Travel – Page 7 – goofydreamer

The End of Quick Jaunt

March 9, 2014March 20, 2014by Azis AbdulLeave a Comment

O M G, it’s already nine of March and I just had one post for this blog? Had no idea why I’m bloody lazy lately. Yikes. Hopefully this could be a good start to post another. Hopefully :)

This post is an end of this and this.

In our last day I’ve told my sister that I really wanted to visit Potato Head in the afternoon. Before that, we decided to check-out from hotel at 9am and went straight to Beachwalk again. To be honest it was my idea :P yup just because I wanted to get some pieces of Topman there (No, just because Topman hasn’t opened yet in my own city :( and a little secret of me : I love Topman!!). After I got some pieces home, we sat down in Nanny’s Pavilion for too-early-snacks, sweet for my sister and I chose sour and crispy fried calamary. Oh, the waffle my sister chose was such a guilty pleasure. Here some iPhone snaps from our too-early-snack-time.

If you still remember that I and my sister wanted to have lunch at ‘Warung Itali’ on day 3 ~~and failed~~, finally we went there again in our last day. I tried their lasagna, with stir-fried mushroom and slices of baked potato. It wasn’t bad for an affordable Italian food though yet I wish we had longer time to spend to try their heavenly pastas. Just an iPhone picture from Warung Itali (my sister didn’t order anything, just a bottle of Sprite! can’t you imagine :P).

After Warung Itali we went straight to Potato Head Beach Club, one of the happening-cool-beach-club in Bali right now. It was one of main place I wanted to enjoy in Bali after Rock Bar. I don’t want you to call me a cool kid (haha) by spent time there, don’t get me wrong. I just wanted to see the architecture of Potato Head, plenty old vintage windows arranged beautifully as the landmark, designed by Andra Matin and the vibes of the beach club itself. We really should take lunch than just some sweets, it was because we had flight to go home by 4pm so we didn’t spend too long at Potato Head. We just ordered sweets apart of fries, chocolate milkshake and orange juice, it was chocolate mousse called ‘Valrhona chocolate mousse with sea salt caramel and chocolate chilli ice cream’ (ugh long name, it was for me) and an exotic mango…something something (in fact, I couldn’t remember the name what was my sister ordered :P). There was vanilla ice cream with mango cream and lychee foams (??? O gosh I had bad description, pardon me :P). Conclusion : The sweets were yummy indeed, price talked by itself. Coming there by 1pm in the afternoon wasn’t bad to enjoy the vibes, wish I had more days in Bali I wanted to enjoy a sunset and an evening there. Really. Oh they have different classes of order though, If you really want to enjoy the vibe in the front space where you can enjoy the swimming pool and the beautiful beach, you have to order minimum $60 if I’m not wrong :). Some snaps from Potato Head.

This sentence probably sounds cheesy yet I couldn’t even believe that the picture above has been reblogged many times on my Tumblr.

Travel

The Endless Bali II

February 4, 2014by Azis AbdulLeave a Comment

As usual when I open Safari on my Macbook the apple site comes first. Tonight, 9.14 pm the site just wowed me with the video created to celebrate 30th of the Mac! Wow! The video is super-duper stunning! And a thing that made me wowed again is the fact that it was created from iPhones! OMG. Find it here and you will agree why I’m among of Mac lovers :) Happy birthday Mac! Okay, now I’m trying to concentrate back to this page, trying hard enough to remind how I enjoyed Bali last year.

Sunset was another thing I had to see at my third day in Bali (apart of beaches for sure). If on our second day I and my sister went to Ubud, Jimbaran was the main goal we had to achieve. And RockBar was the only place we wanted to spend for golden hour. It was started with a plan to visit Warung Itali for breakfast. Warung Itali is a good place to have a meal on a budget yet do not underestimate with the food. Some people say there is nothing special with their food (well, especially if they’re serious foodies!) but with a budget, Warung Itali isn’t a bad place to explore Italian food. Many expatriates from Italy love to spend their lunch time there though. Unfortunately when we went there at 9am it hadn’t opened yet (my flatmate here told me they open by 9am on business day and I believe cause he spent almost six years in Bali!).

