Showing posts with label My munchkin and I. Show all posts
Showing posts with label My munchkin and I. Show all posts

COLORFUL INDONESIA - 17AN (TUJUH BELASAN) – The Notes from the Celebration of Indonesia’s 75th Anniversary with Google Local Guides

  

Colorful Indonesia - the Celebration of Indonesia's 75th Anniversary

COLORFUL INDONESIA - 17AN (TUJUH BELASAN) – The Notes from the Celebration of Indonesia’s 75th Anniversary with Google Local Guides

 

Hello everyone...

Hope everyone is safe, happy and healthy amidst the pandemic that still run rampant around us.

August is almost gone and I have to admit that this month has been very colorful

 If you were asked, what you have done to your country, what would be your answer(s)?

That you have loved it with all you heart and soul?

That you have defended it in various occasions and platforms?

That you have tried to do your best to make your country proud?

That you have studied hard to ensure you can give the best to your country?

That you have contributed, in your own way, to the progress on the ground?

That you have promoted your country wherever you go?

That you have proudly speak your national language and teach it to your fellow foreign counterparts?

That you have loved its tremendous culture and be proud of it?

That you have always cooked your national or traditional food you love so much?

That you will continue to look for ways to improve your skills and share your passion about your beloved country to the world?

The list can go on and on and on obviously.

And that’s why, in the spirit of making the celebration of our Independence Day more meaningful, Jakarta Local Guides, together with Indonesia Local Guides, convened a special meet – up, COLORFUL INDONESIA17an (read: TUJUH BELASAN).

Welcoming the 75th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Indonesia, Local Guides throughout Indonesia proudly invited all Local Guides to participate in the Virtual meet up which was held on the August 17th 2020 at 07.00 PM Indonesia time.


 

We celebrated Indonesia’s 75th Anniversary or the Independence Day together with Local Guides from Indonesia as well as from different corner of the world. Friends from India, Thailand, Peru, Malaysia, Pakistan and others join our celebration. Some friends from Indonesia even joined the meet - up while they were in the middle of the road, heading back to Jakarta.

Google Local Guides from India, Thailand, Peru, the US, Malaysia and others joined the virtual meet - up on Indonesia's Independence

It was fun, hassle-free and joyous celebration, filled with interesting history, fun-fact about Indonesia and its struggles for independence, quizzes and songs, and endless photo sessions.




We started the meeting at 8 PM by singing our national anthem, Indonesia Raya. The music was played and the lyrics were provided so everyone who attended, including those who are not Indonesians, could follow and felt the vibe.



 

Nothing beats the feeling of patriotism and the love of your country while you are singing the national anthem! For sure, my dearest Indonesian colleagues sang the anthem with their hearts, I myself was choked with mixed feelings of pride and optimism.

 

 

It was super special as well as we invited Local Guides who participated to wear Indonesian traditional costumes. As the theme for this celebration is "Colorful Indonesia", we were very grateful and appreciative as the meet-up participants wore or showed traditional clothes during the meet-up. Of course it was not mandatory but I managed to wear Siger Lampung, the traditional headdress from Lampung, Indonesia (my beloved hometown) with its famous and elaborate Tapis Lampung, the hand-woven traditional fabric from Lampung, using golden threads and colorful patterns in purple, red and gold. 

Meanwhile my dearest co-host   Radja Sitanggang looked super cool with his Bataknese attire (from North Sumatra, his origin) in black and gold. Rahmat, our super talented and super helpful friend (to whom we owed his amazing works for presentations and videos) wore Udeng, a special headdress for male from Bali.   Jean looked beautiful in Balinese attire with that lovely frangipani on her hair. Mas Brian   from Malang was showcasing a special head scarf from Java I believe. Many wore Batik, our UNESCO-World-Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity like Pak  Budi and many others.

Siger Lampung worn by Google Local Guides @indahnuria during virtual meet up

 

We had presentations from Munawar of Aceh and Jean as well.

