The Wonderful Journey (Part 3)

my view from the roof top of our transit apartment

Our first stop after we landed safely was our transit apartment. It's located about 5 KM from Haram Mosque. Makkah city was very busy during the hajj season. However it's very colourful because all moslem from all over the world came to the city for pilgrim. We stayed about one week in apartment then stay in Mina for about four nights then we moved to hotel just near the Masjidil Haram. 

In Makkah, we visited Jabal Tsur, Jabal Rahmah, Jabal Nur/Gua Hira, Museum Kabah and Hudaibiyah Camel Farm. 

1. Jabal Tsur is the mountain and the cave where The Prophet (SAW) and Abu Bakr (RA) hid  from Quraisy during the blessed hijrah from Makkah to Madina. It's a 458 metres height mountain and the cave is located on top. We didn't climb to the cave since it will take about 1,5 hours to of up there.

2. Jabal Rahmah is located at Arafah, is known as the meeting point of Adam and Eve in this world. There's a monument of the meeting point. And this special thing about this mountain, this was were The Prophet (SAW) received the last revelation during the wukuf.

3. Jabal Nur/Hira Cave. It's the place where The Prophet (SAW) received the first revelation. We had to climb hundreds of stairs and about 600 hundreds meters away and Hira Cave is located on the top. We departed from hotel at 3 AM and we arrived about 30 minutes later. And started to climb, I had to take a lot of breaks to catch my breath. But it was paid-off once we arrived on the top.  I didn't enter the cave cause it's so packed with people. However we arrived just right the Subuh Adzan so we prayed right away. After that we waited our friends that still on the way up and drank some coffee and ate the food that we brought. The sunrise was breathtaking, wish I could ever go there again with my kids.

4. We stopped by at Hudaibiyah Camel Farm. We fed the camel and drank the camel milk. It taste strange :) 

5. Museum Ka'bah was a must visit place. It has the history of Makkah city and the city plan for the future. It's also packed with people, but lucky me that I had visited this museum for second time.

Cheers, Dhidie

Street in Makkah

Jabal Tsur

Love's Labyrinth at Jabal Rahmah

The View From The Top of Jabal Nour

Took a picture and caught a breath

I can't believe that I could climb that high

Feeding the camel

This is us, in front of the Ka'bah Museum

The Wonderful Journey (Part 2)

After sort all things at home during my absence. Now It's time to pack my things. I'm not a packing queen and I think my husband can do that better than me. Why? because I'm a person who can be freak out that I'll left something behind. So I will feel more secure if I bring all the things along with me. But I can't do that now, since I'll go for almost a month only bring one medium luggage and one cabin luggage. 

So I just bring all the clothes and whatever I need and put it mounting up in my medium luggage. 

Can you tell me how to close this thing?

Then I came to my sense. I just follow the guidance book and lucky me that in January I had my Umrah trip, so I can imagine things that I really need there. I even buy a luggage organising storage on the web. It contains 6 pockets, variety from small to the biggest one. It helps a lot. So I can organise my stuffs by item and It helps me a lot to not digging my luggage searching for something.

Here the list that's given by my travel organiser:

1. Ihram Clothes (all whites)

I bring 2 sets of hiram clothes (One set was gamis and one set of tunic and baggy pants); bergos or you can also wear mukena instead. Just make sure you wear inner/bandana inside to avoid the appearance of your hair, covering gloves (the moslem store usually sell the gloves specific for umrah/hajj so it keeps your palm open), arms inners/full body inner so you will perfectly cover, toe socks.

2. Moslem Clothes

Long gown/gamis (bring since you can also wear these for prayer) and tunic set for travelling. About the colour, I love wearing white or black or gray to mosque.  I only wear the colourful ones when travelling or other occasions.

3. Mukena

I bring two sets, but actually I only wear the top since I prefer wearing gamis to mosque. But it helps if you had to pray while travelling. Or you feel like in a rush it most practical than bergo since I can't wear bergo without inner. 

4. Bergo/hijab

Bring the big ones so you don't have to wear mukena while praying. It's more practical. You just have to mix and match with your gamis/tunic. Bring some colourful for tour or other occasion.

5. Sleeping wear/night gown

2 sets. It can be pyjamas or night gown. Sometimes you don't sleep at all, so you don't need it.

6. Sarong

I don't bring this one. But maybe you'll need it for emergency while sleeping in tent in Mina if you went pilgrim.

7. Small and Big Towels

I think no explanation needed :)

8. Shoes/sandals

I brought one sport shoes so it can be wear for tour and travelling. And I bring 2 pairs of flip flops cause it made me move easily and can walk for far distance.

