Things To Do in Bogor

Bogor City, located at 54 kilometres from south of Jakarta or approximately 2 hours from Jakarta. The colonial name is Buitenzorg which is taken from one kind of palem species. You need prepare an umbrella if you come here. The epithet of Bogor is Kota Hujan (The City of Rain).

Arriving Here:

1.       Baranangsiang Bus Station: the major bus station in Bogor. There are angkot (local minivan) to around city and buses to Jakarta or Bandung

2.       Bogor Rail Station : Economy class train and Economy AC class train from Jakarta 

Traditional Food:

1.       Soto Bogor : the chicken soup with the gravy from santan (coconut milk).

2.       Toge Goreng : the grilled bean sprout with tauco sauce.

3.       Mie Glosor : noodle, which is made from cassava, is served by peanut sauce.

4.       Roti Unyil : mini cookies

5.       Laksa Bogor : ketupat, bihun (rice vermicelli), bean sprout, kemangi leaves, oncom, shavings of grilled coconut, boiled egg, and tofu are poured by yellowish coconut milk. 

Shopping Place:

1.       Botani Square : Pajajaran Street, located next to Baranangsiang bus station. This is middle-upper class mall.

2.       Bogor Trade Mall : H. Juanda Street 68, the largest shopping mall with many popular fast food restaurants.

3.       Bogor Plaza : Surya Kencana Street, chaotic place with a lot of hawkers.

4.       Eka Lokasari Plaza : Siliwangi Street. This mall building has six levels and three basements with Matahari Department Store as the anchor tenant.

5.       Orchard Walk mall and Arcade : Inside Bogor Nirwana Residence. New commercial area with eco mall concept. 

Tourist Destination:

1.       Bogor Botanical Garden

It was built by Java's Dutch Governor-General Gustaaf Willem. The garden contains more than 15,000 species of trees and plants.  Open daily from 8am until 5pm.

2.       Presidential palace

It was built at 1744 as Governor-General residence. Once a year this palace holds an open house, when everyone may come and take a look around. This event is held during the anniversary of Bogor around May

3.       Kujang Monuments

The top of monument symbolizes a traditional weapon from Sundanese. Located at junction of  Pajajaran Street and Otto Iskandardinata Street.

4.       Taman Kencana

A paradise of culinary which near Presidential Palace.

5.       Tajur

Popular street where you can buy leather products.

6.       Batutulis

Located at Batutulis Street. It is heritage of Pajajaran Kingdom.

7.       The Jungle

Water Park inside Bogor Nirwana Residence. From Bogor Rail Station you can ride angkot 02 (Sukasari-Bublak) and ask the driver to unload you at Bogor Nirwana Residence. If you are from Baranangsiang Bus Station, you can ride angkot 01 and unload at Eka Lokasari Plaza, then ride angkot 02.

8.       Pak Warso Durian Farm

Located at Cihideung, Cipelang, Cijeruk, an hour from Bogor. Open 7am-5pm (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

The Haunted Soul

“that is natural when i come back late. It is my vehicle”, i shouted.

“Istighfar, my son. I’ve just reminded you. it is very danger at outside. You aren’t yourself casually. What’s wrong with you, my son?”, my mother calm me down.

“it isn’t your business. And stopping call me your son. I’ve been adult and I AM NOT YOUR SON!!! I replied while closed the door hardly.

I started my motorcycle. After riding few of metres, i realized that i didn’t use a helmet. My helmet left behind on the house. I thought that there was no police at night so i didn’t take it. I rode my motorcycle at top speed to Batu.

Last morning, i had made a great decision. I had broken up with my girlfriend who had accompanied me for 4 years. She was my first love also. I often caught her with others by surprised. I had been resentful of her lies. I had deleted her name from my history of life. Yeah... this time, i had forgotten her name.

