September 2013 - Yosefien

Some reviews on tripadvisor wrote this lake as a usual one; not that attractive, dull and dirty while some of them wrote this as a just family lake. Wow, what a disappointment, cause on my last visit to this lake -on weekday, where there wasn't so many visitors and not so high prices offered- I enjoyed my 3 hours sightseeing on this cloudy and full of mythical lake.

A short description about the meaning of Situ Patengan on the entrance gate

Located in Ciwidey, South Bandung, around 1,600 m above sea level, it has a very romantic story which resemblances the name itself; Situ means lake in Sundanese language and Patengan was taken from pateang-teangan, also Sundanese, means look for.

Short description about Batu Cinta on Pulau Sasaka

Local people believe in a romantic tale regarding the history of this lake: A love story between a king's son, titled putra prabu and a goddes who lives as a human, ki Santang and Dewi Rengganis respectively. They fell in love each other but unfortunately they had to apart for so long time. For how great was their love, they kept searching one another until finally met up in a place called Batu Cinta or "Rock of Love". Dewi Rengganis, the goddes, then asked ki Santang to make her a lake and a boat for them sailing together.

Now, the boat is believed to become an island named Pulau Asmara/Pulau Sasaka or Sasaka Island/Romance Island. Based on this story, whoever come to this sacred 'Rock of Love' and sail surround the island will gain a true love. Will you believe it?

The available for rent boats

As I remember the entrance ticket was quiet affordable, only IDR 6,000+, parking fee around IDR 2,000+, in total you just need to prepare each $2 to get in. There we can hire a boat to sail along the lake and enjoy the scenery. It was quiet and not so many visitors at that time which made me didn't meet partners to sail with, beside my bf. Usually the boat can carry up to 10 persons with price IDR 150,000/boat. Since we were only 2, we afterall had to rent the boat and paid for IDR 75,000, lol! But, well, thanks for the privacy.

So many available boats!

It was drizzling along my way to pulau Sasaka and to reach Batu Cinta, so I couldn't get brighter pictures. All the things you saw are those that got edited and the maximum results I could achieve from my all-foggy-and-cloudy pictures. There wasn't any special thing on Batu Cinta physically, just a rock, in fact. I once tried to reach and sat on it, but it was too slippery and I didn't want to fall into the lake, that would be so embarrassing. So I gathered all my consciousness only just for taking its pictures.

The legend, Batu Cinta or Rock of Love

Well, I don't really believe in folktales, in Sasaka island we only took our time to feel the fresh air, listen to the drip of water, the local people and cultures, took so many pictures, since I would see it crowded on weekend. I personally wanted to capture the loneliness feeling, the more of the nature and also the relaxing moment from the start I arrived. There were stalls for you to enjoy hot tea or coffee, roasted corn along with Bandung specialties drinks: bandrek and sekoteng, a ginger thing to warm you, although the temperature wasn't that cold, around 17-23 C.

Maybe some of the reviews about how dull is this local attraction was half right, but what's to blame, this is nature, we just want to keep it wild yet enjoyable. The area is about 150 ha mostly dominated by lake and forest.

I'm not really sure whether we can swim in it. This lake is said to be a habitat for tilapia, carp, and silver barb (tawes fish). Can we fish them??

There are some gazebo- a small hut to take a rest or just sit while searching for another good spot to do photo hunting, or if you were with a group of people you can just take your time to open your lunchbox while chitchatting. Talk about lunchbox? yes, I rare to see small stalls selling food, means that would be difficult for you to satisfy your tummy. I even already bought some snacks outside. But no worries, you can find so many sellers providing fresh fruits and souvenirs.

Small gazebo, there!

How to get there

It is 50 km from Bandung city, heading to the south, to Patengan village, Rancabali district, Bandung regency. Ah, yeah, have I mentioned I really enjoyed the tea plantation along the road.

tea plantation to Situ Patengan

I would love to visit here again next time, maybe bringing more friends and more family members, to get cheaper price to rent the boat, lol!

See you on my next post!

References:
Situ Patenggang
Situ Patengan; Legenda Batu Cinta di Tengah Danau

Senin, September 30, 2013 7 komentar

Yaksha Statue at Suvarnabhumi Airport

It was a great chance for me being able at one of the fourteenth busiest airport in the world, Suvarnabhumi Airport (ท่าอากาศยานสุวรรณภูมิ, pronounced as Suwannaphum), Thailand, since it was the main hub for my flight at that time, Thai Airways. First impression? Greatly impressed since my first arrival; big, unique, and of course, busy!

Busiest airport in Thailand, Suvarnabhumi Airport

It is located in Racha Thewa in Bang Phli district, Samut Prakan Province, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of downtown Bangkok. The picture below was taken on my way to the airport due my return flight back to Indonesia. It was 5.30 am and the sky was still cloudy and foggy. Really couldn't take a clearer sky and brighter scenery.

Suvarnabhumi Airport located in Bang Phli District.

There, I got closer to the building, you can see the wavelike form of the building. Using lightweight steel structures placed like cantilevered, this airport terminal resulted from an International Competition and established the basis of collaboration between Werner Sobek, Matthias Schuler and Helmut Jahn.

Near the entrance gate!

This building used innovative and integrated architectural, as well as structural and environmental design. New materials and systems of advanced technology were developed, such as advanced long span, exposed pre-cast concrete structures, clear or low e-coated glass, a three layer translucent membrane, integrated cooling, using water as a low energy carrier and the thermal mass of concrete and a displacement ventilation system with minimal air-changes.

Exposed pre-cast concrete structures, clear or low e-coated glass at Suvarnabhumi Airport

The overall design principal was to express the former essence of the site, from which the water had to be drained before construction could begin, and also to establish a connection to local cultural tradition and art. For example, there are so many Thai artifacts placed at the airside centers and concourses. On my first picture, you've already seen Yaksha Statue (meaning demon statue), it is one of the 12 giant statues lining up the arrival area of the Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok. These giant figures are the exact replicas of the demon warrior statues of the famous Emerald Buddha Temple in Bangkok.

Others, there's also a sculpture resembling Churning the Milk Ocean, a Hindu story from one of the most famous periods in the Puranas. It shows Vishnu in the centre, his turtle Avatar Kurma below, asuras and devas to left and right. Sorry, can't provide a better picture, we were in a hurry to get in time!

Churning the Milk Ocean sculpture at Suvarnabhumi Airport

Check in time. I love the way this airport works so efficient and effective, it worths the long queue in fact, although some of the Thai officers didn't speak English well.

Check in time.

The name Suvarnabhumi was chosen by King Bhumibol Adulyadej and has meaning as the golden kingdom which hypothesised to have been located somewhere in Southeast Asia. I guess, that's why his pictures are everywhere along the airport.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej pictures at Suvarnabhumi Airport

So, that's my short visit to Suvarnabhumi Airport during my trip to Bangkok on last May 2013, if I have another chance I'll take more pictures. It's really comfortable being there, and about the "Duty Free" shops, yeah, there is Hermes, all branded perfumes (Dior, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Gucci), also make ups everywhere: SKII or Lancome, exclusive branch of Chanel and Chopard. Just cool!

But likely I'll look to another airport first in the future, haha..

See you on my next post.

----ooo----

References: