Itinerary to CHINA as a Backpacker [baca: nge-gembel ke China]

8 Feb 2010 20.05-22.35
Soekarno-Hatta Airport Jakarta to Changi Airport Singapore
Ticket Flight [Tiger Airways] 31.2 USD / +288.000 IDR
Nginep di Airport
Dinner sekitar 5 SGD / +34.000 IDR

9 Feb 2010 06.10-07.05
Changi Airport Singapore to Kuala Lumpur Airport
Ticket Flight [Tiger Airways] 53.50 SGD / +369.000 IDR
Nginep di rumah Temen di Sepang
Living Cost selama di KL utk makan, internetan dlsb sekitar 30 RM / +72.000 IDR

Note:
Kenapa Tiger Airways? Karena kalo langsung ke Kuala Lumpur via Air Asia tiket termurah saat itu harganya 950.000 IDR.

Perlu diketahui ini perjalanan mendadak tanpa rencana, Sabtu Tgl 30 February malem sekitar jam 23.00 kontak-kontakan dg teman FB yg belum pernah ketemu & punya rencana jalan ke China tgl 10 February 2010, iseng-2 sms eh dibales, paginya telponan & mutusin utk ikutan. Karena besoknya adalah hari minggu, maka baru bisa ngurus Visa hari Senin pagi, mba-2 CS menginformasikan bahwa pengurusan visa sekitar 5 hari & biayanya 325.000 IDR, tau ga syaratnya apa? Paspor asli & kartu nama... ! hehe ajaib...! tp aq belum berani beli tiket dulu sebelum visa disetujui.

Hari-2 selanjutnya diisi dengan berburu tiket murah dari Flight satu ke Flight lainnya, sibuk bandingin harga sambil “jeles” sama temen yg dpt tiket murah ke China, bayangin aja dia dpt tiket Cuma 900.000 IDR dari KL to Guangzhou China & ke KL Cuma 400.000 IDR, bete kan...?! tapi dia pesennya jauh-2 hari.. ya jelas aja lah yaw.....

Hari Jum’at jam 3 sore ditengah meeting dengan Republika mba-2 travel agent telepon kalo visa aq ke China di approve... horeeeeeeee.... meeting langsung ga konsen... backpack mmg udah siap sejak kemaren... pede abis bakalan bisa berangkat, & ternyata yessssss.. my dream come true...
Ribetnya abis meeting masih harus briefing sama team sampe jam 5-an aaahhh...cape dehhhh....

Sampe rumah langsung sibuk order tiket dari hasil membandingkan yg kemaren, ada selisih harga dari kemarin waktu searching, of course lebih mahal lah ya.. secara mendadak dangdut gitu ordernya! harga tiket mmg ga stabil suka-2 maskapai-nya aja merubah harga, kita yg harus pinter-2 nyari. Okelah... aq ga mau mikir harga tiket yg lebih mahal dari temenku, yg penting bisa ke China! Informasi di China masih winter sempet nakutin, tapi bodo amat-lah... nama-nya juga test kesaktian, secara daku paling ga kuat dingin hehe...

Maka diputuskanlah order via Tiger Airways... it’s the best price that I found at that time guys...!
Selanjutnya...

10 February 2010 05.50-09.50
Kuala Lumpur Airport – Baiyun Airport [Guangzhou]
Ticket Flight Air Asia 537 RM / +1.289.000 IDR
kalau tanpa bagasi & insurance total nya sekitar 504 RM / +1.209.000 IDR
Living Cost utk makan & transport jalan-2 dari tgl 10 February 2010 sampai tgl 14 Feb 2010 di Guangzhou sekitar 80 yuan / + 104.000 IDR
Oh iya plus patungan beli no China 35 Yuan / + 45.500 IDR

Nginep di apartemen org Italy di Tianhe Guangzhou yg biasa nampung backpacker, malemnya dibuatin dinner & ketemu temen lain dari China yg mau ke Hongkong & Indonesia, yg ke Indonesia akhirnya menginap di rumah kakak-ku di Bali...