Munawar eloquently talked about the beauty of Aceh and all its famous coffee, food and of course, the beauty of Acehnese ladies. I couldn’t wait to come and visit Aceh myself!




And Jean successfully made us crave to go to Bali and enjoy its endless beauty. Never get enough of it.

 

Together, we shared more of what independence means to us and how colourful Indonesia can stay united after its independence in 1945.

We walk through some highlights of beautiful Indonesia, particularly to historical places (mostly in Jakarta and the surrounding cities like Rengasdengklok) to see its amazing stories and landscapes. Some historical buildings in Jakarta are the witness of Indonesia’s struggles towards independence.

Presentation during the virtual meet - up of COLORFUL INDONESIA


In addition to that, we celebrated the cultures, particularly the ones that become sort of traditions during the 17an or the celebration of Indonesia’s independence, like decorating the gate in your neighborhood with Red-and-white theme, fun traditional games with prizes, parade, flag-hoisting ceremony, and so much more. Although the pandemic is still rampant and in many cities these traditions were not done this year, but we still have vivid memories of how fun those games were during 17an. How it brings me back to my childhood with all those fun – yet – hilarious games. Not to mention culinary, traditions and friendly people, including Indonesian Local Guides :). For sure, these are wonderful aspects that Local Guides from all over the world will certainly enjoy and cherish! Again, Rahmat had done a brilliant job for preparing the presentation. 

Then we also had photo competition where Local Guides were invited to send their favorite photos showcasing Indonesia or following the theme of Indonesia’s Independence Day. 

Some of the entries for photo competition during the virtual meet up of COLORFUL INDONESIA


We had many cool entries and the winner is Nabhan Ahmad Ludihanto! Yaaaay...congratulations.

 

 

Winner of the photo competition during the virtual meet up of COLORFUL INDONESIA


Of course, the meet-up won’t be complete without any quizzes. We had fun throwing trivia questions from the presentation, like how many islands Indonesia has, the names of Indonesian heroines from Aceh, the names of beaches in Bali, and so many more. For the prizes, they got tumblers, t-shirts, and packages of traditional food and coffee from Lampung! Then, we had Kahoot quiz as well, packed with Indonesian – related questions. Fun, fun, fun.

Winner of the Kahoot quiz during the virtual meet up of COLORFUL INDONESIA

 

In addition to that, we actually had a challenge for non-Indonesia participants. You know what the challenge was? To sing any Indonesian songs or any songs related to Indonesia for us. Just like a gift to Indonesia. But perhaps the challenge was too hard LOL, none could finish it. Except @Ant_Bad_Yogi     who sang Happy Birthday to us, and I guess to me as well who celebrated my birthday on August 11. Thanks Ant for the fun! Then we had @gurupriya , my dear @anil and Ma @RosyKohli for joining us as well together with others.

We managed to sing together as well. Tanah Pusaka was the song we chose, as we were so moved by its deep lyrics. I almost cried singing it together with my fellow Indonesian Local Guides. It was indeed a great moment.

For us, our homeland will always stay in our heart. 

Borne in our soul.

And stay there till the end of time.

I personally have been traveling and residing in many parts of the world.

But my heart belongs to INDONESIA.

And INDONESIA only.

 

Seperti syair lagu cantik ini, Tanah Airku

Walaupun banyak negeri kujalani
Yang masyhur permai dikata orang
Tetapi kampung dan rumahku
Di sanalah ku rasa senang

Tanah ku tak kulupakan
Engkau kubanggakan

Tanah ku yang kucintai
Engkau kuhargai

 

And here's the free translation to the lyrics:


Even though I have traveled to many countries

The famous ones they said, beautiful and prosper

But my home, my village and my homeland

That's where I feel happy

My land I will not forget

I'm proud of you

My land that I always love

I will always appreciate you

 

Happy 75th Anniversary, Indonesia


indahnuria.com celebrating Indonesia's Independence in Switzerland

All in all, it was a great meet-up!

