Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia, located in Central Java, approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta.[1]
It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918. The main building was completed in around 1953, since it is next to impossible to find the original stonework, which has often been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available. Therefore only their foundation walls of most of the smaller shrines are visible and they will not be rebuilt.
Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples. The temple was damaged during the earthquake in Java in 2006. Early photos suggested that although the complex appears to be structurally intact, damage is significant, with large pieces of debris, including carvings, scattered over the ground. The temple has been closed to the public until damage can be fully assessed. The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency stated that: "it will take months to identify the precise damage".[2] However, some weeks later in 2006 the site re-opened for visitors. The immediate surroundings of the Hindu temples remain off-limits for safety reason. 
Prambanan at night
Monday, August 13, 2007
Heaven on earth 1: Prambanan
Heaven on earth 2: Kelimutu Lake - Flores Island
Kelimutu
Kelimutu is a volcano in central Flores Island of Indonesia containing three summit crater lakes of varying colors. The western lake, Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People) is commonly blue. Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched, or Enchanted Lake), which share a common crater wall, are commonly green- and red-colored, respectively, although lake colors vary periodically. Active upwelling, probably fed by subaqueous fumaroles, occurs at the two eastern lakes. The scenic lakes are a popular tourist destination and have been the source of minor phreatic eruptions in historical time. The summit of the compound 1639-m-high Kelimutu volcano is elongated two km in a WNW-ESE direction; the older cones of Kelido and Kelibara are located respectively three km to the north and two km to the south.
Kelimutu Lake
Friday, August 10, 2007
Heaven on earth 3: Celebes Sea
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea (or the Sulawesi Sea (Indonesian: Laut Sulawesi) of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east by the Sangihe Islands chain, on the south by Sulawesi, and on the west by Kalimantan in Indonesia . The Sea is in the form of a huge basin, and plunges as deep as 6,200 m. It extends 420 miles (675 km) north-south by 520 miles (837 km) east-west and has a total surface area of 110,000 square miles (280,000 square km). The sea opens southwest through the Makassar Strait into the Java Sea.
The Celebes Sea is a piece of an ancient ocean basin that formed 42 million years ago in a setting far from any land mass. By 20 million years ago, crustal movement had pushed the Celebes basin close enough to the Indonesian and Philippine volcanoes to receive volcanic debris. By 10 million years ago the Celebes Sea was inundated with continental debris, including coal, which was shed from a rapidly growing young mountain on Borneo and the basin had docked against Eurasia.
The border between the Celebes and the Sulu Sea is at the Sibutu-Basilan Ridge. Strong ocean currents, deep sea trenches and seamounts, combined with active volcanic islands, result in complex oceanographic features.
Marine life
The Celebes Sea is home to a wide variety of fish and aquatic creatures. The tropical setting and warm clear waters permit it to harbor about 580 of the world's 793 species of reef-building corals, which grow as some of the most bio-diverse coral reefs in the world, and an impressive array of marine life, including whales and dolphins, sea turtles, manta rays, eagle rays, barracuda, marlin and other reef and pelagic species. Tuna and yellow fin tuna are also abundant.
In addition to high abundance of fish caught in the Celebes sea, this sea also yields other aquatic products like sea tang.
Heaven on earth 4: Komodo Island
Komodo Island
Komodo is an island of Indonesia with a surface area of 390 km² and over 2000 inhabitants. The inhabitants of the island are descendents of former convicts who were exiled to the island, who have mixed themselves with the Bugis from Sulawesi. The population are primarily adherents of Islam. However, there is also a Christian and Hindu minority.
It belongs to the Lesser Sunda Islands and is a part of the Komodo National Park. Particularly notable here is the native Komodo dragon. In addition, the island is a popular destination for diving. Administratively, it is part of the East Nusa Tenggara province.
Location
Komodo lies within the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands between the substantially larger neighboring islands Sumbawa to the west and Flores to the east. Not only is the island famous for its heritage of convicts on the island but the unique fauna which roam it as well. Giant lizards known as the Komodo Dragon live on this island and some of the smaller surrounding islands, attracting much tourism.
Komodo dragon
The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo[2]), or simply Komodo, is the largest living species of lizard, growing to an average length of 2-3 metres (approximately 6.5-10 feet). This great length is attributed to island gigantism, as there are no carnivorous mammals to fill the niche in the islands that they live on, and the Komodo dragon's low metabolic rate.[3][4] As a result of its great size, these lizards are apex predators, dominating the ecosystems in which they live.[5] Komodo dragons are a member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae, and the clade Toxicofera. They only inhabit the islands of Komodo, Rinca (or Rintja), Padar, Flores, Gili Motang, Owadi and Samiin in central Indonesia.[6]
Parental care in Komodo dragons is restricted to the females, who guard clutches of around 20 eggs for seven months. After hatching, young Komodo dragons often move into trees in order to avoid predation by adults. Young dragons take five years to reach maturity, after which they can live for fifty years. In captivity Komodo dragons have reproduced by parthenogenesis.
In spite of their large size, Komodo dragons were only discovered by Western scientists in 1910. Their large size and fearsome reputation makes them popular zoo exhibits. In the wild their range has contracted due to human activities and they are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN. They are protected under Indonesian law and a national park was founded in order to protect them.
Anatomy and morphology
In the wild, large adults usually weigh around 70 kilograms (154 pounds).[7] Captive specimens often weigh more. The largest verified wild specimen was 3.13 metres (10 feet 3 inches) long and weighed 166 kilograms (365 pounds), including undigested food.[8] Komodo dragons have a tail that is as long as the body, as well as about 60 frequently-replaced serrated teeth that may be 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) in length.[9] Their saliva will frequently be blood-tinged, because their teeth are almost completely covered by gingival tissue and this tissue is naturally lacerated during feeding.[10] This creates an ideal culture for the virulent bacteria that live in their mouths.[11] It also has a long, yellow, deeply-forked tongue.[8] Males are larger than females, with skin color from dark grey to brick red, while females are more olive green, and have patches of yellow at the throat.[citation needed] The young are much more colorful by comparison, with yellow, green and white banding on a dark background.