Di China sedang holiday, so toko-2 dan aktivitas berhenti, jalan-2 relatif sepi & urusan cari tiket jadi perkara yg ribet dengan antrian sangat-sangat panjang ditambah dengan suhu yg tdk bersahabat bagi org Indonesia, katanya sih rata-2 6-9 derajat celcius kadang 4 derajat juga... bibir pecah-2 dan ngeri bersentuhan dengan air dingin setiap harinya, kalau mandi air hangat ngeri keluarnya atau males menyelesaikan ritual mandi air hangat hehe...

Harga makanan di China (restaurant halal food) rata-2 6-10 Yuan dengan porsi besar, utk aq sih bisa berdua. Transport dg metro (subway) sekitar 2-5 yuan tergantung jauh & dekat-nya. Taman-2 yg kita kunjungi rata-2 gratis alias tdk membayar, mungkin karena holiday. Guangzhou itu kotanya bersih dan fasilitas transportasinya sangat membantu org-2 seperti aq yang ga ngerti arah... pokonya selama ga naik taxi atau bus (karena ga tau harus bicara apa dg mereka, jarang yg bs berbahasa Inggris. Bahasa tarzan, bahasa tubuh, tebak gambar jadi rutinitas sehari-2..intinya ribet lah, hehe), tinggal lihat peta di metro insya Allah ga bakal nyasar.

Taman-2 yg dikunjungi antara lain YUE XIU PARK & SIX BANYAN PAGODA. Sambutan temen-2 backpackers yg ada di Guangzhou membuat saya merasa hommy di negara asing, kita bertemu temen-2 dari mancanegara dan sharing ttg pengalaman perjalanan atau ttg bagaimana mencapai suatu tempat dengan budget minim serta bagaimana menjadi tuan rumah yg baik bila mendapatkan tamu backpacker lain. Seru dan heboh....! Giorgia (temen dari Italy yg bekerja di Kedutaan Italy di Guangzhou dan fasih berbahasa China) memberiku gelar miss snap 1000’s shoot, karena banci poto banget hehe....

14 February 2010 21.06-11.00
By Train (seat) from Guangzhou to Nanning
Ticket 106 Yuan / +137.800 IDR
Living Cost dari 15-17 Feb 2010 + 40 yuan / + 52.000 IDR

Nginep di rumah temen backpacker dari Serbia dan sudah tinggal di China kalau tdk salah sekitar 2 tahun, dia itu backpacking sudah 6 tahun menjelajah berbagai negri, kadang tinggal agak lama karena nemu kerjaan di negri tersebut seperti saat ini. Meski baru searching di internet saat di Guangzhou dan baru bertemu beberapa menit, dia sangat friendly dan care, begitu sampai dia langsung kasih tau bagaimana menyalakan air panas, menyiapkan tempat istirahat, dan menunjukan peta Nanning, sehingga dengan semangat 45 kita taro backpack dan cabut ke Nanhu Park padahal saat itu sekitar jam 2 siang, bagusnya ada restoran halal food sekitar 300 meter dari apartemennya, jadi kita isi perut dulu disana harga standard sekitar 5-10 yuan per porsi besaaaaar... haduuuuhhhh...

Besoknya main seharian di Qing Xiu Mountain... ini area-nya luas banget dan sumpah bagus juga bersih... karena holiday ada barongsai di mana-mana... dan seru-nya ada food festival dg makanan yg yummy dan murah, sumpah enak banget..! masa 5 yuan aq dapet 7 tusuk cumi-cumi panggang besar.. wuiiiihhh.... mantab...! oh iya ada Indonesian food disana loh.. ada lumpia, bika ambon, lemper, dll seru ya...? hehe...

17 February 2010 09.00-18.00
By Bus from Nanning back to Guangzhou
Ticket 270 yuan / + 351.000 IDR

Living cost : Freeeeeeeeeee... dibayarin semua...... hmmmm
Beli no China 70 yuan / +91.000 IDR
Makan & transport selama 4 hari 50 yuan / +65.000IDR termasuk naik taxi ke stasiun kereta dg barang segede bagong, karena heboh belanja. Dateng 1 backpack, pulang bawa koper plus backpack haha....