When I realised that we couldn’t get any breakfast at Warung Itali our plan had changed. We went straight to Tanah Lot one of well-known tourist icon located at Tabanan. On our way to Tanah Lot, I was trying to capture any single thing along the road. The morning vibe, the sunshine, the people, the air. After 20km far we arrived there and suddenly realized that my sister looked so blithesome after she woke up from her sleep (gah!). Tanah Lot offered us to feel the warm breeze and the rush of the blue ocean which was true made our day. There’s always something peaceful by seeing blue ocean and accidentally, a little memory came out on my head when I stepped at Tanah Lot again.

Such a throwback thirteen years ago when I had a vacation on my last year in junior hi school. I pretty remembered I saw many friends of mine were taking picture busily while I just stand and tried to enjoy the view and waves without a camera in my hand. I found myself too abashed to beg my friends to snap me with their camera. I couldn’t believe that year I didn’t have any chance to frame my memory through one picture. I was a poor. Then when I stepped at Tanah Lot last year I tried to drop my camera as much as I could. I chose to enjoy the breeze and the blue rather than snapped more photographs. Hope these iPhone pictures could share a little different memory from thirteen years ago.

On the picture above I was listening one of my fav song ever, Good Life, while I was sitting on the cliff and staring to the ocean.

After we spent two hours at Tanah Lot, we went back to the hotel around 1.30 pm to prepare ourselves for RockBar. By 3pm we started going to Jimbaran assuming that one hour was enough to reach there from Kuta. RockBar is located along coastline of Ayana Resort&Spa Bali. I have read on some blogs that there is always long queue starts from 4 pm due to sunset is a busiest time in RockBar. When we arrived at 4pm we were snappy to get the line. Fortunately what we were thinking before was wrong, the queue wasn’t long and we stand at front line. It is another experience to reach RockBar with the lift but unfortunately the lift was under construction made us couldn’t use it and that was meant we couldn’t enjoy the view of Rock Bar from top. If you open this site you’ll know how’s magical.

I was pulled a long face for that yet I didn’t make it such a big deal. I didn’t my mood changed just because of the lift. I was trying to concentrate myself to feel the breeze, the tranquil ocean, and the horizon when I was on the queue. It was simply amazing that my mind peacefully relaxed. Picture number two was the only iPhone snap from Ayana Resort I took before we went straight to Rock Bar.

Entering RockBar we got our seat and started to chill ourselves. Two glass of fresh juices we chose (we don’t drink!) quite made us chiller for a while. 4pm-ish the skies was so clear and the sun was still too bright even the black umbrella that we got from the usher couldn’t chill us. An hour flew, by 5pm we felt the loungish-kind-of and the golden hour we waited for finally had come. We enjoyed the ocean, the orangish shine, the breeze, the jazz, and a little snack. My friend Putri commented when I posted a picture of our snack on my Instagram. She commented why I just had fried plantain in RockBar with our beer? Ha! She was kidding me :)

Here how the sunset looked like.

It was one of the most beautiful golden hour I’ve seen in entire 2013. Sounds exaggerated yet it was true. Peaceful. Serene. When sunset went down the ambiance at Rock Bar slightly changed into cozy and lounge evening. About four hours in RockBar we ended the day with blessed.

P.S. I’ll try to end this post as soon as possible, will manage my me-time for the last one, Bali Part III.

Travel

The Endless Bali I

December 28, 2013by Azis Abdul2 Comments

Phew! Finally I could find my leisure time to share this post to you, too late to be posted I know but better than never right?. Okay, I won’t talk about how’s popular Bali on this earth (universe knew already! :P) though sharing my four-days-quick-jaunt in Bali is my little pleasure for this blog. I think :). It’s been almost four months all pictures for this post stayed inside my hardisk, I was too busy to gather them and write about this (If I don’t want you to call me lazy!).

Bali as I knew is endless. Coastal, mountains, diverse tourist attractions, excellent food by international and local restaurants, sophisticated art forms, and the culture plus friendliness of the local people, everything is there. Renowned as the Best Island in the world by Travel+Leisure magazine in 2010 was a little acknowledgment for Bali, the goddess island.