Physiology
Komodo dragons' sense of hearing is not particularly acute, despite their visible earholes, and their visual discrimination (especially of stationary objects) is poor, although they can see in color. They use their tongue to detect taste and smell stimuli, as with many other reptiles, with the vomeronasal sense using a Jacobson's organ, a sense that aids navigation in the dark.[12] With the help of a favorable wind, they may be able to detect carrion up to 9.5 kilometres (6 miles) away.[10] Komodo dragons' nostrils are not of great use for smelling, as they do not have a diaphragm.[13] They have no taste buds on their tongues, only a few in the back of the throat.[12]
Their scales, some reinforced with bone, have sensory plaques connected to nerves that facilitate their sense of touch. The scales around the ears, lips, chin, and feet bottoms may have three or more sensory plaques.[10]
Formerly, Komodo dragons were thought to be deaf when a study reported no agitation in wild Komodo dragons during whispers, raised voices, and shouts. This was disputed when London Zoological Garden employee Joan Proctor trained a captive monitor to come out to feed at the sound of her voice, even when she could not be seen.
Rafflesia arnoldii
Rafflesia arnoldii
Kingdom : Plantae
Division : Magnoliophyta
Class : Magnoliopsida
Order : Malpighiales
Family : Rafflesiaceae
Genus : Rafflesia
Species : R. arnoldii
Binomial name : Rafflesia arnoldii R.Br.
Rafflesia arnoldii is a member of the genus Rafflesia. It is noted for producing the largest individual flower on earth. There are some plants with larger flowering organs, the Titan Arum and Talipot palm, but these are technically clusters of many flowers. It occurs only in the rainforests of Sumatra and Borneo in the Indonesia Archipelago.
Molecular studies in 2007 have resulted in the final taxonomy of Rafflesia arnoldii which has been assigned to the family of Euphorbiaceae (Davis et al. 2007).
Description
Several species of Rafflesia grow in the jungles of southeast Asia, including the Philippines. Many of them threatened or endangered. Rafflesia arnoldii is the largest; its flower attains a diameter of nearly a meter (3 ft) and can weigh up to 11 kilograms (24 lb).
It lives as a parasite on the Tetrastigma vine, as its host, which grows only in primary (undisturbed) rainforests. While many parasites appear like normal plants, Rafflesia lacks any observable leaves, roots, or even stems. Likened to fungi, Rafflesia individuals grow as thread-like strands of tissue completely embedded within and in intimate contact with surrounding host cells from which nutrients and water are obtained. Perhaps the only part of Rafflesia that is identifiable as distinctly plant-like are the flowers; although, even these are bizarre because they attain massive proportions and are usually reddish-brown and stink of rotting flesh. The flower is pollinated by flies attracted by its scent.
Specimen of Rafflesia arnoldii at the Kyoto Botanical Garden.Rafflesia arnoldii is rare and fairly hard to locate. It is especially difficult to see in flower; the buds take many months to develop and the flower lasts for just a few days. How many of these strange plants still survive is unknown, but as the remaining primary forests of Borneo and Sumatra disappear, it can only be assumed that their numbers are dwindling. Many are known to be nearing extinction. Some environmentalists are thinking of a way to recreate the species' environment, in an effort to stimulate a recovery in the population of this endangered species. This has proved unsuccessful so far, but the efforts have continued. However, steps are being taken to conserve the forests of Sumatra and Borneo.
Pollination is a rare event due to several factors. The flowers are unisexual and single sites usually produce either male or female flowers. Therefore, in order to have effective pollination, male flowers must be near to, and open at the same time as, the female flowers so that flies can transfer the pollen.
While male and female individuals could be closely spaced, flower bud mortality is 80-90% per site thereby reducing the chance of co-flowering two individuals. Furthermore, the flower lifespan is only 5-7 days. Also, the current population distributions are fragmented due to habitat destruction. So, successful reproduction relies on the unlikely event that a male and female would bloom during the same 5-7 days and that a fly could carry pollen between the often widely separated populations
Heaven on earth 5 : Lombok
Lombok
Lombok (1990 pop. 2,403,025) is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It is part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is roughly circular, with a "tail" to the southwest, about 70 km across and a total area of about 4,725 km² (1,825 sq mi). The administrative capital and largest city on the island is Mataram.
History
The Dutch first visited Lombok in 1674 and settled the eastern part of the island, leaving the western half to be ruled by a Hindu dynasty from Bali. The Sasaks chafed under Balinese rule, and a revolt in 1891 ended in 1894 with the annexation of the entire island to the Netherlands East Indies.
Geography and demographics
Gunung RinjaniThe Lombok Strait marks the passage of the biogeographical division between the fauna of the Indomalayan ecozone and the distinctly different fauna of Australasia that is known as the Wallace Line, for Alfred Russel Wallace, who first remarked upon the distinction between these two major biomes.
The island's topography is dominated by the centrally-located stratovolcano Mount Rinjani, which rises to 3,726 m (12,224 ft), making it the third-largest in Indonesia. The most recent eruption of Rinjani was in June-July, 1994. The volcano, and its sacred crater lake, are protected by a National Park established in 1997. The southern part of the island is a fertile plain where corn, rice, coffee, tobacco, and cotton are grown.
The island's inhabitants are 85% Sasak (a people, closely related to the Balinese, but mostly practising Islam), 10-15% Balinese, with the small remainder being Chinese, Arab, Javanese, and Sumbawanese.
Economy and politics
Lombok has much in common with nearby Bali, but less well-known and less-visited by foreigners. It has been working to increase its visibility to tourists in recent years, promoting itself as an "unspoiled Bali". The most-developed center of tourism is Senggigi, spread in a 10-kilometer strip along the coastal road north of Mataram, while backpackers congregate in the Gili Islands off the west coast. Other popular tourist destinations include Kuta (distinctly different from Kuta, Bali) where surfing is considered some of the best in the world by leading surfing magazines. The Kuta area is also famous for its beautiful, untouched beaches.
Local Sassak childrenWhile the area may be considered economically depressed by First World standards, the island is fertile, has sufficient rainfall in most areas for agriculture, and possesses a variety of climate zones. Consequently, food in abundant quantity and variety is available inexpensively at local farmer's markets. A family of 4 can eat rice, vegetables, and fruit for as little as US$0.50. Even though a family income may be as small as US$1.00 per day from fishing or farming, many families are able to live a happy and productive live on astonishingly small incomes.
