The Most Beautifull Place In My Country (Pt. 3)

MOUNT RINJANI NATIONAL PARK

     The mighty Rinjani mountain of Gunung Rinjani is a massive volcano which towers over the island of Lombok. A climb to the top is one of the most exhilarating experiences you can have in Indonesia. At 3,726 meters tall, Gunung Rinjani is the second highest mountain in Indonesia. The climb to the top may not be easy but it’s worth it, and is widely regarded as one of the best views in the country.

     Part of the famous ‘ring of fire’ this mountain also holds spiritual significance for the local people. It’s thought that the name Rinjani comes from an old Javanese term for ‘God’.

    Around the slopes of Rinjani there are lush forests sprinkled with waterfalls and surrounded by stunning scenery.

     Within the mountain is a crescent shaped lake, the breathtaking Segara Anak which is about 6km across at its widest point. This lake of sulfur is located 600 meters below the crater rim. Rising from the waters of this lake is a new volcano, Mt. Baru, which is a result of a series of eruptions during the 1990’s. Segara Anak is a spiritual place. The Balinese come here each year and perform a ceremony called pekelan where jewelry is placed in the lake as an offering to the mountain spirit.  The Wetu Telu people also regard the lake as holy and come here to pray on full moon nights.

     Mt Rinjani lies within the Gunung Rinjani National Park. The park covers 41,330 hectares and sits inside a major bio-geographical transition zone (Wallacea). This is where the tropical flora and fauna of South East Asia meets that of Australasia. This National Park was established in 1997 and is one of over 40 throughout Indonesia.

     For visitors, the three-day Rinjani trek route from Senaru to the crater rim, down to the Crater Lake then on to Sembalun Lawang, is considered one of the best treks in South East Asia. More adventurous trekkers may want to head all the way to the summit of the volcano.  This is best reached from Sembalun Lawang and takes four days, finishing up in Senaru.

     To ensure that local communities benefit from tourism revenue, the Rinjani Trek is managed by a partnership of National Park officials, the public and private sectors of the Lombok tourism industry and community representatives. Community run cooperatives coordinate the Trek at the Rinjani Trek Center (RTC) in Senaru and the Rinjani Information Center (RIC) in Sembalun Lawang.

      Revenue from tourism activities and entry fees is used for conservation, management and assisting the National Park with maintenance of the Rinjani Trek, thus ensuring its sustainability. This management model is unique in Indonesia and considered an example of best practice of ecotourism in Indonesia.

source : http://www.indonesia.travel/en/destination/256/mount-rinjani-national-park

The Most Beautifull Place In My Country (Pt. 2)

http://www.indonesia.travel/en/destination/423/cendrawasih-bay-national-park-playground-of-the-spotted-whaleshark

 TAMAN NASIONAL TELUK CENDRAWASIH

     The large Cendrawasih Bay National Park in the north of the island of Papua, otherwise known as Teluk Cenderawasih, includes Indonesia’s largest marine national park, and is one of the best dive-sites in the archipelago.

     Here are magnificent vertical drops, picturesque hard coral gardens, sponge life and myriads of fish

     This is the playground of one of the world’s largest animals: the spotted whaleshark or rhincodon typus. If elsewhere in the world divers consider themselves lucky to meet one or a couple, here they come in pods and divers can swim along with them quite unharmed except to beware not to be hit by one of their powerful fins.

Scientist Dr. Gerald Allen calls the Cendrawasih Bay: “The Galapagos of Indonesia’s Reefs”.

   Whalesharks are migratory animals, and are known to grow to 18 meters in length or more. Biologists tell us that they are an acient species originating some 60 million years ago, and are usually found in the open sea. They have a lifespan of 70 years. A 7 meter whaleshark can weigh up to 22 tonnes. Unbelievably these huge animals are docile since they live only on plankton, clouds of egg roe and small fish, which in Indonesia are called “ikan teri”.

     In the village of Kwatisore near the town of Nabire, these giant fish usually gather by the floating platforms, called bagan, where fishermen haul in their catch of small fry.

     Kwatisore can be reached from Nabire in around three hours by boat with two 40pk outboard motors.The only accommodation available in this village are simple rooms at the SD Imanuel Primary School in Kwatinsore.  

