ududmild jurnal

wow ...

2008-10-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

the best students ever!

2008-10-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

sexy cool pics

2008-10-17T09:28:00.001-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

bedulu temple ceremony in bali island

2008-09-01T00:19:00.001-07:00

bedulu , odalan ceremony, the temple annyversary in ubud bali island

take a pray in group

ceremony and dancers

lady crowd prayers

blessing

traditional drummer

sesajen a.k.a sesaji

traditional musical as gamelanman

gamelanwoman

the cremony crowd

group of prayers

the front of the temple

prayers called 'sembahyang'

ceremony parade

the ethnic dancers in the ceremony

Ududmild Jurnal

bali island cockfight

2008-08-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

bali island cockfight as know 'sabung ayam'

bali island cockfight the battle

bali island cockfight when the gamblers take a bets

bali island cockfight, gamblers have a negotations
Ududmild Jurnal

the beauty offering from bali woman

2008-08-31T23:30:00.000-07:00

bali, woman parade in offering ceremony

bali, more offering more healty

woman offering in the first light of the morning

amaging, how bali woman take the offering

in the end of time still 'give' something

they rush to the offering place

new spirit

fruit parade in the offering

wow!!

Ududmild Jurnal

nature leisure hideaway with perfect paddy, cianjur

2008-08-31T23:05:00.000-07:00

nature leisure hideaway with perfect paddy

in cianjur
west java indonesia

the perfect paddy view when sunrise in the morning
is experience peaceful places

paddy pool, the photoshoot in one of the paddypool side

cianjur, paddyducks crossing the the 'sawah' for feed

cianjur, duckman going around monitoring his ducks

Ududmild Jurnal

come and see for your self the journey...

erotism ubud bali never end

2008-08-31T22:56:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal
erotism ubud bali in indonesia is never end, you'll find more and more till you down and still the erotism will continued.
human will end but this exotic view of the god island still there for the next generations

The Birdwatching History

2008-08-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal - The Birdwatching History

Birdwatching or birding is the observation and study of birds with the naked eye or through a visual enhancement device like binoculars. Birding often involves a significant auditory component, as many bird species are more readily detected and identified by ear than by eye. Most birders and birdwatchers pursue this activity for recreational or social reasons, unlike ornithologists, who are engaged in the formal scientific study of birds.

Birding has emerged in recent decades as a popular hobby in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people consider themselves to be serious birders, and several million regard themselves as casual birders. Birding is even more popular in Britain than it is in the United States. Roger Tory Peterson played a central role in the emergence and defining of modern birding, both in the United States and Britain.

Birding in the United States was focused in the early and mid-20th century in the eastern seaboard region, with persons such as Roger Tory Peterson and Ludlow Griscom being especially influential in the early days. In the mid- to late 20th century, many of the pioneering developments in American birding came out of California, where Guy McCaskie was particularly influential.The most active times of the year for birding in temperate zones are during the spring or fall migrations when the greatest variety of birds may be seen. On these occasions, large numbers of birds travel north or south to wintering or nesting locations.

Early morning is typically the best time of the day for birding since many birds are searching for food which makes them easier to find and observe.

Birders who are keen rarity-seekers will travel long distances to locate new and rare species, intending to add these to their list of personally observed birds. These lists often take the form of a life list, national list, state list, county list, or year list.

Seawatching is a type of birdwatching where observers based at a coastal watch point, such as a headland, watch birds flying over the sea. This is one form of pelagic birding, by which pelagic bird species are viewed. Another way birders view pelagic species is from seagoing vessels.

Many birders take part in censuses of bird populations and migratory patterns which are sometimes specific to individual species. These birders may also count all birds in a given area, as in the Christmas Bird Count. This citizen science can assist in identifying environmental threats to the well-being of birds or, conversely, in assessing outcomes of environmental management initiatives intended to ensure the survival of at-risk species or encourage the breeding of species for aesthetic or ecological reasons. This more scientific side of the hobby is an aspect of ornithology, coordinated in the UK by the British Trust for Ornithology.

Increasing seasonal bird populations can be a good indication of biodiversity or the quality of different habitats. Some species are persecuted as vermin, often illegally, as with the case of the Hen Harrier in Britain.

Perfect Leisure

2008-08-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal - Perfect Leisure

Leisure or free time, is a period of time spent out of work and essential domestic activity. It is also the period of recreational and discretionary time before or after compulsory activities such as eating and sleeping, going to work or running a business, attending school and doing homework, household chores, and day-to-day stress. The distinction between leisure and compulsory activities is loosely applied, i.e. people sometimes do work-oriented tasks for pleasure as well as for long-term utility.

For an experience to qualify as leisure, it must meet three criteria: 1) The experience is a state of mind. 2) It must be entered into voluntarily. 3) It must be intrinsically motivating of its own merit. (Neulinger, 1981)

The word leisure comes from the Latin word licere, meaning “to be permitted” or “to be free,” via Old French leisir, and first appeared in the early fourteenth century.The notions of leisure and leisure time are thought to have emerged in Victorian Britain in the late nineteenth century, late in the Industrial Revolution. Early factories required workers to perform long shifts, often up to eighteen hours per day, with only Sundays off work. By the 1870s though, more efficient machinery and the emergence of trade unions resulted in decreases in working hours per day, and allowed industrialists to give their workers Saturdays as well as Sundays off work.

Affordable and reliable transport in the form of railways allowed urban workers to travel on their days off, with the first package holidays to seaside resorts appearing in the 1870s, a trend which spread to industrial nations in Europe and North America. As workers channeled their wages into leisure activities, the modern entertainment industry emerged in industrialized nations, catering to entertain workers on their days off. This Victorian concept—the weekend—heralded the beginning of leisure time as it is known today.

New Begining of Ecotourism

2008-08-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Ecotourism

Tapanti National Park in Costa Rica

Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a form of tourism that appeals to ecologically and socially conscious individuals. Generally speaking, ecotourism focuses on volunteering, personal growth, and learning new ways to live on the planet. It typically involves travel to destinations where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions.

Responsible ecotourism includes programs that minimize the negative aspects of conventional tourism on the environment and enhance the cultural integrity of local people. Therefore, in addition to evaluating environmental and cultural factors, an integral part of ecotourism is the promotion of recycling, energy efficiency, water conservation, and creation of economic opportunities for the local communities. ^[1]

Criteria

According to the definition and principles of ecotourism established by The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) in 1990, ecotourism is ""Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people." (TIES, 1990). Those who implement and participate in ecotourism activities should follow the following ecotourism principles:

minimize impact
build environmental and cultural awareness and respect
provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts
provide direct financial benefits for conservation
provide financial benefits and empowerment for local people
raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and social climate

Ideally, ecotourism should satisfy several criteria^[2]^[3], such as:

conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity through ecosystem protection
promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity, by providing jobs to local populations
sharing of socio-economic benefits with local communities and indigenous people by having their informed consent and participation in the management of ecotourism enterprises
tourism to unspoiled natural resources, with minimal impact on the environment being a primary concern.
minimization of tourism's own environmental impact
affordability and lack of waste in the form of luxury
local culture, flora and fauna being the main attractions

For many countries, ecotourism is not simply a marginal activity to finance protection of the environment but is a major industry of the national economy. For example, in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nepal, Kenya, Madagascar, and Antarctica, ecotourism represents a significant portion of the gross domestic product and economic activity.^[4]^[5]

The concept of ecotourism is widely misunderstood, and in practice is often used as a marketing tool to promote tourism which is related to nature. This is an especially frequent malpractice in the realm of Jungle tourism. Critics claim that these greenwashing practices carried out in the name of ecotourism often consist of placing a hotel in a splendid landscape, to the detriment of the ecosystem. According to them, ecotourism must above all sensitize people to the beauty and the fragility of nature. They condemn some operators as greenwashing their operations: using the labels of "green" and "eco-friendly”, while behaving in environmentally irresponsible ways.

Although academics disagree about who can be classified as an ecotourist^[6] and there is precious little statistical data, some estimate that more than five million ecotourists - the majority of the ecotourist population - come from the United States, with others from Western Europe, Canada, and Australia.

Currently there are various moves to create national and international ecotourism accreditaion programs^[7], although the process is also controversial. National ecotourism certification programs have been put in place in countries such as Costa Rica, Australia, Kenya and Sweden.

History

Elephant safari after the Indian Rhinoceros in Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal (photographed by Leonardo C. Fleck)

Ecotourism, responsible tourism, jungle tourism and sustainable development have become prevalent concepts since the late 1980s, and ecotourism has experienced arguably the fastest growth of all sub-sectors in the tourism industry. The popularity represents a change in tourist perceptions, increased environmental awareness, and a desire to explore natural environments.^[1] Such changes have become as much a statement affirming one's social identity, educational sophistication, and disposable income as it has about preserving the Amazon rainforest or the Caribbean reef for posterity.^[6]^[8]

With its great potential for environmental protection, the United Nations celebrated the "International Year of Ecotourism" in 2002.

Criticisms

Definitional problems and greenwashing

To approach an understanding of the problem, a clear definition must delineate what is, and is not, ecotourism. Ideally, ecotourism satisfies several general criteria, including the conservation of biological diversity and cultural diversity through ecosystem protection, promotion of sustainable use of biodiversity, share of socio-economic benefits with local communities through informed consent and participation, increase in environmental and cultural knowledge, affordability and reduced waste, and minimization of its own environmental impact.^[2]^[3] In such ways, it contributes to the long term benefits to both the environment and local communities.

However, in the continuum of tourism activities that stretch from conventional tourism to ecotourism proper, there has been a lot of contention to the limit at which biodiversity preservation, local socio-economic benefits, and environmental impact can be considered "ecotourism". For this reason, environmentalists, special interest groups, and governments define ecotourism differently. Environmental organizations have generally insisted that ecotourism is nature-based, sustainably managed, conservation supporting, and environmentally educated.^[9]^[4] ^[6] The tourist industry and governments, however, focus more on the product aspect, treating ecotourism as equivalent to any sort of tourism based in nature.^[9] As a further complication, many terms are used under the rubric of ecotourism.^[4]^[2] Nature tourism, low impact tourism, green tourism, bio-tourism, ecologically responsible tourism, and others have been used in literature and marketing, although they are not necessary synonymous with ecotourism.^[2]

The problems associated with defining ecotourism have led to confusion among tourists and academics alike. Definitional problems are also subject of considerable public controversy and concern because of greenwashing, a trend towards the commercialization of tourism schemes disguised as sustainable, nature based, and environmentally friendly ecotourism.^[6] According to McLaren^[10], these schemes are environmentally destructive, economically exploitative, and culturally insensitive at its worst. They are also morally disconcerting because they mislead tourists and manipulate their concerns for the environment. Despite objections, greenwashing continues to grow unabated. The Nature's Sacred Paradise, a theme park in Quintana Roo, Mexico, is responsible for displacing local Mayan communities and illegally keeping endangered species in captivity to attract visitors.^[11] The development and success of such large scale, energy intensive, and ecologically unsustainable schemes are a testament to the tremendous profits associated with being labeled as ecotourism.

[edit] Negative impact of tourism

Ecotourism has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the tourism industry growing annual 10-15% worldwide (Miller, 2007). One definition of ecotourism is “the practice of low-impact, educational, ecologically and culturally sensitive travel that benefits local communities and host countries” (Honey, 1999). Many of the ecotourism projects are not meeting these standards. Even if some of the guidelines are being executed, the local communities are still facing other negative impacts. South Africa is one of the countries that are reaping significant economic benefits from ecotourism, but negative effects - including physical displacement of persons, gross violation of fundamental rights, and environmental hazards - far out weigh the medium-term economic benefits (Miller, 2007). A tremendous amount of money is being spent and human resources continue to be used for ecotourism despite the lack of success stories, and even more money is put into public relation campaigns to dilute the effects of the criticism. Ecotourism channels resources away from other projects that could contribute more sustainable and realistic solutions to pressing social and environmental problems. “The money tourism can generate often ties parks and managements to eco-tourism” (Walpole et al. 2001). But there is a tension in this relationship because eco-tourism often causes conflict and changes in land-use rights, fails to deliver promises of community-level benefits, damages environments, and has plenty of other social impacts. Indeed many argue repeatedly that eco-tourism is neither ecologically nor socially beneficial, yet it persists as a strategy for conservation and development (West, 2006). While several studies are being done on ways to improve the ecotourism structure, these examples provide reason that it should just stop all together.

The ecotourism system exercises tremendous financial and political influence. The evidence above shows that at the very least a strong case exists for restraining such activities. Funding could be used for field studies aimed at finding alternative solutions to tourism and the diverse problems Africa faces in result of urbanization, industrialization, and over exploitation of agriculture (Kamuaro, 2007). At the local level ecotourism has become a source of conflict over control of land, resources, and tourism profits. There are many problems with the idea of ecotourism. Environmental, the effects on the local people, and conflicts over profit distribution are only a few of the negative effects of ecotourism. In a perfect world more efforts would be made towards educating tourists of the environmental and social effects of their travels. Very few regulations or laws stand in place as boundaries for the investors in ecotourism. These should be implemented to prohibit the promotion of unsustainable ecotourism projects and materials which project false images of destinations, demeaning local and indigenous cultures.by nimi

Direct environmental impacts

Gnus and zebras in the Maasai Mara park reserve in Kenya.

Ecotourism operations occasionally fail to live up to conservation ideals. It is sometimes overlooked that ecotourism is a highly consumer-centered activity, and that environmental conservation is a means to further economic growth.^[6]

Although ecotourism is intended for small groups, even a modest increase in population, however temporary, puts extra pressure on the local environment and necessitates the development of additional infrastructure and amenities. The construction of water treatment plants, sanitation facilities, and lodges come with the exploitation of non-renewable energy sources and the utilization of already limited local resources.^[8] The conversion of natural land to such tourist infrastructure is implicated in deforestation and habitat deterioration of butterflies in Mexico and squirrel monkeys in Costa Rica.^[4] In other cases, the environment suffers because local communities are unable to meet the infrastructure demands of ecotourism. The lack of adequate sanitation facilities in many East African parks results in the disposal of campsite sewage in rivers, contaminating the wildlife, livestock, and people who draw drinking water from it.^[6]

Aside from environmental degradation with tourist infrastructure, population pressures from ecotourism also leaves behind garbage and pollution associated with the Western lifestyle.^[10]^[8] Nor do ecotourists recognize the great consumption of non-renewable energy required to arrive at their destination, which is typically more remote than conventional tourism destinations. For instance, an exotic journey to a place 10,000 kilometers away consumes about 700 liters of fuel per person.^[12] Although ecotourists claim to be educationally sophisticated and environmentally concerned, they rarely understand the ecological consequences of their visits and how their day-to-day activities append physical impacts on the environment. As one scientist observes, they "rarely acknowledge how the meals they eat, the toilets they flush, the water they drink, and so on, are all part of broader regional economic and ecological systems they are helping to reconfigure with their very activities."

Ecotourism activities are, in of itself, issues in environmental impact because they disturb fauna and flora. Ecotourists believe that because they are only taking pictures and leaving footprints, they keep ecotourism sites pristine, but even harmless sounding activities such as a nature hike can be ecologically destructive. In the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal, ecotourists have worn down the marked trails and created alternate routes, contributing to soil impaction, erosion, and plant damage.^[10] Where the ecotourism activity involves wildlife viewing, it can scare away animals, disrupt their feeding and nesting sites^[10], or acclimate them to the presence of people.^[4] In Kenya, disruption of wildlife observers drive cheetahs off their reserves, increasing the risk of inbreeding and further endangering the species.^[4]

[edit] Environmental hazards

Unfortunately, industrialization, urbanization, and unsustainable agriculture practices have all had serious effects on the environment. Ecotourism is now also playing a role in this depletion. While the term ecotourism may sound relatively benign, one of its most serious impacts is its consumption of virgin territories (Kamuaro, 2007). These invasions often include deforestation, disruption of ecological life systems and various forms of pollution, all of which contribute to environmental degradation. The number of motor vehicles crossing the park increases as tour drivers search for rare species. The number of roads has disrupted the grass cover which has serious effects on plant and animal species. These areas also have a higher rate of disturbances and invasive species because of all the traffic moving off the beaten path into new undiscovered areas (Kamuaro, 2007). Ecotourism also has an effect on species through the value placed on them. “Certain species have gone from being little known or valued by local people to being highly valued commodities. The commodification of plants may erase their social value and lead to overproduction within protected areas. Local people and their images can also be turned into commodities” (West, 2006). Kamuaro brings up a relatively obvious contradiction, any commercial venture into unspoiled, pristine land with or without the “eco” prefix as a contradiction in terms. To generate revenue you have to have a high number of traffic, tourists, which inevitably means a higher pressure on the environment.

Local people

Most forms of ecotourism are owned by foreign investors and corporations that provide few benefits to local communities. An overwhelming majority of profits are put into the pockets of investors instead of reinvestment into the local economy or environmental protection. The limited numbers of local people who are employed in the economy enter at its lowest level, and are unable to live in tourist areas because of meager wages and a two market system.^[8]

In some cases, the resentment by local people results in environmental degradation. As a highly publicized case, the Maasai nomads in Kenya killed wildlife in national parks to show aversion to unfair compensation terms and displacement from traditional lands.^[13] The lack of economic opportunities for local people also constrains them to degrade the environment as a means of sustenance.^[8] The presence of affluent ecotourists encourage the development of destructive markets in wildlife souvenirs, such as the sale of coral trinkets on tropical islands and animal products in Asia, contributing to illegal harvesting and poaching from the environment. In Surinam, sea turtle reserves use a large portion of their budget to guard against these activities.

Displacement of people

One of the most powerful examples of communities being moved in order to create a park is the story of the Masai. About 70% of national parks and game reserves in East Africa are on Masai land (Kamuaro, 2007). The first undesirable impact of tourism was that of the extent of land lost from the Masai culture. Local and national governments took advantage of the Masai’s ignorance on the situation and robbed them of huge chunks of grazing land, putting to risk their only socio-economic livelihood. In Kenya the Masai also have not gained any economic benefits. Despite the loss of their land, employment favours better educated workers. Furthermore the investors in this area are not local and have not put profits back into local economy. In some cases game reserves can be created without informing or consulting local people, who come to find out about the situation when an eviction notice is delivered (Kamuaro, 2007). Another source of resentment is the manipulation of the local people by their government. “Eco-tourism works to create simplistic images of local people and their uses and understandings of their surroundings. Through the lens of these simplified images, officials direct policies and projects towards the local people and the local people are blamed if the projects fail” (West, 2006). Clearly tourism as a trade is not empowering the local people who make it rich and satisfying. Instead ecotourism exploits and depletes, particularly in African Masai tribes. It has to be reoriented if it is to be useful to local communities and to become sustainable (Kamuaro, 2007).

Threats to indigenous cultures

Ecotourism often claims that it preserves and “enhances” local cultures. However, evidence shows that with the establishment of protected areas local people have illegally lost their homes, and most often with no compensation (Kamuaro, 2007). Pushing people onto marginal lands with harsh climates, poor soils, lack of water, and infested with livestock and disease does little to enhance livelihoods even when a proportion of ecotourism profits are directed back into the community. The establishment of parks can create harsh survival realities and deprive the people of their traditional use of land and natural resources. Ethnic groups are increasingly being seen as a “backdrop” to the scenery and wildlife. The local people struggle for cultural survival and freedom of cultural expression while being “observed” by tourists. Local indigenous people also have strong resentment towards the change, “Tourism has been allowed to develop with virtually no controls. Too many lodges have been built, too much firewood is being used and no limits are being placed on tourism vehicles. They regularly drive off-track and harass the wildlife. Their vehicle tracks criss-cross the entire Masai Mara. Inevitably the bush is becoming eroded and degraded” (Kamuaro, 2007).

Mismanagement

While governments are typically entrusted with the administration and enforcement of environmental protection, they often lack the commitment or capability to manage ecotourism sites effectively. The regulations for environmental protection may be vaguely defined, costly to implement, hard to enforce, and uncertain in effectiveness.^[14] Government regulatory agencies, as political bodies, are susceptible to making decisions that spend budget on politically beneficial but environmentally unproductive projects. Because of prestige and conspicuousness, the construction of an attractive visitor's center at an ecotourism site may take precedence over more pressing environmental concerns like acquiring habitat, protecting endemic species, and removing invasive ones.^[4] Finally, influential groups can pressure and sway the interests of the government to their favor. The government and its regulators can become vested in the benefits of the ecotourism industry which they are supposed to regulate, causing restrictive environmental regulations and enforcement to become more lenient.

Management of ecotourism sites by private ecotourism companies offers an alternative to the cost of regulation and deficiency of government agencies. It is believed that these companies have a self interest in limited environmental degradation, because tourists will pay more for pristine environments, which translates to higher profit. However, theory indicates that this practice is not economically feasible and will fail to manage the environment.

The model of monopolistic competition states that distinctiveness will entail profits, but profits will promote imitation. A company that protects its ecotourism sites is able to charge a premium for the novel experience and pristine environment. But when other companies view the success of this approach, they also enter the market with similar practices, increasing competition and reducing demand. Eventually, the demand will be reduced until the economic profit is zero. A cost-benefit analysis shows that the company bears the cost of environmental protection without receiving the gains. Without economic incentive, the whole premise of self interest through environmental protection is quashed; instead, ecotourism companies will minimize environment related expenses and maximize tourism demand.^[4]

The tragedy of the commons^[15] offers another model for economic unsustainability from environmental protection, in ecotourism sites utilized by many companies. Although there is a communal incentive to protect the environment, maximizing the benefits in the long run, a company will conclude that it is in their best interest to utilize the ecotourism site beyond its sustainable level. By increasing the number of ecotourists, for instance, a company gains all the economic benefit while paying only a part of the environmental cost. In the same way, a company recognizes that there is no incentive to actively protect the environment; they bear all the costs, while the benefits are shared by all other companies. The result, again, is mismanagement.

Taken together, the mobility of foreign investment and lack of economic incentive for environmental protection means that ecotourism companies are disposed to establishing themselves in new sites once their existing one is sufficiently degraded.

Improving sustainability

Regulation and accreditation

Because the regulation of ecotourism is poorly implemented or nonexistent, ecologically destructive greenwashed operations like underwater hotels, helicopter tours, and wildlife theme parks are categorized as ecotourism along with canoeing, camping, photography, and wildlife observation. The failure to acknowledge responsible, low impact ecotourism puts these companies at a competitive disadvantage.

Many environmentalists have argued for a global standard of accreditation, differentiating ecotourism companies based on their level of environmental commitment. A national or international regulatory board would enforce accreditation procedures, with representation from various groups including governments, hotels, tour operators, travel agents, guides, airlines, local authorities, conservation organizations, and non-governmental organizations.^[16] The decisions of the board would be sanctioned by governments, so that non-compliant companies would be legally required to disassociate themselves from the use of the ecotourism brand.

Crinion^[7] suggests a Green Stars System based on criteria including a management plan, benefit for the local community, small group interaction, education value, and staff training. Ecotourists who consider their choices would be confident of a genuine ecotourism experience when they see the higher star rating.

In addition, environmental impact assessments could be used as a form of accreditation. Feasibility is evaluated from a scientific basis, and recommendations could be made to optimally plan infrastructure, set tourist capacity, and manage the ecology. This form of accreditation is more sensitive to site specific conditions.