In early 2000 thousands fled from religious and ethnic violence that swept over the island, and tensions remain. Some travel websites warn that tourists sometimes provoke anger in this economically depressed region. This warning lacks credibility, since all of Lombok has had a long history of welcoming visitors to the island. Both the government and many of the residents recognize that tourism and the services required by tourists is Lombok's highest source of income. Further proof of the island's hospitality is show by the fact that tourists are virtually never seriously injured by any interaction with the local population. There is also a refugee camp on the island, costs paid for by Australia, which holds mostly Hazara Afghans who have tried to enter Australia by boat.
Mount Rinjani
Mount Rinjani or Gunung Rinjani is an active volcano in Indonesia on the island of Lombok. It rises to 3,726 m (12,224 ft), making it the second highest volcano in Indonesia. The first historical eruption occurred in September of 1847. The most recent eruption of Mount Rinjani was on 1 October 2004. The volcano and spectacular Segara Anak crater lake, are protected by a national park established in 1997. The 6 km by 8.5 km oval-shaped caldera is filled partially by a lake known as Segara Anak (approximately 2000m above sea level and estimated at being between 200m and 300m deep); the caldera also contains hot springs. The eruptions of 1994, 1995, and 1996 have formed a small cone, Gunung Baru (or Mountain New - approximately 2300m above sea level) in the center of the caldera and lava flows from these eruptions have entered the lake.
The highlands are forest clad and mostly underdeveloped. The lowlands are highly cultivated. Rice, soybeans, coffee, tobacco, cotton, cinnamon, and vanilla are the major crops grown in the fertile soils of the island.
Heaven on earth 6 : Tangkuban Perahu - Bandung
Tangkuban Perahu
Tangkuban Perahu, or Tangkuban Parahu in local sundanese dialect, is an active volcano 30 km north of the city of Bandung, the provincial capital of West Java, Indonesia. It is a popular tourist attraction where tourists can hike or ride to the edge of the crater to view the hot water springs upclose, and buy eggs cooked on its hot surface. This stratovolcano is on the island of Java and last erupted in 1983.
In April 2005 the Directorate of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation raised an alert, forbidding visitors from going up the volcano. "Sensors on the slopes of the two mountains - Anak Krakatoa on the southern tip of Sumatra Island and Tangkuban Perahu in Java - picked up an increase in volcanic activity and a build up of gases, said government volcanologist Syamsul Rizal." [2]
Local Legend of the Mountain
The name translates roughly to "upturning of (a) boat" or "upturned boat" in Sundanese, referring to the local legend of its creation. The story tells of "Dayang Sumbi", a beauty who lived in West Java. She cast away her son "Sangkuriang" for disobedience, and in her sadness was granted the power of eternal youth by the gods. After many years in exile, Sangkuriang decided to return to his home, long after the two had forgotten and failed to recognize each other. Sangkuriang fell in love with Dayang Sumbi and planned to marry her, only for Dayang Sumbi to recognize his birthmark just as he was about to go hunting. In order to prevent the marriage from taking place, Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to (1) build a dam on the river Citarum and (2) build a large boat to cross the river, both before the sunrise. Sangkuriang meditated and summoned mythical ogre-like creatures -buta hejo or green giant(s)- to do his bidding. Dayang Sumbi saw that the tasks were almost completed and called on her workers to spread red silk cloths east of the city, to give the impression of impending sunrise. Sangkuriang was fooled, and upon believing that he had failed, kicked the dam and the unfinished boat, resulting in severe flooding and the creation of Tangkuban perahu from the hull of the boat.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Bukit Lawang - Bahorok
The tourist village of Bukit Lawang, in North Sumatra, Indonesia, is the main access point for the rainforests of the Gunung Leuser National Park. Visitors can see Sumatran Orangutans at the nearby rehabilitation centre and for jungle treks. Bukit Lawang is situated 86 km by road north-west of Medan, passing through Tanjung Langkat, Binjai, Bohorok nestling on the banks of the Bohorok river.
A flash flood hit Bukit Lawang during November 2003, killing a substantial proportion of the village and destroying nearly all the buildings including tourist hotels.[1] Ironically , construction was already underway to move the village away from the river's edge, where it had been constructed without government permission.
Sumatran Orangutan
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Primates
Family : Hominidae
Subfamily : Ponginae
Genus : Pongo
Species : P. abelii
The Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii) is the rarer of the two species of orangutans. Living and endemic to Sumatra island of Indonesia, they are smaller than the Bornean Orangutan. The Sumatran Orangutan grows to about 4.6 feet tall and 200 pounds in males. Females are smaller, averaging 3ft and 100 pounds.The female Sumatran Orangutan is more social than it's Bornean counterpart. They give birth when they are about 15 yeas old. Infant orangutans will stay close to their mother for up the three years. Even after that they will still associate with them.