I parked my motorcycle at the Jambuluwuk Resort. Here, i could see the sparkling light from Batu. I served a cup of coffee latte and my favourite food, The chicken curry. When i ate it, i remembered my mother. Her chicken curry better than this. Actually, my biological mother had been die when i was at 3 years old. Even i did not remember her face. Then, my father married again with my mother best friend. She was sterile so that i was only child. My step mother was far different from characteristic step mother that was appeared on soap opera. She was very patient and loved me. I was chummy with her quickly, moreover my father worked at outside of Java Island. I felt so guilty.

The sound of thunder is so rumbling.  After paying, i drove my motorcycle fastly. Suddenly, the rain fell densely. Many times my motorcycle almost fell, but fortunately, i still could to control it. A big truck in front of me  run slowly. I saw the right side. I just saw a beam of motorcycle’s lamp so that i was brave to precede that truck. Unfortunately, that was not a beam of motorcycle’s lamp but mini van’s lamp which one of its lamp was broken. Because i couldn’t back again to left side, i turned my motorcycle to left quickly to avoid a collision. I could not control my motorcycle and bumped bushes and trees. And everything became dark.

The blood came out from my head and my legs. Fortunately, i was still be alive. My motorcycle was totally damaged but it still could be driven. I drove into my house very carefully. I opened the door. I walked into my parents’s bedroom. There was someone lying who her face was wizened “Mom, i’m sorry”, i whispered. i walked into the kitchen to take bandage and betadine. i walked into my room at up stair. I salved my injuries and then i fell asleep.

I woke up at 4 o’clock pm. My bedroom’s windows had been opened. I looked at a lot of cars and motorcycles which were parked at the yard. I saw a operational car where my father worked. What happened? I walked down to living room lumberly. i was who had been death, my father or my mother. I faintly heard many people read Yaa-sin, i went to backyard. I saw some people who bathed a corpse. I approached him. All of his body was bruised. Although his face couldn’t be identified, i was conscious that he was me. I saw my father and my mother were crying from distance. Actually, i had been died. I just waited to be picked up by the grim reaper into the afterlife.

Kalimantan Trip (Part 1)

Finally, my wish to go to Kalimantan was fulfilled.  i got a promo ticket from Citilink airlines. I told my friend there, Angga, to become the guide when i was there. Because my plane would depart at 7 o’clock, so I stayed in Juanda International Airport.

Tomorrow morning, my plane delay until 9 o’clock and all passengers were taken to Cafe Surabaya to wait plane maintenance (luckily, i didn’t have breakfast yet). on there, i acquainted with a santri (islamic student) who studied at Bangil. He told me that he would go to Martapura because his college was off. He also offended about ticket price which was too expensive. I responded wishly, even my heart said i was lucky because i got cheap price. When he washed his hand, i didn’t realize that he wore sarong. At 9 o’clock, we were taken back to gate 7, but the plane maintenance still didn’t finish yet. all passengers waited again and got snack (again) but the menu were some bread and a cup of tea. Finally, the plane took off at 10.30 o’clock. Good bye Java Island...

Inside the plane, i acquainted with my side who would visit his grandma at Banjarmasin but the ticket price was more expensive than one before (my laugh on my heart had been Masked Hero laugh on Crayon Shinchan series. Huohoho ). After that, i slept until arrived in Syamsudin Noor Airport. The airport was little and there wasn’t any plane there. I pray Jumat then i went to Duta Mall to meet Angga and Firman.

Duta mall is the only one mall on South Kalimantan. When i was there, a lot of people came here. We met at Solaria and had lunch there. After that, we went to the Sabilal Muhtadin Mosque by foot. This mosque was built at 1981. The location was on Martapura river side. I think the architechture of it seemed like UFO plane. The place for wudhu aparted from main building. Overally, this mosque was very unique. After pray Ashar, we went to Siring, the place where young people could hang out with their friends. On there, we could buy Grilled Corn. I served spicy sweet grilled corn. It was delicious but very hot. We ate it while saw sunset on the edge on Martapura river. After that, we went to Duta Mall again to buy book. I bought the psychnlogy book and it was my first book which I bought in Kalimantan. Hohoho… After shopping, we were picked up by Angga’s family.  (continued)

Sabilul Muhtadin Mosque

The Atmosphere of Siring Banjarmasin

The Grilled Corn