, si Neng berangkat ke India. Kebetulan si Neng penggemar film India dari kecil dan suka tuturutan (belajar) bahasana dari film. Tujuan si Neng cuman satu, ketemu Aa Shahrukh. Semenjak nonton film Bazigar si Neng sudah jadi penggemar Aa Shahrukh.

Yang Biru punya Neng, item punya Akang

Sayangnya begitu si Neng sampai Mumbai dari Goa, ternyata Aa Shahrukh berangkat dari Mumbai ke Goa untuk merayakan ulang tahunnya di Goa. Atuhlah kan Neng jauh-jauh buat nemuin Aa. Kirain teh bisa tiup lilin bareng-bareng.

Si Neng di Mumbai dgn dandanan ala India

Di Mumbai, Neng sama Akang numpang hidup di rumah temennya si Aa. Alhamdulilah ya Allah, Neng sama Akang bisa berhemat. Mumbai teh ternyata tidak sekotor yang selalu digambarkan di berita. Kalau liat Mumbai berasa liat Bandung area Kiara Condong atau Jakarta area Pasar Baru. Rame dan sibuk, tapi gak terlalu kotor. Tapi duh gusti panasnya seperti Cirebon atau area pantai utara.

Si Neng joget Bollywood di Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Dari Mumbai, Neng sama Akang pindah ke Jaipur. Di Hawa Mahal (Istana Jendela), Neng mah nangis da. Bukan kenapa-kenapa, cuman terharu dengan betapa megahnya. Di kampung Neng mah gak ada yang begituan teh. Istana yang berwarna pink tua dihiasi banyak jendela dan kaca berwarna. Indah sekali. Jendelanya banyak sengaja biar selir-selir dan putri-putri raja bisa melihat keluar tanpa terlihat dari luar. Iya menurut Eneng mah rajanya teh meni pelit. Tapi da Istananya mah indah pisan.

Hawa Mahal

Di Jaipur juga Neng kena tipu. Di Mumbai Neng kecolongan. Tapi ya ikhlas da. Namanya juga pengalaman. Di Mumbai mah emang salah Neng sendiri. Buat yang mau tau ceritanya, mangga baca post sebelumnya. Sepulangnya dari India, kenangan paling berkesan justru malah Jaipur sama Mumbai.

Neng sama Akang pose di Agra Fort

Dari Jaipur kita berangkat ke Agra dengan kereta gejes yang lucu. Lucu karena ada kasurnya di kereta teh. Seneng bisa selonjoran kaki sambil baca buku atau kalau Neng mah bobo sepanjang perjalanan mumpung ada kasur.

Di Agra, Neng dan Akang lihat Taj Mahal yang memang indah dan pantas jadi Situs keajaiban dunia. Tapi neng gak seterharu pas pertama liat Hawa Mahal. Gak tau kenapa. Rasanya Hawa Mahal itu dekat sekali di hati. Neng sama Akang datang pagi-pagi pun antrian masuk Taj Mahal sudah memanjang seperti ular. Saran Neng, habis dari sini segera liat situs Baby Taj mumpung masih sepi. Lumayan dapat pemandangan bagus cuman buat berdua.

Baby Taj 

Sikandar, Makamnya Akbar yang di Jodha Akhbar tea

Selama di India, Neng belajar praktek bahasa India sama mamang bajaj, mamang/bibi yang jualan. Ternyata Bahasa India Neng lumayan banyak vocabulary-na. Yeuh ku Neng bagi-bagi siapa tahu mau dipake nanti kalau Aa sama Teteh mau main ke India.

1. Salam : Namaste / Namskar
2. Nama saya...: Mere naam hai Neng
3. Apa nama anda? : Aapka naam kya hai?
4. Berapa harganya?: Kitna paisa hai?
5. Mahal: Mehenga hai.
6. Minta air : Pani chahiye.
7. Minta makan: Khana chahiye
8. Saya suka ini : Mujhe yeh pasand hai.
9. Saya mau ini: Mujhe yeh chahiye.
10. Tidak mau: Nahin (Nehi) chahiye.

Semoga berguna buat Aa dan Teteh yang mau joget/main ke India nanti.

Weekend Trip to Bandung with Best Friend

2 months ago on New Year, me and my best friend decided to go on a trip to Bandung. We are usually more of a suitcase traveler, but this time we wanted to try backpack travel style. I organized the hotel and my friend organized the transportation.