9. Socks

If you don't feel like doing the laundry during your trip you have to bring at least 5/6 pairs of socks. I love toe socks cause I wear my flip flops a lot.

10. Personal toiletries, 

soaps, shampo, tooth paste, tooth brush, body lotion, lip balm, nail clipper, tissue, wet tissues.

11. Skin care/feminine hygiene care

Night cream, sun lotion, body lotion, lip balm, sanitary napkins.

12. Personal medicine

minimal bring some medicine for allergic, cough, migraine, stomach, cold, diarrhoea, and constipation. That kind of sick can be happen all the time. Since we have different climate and food we eat locally.

Don't forget to bring small pocket of detergent, it's very useful when you need to do laundry. You never know when you spill those curry on your clothes.

There are many convenient stores everywhere but it sells in big bucket so it such a waste to buy it there. Also bring some ties/plastic ropes just in case you need to dry your clothes and also bring few clips for hang the clothes. You can also use these ties when you pack your full luggage, cause it's now  full of things you buy for your relatives back home :)

Below I share what we wear that we found it comfortable during our stay.

Cheers, Dhidie

 

The Wonderful Journey (Part 1)

Makkah at night

Assalamualaikum.

Last year I had a chance to do Umrah and Hajj in the same year. And I'm so blessed. I can't stop thinking how lucky I was to had such a wonderful opportunities.  The Umrah was on January and On September I did my pilgrim.  I was being terrified to leave my kids for almost a month. However I'm telling myself that's everything will be okay since both of my parents will be there to take care of them. So my husband and I can do the service peacefully. 

I really want to share everything about my holy journey to Makkah and Medina. But I don't know how to start. So I'm going to give you the big pictures of what to prepare at home before you go, the things that you need to bring along with you, what to wear, places to visit and what food you should try and any detail. But I won't tell you the detail about the service since it's not my capacity to do that. However, I hope anybody can get the useful information from this post.

Ten things that you should do before you go:

1. Do Groceries shopping and prepare the kitchen supplies and daily amenities that sufficient enough for certain time until you come back home. 

2. Write down the daily menu 

3. Pay all bills (electricity, water, gas, credit card bill, insurance, etc)

4. Give information to closest neighbours, school, another parents about your leaving

5. Prepare the medicine for the kids including the insurance information and the nearby hospital and the regular doctor to visit.

6. Share the teachers phone numbers, neighbours, and another parents, your office mate to your parents or any person that will take care of your house and kids.

7. Put everything that valuable in the safe deposit box in a bank such as jewellery, bank books, house certificates, etc. And don't forget to share this information to your closest  person that you can trust. 

8. share the information about your life insurance to your brother/sister

9. Prepare some money for daily needs and emergency needs 

10. Give information to your close family so they'll take care of your kids and parents during your leaves.

That's the must do list, however if you have another thing to add to the list I'll be happy to know.

Next posts about my journey will be coming up.

Cheers,

Dhidie

Surabaya: A Walk To Remember

Only a night here I really had my me time. I'm all alone in this city. 

After office hours, I finally ready to explore the city. Not actually explore the city, I'm being exaggerate here. I just looking for a nice place to have dinner nearby my hotel. And my choice came to Zangrandi Ice Cream or maybe some traditional food nearby. 

So, I asked to the hotel people and they told me to take a cab to get there. However I decided to trust the google maps since I wanted to take a walk around the city. The night was so nice and not too hot. The traffic and the pedestrian was also nice to explore. So I started to walk from the hotel to fulfil my ice cream craving.

And I really had some fun to walk alone in this city, I felt secure here. it's so different from Jakarta. It's kind of more friendly city. It's a big city, not too busy and very clean city. It also has beautiful old building that very well-maintained. I took some pictures along my way. And imagining some stories in my head.

About Zangrandi. If Jakarta has Ragusa Ice Cream, Semarang has Toko Oen, Surabaya has the legendary Zangrandi Ice Cream. It's been operated since 1930. It's an old fashion ice cream outlet. The taste is also very old fashion, remind me of my childhood. You can feel the past ambience here. I love this vintage feeling.  It's located at Jalan Yos Sudarso, a big street in Genteng area. I spent almost two hours there just enjoying my ice cream and order a calzone for myself ( I took away some I can't finish it) while browsing  my instagram account. Splendid!!

You should try to walk in this city like I did. It's very refreshing.

Cheers, 

Dhidie.

