Seseorang bilang kalau 2025 adalah tahun transformatif. Kita akan diperlihatkan dengan begitu banyak hal dan diberikan kesempatan untuk meyakinkan diri apakah kita siap menerima semua itu. Kebetulan, tahun ini adalah tahun ular dan layaknya ular, kita berganti kulit. Apakah menjadi lebih cantik atau tidak, itu kita sendiri yang akan menentukan.
Menjelang akhir tahun ini, aku patah hati. Hubungan yang telah kubangun lama harus berakhir. Waktu kita muda, akhir sebuah hubungan terasa lebih mudah. Kita masih merasa punya banyak waktu dan kesempatan untuk memulai kembali. Namun, semakin dewasa, memulai kembali lebih terasa sebagai beban. Ini bukan melulu soal trauma dengan hubungan lama, tapi soal kita yang kini lebih mengenal diri sendiri, lebih memahami kebutuhan, keinginan, dan kekurangan diri. Sekarang kita, setidaknya aku, memiliki standar yang jelas tentang pasangan yang kuharapkan dan tentang apa yang ingin kudapatkan dalam sebuah hubungan.
Hubunganku yang kemarin, dalam banyak hal, penuh dengan cinta, kasih, pertumbuhan, dan dukungan. Namun, di satu sisi hubungan itu juga lebih sering terasa seperti arena perang yang terus menumbuhkan perasaan patah. Dan itu melelahkan. Apalagi ketika kamu sadar bahwa dalam seluruh prosesnya, kamu ternyata sering berjalan sendirian.
Ada potongan adegan di serial Friends yang beberapa waktu lalu sempat muncul di feed, yaitu ketika Ross memberikan Phoebe sepeda berwarna merah muda yang tak pernah Phoebe miliki waktu kecil. Momen itu begitu sederhana, tapi punya banyak makna dan terasa hangat. Tanpa ia sadari, Ross telah menyembuhkan dan memeluk inner child Phoebe. Ia bertindak, memberikan kasih yang begitu dalam melalui tindakan nyata. Dan untuk waktu yang lama, akhirnya ada sosok yang "melihat" Phoebe.
Itu yang aku inginkan dalam sebuah hubungan: dilihat, diakui, dan diapresiasi. Tak perlu besar-besaran, secukupnya, dan seporsinya saja.
Dalam hubunganku, aku sudah sangat berusaha mengomunikasikannya dengan jelas dan sehat, tapi sepertinya aku kurang beruntung atau mungkin kurang pandai mengungkapkannya. Ada rasa sakit yang dalam di situ. Rasa ketika seseorang yang seharusnya paling dekat denganku, yang seharusnya paling paham caraku bicara, diam, dan bertahan, justru tidak melihatku. Ia tidak melihat kebutuhanku, lelahku, dan upayaku yang diam-diam menguras seluruh energi. Itu makin menyakitkan karena di tengah semua itu, ada orang asing yang bisa membuatku merasa "terlihat". Dari situ aku makin jatuh, mulai mempertanyakan nilai diri, apakah aku sudah terlalu lama berada di tempat yang tak lagi membalas atau menghargai keberadaanku, dan salahkah diriku telah menginginkan rasa "dilihat" itu?
Aku mulai dapat melihat bahwa hubungan ini timpang. Aku mulai sadar bahwa aku terus menyesuaikan diri, sementara dia tidak pernah mencoba mengenalku lebih dalam, setidaknya tindakannya tidak pernah menunjukkan kalau dia benar-benar ingin aku ada dalam hidupnya. Aku sudah memberikan contoh, menjelaskan keinginanku, memberikan kesempatan berulang-ulang, bahkan memberikan sebuah panduan lengkap tentang bagaimana cara mencintaiku. Sayangnya itu tidak dibaca. Dan pada akhirnya, aku terluka bukan karena dia tidak tahu, tapi karena dia tahu dan tetap memilih untuk tidak melakukan apa pun.
“Aku sudah mencintainya dengan benar. Kenapa hasilnya begini?”
Pada titik tertentu, kamu akan sampai pada kesadaran yang lebih jujur. Bahwa cinta saja tidak cukup kalau hanya kamu yang menyiram dan merawatnya. Nyatanya hubungan ini tidak tumbuh seperti yang kuharapkan. Meski berat, aku memilih pergi. Bukan karena aku menyerah, tapi karena pada akhirnya, mungkin untuk pertama kalinya, aku memilih diriku sendiri setelah begitu lama lupa bagaimana rasanya diperjuangkan.
Aku ingin percaya bahwa ini mungkin mengarahkanku untuk kembali melihat diri sendiri. Bahwa aku juga berhak dicintai, berhak dipahami tanpa harus mengemis dan memohon, berhak disayang serta diperhatikan oleh orang yang memilihku, dan berhak berada dalam sebuah hubungan di mana orang asing tak lebih mengenal diriku daripada pasanganku.
Suatu saat, aku tahu bahwa aku akan perlahan dapat mengembalikan potongan diriku yang hilang. Aku juga percaya bahwa aku akan dapat belajar mengasihi dan menyayangi diri sendiri. Setidaknya patah hati ini bisa membuatku tumbuh. Bukan dengan cara yang manis, tapi dengan cara yang benar.
Dan untukmu,
Kadang aku berharap kamu bisa merasakan sedikit pecahan hatiku. Karena jika kamu berpikir ini mudah bagiku, kamu salah. It’s not and it never was. Aku sudah bertahan lebih lama dari yang seharusnya. Menyimpan luka-luka kecil yang lama-lama jadi besar, berharap setiap hari kalau besok akan terasa berbeda. I kept telling myself to hold on, to try again, to be patient, to understand you. Aku terus memberi ruang, memberi kesempatan, bahkan ketika hatiku sendiri semakin menipis.
Yang paling menyakitkan adalah betapa aku benar-benar percaya pada kita. I believed in the soft parts, the good moments, the versions of us that maybe only existed in my head. Aku tetap tinggal meskipun suara hatiku pelan-pelan bilang “aku capek.” Aku tetap tinggal karena kupikir cinta memang harus bertahan. Karena kupikir kamu akan melihat aku suatu hari nanti. Karena kupikir kalau aku cukup sabar, cukup lembut, cukup memberi, kamu akhirnya akan mengerti bagaimana mencintaiku tanpa membuatku merasa sendirian. Tapi ternyata, bukan begitu.
The truth is: I’ve been hoping and hoping and hoping, clinging onto little things, tiny improvements, small promises, like they were enough to carry the whole story. Tapi lama-lama aku sadar, aku sedang memeluk harapan yang tidak lagi punya bentuk. I was trying to save something while losing myself in the process. Menunggu untuk dilihat, dimengerti, dihargai oleh seseorang yang seharusnya sudah mengenalku lebih dari siapa pun. You, the one I chose. You, the one I stayed for. You, the one I kept giving chances to. And that truth hurts in a way that’s quiet and sharp at the same time.
Pada titik tertentu, staying felt like slowly fading out of my own life. Loving you felt like breaking myself in small, invisible ways. And that’s a kind of pain I can’t carry anymore.
So no, none of this is easy. I’m just tired. I’m tired of hoping, tired of waiting, tired of explaining myself to someone who never really listened. And maybe the saddest part is that I had to choose between us… and myself. And choosing myself feels like both a relief and a heartbreak.
But this is where I am now. Letting go not because I stopped caring, but because caring has been hurting me for far too long.
Ada satu hal yang sebenarnya selalu kuharapkan ketika traveling sendirian, yaitu ketemu orang asing. Pada dasarnya aku sangat nyaman menghabiskan waktu dengan diriku sendiri, tapi ada momen-momen tertentu ketika kehadiran orang lain justru menjadi jeda lembut yang kubutuhkan.
Di Kawaguchiko, aku bertemu dengan pria Amerika yang menertawaiku ketika koinku menggelinding di tengah puluhan orang yang memotret kuil Arakura Fuji Sengen. Aku tertawa balik ke dia, lalu kita kenalan, ngobrol, lalu memutuskan untuk menghabiskan hari bersama. Kita makan siang bersama di sebuah kedai kecil tak jauh dari kuil. Ia bercerita bahwa ia berencana melamar pacarnya setelah pulang dari Jepang. Di suatu malam gerah di Bangkok, aku bertemu gadis Jerman yang menanyaiku arah ke sebuah Night Market. Karena tujuan kita ternyata sama, kita memutuskan untuk pergi bersama. Aku tak ingat detail setiap percakapannya, tapi aku ingat tawa kami, komentar-komentar kecil tentang uniknya Bangkok, tentang makanannya, lampunya, musik keras dari speaker rusak. Hal-hal sederhana yang terasa hangat.
Pernah juga aku bertemu dengan kakek-kakek Latino waktu jalan-jalan sendiri di Jardin, Kolombia. Awalnya aku hanya tanya arah, tapi beliau dengan baiknya menemaniku dan bahkan malah jadi tour guide-ku sepanjang hari. Waktu itu bahasa Spanyolku masih jelek dan aku hanya paham 20% yang dia omongin, tapi aku ingat raut wajahnya saat ia bercerita tentang sejarah Jardin. Wajahnya begitu antusias dan itu memberikanku perasaan aman karena ada seseorang yang tanpa pamrih menemani.