Guidelines and education

An environmental protection strategy must address the issue of ecotourists removed from the cause-and-effect of their actions on the environment. More initiatives should be carried out to improve their awareness, sensitize them to environmental issues, and care about the places they visit.^[8]

Tour guides are an obvious and direct medium to communicate awareness. With the confidence of ecotourists and intimate knowledge of the environment, they can actively discuss conservation issues. A tour guide training program in Costa Rica's Tortuguero National Park has helped mitigate negative environmental impacts by providing information and regulating tourists on the parks' beaches used by nesting endangered sea turtles.^[17]

Small scale, slow growth and local control

The underdevelopment theory of tourism describes a new form of imperialism by multinational corporations that control ecotourism resources. These corporations finance and profit from the development of large scale ecotourism that causes excessive environmental degradation, loss of traditional culture and way of life, and exploitation of local labor. In Zimbabwe and Nepal's Annapurna region, where underdevelopment is taking place, more than 90 percent of ecotourism revenues are expatriated to the parent countries, and less than 5 percent go into local communities.^[18]

The lack of sustainability highlights the need for small scale, slow growth, and locally based ecotourism. Local peoples have a vested interest in the well being of their community, and are therefore more accountable to environmental protection than multinational corporations. The lack of control, westernization, adverse impacts to the environment, loss of culture and traditions outweigh the benefits of establishing large scale ecotourism.

The increased contributions of communities to locally managed ecotourism create viable economic opportunities, including high level management positions, and reduce environmental issues associated with poverty and unemployment. Because the ecotourism experience is marketed to a different lifestyle from large scale ecotourism, the development of facilities and infrastructure does not need to conform to corporate Western tourism standards, and can be much simpler and less expensive. There is a greater multiplier effect on the economy, because local products, materials, and labor are used. Profits accrue locally, and import leakages are reduced.^[13] However, even this form of tourism may require foreign investment for promotion or start up. When such investments are required, it is crucial for communities for find a company or non-governmental organization that reflects the philosophy of ecotourism; sensitive to their concerns and willing to cooperate at the expense of profit.The basic assumption of the multiplier effect is that the economy starts off with unused resources, for example, that many workers are cyclically unemployed and much of industrial capacity is sitting idle or incompletely utilized. By increasing demand in the economy it is then possible to boost production. If the economy was already at full employment, with only structural, frictional, or other supply-side types of unemployment, any attempt to boost demand would only lead to inflation. For various laissez-faire schools of economics which embrace Say's Law and deny the possibility of Keynesian inefficiency and under-employment of resources, therefore, the multiplier concept is irrelevant or wrong-headed.

As an example, consider the government increasing its expenditure on roads by $1 million, without a corresponding increase in taxation. This sum would go to the road builders, who would hire more workers and distribute the money as wages and profits. The households receiving these incomes will save part of the money and spend the rest on consumer goods. These expenditures in turn will generate more jobs, wages, and profits, and so on with the income and spending circulating around the economy.

The multiplier effect arises because of the induced increases in consumer spending which occur due to the increased incomes — and because of the feedback into increasing business revenues, jobs, and income again. This process does not lead to an economic explosion not only because of the supply-side barriers at potential output (full employment) but because at each "round", the increase in consumer spending is less than the increase in consumer incomes. That is, the marginal propensity to consume (mpc) is less than one, so that each round some extra income goes into saving, leaking out of the cumulative process. Each increase in spending is thus smaller than that of the previous round, preventing an explosion.Ecotourism has to be implemented with care.

History of Traveler

2008-08-03T04:26:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Tourism is travel for recreational or leisure purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited". Tourism has become a popular global leisure activity. In 2007, there were over 903 million international tourist arrivals, with a growth of 6.6% as compared to 2006. International tourist receipts were USD^[1] Despite the uncertainties in the global economy, arrivals grew at around 5% during the first four months of 2008, almost a similar growth than the same period in 2007.^[1] 856 billion in 2007.

Tourism is vital for many countries such as Egypt, Thailand and many island nations such as Fiji, due to the large intake of money for businesses with their goods and services and the opportunity for employment in the service industries associated with tourism. These service industries include transportation services such as cruise ships and taxis, accommodation such as hotels and entertainment venues, and other hospitality industry services such as resorts.

Definition

Hunziker and Krapf, in 1941, defined tourism as "the sum of the phenomena and relationships arising from the travel and stay of non-residents, insofar as they do not lead to permanent residence and are not connected with any earning activity."^[6] In 1976, the Tourism Society of England defined it as "Tourism is the temporary, short-term movement of people to destination outside the places where they normally live and work and their activities during the stay at each destination. It includes movements for all purposes."^{[citation needed]} In 1981, International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism^[7] defined Tourism in terms of particular activities selected by choice and undertaken outside the home environment.

The United Nations classified three forms of tourism in 1994 in its Recommendations on Tourism Statistics: Domestic tourism, which involves residents of the given country traveling only within this country; Inbound tourism, involving non-residents traveling in the given country; and Outbound tourism, involving residents traveling in another country.

The UN also derived different categories of tourism by combining the 3 basic forms of tourism: Internal tourism, which comprises domestic tourism and inbound tourism; National tourism, which comprises domestic tourism and outbound tourism; and International tourism, which consists of inbound tourism and outbound tourism. Intrabound tourism is a term coined by the Korea Tourism Organization and widely accepted in Korea.^{[citation needed]} Intrabound tourism differs from domestic tourism in that the former encompasses policymaking and implementation of national tourism policies.^{[citation needed]}

Recently, the tourism industry has shifted from the promotion of inbound tourism to the promotion of intrabound tourism because many countries are experiencing tough competition for inbound tourists. Some national policymakers have shifted their priority to the promotion of intrabound tourism to contribute to the local economy. Examples of such campaigns include "See America" in the United States, "Malaysia Truly Asia" in Malaysia, "Get Going Canada" in Canada, "Wow Philippines" in the Philippines, "Uniquely Singapore" in Singapore, "100% Pure New Zealand" in New Zealand and "Incredible India" in India.

Growth

International tourism receipts in 2005

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts that international tourism will continue growing at the average annual rate of 4 %.^[16] By 2020 Europe will remain the most popular destination, but its share will drop from 60% in 1995 to 46%. Long-haul will grow slightly faster than intraregional travel and by 2020 its share will increase from 18% in 1995 to 24%.^{[citation needed]}

With the advent of e-commerce, tourism products have become one of the most traded items on the internet.^{[citation needed]} Tourism products and services have been made available through intermediaries, although tourism providers (hotels, airlines, etc.) can sell their services directly. This has put pressure on intermediaries from both on-line and traditional shops.

It has been suggested there is a strong correlation between Tourism expenditure per capita and the degree to which countries play in the global context.^[17] Not only as a result of the important economic contribution of the tourism industry, but also as an indicator of the degree of confidence with which global citizens leverage the resources of the globe for the benefit of their local economies. This is why any projections of growth in tourism may serve as an indication of the relative influence that each country will exercise in the future.

Space tourism is expected to "take off" in the first quarter of the 21st century, although compared with traditional destinations the number of tourists in orbit will remain low until technologies such as a space elevator make space travel cheap.

Technological improvement is likely to make possible air-ship hotels, based either on solar-powered airplanes or large dirigibles. Underwater hotels, such as Hydropolis, expected to open in Dubai in 2009, will be built. On the ocean tourists will be welcomed by ever larger cruise ships and perhaps floating cities.

Kelimutu's three colors trilogy

2008-08-03T04:17:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Kelimutu: Kelimutu Lakes is the collective name of three lakes of different colors. (JP/Yemris Fointuna)

Located some 60 kilometers to the east of Ende, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, are three lakes of three different colors that are collectively known as the Kelimutu Lakes.

To get to the lakes, tourists must travel about two hours overland from Ende to the parking area of Kelimutu National Park and from there walk for about 30 minutes through casuarina trees to reach the crater.

Scientists continue to puzzle over the colors of the lakes, which are situated about 1,690 meters above sea level, because they change over time. Before 2006, the lakes were red, blue and white. Now, the red lake is black-brown, the blue lake is light green and the white lake is black.

The black-brown lake and the light green lake are located side-by-side, separated only by a wall of earth that is 100-200 centimeters thick.

Locals believe the light green lake is a gathering place for the spirits of young men and women (tiwu nua murifai); the black-brown lake, for evil sprits (tiwu ata polo); and the black lake, which is located some 200 meters away, for the spirits of old people (tiwu ata mbupu).

The road to the lakes. (JP/Yemris Fointuna)

When I arrived at the lakes at 6:30 a.m. in the last week of February, the view of the black lake was obscured by a mist that did not disappear until almost 45 minutes later.

Is it the mineral content of the lakes' standing waters that is responsible for their color? Or is it their algae content? Scientists have yet to draw a conclusion.

The Kelimutu Lakes were discovered by Van Such Telen, a Dutchman, in 1915, although locals may have known about them earlier.

On Feb. 26, 1992, the government declared the Kelimutu area -- measuring 1,051,000 square meters -- a national park.

Locals believe Mount Kelimutu is haunted by ghosts who are friendly if they are left undisturbed and it is customary for them to make offerings at a location called Perikonde, the gateway for the spirits wishing to go to Kelimutu.

To fully enjoy the mountain in all its beauty, tourists, visitors and researchers must work hard to get to the top of the mountain before 9 a.m., because from early to late afternoon, mist will once again obscure the view.

I left from Ende at about 3:30 a.m. in a car chartered for Rp 500,000. However, there is another option: you can spend the night in Kampung Moni, which is located about three kilometers away from the Kelimutu Lakes.

In this village, you can stay in wooden huts that are managed by the local administration. The cost is about Rp 100,000 a night. Alternatively, if you are on a limited budget but would like to spend a few days in Kelimutu, you can stay in a homestay for Rp 50,000-75,000 a night.

Tourists can also enjoy the beautiful maiden forests of pine, fir, redwood and edeilweiss.

Tourist look at ikat (woven clotch) produced by local artisans. (JP/Yemris Fointuna)

In Kelimutu, locals sell traditional snacks and main meals, with beef, bananas and corn featuring heavily on the menu. At night, a glass of moke, an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of the palm tree, warms the cockles of the heart.

Ende souvenirs include woven fabrics bearing motifs that are peculiar to the district. Prices range from 40,000 for a scarf to 300,000 for a sarong.

Souvenir seller Sisilia Sita, 53, said tourist numbers peaked between April and October. The mother of three also sells snacks and coffee in the parking area.

Heaven and hell in Cambodia

2008-08-03T04:13:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Roots of a big tree on top of the eastern gate at Ta Som Temple. (JP/Kenneth Yang)

Sitting under the shade of a tree, on a hot day in the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, 15 kilometers from Central Phnom Penh, I felt horrified thinking of the suffering of the thousands of innocent people who were killed here by the Khmer Rouge regime.

A tiny ant was walking on my arm. Without giving it a second thought, I brushed it away. It rolled over but managed to regain its balance. Immediately I regretted the recklessness of my action.

In ordinary circumstances, I would not have cared about the life of an ant. But I'd just seen more than 8,000 skulls of victims arranged according to sex and age under glass panels in the memorial stupa on the Killing Fields.

My travel partner helped me get the ant off my arm and lowered it to the ground. "There you go," he said to the ant and we watched it walk away.

Monks stroll through the grounds of Angkor Wat Temple. (JP/Kenneth Yang)

Before setting off for Cambodia, I'd had visions of touring the magnificent temples of Angkor in Siem Reap, which I eventually did. Cambodia's intense history, however, left a stronger impression than I'd expected.

Phnom Penh Before traveling on to Siem Reap, my partner and I spent two nights in the capital city, Phnom Penh.

There we visited the Tuol Sleng Museum and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, which also bear witness to the horror of the Khmer Rouge regime.

In 1975, the Khmer Rouge overthrew the U.S.-supported Lon Nol government, seizing Phnom Penh. In the name of its "peasant revolution", the Khmer Rouge ordered the mass exodus of two million Phnom Penh residents to the countryside, where they were forced to carry out hard labor. From 1975 to 1979, more than two million of the country's seven million people lost their lives.

The Tuol Sleng Museum, formerly Tuol Svay Prey High School, was transformed into a prison by the Khmer Rouge. It was renamed S-21. A number of prisons, such as the S-21, were scattered across Cambodia. In S-21, some 17,000 former government officials and intellectuals were tortured. The prisoners were later transported to Choeung Ek and killed - most bludgeoned to death in order to save bullets.

A Cambodian woman walks past pictures of Khmer Rouge prisoners at Tuol Sleng Museum. (JP/Kenneth Yang)

We took a guided tour around the museum. A Cambodian woman guided us from room to room, showing us the metal bed on which the prisoners died. We saw the claustrophobic chambers made of red bricks inside the rooms, in which prisoners were kept.

Hundreds of pictures of former prisoners and guards were displayed in the museum. The Khmer Rouge was very detailed in their documentation, taking pictures of prisoners when they first arrived at S-21.

It was inevitable that visiting the two historical sites would be emotionally draining. It was important though for us to visit them to grasp the intensity of the tragedy.

The remarkable thing about Phnom Penh is that, apart from the two historical sites, the city has a fun atmosphere. Almost 30 years after the end of the holocaust, Phnom Penh is thriving. Old French colonial houses stand alongside the traditional Royal Palace.

Big land cruisers, as well as scooters ridden by youngsters, fill the streets. At night, as the air cools down, Phnom Penh residents flock to the parks in front of the royal palace and near the National Museum (this park boasts a "dancing fountain", with dangdut tracks included).

Siem Reap

After a bittersweet journey through Phnom Penh, we committed ourselves to a six-hour bus ride through the flatlands of Cambodia heading to Siem Reap, the gateway to the temples of Angkor.

The construction of new buildings and new roads shows that the once still backwater is facing rapid development. Near the Tonle Sap riverfront, guesthouses and cool restaurants and bars flourish, giving tourists a place to relax after a long day of temple traipsing.

It would take more than a day to explore the 100 or so temples of Angkor, built between the ninth and 14th centuries, the time when Khmer civilization experienced the height of its extraordinary creativity.

Staying in Siem Reap for five days, we chose the US$60

seven-day pass over the one or three day passes.

On our first day, we hit Angkor's star temple, the 12th century Angkor Wat, the biggest and one of the most preserved temples in Angkor.

The memorial stupa at the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek, which houses thousands of skulls of Khmer Rouge victims. (JP/Kenneth Yang)

The tips of the towers of Angkor Wat slowly emerged in sight as we neared them on a motorcycle-powered cart (Tuk Tuk). I felt like I was in the mythical land of a children's storybook.

The wide moat surrounding the temple is breathtakingly beautiful.

Constructed by Suryavarman II, the Hindu temple oddly faces the west, believed to be the direction of death. The temple is thought to be a tribute to Vishnu, the Hindu deity the king identifies with, as well as his tomb.

Read counter-clockwise, the bas-relief tells various stories, the most intriguing of which is a depiction of heaven and hell where doomed souls are dragged along by devils.

Other temples in the complex are equally impressive. One of the Angkor kings, Jayavarman VII, reigned from the late 12th century to the 13th century. A Buddhist god-king, he constructed the fortified city of Angkor Thom, which is home to the Bayon temple and other structures.

The Bayon consists of 56 towers carved with 216 giant faces of Avalokiteshvara looking down. Some scholars suggest that the faces may also be a representation of the king himself.

Some of the temple ruins in Angkor have been abandoned for hundreds of years and thus "swallowed up" by the forest. Tall trees grow on temple rooftops with their gigantic roots covering the buildings.

Angkor in the end does not only hold evidence of the extraordinary creativity of the ancient Khmer empire but also bears witness to the powerful forces of nature.

Belitung: A Sumatra Neverland

2008-08-03T04:12:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

(JP/Kuntarini Rahsilawati)

We touched down in Belitung with a thud, followed by cheers.

I looked out the window of the plane, it was raining really hard. It didn't seem like the right time to be in Belitung.

Bangka Belitung is a province in southern Sumatra that comprises two main islands separated by a five-hour ferry ride, and a number of smaller islands.

We were waiting for friends to arrive from Bangka. They'd booked their tickets to Belitung through a travel agent in Jakarta who'd apparently thought Belitung and Bangka were the same place.

So, when they'd arrived in Bangka the night before and confidently asked for directions to our hotel, the locals told them there was no hotel called that in Bangka. My friends showed them the scrap of paper with the hotel's address on it, and the locals answered in unison, "Oh, it says here that the hotel is in Belitung, Pak -- this is Bangka! It's a five-hour ferry ride to Belitung." Oh yeah? Very good.

Andrea and Belitung

We'd developed a sudden craving for gangan or fish-head casserole, a Tanjung Tinggi speciality, and by the time our friends arrived we were starving. There's a word in Belitung, kempungan, which is used to describe the bad luck that follows indulging in a "guilty" pleasure. But still we went in search of gangan.

Gangan, or fish-head casserole, is a Tanjung Tinggi speciality. (JP/Kuntarini Rahsilawati)

Tanjung Tinggi is a popular place for swimming, relaxing or simply admiring its white sand beach, turquoise water and granite rock formations.

We quickly found a restaurant, watching kids dive into a granite pool while we waited for our food. When it finally arrived, it was a sight to behold. The casserole, it's sauce a perfect blend of curry paste and pineapple, was big enough for the seven of us -- with leftovers assured.

After lunch, my friends and I scattered like soldiers fighting for the control of strategic spots from which to take photos.

I kept thinking of the book Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warriors), which is about the children of poor fishermen in Belitung, who played, joked and encouraged one another in their studies. I was keen to travel on to East Belitung, where the book is set. Instead of taking pictures I returned to the restaurant. A friend asked, "Do you want to meet Andrea Hirata?" Andrea is the book's author.

"Sure," I said. "There he is now, said my friend, "strolling along the beach". Without thinking twice I rushed over to greet Andrea. He is well-known in Jakarta and yet seemed liked a "nobody" in Belitung.

The view from the Lengkuas lighthouse. (JP/Kuntarini Rahsilawati)

Andrea asked me to climb across the otherworldly rock formations with him. We sat high up, overlooking the open sea. It was clear from Laksar Pelangi that Andrea really loves Belitung, his hometown. I could imagine the part in the book when he gazed at the rooftop of his sweetheart's house from Selumar hill in East Belitung. I even fancied I could see the dragons of the South China Sea wrestling from afar.

Ah, gangan, Tanjung Tinggi and Andrea in one day -- welcome to Belitung!

Lengkuas Island

The next day, the golden morning sun filtered through the canopies of leaves and branches along the road to the Tanjung Layar coast. It was the perfect day to sail to Lengkuas Island, or so we thought.

No sooner had we arrived in Tanjung Layar than a chilly wind whipped up and the sun all but disappeared. Boats were tossed about like toys. A fisherman approached us. "Are you sure you still want to sail to Lengkuas Island?", he said, making his reluctance clear. A fisherman I'd met earlier told me that from May to August the sea around Belitung is calm and flat like a mirror, but in December, few fishermen have the courage to go out to sea.

"Just give it a try, Pak," my friend said.

We decided to try our luck, and away we sailed. The small islands scattered in the vicinity seemed within reach, but I knew they were not that close. Halfway to our destination, the water surface was choppier. Our small boat was tossed up and down like an amusement park ride and I regretted our snap decision to sail to Lengkuas.

The granite rock formations of Belitung (JP/Kuntarini Rahsilawati)

There was no turning back, the only way was forward. Our boat was a lone warrior on the sea. There was nothing to do but to hold onto the bench. There was not even a rubber ring, let alone life jackets.

So, for more than an hour, we held tightly to the bench, prayed and kept our eyes on the waves that threatened to swallow up our boat.

As we drew closer to Lengkuas, the sea was calmer. The sun reflected off the whitewashed lighthouse that stood out against the island's green forest. It was a relief to know that we were close to dry land.

The only problem was the water was too shallow for the boat to get any closer. We'd have to wade through waist-deep water. Fortunately, the kindhearted fisherman placed a chair below the deck so we didn't have to jump right in.

Lengkuas Island is surrounded by granite boulders that have a surface pattern of horizontal lines. So straight are they that they look like they were drawn with a ruler.

The interior of the lighthouse. (JP/Kuntarini Rahsilawati)

The lighthouse engineer, Komaruddin, approached us, smiling broadly. He lives there with his family. They receive food supplies only once in three months and are completely reliant on tank water.

If there is no more water in the tank, Komaruddin must call his superior in Jakarta and ask for a container of water to be delivered to the island.

No wonder the sign in the toilet says "Use water wisely".

The white lighthouse was built in 1882 and still functions as an active aide to navigation for ships going to Tanjung Pandan Port or entering the Gaspar Straits, which separate Bangka and Belitung islands. Komarudin is assisted by two men who keep watch at night.

It is rather eerie inside the lighthouse. One room, which has bars over the windows, used to be a cell. From every window there is a magnificent view of the sea. On the way back down the lighthouse stairs, I was struck by the glow of the afternoon sun through the old, broken windows. It was a privilege to have spent the afternoon on this beautiful island.

Taking on the American Midwest one Greyhound

2008-08-03T04:08:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

"Kathy, I said as we boarded a Greyhound in Pittsburgh Michigan seems like a dream to me now It took me four days to hitchhike from Saginaw I've gone to look for America" (Simon and Garfunkel, 1972)

It was not only the Simon and Garfunkel song "America" -- about the physical and metaphorical journey of two companions in search of the true meaning of America -- that inspired me to travel the Midwest on a Greyhound bus.

I had more practical reasons. As a money-conscious international student living off a scholarship, it would have been foolish for me to travel by air, especially amid a period of sky-rocketing fuel prices.

Even if I could have saved some of my monthly stipend to pay for an airfare, the prospect of having to go through a long line of security checks at every airport was enough to dissuade me from flying.

So I decided to hop on a Greyhound bus and brace myself for whatever would come my way. And when my epic four-day journey across the American Midwest was over, the Simon and Garfunkel cliche proved to be true -- the best possible way to get to know America is by going on a Greyhound bus.

On the way between Chicago and Indianapolis, I shared the bus with many African Americans.

Probably 90 percent of the passengers were African American, and my class-conscious mind quickly drew the conclusion that this had something to do with the uneven distribution of income between white and black Americans, so that the latter were forced to endure a long Greyhound trip to visit family and friends because they could not afford to buy cars or to pay air fares.

But I might have been wrong. At the Indianapolis Greyhound terminal, I saw a large number of white, working class Americans who stood grudgingly in a long line for a bus that would take them to Columbus, Ohio.

But my class-based judgment was totally repudiated on the trip between Columbus and Cleveland. During this last leg of my trip, I saw roughly an equal proportion of African Americans and white Americans. They shared seats and traded profanity-filled stories of their epic Greyhound journeys.

Yes, profanity. Despite every bus driver reciting the same rule against using profanity before every departure, my fellow passengers jovially exchanged profanity-peppered stories about hardships they had endured, which predominately seemed due to delayed buses.

A scruffy looking thirty-something behind me, who could easily have been mistaken for a roadie or a member of a mid-90s alternative rock band, appeared to be very glad to find out that he was not the only one who had suffered from a Greyhound bus running 12 hours late.

"I think those people at Greyhound only have one goal, to piss off as many people as possible," the Tennessee-bound man said, provoking roaring laughter from the rest of us.

Next to him, a middle-aged, Cleveland-bound African American woman, seemingly out of desperation, made a vow that she would likely break.

"I will never set foot again on a Greyhound bus after this trip is over," she said.

When answering her daughter's call about when she should be picked up from the terminal in Cleveland, she said with a chuckle: "The schedule says that I will arrive in Cleveland at 10:55, but you know, this is Greyhound, so give me until 12:30 to get to Cleveland."

Every one on board was so tired that they decided to laugh it off.

However, a loud grumble was heard when a woman at the back, with a toddler sitting on her lap, said she had been traveling on a Greyhound bus for three days.

"I left California on Saturday night heading for New York and now it is already Monday afternoon." Nobody said a thing when, seemingly in response to this, the toddler began to cry.

"This is the first time in a long while that the baby has cried," the passenger next to me said in his southern twang.

When these people exchanged their stories about Greyhound running behind schedule, what came to my mind was the Greyhound motto: "We Are On Our Way."

This was strikingly fitting as, with the company's best intentions, however long the delay, I knew that somewhere out there a Greyhound bus was on its way to pick up all of the passengers patient enough to wait.