Oh iya.. pengumuman aja.... harga sepatu boat lucu-2 cuma 25-40 yuan / +32.500-52.000 IDR utk sepatu jenis yg sama seharga 200.000-an di blok M. Kualitas diatasnya juga ada, tetep aja kalo di kurs lebih murah. Aq beli tas ransel utk laptop seharga 40 yuan dan di mangga dua harganya paling murah bisa nawar sekitar 170.000 haha... koper aja aq beli dg harga 50 yuan / +65.000 IDR, kalo di Blok M sekitar 200.000-an kali ya....

Kenapa balik ke Guangzhou...?
Karena waktu di Nanning tiba-2 dpt sms dari seseorang yg pernah aq bantu buat cash flow dengan excel di Taojin Guangzhou waktu kita diner di restoran halal food. Dia janji akan bayarin semua living cost di Guangzhou sampai aq balik ke Indonesia... yuhuuuuu... jelas aja dong aq cari-2 ticket dengan gagah berani, meski mahal dan susah... siap tempur...

Aq nginep di hotel Deng Feng, di area ini mayoritas muslim (dia tau sekali dimana harus menempatkan dakyu), banyak restauran halal dan makanan yummy yg dipanggang hanya seharga 1 yuan ya ampyuuuuunnn.... asik ga tuh...!
Biaya penginapan semalam 150-180 yuan, karena aq nginep 4 malam harganya discount jadi 130 yuan per nite. Dapet uang saku 100 yuan plus transport 700 yuan plus 40 USD... haha.... matap...!

Di guangtzhou part 2 sempet main ke Dong Shan Hu Park, Uprising Martyr's Cemetery & Sculpture. Not bad laaaahhhh... masih bisa menikmati tempat-2 indah disela-2 kerja.

Selesai semuanya aq check out dan menginap di rumah Giorgia temen Italy yg kerja di Kedutaan Italy di Guangzhou, sempet dinner bersama ortu Giorgia yg sedang holiday di China. Mereka keluarga yg seru & hangat, saya merasa beruntung bertemu mereka... langsung kepikiran utk ke Italy deh hehe... Amin ya Allah.... kabulkanlah...!!! ;-)

23 February 2010 09.08 – 24 February 2010 15.00
By train (sleeper ticket) Guangzhou to Chengdu
Ticket 395 yuan / +513.500 IDR
Living Cost sekitar 30 Yuan / +39.000 IDR termasuk sewa tempat utk simpen bagasi & makan

Meng-order ticket pesawat dari Chengdu ke Kuala Lumpur saat di Guangzhou hari kedua tadinya aq pikir adalah sesuatu yg stupid, karena ternyata saat di Nanning dengan santainya ada screening board yg menginformasikan kalau harga ticket dari Nanning ke Hanoi Vietnam dan setelah ditanya harga tiketnya hanya sekitar 200 yuan, bete khaaannn....?!
Gara-2 takut ga dpt tiket pulang karena pengalaman cari tiket yg setengah mati ke Nanning, malah kehilangan kesempatan ke Vietnam ughhhh....
Karena kalau sudah keluar China kan ga bisa masuk lagi.. harus buat visa lagi.. sementara tiket ku kan dari Chengdu ke Kuala Lumpur, halah ribet.. cape deh...!

Tapi sejak dapet sms utk kembali ke Guangzhou, kekesalan itu berubah menjadi kebahagiaan hehe... coba kalo aq jadi ke vietnam, hilang deh kesempatan dapet accident job haha.... Tuhan mmg baik bgt Thx God, alhamdulillah... ;-)

Dalam perjalanan ke Chengdu ketemu mahasiswi yg liburan di Guangzhou & mau balik ke Chengdu... alhamdulillah lagi, at least mrk bs bhs inggris walau patah-patah & aq sering ga ngertinya wakakakak... tapi sumpah mereka helpful abis, dg waktu yg sempit sekitar 4 jam kita spent time di kota Chengdu sebelum check in di airport.

24 February 2010 23.55 – 25 February 2010 04.35
Shuangliu Airport to Kuala Lumpur
Ticket Flight Air Asia 875 yuan / +1.137.500 IDR

Belajar dari pengalaman tentang persoalan mendasar bahwa sulit berkomunikasi di China karena aq ga bisa bahasa China, maka aq putuskan utk dateng di Shuangliu Airport sedini mungkin.