Bertemu dengan orang asing, dengan caranya sendiri, memberikan sebuah pengalaman yang unik. Rasa syukur, ketertarikan, dan keingintahuan melebur tanpa riwayat, tanpa ekspektasi, menciptakan hubungan kecil yang murni dan tulus, dan aku merindukan perasaan itu.
Jangan salah, hidupku baik-baik saja. Tidak ada masalah besar. Hanya saja, belakangan ini aku sering merasa kosong. Ada hal menumpuk dalam hati yang belum bisa kuungkapkan dengan baik. Aku mungkin takut menghadapinya atau sekadar takut kecewa. Dan untuk saat ini, aku lelah. Aku merindukan kehangatan yang tidak menuntut apa pun. Kehangatan yang membuatmu merasa diterima tanpa perlu menjelaskan siapa dirimu sebelumnya. Itulah kenapa aku kangen bertemu dengan orang asing.
Aku beruntung beberapa hari lalu aku sedikit merasakan kehangatan itu. Kali ini aku tidak sedang traveling, cuma scrolling di X. Salah satu mutualku, panggil saja Moody, sedang posting tentang pengalaman dry needling-nya. Aku perlu informasi itu karena kebetulan kakiku sedang cidera pascalari. Dia kirim DM dan memberitahuku detailnya. Lalu kita lanjut ngobrol, yang awalnya hanya bahas pengalaman dry needling dan proses pemulihan pascacidera, berlanjut ke zodiac, tentang sitcom dan film favorit, dan everything in between. Sebagai catatan, aku bukan orang yang memahami zodiac, bahkan cenderung tidak memercayainya. Apalah itu moon dan rising. lols. Tapi ngobrol bersama dia ini terasa begitu natural, tanpa ada paksaan. Dia juga sopan dan baik, tidak memaksaku untuk sepenuhnya percaya zodiac. Everything just flowed dan dia tiba-tiba memulai obrolan bahwa dia sedang mengalami mental paralysis. Itu membuka ruang yang lebih dalam. Ruang yang biasanya butuh waktu lama untuk dibangun, tapi entah kenapa mudah terbentuk dengannya.
Ada rasa aman dan kenyamanan di situ. Something clicks. A shared laugh, a similar view on something obscure, a mutual understanding in a glance. Tanpa sadar, dari obrolan singkat itu, aku merasa sudah mengenalnya cukup lama. Dunia terasa sedikit melunak dan suara bising di kepalaku ikut mereda. Rapuh dan sederhana bersama. Tidak ada tekanan untuk saling menonjol atau tampil memukau. Cukup dengan kejujuran.
Dari obrolan itu pula, aku bisa menyadari bahwa aku sedang merindukan kehangatan seperti itu. Kehangatan yang mungkin hanya akan kita dapatkan dengan orang asing seperti si Moody atau kakek Latino di Jardin. Dia bahkan tidak tahu bahwa obrolan singkat bersamanya itu adalah satu-satunya hal terbaik yang terjadi dalam hidupku dalam beberapa minggu belakangan ini.
Aku sadar mungkin aku tidak akan bertemu dengannya. Tentu saja aku ingin mengenalnya atau setidaknya berteman dengannya. Tapi untuk saat ini, kebaikannya yang singkat ini saja sudah cukup. There's this gentle longing, but something in you has been touched. That warmth lingers long after in the way you smile to yourself later, or the way you suddenly feel lighter about life. Karena kadang, kita tak perlu riwayat hubungan panjang atau a lifetime bond untuk membuat kita merasa dilihat dan dianggap. Kadang, kita hanya perlu percakapan singkat dengan orang asing, yang somehow, for a brief moment, felt like home.
I write this as a reminder that I value human connection more than anything. It's deeply human, dan kita sering kali melupakan bagian itu. Terlalu sibuk menavigasi dan bertahan dari lucunya sirkus yang kita sebut kehidupan ini. Pada akhirnya, kita tidak akan mengingat pencapaian materialistis kita, tapi justru momen-momen kecil yang sering luput, yang baru terasa berharganya ketika kita berhenti sejenak dan membiarkan diri menerima hidup apa adanya. Terima kasih untukmu, yang sudah mengingatkanku bahwa dunia masih punya sudut-sudut lembut.
From my personal experience, yes, but once is enough.
The light is blinding, the crowd is vibrant, but at what cost?
This trip was unplanned. My company at that time decided to have some sort of off-site meeting to gather everyone in NYC. So there I was, 30+ hours later, caught in NYC traffic. I arrived in the afternoon and went straight to my hotel, which is just a 2-minute walk from the famous Times Square. The first thing I noticed was the crowd. The number of people who flocked to one place was just too much to handle. I was jetlagged and not looking forward to being swamped. But at the same time, I was excited because it was a new destination yet to be explored. It's NYC after all. You watch, you dream, you hear about it all the time. I thought, "It's almost time for dinner, why not just go out a bit for a stroll?"
I wanted something comforting, and ramen was on top of my mind. On my walk to the restaurant, I noticed there were literally all kinds of people. It's like a whole planet walks past you. Wide-eyed tourists, street performers, locals on a mission, hustlers, office crowd, wanderers, and anxious travelers like me. I feel like every block is really competing on showing which one has the best human theater. Then there's this layer of smells. Let's start from the good ones, like hot pretzels, roasted nuts, sweet burnt sugar, and that sharp, salty, and fresh pizza smell. Then there's the garbage bags, mystery juice leaking onto the curb, and street smoke. Then there's weed and fried dough, weed and perfume, weed and rain, like the city’s decided to wear it as cologne. Thick and funky.
My ramen was everything I hoped for. It was breezy and chill outside, and a little drop of that deep and milky richness of the soup really calmed my anxiety and prepared me for my walk back.
Times Square at night is an assault on the senses and your nerves. The neon lights dazzle the eyes, but they also make it hard to focus. The crowd is dense and chaotic, and navigating my way through it was a real challenge. Every step feels like a calculation. Who’s distracted? Who might bump into you intentionally? Who’s holding something they shouldn’t? It's loud and the sound cuts like a knife: taxi horns, subway rumbles, shouted conversations, arguments, and the strum of a street musician’s guitar. I felt like every 10 minutes, you'll hear siren wails. To top it all off, the constant fear of violence lurks at the edges of consciousness. Every sudden movement, every quick glance, every shadow is processed by your mind as a potential threat. Your body tenses in anticipation of something, anything, going wrong. Tokyo's crowd is dense and overwhelmingly gives you nausea, but at least you don't feel the fear. You feel secure. While NYC, unfortunately, does not have that.
Is it pretty, though? Yes. It's exactly how you see it in the media. It's alive, but it isn't worth the mental exhaustion: the constant scanning, calculating, second-guessing. Being there is not just witnessing New York, it’s surviving it, even if only for an evening. I went back to my hotel after that. I took a long, hot shower and went straight to bed. I stayed for more than a week, and saw more of the city, like Brooklyn is pretty, and I like it there (more on that later). But even after a week and seeing more, I still think NYC is too much. It's unforgettable but also exhausting. One visit is enough to experience its extremes, because once you’ve felt the lights, the noise, the smells, the adrenaline, and the constant underlying tension, it imprints on you: you don’t need to go back to know what it’s like.
El Cumple with 500m Jeepney Ride and Budots Dance Break
My first travel post in years? Wow, where should I begin?
There are many fun and interesting stories to begin with, but today I want to write about my trip to the Philippines: A trip that gave me Jollibee breakfasts, eerie shipwrecks, and budots dance breaks I never saw coming.
Jollibee was the only thing open at the airport
Many people have been saying that Manila is Jakarta 2.0, and I get it, but I must say Jakarta's airport is way better. I landed super early in the morning at Terminal 1. Immigration was smooth, but I was hungry and needed some coffee. I asked around, and the only thing available and open was Jollibee. "Ok, maybe let's move to other terminals and see if they have more options", I thought. But nope, you can't move around among terminals without a valid flight ticket, and the only way to get to other terminals is by using a taxi or public bus.
I flew with PAL, and I decided to just hop on their free shuttle to Terminal 2 (I had a connecting flight to Coron in T2) and see what I could find there. T2 does have more options, though it was also very limited to small kiosks and Jollibee. Many of them don't accept cards, so cash was the only option. Better than nothing, but note to self: always carry pesos.
Was I in Latin America?
I arrived in Coron around 4 p.m. local time. I had a pick-up arranged since it seemed like it was the most convenient way after hours of traveling and lack of sleep. I arrived safely at my humble guesthouse and went straight to check out the town for a quick meal before hitting the sack, because for the next 2 days I have some boat tours arranged.
They say that the Philippines is the Latin America of Asia, and I can see the resemblance. Everything about the infrastructure, the language, the people, and the layout of the city seems like un pueblo in Mexico or Colombia, with a dash of Southeast Asian vibe. It’s a quirky mix of rustic charm and backpacker buzz, where tricycles double as taxis and locals can point you to both the best grilled squid and not-so-hidden hot springs.
Coron boat tours
I did two boat tours in Coron. On the first day, I went to see some fish condos made from Japanese shipwrecks from WW2 and a beautiful spread of coral garden. The one with the shipwrecks is a good spot for a dive, if you're good at it. If you're not a good swimmer, like me, you can just snorkel above it. You'll see the outlines of these giants beneath you, a little eerie in a way, but definitely a good experience. The coral garden was the highlight for me. The tour boat will drop you off at a point, and you have to swim to another point where they'll pick you up. Snorkeling here was like watching a neighborhood in a rainbow city. Great visibility and so much to see. We then had lunch served by the boat crew on an island (I forgot the name) and spent some quiet and relaxing time. Some locals play budots, and I couldn't help but dance to those addictive tunes before heading back to the city.