     Here the local government trains 20 students to become dive guides and to develop facilities in Kwatisore to serve more tourists.

    Comprising land and coastal areas, islands, coral reefs and pristine seas, the Cendrawasih Park covers a total area of 1,453,500 hectares.

     The Cendrawasih Bay Park combines coral reef ecosystems with mangrove, islands and terrestrial tropical forest ecosystems. Here are colonies of black coral, blue coral and soft coral. The Park is famous for the 209 fish species that make this Park their habitat, among which are the butterfly fish, the damselfish and parrotfish, and, of course the whaleshark, while mollusks found here include the trumpet triton, the great clam and the cone shell.

Best time to visit is between May through October.

Foto Credit: Michael Sjukrie

The Most Beautiful Place In My Country (Pt. 1)

LAKE TOBA

 Lake Toba is one of the awesome natural wonders of the world. This is a crater lake so enormous it has an island almost the size of Singapore in its centre. At over 1,145 square kilometers, and a depth of 450 meters, Lake Toba is actually more like an ocean. This is the largest lake in Southeast Asia and one of the deepest lakes in the world.

Toba is a place to come and sit back, relax and absorb some beautiful pristine scenery. As you sit and take in the view of the picturesque mountains set against the cool clear lake, you will feel the worries of the world melt away. As the lake sits 900 meters above sea level there is a cooler climate here making a refreshing break from the heat, humidity and pollution of the city.

It’s hard to imagine a more scenic place to come and enjoy hiking, swimming and sailing although once you arrive it might be difficult to resist the anesthetizing effects of the lake. The cool clear water coupled with the relaxed atmosphere and friendly people is what draws visitors from all over the world to Toba.

Venture onto the island of Samosir in the middle of the lake and you will discover mountains steeped in cool mist, clear waterfalls to swim under and locals taking their water buffalo out in the fields.

This is a place to come and enjoy the legendary Batak hospitality. Say cheers and enjoy some traditional palm wine with the locals. Sit and have coffee and chat with islanders keen to practice their English. Where-ever you go, it won't take long to make a new friend.

On the main land, there is accommodation available in the town of Parapat. Parapat occupies a small, rocky peninsula jutting out into the lake. On the way down to Parapat from the hill town of Berastagi you will get some spectacular views as the lake first comes into sight and the road winds its way down the mountain closer to the shoreline. In Parapat live the Batak Toba and Batak Simalungun people who are known as a happy and easygoing people, famous for their lively and sentimental songs. Although the majority have embraced Christianity, ancient beliefs and traditions still persist.

Many visitors prefer to take the more scenic option and stay on the massive island of Samosir in the middle of the lake. The original home of the Batak Toba people, the island has many traces of ancient days including stone tombs and traditional villages, such as at Ambarita which has a courtyard with stone furniture where in the old days convicts were tried and beheaded. Or visit Simanindo where traditional Batak ritual dances and music are performed. Here is where you'll be able to discover unique and ancient Toba culture. At Tomok you can find mementos and Batak handicrafts. Buy the distinctive red and black hand-woven shawls called ulos- that are still used today at important life-cycle occasions-, a Batak calendar on rattan, woodcarvings and more. Samosir is accessible by regular ferries from Parapat. Boats also ply around the island regularly.

And if you wish to better understand Batak culture, visit the Batak Museum at Balige, further south on the mainland shore side.

There are many hotels and smaller accommodations around the lake, especially at Parapat, and at Tuktuk on the island of Samosir.

Despite being a tourist spot for many years, Lake Toba still remains a natural and undisturbed natural beauty. Venture away from the small villages and you will find yourself in the country surrounded by farmland, churches and strange tombs peppering the landscape.