My fellow passengers' ordeals also reminded me of a tag line on the wall of the Greyhound terminal in Columbus, Ohio. I was half asleep after a 12-hour-plus trip when this poster brought tears to my eyes from laughter. "Travel faster, because we are named after a greyhound, not a sloth."

I reckon those lengthy delays were the result of Greyhound's new regulation, which dictated that although bus tickets had times and dates printed on them, seating was not guaranteed, and was based on a first-come, first-served system.

Under the new system, Greyhound planned to add additional "sections" (buses) in periods of high demand, but the level of demand required to trigger additional sections varied. Passengers were often forced to wait for the next bus.

Suffering may have been what the majority of Greyhound customers got from the new policy, but for a lone freeloader like me, the system was very advantageous as I was able to come five minutes before the scheduled departure time -- knowing full well it would not be honored -- and still get my ticket to any destination I wanted. Take that, Jet Blue!

As for the numb legs caused by standing in line for too long and the broken back from sitting for too long inside a coach -- it was all worth to it be able to share a ride with the blue-collar Americans and to see what that vast land had to offer along the way.

Ijen crater, a perilous beauty

2008-08-03T04:06:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Behind the beautiful panorama of Mount Ijen, with one of the world's largest craters, in Bondowoso, East Java, lies a health hazard to the surrounding community.

The crater lake of Kawah Ijen is seen through the caldera's rising sulfur fumes. (JP/Indra Harsaputra)

At least 50,000 people live in an area threatened by acidic water from the crater lake permeating through their wells.

Badawi, 45, a sulfur miner at the crater -- better known as Kawah Ijen -- savored a cup of coffee at a food stall in Paltuding village, Bondowoso regency, before setting off to work.

Beside his coffee cup stood a bottle of water from a well to drink on the 4-kilometer hike to collect sulfur from the crater.

"People say the well water is toxic because of acid from the lake. But most residents, including myself, don't care about the effects of the water, as we have so far remained healthy," he told The Jakarta Post recently.

Exposed to toxic fumes and without the use of safety equipment, miners transport rocks of solid sulfur from the crater in hand-woven bamboo baskets. (Indra Harsaputra)

Badawi from Bulusan village, Kalipuro district, Banyuwangi regency, has lived in a sulfur workers camp in Paltuding for five years, together with hundreds of sulfur miners.

Research conducted by Soegijapranata Catholic University, Semarang, Central Java, in 2007 showed that acid water in the crater lake had infiltrated and contaminated surrounding rivers and wells. As a result, local people were affected by tooth decay and bone degeneration, while agricultural production was reduced.

As many as 3,564 hectares of paddy fields have been irrigated with polluted water, affecting 50,000 villagers across three regencies.

A report from Soegijapranata University said that most residents around the Banyupahit and Banyuputih rivers had been informed of the dangers of contaminated water.

The study, which was supported by Holland's Untrecht University, Netherlands Open University and the Vrije University of Amsterdam, showed that the acidic water of Kawah Ijen had caused many people to suffer from dental fluorosis, a condition caused by an excessive intake of fluoride in drinking water.

In a discussion at the 10 November Technology Institute of Surabaya (ITS), head of the Vulcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center, Surono, said the consumption of lake water infiltrated through the wells caused abnormal human growth and shortened life expectancy. He made a recommendation to the East Java governor and local authorities to build a tunnel channeling the crater stream to the sea, 42 kilometers away. He has yet to receive a response.

For both local and foreign tourists, Kawah Ijen is a unique attraction. It is one of the few volcanoes in the country that has a crater lake. Of the country's more than 700 mountains, only a small percentage have such lakes, including Mount Rinjani (3,726 meters above sea level) in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, and the Kelimutu range in Flores.

Visitors are prohibited from approaching the crater, where a lava dome has emerged as a "mini Kelud", measuring 700 square meters, with a 130-meter diameter.

According to vulcanologists, the Kelud dome is a unique phenomenon in Indonesia's volcanic history and still has the potential for a devastating eruption.

Kawah Ijen is easily accessible by motor vehicle -- the best route is via Bondowoso and eastward through Wonosari to Sempol village and finally via Paltuding village. This route covers 70 kilometers of smooth asphalt roads. It can also be reached through the town of Banyuwangi -- only 38 kilometers to the west of the villages of Licin, Jambu and Paltuding -- but the roads are quite steep.

For a morning climb, tourists can spend the night at the coffee estate guest house of PTP Nusantara XII state company in Kalisat, Jampit, at an altitude of 1,200 meters. A tourist inn, Pondok Wisata, also offers accommodation in Paltuding, besides a camping ground. Masks, glasses and wet handkerchiefs are needed for protection against toxic fumes from the crater. By following the path worn down by sulfur miners, climbers will not get lost.

At the peak, a green crater can be observed at a height of 2,368 meters above sea level, with a total area of 5.5 hectares and caldera walls 300 to 500 meters high. The lake's water, totaling 200 million cubic meters in volume, can reach 200 degrees centigrade. With a depth of 200 meters, the lake is so acidic that it can dissolve clothes and human fingers.

V-rolicking in Lyon

2008-08-03T04:05:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

A replendent view of the Rhone on a beautiful morning seen from the river bank at Guillotiere. (JP/Claire Maugier)

The French lady next to me was so polite to offer me her aisle seat. My regional train ran right on time, briskly traversing the Vaucluse up to the Rhone region. Yes, it felt good to be back in "the Hexagon", a moniker for France with its six-sided shape.

It was just past six in the evening when the countryside turned into blocks of condominiums as the train penetrated Lyon's southern fringe.

My friend Kevin was waiting for me at Lyon-Perrache station. He was my host for the next few days. We took the underground Metro toward his place in the quaint district of Pierre Scize.

So I finally set foot in Lyon, France's second largest city.

Or is it the third largest?

It's an age-old enigma. Ask any self-respected French man or woman the question and answers alternate between Lyon and Marseilles. The justification is that Lyon boasts a more ample urban agglomeration whilst Marseilles claims to have more city-dwellers.

We ditched the Metro for a bus, a more confortable option tham walking the streets -- you are often shouldered by haggard Lyonnais coming home from work.

We passed the elegant 18th century Hotel de Ville -- your typical French town hall with a Tuilleries-inspired dome. Just around the corner, the hangar-shaped Opera de Lyon glistened flirtatiously.

This is the heart of Lyon; if it's happening, it's here. The hip district includes the Place des Terreaux square. Crowds throng the many outdoor cafes for an aperitif session and perhaps an alfresco dinner.

The enormous fountain of Bartholdi is sure to catch anyone's attention. It is an immense ensemble of a life-sized female statue riding a cart pulled by four ferocious horses.

The bus quickly drifted toward the up-market Pierre Scize district, passing the confluence point where the glint and gleam of Europe's major rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, meet right in the center in this French metropolis.

Taking in the panorama, the spire-studded medieval quarter of Vieux-Lyon was greeting me, welcoming me to the gastronomic capital of France.

Lyon is regarded by many as the center of France's fine food. The local cuisine, known as le bouchon, offers unpretentious meat-based dishes of worldwide acclaim. Beware though, warned Kevin, many had turned bouchon's popularity to cash, taking away from its quality.

At Kevin's place, I asked him and his roommate Claire how life was in their neck of the woods.

"We've only been here for about two years, but Lyon is great. You have all you need, from state-of-the-art health services to worldly entertainment, sans the claustrophobic feeling that constantly badgers the Parisians."

Velo-V bikes pulled up next the Bartholdi fountain, Place de Terreaux. (JP/Gama Harjono)

Kevin prepped me the next day on how to get around town -- in an eco-friendly way, that was. I stood staring at a computerized unit resembling a parking meter. It was one of the many Velo'V terminals, a communal bike rental service, conveniently installed all over the city.

"It's affordable, the first half hour is free then it's just 1 euro (US1.50) an hour. You can often get across town quicker than you can by car," said Kevin. So I gave it a go.

Getting on a Velo'V is pretty simple once you get a subscription card. To get one, however, can prove a complicated task if you do not have a French credit card. Designed by JCDecaux, the Velo'V accepts only French credit cards. Kevin helped me obtain one.

Now on my own, my one destination was decidedly the Fourviere basilica. It was a quick ride pedaling my velo up the slope, followed by a trip on one of the sky trains.

Despite its classical poise, the basilica of the Notre-Dame de Fourviere is quite a new building, at least by European standards. La Fourviere was constructed in 1870 to praise the Holy Virgin for the salvation of the city from the Prussian armies' onslaught.

The Fete des Lumieres (Light Festival) is also associated with this church. A Virgin Mary statue was to be installed at La Fouviere on 8 Dec., 1852. The event was, however, canceled due to a massive storm hanging over Lyon. Unexpectedly, the sky cleared up. The people then lit lanterns on their window sills and now, every year on 8 Dec., the people mark the Fete des Lumieres.

Lyon has always been considered a strategic center. Agrippa, once a Roman general and later a consul, selected Lyon as a transportation hub to move his legions between Orleean and Arles, and Geneva and Aosta, linking Lyon with the rest of Gaul.

The annual assembly of over 60 Gallic tribes took place on the hills of what is now the Croix-Rousse quarter.

There are few places in France better than Lyon to discover Roman ruins and monuments.

Julius Caesar chose Lyon as the base camp for this conquest of Gaul. Augustus later declared it the capital of the empire's "Three Gauls" (Aquitaine, Belgium and Lyon).

Lyon was a sure winner with the Romans. The ancient town of Ludgunum produced two Roman emperors, Claudius (10 BC) and Caracalla (AD 188).

I quickly detoured toward the hillside of Fourviere to find one of France's most important archeological sites. Fouviere was the site of the old forum and saw numerous temples, baths, an Odeon, an amphitheater and even a circus arena in its heyday.

To remember its glorious past, the French built a museum. The museum of the Gallo-Roman Civilization exhibits the Claudian Tables, a record of speech made by Claudius in 48 AD which granted the citizens of Gaul the right to become senators.

Luckily, Lyon's Gallo-Roman amphitheater survived the barbarian invasions. Rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian, it was host to grand concerts and spectacles.

Despite its dilapidated state, it remains functional. A university choir was occupied with a recital, as I was leaving.

I took my bike headed for the Presqu'ile, Lyon's city center. The Velo'v is such a winner with the French. With a terminal installed every 500 meters, the urban bike proves to be extremely handy for city residents and those in the suburbs even take them to work.

It seems everyone is happy with the arrangement, according to a national survey. JCDecaux replaces stolen or broken bikes fast enough, in return for advertising space. Following Lyon's success, its big sister Paris adopted the bikes in late 2007.

France is of course synonymous with its old quarters. This equates to Vieux-Lyon, a UNESCO-heritage site noted for its Renaissance architectonic heritage. Lyon's cobblestone old town seems perpetually radiant.

The main sight in Vieux-Lyon is St. Jean cathedral. Many come here to let time pass sitting and looking at its austere facade. The 12th-century church houses a beautiful 14th-century astronomical clock, supposedly St. Louis' relic.

One of Lyon's trompe d'oeil frescoes in the rue de la Martiniere. This open air "theater" depicts men and women who made Lyon famous, from the Lumiere brothers to Antoine St-Exupery. (JP/Peter Smithkeary)

Vieu-Lyon's best-kept secret are the traboules. These "corridors" between buildings and courtyards run perpendicular to the river and were originally used as a passageway by silk workers. Many of the traboules are accessible to public.

In addition to its old heritage, Lyon has its fair share of museums and galleries. My personal favorite was the Musee des Beaux-Arts. Housed in a 17th-century Benedictine abbey, this museum offers remarkable collections from Egyptian temple doors to Rubens' masterpiece, The Adoration of the Magi.

The museum is just a backdrop to the animated Place de Terreaux next door. I pulled in my velo at one of the many cafes.

Another favorite playground in town is Place Bellecour. At 310 meters by 200 meters, it is one of Europe's largest squares. Promenades, jogging and French ball games are practiced in this shaded open area.

Lyon is a great urban space and most noted for its mural trompe d'oeil, most of which illustrate its local characters.

A great example is the gigantic fresco in the rue de la Martiniere. This theater depicts the men and women who made Lyon famous, from the Lumiere brothers to Antoine St-Exupery. These great murals can be found in any of Lyon's nine arrondissements and along the river banks.

Seeking deepwater fun in Maluku

2008-08-03T04:03:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Last month The Jakarta Post's Ati Nurbaiti was invited to Ambon to take part in a journalism workshop on covering Maluku, organized by the Forum of Maluku Women Journalists. Below is her report from the sidelines.

The things to worry about when you're trying to live with fish! How to breathe underwater, how to float at a stable level, how not to pop your lungs, how not to bump into your buddy's tank (ouch!), how to avoid earaches, etc., etc., etc.

And the fish just dart here and there and back and forth, heading straight up and down, around and around, popping up just to get a quick peek at the bizarre visitor -- that big two-legged alien in black -- and darting back! Funny old fellows, sketched and dotted and striped, painted and winged or given a orange lion's mane or even the odd batik motif -- depending on the whim of whatever or whoever thought up such creatures and their wavy homes of multicolored sponges or bottle-like corals.

The "one cheek fish", as locals appropriately call the flatfish (pleuronectiform), slides away rapidly on its side in the sand. There's a cave or two to explore, and sunbeams pour down into the cool blue-green world.

It's this relaxing, wondrous sight of the underwater garden that entices even timid and clumsy nonathletic types to the ocean.

And in Maluku these wonders are available all year round. In early June it was raining almost every day, fishermen were warned against going out to sea and the guys at the only diving operation open, the Blue Rose, said it wasn't possible to dive around the south -- but north was fine.

That was a terrific surprise. So on a bright Monday, a short drive outside the capital took us to the Leihitu district, and a 15-minute bumpy speedboat ride led us to three lovely dive sites. Under the calm surface, suddenly the tour begins around coral walls alive with busy creatures in every direction -- and at the end, it's hard to say goodbye.

The view "is even better at Pulau Tiga," says my guide, "but that's 45 minutes away," with extra costs for the fuel. If you're with a group of four, he says, guests can go up to neighboring Seram Island where more adventures await.

With the sea making up most of the province of the "Spice Islands", water activities are obviously a core part of the tourist attractions here. Later this year Seram is holding a deep sea fishing festival and tourism promoters are promising plenty of excitement for lovers of water sports, including jet skiing.

But a closer look at the brochures confirms that all the hype is about what could be -- much of the fun is not quite there yet ...

Almost 10 years after community clashes in the province, critics say the government here lacks focus, trying to do everything and achieving nothing, instead of concentrating on Maluku's vast ocean potential.

The perception that Maluku is not yet safe is the main obstacle to tourism, officials say. Yet a number of direct elections have been held without much trouble in a place that did indeed see an unprecedented amount of bloodshed.

But now residents want their life back, and tourists could contribute to local recovery -- besides spreading the fairly good news that safety issues here are pretty much the same as in other areas in Indonesia, as is sanitation.

Car-less and carefree in Perth

2008-08-03T04:01:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Quinns Rocks beach: (JP/Adrian Thirkell)

Every visitor to Perth must have breakfast at the posh No. 44 King Street cafe bakery, where a couple of lattes and a serving of Etruscan toast will set you back about A$15 (Rp 134,000). Not bad, until you compare it and everything else in Perth with the cost of a Family Day Rider ticket on the city's incomparably efficient train-meets-bus-meets-ferry public transport system.

At A$8.10 for two adults and a brood of kids under 12 it's the city's -- and perhaps all of Western Australia's -- best travel bargain, so long as you're traveling during the Aussie school holidays.

With it, two adults accompanying up to five - yes, five! -- children can set off for the day to explore whatever suits your mood. Head east for the historic town of Guildford, the gateway to Perth's wine and olive growing valleys, a 30-minute, 11-station train ride from the city and worth the trip if only for the sumptuous, local-fare organic cuisine at James' Street gourmet deli, Indulgence, where you can also stock up on olive oil and preserves. Alternatively, take the bus south to the shockingly gorgeous beach of Mandurah, an hour's journey from Perth's esplanade bus terminal. And, of course, there's everything in between, including the pristine waterside city of Perth itself.

The Family Day Rider is a preposterously good bargain. Whichever public transport guru thought it up deserves a civic medal. The system itself is an ingeniously planned interlocking web of routes offering day-tripping families virtually seamless travel within and beyond the city, including the ferry which shuttles across the Swan River for those heading for south Perth and the city zoo.

But it's not only the interconnectedness that's so attractive; the system's punctuality and regularity; the spick and span newness of the Mercedes Benz buses (all of which carry printed timetables and route maps) and the glide-on-air-feel of the electric trains. What's more, stops and stations inform you, either by printed timetable or by continuously updated digital monitor, when the next train, bus or ferry is due -- an act of civic thoughtfulness that allows travelers to time their museum visit or cappuccino break to the minute.

The system's also rarely crowded thanks to Perth's never-say-die motorists, who don't or won't appreciate that the city's hassle free, quietly humming and supremely versatile public transportation is second to none. The result? You always get a seat.

If you're eco-friendly, you'll also love the gas powered "CAT" buses that prowl the city center in continuous, hop on, hop off loops. Stay on, and in 25 minutes you're back where you started, so you can opt for three different city tours, red, yellow or blue, all for free.

An orangutan at the Perth Zoo: (JP/Adrian Thirkell)

Buy your first ticket at 9 a.m. (or 8.30 a.m. weekends) and the little bit of earth called Perth is laid out for your delight in all directions, from ocean to vineyard; from city to suburb for the same one-family-one-ticket flat rate fare.

Our first bus ride as a family of three revealed another wonderful feature of the network: its human face. The drivers, without exception, are polite and informed. We asked ours for a ticket to the nearest station from our suburban holiday rental and he intuitively advised us to buy the Family Day Rider. It was the key that unlocked all public transportation doors for the rest of our two-week break, which coincided with the Australian school holidays. We never looked back, leaving the house every day at 9.05 a.m. for the first bus at 9.12 a.m. Exactly.

Whether Greek, Jordanian, Italian or a scouser from England, as was our experience, the drivers appear to have been to charm school. They know not only their own route, but the routes they connect with, and are happy to oblige hapless first timers about how to get to anywhere. And anywhere in Perth, especially under winter's brazenly blue skies, tends to be somewhere you want to be.

It all means that half the fun of a car-less holiday in Perth is the getting about. The other half is Australia's "boutique" city itself, which feels delightfully Mediterranean -- an impression helped by the city's profusion of al fresco dining spots, its palm trees and desert grasses and by the fact that it rubs shoulders, in nonchalant camaraderie, with both river and Indian ocean: yes, Perth's as exotic as that!

It's from the ocean that it pulls all its marvelous oysters. If they're your thing, try the Oyster House two minutes from the zoo, directly opposite the south side ferry terminal, once you've made the five minute river crossing from Barrack Jetty via the Blue Cat from the city center.

For the family, (and despite the backpackers' hostels near the station, Perth's a family destination first and foremost) top of the "must do" list is Kings Park and the Botanic Gardens, a sprawling 400-acre mix of manicured flower beds and woodland scrub which, when we visited, was awash with children playing Aussie rules football in its open spaces. Take a picnic or forage from any of the park's three cafes (you can even barbecue) and spend all day, taking the free bus 37 or 39 from the city's axis road, St Georges Terrace.

When it's the beach you need, as you surely must for your holiday to feel authentically Australian, take bus 400 from Glendalough train station, two stops from Perth central (Platform 1 or 5 on the Clarkson line), and alight right on Scarborough Beach, at Observation City. Have a coffee and then take a walk along the pristine shoreline, watching Perth's surfers do their thing. If you've the stamina for an hour's stroll, you'll reach City Beach, from where you can catch a bus back to the city. If you want your beaches more spectacular, take the bus to Mandurah.

There's plenty of good stuff, too, within the city itself, of course. A good way to start the day is with coffee on the terrace at Alda's, Perth's little bit of Italy. From the station, exit right, cross Wellington Street, and walk up Queen Street, after the backpackers' hostel, and cross obliquely into a grey-painted, potted tree-lined alley. At the end you'll find the city's friendliest baristas, Tim and Simon, who'll serve you sumptuously foamy coffee and to-die-for panini. Afterwards, take the Blue CAT, heading down William Street, and alight at Barrack Street Jetty for the zoo.

The ferry crossing takes five minutes and the walk to the zoo another five, if you can resist grazing from the strip of restaurants on the way. For a family of two adults and two kids, the zoo's $45. The Sumatran orangutan enclosure offers the best spectacle, where a number of the contentedly active animals live in peaceable, rope-dangling harmony high up in an array of tree houses. Apart from this little bit of Indonesia, though, the zoo's somewhat tame, and in winter the animals sleepy, although youngsters will love the lawns to run about on, and the fact that you can get up close and personal with the kangaroos.

Alda's italian cafe in Perth: (JP/Adrian Thirkell)

From the zoo, which needs three hours to take in native Australian, African and Asian animals, including a magnificent crocodile, cross the road for bus 31 which sweeps you back into the city across the broad reach of the Swan River past the brewery bearing the river's name.

There are just two things the public transportation user has to get used to: when standing at a bus stop, passing drivers invariably ogle you, as if you're a strange species they don't quite comprehend. The second: when riding the bus or the train over the school holidays, teenagers habitually pockmark every sentence with swear words. Hey, I wanted to tell them, when life's this good, and the sky this blue, what's there to curse? The redeeming irony is that local bus-riding lore has it that when you get off, whether pensioner or surly teenager, everyone without exception thanks the driver.

On our last day, we headed for Mindarie Keys marina: from the city take the train to end-of-the-line Clarkson station (30 mins) and then bus 481 or 482 (15 mins) alighting shortly after Ocean Keys shops in Anchorage Drive -- the driver will tell you where. From there, it's a gentle five minute walk to the marina, where you can enjoy a gourmet meal or fish and chips and an ice-cold beer at suburban Perth's best kept dining secret, bang on the ocean. Go in winter, and you'll have it almost to yourself.

If you want to venture yet further, head north again for olive-grove growing Waneroo and the ocean front village, Two Rocks, a 40 minute, 490 bus ride from Clarkson and the furthest north you can go on Perth's public transport system. It's worth the trip for lunch at The Sea Salt Restaurant, the terrace of which overlooks the marina with ocean views to the horizon. The seafood's superb, with local-caught crayfish a specialty in season.

It's a shame after all the bargain priced travel that you can't make it to the airport by bus (unless you're heading for the domestic terminal, in which case, take bus 37 from St George's Terrace). A cab costs up to $30.

For before you go transport planning try www.transperth.wa.gov.au; general tourist information www.westernaustralia.com. Once there, the Visitor Center is right opposite the train station.

Raja Ampat, Papua's underwater paradise

2008-08-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

"Wobbegong!" Saka screamed as he rose to the surface to tell me there was a shark. I hurriedly put on my snorkel and jumped into the katingting (wooden boat) into the sea.

After swimming about 25 meters, I saw four of my friends diving 4 meters deep, surrounding the shark.

The shark was lurking beneath the coral, hidden by the white sand. Not content with the view from the surface, I decided to dive for a closer look at the tasseled wobbegong.

At a distance of 1 meter, the shark stayed motionless with only its broad tassel-swathed head showing from behind the coral. It was a rare moment.

With some prodding by Saka, the 1-meter-long shark came out of hiding.

My four peers soon surfaced, faces shining with pleasure at having seen and photographed this unusual shark.

TV presenter Riyanni Djangkaru poses with "the Ugly Face" Wobbegong. (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

"At last, I got to see the Ugly Face!" cried Riyanni Djangkaru, host of an adventure program broadcast on a private TV station, as she described the wobbegong with a hearty laugh.

Saka, our diving guide from the Maritime and Fisheries Office of Raja Ampat, Papua, was also beaming. We all celebrated our successful encounter with the shark on board with laughter and applause. The shark made up for our previous dive trip, when we found nothing but a whale squirting out its breath near our boat as we left Waiwo for the Friwin dive spot, Raja Ampat, northwest of the province of Papua.