Rape is common among orangutans. Sub-adult males will try to mate with any female, though they probably mostly fail to impregnate them since mature female are easily capable of fend them off. Mature females prefer to mate with a mature male
Both orangutan species are likely to live several decades; the longevity estimate can span for more than 50 years, with the oldest captive orangutan, Ah Meng, being born in 1960.[3] The average of the first reproducation of P. abelii is around 12.3 years old with no indication of menopause.[2] Interval birth rates for Sumatran Orangutan were longer than the Bornean ones; the longest reported interval birth rates among the great apes.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Borobudur-The great
Borobudur
is a ninth century Buddhist Mahayana monument in Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.[1] A main dome is located at the center of the top platform, and is surrounded by seventy-two Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely, Kamadhatu (the world of desire); Rupadhatu (the world of forms); and Arupadhatu (the world of formless). During the journey, the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam.[2] It was rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, the British ruler of Java. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3] Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage, and once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument. It is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction
is a ninth century Buddhist Mahayana monument in Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.[1] A main dome is located at the center of the top platform, and is surrounded by seventy-two Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely, Kamadhatu (the world of desire); Rupadhatu (the world of forms); and Arupadhatu (the world of formless). During the journey, the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam.[2] It was rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, the British ruler of Java. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3] Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage, and once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument. It is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction
is a ninth century Buddhist Mahayana monument in Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.[1] A main dome is located at the center of the top platform, and is surrounded by seventy-two Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely, Kamadhatu (the world of desire); Rupadhatu (the world of forms); and Arupadhatu (the world of formless). During the journey, the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam.[2] It was rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Thomas Raffles, the British ruler of Java. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[3] Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage, and once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument. It is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Nias Island
Nias island
Nias (Indonesian: Pulau Nias, Nias language: Tanö Niha) is an island off the western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia.is located in a chain of islands parallel to the coast that are separated from Sumatra by the Mentawai Strait; Simeulue is located about 140 km northwest, and the Batu Islands are located about 80 km southeast. This chain, which resurfaces in Nusa Tenggara in the mountainous islands of Sumba and Timor, is the forearc of the South Sumatra Basin along the Sunda Trench subduction zone. At Nias the oceanic plate is being obliquely subducted under the Asian Plate at the rapid rate of 52 mm a year (Milsom).
Nias Island is located at 1°6′N, 97°32′E, and covers an area of 4,771 km² which is mostly lowland area of ± 800 m above sea level.
Surfing
Nias is an internationally famous surfing destination. The best known surfing area is Sorake Bay, close to the town of Teluk Dalam, on the southern tip. Enclosed by the beaches of Lagundri and Sorake, the bay has both left and right-hand breaks. As they wait for waves, surfers can often see sea turtles swimming below. There are also two consistent, world-class waves in the nearby Hinako Islands, Asu and Bawa. Many lesser-known, high-quality surf spots with low crowds await adventurous travelers.
Nias was part of the famous Hippie trail of the 1960s, particularly travelled by surfers, which lead to Bali. Some claim that the waves at the southern beach of Sorake are better than the ones in Maui. It has been the site of several international surfing competitions in the past, particularly before the 1998 Indonesian Reformation Movement.
Despite the storied history of surfing in Nias, international surfing in Nias has slowed down especially (but not specifically) due to the recent earthquakes. [1] [2] The situation is slowly changing, however. [3]
Culture
An old Nias ceremonial shieldIsolated yet worldy, the Nias Island chain has been trading with other cultures, other islands, and even mainland Asia since prehistory. Some historians and archaeologists have cited the local culture as one of the few remaining Megalithic cultures in existence today. While this point of view is hotly debated, there is no doubt that Nias relative geographic isolation has created a unique culture. As a culture of traders, the people of Nias find tourists to be a welcome - and historically familiar - phenomenon.
Nias best known for its remarkable diversity of festivals and celebration. The most well known events are War Dances, performed regularly for tourists, and Stone Jumping, a manhood ritual that sees young men leaping over two meter stone towers to their fate. In the past the top of the stone board is covered with spikes and sharp pointed bamboo. The music of Nias, performed mostly by women, is noted worldwide for its haunting beauty.
Gunungsitoli is home to Nias's only museum, the Museum Pusaka Nias (Nias Heritage Foundation)[3], which houses over 6000 objects related to Nias's cultural heritage. The museum had recently built a new building and had improved their storage and exhibitions when the 2004 earthquake and tsunami occurred. The museum suffered some damage to the grounds and collections, but museum staff are working to recover from this devastating event[4].
The predominant religion is Protestant Christianity. Six out of seven Niasans are Protestant; the remainder are about evenly divided between Muslim (mostly immigrants from elsewhere in Indonesia) and Catholic. However adherence to either Christian or Muslim religions is still largely symbolic; Nias continues into current day celebrating its own indigenous culture and traditions as the primary form of spiritual expression.
The people of Nias build omo sebua houses on massive ironwood pillars with towering roofs. Not only were they almost impregnable to attack in former tribal warfare, their flexible nail-less construction provide proven earthquake durability.
Nias is home not only to a unique human culture but also endemic fauna which differ from other areas of North Sumatra because of the island's remote location separate from Sumatra.
Teluk Dalam
Teluk Dalam is a sub-district in the South Nias regency, North Sumatra province, Indonesia. Its area is 490 km². In English, "Teluk Dalam" literally means Deep Gulf.
As of 2004, Teluk Dalam has 39 villages with population of 76,750 and population density 157/km².
Teluk Dalam has various tourist sites, such as Sorake Beach, Lagundri Beach dan Bawömataluo which hosts Nias tradisional houses of hundred years ago.
On 28 March 2005, the 2005 Sumatran earthquake destroyed many ancient sites and many people were killed.
On 2 April 2005, an Australian Sea King helicopter carrying 11 soldiers on a humanitarian mission to help the earthquake victims crashed here, killing 9 soldiers.
Bangka-Belitung Island
Bangka-Belitung Islands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bangka-Belitung Islands is a province of Indonesia. It includes two islands, Bangka and Belitung, and several smaller ones, which lie east of Sumatra, northeast of South Sumatra province. The Bangka Strait separates Sumatra and Bangka, and the Gaspar Strait separates Bangka and Belitung. The South China Sea is to the north, the Java Sea is to the south, and Borneo to the east is separated from Belitung by the Karimata Strait.
The province was formerly part of South Sumatra, but became an independent province along with Banten and Gorontalo in 2000. In 2004 its population was 1,012,655. The capital is Pangkal Pinang.
These island prouced large mining (the largest producers of tin in Indonesia). The islands are also abundant with prouction of white pepper CPO etc.
Bangka Belitung also have many beautiful beaches and smaller islands which have attracted many tourists from around the world. The famous beaches are Matras beach, Parai beach, Tanjung Pesona beach, Batu Bedaun beach, Remodong beach, Pasir Padi Beach, Tanjung Kelian Beach, Rebo beach, Telok Uber Beach and many others
Bintan island-Riau
Bintan Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bintan Island or Negeri Segantang Lada is an island of 1,866 square kilometers, and is part of the Riau Islands province of Indonesia. The capital of Bintan is the southwestern city of Tanjung Pinang.
