WW: Jogjakarta Gateway

Beautiful Jogjakarta in two days!

Here are some snaps I took during my two-day working visit to our one and only Jogjakarta.

Colourful Batik from Jogjakarta

Beautiful artwork in the Phoenix Hotel, Jogjakarta

Jogjakarta has always been a perfect embodiment of traditional norms and cultures, super friendly people, beautiful rituals, amazing works of arts, gorgeous landscapes and incredible food.  

Copy of the relics from Borobudur Temple, Jogjakarta

This city certainly has a special place in our heart and I was so blessed to get a chance to be back here again.
I even managed to meet some of my dearest blogger fellows!

So many vintage items I love!

Never get enough of Batik! These ones are handmade...

Jamu..traditional beverages from Indonesia

Morning from above the clouds :)

Jamu, Gudeg and Bubur Ayam! Super yuuuum..

Have you been to Jogjakarta before?
How do you like it?
Join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the linky party :)

Hot Summer Day at Tokyo DisneySea

Hot Summer Day at Tokyo DisneySea!

I was enjoying the theme park as well as its beautiful surroundings during my recent transit on my way back home from NYC to Japan.

Well, I'm truly a Disney Girl and I just didn't want to miss the golden opportunity to visit one of my happy places on earth.

So I set my heart on going here early in the morning.

It was indeed a lovely place to be with all those rides and Disney-themed attractions!

And in 2018, Tokyo Disney celebrates its 35th anniversary as well.

So you can see so many special events and celebrations here.

Mickey Mouse in different costume

Although I have come before 8 AM, the park was already packed!

It's summer break, so I kind of anticipate what will happen.

So, I took my chances and tried to get to the lines and using my fast pass as many times as possible.

Cheers..it was super hot that day but I love it!

Strolling around the park in between queuing up, I really enjoyed the beautiful sky.

And this theme park is perfectly located in Chiba, Japan, but Tokyo Bay.

Check out some photos I took during my visit there.

Near the Arabian Coast area

reminds me of Montauk, New York!

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beautiful sky from all over the world

Uraeus - Anselm Kiefer at Rockefeller Center

Clear blue sky at Rockefeller Center!

I was strolling around Rockefeller Center and enjoying another art presentation here.
This time we have Uraeus, interesting work of Anselm Kiefer.
Huge open book that has wings, with a large snake crawling up.
Interesting, isn't it?
Against the blue sky, this statue is really striking.

Here's what I got from Rockefeller Center's website regarding the work:

"The sculpture's cryptic title, Uraeus, refers to the erect shape of the Egyptian cobra, associated with the serpent goddess Wadjet and a symbol of power and divine authority. The wings evoke the headdresses and necklaces worn by Egyptian royalty in homage to the vulture goddess Nekhbet. Wadjet and Nekhbet were the guardians of Lower and Upper Egypt, respectively, and following ancient Egypt's unification, became the joint patrons of the civilization."

It is put in the Channel Garden facing the Fifth Avenue and will be displayed from May 2nd to July 22, 2018.

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beauty of the skies from all over the world

Meet Pirates of the Caribbean at Wallilabou Bay, St. Vincent and The Grenadines

Who love Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean here?
I DO!
I really do :).

I have been such a big fan of Johnny Depp since I don't know when.
Perhaps way back before Edward Scissorhands or 21 Jump Street.
But for sure, Pirates of the Caribbean series are one of my favorite movie series with Johnny in it.

And I was super lucky to get to the set of the first movie, Pirates of the Caribbean - the Curse of the Black Pearl, when I visited St. Vincent and the Grenadines in May 2017.
I know it's been almost a year now but I haven't really shared the stories.
My bad :).

Wallilabou Bay, that's the name of the Bay that has been used as the set of Port Royal. Remember the scene when Elizabeth Swann was kidnapped by the pirates, Pintel and Ragetti, from her father's mansion? Also when Jack Sparrow was jailed and later on helped by Will Turner to escape? Or when Jack Sparrow was about to hang in one of the arch stones in Port Royal, where you saw lines of hanged pirates' skeletons in the beginning of the movie? Those are some of the scenes made in this very Bay.



When I heard that Wallilabou Bay was used as the movie set of the first movie of the Pirates of the Caribbean, I didn't think twice in deciding to go here, even after spending my whole morning till lunch time swimming and snorkeling in Bequai. Being Johnny Depp's huge fan, I felt like I have to see this place! 

So as soon as I got out of the ferry which took me from Bequai, I called our rented taxi to pick us up and take me to the Bay. My friend Tina, who went to Bequai with me, was tired and wanted to go back to the hotel directly, so I went to the Bay myself. 

It took me around 40 minutes to go here from the port in Kingstown, St. Vincent, where I took the ferry to and from Bequai. Along the way, as we drove up to the mountainous area and down to the Bay, the view was fantastic. We passed a great view here and there as we climbed up  just to go down to the bay area.

And as we arrived, it was only me there!
With two pirates standing tall at the gate.
Felt like having this bay for myself.

So, besides meeting Pirates of the Caribbean at Wallilabou Bay, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, you will also enjoy the breathtaking view.
That's the first thing that stole my attention.
The clear blue sky, crystal water, glittering sun and the breeze!
What a beautiful bay.
Like the ones that I tried to capture on my photos.

You see that arching rock in the back? That's where they planned to hang Jack Sparrow :)

Don't miss the 'mini museum' they have here as well.
Well, not really a museum but more like the place where they put some of the properties left from the movie set. We have some photos and mementos as well there.

Port Royal in the back :)

They put photos of the main actors and the crew as well.

Not to forget the costumes and other properties such as coffins, old phones and Victorian home accents.

It's fun to see them there.

