6 September 2014

Drama - Cerita Ke Kiri Ke Kanan, Lari Tajuk!

Assalamualaikum.

Hmm...ada few tanya pasal my recent entry. Bukan cerita di bumi Ong Bak that is. Ntahlah macam mana mau bentang cerita. Entry tu aku taip bukan time marah tengah meluap2 pun. I scribbled it while I was on board the train to Jakarta from Bandung. Dalam keadaan tenang & aman damai sambil layan view kehijauan alam semulajadi.

The journey was about 3 hours(++) hence to kill time, aku pun mem-blog. Pastu siap upload gambar di Tangkuban Perahu. Kesadisan menjadi2 bila si NanaTron hengat aku sedang memendam rasa with either one of the girls ladies in the pic. Siap tanya, yang kiri or yang kanan.

And as expected not long after, one of the ladies in the pic commented at the link in my fb page.

"Harus tempek di situ...gambar sekadar hiasan...harap maklum. Hukss".

"Tiada kaitan sama yang hidup mahupun udah matikkk".

Pecah ketawa aku dalam train masa tu. Ngek!

Land of Ong Bak Day 2 - Swiss Sheep Farm, Cha Am

Assalamualaikum. สวัสดี!

Punyalah lemau sekarang ni. Macam semua benda pun malas mau buat. Huhu. Next week akan start new semester. It means akan mula perasan-busy with work lah lepas tu. Kunun lah busy kan.

By the way, ni sambungan entry lepas (here). Saja simpan lama2 cerita trip Ong Bak ni sebab belum ada mood untuk membentang. Gitu ah alasan. 

Plan untuk terjah sini memang disekali-combo kan sama Santorini Park. These 2 places are in the same vicinity. They are located opposite each other; dipisahkan oleh super lebar 6-lanes highway road. Yang segala saiz lori gajah berlimpasan. Memang tabah siapa melintas jalan tu. Haritu ada aku baca blogger(s) yang meredah highway tu TAPI maaflah aku lupa sudah mana aku kutip cerita tu.

So yeah mari continue cerita 2nd day kami di tanah Ong Bak. Terima jaklah hakikat ke-slow-an perjalanan aku kali ni. And aku akan kurang membebel for this entry. 

Sila layan gambar sebab mau kejar masa untuk layan my latest Kdrama. Secret Hotel. Yoo In Na adalah kechentaan aku, ever since I watched her in Queen In-Hyun's Man. Super schomel!

30 June 2014 - Cha Am

Opening Hour: 1000-1900 (Mon-Fri), 0900-1900 (Sat-Sun)
Entrance Fee: 120 Baht + 60 Baht (leaves to feed the sheep)
Signboard for ladies & gentlemen adalah comel. Seingat aku memang ada snap gambar tapi masa godek folder Bangkok tadi, nan hado gambar tu aku jumpa. Ciss!
Phone booth sudah ada aura Europe...tapi background tidak sama tema. It could have been surreal if the hill at the back is covered with something that look like snow. Anganan kunun mau berfeeling di Swiss. Over gila request si Err.
Corak English Rose macam ni always remind me of the bestie; Ms Ernie. Always!
Time to feed the sheep. I have a soft spot in my heart for animals. Seeing them in this condition simply breaks my heart. Macam kurang makan. Nampak jak orang datang bawa rumput, semua pun berebut. Sudahlah kawasan ni panas betul, I assumed semua pun dehydrated. 
A bit geram with that guy behind me (white t-shirt). Boleh dia main acah2 bagi rumput sama anak biri2 tu. Walhal 'budak' tu sudah kejar dia ke hulu ke hilir. Maksud, 'budak' tu memang tengah lapar lah kan. 
See? Sampai pijak memijak. 
Apparently the grasses aren't enough for all. Banyak rumput mati pun, even diorang binatang they know it's not healthy for their diet. 
The anak bebiri. Nampak lapar sangat whoever yang bawa rumput, diorang akan kejar. But they are more interested in carrot actually. Siapa bawa carrot, memang kirim salam jaklah yang bawa rumput. Diorang ndak pandang.
Roundabout comel. 
Hall of frames-hanging-on-a-tree. Yang posing tu, memang seumur tripping diva retarded. 
Salang-salang-salang. Manh-eun salang!
Praise be to The Almighty. Another wishlist ticked. 

Tempat ni ndak besar mana pun. Kalau jalan santai macam kami, sambil stop ambil gambar bagai...still ndak ambil masa sampai 2 jam. Mula tu plan mau tengok how this place looks like at night. Tapi Ahjussi bagi kami masa until 6pm jak. Wah rupanya ada limit. 