From Batu Lima, the place where we spotted the wobbegong, Saka asked boat owner Pak Ibrahim to sail to Mioskon, just a short trip away.

There was a rather strong current in the waters 10 to 20 meters deep. I followed the sea flow along with thousands of gold-banded fusiliers and some parrotfish.

Later Saka took me to shallower waters, where sunlight and crystal-clear water enabled me to see through a distance of more than 30 meters.

Kicking my fins, I trailed the Biak native until a spectacular view appeared. It was a fascinating stretch of reefs with soft and hard coral and a myriad of exotic fish dancing around, as though in a welcome ritual.

There were clusters of Acroporidae, Alcyoniidae and others forming 1 to 5 meters of coral mounds. Gorgeous fish species such as goldies, cardinalfish, angelfish, butterflyfish and surgeonfish were playing on sea anemones and coral.

The whole setting presented a panorama of very beautiful and peaceful marine life. It made me realize that through this particular spot, Raja Ampat shows its class as a haven for divers across the world, even a snorkeler like me!

Back on board the boat we continued to admire the underwater natural beauty and hoped for yet more thrilling sights as the boat was heading for the next spot, Chicken Reef, in half an hour. On arrival, the sea was as still as a stretch of carpet, and Saka startled us with a sudden dive to check the water currents, leaving us laughing.

"Barracuda!" shouted Saka, the Mike Tyson look-alike, as he surfaced. While my friends were preparing to dive, I plunged right away to witness swarms of barracuda at a depth of 4 meters.

In this spot there were also giant clams and clownfish having fun on the anemones.

A Giant Clam is spotted in Raja Ampat waters. (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Satisfied with our diving activities in three spots, we took a break on an islet to fill our stomachs after feasting our eyes on the surrounding landscape. The second day of the diving and snorkeling trip wound up in the Cape KRI spot.

This spot offered us the sight of flying rays flapping their fins around 1.5 meters above the water surface.

"Manta...rays!" I cried out as I noticed the fish jumping not far from the back of my friend Panji.

Then I plunged again into the sea current while watching from the surface my friends diving 15 meters below. From slanting drop-off rims I dived down to a depth of 5 meters to take a close look at marine biota, such as golden and brown Faviidae corals forming seabed domes. The silvery reflection of trevally fish exposed to the sun added to the charm of the sea and the specialness of every corner of Raja Ampat.

Manta Rays

After breakfast, we set out on another diving trip amid rather strong winds. The waves were quite high with a strong enough current following the night-to-dawn downpour in the area.

We arrived at Manta Point after more than an hour to start the third day. Two speedboats had arrived earlier, one of which carried Miss Universe 2006 runner-up Kurara Chibana.

As we shifted our gaze from the beauty queen of Japanese origin to the ripples left on the surface of the water by tiny jumping fish, a small dark fin was seen emerging and moving around, followed by several other fins.

"Manta... Manta!" yelled Saka. I also hurried to the water with my snorkel along with the other divers to approach the manta rays.

I got overexcited seizing the opportunity for a close glance. Five mantas were swimming down there, tussling for plankton with numerous gold-banded fusiliers.

The mantas were scattered all over, which made it difficult for us to swim closer to them. So we had to find out where they were heading and screamed at each other when any of us noticed their positions.

My great desire to snap mantas at close quarters separated me from my peers. I kept praying while trying to find the right strategy to approach them and photograph them safely. All I could think about was how to avoid what had befallen Steve Irwin -- "The Crocodile Hunter" of a TV program -- some time earlier.

As I was preoccupied with the search for the fish, a manta was moving toward me. My heart was pounding and I was overwhelmed with admiration, fear and the urge to take pictures. There was no way of withdrawing as the moment would mark my first underwater photos.

"It's the right time!," I thought, pressing the shutter release. The manta was drawing closer to me ...

The flap of its 3.5-meter wings prompted me to refrain from disturbing it and risk infuriating it. I finally lowered the camera as it was even closer, with our eyes meeting and holding.

Moments later I saw its mouth open wide to suck in plankton. When it was only about 3 meters from me, it turned away.

"Alhamdulillah," were my words in praise of God while again photographing the manta before it swam even farther.

Night snorkeling

After dinner I intended to go fishing because I felt something missing in Papua without this activity. Moreover, I'm a sports-fishing buff myself and three of my friends would be diving to find bamboo sharks. But as it was forbidden to fish in the resort area, I was going to head for the open sea by hiring a fishing boat.

In fact, the area around the jetty was teeming with the fish the locals call Bobara (giant trevally), weighing 1-3 kg. "If only the Seribu Islands that could be like this," I thought, an impossible wish given Jakarta Bay is now virtually the septic tank of the capital city.

By starlight, I followed my three friends diving from the jetty to start a bamboo shark hunt. Though I previously thought that sharks were mostly ferocious, further tips indicated that this species was not aggressive, which encouraged me to join the search.

As I shone the flashlight around, my eyes got fixed on a light brown fish in desert soldiers' camouflage pattern. "It's a shark!"

It was unbelievable to have found this shark in such shallow waters.

Sadly, though, the fish began to move to the left and right quickly in a frightened manner. I kept calm so as not to make it panic even more. Yet the shark was now going farther away from me, which spurred me to chase it but it dodged very fast and disappeared into darkness as I got closer.

The sight of the bamboo shark failed to quench my desire to observe blue spotted rays. Earlier in the day, several of these rays were frequently seen roaming around the jetty. This was the ray species that had reportedly killed Steve Irwin.

And my Raja Ampat trip proved to be rewarding.

The one I was looking for moved toward me, perhaps attracted by my flashlight. But the ray finally paused at a distance of about 3 meters from me, leading to another two-way stare.

Despite my composure to avoid any disturbances that might cause panic, the ray withdrew after a while. So the shark and ray wound up my night snorkeling.

Last day

The dive spot on our last day was Mike's Point, which only took a short time to reach using the Maritime and Fisheries Office's speedboat. Here we did the same diving routine before the groups accompanying Kurara Chibana arrived at the spot.

After a cameraman and two divers from the groups went underwater, Kurara and her partner followed. I had the opportunity the photographing the shooting of this film about ecology starring Kurara before my camera housing was affected by fog.

Diving in Raja Ampat's different areas gave us a lot of pleasure and impressions. The natural splendor of the island group will tempt everyone to return for more excitement.

"It was fun! I'll come back next year for my vacation!," the Miss Universe 2006 runner-up assured everyone at the end of her diving adventure in Raja Ampat.

Ambon culinary treasure real adventure

2008-08-03T03:59:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

As in other areas outside of Bali, the hospitality industry here needs some help -- starting with the dreary and dreadful hotel breakfasts.

Knowing there's not much for them at that hotel buffet, visitors to Ambon seek out local guides for culinary adventure -- and adventure it is, from morning till night.

In the morning, head for the local coffee shops or rumah kopi. Start off the day's exploration with a look at the menu, filled with a variety of cakes and coffees -- and their funny-sounding names.

No one in our group was in the mood for toast or nasi goreng. Instead, my friends and I had our table loaded with punti (sticky rice cake and brown sugar), adisa (grilled cassava, also cooked with brown sugar) and the coffee of our choice. I had the nutty Kahlua with milk.

The next morning, a friend came by with a bag full of "the best lupis in town" -- another kind of sticky rice topped with brown-sugar sauce and shredded coconut. You soon learn Ambon locals always claim to have the "best" of this or that.

Naturally, for lunch and dinner, the choice is seafood -- the table often laid out with five or six kinds of fish and various sauces. A favorite is the colo-colo, a dip made with fresh green tomato and lemon that locals, again, boast is "only found here!"

Fish soup was the main entree on another occasion -- delightfully fresh and, fortunately, unspoiled by too many distracting side dishes.

Little did we know that was because something else was in store!

After our soup, it was durian time -- not a pretty sight, with our hosts tossing skin and seeds into the nearby gutter. If the tide had risen at that moment, Ambon would have been filled with spiky -- and rank -- durian skin.

By their second night here, visitors to Ambon know to eat measured portions, no matter how much your hosts deplore your appetite. When it comes to eating in Maluku's capital, you have to be ready for anything -- if it's not durian, it's a meal pushed on you barely 30 minutes after dinner!

The roadside is where the locals go to satisfy midnight cravings for giant squid, which is served either in a red sauce or simply fried and accompanied by juicy side dishes. One stall was in front of the Ambon Express Daily, not a bad place for a few hungry journalists.

Midnight feasting is the ultimate sign of peace having returned to Ambon, a tiny capital that saw its share of bloodshed back in 1999. Peace means anyone, regardless of religious affiliation, can join friends at any time of the day or night. And, unlike before, Ambon teems with nightlife.

Our midnight stall was located near the Al Fatah mosque and Silo church, each a symbol of "the other side's" camp during the city's religious conflict. These days, everyone mingles among the area's throng of stalls.

On the way back to the airport, your hosts will inevitably make one last recommendation -- to stop and pick up ikan asar, large, smoked fish, which you can have packed up for the flight home, complete with a lemon and chili sauce.

While you're at it, don't forget to check out what the legendary botanist Alfred R. Wallace raved about when he came to Maluku in the 1860s -- breadfruit!

He dedicates almost an entire page of his The Malay Archipelago to reminiscing about the "true breadfruit", which he called "a luxury I have never met with either before or since". In his chapter on "Amboyna", Wallace even discussed how to make the breadfruit, or sukun, available in London's Covent Garden Market.

While nothing extraordinary to Indonesians, foreign fans might want to test who does, indeed, have the best breadfruit.

While returning from a diving trip in Leihitu, this writer was given an entire bag filled with the stuff -- by the boat driver. I protested, offering him half, but he insisted he didn't want any.

I later realized why: he came from Latuhalat, south of Ambon, and had earlier said, "Sukun? The best sukun comes from my place!"

Pilgrimage to the shrine of Rock and Roll

2008-08-03T03:57:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

For someone who has spent two-thirds of his adult life digesting hundreds of rock songs, decoding all those guitar solos and air drumming to percussion coda -- a preoccupation that has turned me into either a provincial rock snob or the world's biggest miserabilist -- the next logical step would be to pay homage to rock greats at their shrine.

If only I had come to America earlier, I would definitely have picked New York club CBGB as my number one destination.

This run-down Manhattan venue gave birth to the whole punk movement -- although this could be a moot point with London punk fans who would surely reject the proposition.

But anyway, CBGB was home to consummate punk bands like Television, Talking Heads and the Patti Smith Group, and these bands had their breakout performances at this venue.

But now that CBGB is gone, there is no point in making a pilgrimage to a non-existent shrine. Last year, CBGB owner Hilly Kristal failed to pay the rent for the club and decided to shut down the bar with little fanfare.

I also could have gone to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury, the place where the Summer of Love happened, but with gas prices reaching US$4 per gallon, it would be too much to go to California. Besides, I am not a big fan of Summer of Love and the only thing I dig about the San Francisco rock scene is Jefferson Airplane's album Surrealistic Pillow and the Doors' debut album.

So I was left with only one destination, albeit not the least interesting, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM: (JP/M.Taufiqurrahman)

To be honest, I am against the idea of building a museum and putting rock and roll in it, as it implies that rock is dead and buried and that what we have now are the remnants of its golden era.

But remembrance of things past is the best I can do, now that the music scene is at the lowest point in its history and the best it can offer me is a second-rate Weezer album and a Talking Heads knock-off in the form of Vampire Weekend.

Maybe the time is nigh for writing an obituary for dearly beloved and departed rock and roll. Anyway, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is indeed worth visiting if only for its architectural splendor. Modeled after the Louvre's pyramid, the museum sits majestically on the shores of Lake Erie, with its glass-and-steel structure gleaming in the summer sun.

Comparisons with the Louvre are inevitable as it was designed by the same Chinese architect, I. M. Pei.

For accessibility alone, the museum is worth visiting.

It helps that the museum was constructed next to the Cleveland Browns' football stadium, which makes it easily accessible for tourists.

Those driving in from the east side need only exit from Interstate 71 (I-71), while tourists taking the train can alight at the nearby Cleveland Amtrak station.

As for backpackers traveling on a shoestring budget and making the trip on a Greyhound bus like myself, it only takes 10 minutes to walk from the Cleveland Greyhound station to Rock and Roll Boulevard, off East 9th Street, where the museum is located.

What is also intriguing to learn is why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was built in Cleveland in the first place. When people talk about Rock and Roll the towns that come to mind are places like Memphis in Tennessee, where Elvis Presley cut most of his groundbreaking records, or Detroit in Michigan, where punk pioneers the Stooges and MC5 started their revolution, or New York, where almost everything happened in the mid 1960s.

The ultimate reason for the museum being constructed in Cleveland was money.

Most music industry professionals agree that Cleveland was selected because the city offered the best financial package, as much as US$65 million according to some estimates, much better than what Memphis, Cincinnati or New York had to offer.

The irony was not lost on me as I entered the museum to the sound of Pink Floyd's "Money", which was blasting away from inside the steel-and-glass structure and resonating through the hot summer air outside the museum.

After shelling out for my ticket I was ready to become a kid in toy land, a student taking Rock and Roll 101, or maybe both, and all for US$22 dollars. It was money well spent.

If you are a rock fetish freak who enjoys catching a glimpse of Joe Strummer's fractured guitars and the handwritten lyrics of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart", or in knowing that obscure bands such as the Feelies once shared the bill with the Talking Heads at CBGB, then the Ahmet M. Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall is definitely for you.

Named after the famous founder of Atlantic Records, this section holds a large collection of guitars once used by rock and roll greats from the Eagles' Timothy B. Schmit and Duane Allman to bluesman Elmore James to Duane Eddy.

The ground floor is also dedicated to a chronology of the birth and evolution of rock and roll from the early blues period in the 1930s through to the grunge era of the early 1990s.

Of the around two hours I dedicated to this section, I spent about one-third of the time at the display of rock memorabilia from the punk era. I found that the most impressive item on display was the original artwork for the Talking Heads' album More Songs About Buildings and Food.

I didn't really get what David Byrne wrote on the sleeve of More Songs About Buildings and Food, that the album's front cover was made up of 529 close-up Polaroids, until I saw the display. What I learned from this exhibit was that the album cover was indeed made up of 529 close-up Polaroids put together by Byrne from individual Polaroid shots of band members Tina Weymouth, Christ Frantz, Jerry Harrison and Byrne himself.

I spent roughly an equal amount of my time at ground level looking over the display from the grunge era.

There was nothing outstanding in this section -- no shotgun that Kurt Cobain used to shoot himself in the head 14 years ago and no left-handed Mosrite Gospel guitar he used to flaunt onstage. The memorabilia section for Pearl Jam relied on a vinyl copy of the band's debut album Ten. Man, even I have Vitalogy on black vinyl.

The best exhibits in the main exhibit hall were ones that had nothing to do with relics from a bygone era. I had the most fun with the two exhibits, "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" and "The Beat Goes On". The former is practically a listening station in which museum patrons can listen to 500 songs that define the rock genre from the 1930s to the late 1990s.

While I was busy with Big Star's "September Gurl" on my headset, I noticed an old man beside me nodding to Fleetwood Mac's "Go Your Own Way". Dancing a little further away was an old lady, I don't know, probably listening to the Bee Gees' "Saturday Night Fever".

As for the Beat Goes On, it was designed merely to show the influence of one band or musician on others. Push Jimi Hendrix's "Little Wing" button on the touch screen and you will get Pearl Jam playing "Yellow Ledbetter", and the similarities could not be more striking.

Five hundred songs that shaped rock and roll? Does it sound familiar? Yes, you're right, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has a lot to do with Rolling Stone magazine, probably the only magazine that consistently churns out lists of the 500 best in rock and roll.

Magazine publisher Jann S. Wenner is a founder and chief patron of the museum. Wenner was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004 for his contributions to the music industry.

There is even an individual section dedicated to chronicling the development of Rolling Stone magazine from a counter-culture publication to an influential corporate magazine.

In this section we can see that notorious killer Charles Manson once sent a letter to the editors of the magazine demanding more balanced coverage of his murder trial.

Also there is a warning letter to Rolling Stone reporters against the use of drugs in the newsroom. What really surprised me is that the sports editor of Rolling Stone magazine, Raoul Duke, a pseudonym for gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, issued this warning. Since when was he a sober journalist?

The main and best thing that the Hall of Fame has to offer, however, is on the top level. Here you can find an exhibit titled Help!, which honors Liverpool legends the Beatles, and another one called Break On Through: The Lasting Legacy of the Doors. Both exhibits run through Sept. 1.

I am not a big fan of the Fab Four so I completely skipped Help! and went directly to the Doors exhibit. Inside the darkened exhibition hall was a display of items from the Doors, mostly belonging to band leader Jim Morrison.

Museum curators seemed to have outdone themselves by securing some important missing links in Morrison's life and death. One item of great value was a letter sent by the U.S. Embassy in Paris to Morrison's father, Admiral George Stephen Morrison, notifying him of the death of his son.

At least from this document we could learn that Morrison is listed as a "singer".

Also on display was Ray Manzarek's Vox Continental electronic organ, the instrument that gave the Doors their signature sound. Sitting next to John Densmore's tabla, the instrument looked tired and worn. Give a listen to "Light My Fire" and you will know what I mean.

I decided that after six hours in the building, I'd had enough of it all, and as I exited I could hear Jim Morrison belting out "When the Music's Over".

When the music's over Turn out the lights For the music is your special friend Dance on fire as it intends Music is your only friend Until the end.

The Biography of Udjo Founder Saung Angklung

2008-07-31T20:50:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

The story of Saung Angklung Udjo as a social phenomenon, why do we called it as a social phenomenon because in the middle of globalization and modernization Saung Angklung Udjo still has its pride to dedications to conserve, preserve, and develop the Sundanese Traditional Arts and Culture, is more like talking about the journey of Udjo Ngalagena as the founding father of Saung Angklung Udjo. His paths of discovering Saung Angklung Udjo and made it grown also a very touching story to discuss. We all could say that Saung Angklung Udjo is more like Udjo Ngalagena himself. Udjo Ngalagena is one of a great man and also a gentleman to the idea of independency and success.

Udjo Ngalagena is the 6th Son from Wiranta the Late and Imi the Late. Udjo was had no official birth legal letter. His mother told him that he was born at midday at Tuesday, around 1 pm, it was about the 40th day after his grand – father passed away. Due to the necessity of official matters and other necessity related to the school administration, so, his birthday fixed by his own considerations. Until now, he made his birthday at March 5th, 1929, and used until now for the records.Actually, his parents gave his name only “Udjo” that has similarity with his siblings only consists of 2 words, such as: Oneh, Udjen, Idjah, Eroh, Edja, and Ela. After they grown, they added their last name, and so is Udjo, he added NGALAGENA afterward. He thought that Ngalagena had good meaning, such as: nice, hope, and independency. So, he thought His name would be good to hear, and his name will also represent his hope to live independent.

Like the kids in that period of time, Little Udjo studied his elementary at Hollandsch Inlandsche School (HIS). Beside at HIS, he also continued his study at the village’s school with his playmate. To afford his necessity of school budget, he works as a herd – boy to the rich at his village. He was also selling a blocked – ice to add his pocket money. As he studied at the school, he only had a pair of shoes. In that time, Shoes was a privilege, so, he took care of it very well, his tips was “just use the shoes in the school only, so, wrapped the shoes in the bag, and went back bare naked feet”. The only reason why he did that was, he earned many things alone, with all the hard works, so he must took care everything neat and good. That kind of informal education that made him the way he was, a GREAT NOBEL GENTLEMAN, with deep character of full of responsible, that made his marks and paths as a good role model for the youngster.

All his experiences and the related duties he involved in, never far from the educational sides. The nature of the Educator seems already soaked in his blood and soul even after he retired, he still had big willingness to spread all the knowledge, information, and experiences to anyone. In Saung Angklung Udjo, he made his marks by made some wisdom that carved in the wall. The wisdom that made him the way he is. His notes placed in many strategic points, so other could read easily, especially in Musician’s waiting room, and Angklung storage that used to be use for the regular performances. One of the very best is:

(In Sundanese),
Ceuceub ka hiji jalmi hartosna nyiksa ka diri sorangan
Kukituna dunya jadi heurin
Naon rugelna jadi jalmi anu someah
Naon rugelna jadi jalmi anu leah

(In English),
Having hatred in someone meant that we torturing ourselves, that’s why the world became a nasty place to live in.
What to lose to be a kind – hearted persons?
What to lose to be wise and respected persons?

In the musician’s waiting room, there were more than 20 words of wisdom, in the souvenir shop it had 1 and 2 others placed in the production’s site and in the backstage. It had a beautiful purposes, so his students will read it and will always be remembered to the words of wisdom, and so the could use it in their daily lives.

Little Udjo already started his musical, arts, and cultures, since he was a boy, in the age of 4, he already familiar with the Angklung that already known in his neighbourhood. Angklung used to play in the traditional ceremony, and any other activities that using the traditional musical instruments. He learnt the diatonic tone scale and also pentatonic tone scale. The diatonic tone scale is a modern tone scale that widely known and the pentatonic tone scale is a traditional tone scale that only known and used in the Sundanese songs and music. He also learnt about the traditional Sundanese songs. Beside he learnt traditional, he also learnt popular Indonesian songs and Ducth’s songs. His ability and talents in music grown and developed as he became an Arts Teacher in several school in Bandung.

To emphasize his abilities he came to learn to the experts directly. The traditional string musical instrument – Kacapi – he learnt from the inventor, Mang Koko. About Gamelan he learnt from Rd. Machyar Angga Kusumahdinata, and for Angklung do-re-mi, or the diatonic tone scale, he learnt from Daeng Soetigna, he was also the inventor of Angklung diatonic. His knowledge soon became a set of performance of Sundanese traditional arts and cultures that became also as a performances package for tourists abroad. The main theme of the performances itself, were Angklung performances at Saung Angklung Udjo. The present of Saung Angklung Udjo was not only his business related, but also to spread his abilities, talented, and souls to share the knowledge he mastered best. All the guests from all over the world come to Saung Angklung Udjo to enjoy the Sundanese Traditional Arts and Culture that controlled in its quality, and the impression of the guests are always very good indeed, and they always seems very enjoy the moments they share here. Started from Wayang Golek demonstrations, Sundanese Traditional dances, and also Angklung plays, consists of: Angklung Orchestra, and Angklung Interactive. That kind of simple reasons that made all guests really pleased and really has a desire to be back in Saung Angklung Udjo. The entertainment talent of the Young Udjo fulfilled the ability to combine and to mix all the arts, culture, the children, and also the surroundings, that became a harmony between culture and nature in front of all the audiences.

His mastering and the skilful of ability spread especially to his daughters and sons. In early 90’s, his daughters and sons continuing his mission under Udjo’s guidance. Due to his bad health conditions, he became more rare involved in the performances itself, he only involved occasionally just to greet the audiences in many different languages. He spoke English, Ducth, French, German, Japanese, Chinese, and etc.
As he passed away at May 3rd 2001, Saung Angklung Udjo continued by the daughters and sons. There’s nothing change with Saung Angklung Udjo, it still visited by many international tourists from all over the world, and all the students of Saung Angklung Udjo still play the Angklung, and the instant applause and admiring smile from the guests still could be seen at the end of the show.

Udjo Ngalagena once said: "What You Are, What Job You Have Chosen, Do It Well, Do It With Love, Without Love, You Are Dead Before You Die"
Udjo Ngalagena (sometimes in late 90’s).

MAKE AN ANGKLUNG at SAUNG ANGKLUNG UDJO

2008-07-31T20:46:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

HOW TO MAKE AN ANGKLUNG

1. THE BAMBOO ELECTION

Bamboo is the material of an Angklung. It is elected by its age. It has to be at least 4 years old and not more than 6 years old. It is cut on the dry season, between 9 am in the morning to 3 pm at the afternoon. After being cut at its base for about 2-3 span of the hand, it will be stored for about 1 week, so that the bamboo will contain less water.