The other tour we took was the "Ultimate Island Tour" or something (I always mix tour's name). Everyone does this tour, so do expect a bunch of people waiting in line for a photo in the most Instagrammable spots. I mean, it's the all-star lineup: The Kayangan Lake, Twin Lagoon, and some other popular spots. Kayangan Lake is definitely a great place for a dip. It's absolutely refreshing after the quick hike to get there. I believe Twin Lagoon is where you can experience a mix of cool saltwater from the sea and warm freshwater from underground springs. It doesn't offer much of a snorkeling experience, but the jagged limestone cliffs shoot straight out of glassy turquoise water, and the sunset paints the whole place gold and pink, was more than enough to conclude the day.
Happy hour for 100K IDR? Yes, please!
I planned to celebrate my cumpleaños in El Nido, but the weather had other plans. Boats hadn’t sailed for days. I was advised to check directly with the boat providers, but they also couldn't give me answers because they were also waiting for a green light from the authorities. They suggested I book a slot just in case the boats depart tomorrow and asked me to come back at 3.30 a.m. because that's when they'll hear from the authorities. The next day, I booked a tricycle at 3.30 in the morning, went to the boat's counter, and waited uncertainly with many other sleepy and anxious travelers. Thankfully, the boats finally got the green light.
Six hours later, I made it to El Nido in one piece. And What a View!! I'm talking about the towering limestone cliffs (or islands), lush greenery, and a shape that almost looks like a giant reclining guard watching over the bay. It was scorching hot. The port was busy with people picking up guests and taxi drivers offering a ride to the town. The town was tiny but packed, like a mashup of the Gilis and Bali, street vendors selling balut and shops pushing knock-off bags.
That night, I treated myself to cocktails and dinner with an island view. It was my birthday, after all, so cheers to me.
The next day’s island-hopping was postcard-perfect, though less organized than Coron. The underwater view wasn’t impressive, but kayaking through turquoise lagoons was still worth it. By sunset, I was three mai tais deep (one was my friend’s leftovers). I wish I could stay longer to explore more of the area. Oh well, another excuse to come back, right?
Jakarta's Older Sister, Manila.
Manila was hot, humid, and hazy. This city shares way too many similarities with her little sister, Jakarta. Broken speakers blaring, road rage everywhere, humidity that drains your soul.
Intramuros was a lovely neighborhood to explore. I had Taho, the warm, silky dessert made from silken tofu, a sweet syrup, and chewy sago pearls, for breakfast, which was a total delight. A dear friend, Shen, took me around before leaving for Binondo, the Chinatown. But we couldn't leave Intramuros without seeing the famous cat, Papa Tiago, at Papakape, Fort Santiago.
"Don't go around with a Jeepney in Manila. It's not safe," is what everyone says, but I was very much keen to experience it myself. Shen was kind enough to take me for a 2-minute Jeepney ride. I had the premium seat next to the driver and Shen was sitting all the way back. For obvious reasons, the driver asked for money in Tagalog. He nudged me. I didn't know what to do and just waited for Shen to pass me the money from the way back. It was literally just 500 meters away. Totally worth it.
Binondo was pure chaos. Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds that gave me anxiety. We escaped to a mall for food and AC before heading home.
It was Sunday, and it was my last day. Another friend, J, wanted to hang out for lunch before my flight in this restaurant-packed park in Makati. She introduced me to many local dishes, which were 10 out of 10. Filipino foods are very similar to Indonesian foods in so many ways, like the use of peanut sauce, tropical ingredients, and meat, but they don't use as many herbs and spices compared to Indonesians. It's more of a sweet and savory combination, rather than a full, intense spice and herbs experience.
My heart was full when I left the Philippines. Great people, good food, beautiful nature, chaotically chill, and will never forget that time in Coron where I dropped my ice cream because I was busy dancing to some budots.
Funemployment: Being Unemployed Is Actually Kinda Fun
I am unemployed. Well, I'm technically freelancing now, but I am no longer part of the soul sucking corporate world.
Oh, where do I begin? I started my last job during COVID, and I was still living in Bali. The main reason I accepted the job was that I was promised to be relocated to Singapore (That's what the job post says anyway) when everything is back to normal. But it never happened. They tricked me into moving to Jakarta on my own expense, they only increased my salary once (and I had to beg for it), and they came up with an endless stream of excuses about why they weren't able to relocate me. On top of all that, the dynamic of my team changed so much that it became toxic.
My direct manager was supportive. We speak the same work language, but the issue is that he doesn't have much power. His manager, who is the head of the department, was a real pain in the ass. She completely lacks self-awareness and never addresses work conflicts. She is in denial about the team's morale decline and thinks that we should never share feedback with others because feedback is a criticism. Someone so painfully indirect and lacking accountability, who unreasonably favors the "yes man" and would never take a no for an answer. Every day was gaslighting wrapped in fake smiles that honestly scream of her lack of personal development, emotional intelligence, or any real grasp of leadership or empathy.
I was the top performer globally, and yet on my last performance review, I was considered not meeting the target. So when HR surprisingly reached out and gave me the option to quit with a severance package, I took it.
I was scared when I left the company with no job in my pocket. But I was also relieved and happy that I didn't have to deal with the toxic environment. I booked a flight right away to Bali and spent a solid, relaxing, and expensive week: think overpriced latte, constant happy hour, mouth-watering foods, day drinking, a lavish high tea, and shopping. I was so immersed, I really didn't think of the trip expense and just splurged my money on the experience. I also got to see some of my good friends, and that's priceless. I went to the Gilis after Bali. Stayed in a resort, cycled the whole island, and went to Koeta and Mataram too before flying back to Jakarta. It was everything that I needed, and I felt like I deserved that after all.
That trip marked the start of my post-corporate chapter (officially), and I still don't have a full-time job. I managed to establish myself as a freelance translator, and I'm enjoying it. It's new. I definitely need time to adjust, but the pay is good, the job is mostly easy, and it's pretty flexible too. It's not as stable as a full-time job, but hey, what is stable? Honestly, what is it? In this economy, everything is uncertain. You could dedicate your whole life to a role in a major company, but next thing you know, you get fired.
I call it funemployment, which is just unemployment, but with better cocktails and no corporate Slack messages at 11 p.m. I wake up every day without that annoying alarm sound. I can take as long as I want to stay in bed with no pressure and have my breakfast after that. I'd usually hit the gym, then by the time I go home, it's almost lunchtime. I'd take a shower, lounge, and read my book (been into historical fiction lately). By the time I finish my lunch, it's usually after midday, and that's when I usually start working, if at all. Sometimes I'd just stay at home, and sometimes I'd go on my hunt to find a good cafe. With no such high pressure, I'd sometimes go somewhere and just explore, or take a dip in the pool. Oh, the joy of taking a nap without guilt, and doing weekday activities while everyone else is stuck in meetings. Funemployment tastes like overpriced croissants you eat slowly while pretending you have a personal photographer following you around.
There's this one quote from an Indonesian novel that resonates with me.
"Hanya jadi manusia bebas. Pemecatan ini akan aku anggap sebagai karunia"
It translates to "I just wanna be a free human being. This dismissal is a gift". In a way, I felt like it was meant to happen. I was not happy with my job, and I kept telling my friends that I'd rather get laid off and get the severance check. Do you know my instant reaction when HR offered me the package? I smiled. Big time. I was so happy for some reason and was laughing when I told my friends about it. It was something that I celebrated.
I am grateful that I took the leap, for realizing that a job is just a job. I am grateful knowing that my boss had to manipulate my performance to just get rid of me, which speaks so much about her and shows how sad her life is. I am forever grateful that I am one step closer to the kind of life I manifested. This life.
I've been considering writing again for the longest time. So much has happened. I haven't had a proper, good-quality sleep in a while, and I feel like everywhere I go, signs have been nudging me to journal.
I've been reading more these days, and I'm so happy with my progress. The more I read, the more opinions and thoughts I form. And rather than keeping all that in my tiny goldfish brain, I might as well write it here and share my takes on what's around, maybe both in English and Indonesian.
More Indonesians, especially those who don't have access to books, knowledge, and more, could benefit from my post, I guess? (Will the read through, or should I just make TikTok? - Oh, my INTJ's brain.) This was mainly inspired by an Indonesian literacy classic, Anak Semua Bangsa by Pram, on the importance of reaching the common folks, those underprivileged, and a way for me to pour everything out.
The plan is to write about my personal experience, my current emotional state, relationship challenges, and just general stuff that maybe you don't get from other blogs or posts. Will I change my mind? Maybe. Will I change the topics I want to write about? Pretty much, yeah. But this time, I'll try my best to write consistently. It's always been there, the passion; it's just that I always had too many excuses before.
So enjoy what I'm gonna write in the coming weeks.