Transportation;

We decided to go to Bandung with Baraya Travel from Slipi Petamburan, Jakarta. It only cost us Rp.85.000/person/one way

Accomodation;

First I looked for the place on AirBnB website. We found one that we like. Chez Bon Backpacker Hostel in Braga owned by Pak Bondan, the famous 'maknyus' guy from TV. Then I check pegipegi.com as it turned out the price is cheaper to book using pegipegi.com

Also I found out that we can use a voucher code (that I found from a nice Kaskus agan-agan) and get more discount.

1st Day, tired but happy and excited 

almost empty room

Cost: Rp. 100.000/person/night

It was a bunk bed style and separate room for boys and girls. Our room was pretty big with 8 bunk beds. There were 2 other people when we came in and later on the 2nd day, one bule girl joined us, the rest of the other 2 girls left. It almost feel like we stayed there only the 2 of us most of the time. We stayed there for 3 days 2 nights.

Destinations:

Didn't have a chance to try this Bandros Bus 

FO in Riau

Secret Garden FO in Riau

OTW to Alun-Alun

Alun-Alun, that boy photobombing us

Braga Huiz, a cafe right next to our hostel, took this one on the last day

Outside view from Braga Huiz using Camera 360

Culinary;

I am pretty sure this is what you have been waiting for.

 We were on our way to Ceker Setan Restaurant. We came way too early and they were not open yet. So, we decided to walk around the area and we found this small stall of Seblak. It is as if the Seblak tried calling us to drop by and try it. So, we did and it was sshhhh spicy. Too bad it was way too soupy for me and weak taste of garlic, too spicy, and less salty. So, this one despite how nice looking it was, was a let down.

Ceker Setan Restaurant, a must visit!!!!

Crunchy Ceker Rujak, Crunchy Chicken Feet with Sweet Soury Dip

This was really really good. Love how crunchy it was and yet the spices soaked in nicely in the ceker and the crunchy part. Dip it or not, it was still yummy!!

 We got lost so many times trying to find this Qoedavan store. Their address on the website is slightly misleading. If you wanna look for it, make sure you look for it from Dipati Ukur area, close by UNPAD and look for a sign that says "Tahu Yun Yi", they haven't change the old sign.

In Qoedavan store, you can find a lot of variety of Bandung snacks; mochi ice cream (The best..seriously the best mochi ice cream I have ever tried for only 5k rupiah/each), macaroni, chips or keripik setan, etc

I bought 2 of the macaronies and soon it was all gone. I ordered 2 bigger portions from their BBM and had it deliver to Jakarta also soon it was all gone. Imagine how good it was!!

Instant Seblak

Mie Lidi, childhood favorite snacks

Braga Permai's famous Nasi Goreng Rendang

 Okay! I am a big fan of Nasi Goreng. I love it so much. This is one is like, I met my crush. Seriously good blend of spices and bits of rendang meat inside. Couldn't finished the big portion, took it to the hostel and warm it up for the next morning and it was still delicious. Recommended!!!

I bought this nasi goreng for dinner in Braga Permai. Braga Permai is a historical restaurant that has been there for a very long time. A lot of go there whether they are simply local people spending night out or tourist with a high curiosity for Braga's Colonial Looking Buildings.

Check out their website for more information on their delicious menu.

Braga Huiz's Spagheti Cheese something

We went to Braga Huiz located next door to our hostel on the 2nd night and the morning before we are leaving for Jakarta. They have a unique Colonial interior with a cozy seating arrangement. Most of their foods are probably something that you will find easily in Jakarta with slightly cheaper price.

Location: Jalan Braga No.47, Bandung, Jawa Barat 40111, Indonesia
+62 22 4260791

I ordered this Soft Omelette with Crispy Potato from Braga Huiz

Dessert; Ice Cream Chocolate

I forgot where did I get this picture.

Oleh-oleh for a friend.

The highlight of our trip to Bandung was the food culinary. Everything is super duper cheap in Bandung. Mochi Ice Cream that will cost us 15k rupiah in Jakarta only cost us 5k rupiah/each. We ate like almost 5 of these delicious yummy cold mochi ice cream. The plate full of ceker cost only 35k rupiah, I think. Even in a nice looking restaurant like Braga Permai and Braga Huiz, everything is slightly cheaper than the price in Jakarta.

I forgot how much we spent for shopping and food, but I remember it was all worth it. Definitely going back for more of the mochi, ceker, macaroni, nasi goreng, FO(s), etc.