Thank you so very much for joining us, dear Local Guides and friends!

Hope we all can benefit from this meet-up and see you around on the next one!

MERDEKA!

 

WW: Bukit Jokowi - Jayapura Skyline, Papua

I am welcoming myself back to Jayapura, Papua, this week.
It has been probably 6 years since I last visited this incredible city.

Welcome to Bukit Jokowi..
This time we visited Bukit Jokowi - Jayapura Skyline, Papua and enjoyed amazing sights from the top. Let's take a look at them together.








How do you like it?
I love the red bridge, Hoftekamp bridge.

Meanwhile, join us on (almost) Wordless Wednesday and have fun with the link party

13 years and counting



13 years ago :)

This is a super, duper late post!
Considering that we were celebrating 2 important dates of the year in the life of our family.


My hubby's birthday and our 13th wedding anniversary!

And the 'almost-the-end- of-the-year-fiasco' always takes its toll on me.
I finished writing it at the last working day of 2017, after our internal meeting at the office.

Rasanya setiap akhir tahun , kita selalu disibukkan dengan banyak hal, ini dan itu.
Di saat - saat terakhir.
Yang membuat kita melewatkan banyak hal, sengaja atau pun tidak sengaja.
Tidak terkecuali aku .

Kadang karena kesibukan pekerjaan, ada aja satu dua hal yang terlupa. 
Mulai dari lupa bayar tagihan kartu kredit (penting banget ini), tergopoh-gopoh ke dokter walaupun jadwal appointment sudah lewat, sampai sale barang inceran di online shop andelan yang terlewat or expired diskon ekstranya karena lupa. Pernah juga lupa jemput Obi yang ternyata pulang lebih cepat karena mau bagi raport. Parah abis ya #tutupmuka

Tapi aku ngga pernah lupa dengan ulang tahun orang-orang tercintaku.
My kids, my hubby, my family.
And I usually have something special or different prepared!
Aslinya kan aku memang hobi arts & crafts dan bikin yang unik-unik gitu, termasuk kalau ada acara istimewa.
Sampai akhirnya aku kecapaian sendiri dan stress! 
Dan setelah berulang kali yakinin diri sendiri kalau nothing's wrong with being realistic dan realitanya aku memang sudah kewalahan dengan banyak hal karena pekerjaan dan tanggung jawab yang makin banyak, aku pun sudah tidak memaksakan diri.
Except for birthdays of my loved ones!

Dan aku punya cita-cita sederhana untuk menghabiskan waktu berdua aja dengan Udi.
Going home early and wanna have a short date at the movie and dinner afterwards.
As simple as that.
And we couldn't do it.
Thanks to the work.
Well, we managed to have a super late dinner at the end of the day.

Makanya geregetan dan sebel berat (plus sedih banget) rasanya kalau semua yang sudah kita rencanakan,  one of of the supposedly-to-be-the-most-cherished moments in our life, harus berubah karena ada prioritas lain terkait pekerjaan.
Sudah banyak cita-cita mau ini dan itu, tapi gagal karena ada hal penting yang harus diurus dan harus diurus pada saat itu juga, bersamaan!
Well, karena ngga bisa dibahas di sini, jadi kita skip aja bagian menyebalkan itu, okay!
Dan bersyukur at the end of the day, akhirnya  bisa melewatkan waktu bersama orang-orang tercinta.

Dan itulah sinopsis cerita perayaan pernikahan aku dan Udi yang ke-13 tahun ini :).
Terus aku berpikir apa karena yang ke-13 jadi 'agak' sial begini ya?
Hush..I'm not superstitious but look at that!
13 continues to be blamed for all the bed things.