After a week, the bamboo will be separated from its branches. It will be cut into certain various sizes. Then, will be stored for about one year to keep it from termites. Some of the procedures are: by sinking out the bamboo beneath mud field, pool or river, also by smoking it at the fireplace, and the modern procedure: by using a certain liquid chemistry formula.

2. SHAPING PART OF AN ANGKLUNG

Each Angklung consist of 3 parts:

The Voice Tubes
The Voice Tubes are the most important of an angklung, which produce the intonation made. Tuning process makes the intonations.

The Frame
Frame is supporting the voice tubes to stand inside the hollow space.

The Base
It is function as the frame of the voice tubes.

3. TUNING THE VOICE TUBE PROCESS

Half-Done Process
Shaping the bamboo become laths of voice tube.

Resonance Tuning Process
Blowing the lower part of an angklung to the floor and measuring it to the tuner.

Main Voice Tuning Process
Tuning the voice by increasing and decreasing the tone by strike voice. Increasing the tone by cutting its upper parts slightly, and decreasing the tone by shaping both voice laths with shaping knife.

How to Use a Tuner:

Make an attention to both of the lamps at the left and the right of the panel, and also the pointer needle.

For example, if you're going to make an "F" tone, so that when the angklung is shaking, both of the lamps will flame together, and the pointer needle will point the "F" letter.

4. FINISHING

After each of the voice tubes has its tone, then it will be put into the frame laths and being strengthen by tied of rattan.

THE HISTORY OF SAUNG ANGKLUNG UDJO

2008-07-31T20:43:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Based on the Balinese mythology, angklung consist of two words, angka which mean is tone, and lung which mean is broken, incomplete, or gone. Then, angklung could be meant as broken or incomplete tone. By those definitions, arranged that angklung is one of the traditional musical instruments made of Bamboo, and to sound it by shaking the angklung to produce certain tone. But, if we are really consider the history of development of sundanese arts and culture performances, strongly believed that angklung originally invented and developed in West Java, Indonesia.

In its development, angklung spreaded and reached almost all region in West Java, and being used to enriched the traditional ceremonial in Banten, Baduy, Sukabumi, Cirebon, etc. Angklung has its special functions related to religious and ritual matters. Angklung played to honor the Dewi Sri as the Goddes of Fertility in Indonesian’s ancient believe.

Beside functioned as religious and ritual matters, it also used for the entertainment purposes. In this function, angklung played along with other Sundanese traditional arts and culture, and later known as Angklung Degung, that played as musical background in traditional dancing or traditional plays. And further, developed until Angklung Padaeng that already has diatonic tone scale and it made possible to play in modern musical arrangements.

Angklung, also played in the Royal Ceremony, and used to play to escort the soldiers and warriors before they went to the wars. And then, angklung not played only in the royal functions, but also played in the traditional village functions, to honor the gods and the goddess before the plantations and the harvesting seasons. The region that developed and spreaded angklung are Garut, Tasikmalaya, Ciamis, Sukabumi, etc.

In 1938, Daeng Soetigna the late, modernized the angklung arrangement into diatonic tone scale, so it could be popularized and be known and also could be played many international and popular songs.

The angklung history and development, divided into two diversifications, which are:

1. Traditional Angklung.
a. Angklung Baduy.
b. Angklung Buncis.
c. Angklung Gubrag.
d. Angklung Bungko.

2. Modern Angklung.
a. Angklung Padaeng by Daeng Soetigna the late.
b. Angklung Udjo by Udjo Ngalagena the late.

THE HISTORY OF SAUNG ANGKLUNG UDJO

Bandung, 50 years ago...
A wisdom that based on the value of cooperative that became a beautiful frame of thought, that unity in diversity became a concept that sounded in Asia Africa Conference, and presented in the harmony of culture and nature that represented by traditional musical instrument from simple bamboo, named ANGKLUNG. The performance itself presented by the students of Elementary Teachers School of KARTINI Bandung, that led and trained by Daeng Soetigna the Late and Udjo Ngalagena the Late.

1958…
Long before a concept called a Multiplier Effect concept be known by the social modern science, Udjo Ngalagena the Late and Wife, Mrs. Uum Sumiyati the Late, had already started to empower their neighbourhood in Padasuka, in their path to make an independent business related in Sundanese traditional music instrument and performed it as well.

1962…
The love and dedicated efforts from both of them to Sundanese traditional arts and cultures started to have its benefits and advantages, the production’s department had increased their productions capacities. One of the main reasons why Saung Angklung Udjo became the centre of Sundanese Traditional Arts and Cultures that organized professionally is the willingness and dedications of its management to conserve, preserve, and develop the Sundanese Traditional Arts and Cultures. And the very best thing is, the willingness of the Big Family of Udjo Ngalagena to involve actively in the management Saung Angklung Udjo, and together hand in hand develop the traditional arts and cultures that extinguished by the modern side of the world.

1966…
The active role of Saung Angklung Udjo in the National arts developments once again being recorded, Saung Angklung Udjo actively involved in the 11th Independence Day of Republic of Indonesia, back in the year 1966. and Saung Angklung Udjo awarded nationally that given by Major General of TNI Mashudi, for the continuity and consistency in conserving, preserving, and developing the Sundanese Traditional Arts and Cultures

1992…
As Saung Angklung Udjo grown and developed, it structured vision and mission of it all that will be the true path of how Saung Angklung Udjo must be developed considering the golden aim and the only achievement that the founder of Saung Angklung Udjo always desired it to be, which are:

> Vision
Saung Angklung Udjo is a main tourist attraction, typically performing the traditional art of Sundanese culture. It’s concerned to the preservation and development of West Java Cultures through Angklung music.
As a centre of research and study, training, and performing Angklung musical orchestra of the Indonesian Angklung music industry.

> Mission
Being active in participate in cooperate with people in developing and preserving cultural and arts of West Java through art performances both abroad and domestic.
Give means for international tourist and Indonesian pupil to be able to see, to learn, and appreciate Angklung as a traditional music instrument.
Produces and develops a qualified Angklung music instrument.

1997…
a multi – dimensional crisis occurred in Republic of Indonesia that effected especially to the economic and financial sides, recently, the crisis named Monetary Crisis. Saung Angklung Udjo without any doubt, had its own negative effect, had negative multiplier effects as the general conditions, related with the tourism and hospitality industry collapsed.
The Monetary Crisis had its effects on Saung Angklung Udjo related to the political and security conditions that full of uncertainty. It directly effects to the trust of international community, which are our tourists – market that made them felt insecure to be in Indonesia.
Based on the good relations and cooperation from all stakeholders, both local and internationally, eventhough we did have received the significant effect, Saung Angklung Udjo used the brand new marketing strategy that adjusted to the current situations, there are many obstacles, but fortunately, we passed it.

1988…
Saung Angklung Udjo’s segmented target market spread and differentiated, nowadays, Saung Angklung Udjo not only visited by the international tourists, but also local tourist as well.

2000…
Saung Angklung Udjo made its marketing strategic, which is optimizing Saung Angklung Udjo’s role in the local community, especially in Bandung. Those marketing strategic actualized in several programs, such as:
a. Optimizing the depth of Sundanese traditional arts and cultures to the niche market – based,
which are the educational institutions and segmented mass in Bandung.
b. Optimizing the professionalism and productivity of Saung Angklung Udjo.
c. Optimizing the role of each students of Saung Angklung Udjo.
d. Optimizing the land and space using that Saung Angklung Udjo already owned.
e. Preparing prospected area in the Saung Angklung Udjo’s master plans.

The involvement of Saung Angklung Udjo in the local community, since the early year of the establishment, aimed to participate actively to build, and to raise the welfare of its surroundings.

Batik Indonesia

2008-07-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Batik (pronunciation: [ˈba.teʔ], but often, in English, is [ˈbæ.tɪk] or [bəˈtiːk]) is a wax-resist dyeing technique used on textile. Batik is found in several countries of West Africa, such as Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Mali, and in Asia, such as India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Iran, the Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand. However, it is in Indonesia that it is considered a national art form.

Although the word's origin is Javanese, its etymology may be either from the Javanese amba ('to write') and titik ('dot' or 'point'), or constructed from a hypothetical Proto-Austronesian root *beCík, meaning 'to tattoo' from the use of a needle in the process. The word is first recorded in English in the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1880, in which it is spelt battik. It is attested in Indonesian Archipelago of the Dutch colonial period in the various forms mbatek, mbatik, batek and batik

Batik has been both an art and a craft for centuries. In Java, Indonesia, batik is part of an ancient tradition, and some of the finest batik cloth in the world is still made there.

Contemporary batik, while owing much to the past, is markedly different from the more traditional and formal styles. For example, the artist may use etching, discharge dyeing, stencils, different tools for waxing and dyeing, wax recipes with different resist values and work with silk, cotton, wool, leather, paper or even wood and ceramics.

Melted wax (Javanese: malam) is applied to cloth before being dipped in dye. It is common for people to use a mixture of bees wax and paraffin wax. The bee's wax will hold to the fabric and the paraffin wax will allow cracking, which is a characteristic of batik. Wherever the wax has seeped through the fabric, the dye will not penetrate. Sometimes several colours are used, with a series of dyeing, drying and waxing steps.

Thin wax lines are made with a canting needle (or a tjanting tool), a wooden handled tool with a tiny metal cup with a tiny spout, out of which the wax seeps. Other methods of applying the wax onto the fabric include pouring the liquid wax, painting the wax on with a brush, and applying the hot wax to precarved wooden or metal wire block and stamping the fabric.

After the last dyeing, the fabric is hung up to dry. Then it is dipped in a solvent to dissolve the wax, or ironed between paper towels or newspapers to absorb the wax and reveal the deep rich colors and the fine crinkle lines that give batik its character. This traditional method of batik making is called Batik Tulis (lit: Written Batik).

The invention of the copper block or cap developed by the Javanese in the 20th century revolutionised batik production. It became possible to make high quality designs and intricate patterns much faster than one could possibly do by hand-painting. This method of using copper block to applied melted wax patern is called Batik Cap (pronounced like "chop").

Indonesian batik used for clothing normally has an intricate pattern. Traditionally, wider curves were reserved for batik produced for nobles. The traditional cloth has natural colors (tones of indigo and brown) while contemporary pieces have more variety of color.

Javanese batik typically includes symbols. Some pieces may be mystic-influenced, but very rarely used for clothing. Some may carry illustrations of animals.

Origins of Batik Indonesia

2008-07-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

The word "batik" is Indonesian in origin, even if the concept was known by Egyptians and Indians. It is known to be more than a millenium old, and there are evidences that cloth decorated through some form of resist technique was in use in the early centuries AD in several West African, Middle-Eastern and Asian communities.

The word Batik is originally an Idonesian-Malay word and means to dot .This art of textile is spread in the hindu and malay world, but Indonesia is certainly the heart of the Batik.This way of painting and coloring textile has reached its higher degree of excellence in the Island of Java , in cities like Solo, Yogyakarta, Pekalongan or Cirebon. From Java this 'batik' cloth was exported to other islands of the archipelago and to the Malay peninsula.

On the 17th century, the Javanese sultanate of Mataram accorded important ceremonial functions to the Batik clothes. Sultan Agung of Mataram is known to have dressed in white cotton decorated with Indigo blue, and his court dancers wore kain kembangan colored with a red organic dye.

During the past two or three centuries batik has become one of the principal means of expression of the spiritual and cultural values of Southeast Asia.

Secret of Asmat Ethnic Indonesia

2008-07-25T08:30:00.000-07:00

Asmat ethnic - Secret of Death

2008-07-25T08:29:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Life and death are part of a cycle for the Asmat which moves back and forth between the physical world and life in the spirit world. Birth and death are ways of balancing the population between the two worlds, of keeping the cosmos in balance. One is not reborn to advance in the spiritual life or as punishment for the past.

Babies and old people die of natural causes. The death of the aged is a normal passing from life in this world to life in the other. Babies die because they lack sufficient life forces called yuwus and ndamup. The Asmat believe that young children, fifty to sixty percent of whom die before age five, choose to die, to return to the spirit world because they felt neglected or mistreated by their families.

People die of extraneous causes: headhunting, malevolent magic or childbirth. The spirits of those killed in headhunting or by magic roam in a sort of limbo between the physical and spiritual worlds until their deaths are avenged and balanced is restored. It is not clear how the spirits of women who die in childbirth are freed, but they are considered dangerous to the living, especially to males. Few people reach the age of 60 and rarely 70. Malaria, pneumonia, infections and parasites are the major fatal illnesses, and cholera epidemics also occur occasionally.

Burial is customary today. Because of the lack of embalming, the heat and humidity require that burial occurs on the day of death. The high water table makes burials difficult, bodies are tied to sticks placed crossways in the grave to hold the corpse from flowing away. Traditionally, some villages always buried the dead, while others placed the bodies on racks at the end of the village. In southern Asmat, ancestral skulls are used as pillows and hung around one’s neck to keep the memory of the deceased alive and the spirit present as a protection.

Asmat ethnic - Sexuality

2008-07-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Asmat society is basically patriarchal. Men are chiefs, warriors, carvers, drummers, guardians and performers of myth and ritual. They make canoes, build houses, assist in gathering sago and hunt pigs and crocodiles. Women care for the house and children, gather fire wood, fish, weave mats and bags, and prepare food. They often urge the men to perform rituals, including retaliatory headhunting raids, to keep the cosmos in balance. Both women and men, however, can obtain and use magical powers.

Marriages are arranged with an exchange gift to the bride’s family. Traditionally, a male is most marriageable if he had taken a head in a raid on a neighboring village. Most marriages are monogamous, yet polygamy is accepted and esteemed. Noted or prestigious men could more readily acquire more than one wife. The relative number of men and women in a village plays a role, as does the stigma attached to childless females and the obligation to perpetuate the family. Further, the work of the wives adds to the economic base or strength of the husband.

Husbands and wives live together in family huts as a norm in some parts of Asmat though the men spend substantial time in the feast house during feasts. Single young men often live in the “long” or feast house. Several families might live in the same hut. First wives stay with the husband’s family when widowed; subsequent wives frequently return to their natural families.

Male potency is very obvious in Asmat art. The tsjemen (penis) of the bisj (ancestor) pole is the most obvious example. Manliness, bravery, fearlessness, and the killing of an enemy also indicate potency. Both male and female figures are anatomically correct in Asmat art.

Human reproduction is not well understood. The Asmat believe that women can get pregnant by a green tree frog landing on their shoulder—actually a spirit seeking reincarnation in a woman it judged to be a good mother. Passing by or drinking from certain whirlpools at the junction of rivers where spirits live could also result in pregnancy. Semen feeds the fetus in the womb while the action of the penis during intercourse shapes the embryo into a human form.

Intercourse between husband and wife is not permitted until after the last child walks. While it may be an effective method of spacing children dependent on nursing for survival, the Asmat feel that intercourse generates such energy in the hut that a small child is not able to tolerate it.

Affection in public is rare between men and women. Men, however, can walk hand in hand in the village. Wife exchange, or papisj, is a way of bonding families and even whole villages. It leads to social obligations such as mutual assistance in warfare and care of the sick. Imui pacts celebrate friendship between a woman and another woman or between a man and another man regareded as her or his intimate and personal friend. Valued as a permanent lifetime bond, the breaking of Imui pacts are regarded as a serious social infraction. Debate exists among researchers and anthropologists whether Imui pacts should be regarded as sexual as well as personal and social in nature. A non-Asmat westerner, Tobias Schneebaum, has recounted in several books his gay experiences among the Asmat people.

Asmat ethnic - Drums

2008-07-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Drums are the most durable of Asmat carvings. They are made from a hard wood, some even from ironwood, although most carvers avoid the latter because of its weight. It takes months to carve a drum; the carver must carefully watch the drying process or the piece of wood will split. Shaped like an hourglass, it is elaborately carved and incised with headhunting symbols.

After a carver has chosen a section of log to work with, he places hot embers on top of the wood to char and burn it. With a digging stick he carves out the interior. When the drum is ready, a lizard’s skin is sealed to the top with a glue made of human blood and white lime. The blood, from the calves of the owner, is mixed with the lime to make a glue which is smeared around the top to hold the lizard skin. The head of the drum is tuned with the heat of the fire and more finely tuned by placing knobs of beeswax on top of the skin. A drum is held by the handle and normally played by a seated man, the drum resting on his thighs.

Although the drum as a whole is named for someone recently deceased, small figures on the handle may also be given names.

According to Tobias Schneebaum, drums in the central and coastal area (A) are taller than those in the Northwest (B) area. Drums in the Tjitak and Brazza areas are rarely decorated.

Asmat ethnic - Ancestors and Woodcarving

2008-07-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

For the Asmat, carving is part of the ritual and religious life of the community. Their carvings act as mediators between society and the world of their ancestors. The Asmat believe that spirits, especially those of the ancestors, control the activities of the living. Through carvings, the Asmat make direct contact with their ancestors. Each carving is named for someone who has recently died. Once the carving is named, it embodies the spirit of that person. Carvings play a key role in many Asmat ceremonies and during the feasts associated with them.

Ancestor (Bisj) poles are spectacular traditional carvings. Consisting of two or more human figures carved one above the other, an ancestor pole can reach a height of 25 feet. Each pole is carved from the soft wood of the mangrove tree. The wing, Cemen, is a root left intact when the tree is cut down. Each figure on the pole represents a person who has died. Oftentimes, the Bisj poles were carved in conjunction with feasting which preceded a head hunting raid.

War shields are also tremendous expressions of Asmat art. The ancestors for whom each shield is named are believed to embody the shields and they give tremendous power and strength to the warrior when going into battle. The combination of the ancestor’s strength and that of the symbolic designs on the shield’s surface are believed to terrify the enemy so that the foe runs away or drops his weapons and becomes immobilized.

The Asmat use only three colors in carvings: white, red, and black. All have spiritual as well as decorative manifestations.

White (lime) comes from mussel shells that have been burned and crushed. Painted on canoes, white gives speed, strength and protection. On figure carvings, white represents human skin. Red comes from mud found along river banks. After baking in fire, the mud is a deep rich red. When the red is painted on canoes, they become faster in moving down the rivers. Red applied around a man’s eyes imitates the eye feathers of an angry cockatoo which brings fear to the enemy. On figure carvings, red is used to outline scarifications and to separate black hair from white skin. Black comes from charcoal and signifies body hair on the carvings

Asmat ethnic - World View

2008-07-25T08:24:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Asmat means The Real People, in contradistinction to others. “The Asmat call themselves Asmat-ow, “We, the real people, in contrast to the souls of the dead and other spirits and to other people living close by.” (Tobias Schneebaum, EMBODIED SPIRITS: Ritual Carvings of the Asmat, 1990 p. 12.) An alternate interpretation of the name is People of the Tree. One creation myth has the Asmat being carved out of wood and brought to life by the playing of the drum. They frequently compare themselves to a tree: the feet are the roots, the torso is the trunk, the arms are the branches and the head is the fruit of the tree.

The origin of the universe is of no concern to the Asmat nor whether a supreme being created, protects, governs it. The issue is rather how humans fit and survive in an animated cosmos. Humans, animals, plants—everything is imbued with spirit and therefore animated. This Asmat belief is most properly described as animism. The cosmos is a unity of animated spirits. If any dualism exists it is not one of sacred and profane, but one of physically visible and physically invisible spirits, all of which are always present at all times. These spirits are localized not only in immediate surroundings, but also at the bottom of rivers, in whirlpools, and in the world above and beyond.

Carvings are embodiments of the ancestral spirits which control the universe. To keep the cosmos in order, the Asmat placated their ancestors through carvings, ritual feasts, warfare, the taking of heads and cannibalism. The carvings make evident the vital interdependence between the tangible and the intangible.

Ritual also helps make invisible spirits visible and present. Rituals, often very complex ones, assure efficacy if done correctly. The carving of ancestor poles makes the ancestors visible. Through the mask feast, ancestors actually visit the living and reaffirm relationships, thereby assuring the living of the assistance of their ancestors.

Magic also exercises control of spiritual powers. Magical formulas and potions are eagerly sought, and once discovered, they must be closely guarded secrets.

Asmat ethnic - Geography and Habitat

2008-07-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Asmat is located in the Province of Irian Jaya which is the western half of the island of New Guinea, the second largest island in the world. New Guinea is situated just below the equator in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, 93 miles (150 kilometers) north of Australia. The entire island covers an area about 310,000 square miles (800,000 square kilometers).

The tropical climate has high daily temperatures and humidity. Daily temperatures vary little, ranging from 72 F (22 C) in the early morning to 92 F (33 C) at noon. The Asmat area is very humid year round.

“To appreciate Asmat art one is obliged to obtain an understanding of the environment and the milieu from which the artist arises. Although the land of Asmat might be misconceived by some as a congenial sunny place of ease, the very opposite is true. The environment is harsh, an alluvial swamp, barely bobbing above sea level, and almost constantly inundated by daily tides and heavy rainfall. Mud is a consistent bane to life. The jungles, overgrown by huge trees, bushes, and entangled thorn vines, are exceedingly difficult to trek through. Passage from one area of the jungle to another is managed conveniently only by use of a dugout, paddled on the myriad river system cutting and winding through it.

“Few large animals live in this wilderness, only the wild boar and the domesticated dog are found. Smaller animal species, such as marsupials, rats, flying foxes and flying squirrels are numerous. Reptiles, such as crocodiles, lizards and snakes find the swamp a damp and congenial habitat. The rivers provide fish, shellfish and some turtles. A relatively large variety of birds, the hornbill, king cockatoo, the crown pigeon and the bird of paradise among the most noted, bring both musical and raucous sounds to the jungle. The species and numbers of insects seem unlimited.” (Alphonse Sowada, OSC, “Forward” Asmat Images, Tobias Schneebaum, 1985, pg. 7.)

No stone or metal is indigenous to this land located on the southwest coast of New Guinea. Pottery has not been developed. Gardening and farming are impractical. However, if the jungle is cleared, the soil is quite fertile, especially in the peat-type areas, but only for two plantings. Once cleared, the land is quickly leached of nutrients by the rain (200 inches a year) and tides.

Brackish river water and coconut milk are the main liquids for drinking. Food consists of that which is gathered in the jungle or caught in the water. The staple of the meager Asmat diet is sago, a coarse starch obtained from a palm tree. Fish, wild boar, an occasional crocodile, birds and fruit are also common foods. The larvae of the capricorn beetle, often called the sago grub, and rats are also eaten.

The Asmat are now believed to number about 65,000. Many live in the foothills of the Jayawijaya Mountains in the western half of the island and remain difficult to contact. They live in villages with populations that vary from 35 to 2,000. In coastal areas, villages are located along the outer bends of rivers. In the past, watchtowers and huts were sometimes built 30 to 60 feet above ground for a better view of the approaching enemy.

The Asmat people have traditionally been seminomadic hunters and gatherers. Using rivers as highways, they paddle their canoes through the forest in search of fish, game, fruits and vegetables harvested from small gardens, and sago palm.

merauke - a new black gold

2008-07-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Merauke is called Deer Town, lies in the east part of Indonesia, bordered on Papua New Guinea. This regency is well known with its Asmat woodcarvings and Wasur National Park. The population in Merauke Regency nearly 276,122 people, spread in the 18 districts. A large number of the people are living in the interior. To reach the interior, is only by plane such as twin otter or Cessna.