Meet Jack :)

What's left from the movie set :)

My driver told me that Johnny loved St. Vincent & the Grenadines so much, especially the food, that he even had one special chef from St. Vincent and the Grenadines who stayed with him  after the movie was done. 

Well, there is a bar near the area as well and we took some times to sip some local soda and fried finger food while enjoying the breeze.

It was a great visit to the Bay to meet Jack Sparrow!

So, if you're around and a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean just like me, don't miss Wallilabou Bay.

Till next story :).

Ouen Toro Natural Park, Noumea, New Caledonia

Ouen Toro Natural Park, Noumea, New Caledonia, at a glimpse.

I found how beautiful New Caledonia is, seen from above.

And Ouen Toro Natural Park is the place for that.

I went here right after my brief yet satisfying swimming session at Iles Les Canards, Noumea. Obviously it was super hot up here, around 32 degrees Celcius or 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Quite a shock for my wintery body from NYC but I did enjoy the sun so much. Really feels like home in Indonesia!

Read more about Noumea in my previous post, 5 Instagramable spots in Noumea, New Caledonia.

Here's the exact location of this lovely place.

Join us on Skywatch Friday and enjoy the beauty of the skies from all over the world

The Frakarsa's on the road: Hola Espana Trip: Parc Guell, Barcelona

Does Gaudi ring a bell to you? 

Yuup, Antonio Gaudi.

Frankly, I just stumbled into this famous name when I prepared my petite family trip to Spain. It was back in 2010 (almost 8 years ago) and we were still living in Geveve, Switzerland when we started the trip. And even before arriving at Barcelona, looking at all those photos and stories on the web, we know Antonio Gaudi was indeed a GENIUS!

Born in 1852, Gaudi has been world-widely know for his Catalan modernism, highly inspired by nature and  religion. To him, nature comes with the best shapes and colors. Some dubbed him as the 'God's  architect' for his incredible works, including Sagrada Familia, famous church in Barcelona as well as the most visited monument in Spain. And his works there is incomplete! So, no wonder we planned to see three amazing places in Barcelona created by Gaudi.

One of his famous masterpieces is PARC GUELL, in Barcelona.

Undoubtedly, Parc Guell is one of the most impressive parks I have visited so far (and I'm one of park's biggest fan :D). 

It has been world-wide famous for being Gaudi's great masterpieces, as the park is adorned with so many unique elements.

Di hari kedua road trip kami di Barcelona, kami memutuskan untuk mengunjungi Parc Güell yang asli ngetop banget. Pokoknya kalau ada kesempatan main ke Barcelona, jangan ngga mampir ke sini ya. Taman luas yang terdiri dari beberapa kompleks ini memang unik. Seperti yang saya ceritakan di atas, Gaudi memang bener-bener luar biasa dalam merealisasikan aneka bentuk unik dari alam. Dan taman ini adalah tempat pertama karya Gaudi yang kami nikmati di Barcelona. Kesan pertama memang jawdropping! Mencengangkan! Bikin menganga.

His attentions to details continued to wow and amaze me, Udi et Bo while we  got an opportunity to stroll around the city of Barcelona to see his magical works. 

Alhamdulillah, amidst flowing tourists, warm January and packed park, we managed to take a stroll around the park, starting from Casa - Museu Gaudi. We didn't get inside as the park itself is huge but we took a few pictures in front of this house/museum.

Then we walked up to the main part of the Park.
Parc Guell consists of several parts, including the famous Dragon (or 'gecko') stairs, the Greek Theater, Casa-Museu Gaudi, and Casa del Guarda.
 

really comfortable and unique...Gaudi ooh Gaudi...

As you walked into the area, you can immediately see Gaudi's signature.
Amazing details with out-of-this-world designs and shapes.
The park has been known for its famous 'gecko' (although some say it's the dragon) and incredibly comfy bench filled with quilt of ceramics tiles as well as stunning view of the city of Barcelona.

strolling around the 'forest' of asymmetrical columns...

When we continued to stroll around the park, especially, the upper part, we found the forest of unique columns.
More interesting spot to enjoy.

clear blue sky....

They are indeed unique as the columns are not even straight.
They are strategically positioned to frame the clear blue sky and trees in the park.

Even the roof along this promenade looks like natural caves, at least for me.
It feels like getting lost in the forest of brick columns.

Waktu kami sekeluarga menjelajahi taman ini, ada bagian yang seru dan unik serta tidak terlalu ramai. Di bagian ini ada jalan setapak dengan kolom-kolom dari bata yang terlihat alami dan uniknya tidak ada yang lurus.  Paling tidak terlihat alami dan seperti karya Gaudi lainnya, tidak ada garis lurus. Karena tidak terlalu ramai, seperti bagian taman lainnya di Greek Theater dan Dragon's stair, kita bisa puas foto-foto di sini.

let's take a walk :D...

The next part that we love so much is the gingerbread house. It's like those whimsical houses  popping out of children story book. 

Take a look at these photos and tell me what you think!

Jaw-dropping ceilings with intricate designs can be found in the Greek Theater part. Those mosaics in different colors and shapes will be interesting to look. I can't stop thinking how they actually built all this amazing park. There has got to be special techniques being used to get all those curves and colors.

The ceiling and its colorful constellation...

Wanna see more of Parc Guell ?
Enjoy some more photos we took during our trip to Parc Guell, Barcelona

Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

amazing details indeed...mosaic of colorful tiles and patterns...

I love the shapes and their vibrant colors....yet, they serve their functions normally ...

in front of one of the houses...nice blue, yaaa...

we were not the only admirers of Gaudi works :D...

Here's the map of the Park.

Do 

Do you like visiting the park as well? 
What is your favorite park so far? 
Will you visit this park if you get a chance to visit Barcelona? 

See you in the next story and happy traveling!