My quick jaunt to Bali almost didn’t happen. I was thinking to skip it for another year cause I wanted to spend my last seven days in my house. As I knew, my 30 days in Indonesia was too short to be enjoyed, though. I was too busy among random things, from attending friend’s gathering, handling some administrative requirements for my parents (excited for that gift! :)), shopping (annual-shopping I think :P), and many more. Spending a week left in the house was my plan before, but Ruli, my best friend reminded me that I would be regret if I didn’t go anywhere while I was in Indonesia, he meant outside city. I said I did cause I had a plan before to have a little traveling at least I could feel a thing called vacation. Singapore and Hong Kong were on my list before cause I do not need visa to travel there but as I said, those random things really chopped my time.

Then I started back thinking about Bali. Four days, and I went with my sister. We took flight from Surabaya on 23rd August by 9am from Surabaya and landed by 11am in Bali. Let me say my jaunt was three days cause we spent our first day mostly inside our hotel (I was quite tired that day and decided to start walking around near our hotel). We stayed in a little yet nice and comfortable hotel in Kuta. We started walking around Kuta at 4 pm and visited Beachwalk to take a peek to that mall. We took coffee and pastries at Rollas Coffee&Tea and enjoyed our late- noon-convo there. I made a call to hire a car for the next day and finally found that we would go to Ubud!. We passed Kuta beach to see sunset that day, sadly the sunset wasn’t dramatic enough to be wowed and in the evening, we walked through the Kuta street and felt the evening vibe back to our hotel. iPhone pictures from our first day.

The next day Ubud was our destination outside Kuta. We left our hotel from 9am and went straight away to get our breakfast. We were so excited visiting Bebek Bengil ‘Tepi Sawah’ and had no regret to wait 40 minutes until the restaurant was ‘really’ open. My sister was waiting in the rustic gazebo while I was busy exploring around the rice field. The scenery of the rice field was stunningly green while the Balinese instrument was melodious in the air, pretty much made our morning. So calm, refreshing, and oh the food, we had no doubt to say that Bebek Bengil was on our must-eat food in Bali. The food was too heavy for breakfast :P (at least for me) nonetheless the crispy duck, various sambals and the Balinese satay were too-yummy indeed.

After breakfast we went to Monkey Forest (to see monkeys? :P) and spent like an hour before we continued our day in Ubud to Pura Tirta Empu. No picture to be attached from Monkey Forest even though I took some (no deliberate pics, sorry :P). Visiting Pura Tirta Empul, a Hindu temple in Tampak Siring was more interesting than Monkey Forest. Tirta Empul is well-known as a place where the Balinese have come to bathe in the sacred waters for healing and spiritual merit. Some pictures taken with iPhone and NEX from Tirta Empul visit. Oh I heart the detail of the building around the temple.

Our driver suggested to pass Kintamani for a second before we went back to hotel. Enjoying the blues there was appeased. The weather was so cold and windy, and oh now I feel regret I didn’t stop at Luwak coffee shop along there (pfft!). Just an iPhone picture for Kintamani.

Morrissey

November 1, 2013November 1, 2013by Azis AbdulLeave a Comment

Just a short post for a cute boutique apartment I stayed in Jakarta, just one day before I went back to Africa ; Morrissey Jakarta. Beautiful small studio-room with a touch of modern industrial concept was quite interesting for me to spend in. Oh, exploring another spaces inside Morrissey was interesting though apart of the room.

Hope you don’t mind for food pictures, from my breakfast that day.

I had no Morrissey pool-side pictures on this post, but you can take a peek on this post. You better book from travel-agent or Agoda for the room, its so much cheaper than you book at the point :P.

Hope you don’t mind either for a small bonus ; sunset from top and my-first-iPhone-bokeh minutes after the sunset :)

Travel

Le Café Gourmand

September 14, 2013September 14, 2013by Azis AbdulLeave a Comment

If you live in Surabaya, I probably suggest a small cafe called Le Café Gourmand you need to stop by. It’s a french patisserie specializes in pastries, coffee and ice cream. Not only pastries, they have some breakfast menus you should try as well.

