Try Our "Salad" :)

KAREDOK

Origin: West Java (Sundanese cuisine)
Category: Vegan, mostly raw

Ingredients:
7 long beans, cut into 1/2 cm

Long beans
Source: Source: http://www.specialtyproduce.com

4 thai green eggplants, diced
25 gr soybean sprouts
1 cucumber, diced
2 carrots, thinly sliced

Thai Green Eggplant
Source: https://peppermaster.com/

2 handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped, set aside some for garnish






Dressing:
100 gr ground roasted peanuts

2 garlic

Kencur

2 cm kencur (Kaempferia galanga)
1/2 tsp salt
25 gr brown sugar
100 ml water
tamarind, soaked in hot water



How to:

• Mix garlic, kencur, salt, brown sugar, and peanuts using food processor.
• Add 1/2 tsp of tamarind water and water until you get medium consistency. Not too thick, but not too watery either.
• Arrange long beans, thai green eggplant, soybean sprout, cucumber, and basil leaves on a nice plate




• Put the dressing on top of the veggies, and basil leaf on top of it

Karedok
Source: http://cumadiindonesia.com

Notes:

• All ingredients might not available in your country, you can substitute them with any of your favorite raw veggies like spinach, kale, tomatoes, etc. If thai green eggplant is not available, you can substitute it with granny smith apple, because they taste similar, only thai green is not as sour as granny smith apple, and not sweet either. Just add some freshness on this salad.
• What makes this dish special is kencur actually. I'm not sure what rhizome kind which has similar taste with it. Kencur taste different from galangal and turmeric, even they're still in one family of rhizome. It is peppery, strong, a little spicy, smells pungent as well. Sometimes if you have it too much, you can feel tingly inside your ears.
• Usually, we have this dish with cooked white rice or steamed rice in banana leaf (lontong).
• If you like to add a little kick on your meals, you can add cayenne pepper in the dressing.

Travelling ke Zaman Batu: Era Megalitikum

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Time Travel to the Stone Age: Megalithic Era

"Gunung Padang is a megalithic site located in Karyamukti village, Cianjur regency, West Java Province of Indonesia, 50 km southwest of the city of Cianjur or 6 kilometers from Lampegan station. It has been called the largest megalithic site in all of Southeastern Asia, and has produced carbon dating results which, if confirmed, suggest it is extraordinarily old. The survey believes that Gunung Padang was built in four different eras" 

- Wikipedia

It's September in Indonesia, and it means we're very close to the rainy season, which means... the weather is uncertain.

Sometimes it's raining, sometimes it doesn't, however me and hubby are still willing to travel. So we decided to visit a close spot near Bandung (the city where we live), and it is rich in historical value. The place is called Gunung Padang, in Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia.

HOW TO GET TO GUNUNG PADANG

Since it's located near our place, we decided to take a motorcycle to get there. It took only about 2,5 - 3 hours from Bandung. If your starting point is from Jakarta, you might want to take a bus to Cianjur or Sukabumi, and tell the driver to drop you off at the Gunung Padang entry at the bypass. It's a very long way from the bypass to Gunung Padang however. By motorcycle, it takes about an hour or less (19,2 km), some roads are smooth, but some are bumpy, and narrow. There are forests, paddy fields, and the most cool view is when we are almost there where the route is curvy and there's a row of beautiful mountains right in front of you.

If you took the bus, you can stop at Gunung Padang entryway, and take ojek. Rate might be a little costly, so be prepared to pay extra.  If you're from abroad, and never been here before, I suggest you go here as early as you can so you can have more time left after visiting the site to get information about the place, and about going back :p
The advantage of taking motorcycle to get there is you can park it in front of the Gunung Padang gate which is also the place where you buy your ticket and get information at TIC (Tourism Information Centre).  There are booths selling FnB and souvenirs and there's a hostel available as well. What if I drive a car? Well you'll get lucky if you love exercise. Just park your car there, then walk... oh no... I mean hike uphill. Pretty near, just 400 m. But quite a hike... you know what I mean? :D

Ok so we've parked the car and hiked too. Are we there yet? Nooo not yet :D Once you've arrived at the gate, buy the ticket first. It's not pricey at all. Then welcome to the second part of hiking. Yaazzz!! Anyway, they provide two trails. First one is 175m, and second is 300m. Guess what? Yep, 175m is a pretty steep one. Since I'm a couch potato type of a person,  we chose the second trail and took a break pretty often. Even the trail is narrow, but those plantations and trees on your left and right side, they do chill us up.

 


Not only trees, you can find some booths selling local FnB. So no worries about getting hungry or thirsty.

GUNUNG PADANG

What is megalithic era? When did it happen?