Nevermind that, dapat menjejak kaki di sini & berkasih sayang sama bebiri pun cukup bagus sudah. Pastu bila teringat yang aku puasa & it's nearly time for sungkai, automatik pantas langkah aku pi parking lot. 

Next mission is the night market. Our first night market in bumi Ong Bak gitu! Untuk sungkai, aku mau jamu perut with the famous traditional summer dessert in Thailand. Mango sticy rice a.k.a Khao Niaow Ma Muang (thanks google)! Ngek.

Memang paling mencabar puasa aku masa ni. Dengan tiada sahur. Pastu 3 hours++ duduk dalam perut bus from Bangkok to Hua Hin. Siap menjejak Santorini Park & Swiss Sheep Farm dalam bahang panas melekit. Hmm rasakan lah, mau sangat kejar tiket murah kan Bie. But, it definitely one helluva experience for me. So yeah, no regret at all. Happy bertingkat2 ada.

eryantierdabdulkarim

30 August 2014

Land of Ong Bak Day 2 - Santorini Park, Cha Am

Assalamualaikum. สวัสดี!

Sambungan dari sini. Wah semangat aku update trip Thailand ni kan. Sebab pergi cuma 4 hari tulah aku relax goyang kaki. Slowly update pun ndak da hal. Mereka2 yang bising suruh update cepat kunun mau buat reference nanti; lambat lagi mau berangkat. Hatta tiket pun belum beli. Ngek.

As said in my previous post, our attempt to get a cheap tuk tuk to Cha Am didn't go well. The tuk tuk driver was so degil he refused to give us discount. 1,200 Baht (~RM 120.00) for a one-way journey to Santorini Park, Cha Am from Hua Hin is totally unacceptable. Crazy lah! Sudahlah ada 2 tempat mau terjah.

How are we suppose to go to Swiss Sheep Farm from Santorini Park then? Jalan kaki? Kalau jalan raya tu jenis 2-lane; with less cars ndak apa juga. Ni sudahlah kena cross 3-lane roadway, terpaksa lagi bertarung nyawa sama segala lori saiz gajah yang berlimpasan. Fuh! Sorry lah ah Tuk Tuk Ahjussi Hirup-darah.

Kecewa sama kejadian yang hampir menjerut leher, we decided to look elsewhere. Crossed the road in front of our hotel...jalan ke depan. Pastu nampak this one SUV (lupa ambil gambar sebab excited) parked opposite the Hua Hin police station. A handsome middle-aged man approached us.

"Cha Am, how much?"
"900 Baht, return journey. Where u want to go?"
"Santorini Park & Swiss Sheep Farm. Return. No discount?"
"900 Baht. Both place. Ok."
"700 Baht. We take. We don't have much money. Please!"

Pastu aku buat muka ala Puss in Boots WALAU aku tau jauh panggang dari api. Pasrah jaklah Ahjussi tu kan. Muka ndak semengah ada hati mau ber-aegyo bagai.

"Hmmm...ok ok. 700 Baht. You go in now."

Wooohooooo! 700 Baht. Return journey Hua Hin - Cha Am. Siap covered 2 places lagi. Totally a bargain lah. Semengah ka ndak muka aku, janji sesi memujuk untuk dapat diskaun berjalan lancar. Yang penting Ahjussi tu adalah handsome. Sekian.

It took more or less than 1 hour to reached Santorini Park, Cha Am from Hua Hin town.

30 June 2014 - Hua Hin
Bangunan bumbung merah depan tu is Hua Hin Police Station. And we got our ride in front of Hua Hin Collonade Mall. Just opposite the Police Station.

30 June 2014 - Cha Am
The entrance to the park.
Admission fee is 50 Baht.
The entrance gate to the white-washed building. 
Pink is my color. Gitu. 
The background says it all. Badan aku sekarang memang macam dipam2. Sobs.
I've never been to the real Santorini, but from the pictures I saw in the internet...the buildings look like this. At least; if not exactly. Ambil feel dulu.
Couldn't help but to relate this with lavender. Erm bila impian mau jalan menyusuri ladang lavender jadi kenyataan, eh? Too many dreams lah Bie oii...ntah mana yang duluan mau dikasi jadi realiti. 
Instantly fall in love with the murals. So creative.
Reminded me of the scary sculptures at Gamcheon Village, Busan. Only this time, diorang guna sang Monyets. Makhluk di Busan tu aku ndak dapat tafsir apa.
Artsy patsy. I like! Would have been extra nice kalau diorang guna fresh flowers.
Us ladies just wanna have fun! Wishlist ticked, alhamdulillah. 
Ok, next destination would be Santorini, Greece perhaps? Insha Allah, amin amin.