Road Trip from Madison to Gulf Shore (Alabama)

Day 6th in America, boyfriend took me on my first American Road Trip experience. He took me to Gulf Shore (8 hours away) before going to New Orleans (15 hours away or 4 hours away from Gulf Shore).

Get our coffee for the trip.

The owner/Barista found out that I am from Indonesia and Indonesia has a big variety of Coffee. Then out of no where, he gave us this huge bulk of Sumatran Coffee. He seemed happy that boyfriend introduced us and that I ordered cold drip.

He said he wanted to introduce me to his childhood friends. They have been friends since they were toddler up till now fully grown adults, yet they still talk passionately about games (nerds huh!?lol)

Posing in Rest Area

Their Rest Area provided us with tour booklets

8 hours was a long drive. I thought we were going to pass by an area that resembles the setting for any creepy movie like Chainsaw Massacre, Wrong Turn, and/or Psycho, Motel or something. Well, i really had no idea on what kind of roads we would have to pass through. But apparently we stayed mostly on the highway.  

We stopped by in Montgomery,AL for dinner in Japanese restaurant. Arrrrrgh it was horrible experience. I asked the waitress if they have Ramen and the waitress flipping out, rudely put the menu on my table and said "This is Japanese restaurant!Only Japanese food, not Korean!". Ramen is Japanese food! Then I found out she was actually Korean American. She thought I was asking for Ramyeon. But hey, there is no need to get upset with me! At the end of our dinner, they gave us fortune cookie. Yeah right Fortune cookie is Japanese food? And you don't know if Ramen is Japanese food? Meh!!! 

There will be a lot of changes in your life.

I was so upset that I barely eat. We decided to move to lively Mexican restaurant. We ordered Guacamole dips and chips. The waitress and the cashier was a lot nicer in this one. The Guacamole was reallly reallllllly good. 

Boyfriend's parents has several condos for rent near Gulf Shore beach. The condo was neat and pretty clean. I love the view to the beach. It has it's own swimming pool. The sands is really really white, even whiter than the so-called Pasir Putih. It was a nice spot. We were able to spot Sunset from our balcony.

First Selfie in Gulf Shore

Sunset Light

White Sands

Boyfriend's friends come over and stayed with us. They took me to Irish Pub/Restaurant for dinner, the name of the restaurant is McGuire's Irish Pub located in Pensacola, Florida.
Website
I love their decoration. Do you know the old tale about pile of money on the end of a rainbow? I think the Irish invented that saying. The color was dominated with green and they hang dollar notes on the ceiling in almost every rooms. It is like Leprechaun's luck or something.

Moneeeeeeey!!! Dollllllaarrrrr!! Gimme!!!

What to eat????

My money that we were planning to hang on the ceiling.

Good Luck Charm

The light was pretty dim there. So, I was not able to take picture of foods nicely. But the food was really good. I ordered a bean soup for only $0.18 or around Rp.2.500 yes that cheap. They said they never change the price ever since they open the restaurant. Whaatttt!!!
The Calamari that I ordered comes in a huge portion that we had to box the rest (almost or more than half of the portion) and took it home.

The Ultimate Irish Wake that will send you down memory lane but not on so-smooth ride.

Complementary Bread which was moist and fluffy on the inside but crunchy and buttered with sweets on the outside.

$0.18 bean soup with granny crackers, a comfort food for any bad day.

The next day, we had to go back to Alabama, Guntersville to stay in the cabin house there for several days. They took me to a very authentic Mexican restaurant. It was a cute and small restaurant, kinda like Bakso/Mie Ayam small restaurant with only 5 tables available. We tried the salsa dips and chips this time and I absolutely love it. The food that I miss the most now that I am back in Indonesia is the dips and chips from all those Mexican Restaurants.

Spicy Shrimp with Bean and Buttered Rice

On the way home, we stopped by in Montgomery to eat Indian food (finally a decent Indian food, compare to the one I tried in Huntsville and Madison) and to watch Shahrukh's new movie Happy New Year. There is no way I would miss his new movie. It was 3 hours drive from Madison or 4 hours from Guntersville maybe. So, we decided to watch it on our way home.

The huge Samosas for appetizer, yup not even main course yet.

It was a memorable road trip. We ate good foods, met good friends, went to great places, bought good stuffs. We had so many fun times. I would do it again with no hesitation.