Mount Lofty

After 10 days in hospital with salmonella poisoning that he got on our Bali trip, my father in law got back to his routine of Tuesdays out with his friend Ian. This week, they went to the Mt. Lofty Botanical Gardens. When they returned, he told David to take me there as the views was very beautiful and he was sure I would love it. 
Setelah 10 hari di rumah sakit karena keracunan bakteri salmonella, papa mertua saya kembali ke aktivitas rutinnya, Selasa bersama Ian. Minggu ini, mereka mengunjungi Mt. Lofty Botanical Gardens. Sewaktu kembali, mereka langsung menyuruh David untuk segera membawa saya kesana karena pemandangan saat ini begitu indah, dan mereka yakin saya pasti menyukainya.  


Located only 15 minutes from the city and at 710 meters above sea level, Mount Lofty is famous for it's botanical gardens and the magnificent views from it's summit. 
Terletak hanya 15 menit dari kota di ketinggian 710 meter di atas permukaan laut, Mount Lofty atau Gunung Lofty, terkenal dengan kebun raya dan pemandangan yg spektakuler dari puncaknya.  


Spring and autumn are both wondrous seasons in the Botanical Gardens with the stunning colors in the gardens. Open 365 days of the year with free admission, anyone can explore the gardens starting at either the lower or upper entrance. 
Musim semi dan gugur adalah saat yang paling menakjubkan di Botanical Gardens, dengan warna-warna yang sangat menawan. Kebun raya ini buka 365 hari dalam setahun  dan bebas tiket masuk. Setiap orang dapat mulai menjelajahi kebun raya ini dari pintu masuk bawah maupun atas. 

The views around the lake at the lower entrance are amazing....
Pemandangan di sekitar danau yang terletak di pintu masuk bawah juga sangat menawan...

After visiting the Botanical Gardens, we went to the summit. There is a visitor information centre as well as a restaurant and cafe which provide breakfast, lunch and dinner. From here we can view the Adelaide CBD and it's surrounding districts. If the weather is good, it's possible to see Kangaroo Island south of the city. 
Setelah mengunjungi kebun raya, kami menuju puncak. Disini terletak  pusat informasi turis, toko cenderamata dan restaurant yang menyediakan sarapan, makan siang dan juga makan malam.  Dari puncak ini kita bisa melihat pusat kota Adelaide dan sekitarnya. Apabila cuaca sangat baik, kita juga bisa melihat Kangaroo Island di sebelah selatan. 

   
Well, Bertie was right....I loved the scenery and couldn't put down my camera. I felt like I could stay here all day just for enjoying the views, however we had to continue on our way to Casterton for our Easter Holiday. 
Well, ternyata Bertie benar.... Saya sangat menyukai pemandangan disini dan tidak bisa meletakkan kamera saya. Ingin rasanya saya menikmati pemandangan disini seharian, tetapi kami harus meneruskan perjalanan kami ke Casterton untuk liburan paskah. 

Indofest 2011

The Australian Indonesian Association (AIA) of SA, in collaboration with affiliated Indonesian community groups and the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia in SA, hosted the 4th annual Indofest on April 10, 2011, in Rymill Park. 
Perhimpunan warga Indonesia di Australia (AIA) bekerja sama dengan perkumpulan Indonesia lainnya dan konsulat Indonesia di South Australia kembali mengadakan Indofest untuk ke-empat kalinya pada tanggal 10 April 2011 di Rymill Park. 

David had always told me about Indofest and I was very excited to see it on http://www.indofest.com.au/about.html but I also I felt very sad when I saw the weather forecast for that Sunday...raining with a maximum temperature of only 21 degrees.
David selalu menceritakan tentang Indofest, jadi pada waktu melihat berita di atas di situs http://www.indofest.com.au/about.html saya bersemangat sekali. Namun saya juga kecewa pada waktu melihat ramalan cuaca untuk hari Minggu tersebut... hujan dan suhu maximum 21 derajat.  

We'd almost given up on going, but as we had already promised to take David's friend's sister from Venezuela, Patricia and her mother, we still went ahead. It was raining all morning and on our journey in, but luckily, when we arrived at Rymill Park, the rain had stopped and the sky was so blue. Hmm...I guess Adelaide also has "Pawang Hujan" (Rain guides that have magical powers and specialize in preventing rainstorms). ^_^.
Tadinya kami hampir memutuskan untuk tidak berangkat, tapi karena kami sudah berjanji untuk mengajak teman David dari Venezuela, Patricia dan mamanya, kamu tetap berangkat. Sesuai ramalan cuaca, hari itu hujan sejak pagi hari, tetapi waktu kami sampai di Rymill Park, hujan berhenti dan langit cerah sekali. Hmm... ternyata di Adelaide ada pawang hujan juga ya.. ^_^. 

At first for this event, I had planned to wear my batik dress but, the weather made me change my mind. Finally, I choose to wear a beautiful sarong (a gift from my best friend, Ami) and a black long sleeved top while David couldn't wait to wear his new batik shirt that he bought in Bali.