Geography
Bintan is the largest of 3,200 islands in the Riau Archipelago, and is located less than 40 kilometers from Singapore. Bintan has tropical forest and beautiful white beaches. The highest mountain on the island, Bintan Besar. The mountain is the remains of an old volcano, and it's almost 400 meters high, the highest point on the Riau Island province.
History
Bintan first became politically important when Sultan Mahmud of the fallen Sultanate of Malacca fled to Bintan and created a resistance base there after Malacca was taken by the Portuguese forces in 1511. The Portuguese eventually destroyed the stronghold in 1526, and after a few years the Sultanate founded a new capital back on the Malay Peninsula and developed from there.
Bintan was also once the capital of the Sultanate of Johor that grew to considerable political and cultural power from the 17th to the 19th century. The island played a central role in Malay culture.
At the beginning of 18th century the Sultanate of Johor entered into political turmoil and the capital moved back to Bintan as the Bugis took control of the sultanate. In the hands of the Bugis, Bintan became a powerful trading port, attracting regional, Western, Indian and Chinese traders as well as migrants including Chinese much in the same way Malacca developed into a regional power three centuries earlier.
The success of the port caught the attention of the European powers. The British, who controlled Penang, were looking for a new settlement further to the south of the Straits of Malacca that would contain the Dutch expansions and considered Bintan as a possible location.
The Dutch, however, no longer accepted the competition from Bintan and attacked and took control of the island at the end of the 18th century, bringing to an end its local trading supremacy and delaying the British arrival in the area for a few years until the internal power struggle within the sultanate of Riau-Johor offered them the opportunity to take control of the island of Singapore.
Modern development
Bintan's power and central role slowly disappeared with the regional political changes and the island's past fortune is now overshadowed by the new glory of neighbouring islands.
After being founded by the British in 1819, Singapore became the new regional trading center that it still is today. Due to its limited size, Singapore initiated the Sijori Growth Triangle and signed agreements with the Indonesian governments to invest heavily in Batam and Bintan.
The once wild and deserted Batam island became an industrial "hinterland" for Singapore and a special investment zone for world industrial companies, also attracting thousands of workers from the entire country.
Bintan was not transformed into the industrial park Batam. Instead, Singapore again signed agreement with Indonesia to lease its northern coast and develop it into a resort for Singaporeans ("Bintan Resort").
Singapore's current status as the regional trading center and its political influence in the region, and particularly in the heart of the Sijori Growth Triangle is actually pretty close to what Bintan was a few centuries ago.
Transportation
Several daily ferries run between Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal in Singapore to the capital of the Indonesian province Riau Island Tanjung Pinang it's just over the Singapore Strait and takes not more than an hour. Ferries goes also to Bandar Bentan Telani in Bintan. Others choose to go to Tanjung Pinang through the island of Batam via Telaga Punggur port. Bintan holds several popular resorts and beach sites as well as local cities such as its capital, Tanjung Pinang, from which connecting local ferries to other islands in the archipelago can be found.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
The wonder of North Sulawesi
A Tour of Duty in North Sulawesi
by Adam J. Fenton
When Alfred Russel Wallace, that paragon of English endeavour and observation, toured though this region in the 1850s, he noted that "the little town of Menado [sic] is one of the prettiest in the East...To the west and south the country is mountainous, with groups of fine volcanic peaks 6,000 or 7,000 feet high, forming grand and picturesque backgrounds to the landscape."
Those fine volcanic peaks that he talks of are the Minahasa highlands. North Sulawesi is the only part of this strangely sprawling island that has volcanoes, and they are magnificent smokey beasts to behold. Nestled as it between two active volcanoes (one of which, Lokon, is given to erupting every few years, the last one was in May, 2001, showering Manado and surrounding areas with ash) it’s little surprise that the name of the village means “people who pray”. Even the most casual observer will notice that North Sulawesi has a proliferation of churches, many of them seemingly stuck at various stages of construction. Given their precarious situation though it’s no surprise that the people of Tomohon were given to praying more than most.
For energetic travellers a trek to the top of either of Tomohon’s two adjacent peaks, Lokon or Mahawu, will both challenge and reward you with spectacular views. On a clear morning from the rim of Mahawu’s steaming crater we got a bird’s eye view of the whole region right down to the city of Manado and Bunaken island to the north and as far as Bitung and Mt Duasaudara to the east.
The fertile soils of the Minahasa highlands have made them some of the most productive for agriculture, and it seems everywhere you look up here are neat rows of cabbages, carrots, spring onions and other vegetables that eventually find their way to the Tomohon market, and later onto dining tables around the region.
Being volcanic highlands you might also expect to see some highland lakes, and you won’t be disappointed. Lake Tondano is the largest and most well known, with its colourful restaurants built on stilts over the water for a fresh seafood lunch. Then there’s the remarkable Lake Linow fed by a steaming volcanic spring, on a hot day it is famed for its colour changes from deep blue to turquoise, green and sulfur yellow. Also nearby is Kali waterfall. Just a short drive from Tomohon, from the carpark it’s a moderately energetic walk along a narrow path which winds through some luxuriant rainforest. The waterfall itself has a charming fairy tale quality to it with an arched bridge having been put in place and the rock walls around are covered with beard moss blowing in the breeze and spray from the powerful falls. Best to take a raincoat and something cover your camera.
Around two hours drive from Tomohon is one of the most remarkable cultural sites of all North Sulawesi. In the village of Sawangan in the Airmadidi district you will find a collection of stone sarcophagi. Varying in age, the oldest reportedly dates back as far as 900AD. The Waruga as they are called consist two distinct parts; the hollowed out square or rectangular base, and a rooflike lid into which some have carved scenes depicting the life, and sometimes death of the occupant. According to the wizened old crone who tends the grounds here, the oldest of the sarcophagi have no decorations. It was only a relatively recent practice, from 1700s on, to add the low relief carvings. One scene clearly shows a woman giving birth and suggests that she must have died during labour. Surrounded by gnarled frangipani trees this is an eery place, especially when you consider that the dead were not buried underground but merely placed, inside the vessel in a fetal position squatting atop a china plate. An outbreak of cholera and tuberculosis in the early 1800s meant that the Dutch colonial government outlawed the practice, and many of the waruga from around the region were gathered up and relocated to Sawangan. There are now 144 of them gathered together here, and a small museum was added which displays some ceramics, and huge copper jewellery (bracelets and necklaces) which were used to adorn the otherwise naked bodies.