The one with crocodile meat and deep-fried tarantula
I’ve always wanted to travel alone for my birthday, and I decided to make that happen when I turned 25. I chose to visit Thailand and Cambodia since both are extremely exotic, diverse, and have some delicacies that I’m super excited to try. Besides, an exotic guy needs exotic destinations. *wink wink
Chatuchak Night Market
The plan in Thailand is to explore nothing but food. I asked the hostel receptionist about their famous night markets, and she directed me to Chatuchak weekend market. I had a yummy bowl of Tom Yum Goong, followed by mango salad, seafood, bugs, and scorpion skewer (I’m not kidding). I didn’t normally eat that much to the point I was bloated, but you gotta do it when you’re in Bangkok, right?
The next day, I went to the Train Night Market and made friends with a German girl who thought I was a local. We both then explored the market, bought some stuff, and tried some crocodile meat. It tasted like pork, but just more chewy. We ended up eating seafood - like the one in Chatuchak was not enough - and mango sticky rice while trying to understand Thai songs they played out loud on broken speakers.
Scorpions at Train Night Market
I managed to see some old friends in Bangkok and they took me to Ayutthaya, a historical city located north of Bangkok. Ayutthaya is such a bae and everything about it very much feeds my old soul. This archaeological gem features ruins from the Siamese kingdoms and its cultural value attracts travelers to do a day trip from Bangkok. We visited some temples and I personally was blown away by the beautiful ruins and the rich history behind them. The most popular attractions include Wat Phra Mahathat, a large stone Buddha head set in a colossal and deep-rooted tree. We finished the trip with another Thai food galore in a restaurant overlooking the Ayutthaya River.
The stone Buddha head set in a deep-rooted tree in Ayutthaya
Before flying to Cambodia, I explored the city a bit more. I went to Wat Arun and the Grand Palace only to find that those places were swamped by tourists. You know that “A huge wave of zombies is approaching” phrase from the Plants vs Zombies game? That’s exactly how I felt about the whole situation. I just didn’t feel like getting squeezed by the crowd, so I decided to just walk around and ended up at a cute coffee shop.
CAMBODIA
I landed in Siem Reap in the middle of the day and my friend, Syiqin, picked me up with our personal tuk tuk driver. We stayed at this up-and-coming hostel, which was only a 5-minute walk from the lively Pub Street.
Pub street is where all the fun at. From cheap Cambodian snack stalls and fancy restaurants to clubs blasting reggaeton and local selling extraordinary Khmer delicacies. A few minutes walk from the street was this little restaurant called Bug Cafe, where you could taste various cooked bugs, including tarantula - next level exotic. Though you can find these roadside on carts and at street food markets, for something this unappetizing, I opted to visit a proper restaurant to try it.
Pub Street
I ordered their small platter, which consisted of bug salad, bug skewers, fried tarantula, fried silkworms, and ant spring rolls. The spring rolls barely tasted like ants, the skewers were just alright and tasted like, well, bugs. The silk worms were disgusting, but the tarantula indeed tasted slightly better than the others. It was probably the dough because the tarantula itself tasted rather bland. A few people had mentioned that it really looked and tasted remarkably like soft shell crab. When you tear off a leg, you’ll notice a flaky, whitish meat inside, which is very similar to crab, but the taste is nothing like it, at least for me.
I didn’t finish all of them, but it was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Did I regret spending 15 bucks for a small platter of bugs? Nope! I didn’t plan to do it again anyway, so it was totally worth it.
We explored Angkor Wat the next day and managed to catch the sunrise. We had to leave at 4 in the morning and queue for the ticket. At 4 in the morning! As if I didn’t stress that enough, they had to take our pictures for the ticket.
Angkor Wat is massive and we’re told to spend 3 days to actually explore the whole area at a reasonable pace. Since we didn’t have much time and were also on a budget, we squeezed the 3-day adventure into just a day; needless to say, we couldn’t really feel our legs after hours of walking and hiking under the intense heat and humid air of Cambodia.
Sunrise at Angkor Wat
I’ve got a pleasant surprise when we’re just walking around the Bayon temple. I bumped into this guy, whom I met in Colombia back in 2016 when we were Spanish course students. We didn’t really talk to each other during the program, but we just kinda knew each other. It took me a while to recognize him, and he was also giving me “man, I know you, but who are you” kinda look. We both later greeted each other and talked for a moment.
The last temple we visited was Ta Prohm, which was featured in Tomb Raider. I took some pictures of the trees that overgrew and covered the temple. I didn’t stay long because it was packed with lots of tourists and I was just too tired from all the hiking. We went back to our hotel and took a well-deserved nap and later went to Pub Street for dinner and shopping.
My heart was full when I left Cambodia. Though I live in a country that has Borobudur, I really don’t think that there is another country in the world with the ancient temples as amazing as Angkor Wat. Plus, I found the people here are extremely nice and genuine. It’s not as cheap as I thought, probably because of the imposition of the dollar, but still affordable, and I definitely recommend that you visit the beautiful country.
I never thought that one day I would jump on a plane and fly myself to the Amazon, yet there I was, somewhere inside the enormous rain forest, and I sprayed myself with 3-layered insect repellents. The Amazon trip occurred after a friend informed me that there was a remarkably affordable flight from Bogota to Leticia, the capital of the Amazonas department in Colombia. A return ticket only cost around COP 160.000, and who didn’t want that?
Oh, hello there, swollen ankle
There were five of us and we decided to see each other in Bogota. I took an overnight bus on my way to Bogota. It was 3.00 A.M when I woke up and realized that there was nobody else inside the bus. I took my bags and walked down from the bus half awake, and that’s when I injured my ankle.
I met my friends shortly after the accident and then headed to the airport.
Welcome to Leticia
The Amazon River seen from the plane
The flight took us two hours. On a clear day, you could see the Amazon River’s shape, which is like a giant snake. We later landed in Leticia, and the insane level of humidity was the very first thing we noticed. We grabbed a mototaxi to take us around the city.
Leticia’s main plaza is pretty much the same as those in other Colombian pueblos. There’s always a church and a park facing each other. There is a tower at the church where you can climb and enjoy the sunset. As for the park, there are hundreds of birds perched and chirping on the trees. They might sound cute, but you gotta be careful because they poop everywhere, and I happened to get one of those.
I’m holding a freaking SLOTH!
Love at first sight
Second day: we took a full-day tour package from our hostel, which cost COP 90.000 and covered round-trip trips, a Spanish-speaking guide, lunch, and entrance to some attractions.
Our first stop was Puerto Alegria, a small Peruvian village located exactly next to the Amazon River and Colombia right across it. We managed to see beautiful animals, from birds, turtles, and an anaconda. But among all of them, my heart fell in love with a Sloth. It’s exciting that you could finally see the animal and actually hold it because, well, it’s a freaking Sloth! Also, we both enjoy sleeping, and we’re cute too.
There were also some tiendas selling local arts and crafts. A stoned piranha caught my attention among all of the very quirky crafts.
La Isla de Los Micos
Tourists took a picture with a local tribe
After a few minutes boat ride later, we reached our second destination, which was the Island of the Mico (La Isla de Los Micos), a natural reserve for hundreds of Micos. We were later welcomed by hundreds of Micos, and they just casually jumped on people. They appeared to be very familiar with people and were very friendly. If you wanted to get their attention, bring some snacks, and they will besiege you. Armed. And with full force. Ok, maybe not armed.
The reserve sold local quirky crafts as well. There were also locals dressed up in their traditional outfits so tourists could take pictures with them. They also sold some traditional medicines from Amazonian plants and herbs.
Eating The Biggest Freshwater Fish in the World
The best Amazonian soup
It was already after midday, and we were starving when our boat stopped at our next destination. There was a small dock and a long wooden bridge that connected the river and the main building. Apparently, we stopped at the restaurant that was located somewhere in the middle of the jungle. Who would eat here?
The main menu that we had that day was Pirarucu soup. FYI, Pirarucu is the biggest freshwater fish in the world, and it can only be found in the Amazon River. Surprisingly, the soup was tasty. The meat was soft and well-cooked with the ingredients. I’d have more bowls if it weren’t limited.
We docked in a pueblo called Puerto Nariño at the end of the tour. The tour would normally take you around the pueblo, then take you back to Leticia. But we decided to stay in Puerto Nariño for a few days instead..
There are still many things that happened during the trip, from seeing a real-life pink dolphin to eating a crazy Amazonian dish, and more on that later!
Berendam di Natural Jacuzzi dan Hampir Terjebak Badai
Jadi, cerita ini bermula ketika aku dan beberapa teman memutuskan untuk backpacking ke Las Gachas di distrik Santander. Las gachas ini semacam sungai dangkal memanjang berwarna merah dan memiliki lubang alami. Lubang tersebut kemudian dialiri air sehingga menjadikannya seperti jacuzzi. Meski tidak sepopuler Barichara, popularitas Las Gachas kini pelan-pelan mulai meningkat.
Mabuk Darat Karena Jalan yang Berliku
Perjalanan dimulai dari Bucaramanga, kota terbesar sekaligus ibukota Santander. Ada beberapa opsi untuk berkunjung ke Las Gachas. Kamu bisa naik bus jurusan Bucaramanga-Oiba lalu dilanjutkan ke Guadalupe, tempat Las gachas berada, atau kamu juga bisa berangkat dari San Gil seperti kami.
Kami sengaja lewat San Gil karena ingin mampir ke kota kecil ini. Selain itu, pemandangan yang disuguhkan selama perjalanan ke San Gil juga memesona. Sayangnya aku tidak sempat mengambil banyak foto karena sibuk menahan mual akibat jalan yang naik turun ditambah kelokan tajam yang tak kunjung selesai. Untungnya ada mareol, obat mabuk kendaraan paling mujarab yang pernah ada. Harganya hanya sekitar 500 peso per butir dan bisa dibeli di mana saja.
