First Day in Kediri

Meeting my nephew, Barra, and niece, Lala. Oh, boy...Barra is so adorable. 

Even..today he keeps on telling me that he misses me.^^ oh, so sweeet.

call him once a week, though. 

Then, the very next morning I was home...Daddy cooked his signature dish: nasi goreng. 

Yes..only he can make this nasi goreng. I cannot describe how it tastes, for sure.

But..gosh..it's really one of the things that makes me miss home. 

Bapak and Ibu, Dad and my Mom, cooking together in the kitchen.

Yes...I love the way they always share things together...

I love you, Dad, Mom. ^^

Seeing you again this year...2015. Amin.

Highlights of Our Vacation Back Home= It's Mostly about Meeting Others^^

Preparing for departure @ Incheon Airport, Korea.

Taking the kids to the zoo...Gembira Loka Zoo @ Jogja. 

Taking the kids to Water Park @ Kediri, East Java. 

Bumping into my students back home @ Jogjakarta.

Taking the kids to Bali Bird Park @ Batu Bulan, Bali. 

Meeting with my wife's brother and sisters @ Panasan, Jogjakarta. 

Going to Jogjakarta from Jakarta @ Soekarno-Hatta Airport. 

Meeting with my parents back home @ Kediri, East Java. 

Seeing my brother off to Brisbane @ Jogja Train Station, Yogya.

Having lunch with friends and colleagues @ Bumbu Desa, Jogja.

Enjoying sun and sand @ Kuta Beach, Bali. 

Having a Transit-Trip @ Bali Bird Park, Bali.

Yes, it's all about fun and meeting others--that's what counts.

@ Ngurah Rai Airport, Bali: Departure to Incheon, Korea

It's around 9.30 pm Bali time and along with Putu, our guide for today, we finally arrived at Bali airport..ready to depart to Korea.Thank you, Putu. 

The last time I went to Bali, this terminal was still under development..but now..this new modern terminal greeted us. 

Since it's new, I got to make sure that I knew where to go for our smooth departure to Korea. It's comparatively bigger compared to the previous one. 

But..first thing first, we got to re-arrange our cabin baggage:-) 

Ready for departure.... 

Before immigration process, we had a chance to look around and...well.. 

we needed to have our dinner....^^ 

Indonesian nasi goreng and well...what the kids loved...**

Bye-bye, Indonesia. See you again next year. Amin.

Kuta Beach

 

It passed sunset time..and yet we did not move from the beach. All of our luggage were in the car and most of them are at the airport so we did not have any clothes to change..:) and no hotel to go to...since we got to wait for another 5 hours before our plane departed to Korea. 

So..we stayed put at the beach and let the girls play with the sand. 

gosh..we must've been crazy to let them play with the sand though we knew for sure that we got to wait until we arrived at the airport to change our clothes:-)

But..that's the road trip or transit trip we had in Bali.

Bali Beach Walk @ Kuta

For those who want to escape the hustle bustle of Kuta and its beach, one could just hop into this luxurious mall: Bali Beach Walk. Just look at that...I love the concept already. 

An open restaurant where people could chill out in open space...and go there at night...I'm sure the ambiance would've been much more spectacular. 

Once again...Eyra and Freya were always playing around whenever they had time. 

Well...it's a good thing that this mall is not like any other mall we've been to. It's really more like a modern-touch wrapped in a traditional Balinese house--but in huge scale. 

even the rooftop is full of flowers and walkways where we could see sunset from atop.  

Once again...this feels like a different world in Kuta.

Admiring the architectural design that makes it a winning spot among visitors. fancy store, restaurants, cineplex, and other you-name-it-you-got-it.  

Beyond..Kuta bach is visible. Gosh..I wish my camera could capture the simple beauty that the mall offers. The only drawback is that...most of the stuffs are pricey. hahaha. 

But..since we just wanted to chill out here..and explore what the fuzz this mall has created...I give it 4 stars out of 5.^^ 

wait...Freya...what are you doing? ^^ 

Oh..this is a local transportation to take tourists of large groups (those using buses) from the parking lot to Kuta beach. (note: buses are not allowed to enter Kuta area so as to avoid traffic congestion).

Kuta: Its Beach & Beach Walk

Yes, we came to Kuta again. It's our 2nd time to visit Bali and what would a Bali visit be without a visit to Kuta.  

With its white sand that stretches more than 1.5 km...but I guess..it's longer than that. anyway....although there are much more beautiful beaches like Dreamland...Kuta is still one of the tourists' favorites, especially as THE place to catch the sunset.

So..along the sunset boulevard, there is one newly opened mall that is getting lots of attention from both locals and visitors: Kuta Beach Walk. 

We want to freshen up ourselves before having a splash at the beach. This mall has an open-air concept that combines natural beauties and modern landscapes. but, first...we got to go back to the beach...^^ 

Dejavu...we're here like 4 years ago..and here we are! 

The same pose we had 4 years ago..but the only difference is that Eyra and Freya are grown up.^^ 

but...the sand-castle making thing...is The SAME.!! 

"ajeossi...what are you doing back there?" oh, well....

We miss the sun and warmth of summer already. ㅋㅋㅋ

Monkey Forest, Bali (part 1)

 

The second place we visited in Bali was Bali's unique forest where monkeys are the kings: Monkey Forest at the famous Ubud area.  Even before we entered the area, monkeys were easily spotted everywhere. Can you see some? 

This is the entrance to the forest. There are paths for visitors to explore the forest without having to be afraid of getting lost. 

After paying for about 20,000 rupiah or around 2,000 Won, we started off our adventure into the land of monkeys. But, Freya was adamant to beg us not to go in:-) 

But, Dear...of course we got to enter the forest. We paid for it..and trust me...you'd find something interesting inside. Freya sulkily agreed. 

hmm...just like other parts of Bali, green lush tropical forests were visible. It's so soothing to the eyes. Despite the tropical heat in Bali, we're content to what we're experiencing. 

We're warned not to bring any food or beverages from outside...lest the monkeys would snatch them from our hands. We got to  keep our belongings inside the tightly-zipped bags:-) 

These two statues stood at the entrance to the old Balinese temple lied beneath those trees. what trees? well...let's just go see it. 

These cow and elephant statues were surprisingly big.  

oh...so these were the trees...with their roots uprooting themselves ....out into the air...hmm eerie. and down there ...obscurely obstructed by the trees...I could see the temple. Okay..let's go.