When I came for the first time on Sunday morning when I was in Indonesia last month, I thought this space would be on my list as a reading or blogging space. Just order pastry (croissant!!!) or dessert or coffee, open your Macbook, surfing on some nice blogs and spend time with cozy ambiance. When I came there I was expecting their latte art yet I was unlucky because they serve it by 4 pm everyday (???). They should have it a long day!

Here some snaps from my mirrorless and iPhone.

Oh one thing, I crushed with this The Hario Bunno I saw there :* Why she is so adorable!

Friendship, Travel

Tea at Majapahit

August 23, 2013August 23, 2013by Azis AbdulLeave a Comment

I spent an afternoon tea (a simply tea time!!! It wasn’t a proper one :P) at Majapahit Hotel, one of historic luxury hotel in town last week with my best friend, Sohib. We went there at 17th of August which was our Independent Day :)). Majapahit has its own story. The hotel was the site of the famous “Hotel Yamato incident” in which young Indonesian revolutionaries tore the blue part of the Dutch flag flown in the hotel to change it to the red and white Indonesian flag on 19 September 1945 . Did I come at the right time? Spending my afternoon at historic Majapahit on Independent Day? :)).

We enjoyed our tea with some snacks and seriously the music that time, some of national heroic songs in instrument which was so cozy and comfy. I was so lucky could feel the ambiance of Independence Day here in Indonesia this year :)).

After spent 2 hours for tea we went around the hotel to enjoy the building. Here some snaps from the hotel itself. For some reason I really wish I had pro camera :( to capture beautiful building like Majapahit (See the tiles! Yup, I fall in love with the tiles!!!! dutch pattern tiles, very pretty!!!)

Food Lodge, Travel

Chinese Food Last Night

June 9, 2013July 5, 2013by Azis Abdul3 Comments

Had another chance for dinner last night at China Town, one of Chinese small restaurant in Victoria Island. I passed there with my flatmate after we did an event for ~~crazy~~ client (Ups! ;P), and yup we had to enjoyed chinese foods we chose ~~as our revenge~~.

At China Town we never miss their Tom Yam. I could say that one of the best seafood tom yam I’ve ever tasted is their own! So tasty and pungent. Aside from tom yam, we ordered chicken chinese fried rice, crispy fried duck (yum!), and as always for drink, just cold spring water (they don’t have various drinks!). We love their tom yam and fried duck but NO for other spiced menus, WHY? Black pepper calamari, chicken in sweet sour sauce, or beef with cashew nut? Same taste (!!!).

Here, some of snaps from last night dinner. Two last foods below ; black pepper calamari and rice noodle with chicken aren’t taken last night ;P I found them in my food lodge.

Creativity, Hellos From Africa, Photography, Travel

Art Twenty One

April 23, 2013December 25, 2019by Azis AbdulLeave a Comment

It was a little surprise for me when I was working for the mega event (the post of it is not ready yet, uh) and realized there is new art gallery called Art Twenty One inside the venue. All I did was…just entered the gallery and took my NEX out. I spent like 30 minutes inside, just took pics and gone. I’d like to visit the gallery next time to enjoy the artworks deeply. I promise.

I amazed with those artworks, don’t you? All those metal arts are beautiful indeed and each has character and uniqueness. I could say that African metal arts is something else and officially fall in love with it. Alright, hope you enjoy the pics.

Journeys, Personal, Travel

Paris Itu.

March 26, 2013May 23, 2014by Azis Abdul5 Comments

Entah mengapa saya ingin menulis secuil mimpi tentang Paris, kota indah milik Perancis itu.

Terlalu banyak hal indah yang sering ditulis dan diceritakan oleh jutaan manusia tentangnya. Terlalu banyak potret kota yang termahsyur dengan modenya itu menghiasi halaman depan mesin pencari. Terlalu banyak tulisan perjalanan para blogger yang pernah menginjakkan kaki disana, dan terlalu banyak pula cerita-cerita spontan yang pernah diutarakan beberapa teman saya tentang Paris.