"In prehistoric art, a megalith is a large, often undressed stone, that has been used in the construction of various types of Neolithic, Chalcolithic or Bronze Age monuments, during the period 4500-1000 BCE. These monuments can consist of just one stone (Menhir), most megalithic monuments consist of a number of stones, which are fitted together without the use of mortar or cement. This form of rock art was used in ceremonial or ritualistic structures (Stonehenge stone circle, monolithic Moai of Easter Island), single or multiple tombs (Newgrange, Knowth), sanctuaries (Gobekli Tepe), and several other types of monumental architecture. The construction and alignment of these prehistoric structures could be highly sophisticated: specific rock shapes were often hewn to meet specific design requirements, while the buildings themselves were sometimes positioned in relation to the stars or the solstice." 

- http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/prehistoric/megaliths.htm

Source: http://www.ancient-code.com/gunung-padang-oldest-pyramid-planet/

"Gunung Padang consists of a series of rectangular stone enclosures with inner partitions, walkways and gate entrances, as well as various rock mounds, all of them in a ruinous state. They are constructed of naturally-forming andesite. The size of the blocks varies between 25 cm and 40 cm in width and height, and on average around 1.5 meters in length, with a weight of approximately 250 kilograms. Some of blocks, which have either a roughly square or polygonal profile, are actually much larger in size, with weights exceeding 600 kilograms.

The various structures occupy five separate terraces, or courtyards, each linked by ascending staircases marked with standing pillars. Each terrace is positioned one in front of the other on a north-northwest-facing hill formation that is volcanic in nature. 

  

Archaeologists and historians place the construction of Gunung Padang’s megalithic structures firmly within the Bronze Age, ca. 2500-1500 BC. However, geological surveys conducted at the site since 2011 by Indonesian geologist Danny Hilman Natawidjaja of the Indonesian Centre for Geotechnical Research suggest the monument is much older.

Core drilling samples and other exploratory excavations have uncovered evidence that Gunung Padang is a multi-leveled structure, one phase being built on top of the next, with evidence of activity on the hill at 22,000-20,000 BC, 14,700 BC, 9,600 BC, 4700 BC and 2800 BC, the final date being the age of the megalithic structures visible today. 

If the radiocarbon dates can be shown to relate to human activity, and are not simply the result of natural sediment accumulation on the hill slopes, it is feasible that they are the result of Paleolithic peoples occupying or visiting a natural cave site located at the heart of the structure. Indeed, it might well be possible that the megalithic complex was built to surround an existing cave sanctuary of immense antiquity (the exploration of caves and rock shelters in eastern Java revealed evidence of occupation during the Upper Palaeolithic age, approximately between 40,000 years ago and 15,000 years ago)." 

- http://www.andrewcollins.com/page/articles/gp.htm

If you're from abroad, and you don't speak any bahasa, I suggest you hire an interpreter, tour guide, or join a tour group. There is also a TIC office available, but the officer sometimes is not around. Some information and blueprints of the site are hanging on the TIC area, but still, they're written in bahasa, no English information provided. And this is when you need someone local to ask.

Happy hiking, and good luck!

Thanks for visiting our blog

The Last Day

I didn't get enough sleep last night, and woke up a little early today. Yasss, it's our last day in Gili Trawangan, Lombok, Indonesia. I love every second counts here, every detail, every moment I experienced, every new people we met everyday... this place is beautiful. Anyways, since we woke early, we decide to take a morning walk to east. Hubby is looking for parasailing rent booth while people are cleaning up their places, getting ready to work on their business place.

  

About the Party

We're getting used to see a guy sleeping on the side of the street. They said he had wild party last night, until 3 am lol... If you love to party, and you don't bring proper dress, you can find many stores selling beach party outfit. Not just that, but also cool accessories, sarong, even bikinis. Travelers usually shop here in noon and get party in the night. Starting at sunset, people from east and west ride bicycle, gather up in the middle, find place for dinner, while waiting for party to start. The ladies are all dressed up, I can smell their perfume from distance, listen to pedaling sound of their bicycles, and listen to their languages. Few travelers speak English, but mostly of them speaks other language I've never heard of. 

Locals here have rule for party. All bar and cafe take turns every night. So if bar A set a party tonight, other place isn't allowed at the same time. The next day party will be on the different bar. Pretty fair...

So we stop by at Kayu cafe for few minutes. You can find any healthy F&B here. Mostly organic and a little pricey. And here's the view:

Morning coffee at Kayu Cafe under the tamarind tree

Tamarind Tree

We truly had great times here. It's the best vacation I've ever had by far. Thanks so much for all people here, you gave new inspiration, new point of view, especially Intan Inn crew, thank you for your madness and hospitality. There are many places I just heard from them but don't get a chance to visit yet. I'm going to miss this paradise badly.