Hanya Ada Satu Transportasi ke Guadalupe
San Gil
Sampai di San Gil, kami baru tahu bahwa ternyata hanya ada satu perusahaan yang menyediakan transportasi ke Guadalupe dan hanya beroperasi sekali sehari. Akhirnya kami memutuskan untuk menginap di San Gil dan melanjutkan perjalanan keesokan harinya.
Tiket dari San Gil ke Oiba dibandrol 18.000 peso dengan lama perjalanan kurang lebih 3 jam. Transportasi dari Oiba ke Guadalupe juga hanya ada satu, yaitu naik camioneta, semacam mobil bak terbuka yang ditutup dengan terpal. Sebelum berangkat, ada baiknya bertanya dulu kepada orang-orang di Oiba jam berapa camioneta selesai beroperasi kalau tidak ingin terjebak di sana. Guadalupe termasuk kota yang cukup terpencil, karena harus naik bukit dulu untuk menuju ke sana. Jalannya pun hanya sebagian yang beraspal, sisanya masih tanah.
Gagal Berendam di Natural Jacuzzi secara Private
Pemandangan OTW ke las gachas
Tiba di Guadalupe, kami harus jalan kaki sekitar 45 menit untuk sampai di Las Gachas. Cuacanya cukup cerah waktu itu, dan selama perjalanan kita benar-benar disuguhi pemandangan bukit dan lembah yang begitu indah termasuk keindahan pegunungan Andes. Kemudian sampailah kami di Las Gachas, and you know? Tempatnya ramai banget!
Bien Relajaaa
Bayangan untuk menikmati natural jacuzzi hanya bersama teman-teman dekat pun ambyar. Ya sudahlah ya, kami masih tetap bisa menikmati Las Gachas kok! Terlebih juga karena tempatnya bersih dari sampah meskipun banyak wisatawan. Mereka rata-rata menikmati bir dan makanan ringan sambil berendam. Ada pula wisatawan yang bakar-bakar jagung atau sosis.
Diselamatkan oleh Keluarga Lokal
Jujur kami tidak ingin mentas dari sana saking enaknya berendam sambil minum dan ngobrol dengan teman. Hingga pada akhirnya kami pun lupa waktu dan kesorean. Kami lalu bergegas untuk kembali ke Guadalupe karena takut kalau tidak ada camioneta lagi. Tiba-tiba, langit mendadak berubah gelap dan tes, tes tes!. Hujan! Tidak cukup sampai di situ, ternyata semua camioneta yang ke Oiba sudah tidak ada. Terus kami ini bagaimana pulangnya? Kami makin panik karena cuaca tambah buruk, angin mulai kencang disertai petir yang keras. Akhirnya kami berhasil ngobrol dengan rombongan keluarga yang mau mengantar kami kembali ke Oiba. KITA SELAMAT.
Mereka adalah keluarga lokal yang kebetulan juga berlibur ke Las Gachas. Mereka membawa dua mobil dan mobil satunya akhirnya kami pakai. Sekitar pukul 7 malam kami sampai di Oiba dan langsung mencari bus menuju Bucaramanga.
Begitu sampai di Bucaramanga, aku dan temanku langsung menuju ke terminal untuk pulang ke kota tempat kami tinggal. Eh, ternyata tiket busnya habis bahkan sampai beberapa hari ke depan karena puente (long weekend)!
Merayakan Hari Besar di Negara Lain itu Rasanya...
Sudah sekitar dua tahun berturut-turut aku tidak merayakan lebaran di Indonesia. Tahun 2015 aku merayakan separuh Ramadan dan Idulfitri di Hong Kong, dan pada tahun 2016 aku merayakan Iduladha di Kolombia. Baru tahun 2017 ini aku bisa merayakan keduanya di kampung halaman. Itu pun karena sebenarnya agenda untuk pergi ke India ditunda karena di sana sedang konflik. Kalau seandainya aku sekarang sudah di India, akan menjadi tiga tahun berturut-turut aku tidak dapat merayakan salah satu dari kedua hari besar tersebut. Udah macam TKI aja!
Lantas, seperti apa merayakan Idulfitri atau Iduladha di negara lain yang mana Islam merupakan agama minoritas?
Bulan Juli 2015, aku kebetulan merayakan Ramadan dan Idulfitri jauh dari keluarga, dan itu rasanya tetap menyenangkan, meskipun berbeda. Ramadan di Indonesia ada kolak dan makanan khas lainnya, sedangkan di Hong Kong tidak ada. Di Indonesia, sangat identik dengan silahturahmi antarkeluarga, makan opor ayam, nastar dan di malam sebelumnya terdengar suara takbir di mana-mana. Di Hong Kong, semua itu tidak ada. Sedih lho, beneran. Temanku aja ada yang menangis.
Meski begitu, aku dan teman-teman dari Indonesia masih bisa menunaikan sholat Eid dan merayakan Idulfitri bareng Tenaga Kerja Indonesia (TKI) yang berada di Hong Kong. Kami sholat berjamaah bersama di Victoria Park. Sempat gerimis sih, tapi itu tidak mengurungkan niat kami untuk melanjutkan sholat dan Alhamdullilah, sholat Eid berlangsung khusuk.
Jamaah sholat Idul Fitri di Victoria Park
Setelah itu kami pergi ke taman dekat apartemen seorang kenalan kami dan makan rawon masakannya sebelum memutuskan untuk kembali ke penginapan kami dan menelepon keluarga masing-masing. Terus habis itu mewek semua.
Pada tahun 2016, aku masih bisa merayakan Idulfitri di Indonesia. Namun, satu minggu setelah lebaran aku harus terbang ke Kolombia dan di sanalah aku merayakan Iduladha. Aku tinggal di Manizales, sebuah kota kecil yang terletak di Departemen Caldas. Tahukah kalian di Manizales sama sekali tidak ada masjid atau sekadar tempat untuk beribadah bagi umat muslim? - setidaknya sepengetahuanku. Jadinya, aku tidak merayakan Iduladha sama sekali. Tidak ada sholat Eid, tidak ada waktu bareng keluarga. Ngenes lagi adalah karena aku harus tetap berangkat kuliah karena nggak ada libur.
It felt different. But I am forever grateful that both moments happened in my life. Ada hal yang aku pelajari setelah aku menjadi kaum minoritas di kedua negara tersebut.
Pertama, tentunya aku belajar untuk lebih menghargai keluarga dan menyadari bahwa family is the only place where you will always be accepted no matter what the odds are. It’s a place that you can always call home. I value family, and I will try to always give them the best. I know that they have sacrificed many things, money, and dreams, just so they can support me in making mine happen.
Berfoto bersama TKI di Hong Kong
Kedua, I learned that love is unconditional. Kata cinta itu luas dan lebih dari sekadar seorang laki-laki yang cinta dengan wanitanya. Anak cinta dengan orang tuanya, adik cinta dengan kakaknya, teman cinta dengan temannya. Tak terkecuali rasa cinta sesama antarwarga Indonesia. Selama lebaran di Hong Kong, aku bertemu dengan banyak sekali TKI. Kami tidak mengenal satu sama lain, tapi kami tahu kalau kami sama-sama orang Indonesia yang sedang jauh dari rumah. Kami makan bersama, menari bersama, menyanyi bersama, dan merayakan Idulfitri bersama. I learned that it’s important for us to always be united, supportive, and respectful. Kalau kata Ned Stark dalam Game of Thrones gini “when the snow falls and white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survive.”
Hal terakhir yang aku pelajari adalah to be open to other cultures and religions. Sewaktu di Kolombia, aku menceritakan kepada beberapa teman orang Kolombia tentang Iduladha. And you know what their response were? Mereka menyelamatiku dan malah ingin tahu lebih dalam mengenai budaya qurban.
Realistis saja, kebanyakan orang asing akan menganggap budaya Islam itu aneh, misalnya qurban, tidak minum alkohol, tidak makan babi, dan sebagainya. Sama saja, orang Islam (setidaknya orang Indonesia) juga akan menganggap budaya minum alkohol atau makan babi itu aneh. That’s fine.
Mereka berpikiran demikian itu karena mereka tidak memiliki pengetahuan yang memadai tentang Islam, dan justru saat itulah kita harus bisa memberikan pengertian kepada mereka. Sebagai balasannya, kita juga harus menghargai agama, kepercayaan, dan budaya mereka serta tidak menghakiminya berdasarkan agama kita. Let’s put this in note “Semua agama itu baik di mata umatnya” and let it be that way. Yang paling penting adalah tetap saling menghormati satu sama lain. We cannot ask them to be like us but we can help them understand better. God created us different so whom you to judge?
Selamat Hari Raya Iduladha bagi teman-teman yang merayakan.
Some people love mountains, and some love the beach. I love them both, but I also love a unique colonial architecture, places like Colombian pueblos. People say that once is enough to visit a Pueblo. But I don’t agree. There is always something about Colombian Pueblo that I really like, from its abandoned old buildings to the old man who would give you a free walking tour in Spanish.