Jam 8pm aq dah nongkrong di Airport, bener aja, susah cari info karena kebanyakan mereka ga ngerti bahasa Inggris, tapi karena sistim penujuk arah dan map-nya sangat membantu, ternyata tdk sesulit yg dibayangkan, dalam waktu 30 menit aq sudah tau harus check in di mana dan jam berapa mereka buka/tutup, nomor flight aq juga dengan jelas tampil di screen board dan loket boarding... gampang kan...?!

Jadilah aq bete nunggu, akhirnya muter-2, duduk, baca, pokoknya cari kegiatan ga jelas-lah di airport, eh aq lihat kok org-2 pada bolak-balik ngambil minum, waaahhh iseng-2 aq ikutan mereka, ternyata di airport disediakan air gratis, ada hot, warm and cold plus gelas kertas, sama seperti di metro station di guangzhou, baik bgt ya pemerintah China... kebetulan aq masih punya capucino sachet.. so jadilah aq minum capucino gratis... kalo ke restoran min 5 yuan loh bo.... hmmmmmm sedaaaaapp.....

Dipesawat, untungnya ada fasilitas chating dg sesama penumpang... walhasil chating ga penting-lah... mau tau ga ketemunya siapa.... Agusss... halah jauh-2 ketemu org Indonesia juga hehe...
Ada sih org Singapore, China, USA dll... topik-nya sangat tidak menarik.... "Lihat ke jendela... ada banyak bintang bagus..." jelas aja gw bete lha wong di jendela cuma ada sayap pesawat doang....! Mpfffffff....

26 February 2010 16.40-17.35
Kuala Lumpur Airport – Soekarno Hatta Airport Jakarta
Ticket Flight Air Asia 211 RM / +506.400 IDR

Inilah detik yg mem-bete-kan dari semua yg terjadi selama perjalanan, karena keburu-2 akhirnya barang-2 dadakan seperti cemilan & snack baik dari China maupun Kuala Lumpur tertahan di airport karena aku bawa koper backpack & aneka kantong plastik hehe.... peraturan air asia hanya bisa bawa barang ke pesawat seberat maksimum 7kg dg size imut-2 plus tas tangan, sementara bawaanku backpack kecil plus aneka tentengan, karena ga rela ditahan di bandara, aku bagi-bagi-in aja ke cleaning sevice bandara hehe, mereka seneng bgt nerimanya... ya iyalaaaahhhh.....

Pesan moralnya:
Setelah mendapatkan banyak kemudahan & pertolongan di negara lain, ga ada salahnya membagikan sedikit kebahagiaan juga kepada mereka.
Dan.... yg lebih penting adalah... ternyata... masih selalu ada keberuntungan dalam setiap perjalanan ku seperti perjalanan lain yg pernah terjadi sebelumnya dan mudah-2-an yg akan datang juga tetap begitu.... entah kenapa hampir 80% perjalananku pada akhirnya biaya-2 terganti.... bahkan bisa jadi gratis dan mendapatkan extra money... thx again ya Allah... Alhamdulillah...

my blessed travels....

That’s why I’d love traveling....


Note:
Kalau saja perjalanan di rencanakan jauh-2 hari maka harga tiket dapat semakin ditekan, kemarin aku check tiket ke guangzhou dari KL Cuma 500ribuan by air asia, sementara ke KL dari jakarta cuma sekitar 150ribuan huhuhu.....

Tapi faktor lucky juga menentukan..... sepanjang pengalaman sih.... dlm perjalanan usahakan utk tdk mengeluh apapun kondisinya, keep smile, siap susah, siap nolong/membantu/berbagi, keep happy in any conditions dan jangan cheating atau curang atau ngakalin teman seperjalanan hanya utk sedikit curencies (mata uang).
Ngakalin temen dg cara yg ga fair hanya akan menjadikan pengeluaran semakin banyak seperti yg dialami kebanyakan temen seperjalanan-ku... kl lg susah mending terus terang, daripada bilang pinjem duit trus pura-2 lupa, or bilang gini, “pake duit kamu dulu deh...nanti hitung aja.” Trus bener-2 ngitung doang tp pura-2 lupa or ga mau bayar hehe... cape deh....!
Tp kl kita ditolong ya harus tau diri juga, jangan azaz manfaat banget dg say thank you doang, minimal traktir or bantuin beres-2 atau apalah....