Tapi setelah dipikir-pikir, mungkin memang baiknya begitu.
Punya cita-cita menikmati 'our time' mumpung anak-anak dijagain mama yang masih ada di NYC waktu itu because I really need a break
Too many things have happened at this short period of time and we both need to chill.
But deep down I know, kami sudah sangat terbiasa ke mana-mana dan ngerjain apa aja selalu berempat. Aku, Udi, Bo et Obi.
Jadi kalau pergi berdua aja, rasanya kok ngga lengkap.
Pasti malah nanya anak-anak lagi ngapain ya. Atau udah pada makan belum ya.
Atau anak-anak mau kita bawain apa ya. Intinya, selalu inget anak-anak di rumah.
I guess all parents are like that, right!


So, that's what I have missed to share (on time).

My hubby's birthday and our 13th wedding anniversary!

December 12, 2014 was the date when we both officially became husband and wife.
Fast forward 13 years, here we are now.
Living on the other side of the world, far away from our comfort home and families, juggling to enjoy life amidst crazy works, extreme weather, and tons of fun!

And he is my rock!
I have never been imagining life without him.

Kalau tanggal 12 Desember lalu saya masih tergerus pekerjaan dari pagi hingga malam, Rudi adalah orang pertama yang memeluk saya dan bilang, "go... finish your work. It's your responsibilities. I will be waiting."
Dan saya makin trenyuh.
He is the strong person I am destined to live with.

And don't ask how he has staunchly stand by me during my, - our - darkest time as I fought breast cancer.
Mata saya akan basah mengingat itu semua.
Soalnya saya memang jadi zombie dan horrible monster thanks to all the procedures and tons of medicines I have to take. Those crazy hormone suppressor!

So, back to December 12, 2017, we did enjoy our brief moment.
I took the liberty to put my phones and laptop away so that we both could enjoy our morning candle-blowing moment; exchange cards, gifts, hugs and kisses; and sit down with our once-a-year lavish dinner :). Dinner, super late dinner (starting at 10 PM) just the two of us, which rarely happens.
After a crazy day and rush morning for another UN back-to-back and non-stop meetings, at least we could just sit down and relax.
And I am blessed!

So, 13 years and counting.

I have to admit at this point I don't know what else to say.
I guess I have said it all.
Or maybe because I'm simply not good enough to put everything in words.
To me, my hubby is more than just a husband.
We have been through a lot.
Not only the sweet moments in our lives, but also the long and winding ones.

He is my very best friend, who knows exactly what make me happy or sad or laugh or cry.
My soul mate, whom I look for the first thing in the morning and the last time at night. To whom I ask for consideration, starting from choosing a napkin to doing mastectomy or not.
My greatest frienemy who has made my life super colorful and blessed, full of laughters and crazy moments, that I look forward to living it day by day.

Here's to a loving father, fantastic husband, wonderful son, and fun uncle my husband is.
And here's to Allah SWT's blessing for our marriage.
Happy 13th and beyond, love!






U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 - photo album

I just can't get enough :).
To me, U2 is more than just a band! They are such an inspiration for me and many others as well, as they encourage us to be a better person, who live in a better world!

Here are some snaps I took during U2 the Joshua Tree Tour 2017

Enjoy ❤️






Happy faces :)





All photos were taken by iPhone 7 Plus, from our seat in Section 126, row 44, seat 13 and 14.
Just in case you haven't watched it, here's the video of With or Without You.

Sing with me!


U2 The Joshua Tree Tour 2017




Sunday bloody sundaaaaay...

The loud chorus echoed from every corner of Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, that night. Red lights were everywhere, bathing the fans who screamed on top of their lungs singing one of the hits from U2. Sunday Bloody Sunday was the perfect one to open another world tour. Another unforgettable night for those gathering in that stadium that night. Including my hubby and I.

Bono, the Edge, Adam and Larry had clearly captivated our hearts.

And the Joshua Tree Tour 2017 officially began.




***


Beautiful discographic visuals during Vertigo, another hits of U

My hubby and I has been a huge fan of U2 since we don't know when.
We joined the fans club and has all its perks, including early access to information and concerts U2 has. 



When we found out that U2 is coming to NYC, I directly put the notification on my calender of the first day they opened the ticket sales for fans. And we got it! I managed to get 4 tickets and we shared them with our dearest friends, Erma and Sendi.