Paris adalah Paris. Indah dan akan selalu indah disetiap sisinya. Musim dingin saja wajahnya masih sangat indah, apalagi musim semi. Musim panas mungkin waktu paling sempurna untuk menikmatinya meski musim gugur tak kalah menyuguhkan pengalaman berbeda di setiap sudut kota.

Kedai-kedai kopi kecil yang menyajikan cappucino dan croissant, macarons dari Ladurée atau Pierre Hermé , bangunan-bangunan dengan detail sempurna di setiap sisinya, buah-buahan segar yang terhampar indah di pasar tradisionalnya, champange mungkin, dan menara menjulang itu pastinya, semuanya tersusun rapi dalam things-have-to-do saya.

Suatu saat saya akan membaca kembali postingan ini di Paris. Saya selalu percaya setiap hal besar harus diawali dengan langkah kecil. Barangkali seperti postingan ini. Bagaimana bisa saya memalingkan Paris seperti ini. Ah, Anda bersedia mengamini? Saya menyukai anda seketika.

PS : Foto pertama itu salah satu scene Begin Again, sebuah klip seorang penyanyi country ternama yang mengambil setting di Paris. Saya terkesima dengan peta, espresso serta cangkir kecilnya. Sedang Sweater yang saya sisipkan di postingan ini adalah sweater yang belum pernah sekalipun saya pakai. Saya hanya menyimpannya hingga kini. Belum tahu akan dipakai kapan. Saat melihatnya saya menyematkan niatan kecil akan memakainya suatu waktu saat musim panas tiba. Musim panas yang teramat berbeda dari apa yang selama ini saya rasakan. Musim panas yang bahkan anginnya masih bisa membuat badan menggigil kecil. Musim panas itu di Paris.

Food Lodge, Travel

No more Meringue!

February 13, 2013February 13, 2013by Azis AbdulLeave a Comment

Ya, saya tak suka Meringue. Cukup.

***

Bagaimana rasanya mencicipi salah satu dessert di restoran baru, niat anda santai sambil mencoba dessert disana, kemudian rasanya berantakan? Saya mengalaminya. Dahi saya mengerut seketika.

Ada salah satu restoran Afrika Selatan yang bisa saya centang menjadi salah satu tempat makan enak di Lagos. Rhapsody, nama restoran yang berada di salah satu mall yang cukup baru, Ikeja Mall. Pertama kali kesana, saya terpikat dengan beberapa main dish yang mereka tawarkan. Selain rasa, presentasi menu-menu mereka bisa saya masukkan A-list dish untuk ukuran restoran di Lagos.

Namun tidak semuanya menu dengan nama-nama asing yang ada di daftar menu mereka memuaskan indera pengecap saya. Kesan gagal saya rasakan dari Mango Meringue with Strawberry Sauce. Siang itu niat saya memang ingin mencoba dessert mereka, namun pilihan pertama saya rasanya sungguh berantakan. Mango Meringue with Strawberry Sauce manisnya tak karuan. Paduan mangga kalengan yang sudah manis, ditambah dengan potongan meringue yang amat sangat manis, plus satu scoop es krim vanila dengan saus stroberi membuat saya langsung berkata “This dessert is banned, no more meringue!”.

Meringue sejatinya adalah salah satu olahan dessert manis yang biasanya ada di menu Perancis dan Swiss. Terbuat dari putih telur dan gula dengan proses kocok berkecepatan tinggi kemudian dipanggang di oven hingga mengeras. Rasanya yang manis dan ringan barangkali menjadi daya tarik meringue, namun sebagai penggemar dessert, meringue tidak termasuk dalam daftar saya.

Untuk satu porsi dessert ini saya harus merogoh N1400 atau sekitar 90 ribu rupiah. Harga yang cukup mahal untuk ukuran dessert dengan rasa berantakan. Tampilannya sih bagus, rasanya yikes!.

Untuk menghibur hati, nikmati sajalah foto yang saya ambil, Mango Meringue with Strawberry Sauce. Banned!