With Intan Inn crew

Lombok Touring: Monkeys - Kain Tenun - Kuta Beach - Senggigi Beach

Some people love to wake up before sunrise, but here, sunshine welcomes me every morning. I guess I will never have a chance to see sunrise. Hmmm maybe next day :p After breakfast, we buy ticket to Bangsal. My friend, Ika who lives in Mataram, she's so kind willing to lend us scooter to explore the area.

Getting ready crossing the sea from Gili Trawangan to Bangsal

Touring route. That star, it's where I'm staying at.

Finally I met Ika and her friend Ica in Bangsal. Not only lending us scooter, they also accompany us exploring the area. This is our spontaneous plan, I didn't prepare any touring outfit. So this is my first time touring, with scooter, in the middle of the day, wearing short sleeves tee, capri jeans, and flops!! Oh dang... 

BANGSAL - PUSUK

Our first destination is Pusuk forest. Ika and Ica lead the way. There's nothing like the wind touches your skin while riding scooter. The road is smooth with several curves. Even it's almost midday, but trees along the street chills us up. 

Pusuk forest is located in the border between North and South Lombok. This forest is home to thousands of long-tailed monkeys manifold. Surrounding communities believe that they already inhabit this forest long before people venturing Mount Rinjani National Park area. These monkeys are furious. Just be careful if you bring snack on your pocket. Unless if you want to feed them. We park our scooters across the street. Ika hooks her snacks and make up purse on it. While we're still taking pictures, watching their behaviors, few of them are eating Ika's snack and grab her make-up purse. We're crossing the street and they are running around, climbing cliff, ah well... you won't get your make-up back, Ika :D Little rascals...

Yay!! Free snack!

"Not Dior? At least it taste good 'tho..."

PUSUK - SADE

Ika and Ica actually had to go back to work at clinic by 2 pm. My parent's piano student (dr. Lisa) introduced us by the way. Three of them are soooo kind, they're willing to lead us to second destination, which is Sade Village.

 So it's 12 in the middle of the day. Temperature maybe around 34-35C. Road is wide, yes there are trees, but far far away on the side of the road. What I'm thank about is no macet! No traffic. Very empty, and I can enjoy the wind which is what I'm looking for from motor touring. 

Finally we're arrived at Sade Village!!

Sade village is one of traditional village of Sasak tribe who are maintaining and keep the authenticity of Sasak culture. They weave thread into a sheet of fabric with natural material for living. No chemical needed to create these colorful fabric.

Kain Tenun Sade

Kain Tenun Lombok (Lombok traditional woven fabric)

Me and Ica tried to weave and I've gotto say, it's really hard to do this. First, you have to sit down on the ground with straight legs, then put a wood log behind you, fit it in with your back waist. It almost like being shackled. Then wait for a butcher to hang you up :p Nah... Then put the strings on your lap, think of a fabric pattern you like, and start weaving. And how to start? Thisssss is the most difficult part. Put some thread vertically first, maybe about 30 cm wide, then tuck in another thread with needle horizontally, and alternately with the vertical thread, so it makes one line web. Be careful, if you tuck it in the wrong place, you won't meet the fabric design you want. Then tighten up by pulling another small log wood towards you inside the fabric. And do it again and again until last line. Easy eh? :p  

  

Native Sasak spent about 3 days - 2 weeks to finish one fabric. Depends on the difficulties of design. No wonder they sell kain tenun a little pricey. So much hard work, time, energy, and thoughts to put in a masterpiece. Me, maybe I'd spend 2 years...

Sasak Traditional House

Sasak traditional houses use dry coconut leaves and bamboo as their roof, bamboo as their walls, and paved ground, without nails. The villagers peculiar habit is mopping their floor using buffalo dung. Sade Sasak spread buffalo dung in the base of the house. Now most of them have to make cement plaster first and then spread buffalo dung. But interestingly, I don't smell any sh*t there :p

Sasak traditional house

Chillin' at pendopo

I hope this boy isn't lost. "Oh your mom is behind me"

L to R: the weaver, Mbak Ika, me, my crazy hubby :p, and Mbak Ica. Looks like my hubby says "I have 4 wives!!" Hah... anyway ladies,... we can't thank you enough for your kindness, your help, and your hospitality. We really had a great time with you even we only met for about 4 hours. May God bless all of you abundantly!! And forget about your make-up purse, Mbak Ika :p

SADE - KUTA BEACH

So this is the point where actually I wanted to have lunch together with Ika and Ica but seems they have to get back to clinic to work :-( So they left us in Sade, and we continue heading south to get late lunch while this beautiful view of Kuta Beach Lombok is waiting for us.