Dengan ikhlas, doa serta sabar dan mengalah biasanya malah lucky.

In Memory of Yasmine Sarah Ben Said by Bret Johnson [UCF]

When I had read that story, I feel “dunno how to say, part of my heart seems like empty I guess” so, after got permission from Bret to put this story on my blog, I’m just copy-paste here. It’s about the other great things of love's means.

Our Chat:
BJ: she was my neighbor I used to babysit for her, she had an allergic reaction and they accidentally gave her 10 times the amount of epinephrine that a human can handle...the doctor did, she was to young to die
BS: seems u really love her Bret
BJ: yes I do
BS: I can feel that you such care about her
BJ: I did her and her sister

In Memory of Yasmine Sarah Ben Said by Bret Johnson [UCF]

Yasmine Sarah Ben Said
September 26, 2002 - February 16, 2009

Yasmine was born on September 26, 2002, in St. Paul, Minnesota and attended Kindergarten at the Montessori World School in Orlando.

Yasmine was beautiful inside and out, full of wonder and wise beyond her years. She had a personality that drew peers and adults alike to her vibrant being. She was llike a fish in the water, played soccer loved acting and was learning to read, write, spoke Arabic, studied the Quran, was learning French,and enjoyed singing, . She loved stories, stars, Celtic and Arabic culture, animals, and butterflies. Yasmine traveled regularly to visit relatives in Minnesota lived in Tunisia for 6 months and visited twice. Yasmine's life was a full of adventure-each day a fun filled journey. She will live on in our hearts forever. Her remarkable capacity to love and be loved is an ability we can all aspire to attain in our lives. We shall take each day, each moment together as a gift. Every child is a wondrous presence in our lives. Like Yasmine, we shall embrace that which is good and beautiful and let go of the rest.

Yasmine is survived by her loving parents Mourad Ben Said and Sarah Cromer-Ben Said and her two year old sister Mariam. She is also survived by her grandparents Ezzedine and Manoubia Ben Said of Tunis, Tunsia, Jerry and Michele Cromer-Poire and Mary Kaye Medinger, all from St. Paul, MN, . Yasmine is also survived by many loving aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

There is a scholarship fund that has been set up to help children and families in financial need. Scholarships will assist children to attend the school Yasmine attended, Montessori World School. She flourished in this school, and it helped facilitate the amazing individual she was. Any donation would be appreciated.

Please send your check made out to the Montessori World School and write "Yasmine Ben Said Scholarship Fund", in the memo line. The envelope should be addressed to the school as follows:

Yasmine Ben Said Scholarship Fund
Montessori World School
11659 Ruby Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32836

read in Indonesian

back to blueSaphier’s blog

S . U . N . S . E . T

Taman Pendidikan 29 Jakarta
Sunday, 16 March, 9.07am

Sometimes, life is up and down… sometimes we are felt sad, sometimes felt happy… but… what ever your feeling inside… it just show you that you are still a live in the “real world”. I thought we are agreed that black color as a symbol for sadness things, red for mad or upset, yellow for happiness, gold for something great, pink for love, ect.

If you think life is a picture… life is perfect of picture… life is colorful, and something amazing about life’s picture is, life able to combine sadness color, mad color, happiness color, love color to be a great picture.
Just go to the beach… then waiting till sunset coming up around you… you can see how almighty God created a wonderful picture there… all of color in a perfect picture.
It’s mean… all of your color’s life… it might be making your picture’s life is perfect eventually…

Have a wonderful day.. :-)

read in Indonesian

back to blueSaphier’s blog

Transmania Gathering @ Trans TV_110509

It was surprised when I found my name listed as one of the invitations that can get a recommendation to attend the event Transmania Gathering in Trans TV @ 3A floor with 70 other members of TDA. When I arrived there, I realized that we met with some community (entrepreneurs) in addition to TDA, the IYE and BundaInBiz.