Awalnya, saya merencanakan untuk mengenakan gaun batik untuk acara ini, tetapi hawa yang dingin membuat saya harus merubah rencana. Akhirnya saya mengenakan kain pemberian dari sahabat saya Ami dan dipadukan dengan kaos hitam tangan panjang. Sedangkan David mengenakan kemeja batik yang baru dia beli di Bali. 

The whole event was very interesting. There was a Gamelan orchestra performance from Gamelan Sekar Laras, Adelaide's community gamelan group dedicated to the teaching and performing of Indonesian music, dance and theatre. It formed in 1983 and is based at the Flinders University in its beautiful pendopo.
Acara-acaranya sangat menarik lho. Ada pementasan Gamelan dari Gamelan Sekar Laras, perkumpulan seni musik, tari dan teater tradisional di Adelaide. Perkumpulan ini dibentuk pada tahun 1983, berlokasi di pendopo Flinders University. 

There was Tari Payung (the Umbrella dance) performed by Alfira O'Sullivan and Mor Murtala from Suara Indonesia Dancer, who are based in Sydney. 
Ada juga tari Payung yang dibawakan oleh  Alfira O'Sullivan dan Mor Murtala dari Suara Indonesia Dancer, Sydney. 

Ms. O'Sullivan also performed Sundanese Jaipongan dance. 
Ms. O'Sullivan juga membawakan tari Jaipong. 

Followed by Mr. Mor who lead Mass Acehnese Dance. 
Dilanjutkan dengan Tari Saman, tarian tradisional dari Aceh yang dipimpin oleh Mr. Mor. 

This year, we had special guests all the way from North Sulawesi who presented several dances and songs. 

Tahun ini ada tamu special dari Sulawesi Utara yang membawakan beberapa lagu dan tarian. 

There were also a parade of traditional wedding costumes from several provinces in Indonesia. 

Ada juga parade baju pengantin tradisional dari beberapa provinsi di Indonesia. 

There was also cooking demonstrations, games for kids, a performance by Sheila on 7 and so much more. However the most interesting part was the many Indonesian food stalls that sold a variety of food from all over Indonesia and that made it so difficult for me to decide what I wanted. I wished I could have eaten from them all. 
Selain itu ada juga demo masak, lomba-lomba untuk anak-anak, pertunjukan band Sheila on 7 dan lain-lain. Namun yang paling menarik minat saya adalah banyaknya stand makanan Indonesia yang membuat saya sulit memilih karena saya ingin mencoba semuanya.

There were also some information and arts and crafts stalls.
Ada juga stand-stand bagi yang memerlukan informasi dan stand kerajinan tangan.  

I was so glad when we met our neighbors Michael and Jody and their friends. Apparently all of them love Indonesia, Indonesian food and they love to visit Bali. I also met Arry, my friend's brother who has lived in Adelaide for a few years. It was also so sweet to meet somebody we know in a function like this. 

Saya senang sekali waktu bertemu dengan tetangga kami, Michael and Jody bersama teman-teman mereka. Ternyata mereka menyukai masakan Indonesia dan pernah mengunjungi Bali beberapa kali. Selain itu saya juga bertemu dengan Arry dan istrinya. Arry adalah adik teman saya di Bandung yang telah beberapa tahun tinggal di Adelaide. 

The event ran until 4pm, but as David promised to take Patricia's mom to Melba's Chocolate Factory be for she returned to Venezuela, we left before "the party" was over. However, we will be back again next year. 

Sebenarnya acara berlangsung sampai jam 4 sore tetapi karena David telah berjanji untuk mengajak mamanya Patricia ke Melba's Chocolate Factory sebelum beliau kembali ke Venezuela, kami meninggalkan acara sebelum selesai. Yang jelas, kami akan kembali tahun depan. 

Bali Holiday March 2011

From 23th until 30th of March 2011, David, Bertie and myself visited Bali. We stayed at Melasti Bungalow in Kuta, a very convenient area which is close to a lot of restaurants and also to the Discovery Mall. Since this was the first time that David's father visited Indonesia, we really hoped he would have a good time during our holiday together. 

As we arrived early Wednesday afternoon, we spent the rest of the day relaxing at the swimming pool and in the evening, we walked to the Discovery mall and had our dinner. 

On Thursday, we went to Denpasar. David wanted to show his Dad Pasar Badung which is the biggest market in Denpasar. This market has 4 floors which sell a range of goods, such as fruit, vegetables, fish and meat on the first floor while the other floors trade in clothes, goods for ritual offerings and ceremonies, arts and crafts. 

For lunch, we headed to Warung Bendega, one of my favorite restaurants when I stayed in Bali 10 years ago. Apparently this restaurant is number 16 of the 24 things you should do in Denpasar according to Lonely Planet. 

After lunch, we did some shopping at Erlangga and Khrisna warehouses where we bought some souvenirs for all of our family and friends. Then we continued our trip to Tanah Lot, which is famous for the Sunset Temple. Located 20km from Denpasar, the temple sits on a large offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide.