We spent nearly 2 hours in here. Lepas tu, sangap tunggu Ahjussi handsome depan pintu masuk. Ahjussi ingatkan kami lama lagi dalam tu. Dia ndak tau kami ni punctual. Ngek! Kalau janji 1.5 hour, 10 minutes before tu kami sudah terpacak tunggu tau. 

Destinasi seterusnya...Swiss Sheep Farm! Yeah jumpa sheeps! As the bestie said, my favorite word it is. Only yang rapat jak tau my definition of sheep that I often used. 

eryantierdabdulkarim

27 August 2014

Drama Queen - Enough is enough

Assalamualaikum.

Orang bilang sabar itu separuh daripada iman. Ntahlah aku ni berjaya menahan sabar or berjaya tikam hati sendiri. Bertabah selagi mampu. Insha Allah hati akan kembali tenang. Easier said than done, is it? 

Yang pasti, cukuplah sekali ini. Once is more than enough. Lesson learned well. There will be no more next time. Definitely.

What I gained lebih dari cukup untuk jadikan iktibar & pengalaman. 

Sekian, terima kasih. 
25 Aug 2014. Tangkuban Perahu, Indonesia. *sekadar gambar hiasan*
eryantierdabdulkarim

18 August 2014

Land of Ong Bak Day 2 - From Bangkok to Hua Hin by Minivan

Assalamualaikum. สวัสดี!

Ok sambung cerita 2nd day di bumi Ong Bak. The day before (story here); landed Don Mueang Airport pun sudah malam so memang ndak buat apa lepas sampai hotel except isi perut yang sudah menyanyi hiphop+dangdut.

Tilam super empuk, aku tidur lena sampai terlajak sahur. Bangun pun sudah jam 5am. Ntah apa kejadian boleh ndak terbangun. Alarm aku ndak berbunyi or aku yang tidur mati.

Sebab stayed dalam dorm with 3 other ladies, pagi tu aku Subuh dalam keadaan extra careful. The only space was near the couch, dekat katil 2 minah salleh. Kot lah diorang terbangun kalau aku sokseksoksek, ndak terkejut badak diorang nampak lembaga putih berdiri depan katil? Silap2 pengsan kering. Anyway lepas Subuh, aku belayar ke dreamland balik.

And woke up again around 9am. Mandi manda, bersiap itu ini. Check-out. Perjalanan hari tu adalah sejauh alam. Yang memang confirm akan cramped-kan bontot. Pasrah & tabah jaklah. Siapa suruh plan itinerary gitu. Kunun alang2 sampai Bangkok, baguslah explore area outskirt sekali. Walhal trip cumalah 4 hari. Selagi mampu kan.

30 June 2014
Silom
Decho Road, Silom where our hostel is situated. 
The first BTS station I set foot upon. 
Chong Nonsi (Silom Line) ---> Siam Station (Sukhumvit Line) ---> Victory Monument (Exit 3)
Victory Monument. Alhamdulillah masa sampai ni, keadaan macam biasa. Semua orang busy sama urusan masing2. Ndak da kelibat orang berdemonstrasi bagai. Bangkok Shutdown sudah berlalu. 
The minivans a.k.a minibuses stop is just under the Victoria Monument BTS Station. Coming from Exit 3, it would be on ur right side. Pandang ke bawah, akan nampaklah mereka2 ini. 
Macam biasa, before sampai tempat ambil minivan ni...kami sesat kejap. We wandered atas jambatan Victoria Station not knowing which stairs to take. I remembered vividly the direction Lily wrote in her blog. Tapi part tangga kecil tu aku confuse. I seriously thought she took an escalator to descended from the station. Turned out, it was actually a narrow stairs located inside a building.

Part paling best bila aku decide untuk tanya this one guard. He was standing in front of the very entrance that will lead us to the narrow stairs. Ms G asked him where to take the bus. He pointed us to the bus stops opposite the road. But my gut told me the guard might had understood it wrongly. So I played the trick, sengaukan sikit cara menyebut Hua Hin. Mimicking the locals. Terus faham kau! Ndak sia2 usaha menyengaukan suara. Masa turun tangga tu masih in doubt.

"Eh, this doesn't look like the stairs Lily posted in her blog."