TOURISM OBJECTS

Wasur National Park
It is located 13 km out of Merauke town on an area of 412,387 ha. This park has various kinds of flora and fauna which part of them never found elsewhere in the world. To reach it, all kinds of vehicles can be taken. No hills or mountains range are seen but variety of habitats, such as savannah, mangroves forest and the most interesting sight of stretching marsh ebb. Wasur National Park is suitable for various kinds of activities like bird watching, wild life and nature, adventure, culture and traditional hunting. One other thing strange but interesting is the sporadic designed house which is called termite mounds. It arises to the universe fascinatingly as if the earth flowered huge sponges. There are 74 kinds of bird from 390 species are never found elsewhere in the world. It is so comfortable whenever we watch them hopping and flying among trees and branches, looking for food with their gentle voices like 'aeolin harp', as if we were asked to stop and questioned: "where is the melody from". These are the voices of birds in their own characteristics, which are rare but very attractive. There are 3 ethnic groups inhabit this area. They are Marind, Ranum and Murori, each with their own language and culture. A great number of them live in 13 villages and earning their live by gardening and hunting.

Lampu Satu Beach
It is well known with its solid soft sand that stretches lenghthwise directly across the Pacific Ocean. This beach is very beautiful especially during the sunset. It is very suitable for bird watching, horse racing and motor cycle racing. The distance from Merauke town is 5 km and reachable by vehicles.

biak - the secret of black pearl

2008-07-24T07:44:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Biak, a town built on the rocky soil of an island of the same name on the rim of Cenderawasih Bay, is Irian Jaya's gateway. A big Indonesian naval base, it has an infrastructure that is better than in most other places in the province. Japanese caves are found near Ambroben.

There are some good beaches on Biak island, the most popular of which are Bosnik on the east coast, good for swimming and skin-diving, and Korem on the north coast, where one can watch young men dive for pearls. Supiori Island, just north of Biak, has a recreation forest and villages where visitors are welcome.

BIAK NUMFOR
Among the nine regencies in Papua, Biak Numfor is the only one that consists of islands. Geographically, it is located between 134° 47- 136° east longitude and 0° 55-30° south langitude. It owns 3 big islands; Biak, Supiori, and Biak Numfor.

Population
102.492 people spreading in 8 districts, 7 sub districts, and 153 villages inhabit Biak Numfor regency.

Weather
The temperature is generally hot. Light rains fall 189-399 mm per month between 22-29 days, which occurs a lot during the months of Januari to June whereas the dry season in between July to October.

Flora
There are numerous types of flora in this tropical area with its mystical tropical rain forest. The forest also has a variety trees and other commercials important species plus the lush vegetation of mangrove swamps. People grant their life by taking sago from the sago palm forest.

Fauna
The fauna is almost similar to Australian fauna such as the group of fowl like pigeon, cockatoo, nuri (a kind of parrot) and the reptile group such : crocodile, snake, turtle and monitor lizard.

TOURISM OBJECTS

Japanese Cave
The native of Biak called this cave 'Abiyau Binzar'. Abiyau means cave and Binzar means grandmother. It is said that in the old times there was a grandmother living in this cave. During the second world war the Japanese army hid in this cave which simultaneously functioned as logistic centre. It is located in Sumberker Village, Biak Kota District; 15 minutes ride to get there from Biak town.

Parai Blue River
A cave with a river running inside contains fresh aquamarine water. Beautiful stalactite and stalagmite decorate the inside walls. It is in Parai Village Biak Kota District and takes about 15 minutes to reach it from Biak town.

deep exotic of jayapura - papua

2008-07-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

JAYAPURA
Jayapura, founded on 7 March 1910 as Hollandia, had developed into a city with modern civil, educational, and medical services in 1962. Since Indonesian administration services have been replaced by Indonesian equivalents such as TNI (the army) replacing into Papua Battalion. The name of the city has been changed to Kotabaru, then to Sukarnopura and finally to its current official name. Among ethnic Papuans, it is also known as Port Numbai, the former name before the arrival of immigrants.

Jayapura is the largest city, boasting a small but active tourism industry; it is built on a slope overlooking the bay. Cenderawasih University (UNCEN) campus stays at Abepura that is the houses of University Museum. Both Tanjung Ria beach, near the market at Hamadi (site of the 22 April 1944 Allied invasion during World War II) and the site of General Doughlas MacArthur's World War II headquarters at Mount Ifar have monuments commemorating the events.

TOURISM OBJECTS

Sentani Lake
There is a settlement on the shore of this lake not far from Jayapura where one can observe local traditions as they are practiced in people daily lives. The short trip from Jayapura, pleasant as it is, offers a little foretaste of the province's magnificent sceneries.

The Skyline Hills
Tanjung Ria Beach, known as base G by the Allies during World War II, is a popular holiday resort with water sports facilities. From Skyline in the hills behind the city, one gets a beautiful view of Jayapura, Jotefa and Humboldt bays and Sentani lake area. Places in the vicinity of Jayapura such as Skyline and Sentani Lake can be reached by taking a minibus. Biak has air and sea links with Jayapura. Sorong, is also served by air from Jayapura. Other destinations are reached by car or boat, or by light aircraft.

Royal Cremation: Ubud

2008-07-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

There is one thing that I encourage all visitors to Bali to do is witness a cremation. Culturally and spiritually inspirational, Balinese cremations are a colourful and, depending on the caste level, an extravaganza to rival any funeral in the world. Naturally, over the decades I have seen many but I was fortunate in the late 80’s to see preparations and then the whole funeral procession and subsequent cremation of a person of Brahma lineage. Respect for and worship of God and ancestors is the basis of the Balinese religion. The combination of Hindu elements makes the whole process a moving experience and one that is not to be missed.

Freeing the soul or spirit (roh) is a purification rite from its earthly basis and assist the soul on its journey to the afterlife, or if you prefer, its next existence.

If you are fortunate enough to be in Bali and especially Ubud on July 15th then you will have the opportunity to witness a royal cremation. A hefty word of warning, Get there early in the morning because you can guarantee that besides you and your numerous fellow travellers there will be accompanied literally by thousands of Balinese from all over the island coming to participate in this cremation and ceremony.

It is important that you do not get-in-the-way of any ceremonial procedures in an effort to take a photograph or jostler for a better vantage point. Stay in the near vicinity and photograph respectfully and remember, although the Balinese are happy to share this joyful occasion with you, the highest amount of respect must be adhered to.

Best Beach in Asian

2008-07-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Small mainland peninsula with a national park with beaches and stunning scenery to rival the beaches of Bali on the south coast of Java. Pangandaran is one of Java's best-kept secrets as far as international tourists are concerned, but has been extremely popular with locals for along, long time. A small fishing town, it possesses one of Java's finest beaches and Pangandaran Nature Reserve teems with wild buffalo, barking deer and monkeys. The people are very friendly, this combined with the idealize surroundings make this a great place to spend a few days relaxing island-style. Pangandaran is halfway between Bandung and Yogya, about 5 hours by bus from Bandung and 8 hours from Jakarta.

This is the second beach resort area on the Indian Ocean after Pelabuhan Ratu. The site is 223 from Bandung and 400km from Jakarta. The trip by car or bus is recommendable because the road conditions are good. However, if we prefer to take the train, get into Bandung-Yogyakarta Express train and get off at the Banjar railroad station about 4 hours later. From here it will be another 50 km by bus to Pangandaran. The beach is called Penanjung, where most of the cottages and hotels are located, however, of modest ratings. Nothing luxurious should be expected. Pangandaran is especially of interest to nature lovers, as there is a wildlife reserve in the vicinity where wild birds and other indigenous animals live about freely to be enjoyed by visitors. In Pangandaran visitors will like fine white beaches, blue ocean and fine seafood. Twelve kilometers before arriving at Pangandaran visitors will see a huge rock on the beach, which is called Karang Nini.

Another place of special interest for nature lovers is a forest Conservation Park, close to the camping ground, which has basic facilities suitable for the younger set. Somewhat further out, west of Pangandaran, driving 23 km on the way to Parigi, lays Batu Hiu, meaning Shark's Rock, a coastal rock that has the shark shape.

Ecotourism in Bali

2008-07-21T08:56:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

More and more people are becoming environmentally conscious and, as they travel, are also aware of their carbon footprint. But it is not only this that we have to take into consideration. Ecotourism is an excellent alternative to the mass tourism that exists now in Bali and therefore we should look to utilising the resources of the locals when we choose where to travel on the island, what to see and do so that the profits are fed back into the community and not into some big bosses back pocket. This can be done in several ways. Use locally owned tour operators, or better still, those independent drivers who one often sees on the streets offering day-trips around Bali. Another is to stay in the not-so-fancy hotels but instead staying in reasonable accommodation owned by the Balinese themselves.

Then of course there is food. Look for and eat in those places like warungs that are owned by the Balinese instead of the fancy restaurants owned by the more affluent in society. You will be pleasantly surprised because a majority of these warungs and Balinese-owned restaurants cater for the tastes of westerners and for those wishing to sample the local cuisine. If it is your carbon footprint you are concerned about then whilst around the tourist strip, walk instead of taking a taxi. You will find that you will see more and get the opportunity to interact with the Balinese more often than you would from the back seat of a moving vehicle.

These are just a few things to think about. If you are thinking do I do it, the answer is yes I do and have done for as long as I have been travelling in Indonesia and that’s a very long time. Here is an interesting article about the environment in Bali that I was reading yesterday

Babad Kampong Yogyakarta Art Festival 2008

2008-07-21T08:49:00.001-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

The 20th Yogyakarta Arts Festival 2008 will be held July 6 - August 3.

"Nine kampongs (villages) will take part in the so-called `babad kampung` (chronicle of village) program," spokesperson of the festival Rinda Maria said on Thursday.

She added the nine kampongs are Tukangan, Kricak Kidul, Pandean, Samirono, Mergangsan Kidul, Suryowijayan, Minggiran, Dolahan and Pajeksan.

She said the festival would make kampongs as the focus of the festival as it has always been identical with a dirty and old fashioned object.

Such condition could be changed with the reposition of the kampongs as productive and creative part of the city.

In the program, she added, the art performance could function as a media in the form of contemporary and traditional arts.

"The most important thing is how a kampong`s society understand the meaning of its past and how they think of their identities," she added.

Beringharjo, Traditional Market in Yogyakarta

2008-07-19T02:09:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Beringharjo market becomes part of Malioboro that is worth visiting. This market has been center of economy activity since years ago and its existence has philosophical meaning. The market that had been renovated several times symbolizes stages of human life that is busily engaged in its economy fulfillment. Furthermore, Beringharjo is also one of the 'four in one' poles (consisting of South Square, Sultan Palace, North Square, and Beringharjo market) symbolizing economy functions.

The area where current Beringharjo market lies used to be forest of banyan trees. Soon after the foundation of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Kingdom, i.e. in 1758, the area was used as a place for economy transaction by the people of Yogayarkta and its vicinities. Only hundreds years later, namely in 1925, the transaction place had a permanent building. The name 'Beringharjo' was given by Hamengku Buwono IX, meaning that the place where banyan tree (bering) used to grow is expected to bring welfare (harjo). Now, tourists define this place as an enjoyable shopping place.

The front part and the western part of the market are the right places to find delicious traditional snacks. At the north side of the front part, you will find round brem (a kind of snack made from the extract of fermented tubers) that is softer than that of Madiun city and krasikan (sweet cake made from glutinous rice and palm sugar). In the south part, you will find bakpia cake filled with mung bean that is sold warm and wet snacks such as hung kwe and nagasari. Meanwhile, at the back part, usually they sell durable snacks such as ting-ting made of caramel mixed with peanut.

If you want to buy batik, Beringharjo is the best place because of its complete collections; ranging from batik cloth to batik clothes made of both cotton and silk materials, with the prices ranging from tens thousands to a million. Collection of batik cloth is available in west and north parts of the market, while batik clothes collection is available almost everywhere in the west part of this market. In addition to batik clothes, the west part of the market also offers traditional clothes: surjan, blangkon, and sarong both woven and batik printed ones. Sandals and bags sold at reasonable prices are available around the escalator of the west part of the market.

Stepping upstairs to the second floor, you will smell the aroma of Javanese herbs. Herbs such as turmeric that is usually blended with tamarind to produce special drink and temulawak to make bitter drink for medication purpose are sold here. Spices such as ginger (to make ronde drink or merely to be baked, boiled and mixed with crystal sugar) and cinnamon (to enrich the flavors of such drinks as ginger drink, coffee, tea and sometimes to substitute chocolate in cappuccino).

This is also the right market to hunt antiques. The center of antique goods is in east part of the third floor. There, you can get old typewriter, helmet made in 1960s with the front part of which is mica as high as one's nose and some other items. On the same floor, you can get used items of good quality if you want. Various kinds of good quality used imported goods such as shoes, bag, and even clothes are sold at much cheaper prices compared to the original prices. Of course, carefulness in choosing is needed.

After completing your going around in the market, it is time for you to explore the area around the market with not less interesting offers. The area at the north of the market that used to be popular as Chinese Kampong is the most popular place. You can find oldies cassettes of musicians in 1950s that are rarely found in other places at the most expensive price of 50,000 Rupiah. Besides, there are Buddha effigies in different poses costing 250,000 Rupiah. For collectors of old money, they can get the ones from various countries, even the ones utilized in 1930s.

To quench your thirst, special cold drink of Yogyakarta, namely cendol ice, is the right choice. This cold drink from Yogyakarta has richer flavor than the ones from Banjarnegara and Bandung. The contents are not only cendol (jelly-like substance made from glutinous rice but also cam cau (jelly-like substance made from cam cau leaves). Other drinks you can try are young coconut ice with palm sugar and the drink made from turmeric-tamarind and rice-great galingale mixtures. The price of the drink is cheap, namely 1,000 to 2,000 Rupiah.

Even though the market is closed at 05:00p.m, the dynamics of the merchants does not stop by that time. In front of the market, there are still many food sellers offering many kinds of special food. Martabak with various fillers, the sweet terang bulan mixed with chocolate and peanut, and the delicious klepon filled with palm sugar are sold every evening. At around 06:00p.m. until late at night, there is usually gudeg seller who also offers special cuisines of cow skin and variant of stir-fried vegetables with chili. While having your meals, you can listen to Javanese traditional music or have a talk with the seller who will address you friendly. It is just complete!

article source : yogyes

Making Silver Handicraft, Craftsmen of Kotagede

2008-07-19T02:00:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Kotagede undeniably becomes the biggest center of silver handicrafts in Indonesia, surpassing Bali, Lombok and Kendari. Different silver handicrafts in various forms are made through many stages in a place that is located around 10 kilometers of Yogyakarta city center. Since 70s, silver handicrafts from Kotagede either in the form of jewelry, household utensils or accessories have attracted foreign tourists.

Now, Kotagede does not only offer the luxury of its silver handicrafts, but also an opportunity to learn the process of its making. A short course as long as three hours to a couple of days offers your alternative tour package including designing silver handicraft, making it and finally bringing the product you made yourself home. One of the places you can enjoy such a tour package is Studio 76.

Preliminary step of the course is designing the jewelry. You are free to choose the kind of jewelry and its design. After determining the design, the process is continued by transferring the design to the mould and forging it. After being forged, the sheet of brass or bronze as the raw material is forged using soft tin. Afterwards, the material is set as you wish and is polished with silver through plating process.

If you have more time, you may choose to learn making silver jewelries that is even more beautiful. In order to make it, you must learn to carve the metal sheet as the raw material before you polish it. If you like, you can choose to make jewelries of which forms resemble woven wires with silver coating at the outer part. In fact, the more beautiful and detailed of the jewelries, the more valuable they are in other people's eyes.

All processes of design and manufacture are your right. During manufacturing process, instructor will only guide and fix some less beautiful details. The experienced instructor will help you learn quickly. Supported by foreign language competence of the instructor, it will help you much.

During the course, you will also get explanation on silver handicrafts and Kotagede. For example, an explanation on silver handicrafts in Kotagede and explanation on some techniques of making silver. You can also walk around the location of handicraft and to see craftsmen working, in addition to watching ready-to-sell products.

If you choose the tour package of making silver handicraft in Studio 76, there are choices of time and duration as you wish. If you have only little time, you may choose the Short Course with the duration of 3 hours, but if you have much spare time you may choose the Full Day Course lasting from morning to evening. If you are satisfied yet, you may prefer to join the Arranged Course of which time length adapts your target and wish.

The fee of the courses ranges from IDR 100,000 to IDR 2,000,000 per person, depending on the course. The longer the course time, the more expensive the fee is. Nevertheless, you do not have to worry, since you will have more time to learn in detail and the silver jewelry you make weighs higher gram. Maximum gram of jewelry you make at a Short Course is just 5 grams, but at a Full Day Course it reaches 10 grams.

To take part in this course, you have to make an appointment first with the galleries or course providers in order for them to prepare both the instructor and equipments. If you are going to go to Studio 76, please go to Kotagede and take Jalan Purbayan. The studio provides an instructor with English and French language competence. Are you interested in making silver jewelries yourself?

article source : yogyes

Now, not only you can buy the worldwide famous silver handicrafts of Kotagede but you can learn how to make them. Some places offer you such a rare opportunity at long duration as you wish.
STUDIO 76
Jl. Purbayan KG 3 / 1190 Kotagede Yogyakarta
Phone: +62 274 7147676
Fax: +62 +62 81 2278 2279
CP: Mr. Agus (+62 81 2278 2279)

Yogyakarta, Jogja, Jogjakarta or Yogya?

2008-07-19T01:53:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

There are different names for Yogyakarta. Senior citizens call it Ngayogyakarta; people from East Java and Central Java name it Yogya or Yoja. Yogya is called Jogja in the slogan of Jogja Never Ending Asia. Recently, there is another name: Djokdja. All of the names refer to the same city. How could those various names for one city appear?

There are at least 3 development periods to be explained. The name Ngayogyakarta existed in 1755 when Mangkubumi Prince whose title was Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I founded the Kingdom of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat. The kingdom that was built on the Bering Forest area was a realization of Giyanti Agreement done with Pakubuwono III from Surakarta.

It is unclear when the name Yogyakarta first existed, whether it is a contraction of the name Ngayogyakarto or because of other reasons. However, the name of Yogyakarta has been used formally since the independence of Indonesia. When it became the capital of Indonesia in 1949, this student city had been called Yogyakarta. Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX also used the name of Yogyakarta when he announced that this kingdom is part of Indonesian Republic.

Some other names such as Yogja, Jogja, Jogya and Yogya came afterwards. The variations may exist from different pronunciation of people from different parts of Indonesia. Interestingly, people will refer to the same area when they hear those different names.

For business purpose, the name of Jogja becomes more popular and it is used in the slogan Jogja Never Ending Asia. The slogan is intended to build the image of Yogyakarta as a tourism city having great natural and culture enchantments. The reason to choose the name 'Jogja' is that the pronunciation of the word is relatively easy for most people, including foreigners. Some institutions once replaced Yogyakarta with Jogjakarta.

YogYES.COM uses the name Djokdja in Tour de Djokdja rubric. This name was used during the Dutch colonial time. The proof was the presence of a hotel named Grand Hotel de Djokdja at the north end of Malioboro Street by that time. Now, the hotel is still in operation but the name changes to Inna Garuda. The name of 'Djokdja' is chosen to give an impression of an old city and to invite the readers to fill with nostalgia.

With various spellings and pronunciations, Yogyakarta is the only city with many variations of name. Jakarta only has one variation: Jayakarta, while Bali does not have any other name. Other tourism cities in the world such as Bangkok, Singapore, Cartagena, or Venice do not seem to have variations; neither metropolitan cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and London.

Now, you do not have to be confused when you find someone writing the name of Yogyakarta city as the way he spells it. When you browse in the Internet to find out more about this city, you would better use the name Yogyakarta as it is the most commonly used in writing. The second commonly used name is Jogja.

article source : http://www.yogyes.com

Borobudur Sunrise, The Sunrise in Nirvana

2008-07-19T01:48:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Admiring the grandeur of Borobudur at day and seeing details of each statue and stones with relief of the constructors is something that people from around the world are longing to do. However, not many people realize that Borobudur also has other unique view, namely the scenery of the beautiful rising sun that blows the statue of Buddha sitting cross-legged at the peak of the temple that was constructed in the ninth century.

If you never experience it before, trying to color the coming of the new life in the beginning of the year will become an unforgettable experience. The rising sun with its bright light will at least encourage you to live the life one year ahead, and for sure it becomes a remembrance that wisdom or nirvana symbolized by the peak of this temple is the main destination of your life.

In order to enjoy the scenery of the sunrise, you can stay at Manohara hotel in the complex of Borobudur temple since evening. Alternatively, you may join Borobudur Sunrise package offered by some tour agencies. Otherwise, you will not be able to enter the temple complex and you will miss the sunrise, since the entrance gate of this tourism object is only open at around 07:30a.m.

If you stay at Maonhara, you can start climbing Borobodur temple at any time to enjoy the sunrise. However, hotel management and some tour agencies usually lead you to go to the peak of Borobodur at 03:00 a.m. in order for you to have enough time to reach the peak on foot and you do not have to wait too long for the sunrise. The rise of the sun can usually be enjoyed at around 05:00a.m. It suggested that you wear your coat to expel the cold weather and to bring flashlight for lighting.

Once the sky in the east begins to shine, you are ready to see the movement of the sunrise. Once the reddish yellow light emerges, it means dawn has come in the peak of Borobudur symbolizing nirvana. Uniqueness of watching sunrise in Borobodur is that the sun seems to emerge in between two mountains, namely Merapi as one of the most active mountains in the world and Merbabu that is often said to be its twin.

When Merapi is active and the fog does not cover it, you will be able to see glowing magma pouring out of the mountain directing to the upper reaches of Krasak River. The bright red color of magma will look so bright in contrast with the dark sky. Last January 2006, tens of tourists enjoyed this view and during the increased activity of Merapi lately, you have the opportunity to enjoy it.

Another scenery that is not less interesting is the villages around Borobudur that you will see when looking down. Agriculture and culture that currently are living in those villages will help you imagine the condition of the villages around the temple during the construction of this temple. If thick fog covers your view, you can still see tall, green trees emerge from the surface of the fog. The movement of the rising sun can also be observed from the light intense blowing the Buddha statue. The higher the sun, the brighter the Buddha statue will look, changing its black color to bright gray. If you take quite good camera to take pictures, you can record the moment when the light of the sun begins to blow Buddha statue and make part of the statue brighter compared to other part.

When the sun begins to burn your skin, it signals that you should descend the temple. However, you need not worry, you can still walk around the villages around Borobudur temple that previously was only seen from the top. Some villages are determined to become tourism village. You can see the activities of people such as farming, producing potteries, sculpturing statues and others. Your presence in the villages at least brings hopes for local people currently that live more difficult life.

artivle source : http://www.yogyes.com/en/yogyakarta-tourism-article/borobudur-sunrise/

Popular Places of Exotic Bali Indonesia

2008-07-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

Klungkung

The former seat of the Javanese Hindu Kingdom in Bali, from where Balinese royalty draws its bloodline, Klungkung was the oldest kingdom on the island. The Kerta Gosa or Royal Court of Justice, which was built in the 18th century, is well known for its ceiling paintings in the traditional wayang style that portrays the pleasures and rewards in heaven as well as the punishments and sufferings in hell. Within Kerta Gosa is a floating pavilion, garden and lotus pond.

Goa Lawah

Located nine kilometers from Klungkung, Goa Lawah is a cave in which the walls vibrate with thousands of bats. These creatures' bodies are packed so tightly that the upper surface of the cave resembles undulating mud. A temple, which is believed to have been founded by a sage nine centuries ago, guards the entrance to this cave. This temple is said to extend all the way back to Pura Besakih and may continue to an underground river that comes up at Pura Goa, which is within the Besakih complex. Naga Basuki, the mythological gigantic snake, is believed to live in this cave.