Each pueblo gives me different stories to tell. I was once in a pueblo where a woman approached me and suddenly pulled the corners of her eyes, mimicking how Asian eyelids. FYI, I don’t even look oriental. She later asked me whether I was Chinese (no offense was intended). I once also met a Colombian guy who thought I was from the coastal part of Colombia.
The point is that I enjoy Colombian Pueblo, and among all of those pueblos, here are some that I’d recommend you visit.
Barichara
Barichara’s main Cathedral
Barichara appears to me like the set from Nickelodeon’s animated series “Avatar: The Legend of Aang”. Most of the pueblo is constructed with cobblestone, while most of the buildings are painted white. The main cathedral is beautiful, and the architecture inside literally blows me away. No doubt that Barichara is one of Colombia’s most beautiful Pueblos. I’d also recommend you eat big-butted ants, which seems to be a very famous delicacy, or you could just have ice cream from a shop that is located right in the corner of the Plaza; they sell delicious ice cream.
The main Plaza in Barichara
Barichara is located in the southern part of Santander and is easy to reach from Bucaramanga’s bus terminal. The journey would take a three to five-hour bus ride, and you’ll be treated to beautiful views.
Jardin
Jardin’s colorful plaza
One thing that I really like about traveling to South America is that the people know how to play with colors. Most of their buildings are colored with contrasting bright colors, including Jardin. The pueblo is decorated with painted chairs and roses on its cobblestone plaza. Jardin is a colonial pueblo, and I heard that it’s been preserving its colonial architecture for the last 140 years. Since it’s surrounded by hills, Jardin has a cable car as one of its transportation.
To get to Jardin, you can get a bus from Medellin’s Southern bus station (Terminal del Sur), and it will take you directly to Jardin. If you happen to be in Manizales, you can get a bus from the bus terminal to La Pintada and purchase another ticket from La Pintada to Jardin. Make sure to always ask and check the schedule of the bus.
Mompos
La Iglesia de Santa Barbara
There are two things Colombians would say about Mompos: first is that the pueblo is very beautiful, and second is that it’s hard to reach because it’s located next to the Magdalena River in the Bolivar Department. If you have any interest in enjoying a cup of coffee surrounded by the authentic colonial architecture with less crowd, Mompos would always be a better option. It offers you a quiet atmosphere and a unique fusion of Indian and Spanish architecture, which can be seen from La Iglesia de Santa Barbara, a church located on the main plaza. Since its location is next to the Magdalena River, it is surrounded by albarradas, a cobblestone wall that could prevent flooding.
It’s quite a struggle to get to Mompos because not many buses run to the Pueblo. The best and easiest way is to go from Cartagena and just ask some people around. Although I found one bus service that will take you to Mompos from San Gil.
Guatape
I have written an article about my trip to Guatape and you can read it here.
A very colorful building in Guatape
Guatape is another colorful pueblo that I fell in love with and is actually the very first Pueblo I visited. There is a big church located at the main plaza and some mototaxis (like tuk-tuk in Thailand or Bajaj in India/ Indonesia) to take you around. It’s one of the most touristic places in Colombia, so you can expect some various activities to do. Guatape is also known as La piedra del Peñol, a huge rock that you can climb to see the whole pueblo and the lakes surrounding.
The view from the top of La piedra del Peñol
Guatape is situated in Antioquia department and is very easy to reach from Medellin’s bus terminal. The ticket costs around 13.000 COP for a two hours bus ride from Terminal Del Norte de Medellin to Guatape and the bus leaves every hour.
Salento
The crowd in Salento
Among all the Pueblos in Colombia, I think Salento receives the biggest number of tourists every year. It is known for its authentic Colombian coffee, verdant scenery, and the famous Valle de Cocora, where you can see the sweeping views of Colombia’s National trees, the wax palms. The trees are super tall and are very impressive to watch. There is a small hummingbird sanctuary called Aicame Natural Reserve for those who enjoy bird-watching.
The tallest wax palm trees in the world are in Valle de Cocora
Many bus companies from Pereira and Armenia offer you a ride to Salento. It shouldn’t be a problem on how to get to the Pueblo since it’s very easy to reach, even if you don’t speak fluent Spanish.
Filandia
Filandia main plaza
At a glance, Filandia looks like Salento, but it receives fewer people. It is well known for its basket weaving and has lots of different types for sale all over the pueblo. I had a great time in Filandia with my friend Stephanie. We went to Helena Adentro, a restaurant that served Colombian local dishes with a twist, then decided to take a walk out of the town to Ecoparque Mirador Colina and Finca El Mirador.
Filandia is very close to its more famous counterpart, Salento. An hourly bus departs from Pereira for COP 5000. It’s actually one of my favorite pueblos and is perfect for a weekend getaway.
You can also read more details on my trip to Filandia here
Villa de Leyva
Donkey in Villa de Leyva
Villa de Leyva is a colonial pueblo several hours north of Bogota. The cobblestone pueblo successfully escaped the modernization pressures since it was not located on the main shipping routes. As a result, there is still more foot traffic than cars, and it is also possible to see a bridled donkey on the street. I like that most part of the pueblo was painted white and were beautifully preserved. It has a massive main plaza, which is possibly the largest cobblestone plaza in Colombia.
You can start your journey from Terminal de Transporte de Bogota and just take a bus to Villa de Leyva from the terminal. The journey would take around two to five hours, depending on the situation, and it costs around COP 25.000.
Salamina
Streets that look like they just drop off into the blue sky and valley below in Salamina
Among all the pueblos in the Caldas department, I think Salamina is the most charming. The Pueblo doesn’t really receive any tourists and in fact, I was told that I was the first Indonesian who ever visited the Pueblo, which I didn’t buy since another Indonesian friend had actually visited the Pueblo before. It is a good representative of Colombian everyday life, especially for those who live in the coffee-growing region. There are streets that look like they just drop off into the blue sky and valley because the heart of the pueblo rests on top of a mountain.
Salamina doesn’t have that much to offer, but I personally like it because I find it quite charming. You can start your trip to Salamina from the Manizales bus terminal.
If you happen to be in Colombia, you most definitely don’t want to miss Manizales. It is the main city in the Caldas department and is the capital of the department. It takes around eight hours from Bogota by bus and only around an hour by plane. It is blessed with undeniable natural beauties such as Nevado Del Ruiz, Nevado De Santa Isabel, and a huge amount of biodiversity.
I have lived in Manizales for a while, and I really like the city. It’s not as crowded and busy as Bogota. It is also cheaper, safer, and smaller, yet you can still get all the things you need from 24-hour entertainment to the most delicious empanada in the country.
Places to Visit
La Catedral de Manizales
Colombia’s highest Cathedral is the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Rosary (La Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Nuestra Señora del Rosario), which is located in the heart of Manizales. It offers you a beautiful glance of the Roman Catholic Church and somehow gives that “Hogwarts” vibe. An eye-catching “El Bolivar Condor” monument is located right in front of the Cathedral, and is very interesting and overflowing with deep symbolism of Simon Bolivar’s transformation.
La Catedral Basílica Metropolitana de Nuestra Señora del Rosario
There is a coffee shop on the second story of the building that overlooks the main plaza. A good place to spend your afternoon with friends while enjoying the best Colombian coffee.
Nevado del Ruiz and Nevado de Santa Isabel
There are two volcanoes near Manizales, and both are topped with snow. Nevado del Ruiz is higher than Santa Isabel, with around 200 meters difference in height. I managed to visit Nevado Del Ruiz, but it was a few days after its eruption, so I couldn’t go to the top of the volcano.
Nevado Del Ruiz from a vast distance
You need to rent a car to go to both volcanoes because they don’t have public transportation to get you there. You can also join a tour hosted by some hostels in Manizales. The price of the tour may vary depending on the hostel and facilities you get.
The ticket price to enter The National Park
Reciento del Pensamiento
Reciento del Pensamiento is a nature preservation focusing on hummingbird conservation. You just need to pay 15.000 COP and you will get the chance to interact with the colibris, discover various Colombian plants, might as well taste them, see a beautiful Japanese-theme garden, witness butterflies mating, and hike the whole area. The tour includes free coffee and one Spanish-speaking tour guide.
Reciento del Pensamiento
To get to Reciento, you can take a taxi or a bus in the opposite direction from downtown. On the way, you might also want to stop at Bosque Popular, a wide park that is perfect for a picnic.
Chipre
Monumento a Los Colonizadores in Chipre
Apparently, the history of Manizales is perpetuated in the Monumento a Los Colonizadores, which is located in Chipre. The monument tells how the settlers built the city in the mid-nineteenth century. Not far from the monument, there is a Chipre viewpoint or La Torre Panoramica de Chipre. Visitors could enjoy an unparalleled panoramic view of Manizales at 38 meters height from the floor.
Termales El Otoño
I am not a fan of public hot springs, but Termales El Otoño is worth the visit. The best time to visit is during the night while enjoying some good chats with friends over beers. It’s a perfect place to visit after you have a bad day at work and just want to relax in the warm pool. Bus service is running from the city to the Termales, so it’s easier to reach, even though its location is actually quite far from the city; otherwise, get a cab.