Hentamlah labu as long as we saw few minivans upon exiting the building; kira betul lah tu. Bila nampak minivans ada sticker Cha Am / Hua Hin...terus confident. Yes! We made it to the minivan stop! 
The van that took us to Hua Hin. Comfy habis! We paid THB 180 for a one-way trip to Hua Hin. The van leaves every 15 minutes or depending how fast it fills in. 
Bila nampak van tu berparking, sila jangan buat blur. Like we did. Siap snap few pictures. Siap posing depan van. Ingatkan kosong, tunggu passenger naik. Sebab banyak barang di luar. Rupanya driver cuma tunggu kami naik to start the journey. Because there were only 2 seats left. Cisss! Kejadian memalukan di pagi hari. Siapa suruh tinted van sehitam itu. Kalau di Malaysia sudah kena saman tau. Tau?! 
Sepanjang jalan, layan view kiri kanan. Layan TV juga. Konsert apa ntah yang driver tu pasang. Kami dengar jaklah. Cuci telinga.
The journey from Bangkok took more than 3 hours. Aku mula macam cacing kepanasan sebab lambat betul mau sampai. Ingatkan lah salah naik van. Driver tu stop 3 kali. Ada sesi regangkan urat pinggang. Isi minyak. Pastu ada sekali dia ikut jalan kampung sebab lari dari polis trafik. 

And ada take 5 untuk berasap juga. Kagum aku. Sebab? Dorang ndak merokok sambil drive. Van adalah berhawa dingin. Kalau di KK ni, no comment jak lah. Hmm lagi statement lupa diri dari si Err. Trimas.

30 June 2014
Hua Hin
Pekan Hua Hin. We alighted from the minivan in front of that cream building.
Sampai Hua Hin pun aku blur lagi. Punyalah alert sepanjang jalan, siap aku refused dari tidur. Tunggulah mana Hua Hin stop ni yang macam dalam entry si Lily. Obvious enough huh! Aku memang ikut bulat2 her direction. Actually aku ndak tau pun kami sudah sampai Hua Hin. 

So when the driver stopped for the 4th time, when we're the only passengers from Bangkok left in the van...I asked the lady who just got in the van. I showed her the hotel's name & its address. Sumpah! Muka that lady sangat sombong & garang, but once I tapped her shoulder...senyuman dia paling peramah dalam dunia. She was unsure of the exact location of the hotel so she asked her friends. Yang muka sama sombong macam dia juga. Pastu; kecoh kejap. Then, semua guna jari telunjuk arah ke bawah as if they were saying "This is Hua Hin". No English. In Thai it was. Next thing I know, diorang suruh kami turun dari van. Tunjuk arah ke belakang. I understood that as "Kamu sudah terlajak ke depan, hotel tu di belakang sana". 

They told the driver to take us to this one lady that could speak English. Not much but enough to make us understand. Rupanya memang betul kami sudah terlajak. And this is the moment I fell in love with the helpful, warmhearted & friendly Thai people. Sangat terharu.

I figured it out later that we actually had taken a bus that its final destination is not Hua Hin hence I missed the stop that Lily mentioned. From where we got off, we crossed the busy traffic road & took a taxi in front of Hua Hin Market Village to our hotel which is hanyalah sekangkang kera. Rezeki taxi driver tu melayang THB 100 kami. Sobs.

Tips: If u're going to Hua Hin, hop on a minivan with the sticker Victory Monument - Cha Am - Hua Hin. The final stop will be at Hua Hin. It's in front of a temple & there's a Tourism Centre next to the stop. Unless u're familiar with Hua Hin i.e know where to stop to get to ur hotel; I suggest u to NOT take the minivan like the one we hopped on. 

Sudah sampai depan pintu hotel; both Ms G & I macam ternganga sikit. Where is the reception area?Rupanya kena berjalan ke seberang jalan. Urusan check in at the main hotel building. The hotel that we booked apparently is under Citin Loft management hence the procedure. 

Settle semua, we went to our room. Refreshed. Then keluar balik. It's time to try our luck in haggling a tuk tuk. Before tu sempat lagi update twitter & asked Lily about the tuk tuk rate to the place we wanted to go. Alhamdulillah, memang rezeki kami petang tu. After percubaan mau naik tuk tuk murah gagal, we got a better deal. Waaaaaaaaaaay better I must say! Berkat percaya sama kata hati sendiri. Tetttt. Memang berbaloi berganda2.
Our next destination. Haven't been given the opportunity to visit the real Santorini yet. Harap terubatlah sikit sakit berangan2 tu. Dapat pijak ala-Santorini pun jadilah.
Special thanks to Miss Lily Riani for her tips & guides. Thanks for being so sabar in answering my questions. Although most of the times they may sounded a bit bingai! 

My journey to Hua Hin could have been a mess without her guide. Gigih aku baca entries about her journeys to Bangkok, Hua Hin & Cha Am. Berjaya sedut semua info berharga. Thanks again pretty lass! I owe u loads! 

eryantierdabdulkarim