So, Wednesday, 28 June 2017, a few days after Lebaran day, we all went to Metlufe Stadium, where it held the concert. With a littler drama here and there, including crazy traffic, long lines for parking and starving, we arrived at the venue at 8.30 PM, 10 minutes before the scheduled performance of U2. Obviously we missed the Lumineers, the opening band. But, what we can do.. we came directly from the office 😇😇.

After getting to our seat, get some water and food, we were so ready to enjoy the show.
And Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry surely made a bang with Sunday Bloody Sunday as its opening song!
Then afterwards, hits after hits serenanded us, the fans, who were willing to sing a long all night long.

At the beginning, my hubby and I were wondering why the concert was a bit plain, without any videos or audiovisual as usual. Well, after two songs, our questions were answered and bang, there went the non-stop cool videos giving a stunning background of the band!
Love each and every one of them!

the one and only Bono..
Almost two full hours we were entertained by the band, singing our hearts out.

 They sang most of the hits like Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bad, In the name of love (Pride), Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, With or Without you, Where the Street Has No Name, Vertigo,  and more.

Here's the video of one of our favorite U2 songs ever, at least for me and my hubby.
With or without you.



It was another incredible concert we attended here in New York/New Jersey.
Do you like U2 as well?
What's your favorite song?

12 Tahun...



Tuhan memang adil.
Dan penuh kejutan.

Tidak pernah terbersit sekali pun di pikiran, saya akan menjalani hidup nomaden yang kerap dipenuhi keseruan dan hal-hal baru dalam hidup. 
Mana tahu saya yang biasa banjir keringet dan pakai baju lepek karena kepanasan bisa meringkuk menggigil sambil melihat turunnya salju yang cantik tapi deadly cold. 
Jangan ditanya bagaimana noraknya saya dan Udi saat melihat salju untuk pertama kalinya :)).
Syahdu banget pokoknya.
Atau urusan makanan.
Tempe goreng dan ikan asing jambrong yang biasa menghiasi meja makan digantikan oleh keju gruyere yang wanginya tidak kalah dengan sedapnya aroma terasi dan nikmat banget dimakan dengan cabe rawit (lalu ditanya umat sedunia yang ngga pernah makan keju pakai cabe :)) !
Plus pengalaman melahirkan 2 anak lucu dan menggemaskan, komplit dengan bonus mules sedap karena melahirkan normal dengan intervensi minim, saat jauh dari orang tua dan cuma berdua suami.

Sweet life!
So full of wonderful surprises that never fail to bring smiles to our face.

Begitu pula untuk urusan pasangan.
Saya, yang super bawel, heboh dan ngga mau diam ini, 'kena batunya' dengan seorang bassist pendiam yang kalau ngga ditoel ngga ngomong.
Observer canggih yang penuh surprises saat bicara.
Sumpah..
He was the last person in my mind yang terpikir bakal jadi pendamping hidup saya.
Bukan hanya sekedar pendamping hidup, tapi juga separuh jiwa.
Saya yang (ngakunya) super romantis bertemu seseorang yang sering awkward dengan dirinya sendiri, boro-boro mau beromansa.
And I found that cute!
Ajaib kan :).

But I have to admit that my munchkin, Udi, is meant for me.
Kami dekat cukup lama, hampir 9 tahun, sebelum akhirnya memutuskan untuk menikah.
And he knows me so well, even better than myself sometimes.
Udi adalah satu dari sedikit orang yang tau aslinya diriku.
Sosok setia yang paling mengerti segala kegilaan dan kebodohan seorang Indah :).
Yang selalu sabar menghadapi segala kejutan hidup, baik manis maupun pahit.
Yang terbukti menjadi ayah terbaik untuk Bo et Obi (dan paling jago buat trmpe manis kesukaan anak-anak ;)).
Yang selalu memberi damai, meski hanya dengan melihatnya tertidur lelap di samping saya.
He's our greatest caretaker indeed!