Known as the 'Mother Temple of Bali', Pura Besakih is the biggest and holiest temple in Bali and is perched nearly 1,000m up the side of Gunung Agung. It is extremely enjoyable during festivals when the temple is decorated with colorful banners and the devotees come dressed in their finest, carrying meticulously arranged offerings. The destructive eruption of the volcanic Gunung Agung was said to be the wrath of the gods, having been offended by the Balinese who thought that the ceremony was supposed to be held every 100 years. The miscalculation by the priests had infuriated the gods and caused the destruction. Now, the festival is held more frequently instead of waiting for another century.

Menjangan Island

This little island off Bali's west coast is famous for its dazzling coral reefs and wealth of tropical fish inhabiting the waters. S

Besakih

cuba diving can be arranged and is considered the best that can be offered in Bali. Above water, spotting the rare Java deer is a challenge and the island is also a protected sanctuary for the Bali starling.

Sangeh

This island is fabled to be part of the holy Mahameru, whereby Hanuman, the monkey general in the Ramayana, took to crush Rawana, the villainous giant, which fell to the earth. Along with it came a group of monkeys from Hanuman's army, who remained on the island to pester travelers. The forest here is considered sacred and wood is not permitted to be chopped. Such is the legendary origin of the monkey forest of Bukit Sari, a cluster of towering nutmeg trees and home to hundreds of sacred monkeys.

Tanah Lot

One of Bali's most significant and photographed temples is Pura Tanah Lot, which sits on a huge rock just offshore and is surrounded by sea. Built by one of the last priests to come to Bali in the 16th century, its rituals include paying homage to the guardian spirits of the sea. In caves surrounding the temple dwell striped sacred snakes, which are believed to be the guardians of the temple and are to be left discreetly undisturbed. Only worshippers are allowed into the temple, but Pura Tanah Lot is indeed a sight to behold at sunset, with its majestic silhouette against the setting sun.

Bedugul

This mountain resort has a fantastic golf course and has long been used as a weekend retreat by the Balinese. Here lies the serene Danau Bratan, a lake often veiled with mist. A temple was built in honor of the goddess of the lake, Dewi Danau. Pura Ulun Danu Bratan rises from the lakeshore promontory and seems to rise from within Danau Bratan itself. The area is excellent for walking, water skiing, and parasailing. Boats are available for rent.

Tenganan

Tenganan is a Bali Aga or original Balinese village. Protected for centuries from the outside world by surrounding walls, the ancient village has maintained its pre-Hindu customs through a strong code of non-fraternization with outsiders. Unique rituals and practices are preserved, and girls as young as two are wrapped in silk and donned with multi-colored scarves and flowered crowns of beaten gold during festivals. The village women weave the famous 'flaming' cloth, kamben gerinsing, which is purported to have the power to immunize the wearer against evil. A single cloth can take five years to complete and a large piece can cost well over a thousand dollars. The Fight of the Pandanus Leaves takes place annually during the Usaba Sambah festival. Two men would fight like gladiators, armed with only a round, plaited shield while attacking each other's bare bodies with bunches of thorny pandanus leaves. After the battles, the wounds are treated with a mixture of turmeric and vinegar, thus leaving no scars.

Werdi Budaya Art Centre

Modern, traditional and contemporary Balinese visual arts can be seen at this spacious complex, which is the largest and most complete art center in a series of cultural centers built throughout the archipelago. Werdi Budaya Art Centre exhibits Bali's numerous visual arts disciplines including painting, woodcarving, shadow puppetry, silverwork, weaving, Barong and Rangda dance costumes, and remarkable ivory carving. Apart from its real cultural function, the complex is a showplace for Balinese Temple and Palace architecture at its most opulent. The grounds are also home to the month-long Pesta Seni or Bali Art Festival, held sometime in June, when traditional music, dance, art exhibitions, cultural competitions, sales of foodstuffs, and local handicrafts highlight the best of Bali's talents.

Minahasa - Indonesia Secret

2008-07-17T22:33:00.001-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

A Tour of Duty in North Sulawesi
by Adam J. Fenton

When Alfred Russel Wallace, that paragon of English endeavour and observation, toured though this region in the 1850s, he noted that "the little town of Menado [sic] is one of the prettiest in the East...To the west and south the country is mountainous, with groups of fine volcanic peaks 6,000 or 7,000 feet high, forming grand and picturesque backgrounds to the landscape."

Those fine volcanic peaks that he talks of are the Minahasa highlands. North Sulawesi is the only part of this strangely sprawling island that has volcanoes, and they are magnificent smokey beasts to behold. Nestled as it between two active volcanoes (one of which, Lokon, is given to erupting every few years, the last one was in May, 2001, showering Manado and surrounding areas with ash) it’s little surprise that the name of the village means “people who pray”. Even the most casual observer will notice that North Sulawesi has a proliferation of churches, many of them seemingly stuck at various stages of construction. Given their precarious situation though it’s no surprise that the people of Tomohon were given to praying more than most.

For energetic travellers a trek to the top of either of Tomohon’s two adjacent peaks, Lokon or Mahawu, will both challenge and reward you with spectacular views. On a clear morning from the rim of Mahawu’s steaming crater we got a bird’s eye view of the whole region right down to the city of Manado and Bunaken island to the north and as far as Bitung and Mt Duasaudara to the east.

The fertile soils of the Minahasa highlands have made them some of the most productive for agriculture, and it seems everywhere you look up here are neat rows of cabbages, carrots, spring onions and other vegetables that eventually find their way to the Tomohon market, and later onto dining tables around the region.

Being volcanic highlands you might also expect to see some highland lakes, and you won’t be disappointed. Lake Tondano is the largest and most well known, with its colourful restaurants built on stilts over the water for a fresh seafood lunch. Then there’s the remarkable Lake Linow fed by a steaming volcanic spring, on a hot day it is famed for its colour changes from deep blue to turquoise, green and sulfur yellow. Also nearby is Kali waterfall. Just a short drive from Tomohon, from the carpark it’s a moderately energetic walk along a narrow path which winds through some luxuriant rainforest. The waterfall itself has a charming fairy tale quality to it with an arched bridge having been put in place and the rock walls around are covered with beard moss blowing in the breeze and spray from the powerful falls. Best to take a raincoat and something cover your camera.

Around two hours drive from Tomohon is one of the most remarkable cultural sites of all North Sulawesi. In the village of Sawangan in the Airmadidi district you will find a collection of stone sarcophagi. Varying in age, the oldest reportedly dates back as far as 900AD. The Waruga as they are called consist two distinct parts; the hollowed out square or rectangular base, and a rooflike lid into which some have carved scenes depicting the life, and sometimes death of the occupant. According to the wizened old crone who tends the grounds here, the oldest of the sarcophagi have no decorations. It was only a relatively recent practice, from 1700s on, to add the low relief carvings. One scene clearly shows a woman giving birth and suggests that she must have died during labour. Surrounded by gnarled frangipani trees this is an eery place, especially when you consider that the dead were not buried underground but merely placed, inside the vessel in a fetal position squatting atop a china plate. An outbreak of cholera and tuberculosis in the early 1800s meant that the Dutch colonial government outlawed the practice, and many of the waruga from around the region were gathered up and relocated to Sawangan. There are now 144 of them gathered together here, and a small museum was added which displays some ceramics, and huge copper jewellery (bracelets and necklaces) which were used to adorn the otherwise naked bodies.

The Secret of Toraja - Indonesia

2008-07-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal from manado sapari

Situated at the crossroads of strategic sea-lanes steeped in history, the province of South Sulawesi consists of the narrow southwestern peninsula of this mountainous, orchid-shaped island. The capital and chief trading port, Makassar, is still the gateway to eastern Indonesia.

Spanish and Portuguese galleons, followed by British and Dutch traders, sailed these seas In search of the spice trade, escorted by their Men-of-War to protect them from the daring raids of the Bugis and Makassar pirates. Famed for their seafaring culture, the Bugis are still the driving force behind the world's last commercial sailing fleet. Bugis vessels have sailed as far as Australia, leaving behind images of their ships carved in stone, and Bugis words which were integrated into the Aboriginal language of northern Australia.

The seafaring Bugis dominate the southern tip of Sulawesi, but in the rugged and remarkable country further north is Tana Toraja, often referred to as the "Land of the Heavenly Kings". The traditional culture of the Torajans rivals any in the archipelago, making this area one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia.

Believing that their forefathers descended from heaven in a boat some twenty generations ago, the Torajans have a unique Christian animist culture .the majority of the people still follow an ancestral cult called "Aluk Todolo", which governs all traditional ceremonies. Their ancestor worship includes elaborate death and after life ceremonies, which are essentially great feasts. A strict social hierarchy is followed in the villages, and for an important figure wedding and burial ceremonies can take days to perform. Water buffalo and pigs are sacrificed in numbers appropriate to social rank, and the deceased's remains are placed in a coffin and interred in caves hollowed out in high cliffs. The mouth of the cave is guarded by lifelike statues, called Tau Tau, who look out from a balcony near the burial caves, watching over the families and friends they have left behind.

Tongkonan, the family houses, are built on stilts with the roof rearing up at either end, representing the prows of the first ship to arrive in the area with the Torajan ancestors. The houses all face north and some say that this is because it was from the north that the ancestors of the Toraja came. Others however will say that the north (and east) is regarded as the realm of the gods, on the compass of life.

South Sulawesi is also famous for its tremendous scenery and the quality and talent of its silk and silverwork industries, but the economy is largely based on agriculture.

The provincial capital of Makassar, formerly Ujung Pandang, is easily accessible by air. There are daily flights from Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya and Manado.

The Exotic of Bunaken National Marine Park

2008-07-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal

For you to fully appreciate your stay, here is some further information on Bunaken National Marine Park:
 

The Islands

Bunaken National Marine Park was established in 1991 and is one of the first marine parks in Indonesia. The total area of the park is 89 065 ha and includes the five islands of Bunaken, Siladen, Manado Tua, Montehage and Nain, as well as parts of the coastal area of North Sulawesi mainland.
The total area of coral reef is over 8 000 ha.

The marine park's extremely deep seabed, steep coral walls and large seagrass beds are home to an astonishingly rich variety of corals, fish, echinoderms and sponges. In fact the area supports some of the world's highest levels of bio-diversity. Seven species of giant clams, and many rare or endangered marine animals, e.g. coelacanths, nautilus, dugongs, whales, dolphins and turtles, are found within the park's area.

Climate

The climate is tropical with two major seasons. During dry season, which is from April until October, the wind blows from south-east and the sea stays relatively calm. Wet season is from November to March when the cool wind from north-west can bring heavy rains and occasional rough seas. Average air temperature in the region is 27°C varying from 25°C in the wet season to over 30°C in the dry season.

The water temperature around Bunaken National Marine Park ranges between 27°C and 30°C throughout the year. Over the reef flats water temperature may be even higher. Visibility in the area varies from 15 to over 30 meters. You can dive throughout the year.

People

Some 20 000 people live on the natural resources of Bunaken National Marine Park; there are altogether 26 villages within the boundaries of the park. The area has been inhabited for more than a century. Most of the people are farmers or fishermen. Crops of coconuts, sweet potatoes and bananas are raised on the islands, and some farmers cultivate seaweed for export.
 

Links

 www.sulawesi-info.com
north-sulawesi.com  

Exotic of The Pak Ou Caves-Laos

2008-07-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal repost form jurnal edwebproject

Buddha statue, Pak Ou Caves

Andy and I woke up early this morning and headed down to our favorite bakery. We picked up a bag of bread, then walked down to the steps of Wat Xieng Thong where we had arranged to meet a boatman. Through the palm trees and down the riverbank, we could see the muddy Mekong trip over branches and stones. A Lao boy sat on a stone lion at the top of the steps and surveyed the river. For the next ten minutes we shared a roll of coconut bread and watched the water. At 9AM the boatman showed up and led us down to the riverbank. He was a thin man with deep wrinkles and dark hair. On the water below, his wife maneuvered their long wooden boat into a crowd of other longboats. The boatman laid a wooden plank from the deck of his boat to the sandy bank at our feet. We walked across the plank and onto the long, thin, green-colored boat. The roof of the boat was fashioned out of low wooden beams, and we had to bend over to get to the seats. The chairs were like the kind you would find in a little girl's tea set - small, wooden and damned uncomfortable. The boatman's sturdy-looking wife sank her oar into the mud and pushed us off the riverbank while he sat up front and steered. The rattle of the motor drowned out the sounds of life along the Mekong, but we had a beautiful view.

We traveled about 25 kilometers up the river as it snaked through vine covered hills. Women washed clothes along the banks. Naked boys swam and splashed. The dense jungle crept all the way down to the riverbank. Vines draped from tree to tree, creating canopies above canopies. I searched for a glimpse of some animal or bird but the trees were so thick, all I could see was green. We passed houseboats, speed boats, slow meandering boats. Finally we pulled over at the Pak Ou Caves.

    
Entrance to the Pak Ou Caves
  Even from the water, the Pak Ou Caves are spectacular. A jagged hole in the cliff face reveals a cave filled with hundreds of statues of the Buddha. The boatman and his wife guided their longboat up to a dock of tied bamboo stalks. Andy and I climbed out onto the dock, then up the carved stone steps to the cave entrance. 
  For at least the last 500 years, kings and pilgrims have worshipped at Pak Ou's lower cave, Tham Ting. The cave is packed to the teeth with Buddhist icons. Some statues of the Buddha stand straight up with their palms out. This style means "stop arguing." The seated statues with one hand pointed down mean "to bear witness." Hundreds of statues line the stairways, rest on nooks in the cave walls, and teeter on stone shelves. This is the kind of mystical place that graces tour book covers: quiet and sacred, tucked away in the belly of a cliff. 
  From there, we hiked up a long and awkward brick staircase that was flanked on both sides with trees. Finally we came to Tham Phum - the upper caves. A fat, almost pregnant-looking Buddha guarded the entrance to these dark caves. It is fascinating to see all the different styles of Buddhist statues - heavy, thin, standing, lying down. Inside Tham Phum, dozens more statues lined the rough cave walls. These caves are lit only by a few rows of candles and the dim beams of tourists' flashlights. When Andy shone his flashlight on one statue, he threw a huge shadow onto the cave wall. By the meager light, I could see a network of cobwebs spanning across the ceiling. 
 
  
Lao boy playing with a stick, Ban Xiang Hai
We met the boatman down on the riverbank then journeyed back down river. He backtracked a bit and steered us past Phaa Hen, an impressive limestone cliff that reminded me of the "Cliffs of Insanity" in The Princess Bride. A few minutes later we docked along the sands of a local village, Ban Xiang Hai, or the Jar Maker Village. A larger longboat unloaded about twenty French tourists just as we got there, and we soon realized that this "authentic Lao village" was a tourist trap. The children charged for photos. The main dirt road was lined with wooden shops. Women offered shots of lao lao (AKA rice whiskey) that burned like firewater and Lao Khao Kam, a syrupy red rice wine. 
  The tourist trade aside, it was a pretty little village. Along the beach, boys ran out of the water and pulled T-shirts over their wet skin. A little girl swept her bangs out of her eyes as she chewed on the corner of a beach towel. A boy tossed around a bike tire. Up on the village road, colorful thread was drawn all the way across wall-sized looms. Woven cloth sat in stacks along the street. Andy tried a gulp of the rice whiskey. As he tipped his head back and swallowed it, I could see his eyebrows fly up and his face turn pink. He also bought a Pu No doll, which is a little red-faced demon with matted ropes of hair. According to legend, Pu No and his twin Na No are benevolent spirit demons. As Khun Boron, the father of the first Lao king, explored northern Laos in search of the right place to build a capital city, Pu No and Na No cleared for him a path through the dense jungle, leveling everything in their wake, until they came upon Mount Phousi. They stopped at the base of the hill and decided that this was the spot to found the city of Luang Prabang. Khun Boron then declared his son, Khun Lo, as the king of this new city. 
       
  
Lao Children, Ban Xiang Hai
Want to see more kids from the Jar Makers Village?
Visit The Children of Southeast Asia  

Several more miles up river, the boatman pulled over at the speedboat dock. Earlier that day we asked him how we should go about booking a speedboat to take us up the Mekong to the Thai border. He shouted uphill to the speedboat pilots, then told us they could take us to Huay Xia the next morning for 30,000 kip (just over $17). It it was a good price, so we agreed. The boatman's wife pushed her oar off the dock, and we slipped back into the current. I leaned over the rim and felt the wind rush by. Every once in a while, I could see monks walking along the beach. Their saffron robes stood out against the dense jungle backdrop. Finally, the long boat driver dropped us off at the shores of Luang Prabang.

Straight uphill from the dock is Wat Xieng Thong, where we'd met the novice who had invited us to the concert a few nights back. We still felt pretty bad about not showing up, so we figured this was a good time to find him and apologize. I was worried that he would be hard to find. All the novices were around the same age and wore the same robes. He had probably shaven his head since we last saw him, and more importantly, we couldn't remember his name. Luckily he recognized us as soon as we walked onto the grounds. He was sitting on the steps of the monk's quarters, and as soon as he waved, we recognized him immediately.

Our new friend Boua Geun

We sat down on the steps with him, but before we could apologize, he explained that he didn't make it to the concert because he was sick. He had seen us on the street the night before and tried to apologize, but we didn't seem to recognize him. So he was the monk in the red floppy hat who said sorry. Andy and I then tripped over each other's words to explain that we hadn't made it to the concert either because Andy stepped in a mud hole. We told him that we had come to Wat Xieng Thong to apologize to him, and no, we hadn't recognized him in the hat. I think we all felt better after that. After all our worrying, nobody was waiting at the concert. What a relief.

After getting that one straightened out, the three of us leaned back and talked for a while. He was confident and soft-spoken. His orange robe draped over one shoulder as he rested his elbow on the stairs. We asked him to write his name and address in the back of Andy's journal. He wrote "Tikeo Boua Geun." In Laos, people write their family names first, so his "last name" was Tikeo, and his "first name" was Boua Geun. He asked for our addresses as well, so I wrote out Andy's home address on the back of his business card. I started to hand it to Boua, but I suddenly remembered that a monk can't take anything from a woman's hand. I jerked my arm back and handed the card to Andy who passed it on to Boua. Before I tore it away, Boua was about to take the card from my hand. Maybe they weren't as strict about those rules in Lao Buddhism. As he took the card from Andy, I noticed that like so many other Lao men, he had one long thumbnail. I asked him why that is, and he explained it was for playing guitar. Andy pointed out that in Cambodia a lot of men have one long pinky nail for good luck.

related post

Deep in Exotic Laos
   Mekong's Jewel - Exploring Luang Prabang of Laos 

Baskets, bowls, batiks—Bali has it all

2008-07-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal from Travel and Leisure

Baskets, bowls, batiks—Bali has it all. From the boutiques of Seminyak to the shop at the Four Seasons, Melissa Ceria tracks down the island's best crafts

Months after my husband and I moved into our New York apartment, I would browse boutiques all over Manhattan, eyeing richly lacquered bowls, antique wicker baskets, and artisanal ceramics, hoping to find unique objects that would add a certain character to our loft. We had long been contemplating a trip to Bali and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. Just as fashion fanatics flock to Vietnam or Shanghai to order knockoffs of their designer dresses by the dozen, furniture lovers head to this Indonesian island for less expensive Christian Liaigre-style pieces.

But before setting off across the island's verdant rice fields and dusty villages, my husband and I enlisted the help of expat friends for shopping advice and called on a driver to get us around. It quickly became apparent that the most productive search would take us from the woody reaches of Ubud—where expats order the International Herald Tribune with their morning coffee—down south, along Seminyak's busy stretch of new design stores and into Kuta's maze of contemporary and antique furniture outlets.

Luckily, I had been warned by Indonesian art and antiques expert Bruce Carpenter (62-361/285-713; by appointment) about the Bali buying bug: visitors often fall prey to the island's charms, not realizing that what looks good in a beachfront hut in Kuta might quickly lose its appeal (not to mention its cultural context) in a Connecticut Colonial. One enthusiastic traveler, he recalled, shipped a crate of demon masks back home to Florida, but when his wife objected to them he was forced to sell them at a fraction of the cost to a local flea market dealer. The masks, it turns out, were a huge hit with heavy-metal fans.

Whether at furniture shops or clothing and jewelry boutiques, we resisted the temptations of beautiful craftsmanship and low prices and refrained from impulse buying. Instead, we scanned the stores we loved more than once and carefully edited our wish list before stuffing our suitcases. Here, our guide to help you on your whirlwind spree.

HOME INTERIORS Balinese vendors are increasingly savvy when it comes to Western tourists: many artisanal products are now being marketed with a dash of Euro flair. Purists might consider this a commercial cop-out, but the results are often original and tasteful. At A-Krea, a minimalist boutique on the main street of the waterfront town of Sanur, traditional batiks are sold as multicolored patchwork bed-runners that can double as decorative tablecloths. Even the most ordinary objects here have style: the thigh- and waist-high bamboo vases dyed a rich shade of burgundy look great when arranged like freestanding organ pipes on a living-room floor; a teak ice bucket with mosaic inlays of pearly seashells becomes a cocktail party centerpiece. 51 Jalan Danau Tamblingan, Sanur; 62-361/286-101.

LINENS It will come as no surprise that Dominique Seguin, the owner of the pristine linen store Disini, was once a student of haute couture in Paris. With her passion for color and sharp finishes she has compiled a noteworthy selection of fine cotton and linen sheets, pillowcases, and curtains that marry the earthy tones of Provence with the saffron shades of India. Patchwork pillowcases with apple green and inky blue leaf cutouts sewn onto blocks of solid color recall Matisse collages. A traveler's roll-up jewelry case, in pink batik with vibrant spring blossoms, is perfectly padded to safeguard beaded necklaces and precious rings. The delicate fabrics and careful handiwork establish Disini as the (reasonably priced) Porthault of Kuta. 6-8 Jalan Raya Seminyak, Banjar Basangkasa, Kuta; 62-361/731-037.

TABLEWARE There's no shortage of simple ceramic dishes in the numerous market stalls across the island, but for highly polished designs there's only one place to go: Jenggala Keramik Bali. This monumental showroom and exhibition space—a favorite of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who orders plates here for several of his high-profile New York restaurants—serves as a tribute to the highly skilled artisans of Indonesia. Natural forms such as frangipani and banana and lotus leaves inspire tableware collections in deep eggplant and watercress-green. A more minimalist line, of matte ivory and ebony dishes, evokes contemporary Japanese design. You'll be tempted to ship home a boxful of the handsome shell-shaped serving plates ($10 each) and egg-like vases ($17.50 each). For a smaller souvenir, go for the handblown glass tumblers in brilliant yellow, cobalt blue, and deep magenta or dark teakwood salad set that will be the envy of your dinner party guests. Jalan Uluwatu II, Jimbaran; 62-361/703-311; www.jenggala-bali.com.

BASKETS Of the dozens of plain and painted baskets I saw used as offerings in daily rituals, the most striking one belonged to a woman who had filled it with flowers on her way to the temple. Its golden patina and uneven finish told the story of her life and its delicate routine. Unfortunately, the basket was not for sale. However, a few days later I was introduced to Brigitte Norton, the wife of Four Seasons regional vice president Christopher Norton. The effortlessly chic French beauty is known to her friends as the queen of sourcing because of her ability to dig up the best shopping addresses anywhere. Brigitte regularly scouts villages across Asiafor small gifts and holiday decorations. Thanks to her, I discovered—among other things—Anang's Art Shop, a warehouse off the Bypass, a busy artery running through Kuta.

Anang's dimly lit ground floor is cluttered with dozens of antique armoires, chairs, and desks; upstairs, hundreds of richly lacquered baskets and woven rattan and bamboo boxes are shelved like unlabeled treasures in a lost-and-found depot. A functional basket such as the urn-shaped hamper normally used to transport a live chicken turns into an original vase to hold dried flowers. But a word of caution: there are no price tags here, and cost seems rather arbitrary. (Hint: Leave your Hermès bag at home.) 3X Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai, Tuban, Kuta; 62-361/755-281.