For dinner, we choose Jimbaran, a favorite place for every tourist who comes to Bali. Located just south of Ngurah Rai International Airport, Jimbaran is the beach that is cluttered with seafood restaurants. 

Friday we headed to north of Bali. Our first stop was Taman Ayun which literally translated means "beautiful garden' and is generally regarded as one of the most attractive temples in Bali. Built in 1634, this temple is situated in a beautiful park with trees and ponds, near the village of Mengwi in the south of Bali at about 8 km southwest of Ubud and 18 km northwest of Denpasar. 

Can you imagine sitting on your own balcony on the slope of Pacung valley, facing the natural beauty of terraced rice fields covering the valley and the mountains as a backdrop? Unfortunately, we didn't have the chance to stay at the Saranam Hotel which can give you a feeling of escaping from the pressures of everyday life and just relax, explore and enjoy the cool air, however we did stop here to enjoy our lunch and take a ride on their extraordinary lift down to the hotel suite area. 

After lunch, our next destination was Ulun Danu Temple at Beratan Lake, This temple is one of the favorite tourist destinations located in the plateau area of Bedugul which is famous for it's cool temperatures.

Saturday, we visited my friend Alle and her family who live in Candi Dasa. Her house has a beatiful view of new cruise ship harbour. Alle prepared gado-gado and pepes ikan (fish steam in banana leaf) for our lunch and then they welcomed us to enjoy their big swimming pool.


Located at Candi Dasa, there is Tenganan village which is the most famous Bali Aga village. When in 14th century Bali finally subjugated by the powerful Javanese kings, some villages refused to adopt the religious and social customs of the Javanese. These people are known as the Bali Aga, which means "original Balinese". Their villages remained isolated and thus became a culturally distinct minority.

From Tenganan, Frank, Alle's husband took us to his other block of land up on the mountain. The view is really fantansic but the road was very bad and steep! It made us pray all the way to the top and back down again.
 

 
On the way back to Alle's home, we stopped at the harbour. This new cruise ship facility near Padangbai, is nearing completion, and is set to welcome the arrival of cruise ships from around the region.
 

 
On Sunday, we decided to take a break and enjoyed Kuta area. In the morning, I walked with Bertie to Kuta beach while David stayed at the hotel and enjoyed the TV. It was very disappointing to see Kuta beach so dirty, it was like they just hit by a tsunami. There were some people picking up the rubbish, but without proper a vehicle, I believe it will take a very long time to clean it.  
 

 
In the afternoon, we visited the monument at the site of the first Bali bombing.  A permanent memorial was built on the site of the destroyed Paddy's Pub on 12 October 2002. The memorial is made of intricately carved stone, set with a large marble plaque, which bears the names and nationalities of each of those killed. 

On Monday, we visited my old office in Renon - Denpasar and met my colleagues. Then Ibu Dewi treated us suckling pig at Bundaran Renon. After lunch we continued our journey to Nusa Dua area. Our first stop in this high class area was the Bali Collection Nusa Dua which is a smart shopping center catering to the needs of the resort tourists nearby. As well as a supermarket, department store and many shops, the Bali Collection also has a good choice of restaurants.

Our next destination was GWK Cultural Park, which according to David is a must visit tourist destination in Bali. GWK stands for Garuda Wisnu Kencana which means "bird Garuda Vehicle of Lord Vishnu", and was designed and built by Nyoman Nuarta, one of Indonesia’s foremost modern sculptors. The Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue and its pedestal building will stand 150 meters tall with its wings spanning 64 meters across.

The next day we went to monkey forest in Ubud. The Wenara Wana Monkey Forest Sanctuary, or as it's more commonly known, the Padangtegal Monkey Forest is home for more than 500 monkeys. Compared to another monkey forests, I like this one most because the monkeys here, are better behaved and don't try to steal your belongings. 

For lunch, David felt it hard to choose between suckling pig and crispy duck. After considering that he never tried the crispy duck, we went to Bebek Tepi Sawah restaurant.
Bebek Tepi Sawah literally means “Duck on the edge of Rice Paddy” which is an accurate description since the restaurant is placed right next to a rice paddy. We had lunch together with my friends Chichi and Jerry and their 2 children. 

As recommended by Chichi, after lunch we visited Goa Gajah or the Elephant Cave which built at least 700 years ago and is considered a significant Hindu archeological site. The cave was rediscovered in the 1920s and fully excavated 30 years later and is listed on the tentative Unesco World heritage site in 1995.

Tirta Empul Temple or Tampak Siring Temple is fed by holy spring water. Over 1000 years old, the temple and its two bathing pools have been used by the worshipers for good health and prosperity because of the spring water's curative powers. On the west side of this temple is an Indonesian Presidential palace which was founded by the first president and still used today.

We spent the last day of our holiday having lunch with my friend Eva at the Bali Deli restaurant. As our flight back to Adelaide was at 10pm, we spent the rest of the day window shopping at the Bali Galeria mall and had a relaxing spa at the Melasti. 

Well, this was a very happy holiday for us all. Unfortunately Bertie was not feeling well on the flight back and ended up spending 11 days in hospital with salmonella poisoning caused by something he ate while in Bali.