Foods, Drinks, Restaurants, and Grocery Stores
The dishes in Manizales are pretty much influenced by the Antioqueño cultures, which include Bandeja Paisa, porridge, panela, etc. Those could be easily found in the city, as well as typical Colombian foods like empanada and arepa. I am a big fan of empanada and have tried lots of them in different places, and I could say that the best empanada is sold in front of the Caldas University (Universidad de Caldas). The university’s cafeteria also has the best papa rellena, a potato stuffed with chicken/beef. Another foods that I like are oblea and cholao, and those could be found in Chipre. Bocadillo con queso is also a good mix for a snack. As for traditional drinks, you may try Guarapo, an alcoholic drink made from fermented sugar cane, or kumis, a Colombian version of yogurt.
Oblea in Chipre
Manizales provides you with a lot of places to eat. You can go to Milan and Zona G. They are pretty much like the food court of the city, where you can find many restaurants that sell various types of food, including Indian, French, Italian, etc. If you happen to be around Torre Del Cable, there is one great Taco place called La Condesa, and my all-time favorite restaurant, Chuzzo.
Foods from Chuzzo
I would also recommend “Cafe Vieja Escuela”, a quirky, decorated cafe located downtown near the Cable car station. If you are a fan of Japanese food, there is one small Japanese restaurant in front of The Pologrande Stadium called Nippon Manizales, and it serves authentic Japanese cuisine. As for dessert, El Acordeon from La Suiza in Santander Avenue would be a good option.
Grocery Stores
There are many grocery shops in Manizales. As far as I know, Carulla got more options, but it’s the most expensive store among others. Mercaldas and Exito are head-to-head in terms of cheaper stores. Ara and D1 are the cheapest among all of them, but make sure to always check the expiration date if you shop at these places.
Entertainment
Party at a Colombian Club
There are many bars and clubs around the city, and most of them will play Salsa, Bachata, Reggaeton instead of electronic music. I like to go to Silmaril Cafe Rock near Torre del Cable and some clubs around to dance my ass off, because why not?
Juan Valdez in Torre Del Cable
Colombia has its very own version of Starbucks, and it’s called Juan Valdez. The main Juan Valdez cafe is located exactly under Torre Del Cable, and it’s always packed.
Teatro Los Fundadores
The theater is located downtown and exactly in front of CC Fundadores. I went there several times with friends, and they usually had shows and plays. Some of the shows are charged, but some are also free.
Playing Tejo
Tejo is a traditional Colombian sport of throwing a metal disk/puck (tejo) to a board covered with clay. There will be gunpowder on the board, and you need to smash it to win a point. There is no hourly cost to play. Instead, you’re expected to be ordering alcohol, as tejo and drinking go hand in hand. This would be easily accomplished with a half crate of beer, a small bottle of rum, and two bottles of Coke. There is one place to play Tejo in Manizales called La cancha de Tejo en Minitas. I didn’t quite remember the name of the neighborhood, but you could always ask any Colombian. They should know.
“Creative and open-minded” is how I would describe myself. Besides the fact that I have the mentality of an old person trapped in a 23-year-old’s body, I would also prefer to describe myself as a risk taker and a person who always embraces the challenges (and my weirdness). Life is no fun when you live it full of unnecessary thoughts and doubts, because sometimes it is way better to dance in the rain and enjoy life to its fullest.
We often forget that life is such a wonderful thing while focusing on how to get the blings and the glitters. Once, I Googled where the happiest place on Earth is, and the answer was Bhutan. I looked it up online and found a video about the Himalayans living in a yurt with literally nothing inside. But these people are happy. When a child learns how to walk, they sing. When a group of people comes down from a hike, they dance, and when a couple goes on their first date, they throw a festival. All of a sudden, the secret of happiness just dawned on me. It’s the human connection that some of us have been missing. But I am forever grateful that both of my parents taught me to be grateful, even if we did not have dimes to buy some food.
Born and raised in Pati, a small town in the eastern part of Central Java, I was always taught to be responsible and reliable. My parents obtain mid-low rupiahs, and I know that they both have been working hard to put me in the respective schools. Until one day, they had to say that I couldn’t go to college due to financial issues. It was quite a struggle convincing both of my parents. The battle between dreams and reality had been a major issue for the past few days until they finally decided to put me in a University. Even though my study was actually built on a pile of debts, I somehow made it through.
I had to be able to prove to myself that I am capable of doing things that I thought I couldn’t do. I was actively involved in University organizations and events, which taught me to overcome my fears and doubts. It helped me to respect people’s opinions and backgrounds, whether it’s their religion or their race. My big break was when I represented my University to join the Asia Pacific Leadership Program 2015 in Hong Kong. I mean, who ever thought that a bespectacled guy from the suburbs with big bags of family debt could afford it? I gotta say that the struggle was real. But if I had to compare my struggles to some of the inspiring people I met, mine would be just a piece of cake.
For the past few years, I have been discovering more about myself and what things I really like to do. Call me old-fashioned, but I am that kind of person who loves to bond with a stranger over a cup of coffee. I’d rather be stranded in the middle of the Amazon jungle and dance with the locals to some salsa songs than buy that ridiculously overpriced coffee so that we can upload the pictures online. I love to have a tropical daiquiri on the beach on any day and enjoy some good company. I enjoy reading a book under a tree, and I like to jog around my campus for kilometers.
There have been quite ups and downs. They remind me of how wonderful life could be. It could be more unexpected when you’re not expecting it. I mean, I never expected that I’d hold a bachelor’s degree in Japanese Education. I never expected that I’d get lost in the other side of the world and find myself walking with an old man in Latin America, and I also never really expected that I’d be invited by the Ministry of Sports and Youth of Indonesia to be one of their youth ambassador. Even later, I decided to let it go. lol
Since 2014, I have been writing about what I have done for the past year simply because I wanted to make a journal so that I could look it up again one day. I realized that it was also a good way to remind me that life could be so unpredictable, and a better way to help us realize how lucky we were and that we should always be grateful.
A New Year’s Eve 2016, I spent sitting down at my home on this small self-made wooden bench, which I really liked. I wasn’t the type of person who would go out and celebrate New Year’s Eve on the street. The crowd was just not for me. I was more like a person who would spend time with friends or family over good food and drink, or read some books while listening to some good 90’s songs, which is exactly what I did during New Year’s Eve 2016. I was in my eighth semester and was supposed to graduate soon. The thought of being a fresh graduate majoring in Japanese Education kind of scared me because, personally, I didn’t want to be a teacher. Teachers earned small dimes in Indonesia. That’s not being said that I was a gold digger, but let’s just be realistic, we all need money.
To keep my mind off those thoughts, earlier in 2016, I decided to go to Dieng plateau with a few friends I met when I did my internship back in 2015, Yasin, Ela, and Putri. We stayed at Yasin’s house since he is a local. Dieng was beautiful, and the views were amazing. We explored around and went to a cliff that overlooked the lagoon. We later had Mie Ongklok - a native noodle dish from Wonosobo - before heading back.
In the following month, a friend of mine from Malaysia, Cyndee, told me that she was going to visit Indonesia and would love to see me. We decided to see each other in Jogjakarta and planned to explore some of its finest destinations. Little did I know, she came with another friend, Anis, whom I both met in Semarang. We went to Imogiri and later continued to Pantai Sadranan. I have been to Jogjakarta many times, but I have never been to both places. We spent the whole day out and went back late at night after having a dessert at Ambarukmo Plaza. The next day, we continued our Jogja trip to Keraton and Taman Sari. Cyndee brought a Kebaya all the way from Malaysia just so she could take pictures at the palace while looking like a Javanese royalty. The funny thing was when we bought our entrance tickets to the palace, the lady in the locket asked us whether we were going to have a pre-wedding photo session in the palace. Lols.
In July, I was invited by the Colombian Government to study Spanish in Colombia for a semester. There was a concern about how dangerous the country was. They say it’s one of the most dangerous countries in the world, and many countries have released travel bans due to its security issues. I’ve heard some stories of robbery, and I did know some people who were the victims. But then again, all countries are dangerous and bad things could happen anywhere, anytime. Colombia was way better than what I expected, and it turned out to be one of the best things that could possibly have happened to me.
The struggle was real for the first two weeks since I didn’t speak the language at all, and unexpectedly, I looked like a local. The people were kind, and I made new friends, and they helped me a lot in the first month. Angela, my roommate, helped me shop for all the things I needed when I just arrived in Manizales. People from the University, Ana Maria, Maria Camila, Sergio, and Samir, who helped me a lot with my Spanish. Ana and Stephanie, my forever favorite girls, las reinas mas lindas.
I travel around most of the time: to Guatape, Barichara, the Amazon, and more. After visiting those places, it all makes sense that Colombia was crowned as the second-best place to travel by Lonely Planet in 2016. Es espectacular.
I never thought that I could be in a country that is literally located on the other side of the world, which got me thinking that life is just unpredictable. 2016 was great, and I’m looking forward to welcoming 2017!
There is always something about the Colombian pueblo (little town) that you’ll always cherish. From its jade green landscape, native dishes, to the old man who would give you a free walking tour and would tell you all the stories behind its authentic colonial buildings. Filandia is no different. Located in the coffee region, it is well known for its basket weaving and has lots of different types for sale all over the town. It is very close to its more famous counterpart, Salento, but it receives fewer tourists than Salento. Just take an hourly bus that departs from Pereira for COP 5000, and you’ll get there. It is a recommended place for a short getaway for the weekend.
As soon as the bus dropped us off at Filandia, my friend Steph and I headed to a quirky, decorated restaurant called Helena Adentro. Now, here is the thing: as an Asian who has spent his entire life eating foods cooked with herbs and spices, I must say that Colombian dishes are not my favorite.