FURNITURE A handful of outlets sell the staple contemporary, Asian-inspired tables with matching chairs, but at the Warisan Showroom the selection is more refined, along the lines of the Conran Shop. Most of the inventory is made to order (a minimum of 10-20 pieces per style is required), but in the Ready-to-Buy and Best Sellers collections you can find a classic teak armchair with a lattice back or a solid mahogany bookshelf, all set to ship home. Many of the more traditional designs include tables made from vintage teak planks, with hand-carved curved feet. Jalan Padang Luwih, Banjar Tegal Jaya, Dalung, Kuta; www.warisan.com.

For something more rustic—a place where the wood feels weighty and rough-hewn—visit Balex, a workshop and showroom located on the dusty road between Kuta and Jalan Raya Kerobokan. The Dutch-born owner, Alexander B. C. Hoek, creates bench-crafted furniture using traditional Japanese and early European joinery techniques. His family-sized kitchen tables and daybeds, made of recycled timbers, would fit nicely in country houses from Sonoma to Saratoga. Jalan Raya Kerobokan, Banjar Campuan, Kuta; 62-361/415-867.

JEWELRY Some 20 years ago, Jean-François Fichot landed on the white shores of this island to sell his necklaces on the beach. A native Frenchman who also joined the ranks of photogenic hippies in India during the late sixties, Fichot is as eccentric as the jewelry he designs. Serious collectors can call his office (62-361/974-601) for a private viewing of some larger pieces influenced by his travels to Cuba and Southeast Asia, but a fine selection of his work—pink-tourmaline and gold necklaces, Burmese jade pendants—is also available at Treasures, a gallery in Ubud showcasing five other local jewelers. Main Street, Ubud; 62-361/976-697; www.dekco.com/treasure.

Across town, John Hardy and his wife, Cynthia, produce sparkling semiprecious and precious jewelry, as well as black palm-wood-and-silver objects for the home. A few years ago the duo signed on French designer Guy Bedarida, formerly of Van Cleef & Arpels, whose passion for rare gemstones (peach sapphires and cinnamon diamonds) shaped the new Cinta collection. Some hotels will organize a tour of the Hardys' compound, a tightly run aggregation of small workshops and organic agricultural developments; there is also an on-site gift shop. Hardy plans to open his first U.S. boutique this Christmas in New York's Nolita district. 1 Jalan Baturning, Abiansemal, Mambal; 62-361/469-888.

CLOTHING Many of the finer fabrics in Bali are imported from India, which may explain why you sometimes feel you're in Delhi instead of Denpasar. Some of the designs are straitlaced reproductions of Indian clothes, but others are delightfully daring. Paul Ropp's beaded dresses, boleros, and fitted silk pants come in eye-popping shades of pink, purple, blue, and orange. Anyone who appreciates the flashiness of Versace—minus the revealing thigh-high slits and microminis—will want to save some space in her suitcases for Ropp. 1X Jalan Pengubengan, Depan LP Kerobokan, Kuta; 62-361/730-023; www.paulropp.com.

On the trendy stretch of Jalan Raya Seminyak stands Biasa, a two-story boutique reminiscent of the sporty elegance of Nicole Farhi. Design highlights include bias-cut skirts and tailored pantsuits in citrus linens, extra-long scarves in cool cottons, low-slung woven leather belts, and St.-Tropez-style beaded sandals. It's also worth taking a peek upstairs at the rack of crisp cotton pajamas for men and women. 36 Jalan Raya Seminyak, Kuta; 62-361/730-308.

By far, the most exquisite hand-painted and woven scarves are to be found at the Warisan Gallery, an exhibition space attached to the upscale Kafé Warisan, in Kuta. You'll find a tasteful mix of antique and contemporary objets d'art, including silver bracelets, opalescent bone spoons, and fanciful accessories by various local designers. In the center of the room stands a large round table with neatly folded silk scarves, some hand-dyed with ballerina pink, baby blue, or lilac stripes, others woven into multicolored, gold-threaded Missoni-style wraps for an un-Missoni-style price, $90. 38 Jalan Raya Kerobokan, Banjar Taman, Kuta; 62-361/730-710.

ONE-STOP SHOPPING As more and more tourists seek the Balinese "experience," resourceful entrepreneurs have developed a new retail concept. "I call it warung chic," says Jane Hawkins of her store Asia Style, one of the growing number of island boutiques offering beautiful products from across the region. Hawkins borrowed the term from the small street stands that sell everything from fruits to flip-flops. Asia Style carries a well-edited sampling, with its delicate bone spoons, ornate frames, and embroidered antique throws. 52 Jalan Raya Sayan, Sayan, Ubud; 62-361/970-056.

Pass through Palanquin Bali's elephant-tusked doors and you'll find a more Westernized selection, including leather and wood chess sets, square gold-lacquered plates, and reproductions of 1950's Balinese tourism posters. The thematic approach is amusing, but not altogether authentic: a collection of vintage windup ducks labeled DISCOVERED IN JAVA was MADE IN CHINA. 8 Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai, Simpang Siur, Kuta; 62-361/766-555; www.palanquinbali.com.

MELISSA CERIA has written for Vogue, Departures, and the New York Times.

Mekong's Jewel - Exploring Luang Prabang of Laos

2008-07-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal from Visit Laos

If you’re up at the crack of dawn, you can catch the town’s most extraordinary sight. Scores of saffron-robed monks file out of the monasteries and make their way barefoot through the streets, bearing gold-topped wooden alms bowls. Along the route, locals wait to present sticky rice and other food to the monks--thereby earning merit by performing this good deed. Theravadan Buddhism dictates that women cannot stand higher than monks, so women kneel on bamboo mats to present food, while local men stand; as a mark of respect, women wear a traditional shawl, while men drape one shoulder with a white scarf. A long line of monks creates a swirl of orange, accentuated by the soft morning light; the scene is framed by russet monastery roofs, tall palm trees, and whitewashed colonial housing. Within an hour, the monks complete their rounds, and melt back into the monasteries-and the streets become quite ordinary again.

Although this ritual can be seen in numerous parts of Southeast Asia, it’s particularly striking in Luang Prabang because of the density of temples and the concentration of monks. Out of a population of 15,000 residents, there are over 500 monks in this former royal capital of Laos. The oldest part of the city is where royalty and nobility once resided--patrons of temple building in centuries past.

In December 1995, the entire town of Luang Prabang was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, ranking it alongside architectural treasures like Angkor Wat or the Taj Mahal. The UNESCO report identified 33 temples and 111 historic Lao-French buildings for specific restoration, citing Luang Prabang as the best-preserved traditional town in Southeast Asia--a kind of outdoor museum. Luang Prabang’s natural and cultural beauty are well-preserved because of the town’s isolation--although it flourished as a trading outpost among the peoples of upper Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, southern China and Burma, there was little contact with non-Asian countries until the French arrived in the mid-19th century.

Luang Prabang is jewel-like: tiny and compact. The "setting" is what gives it a jewel-like aura: the town is encircled by peaks and rivers, and camouflaged by palm trees and dense tropical foliage. From a distance, only golden-spired stupas can be seen--flashes of gold among the greenery. The town is sited on a peninsula at the strategic junction of the Mekong and Khan rivers--originally, ramparts to the south and west sealed off the land approaches. At the heart of Luang Prabang is Mount Phousi, a 150-meter-high rocky outcrop with forested slopes, dotted with sacred shrines and stupas.

Because of its diminutive size, Luang Prabang is easily explored on foot, by bicycle, or by boat. "You don’t need a key," says the hotel receptionist, dismissing my inquiry about a bicycle lock. "There are no thieves here." And so I ride off- lockless- through the streets, being greeted with a chorus of "sabaidee" (hello) from other cyclists. Life moves at bicycle pace here: there’s no particular rush--even the motorcyclists putter along at a gentle speed. A woman cycles past me with her baby in the front basket; another cycles along holding a parasol to ward off the mid-day sun. Traffic is light--the only time the roads get busy is when schools let out for lunch, and students on bicycles throng the streets. Otherwise, the area around markets is brisk, with motorcycle hybrid vehicles delivering or loading goods. And it is true that few locals bother to lock their bicycles--even at the markets.

Down by the Mekong, I stop at a wooden structure perched over a hillside--a restaurant where you can take in Mekong waterlife. The waiter serves some som tam (spicy papaya salad), and then sits down to practice his English. And so the town works its charm: for reasons of war, politics and physical isolation, Luang Prabang has preserved an older, slower, more traditional way of life--old Asia, Asia without the crowds, Asia without the traffic.

The final destination of the day’s cycling is the monastery of Wat Xieng Thong, a temple I have visited before--but one that merits many visits. Right now the sky is clear and the sun is close to setting--and that’s when the temple is bathed in a gorgeous light. Wat Xieng Thong is a feast for the eyes and the soul: the stuff of Oriental fairytales. The grounds provide a tranquil harmony of elements--gardens of bougainvillea, frangipani and hibiscus, shaded by banyan and palm trees. The main temple is pure Luang Prabang style, with graceful low-sweeping roofs of glazed tiles. The rear of the temple is encrusted with colored glass pieces in a red background, depicting a bodhi tree; inside, gold-stenciled wooden pillars support a ceiling decorated with dharma wheels. In the Wat Xieng Thong compound are several striking chapels--one housing a rare bronze reclining Buddha; another sheltering a 12-meter-high gilded wooden funeral chariot. The exterior of this building features wooden panels of Ramayana figures, sculpted by master artisan Thit Tanh. The setting sun brings the dazzling gold-leaf-overlaid figures to life--they practically glow.

Temples date back to the 16th century in Luang Prabang--there are more than 30 wats scattered around the town (there used to be double that number). Temples were the center of the Lao universe, and until the French arrived, were the only structures allowed to be constructed of brick. The wats are treasure-troves of mural-painting and sculpture: the best-preserved and most lavish are the temples lying on the peninsula between Wat Xieng Thong and the Royal Palace. These wats were formerly associated with royalty; the villas and residences of the royal Lao family were also located along this strip. Next to the palace is Wat Mai, inaugurated in the 18th century: the exterior walls of the main temple bear magnificent gold stucco bas-reliefs recounting the legend of Pavet, the last incarnation of the historic Buddha, amid a profusion of village scenes. Wat Pak Khan, known as the Dutch pagoda, features carved doors showing Dutch traders who visited in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Luang Prabang’s temples are being painstakingly restored under World Heritage Site plans--with particular attention to artwork damaged by monsoon rains and tropical humidity. A new traditional-style pavilion has been constructed on the Palace grounds to house Pra Bang, the standing Buddha image that gives Luang Prabang its name. The 83-cm-high statue, reckoned to be 90 percent gold, was reputedly made in the first century AD, and is a source of spiritual protection for Laos.

By the early 19th century, Laos was effectively under the control of the Siamese, who later ceded the territory to the French, with the most significant treaties negotiated between 1893 and 1907. The Lao king was reduced to a figurehead: real power was held by the French. The French built little infrastructure in Laos--the place was regarded as the land of the lotus-eaters, where an indolent lifestyle prevailed. It was too mountainous for plantations, there was little in the way of mining, and the Mekong was not suitable for commercial navigation. Some half-hearted attempts were made to cultivate rubber and coffee, but the main export under the French was opium. Only a few hundred French resided in Laos: they mostly left the running of the place to Vietnamese civil servants. The king was allowed to remain in Luang Prabang, and the Lao carried on farming as they had for hundreds of years.

The French finally got into gear--from 1907 to 1925 there was a spate of colonial building in Luang Prabang. The French administration used styles developed in Vietnam, but instead of simply transplanting European architecture, adapted designs better suited to the climate--wooden houses with internal corridors to provide cool air circulation. There are temple-inspired styles, such as a headmaster’s house--a remarkable blend of Lao-French architecture. Not so inspiring are the French public buildings--the former customs building, post and telegraph office, school, hospital, and gendarmerie. To build these, the French imported Vietnamese laborers who established their own quarter at the south side of the peninsula, constructing two-storey Chinese shophouses to live in.

The most peculiar hybrid structure in Luang Prabang is the former Royal Palace, now a museum. The palace was constructed from 1904 to 1909, and although intended for occupation by Lao King Sisavang Vong, the building was commissioned by the French colonial administration, which explains the mix of French and Lao architecture. The effect was intentional--to cement the relationship. At the front entrance, high up on the front of the building is a crest of Erawan, the three-headed elephant, symbolizing the three kingdoms of Laos. The pillars below bear French fleur-de-lys emblems; you sweep up stairs made of Italian marble; inside are French mirrors and Czech chandeliers alongside traditional Lao lacquered and gilded furniture.

The last room on the Royal Palace tour features oil portraits of the last king, Sisavang Vatthana, and the queen and crown prince, who gaze down from the walls, looking somber and dignified. The monarchy endured until 1975, when it was banished under the incoming Pathet Lao government. The 1970s and 1980s were a period of austerity in Laos; in the 1990s, however, royal style has been revived in Luang Prabang in the interests of tourism, Buddhism has been re-adopted as the national religion, and traditional festivals have been revived. The biggest and most important festival is Pimai (Lao New Year) which used to feature parading royal elephants, draped in ceremonial blankets: an ear of each elephant was lifted up and a sermon was whispered into it before the elephants took part in the procession. Today there are no longer any royal elephants: Pimai kicks off with the crowning of Miss New Year, who is paraded through the town on a float; the following days see the ceremonial washing of Buddha statues, construction of small sand stupas in wats (as symbolic requests for prosperity in the coming year), processions of monks, folksinging, fairgrounds--four days of fun and festivities.

In terms of preserving tradition, the inscription of Luang Prabang on the World Heritage List in 1995 could not have been more timely. With new roads snaking in from Vientiane and from the Chinese border, and a new airport, tiny Luang Prabang was about to experience rapid expansion and transformation--not entirely positive. Now the town’s character has been preserved--and its future assured--with new zoning laws restricting advertising billboards and decreeing that no out-of-character buildings or concrete eyesores can be constructed. That means no plague of photo-finishing shops or fast-food outlets. Power and telephone lines have to be buried. Under the UNESCO plan, there are three zones for preservation: the old quarter, a peripheral building zone, and natural zones along the Mekong River banks. A real conundrum is how to maintain Luang Prabang as a World Heritage Site and yet accommodate the greater number of tourists that designation will attract. So far, Luang Prabang authorities are handling increased tourism well: the plan is not to build new hotels--rather to modify existing mansions for use as hotels.

The innovator here is the Santi family. In 1992, Lao princess Kampha and her husband Santi Inthavong renovated an old French colonial mansion, turning it into a stylish 11-room hotel called Villa Santi. Lao antiques provide interior decor; on the upper floor is a restaurant serving tasty Lao dishes; at the back is a garden where performances of classical dance are sometimes staged. This style of hotel proved so popular that the Santis built a larger wing in classic Lao style. Down by the Mekong is another renovated French mansion: on the wall is a picture of the original owner, Monsieur Doree, taken in 1904--Doree was a French trader who married a Lao woman and stayed on in Luang Prabang. In 1996, the mansion was openedafter beautiful restoration in a Canadian-Lao joint-venture, which explains why it is called the Auberge Calao. The Auberge Calao has only five guest rooms, which is very much part of the plan in Luang Prabang’s old quarter: in this zone, the only new hotels that can operate must have fewer than 15 rooms. This has lead to the opening family-run guesthouses such as Vanvisa, a French-style dwelling, and Paphay, a Lao timber house.

Outside the fully-protected zone, larger hotels can be constructed, subject to design approval. An eye-catching design has been utilized at Mouang Luang Hotel, completed in 1996. The hotel draws its inspiration from Luang Prabang temples, with layered sweeping roofs on the outside, and on the inside, royal-style teak furniture with handwoven silk upholstery, and traditional woodcarved panels on the walls--all made by local artisans. Staff dress in traditional Lao costumes, and the restaurant serves Luang Prabang specialties on its varied menu. Director Amphone Nolintha says she wants guests in this 35-room hotel to experience the richness of the town’s art and traditions. Luang Prabang’s World Heritage status is doing a lot more than preserving the town: it is helping preserve a way of life by boosting pride in traditional ways and culture.

EXPLORING BY BOAT

Luang Prabang is a riverine town: the first French explorers arrived here by boat. You can still experience that intimate feeling of discovery by taking day or overnight trips from Luang Prabang. A popular day trip is an excursion by covered wooden longboat along the Mekong River to Pak Ou Grottoes. The river runs wide here, cutting a swath through jungle-clad banks and limestone gorges. En route you can stop at small villages--Ban Sang Hae is engaged in the production of moonshine whiskey, made from glutinous rice. Pak Ou Grottoes are about 25 kilometers upstream from Luang Prabang: the grottoes are sacred caves tucked into limestone cliffs, filled with hundreds of gilded and wooden Buddha statues. The caves were once occupied, creating a unique place for monks and hermits to dwell and worship. The king of Laos used to visit once a year; today, at Lao New Year, hundreds of pilgrims wend their way out from Luang Prabang in a candlelit procession.

Pak Ou means "mouth of the Ou River". After a picnic at the grottoes, you can detour up the Nam Ou tributary--a great ride, as the banks here are much closer than on the Mekong, and the limestone cliffs are more dramatic. Depending on the season and water levels, a wooden craft can venture right up the Nam Ou to Phong Saly Province. Because of poor road infrastructure, a lot of trade proceeds by boat in this direction, so you see cargo boats negotiating sandbars and minor rapids, and many villages en route. An excellent destination or stopping point up the Nam Ou is the village of Muang Ngoy, with an entrancing setting enclosed by lofty karst peaks.

New Zealands' spectacular mountainscapes

2008-07-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Ududmild Jurnal from the jakarta post

(JP/Cynthia Webb)

New Zealand burst onto the international film scene with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, shot on the country's glorious locations.

This led to a tourism boom. International visitors who had seen the wide-screen vistas in the films came flocking to New Zealand, seeking new horizons, visiting the film locations, and found a safe and friendly place far away from terrorist threats, and where English is spoken.

They discovered two lovely islands containing a huge variety of scenic attractions, and distances between towns and cities are not too large. The country has a sampling of many of the world's great natural attractions.

New Zealand has spectacular mountains ranges, excellent skiing, fijords, volcanos, thermal hot pools, good beaches and surfing locations, deep sea marlin fishing, magnificent bush-walking opportunities, whale watching in season, emerald green farmlands dotted with sheep and cattle, -- New Zealand has about ten times more sheep than people --, unspoilt villages and small rural towns, plus cosmopolitan cities and more. The nation's human population is around four million.

The rich history and culture of the indigenous Maori people is everywhere, and most place names are in the Maori language. There is now a Maori language TV channel, and the language is taught in schools to both Maori and Pakeha (white New Zealanders) children.

It's far enough South to have four distinct seasons, and the beautiful changes of the colors of the trees and spring flowers are a sight to behold in Autumn and Spring.

One of the most beautiful areas of New Zealand is the Coromandel Peninsula.

This finger of rugged green native forest and farmland, fringed by breathtaking beach scenery is only an hour and a half's drive from the cities of Auckland and Hamilton. Its northern tip lies to the east of Auckland, across the Hauraki Gulf.

A three-day leisurely driving excursion is enough time to explore the Coromandel by car. The roads are often winding and steep, a few are unpaved, and it is still unspoilt by tourist infrastructure.

Accommodation outside the few small towns is home-stay style, often in farmhouses. There are also some backpackers inns, and some high class lodges.

(JP/Cynthia Webb)

According to tribal narratives, New Zealand and also Coromandel were first discovered by the Polynesian sea-farer Kupe, and a group of his people, in approximately 950 AD.

It is said they landed at Whitianga on the Peninsula, and he named it Te Whitianga-a-kupe (The crossing place of Kupe). He left some of his people here and carried on with his explorations of this newfound land, to which his wife gave the name "Aotearoa" (The Land of the Long White Cloud).

It was re-discovered and claimed for England by the explorer Captain James Cook in 1769, during his circumnavigation and mapping of New Zealand. New Zealand had formerly been visited, but not claimed as territory, in 1642 and 1943 by the Dutchman Abel Tasman, who was in the employ of the Dutch East India Company and based in Batavia (Jakarta).

He was searching for the fabled Terra Australis Incognita. Aotearoa was soon referred to as New Zealand on European maps, after the second most important Chapter of the Dutch East India Company, which was located in Zeeland (Sea-Land), the island province in South Western Holland.

This is an historic part of this relatively young country. The first Europeans came to Coromandel in 1795 when the ship "Fancy" arrived to cut kauri spars (huge native trees) for the British Navy.

In 1820 "HMSS Coromandel" arrived, and the name was given to the town and to the Peninsular. In 1854 Charles Ring discovered gold near Coromandel Town and after negotiations with the local Maori land owners, a gold rush followed. There was also ship building, flax milling, collecting and trading of Kauri gum.

In the 1872-1975 period, the town had 22 hotels, now it has two. Coromandel Town still has quite a few surviving buildings from that period. The rest of the main street is reminiscent of a Hollywood set for a wild west town. Some of the old private residences are elegant Victorian and Edwardian styles, as some people found riches through gold.

Now, Coromandel Town has charming art and craft stores, old-fashioned shops, (hardware and drapery, etc) and excellent city standard restaurants and cafes.

This is a fishing port and consequently the seafood in the restaurants is of the best possible standard, in Coromandel Town and anywhere on the peninsula.

During the 60s and 70s, Coromandel attracted a wave of new residents -- artists and craft workers, including well-known potter, Barry Brickell, who came in 1961. His clay supply was up in the rugged native-bush covered hills beyond his workshop, so he began to build a narrow-guage railway to transport the clay.

(JP/Cynthia Webb)

One of the characteristic images of the Coromandel is blazing red flowering Pohutukawa trees, (the New Zealand Christmas bush) seen against the blue-green of the ocean, on a bright summer day.

These native trees grow in the sand dunes, or on cliffs, almost at the water's edge, and have gnarled and ancient curling trunks and often horizontal branches drooping into the sand dunes, which children just love to play in.

Driving north from Coromandel Town brings you to Colville, a tiny settlement with only a town store, cafe and petrol station, and the local 'tennis club' opposite.

This is a location which seems to belong in a movie -- the classic "one-horse" town. Nearby there is a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, (Mahamudra Monastery) and it was an unexpected sight to see a saffron and burgundy clad monk clearing the rural letterbox at the roadside.

Beyond Colville, the road goes up the Western Coastline beside the Hauraki Gulf and comes to an end at Port Jackson facing to the north, where large Pohutukawa trees at the edge seem to wander across the dunes horizontally. There is a walking track across the rugged tip to the end of the road on the Eastern Coastline, but the two routes have not been joined.

Whitianga is one of the largest towns on the Coromandel Peninusla. Located on the eastern coast, it faces out into Mercury Bay, and was named by Captain Cook, who spent several days there while he observed the transit of Mercury, in 1769. Whitianga has a good boat harbor, and some excellent tourist accommodation, motels, and apartments. It's a popular holiday and fishing spot with the Kiwis.

The beach of Hahei has the interesting Cathedral Rock, where kayakers love to paddle through the tunnel in this rock formation, situated just offshore.

Hot Water Beach is also a unique place to visit. Visitors arrive with small shovels in their car boots. They set off along the beach to a clump of yellow colored rocks, and just in front of these at low tide, if you dig into the wet sand, you'll find hot water bubbling up to the surface.

Although the ocean waves are rolling up to the very spot, you can sit there in hot water pools. This is just one of the many manifestations of New Zealand's volcanic nature, which tourists flock to see.

This country has something in common with Indonesia, being situated on the join between two of the world's major tectonic plates. Consequently it also has many earthquakes and tremors, and there have been some destructive quakes and volcanic eruptions.

All of the Coromandel beachside towns have examples of the ubiquitous Kiwi "Bach". This is the traditional name for a weekend fishing shack or holiday house at the beach. Once they were very simple places, but in these prosperous times, many wealthy city people have built luxurious holiday homes in the Coromandel resort towns.