RAJASA HOTEL - NEAR HOTEL TO BORUBUDUR

From Losari, we went to Magelang through south route. People say that south route has many beautiful views rather than north route (via PANTURA). Yep…the route was very interesting. There were many plantations along this route. Rice field, onion field, corn field and also tea plantation could be found along the south route. You’ll never feel bored if you go through this way. However, I think this route take much time rather than the north route. You can imagine, we left Dian hotel at Losari at 08.00 am in the morning and we arrived at Borobudur, Magelang at about 02.00 pm.

There are many hotels near Borobudur temple. But, our choice was Rajasa hotel because the rate is fair enough and it is really near to Borobudur complex, just side by side with the complex. And according to the recommendation given in the internet that Rajasa hotel has good view and you can see the sleeping Budha.

Well, the first time we arrived there, the first impression was not convincing, look like the old hotel. But we very tired to look for the other hotel. Actually next to it there is Manohara hotel which is located inside the Borobudur temple complex, but it is expensive enough for our pocket. So we decided to stay in Rajasa hotel. You just need 10 minutes to walk to reach Borobudur temple gate.

Entering inside Rajasa hotel, we should take our impression earlier. Well, it is very interesting. The wall is covered by such kind river brick; well it is very cool and unique. Behind the building there is rice field panorama with the range of hills. The breeze was very fresh. I like this hotel.

Then I wondered where I could found the view of sleeping Buddha? Well, I couldn’t see any of Borobudur temple part from here at all. Than I read again the article from the internet. I was wrong! It said that we can find the range of hills that look like sleeping Buddha. Then, I tried to look into the range of hills, well, I didn’t think that it look like sleeping Buddha. But when the weather clears enough, finally I could imagine the configuration of hills that looked like a sleeping Buddha over there, reflected on the range of hills. It is very wonderful.

The price is also cheap enough. The lowest class is 160,000 IDR (USD 16) without air conditioner only fan. However, the weather is cool enough, so I don’t think that we need an air conditioner, but maybe hot water is needed.

Oh, for the meal! Rajasa hotel also serves many kind of food for your meals. However, if you want to find other kind of foods, along way from Rajasa hotel to Borobudur area there are a lot of food stalls. At that time, we tried ‘sate’ (small pieces of meat that roasted on skewer) in front of Borobudur gate. The stall is called “Sate Madura”. Well, it was delicious enough, so no wondered there were a lot of people queued in that place. We ate for 3 portions ‘sate’ with ‘lontong’ (food containing rice steamed in a banana leaf) at place included 3 glasses of orange juice and we also had it to take away, the cost only around 50,000 – 60,000 IDR (USD 5 – 6).

Sightseeing and Culinary in Sukabumi city

When I went fishing to Pelabuhan Ratu, my wife and children went around the city. However, they just went to traditional market and Jogja supermarket. Actually there are some interesting places to go here.

1. Selabintana.

One the nearest in Sukabumi city is Salabintana. Here you can enjoy swimming with your children. fresh air and green environment

2. Market

There are some malls in the Sukabumi city, Ramayana, Matahari, Jogja, and also traditional market. In traditional market you can try to buy ‘cue’. ‘Cue’ is kind of salted fishes, but it is not to salt. You can just fry it for a while and eat ‘cue’ with steam rice.

3. National park Gede - Pangrango Mount

4. Ujung Genteng Beach

In Unjung Genteng you can enjoy the beautiful sunset on the beach, also in the early morning you can take adventure to the beach to see penyu (kind of turtle) are born.It says that it is fantastic experience to wacth the penyu's eggs

5.Culinary

Mochi

For culinary, the favorite place to go is Jl. Bayangkara, gang Kaswari. In this place you can find traditional dishes of Sukabumi, ‘mochi’. Mochi is a kind of dishes that made from starch and peanutsauce inside. You can reach this place by take ‘Andong’ (four-wheeled carriage drawn by horse). It cost 10,000 IDR (USD 1) from Jogja supermarket.

Other kind of Foods

in front of Jogja supermarket there are many food stalls, such as bakso (meat ball), mpe-mpe (kind of fishcake, Sumatran speciality), batagor, and others.

Bunut Chicken Porridge

Sukabumi's Porriage (Bunut Chicken Porridge), it is also Sukabumi's special dishes. You can find it at Siliwangi street no 93/131 Selabintana

Atta Bandros

You can find Bandros maybe in all cities in West Java. It is made from rice flour with coconut milk. The popular 'bandros' in Sukabumi city is Atta Bandros. It is located in Gudang street no 4 Sukabumi city.

Fast Food

If you want fast food, there is KFC in front of Jogja supermarket. Also there is a pizza hut too.

FISHING AT PELABUHAN RATU

Fishing At Pelabuhan Ratu with Popping, Jigging and Trolling Technique

It has been along time I didn’t post some articles on my Blog. Actually there are a lot of things that I want to share here such as traveling to Jogjakarta, Central Java. In Jogja, we visited Borobudur temple which is the largest Buddhist temple from 9th century; Prambanan temple which is the most beautiful Hindust temple, including tour to Dieng Plateau. However, I didn’t have enough time recently. This time I would like to post my tour to Pelabuhan Ratu first. Borobudur, Prambanan, and Dieng Plateau may be next.