Big mall just across my hotel

Nice View 

Big Tree and water fountain 

Beautiful building

The Zangrandi Ice Cream

Blast from The past

Love's Labyrinth in Surabaya

It's a super duper yummy calzone

A night in Majapahit Hotel Surabaya

This was my second time to go to Surabaya the Historic City. I've found it exciting, cause I'll go by myself and had opportunity to explore this city in a day. It's still for working purpose, but I promised myself that I'm going to have fun since I didn't have many opportunity to travel alone. 

So all decision was mine. I was blessed!!

First arrived at Juanda International Airport, I felt so excited. I went straight to the office and spent my day to interview some candidates  then arrange some meeting. And I really overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people here. And I suddenly fell in love with the city. After all the meeting did very well. it's time for me to go to the hotel and explored the city. The adventure began.

I chose one of historic hotel that we could call it as one of the historic building in Surabaya. It's Majapahit Hotel. I heard so many not really nice story about this hotel but yet I fell in love with the reviews over the internet and curiosity won!!

Majapahit Hotel was located at Jl Tunjungan, Surabaya main street, and the famous shopping mall Tunjungan Plaza just across the street. My first impression was this hotel was very warm and vintage, in a good way. I love vintage style. And even took my breath away when the usher showed me the room. Cause we had to walk along the beautiful isles and I thought I'm gonna be lost if I had to walked here alone. It's like walked in a maze, and I love maze. They also had this beautiful garden in middle of the building and it's only two stories building with each room face the garden. Along the isle I was looking my surrounding excitedly and planning to take picture here and there.

I even more fell in love when entered the room. It's like I'd been transferred to years of 40s. When Indonesia hadn't been independent yet. The story about this hotel itself, that it was built in 1910 as Orange Hotel. I read that Charlie Chaplin was also here to celebrate the opening of the hotel. I felt like I just being part of history. And during the Japanese occupation in Indonesia, the hotel changed its name to Yamato Hotel. And that's when this hotel being the witness of the unforgettable moment for Indonesian people. This was where the dutch flag was being tore away to only red and white as Indonesian flag that lead up to Surabaya Battle. And this hotel changed its name again to Hotel Merdeka. The Hotel Majapahit named itself was came after the new management hotel operated this hotel and the name was after the greatest Majapahit Kingdom until now.

I love this story. I spent a night here and I didn't think feel anything weird. I just enjoyed my stay. Lucky me!!

Cheers, Dhidie.

Cool interior in the lobby

I love the picture

It's like a castle

The Gramophone. A real one!!

Imagine that people from the past were sitting in this room

They had bird cage as interior. Awesome.

Can you point at my room at the corner?

The Path to my Room

It's so vintage

My room has a living room with the classic windows

Just pretending I'm in 40's

Classic Light Switch

Tile Addiction

Pretending to a princess

I was lost and end up with this amazing view

My morning view from the balcony

Bandung Business Pleasures

For work reason, I had to go to Bandung. And I'm so reluctant at the first place cause I hate to work away from my work station and I hate to leave my cats :) 

So I had to make myself happy by planning what I can do after working hours and chose the most convenient hotel nearby the office.

I chose to take a train since the traffic in the highway was predictable lately. And I was very happy because, it's easier to book train ticket nowadays. You just have to go to nearest convenient store and book the ticket by the machine then you'll get receipt with the booking code that you can input in the the machine at the train station to release your printed ticket. The Gambir station also change its face in many way. There are more coffee shops and restaurant to hang out while waiting for your train. Even they have a photo booth and free WIFI. Wow, I think I have to consider another train trip later with my kids. 

The train experience also remind me to the college years, those memories when I had to go back and forth between to cities. Jakarta and Bandung. I feel young again for sure. Then thanks to online cab that help my transportation during my stay. You're really safe my trip.

I picked the 101 Hotel at Dago. The hotel was not really close to the office but by reading the review, I think this one was much better than the other two options. And I was grateful, by the time I entered the hotel, I suddenly fell in love with the interior. I had such feeling that I should took pictures in every corner of the hotel. Cause it too cute to be passed. They had this mix and match design of Roman and Scandinavian styles  and it's very colourful. Even I took a picture with the tiles (yes, I have this weird addiction of taking pictures of tiles). The room was very simple but spacious enough for one person. And it has the best view to Jalan Dago. 

Overall I was enjoying my stay at this hotel. 

Cheers,

Dhidie

The Legendary Parahyangan Train

Seribu Tiga??

Mural, mural on the wall, can you tell who the prettiest in the world?

#Dhidie

Beautiful Tiles

Coffee anyone?

The small swimming pool is inside the restaurant

The Dart Machine as interior, awesome.

Another decoration idea in the dining room

Stack of luggages

The Colourful reception area

Outside, while waiting a cab