The question was a simple one – though it seemed no one had ever thought to ask – what can you do in North Sulawesi besides diving?
It seems that there is still a bit of controversy over who opened the first dive resort in Manado. Some people will tell you one thing while others will say the opposite. Either way, subtle points of historical fact aside, from the mid 1980s onward Manado began to develop a reputation as being one of the most exciting and rewarding places to dive on the surface of our planet Earth. In due course, word got around and people came from far and wide as Manado cultivated its image as the world’s diving Mecca. So what was attracting all those people? As one local dive instructor put it, it all comes down to one simple word: "Biodiversity. Near Manado and Bunaken you can see around 3000 types of fish, and around 300 types of coral. It is very difficult to find anywhere else that has this amount of variety." It sounds simple to say – 3000 types of fish. But think about it, in one relatively small area surrounding the island of Bunaken, you stick your head underwater at any random point and you are instantly transported to a strange new Star Wars universe teeming with bizarre, colourful, unimaginable creatures and corals. For serious divers, an unusual breed who patiently like to catalogue and note down the different species that they have encountered on a dive, this was like striking the mother lode. Word spread fast.
In some ways though, it seems like we might have missed the point, a bit. As one resort manager explained "For many years we in North Sulawesi have always thought of ourselves as a marine tourism destination. The reality is, this is not true!! If one takes the time to travel beyond the dive resort or hotel that you’re staying in, you will find a wealth of culture and adventure right here on your doorstep."
So that was my mission – to discover the non-diving attractions of North Sulawesi. People looked at me with horror and distrust when I told them that I was going to write about tourism in Manado, and NOT go diving! Had I gone insane? Only time would tell.
The Oberoi
The Oberoi Lombok is located on Medana beach, The Oberoi Lombok is a picturesque and peaceful haven with thatched roofs and stone walls conveying the serenity of a traditional village. The expansive landscaped gardens feature tall palms against a backdrop of a brilliant blue sky, enticing ocean and tiered reflective pools creating a picture postcard scene that will live in the memory.
All individually controlled air-conditioned rooms in the Oberoi Lombok feature a private balcony or terrace, bathroom with shower & bath tub, mini bar, international direct dial telephone, international satellite television, compact disc player, video cassette player, in room safe and daily fruit basket & newspaper.
The Oberoi Lombok is on beautiful Medana beach on the North west coast of Lombok island, close to Bali, this idyllic beach resort with health spa opened in early 1997. The 50 luxurious villas and terrace pavilions are set in 24 acres of tranquil, tropical gardens along 550 metres of golden sand beach. All are thatch-roofed and air-conditioned with elegant bedrooms, marble bathrooms and private terraces. Most villas have private swimming pools.
The bedrooms at The Oberoi Lombok are designed with a rustic theme that reflects the striking colours and textures of local fabrics and artefacts. The luxurious air-conditioned bathroom features open-air garden, secluded behind high stone walls. Each bathroom has a walk-in closet and luggage storage area, two vanity counters, separate stalls for shower and toilet, and a marble sunken bath. 
The 'Lumbung' restaurant and 'Sunbird Cafe' provide a variety of menus and an excellent standard of cuisine for casual or formal dining at The Oberoi Lombok. The Amphitheatre offers theme dinners and cultural dance performances. There is a Beach Club for most popular water sports and the health spa features innovative treatments. Trips can be arranged to the nearby Gili islands, renowned for their coral gardens and colourful tropical fish.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
West Sumatera - Padang
West Sumatra (Indonesian: Sumatera Barat, abbreviated to SumbarIs a province of Indonesia. It lies on the west coast of the island Sumatra, and borders the provinces of North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) to the north, Riau and Jambi to the east, and Bengkulu to the southeast. It includes the Mentawai Islands off the coast. The capital of the province is Padang.
History
The history of West Sumatra is closely related to the history of the Minangkabau people. Archaeological evidence indicates that the area surrounding the Limapuluh Koto regency forms the first area inhabited by the Minangkabau. This interpretation seems to be justified as the area of the Limapuluh Koto regency covers a number of large rivers which meet at the eastern part of the Sumatran coastline. The rivers were known have provided important sailing transportation from the previous era to the end of the last century. The Minangkabau ancestors were believed to have arrived on this route. They sailed from Asia (Indo-China) via the South China Sea, crossing the Malacca Strait and later settled along the Kampar, Siak and Indragiri (or Kuantan) rivers. A portion of them lived and developed their culture and traits around the Limapuluh Koto regency.
The integration with migrants in the ensuing periods introduced cultural changes and an increase in population. Their settlement area gradually became diminished and eventually they spread to other parts of West Sumatra. A portion of them went to the Agam regency while others went to the now Tanah Datar regency. From those areas onward, further spread of the population occurred north of the Agam regency, in particular, the Lubuk Sikaping. Rao and Ophir districts. Most of them settled in the western area such as the coastline and some in the southern parts in Solok, Selayo and the surrounding areas of Muara and Sijunjung.
The history of the West Sumatra Province became more accessible at the time of the rule by Adityawarman. This ruler left considerable amount of evidence of himself, although he did not proclaim that he was the Minangkabau King. Adityawarman ruled Pagaruyung, a region believed by the Minangkabau to be the center of its culture. Adityawarman was the most important figure in Minangkabau history. Apart from introducing a government system by a ruling monarch, he also contributed significantly to the Minangkabau world. His most important contribution was the spread of Buddhism. This religion had a very strong influence in the Minangkabau life. The evidence of such influence found in West Sumatra today includes names such as Saruaso, Pariangan, Padang Barhalo, Candi, Biaro, Sumpur and Selo.
Since the death of Adityawarman in the middle of the 17th century the history of West Sumatra seems more complex. During that time, the connection of West Sumatra with the outside world, in particular, Aceh, became more intense. West Sumatra at that time was the political dominion of Aceh which also monopolized the economy of the area. Coupled with the intensive connection Islam entered into West Sumatra. The new faith eventually became fundamental to the social and cultural way of life in the region. Sheik Burhanuddin was regarded as the first preacher of Islam in West Sumatra. Prior to expanding the faith in the region, he was studying in Aceh.