Our destination this time is Pelabuhan Ratu. Pelabuhan Ratu is located in Sukabumi, West Java. It needs about 3 hours from Jakarta to reach Sukabumi city and it takes about 1 hour from Sukabumi city to Pelabuhan Ratu Beach.

Well, after took the dawn prayer, I drove my car to Serang city to pick up colleagues. Due to some cases, we left Serang at about 21.00 pm and straightly drove to BSD city Tangerang. We met with other group there at about 22.30 pm, so we went to Sukabumi city in two cars. Without any further, we continued our journey to Sukabumi through JORR toll continued to JAGORAWI toll. Fortunately the road was very clear and there is no traffic jam. According to my friend said that actually the JAGORAWI toll always full with vehicles, although the route to Sukabumi is not far enough but it is need more time to reach because there usually traffic jam along the road to Sukabumi.

With the speed almost touched 140km/hour, the INNOVA could get Sukabumi at about 01.30 am. We, then, slept over at a friend’s house in Cipanengah, Sukabumi. But before that, I dropped my wife and the girls in her relative who also live in Sukabumi.

At 04.00 o’clock in the morning, we all got up and took a bath. After took morning-prayer and eat a little breakfast, we went to Pelabuhan Ratu beach. We arrived there at about 5 o’clock in the morning. We didn’t have enough time to look around the beach since the boat has been waited. So, we straightly went up on the boat and the boat sailed across the ocean waves.

The waves was very terrible, I could stand up, my stomach felt not right. I started to feel dizzy and queasy until I want to vomit. It is not only me who felt like this, several of my friend also felt this condition.

We rented this boatfor one day. It costs take 3.5 million IDR (about 350 USD). Since we were in seven so each should pay 500,000 IDR (50 USD). The fishing tools had been provided by the boat crews. There were several fishing rods specifics

for fishing the big fish. Along the way to the destination, we took a look at the photo album. One of the photo showed a western fisherman caught blue marine fish. It length was about 4 meters and it took 6 hours just to catch the fish. Wow...it must be very tiring.

Arrive at destination point at the ocean, we started fishing. Then we realized that fishing here was a different time with what we usually do. Here, we should chase after the fishes. Wherever the fishes go then we should chase them. It was really frustrating to chase the fished along day. Until noon, we couldn’t catch any fishes at all. We started to think that probably the fish bait which made from rubber were not interesting for the fishes, so we tried to use tuna fish as a food for the fishes we wanted to catch. Still we didn’t get the fishes; we just got the little fishes. It was more even frustrating since we saw the big fishes swim across our eyes.

I just know that this kind of fishing technique. People say that this technique is called 'popping', 'jigging' and 'trolling'. It is used in the sea that have 400 meters above in depth and it is effective to catch such kind of fish like 'Tenggiri' or mackerel.

Then after the noon, our fishing rod hooked on something bigger. We pulled the fishing line and that’s it! We got a big Tenggiri (Spanish mackerel) fish! Great! Sugoii ne! Our first fish we got!

Actually there was story behind the first fish we got. I didn’t believe at all in the myth, but I didn’t know how could be. At the noon the boat crew was hungry, and he tried to find some food on our supplies, then he found that we brought some boiled-eggs. He was surprised and said that why we could get any fishes at all since there were some eggs near us. He then explained that when fishing here, it is forbidden to bring any kind of egg. That the rule! So, he ate almost the eggs we had. Unbelievable and Unthinkable that after the eggs gone, we caught the Tenggiri fish. Kangararenai yo! Well, I believe that’s just a myth.

Until the dawn, we got some fishes but most of them were ‘Lemadang’ fishes, only one mackerel. Hmm…I wonder whether how to cook this fishes. The ‘Lemadang’ fish actually is very beautiful fish. Its color in the water is blue, then when the first time touch the air (after we lifted it) the color becomes green than turn to black after some time out of the sea water.

The sky was almost dark when we decided to come back to the bay. It was very dramatic view of the sea. Felt the breeze touched the skin, the sound of sea waves, dark sky, the sound of the motor boat that knocked the sea water. It is one of the perfect creatures of GOD the most glorious the most merciful.

Far away, we could see the land, the coatal, as if it approached us. Minutes by minutes the land became bigger, and there we were, touched the coast. At the coast, there were many boats have been docked. One the most luxurious boat is also at anchor there. It belongs to a boss of company in Indonesia. Well, it is really luxurious boat,

with the sofa inside,shower, the fishing chair. The crew said the boat cost touches 4 billions IDR. Wow...no wonder...sugoii ne.Wondering when we could be able to sail with the boat...just dreaming!

Arrived at friend’s house again, took a bath and had dinner. Dinner was very delicious, although it was just only rice and ‘cue’ (Sukabumi’s special dished, kind of salted fish), including sambal

(kind of sauce containing chili pepper). At 22.00, we left Sukabumi, of course picked up my wife and children first.

With also speed almost above 40km/hours, we arrived in Cilegon at 02.30 am. It took a long time because we stopped by at BSD city at Mr. Irwan’s house to divide the fishes. Cilegon – Sukabumi back and forth, INNOVA needed about 70 liters gasoline. Well, actually, we needed 2 times to fill up the gasoline.