Honestly, I was a bit skeptical about the food, but then they blew my mind. Steph had her salad and fried arepa, and I had a bowl of rice topped with beef and a glass of blended coconut.
The food was tasty, it’s still Colombian food but with a twist. The fried arepa was delightful, and the blended coconut was a perfect ending for all the savory dishes you just devoured. As for the price, it’s reasonable and totally worth it.
Afterwards, we headed to the main plaza. There will always be two things that you would see if you’re in Colombian pueblos, a church and its main square or plaza. Some churches are preserved with their colonial architecture, and some are renovated. Filandia’s church is pretty much renovated. The main plaza was full of locals doing their daily things. Little gift shops, bars, and restaurants could easily be found in its surroundings. We went to a little gift shop a little way down from the main plaza called Quintaesencia. It sells some quirky ornaments for your house, clothes, and other fashion items
We continued walking and ended up at a tea house that overlooked the main plaza. We stayed there for a while, talked, then went out for another walk out of the town to Ecoparque Mirador Colina. A Mirador is basically a place, or in this case a tower, where you can see what’s surrounding. It was a quiet Saturday afternoon, and the vendor was slumped in a white lawn chair next to a radio. We paid 5000 pesos to enter the mirador. We noticed a parked Willy Jeep with loaded local harvests for decoration. Colombian love this jeep, they even have a parade for it.
Our last destination of the day was the Finca El Mirador. My friend sent me a picture of this place, and it looked beautiful. It is a small coffee shop where you can learn about the coffee growing process, and apparently, it is quite a popular destination for tourists. Some jeeps leave from the main plaza; it shouldn’t cost much to get you there, depending on where you hop on. Since it was a beautiful day, we decided to walk in the opposite direction from Filandia. The dirt road was quiet, and the landscapes were beautiful. A few jeeps passed us by, but we were just feeling to walk, and so we kept walking while chatting. Thirty minutes later, we got there, ordered, and enjoyed our coffee on a balcony with its jade green mountain views. It would be nice to stay there longer for sunset, but we wanted to walk back before it got dark. So we left and took a walk back to Filandia to catch our bus that leaves for Manizales.
Filandia gave us lots of surprises. Salento and Filandia are pretty much the same; they both offer you their best architecture, food, and more, but Salento receives more tourists than Filandia. That is not to say that Filandia is less interesting. Personally, Filandia is more enjoyable and is not packed with tourists even during the weekend, and I would go back there for a short getaway any day.
I needed something more than just mountains and beaches. I love both of those places, but I could always have an eat-an-instant-ramen-up-on-the-mountain day or a have-a-tropical-daiquiri-on-the-beach day anytime. That’s why we decided to hit the desert and planned to have the local cactus liquor. Although we ended up not trying it.
Leaving Manizales at 1 A.M, the more-than-10-hours-bus-ride-journey to the desert has begun. It was a long road trip, and not to mention the crazy up and down and winding road, which in this case, you definitely need mareol for motion sickness, which you could easily find at any tienda all over the country.
Desierto de La Tatacoa or the Tatacoa Desert, isn’t really a desert; it’s more like an arid dry area, which apparently is the second driest place in Colombia. It is located in the Huila department, 38km from Neiva. Since its location is pretty far from the main road, the transportation isn’t that adequate. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have public transportation - it definitely does. To get here, you need to go to Neiva and take a collectivo from Neiva to Villavieja. From Villavieja, take a mototaxi or camioneta. I prefer to group up with other tourists because it’ll be cheaper, but you definitely need at least basic Spanish to make things easier. I found that arranging your own trip by renting your own car with a driver seems to be a better option if you want fewer struggles.
After the long road trip and sudden climate change, we all finally made it to our accommodation, El Rincon del Cabrito. Accommodations around this area offer decent facilities, depending on your budget. Some will offer you a variety of tours around the desert as well. Most of them have hammocks, and I do suggest you just sleep outside on a hammock instead of burning yourself inside a room with just a shared fan.
After that late breakfast, we decided to just walk around the desert. Make sure to bring water, a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. No one wants to get sunburn since you might expect, its temperature could hit 50º C. But hey, new experience! You could choose either to walk the area or rent a bike/horse.
We took a few strolls around, exploring the area, and tried to conquer the burning sun. I was walking down the desert when I found what appeared to be a shed snake skin over a wadi. Too bad - or maybe it’s good - that we didn’t encounter a typical desert animal. We stopped for a while next to a cactus, and tried to take a few drops of water from it, and surprisingly, it worked. As the sun kept trying to burn us, we continued exploring more parts of the desert until we realized that we had been walking too far and we ran out of water. As I walked in the desert, for some reason, my mind kept picturing myself in a movie scene where all the people are stranded in a desert and are looking for an oasis. Unrelated, but my mind also kept playing that typical cowboy background music.
Later in the afternoon, we headed to a pool. It took around a 30-minute ride to get there. Just had to pay COP 5000, and you can experience swimming in a pool in the middle of a desert while enjoying a bottle of cerveza and listening to a vallenato and merengue playlist on repeat. After a hot, tiring day, what could be better than dipping yourself in a pool, looking at the orange colored dusk over the sky?
The best part when you are here is when the night comes, and you can literally see the Milky Way with all its glory with only your bare eyes. I was literally blown away by the beauty of the sky. The stars were just too beautiful to be true.
We headed to an observatory that night. We paid for COP 10.000 and we got an hour explanation about the constellations. Some people were sitting down, some were lying down on the ground, and I was just sitting, unblinking, looking at the pretty sky. I could just sit and stare at the sky for hours. It felt surreal and real at the same time. That was definitely a moment that I will never forget in my life. I have witnessed it and it’s just as beautiful as the pictures you might find on the internet, or No! It was even more beautiful when I saw it myself.
You could also see Mars and Saturn.
It was definitely worth all the struggles. But aren’t all the beautiful places in the world always like that? Take efforts to reach, but it’s always paid off.
My first experience with a Colombian Pueblo (little town) was when I went to Guatapé. It is located in the Antioquia Department and in the outskirts of Medellin, the second biggest city in Colombia. I took a bus from Manizales, and it cost COP 35.000 (one way) and took around 4 to 5 hours. Many bus companies serve this route, so a reservation isn’t mandatory cause you won’t need to wait long until the next bus departs. Go during the day because the views along the way are beautiful. Also, if you have a problem with motion sickness, buy a pill called mareol. It’s super effective and only costs COP 500.
I arrived at Terminal del Sur de Medellin in the middle of the day. I took a taxi to my hotel because I planned to stay a night in Medellin, and also wanted to see some friends. After checking in, I went downtown. It’s pretty, organized, and the weather was kinda nice too. I noticed the city received many tourists. I actually felt a little bit overwhelmed because Manizales is very small, and then suddenly I was in the second biggest city in Colombia. Not necessarily complaining because at least I got to eat my first KFC in Colombia. You have no idea how much all of us miss familiar foods. We all love Colombia, but we all kinda agree that its cuisine is not our favorite. Sorry.
Later during the day, we headed to Itagui to pay a homage to Pablo Escobar. Yes, the famous Pablo Escobar. It was actually my friend’s idea, but then the rest of us were just like “Ok, sure, why not.” From the Itagui metro station, you could just grab a taxi to the cemetery. As you might expect, it’s just a wide area of the cemetery of Pablo Escobar and his family. It was a pretty unique experience, though, especially after you read the history about it.
Cemetery of Pablo Escobar (left) and his family.
You don’t come to Colombia to just be lame and not dance like a local. So we went out and looked for some reggaeton tunes to dance to. Too bad, apparently most of the clubs were packed. After a few minutes walk, we found a club, but it was so crowded that every time you danced, you hit someone else or stepped on their feet. We didn’t stay for long, because the next day we had to go to Guatapé.
Guatapé and La Piedra del Peñol
The journey from Medellin to Guatapé took around 2 hours. First, you need to go to Terminal del Norte de Medellin and find a bus to Guatapé. The ticket costs around COP 13.000 and the bus leaves every hour.
One thing that I like about Colombia is how the people play with colors. The combination of the bright colors and unique cultures has made Colombia one of my favorite travel destinations so far. Wherever you go, you will easily find some buildings with bright colors and unique architecture, especially if you go to a Pueblo.
Guatapé is one of the most beautiful and touristic Pueblos in Colombia, and I could not agree more. I fell in love with its plaza surrounded by a lot of shops, restaurants. and cafes. There is a big church located at the main plaza and some mototaxis (like tuk-tuk in Thailand or Bajaj in India/ Indonesia) to take you around.
It also offered you some souvenir shops and some good food carts. What attracted me the most was that some buildings were just so colorful, and the flower decorations just simply made them perfect.
The next day, we went out to the famous La Piedra del Peñol. It is a huge rock that you can climb to see the whole pueblo and the lake surrounding it.
After climbing more than 700 stairs, we finally made it to the top, and the view was exceptional. There were some tiendas on the top - selling foods, drinks, and also souvenirs. We took some pictures, and I just couldn’t take my eyes off the view. We spent around 1 hour up there, then decided to go back before it’s dark because we needed to catch our bus before it’s too late.
Overall, Medellin and Guatapé are both worth a visit. I would say that it’d be better to stay for a few days in both Medellin and Guatapé to enjoy both destinations to the fullest.