The dominating influence of Aceh’s politics and economy did not make the people of West Sumatra happy. Ultimately, the growing dissatisfaction gave way to the acceptance of the Dutch although the presence of them also opened up a new chapter in the history of West Sumatra. The arrival of the Dutch in the region caused them to enter the era of colonialism in the very of essence of its meaning.
The first westerner to reach West Sumatra was the French explorer Jean Parmentier in 1529. However, the westerners who came for economic and political reasons were the Dutch. The Dutch commercial fleet was seen along the southern coast of West Sumatra between 1595 – 1598. Apart from the Dutch, other European nationalities also came to the region such as the Portuguese and the English.
Geography 
Mount MarapiWest Sumatra lies in the middle of the western coast of Sumatra, and has an area of 42,297.30 km². Geographic features include plains, mountainous volcanic highlands formed by the Barisan mountain range that runs from north-west to south-east, and an offshore island archipelago called the Mentawai Islands. The West Sumatran coastline faces the Indian Ocean and stretches 375 km from North Sumatra province in the north-west to Bengkulu in the south-east. The lakes of West Sumatra include: Maninjau (99.5 km²), Singkarak (130.1 km²), Diatas (31.5 km²), Dibawah (14.0 km²), Talang (5.0 km²). The rivers of West Sumatra include: Kuranji, Anai, Ombilin, Suliki, Arau. The mountains & volcanoes of West Sumatra include: Marapi (2,891 m), Sago (2,271 m), Singgalang (2,877 m), Talakmau (2,912 m), Talang (2,572 m), Tandikat (2,438 m).
Lake maninjau
Lake Maninjau has an area of 99.5 km², being approximately 16 km long and 7 km wide. The average depth is 105 m, with a maximum depth of 165 m. The natural outlet for excess water is the Antokan river, located on the west side of the lake. It is the only lake in Sumatra which has a natural outlet to the west coast. Since 1983 this water has been used to generate hydroelectric power for West Sumatra.
Most of the people who live around Lake Maninjau are ethnically Minangkabau. Villages on the shores of the lake include Maninjau and Bayur.
Maninjau is a notable tourist destination in the region due to its scenic beauty and mild climate. It is also used as a site for paragliding.
Local agriculture
The lake is used for aquaculture, using karamba floating net cages. The technique was introduced in 1992, and by 1997 there were over 2,000 cage units with over 600 households engaged. Each cage may have 3-4 production cycles each year. There is evidence of pollution around some karamba area.
On the edge of the lake, the landuse includes rice fields in the swamps and the lower slopes. The villages are bordered uphill by a large belt of forestlike tree gardens, which dissolves into the upper montane forest on the steepest parts of the slopes up to the ridge of the caldera.[3]
The tree gardens include three typical components:[3]
Fruit trees including durian, jack fruit, cempedak, rambutan, langsat, golden berries and water apples.
Timber species including Toona sinensis and Pterospermum javanicum.
Spice trees including cinnamon, coffee, nutmeg and cardamum.
Flora & fauna
The province includes large areas of dense tropical forest, which is home to a host of species including: Rafflesia arnoldii (world's largest flower), Sumatran Tiger, Siamang, Malayan tapir, Sumatran Serow, Rusa Deer, Malayan Sun Bear, Bornean Clouded Leopard, and many birds and butterflies.
The province includes two National Parks: Siberut National Park and Kerinci Seblat National Park, as well as a number of nature reserves: Rimbo Panti Nature Reserve, Batang Palupuh Nature Reserve, Lembah Anai Nature Reserve, Lembah Harau Nature Reserve, Bung Hatta Grand Forest Park, Beringin Sakti Nature Reserve.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
All I know about Toba lake
The other tour place that well known in Sumatera is lake Toba ( prapat).
Thios is the lagest lake in north Sumatera, with good view, fresh atmosphere. In the middle of the lake, is a small island called Samosir. The place thar have the most visitor isa Tuk Tuk and Temok. Many tourist go there to buy hand made sourvenir.
Lake Toba (Indonesian: Danau Toba) is,100 km long and 30 km wide, in the middle of the northern part of the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a surface elevation of about 900 m (3000 feet), stretching from 2.88° N 98.52° E to 2.35° N 99.1° E.
GEOLOGY
In 1949 the Dutch geologist Rein van Bemmelen reported that Lake Toba was surrounded by a layer of ignimbrite rocks, and that it was a large volcanic caldera. Later researchers found rhyolite ash similar to that in the ignimbrite around Toba (now called Young Toba Tuff to distinguish it from layers deposited in previous explosions) in Malaysia and India, 3000 km away. Oceanographers discovered Toba ash, with its characteristic chemical "fingerprint", on the floor of the eastern Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal.
HISTORY
The Toba eruption (the Toba event) occurred at what is now Lake Toba about 71,500 ± 4000 years ago. It had an estimated Volcanic Explosivity Index of 8 (described as "mega-colossal"), making it possibly the largest explosive volcanic eruption within the last twenty-five million years. Bill Rose and Craig Chesner of Michigan Technological University deduced that the total amount of erupted material was about 2800 cubic km (670 cubic miles) — around 2000 km³ of ignimbrite that flowed over the ground and around 800 km³ that fell as ash, with the wind blowing most of it to the west. By contrast, the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens ejected around 1.2 cubic km of material, whilst the largest volcanic eruption in historic times, at Mount Tambora in 1815, emitted the equivalent of around 100 cubic kilometres of dense rock and created the "Year Without a Summer" as far away as North America.
The Toba eruption was the latest of a series of at least three caldera-forming eruptions which have occurred at the volcano. Earlier calderas were formed around 700,000 and 840,000 years ago.[2]
To give an idea of its magnitude, consider that although the eruption took place in Indonesia, it deposited an ash layer approximately 15 cm (6 in) thick over the entire Indian subcontinent; at one site in central India, the Toba ash layer today is up to 6 m (20 feet) thick[3] and parts of Malaysia were covered with 9 m of ashfall.[4] In addition it has been calculated that 1010 metric tons of sulphuric acid was ejected into the atmosphere by the event, causing acid rain fallout.[5]
Landsat photo of Sumatra surrounding Lake TobaThe subsequent collapse formed a caldera that, after filling with water, created Lake Toba. The island in the center of the lake is formed by a resurgent dome.