Photo courtesy Richie Sugestian

Source : http://www.indonesia.travel/en/destination/48/the-incredible-lake-toba

Titan's Land of Lakes

          Saturn's large moon Titan would be unique in our solar system, the only world with stable liquid lakes and seas on its surface ... except for planet Earth of course. Centered on the north pole, this colorized map shows Titan's bodies of methane and ethane in blue and black, still liquid at frigid surface temperatures of -180 degrees C (-292 degrees F). The map is based on data from the Cassini spacecraft's radar, taken during flybys between 2004 and 2013. Roughly heart-shaped, the lake above and right of the pole is Ligeia Mare, the second largest known body of liquid on Titan and larger than Lake Superior on Earth. Just below the north pole is Punga Mare. The sprawling sea below and right of Punga is the (hopefully sleeping) Kraken Mare, Titan's largest known sea. Above and left of the pole, the moon's surface is dotted with smaller lakes that range up to 50 kilometers across.

source : http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131220.html

REVIEW : AS ONE (2012)

      Oke, sebenarnya saya nggak suka suka amat sama film film korea, dan saya nggak yakin ketika temen saya merekomendasikan film ini ke saya. Jadi setiap saya ngelirik folder film ini, saya cuma diamkan saja dengan tampang agak nggak yakin. 

      Hingga suatu malam saya akhirnya bingung mau ngapain. Semua film di komputer sudah saya tonton. Kecuali As One, sehingga akhirnya saya mencoba memutarnya. Pada awalnya, saya sudah agak bosan. Tapi pada bagian ketika atlet ping pong Korea Utara dengan Korea Selatan telah di gabung, sejak itulah saya tak pernah sekalipun mengedipkan mata saya dari layar. Jadi sebaiknya saya kasih sedikit ulasan : As One (2012)

As One

        Jadi, As One ini adalah film yang di angkat dari sebuah kisah nyata kemenangan tim Korea yang bersatu dan memenangkan gold medal pada 1991 World Table Tennis Championships di Chiba, Jepang. Film ini dimainkan oleh Ha Ji-won sebagai atlet tenis meja Korea Selatan Hyun Jung-hwa, yang pernah membuat tim tenis meja Korea Selatan berada pada masa kejayaan. Lalu Bae Doona sebagai Ri Bun-hui. Cerita berawal ketika para pejabat negara memutuskan untuk menggabung tim tenis meja Korea Selatan dan Utara. Pada awalnya para atlet tidak terima. Atlet dari Korea Utara selalu disiplin dan menganggap segala sesuatunya terlalu serius, sedangkan Atlet dari Korea Selatan lebih sering bercanda dan semau gue, sehingga sudah jelas terlihat, mereka ini tidak cocok satu sama lain. tapi seiring berjalannya waktu, mereka bisa saling cocok, saling terikat. Bahkan, atlet dari Korea Selatan, Choi Yeon-jung yang dimainkan oleh Choi Yoon-young jatuh cinta kepada atlet ganteng dari Korea Utara, yaitu Choi Kyung-sub yang di perankan oleh Lee Jong-suk. Begitulah, mereka begitu telah menyatu, ketika tiba tiba Jendral Korut memutuskan untuk berpisah, ketika mereka telah mendekati final. Ketika hari H, Jung-hwa berteriak memohon kepada pengawas Jo untuk mengijinkan pemain Korut bermain dan mendukung di arena. Pada awalnya sang Jendrall tidak mengijinkan. tapi kemudian mereka diijinkan, dan ditantang untuk menang.

       Final dengan China sangat panas. Apalagi wajah sombong pemain china membuat suasana jadi tambah gerah. Set demi set. Korea United jatuh bangun. Score sama, 2 - 2. hingga pada permainan terakhir, yaitu ganda, Lee Bun Hwi dan Hyun Jung-hwa bersatu. Permainan yang benar benar sulit. Score selalu berkejaran. Apalagi wasit kurangajar membuat score China unggul 1 point, 20 - 19. Dan pada detik detik terakhir, Shoot terakhir dari pemain China menabrak net. Dan jadilah, Korea United mendapat Medali Emas yang beberapa tahun terakhir selalu direbut oleh China.

        Dan pada akhir yang mengharukan, ketika perpisahan digaugkan, para pemain rasanya tidak ingin berpisah, mereka sudah seperti keluarga. Dan seterusnya dan seterusnya. Pokoknya ya, Bagian akhir ini adalah bagian yang paling menyayat. Jadi saya merekomendasikan (banget) kepada anda anda semua untuk nonton film ini :D