I have a "mati gaya" (slang Indonesian language, for this situation seems like that I’m such feel amazing) since the start of the event at 7pm until 10pm, why? Because my feelings are very proud, stunned, and remarkable while heard presentations from the communities that are represented by the young women full of inspiration. Perhaps because I am woman, therefore I glued some feminism euphoria and spirit ... haha

Although the theme of Kartini’s day has been pass, but the fact that at the time that young women have shared many experiences, but without leaving their duties as wife and mother, for me its very unusual.

Founder kutukutubuku.com makes me impressed with her spirit as a young entrepreneur at the age, also jengNad (with that name she need people known her) from bundaInBiz, her presentation looks very simple, but in fact it become so powerful.

I’m really busy with my amazing feelings for them, coz very inspiring. At home I can’t sleep ... maybe coz of remembrance of JengNad’s new shoes at her cute blog haha… jengNad really humble person...

I also think the director of Trans TV pak Ishadi, what indeed is in the mind so that he would like to spent his valuable time to sit in on the event. He looks very low profile and carefully, the atmosphere of intimacy that he does not appear as subordinate to superior, but more like family. This proves that management should not be rigid and authoritarian to the achievement of the plume.

I like the one with the phrase pak Ishadi the essence, "In Trans TV, employees here also has many entrepreneurs talent, who have brought food for sale from floor to floor, bring a cloth, and so forth. It does not matter, rather than corruption. Right?" It’s greeted with spontaneous cheers & applauses.

Well, great moment.. but I should sleep now, I know that I will get a sweet dream about you all ... positive people in positive community .. will make us feel positive.

read in Indonesian

back to blueSaphier’s blog

The Fortune Cookies [Kue Keberuntungan]

A lot of cookies that gave me many nice and sweet fortunes, so I just take part of them to share with you all… enjoy with that fortune cookie then !
Thu, 22 May 2008, 17:48:57-0400

Some sweet crunchies for my sweet crunchy sweets.(Now that’s a better fortune?) -LJ-

Whether take out or dine in, every one’s favorite Chinese food is …. You guessed it “The fortune Cookie”.

A journey of a thousands mile a begins with a single step.

Rx for love: hug, kiss, repeat.

The wait is over

Tomorrow you will captivate someone with your smile.

Believed and it is so.

Get more fortune?

All of your hard work will soon be rewarded (with a heavier workload).

A single rose has many throns.

Indulge your inner shopper today.

Your head and your heart – don’t used without the other.

Your talent is recognized by many.

Get more fortune?

Your love will put a smile on someone’s face.

Beauty lies within. Magic lies in revealing it.

Things aren’t as bad as they seem.

Sometimes love can be found in the last place you’d expect.

The story of your life is written on many hearts.

Get more fortune?

Your future holds a bounty of love and laughter.

You will be happy in love.

Today you will attract many admirers.

You hold the key to someone else’s happiness.

Today will be a great hair day.

Get more fortune?

Don’t hide from love.

Today is a good day to mend fences.

You have a way of spreading joy where ever you go.

True love means sharing the remote control.

Today is a good day to call a friend.

Get more fortune?

When love came knocking at the door, make sure it’s unlocked.

To see love, close your eyes and open your heart.

You are the star of your own reality show.

The language of love is filled with typos.

Today’s goal : Make a new friend!

Get more fortune?

If you were in a reality show, you’d be the one every one wants to win.

Your dreams are within reach.

Chocolate is the answer.

Change your routine and you’ll change your life.

Everything you touch today will begin to blossom.

Get more fortune?

An unexpected kiss is coming your way.
The answer is yes.
You have many reason to smile.
Someone close to you will amaze you.
This day will bring you a moment you will never forget.
Get more fortune?

Nothing says forever like a tattoo.

Speak up – let your voice be hard.

Tread lightly. Promised and hearts are easily broken.

The universe is about to give you a big hug.

Put your left foot in, and shake it all about.

Get more fortune?

It’s my good fortune to know someone as nice as you.
Have a wonderful day.
Thanks for anythings nice memories that you gave for me :-)

read in Indonesian

back to blueSaphier’s blog