Though the year can never be precisely determined, the season can: only the summer monsoon could have deposited Toba ashfall in the South China Sea, implying that the eruption took place sometime during the northern summer.[6] The eruption lasted perhaps two weeks, but the ensuing "volcanic winter" resulted in a decrease in average global temperatures by 3 to 3.5 degrees Celsius for several years. Greenland ice cores record a pulse of starkly reduced levels of organic carbon sequestration. Very few plants or animals in southeast Asia would have survived, and it is possible that the eruption caused a planet-wide die-off. There is some evidence, based on mitochondrial DNA, that the human race may have passed through a genetic bottleneck within this timeframe, reducing genetic diversity below what would be expected from the age of the species. According to the Toba catastrophe theory proposed by Stanley H. Ambrose of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1998, human populations may have been reduced to only a few tens of thousands of individuals by the Toba eruption.
ETHNIC
Most of the people who live around Lake Toba are ethnically Bataks. Traditional Batak houses are noted for their distinctive roofs (which curve upwards at each end, as a boat's hull does) and their colorful decor.
Lake Toba 
Landsat photo
Location North Sumatra
Coordinates 2°37′N, 98°49′E
Lake type Volcanic/ tectonic
Primary outflows Asahan River
Basin countries Indonesia
Max length 100 km
Max width 30 km
Surface area 1130 km²
Max depth 505 m[1]
Water volume 240 km³
Surface elevation 905 m
Islands Samosir
Monday, July 23, 2007
My hometown
Hi, my name is Evana, I am the eldest daughter in my family. I have 2 brothers and 1 sister. I was born in a small town called "Brastagi". It is a wonderful place, mountain range with cold weather, about 2hours from Medan (where I live now) by car. The most popular mountain is Mount Sibayak and Mount Sinabung. A lot of foreign tourist come to visit this small town for climbing, horse riding, buy fresh fruits and vegetables. At weekend, many people from Medan like to go there, to get relax.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
All about us
Monday, 23 july 2007,
I go out early,to my office, rainy day.
i came early cause I want to add something about me to this blog.
the story begun on 14 march 1976, the day I shown up on the first time in this world. 1976 was a year that we called dragon year..so that, they got my name Hui Long, 'Long' in chinesee word mean dragon.
my mother said,when i was a baby,i always slept (slept like a baby, cause i'm a baby) when the sun still online.then when the moon is online,I always keep my eye on, and start to crying... crying... and crying.. (maybe that was my first sin cause made them can't slept).
I have 1 older sister,and also have 1 younger sister,we always play together when we was kids.now, my older sister have her own family ( she married 6 years ago) and already have 1 kid, a boy.he is 6 years old now.my younger sister is in singapore.
first time in school,i was 5, my school was across from my home (now,my school is not there anymore,they moved,maybe 5 years ago).
then I took Industry Management program,at T.D.Pardede Institute and graduated 4 years later.
after graduated, i make our own business, goes in florists,its called Athena deFlorist, I also keep teaching, a private less. I want to have an education center, and still working on it (I start it 2 month ago).all what i do,need a lot of time.
I know about blogs about 1 month ago,from a magazine,local magazine.this take my attention totally,i went to book store to know a lot about blogging.I read things about blogging.maybe it's a little to late,but it's better than none.
then i built this blog, with my girlfriend (that i love),we will go for it.things always get better when we work on it.
My nephew,kenzie
Hi, I'm Long's GF, Evana. When I was a kid, I don't like eat vegetables, whereas my hometown "Brastagi" is wellknown with its fresh fruits and vegetables. Almost everyday I just eat rice with fried egg or just with soy sauce. Actually I don't remember my childhood time (my BF compell me to write this. LOL) But, I remember the first day I went to school (kindergarten), I ran home myself (my school and my house just have short distance). After home, my mom angry and bring me back to school. (I'm so naughty, LOL). But now, the most important thing is, I have a BF who loves me so much (and now sitting beside me, watching me write this blog).
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Bali island
I read a story about bali island in internet, that knew as god island, called that because the beauty of bali, like heaven, the place of god.
this is the story,
The island of Bali is blessed with the line of beaches surrounding it.Sanur.On the southeastern side of Bali, Sanur beach is easily reachable from Denpasar, about a 5 to 10 minute drive. Sanur is an excellent site to watch the sun rises, as you jog along the white sandy beach. Being one of the first resort developed in Bali, Sanur maintains its traditions. Only a stone thrown away from the beach, ancient temples stand as solemn as they have been in centuries past.
Practically on the opposite side of Sanur, the beaches of Kuta and Legian stretch on the southwestern side of Bali, again only about 5 to 10 minute drive from Denpasar or the airport.waves will invite you to test your surfing.Surfing is a major activity in these beachesThe beach of Kuta is one of the first favorite beaches discovered by tourist.
On the south, the beach is fenced by the airport’s runway, which gives you a breathtaking landing experience. The beach stretches as far north as the eyes can see.
Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua is a new luxurious resort area where the world's most sumptuous hotels gracefully integrate into the beautiful white beaches. Crystal clear water provides excellent snorkeling and diving site, and the waves on the northern and the southern part of Nusa Dua allow for great surfing opportunity.Soka BeachFurther northwest from Denpasar, on the way to Gilimanuk, the ferry port town that connects Bali and Java, there is a small quiet beach called Soka Beach.Medewi BeachContinuing along the path towards Gilimanuk, near the village of Pulukan, the beach of Medewi is another beautiful beach.Lovina BeachNear the northern tip of the island of Bali lies a stretch of villages by the Bali Sea. Lovina Beach is the name. It is well known as an excellent site for sunset watching, snorkeling, and diving. Night life activities are also abound, as well as chartered boats to go out into the sea. If you like what Kuta offers but do not like the crowd, Lovina Beach is for you.