Pano shot of Kuta beach

It takes about 30 minutes or less by scooter from Sade to Kuta. Unfortunately we didn't get much time here, just had lunch and get back to Bangsal in a rush. We have to catch the last public boat to Gili Trawangan at 5 pm. So we stayed here until 3 pm. People say you can find beach sand as big as grains of pepper. Too bad we didn't find it. 

What I'm curious about the native actually is their traditional music percussion (Gendang Beleq) and chants. I thought I would find it in Sade. It still haunts my mind until right now. But we have to continue the touring or else, we'd late for the boat. So we're heading back to North, with different road. We're heading to Bangsal via Senggigi beach.. OMG! Just picture this: you're riding scooter, empty road, trees and cliff on your right, breath taking Senggigi beach view and coconut trees on your left, and beautiful mountain view in front of you!! Even hubby almost hit a cow. Not his fault, the cow suddenly crossing the street catching up his mom. Hahah...

Thank God we could catch the last boat, as the last passengers. We can see the sun is heading west while we're on the boat. And just we step in the hotel room, God pours heavy rain. That's what I call a day... 

The sun is heading west

Snorkeling, Cycling and Culinary

It's our second day here, and it's snorkeling time. Even I woke up a little late, still, breakfast with a cup of Lombok coffee and veggies omelette is a must :D 

SNORKELING

We gathered up at snorkel booth with another travelers. It takes about 5 minutes walking (or less) from Intan Inn. They provide fins, snorkel masks, life jackets, and Narmada mineral water. Ready and geared up, jump on the boat, and off to our first spot, Gili Meno.

Heading to Gili Meno

Put your fins on

It was an easy snorkeling. Water was shallow, beautiful view of corals and creatures, although I got stung everywhere. No jellyfish there, they said it was plankton?? Hmm... not sure. 

   

Second snorkeling spot was still in Gili Meno, and this time we watched turtles. Water was pretty deep and I got panicked hahaha... I never swim with snorkel mask and fins. So they pulled me to boat and I tried to get myself together. Amateur!! -_-"

Once I've relaxed, I tried once more, because it's something I don't want to miss. This time I wore life jacket :D

Even water was a little murky, it was really fun to see turtles, too bad we didn't get a chance to take a pic of them. They're so cute, swimming by moving their legs near corals like bird flying. 

Last snorkeling spot was Gili Air, we went there after had our meals. It was like late lunch but I didn't feel hungry at all actually. 

Kiss kiss kiss

With fellow travelers from Malaysia

CYCLING & CULINARY

We arrived back to Gili Trawangan about 3 or 4 pm, cleaned up ourselves, and rent some bicycles from Intan Inn crew. They charged us maybe about IDR 50,000.-/bicycle, and we started to explore the street along the beach, waiting for sunset, watching travelers shopping for tonight's beach party, sometimes stopping by to see the natural beauty of this place. 

Cidomo

 Something you should know, Gili Trawangan don't allow any car or motor bike around. Only bicycle and cart pulled by a horse, they call it "Cidomo" (CIkar, DOkar, MObil).

You don't have to worry to get food. There are cafe and restaurants available on the side of the street. They sell many kinds of FnB. Western, Indian, Italian cuisine, with various price. Depends on which cafe you want to hang in. If you like ice cream, there are also some booths sell Gili Gelato with Italian flag icon on it :D 

Or if you'd like to taste traditional local food, usually they sell it while riding bicycle, or a simple cart. But I gotta warn you, they taste really spicy and hot. Nasi Puyung, soto, bakso (meatball), sauteed veggies, fish with yellow gravy broth, pelecing, urap, etc. The unique thing is, I live in Bandung-West Java, and had taste meals from another cities in East and Central Java. We have same ingredients of meals. Take an example, Urap. Urap is like steamed salad. Consist of steamed sprouts, green beans, long beans, spinach, fresh cucumber, basil, and roasted shredded coconut on top. But all of them, taste different. Java basil is fragrant and taste tangy. Lombok basil has different fragrant, not too tangy, and little minty. 

Some local foods

Since spicy sambal here is symbol of power and strength, don't get shocked, almost all local meals will give you strong kick. For example, Pelecing. Aww man... The lady suggested me to taste the seasoning first. Pelecing is steamed spinach or Indonesian kale (kangkung), seasoned with this amazing super spicy kicking a** sambal. Just imagine fire... with teeth. Woooh!! I think we'll go with Indian cuisine and end it up with Lombok coffee in Intan Inn cafe. 

Pesona - Indian Resto

Pesona - Indian resto

Intan Inn Cafe, enjoying live acoustic & Lombok coffee