YantiSoeparno's Travel Blogs

It is only a collection of postcards but.... I see a big mission here: INTRODUCING THE BEAUTY OF OUR OWN COUNTRIES ;D Besides, we practice our handwriting again.... since we don't do it often lately cause of the computer :P And also, we give the postmen their work back, since we prefer writing email to writing letter ;D So, everybody is welcomed to send me a postcard and I surely will send you back one or even more through snail-mail ;D

This was my first time to travel abroad alone.... I am too old for that actually, should do it a long time ago :P But, it is better late than never right ;-)

I got the idea to make this blog when I was at the International Airport Soekarno-Hatta Jakarta and going to Padang this May. Even I have been there many times, I realized that I was amazed by the architecture and the interior. Then, I thought I would write about it. Airport is the first gate of a country or a city. So, it has to become the representative of the country or the city. Now, let's see what they tell us....

I don't know exactly starting when, I consider myself as a journalist of TravBuddy. In this blog, you will find common things in Indonesia, especially in my neigborhood. Something that you will not see or meet if you only visit Indonesia for several days. Something that is SIMPLY DAILY, SIMPLY SIMPLE! INDONESIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY, EID MUBARAK, or only about street vendors in my neigborhood are some of the examples.

At the beginning of June, I went my friend's wedding. When I saw the "pelaminan" [dais on which the bridal couple sits], I thought it was beautiful and worth to share with TBs all over the world. Cause, each province in Indonesia has their own bride and bridegroom's dress and dais. So, I proudly present this blog to you....

Bandung is a place that you can visit again and again but you will not get bored. In September 2007, I went to Bandung with 2 friends. We decided to go out of city. We went to Kawah Putih and had a "photo session" there.Kawah Putih is a beautiful misterious place. In 2008, I took my family to go to Kawah Putih again. We also went to the lake closed to it, Situ Patenggang. Last October, I had a meet-up with Liena there.

I fell in love to a hotel in Batu Karas. It looked fantastic in internet. I also would like to see Green Canyon by myself cause I have heard much about it. So, here I went with my daughters....

This blog is about my umbrella's trip. I always bring her [it's a girl cause it's pink] wherever I travel. She has been a good company both in sunny and rainy days. The idea to make this blog is from Gejah. I hope my umbrella can be as famous as her suitcase ;-)

At last the holiday comes. This end of the year my family plans to go to Yogyakarta. Since we didn't get the train tickets, so we will drive there ;-) Hope everything is okay [I cross my finger] The result: it was an unforgettable experience because of several things.... One of them was driving the car with broken brake!!!

This is about my Hajj travel in January 2005 and also about the Hajj ritual itself. Hajj is pilgrimage to Makkah, which is one of the five pillars of Islam. It is compulsory for every Muslim, male and female, if he or she possesses enough wealth to undertake the journey and has good health.

I was so lucky that I had a chance to visit Japan in January 2007. I was one of twelve Indonesian Islamic School Heads that invited by Ministry of Foreign Affair Japan in collaboration with PPIM UIN Jakarta. In my opinion, Japan has done a great job in preserving its culture while moving towards to modernism. I could not say anything besides "Thank you Lord... alhamdulillah..."

Bali is a place I know since I was at high school. My parents lived there and I visited them every school holiday. I was born in the island next to it. So, I feel that Bali just like my hometown. I have just been there again after my last visit, when my eldest daughter was 5 years old. I'm very sure I will go there again and again.

Holiday is in the air at last! My departure to Padang is 5 days more. I have planned where to go and stay. I have got the tickets and booked the hotel. All I have to do is start to pack. I will go with my daughters Arin (12) and Raya (5) and a friend of mine, Tita. We will visit Sikuai Island, Bukit Tinggi, Lake Maninjau, Lake Singkarak, and other beautiful places. We will attend our best friend's wedding and taste some traditional food. Hm... yum yum...

My holiday begins tomorrow... Since I work at a school so my holiday is at the same time with the school holiday. Every year, at the end of the school year, the Parent Teacher Association of my school provide an event in order to show the parents' appreciation to teachers and staff's work. Last year, the event was playing at Dunia Fantasi and ended with dinner at Ancol beach. Tomorrow we will go to Gunung Mas, Puncak, Bogor. We will have tea walk and other games.

I just spent the whole week at Sorowako. A small town in South Sulawesi next to a beautiful lake called Matano. I was invited by YPS that responsible to the school for PT INCO employees' children. My friend and I shared about teaching to the junior high teachers. On the last day, the teachers took us to explore the lake using a raft. Lake Matano is 600 m depth. It is the deepest lake in South East Asia and the eighth in the world. The water is very clear and the scenery is beautiful.

In January 2008, I visited several places in East Java together with my sister, 2 daughters, 2 nieces, and 2 friends from Japan. We went to Mount Bromo, Watu Ulo - Jember, Pasir Putih Situbondo, and Tanjung Kodok. It was refreshing and amazing. Even due to the rainy season so we could not see the top of Mountain Bromo and coral reef at Pasir Putih. We climbed the mountain in the morning, it was windy and showering, so we were wet and felt very cold.