There and Back Again: A Lazy Day in Semarang

Friday morning in Semarang was such a lazy day, considering that our vacation was over, and tomorrow we'd heading back home to Jakarta. So there's nothing to do on that day. We could actually went to Kuil Sam Po Kong, but we'd been there some months ago when we were first came to Semarang.

My father had a meeting, so after a delicious breakfast at Hotel Gumaya, he went to his office, leaving me and my mother doing nothing in the hotel room. So, after a while, we decided to go to Ciputra Mall, using the hotel's shuttle car facility.

Since two days ago, it'd come to me a very strong intention to cut my hair. And not only 'dirapikan', but to CUT IT SHORT. Yes, my hair had been too annoying, and I've had it. It's time to cut them all.

So I went to the salon with my mom, and while she got her menicure and pedicure, I got some TOTAL HAIRDO.

I never thought my hair was that much!

So, after the total hair make over, here I am:

Well...this photo was taken recently. It looks better after 'diblow', but today I was just too lazy to blow them. And YES, my muka is jerawatan. I'm working on it.

For our last night in Semarang, we went to dinner at Toko Oen. It has a lovely colonial-age decor, and also delicious foods. I recommend the ham, and also the pork satay.

They.tastes.marvelous.

*ileran*

*jadi laper*

Oke, so that's our last night in Semarang, with a small sack of Kaastengels and two other cookies bought from Toko Oen to sum up the day.

Vacation day 5; Semarang

THE END.

There and Back Again: Goodbye Jogja, Hello Again Semarang

Okay, this is our last day in Jogja.

Karena hari selasa tidak sempat mengunjungi Keraton, maka diputuskanlah akhirnya bahwa hari ini, di hari terakhir ini, kita sebaiknya mengunjungi keraton, daaaaaaaan Benteng Vredeburg.

Oke, sebagai awal, kami pergi ke Benteng Vredeburg dulu. Too bad, so little information about this fortress, dan isinya kebanyakan hanyalah diorama. Dulunya benteng ini dibangun oleh VOC dan digunakan sebagai pusat pemerintahan dan pertahanan. Kalau tidak salah, juga sempat digunakan oleh TNI.

Ehm, karena agak mengecewakan, maka kami lalu meninggalkan benteng yang, menurut nyokap gw, 'kurang orisinil' dan 'lebih baik pergi ke Benteng Fort Rotterdam di Makassar' ini lalu melaju ke Keraton....

....which was, a dissapointment too. We didn't really like the tour guide, and since he was cooperating with his abdi dalem friend (he also an abdi dalem), we were...how to say it...forced to buy some batik painting they made.

So finally we decided to end our Keraton tour, paid the tour guide, then took a lunch on a restaurant owned by the Sultan's brother. And after that,

GOOD BYE JOGJAKARTA!

Naaah, di tengah perjalanan menuju Semarang, kami singgah ke Museum Kereta Api Ambarawa!

Sayangnya, pas datang, ternyata museumnya sudah tutup :(

Sangat mengecewakan, karena gw pengen banget bokap nyokap gw bisa ngerasain tur naik kereta tuanya itu.

Tapi sebenarnya, walaupun masih buka, tidak semua orang bisa ikut tur dengan kereta tua dengan roda bergerigi itu, karena ternyata harus dibooking untuk banyak orang.

Empat tahun lalu, gw dan teman-teman seangkatan di SMP Santa Maria memang lagi study tour ke situ. Borobudur, Prambanan, Ambarawa, bahkan pabrik Kacang Dua Kelinci sampai Gunung Merapi dan Pusat Kerajinan Perak menjadi jadwal kunjungan kami.

Jadi, di museum kereta api ini, kami hanya bisa lihat-lihat, rekam sana rekam sini, foto ini itu, lalu melanjutkan perjalanan ke Semarang.

Akhirnya, kami sampai di Semarang sekitar pukul 18.30 dan langsung check-in di Hotel Gumaya. It's a nice hotel, and again, we got 50% discount, YIHA!! :D

Makan malam kita hari itu adalah ikan bakar di Restoran Gama Candi. Restoran ini cukup mengejutkan, karena ketika nyokap gw sedang memilih-milih ikan, tiba-tiba masnya bilang:

"....atau ikan ini bu? Ikan Pappakulu.."

WOW! LUAR BIASA! DIA MENYEBUT IKAN PAPPAKULU!

HIDUP RUMAH MAKAN INI! HIDUP SEMARANG! HIDUP PERADABAN MANUSIA!

HIDUP PERIKANAN DAN BUDAYA INDONESIA!

*plak!*

Intinya, gw terkejut karena di Jawa ini, jarang sekali orang tau tentang ikan Pappakulu, soalnya itu adalah nama Makassar dari ikan kambing-kambing.

Ada yang tau?

Sepertinya tidak.

Well, forget about the fish names. The restaurant was GREAT! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Vacation day 4; Semarang.

THE END.