Kadang saya berpikir, what can I do without you, Pak.
Dan saya percaya, I'm getting stronger because of you.

Betapa saya beruntung, diberi rezeki penggenap jiwa dan cinta-Nya lewatmu.
Sesuai janji-Nya.
Selalu Ia genapkan kekurangan dan kelebihan kita dengan si pasangan jiwa, soulmate, penyejuk jiwapenggenap.

I am truly blessed.



Dan tanggal 12 Desember 2016 ini, 12 tahun saya menjalani hidup bersama my munchkin.

Mantap mengarungi keseruan hidup berdua.

Eh, berempat ding..dengan 2 buah hati kami yang bikin super gemes karena makin kritis.
Walaupun dunia (sering) serasa milik berdua, tapi gelak tawa dan lelucon polos anak-anak yang makin sering berubah jadi 'satpam' di rumah justru membuat hati kita selalu hangat.
Mereka berdua adalah salah satu anugrah paling indah di hidup kita ya, Pak.

Happy birthday ya, munch.
And happy anniversary, too.
You know very well that the love that now exists is the love I can never resist, so stay by my side.

And no, this is not a tribute.
I wish I could write those hearty notes :).
My words are cold and flat and you deserve more than that, kalau kata Michael Buble :)
But here's a thousand cheers for your long lived, blessed life.
To the deep kindness of your heart.
And unconditional love you shower us.

Bear hugs and kisses,

Mama, Bo et Obi


Flushing Meadows in summer

Summer is here...
Say cheeeseeeee :)

My daughter Obi just loves spending time outdoor. 
Well, who wouldn't? 
At least now, when the weather get warmer and 'friendlier' for our 35-degree-all-year-long-Indonesian-skin :).

Public parks and pools are her favorite...along with some scooter-time with her brother, Bo.

We are lucky that many parks are within the walking distance of our house, like Astoria Park, but one of our all-time favorite here is Corona Park, Flushing Meadows. 
We went here several times, in all seasons. 
Winter, spring, summer et fall :). 
The first time we came here is because we wanted to check the alien tower appeared in Men in Black movie. From that moment on, we keep coming back.

It's famous for its Unisphere and being the site for World's Fair back in 1940 and 1965. 
The last time we went here was before Ramadhan as they had the festival for the anniversary of the World's Fairs.

It was a great event, with many displays of antique cars, mementos from the Fairs, and fun activities for the kids. I should have probably put that story on another post. Yeaaah...will do :).

But for sure, we were having fun at that day.
And took a lot of pictures.
Really a lot of pictures :).

Obi in black-and-white 







Well, it was a great day..
Everyone was in good mood and we had our phones.
So..voilaaaa...
A photo session it was.




                Here are some of the shots we took on iPhone 6 and edited using Snapseed
Hope you like it :)
Say cheeers...

cheers..
                         

Obi and I :)

the 4 of us, under the Unisphere :)

Now that we are in the middle of Ramadhan, the holy month for moslems, we are fasting and trying to go a little easy on outdoor activities.
But I guess another trip to Flushing Meadows won't hurt :).

What's your favorite park near your house? Do you take lots of pictures in the park as well?





#MyItchyFeet: Taman Sari, Yogyakarta

Well....

We miss Yogyakarta.
Who wouldn't?

Those who have been visiting this lovely historical city will certainly fall in love with its ageless charm.
So does my petite family :).

Before heading to the Big apple (almost a year a go...gosh, time flew!), we decided to have our family vacation to those beautiful spots in our homeland. It was a long list of great places but judging from our tight schedule and many preparations we had to do, we only managed to choose Bali and Yogyakarta. Plus Lampung, of course :).

We spent one weekend in beautiful Jogja.
Staying in one cozy hotel near Malioboro, the most hip and infamous area in Jogja, we decided to stroll around the city in becak or pedicab. One for me and Obi and one for Bo et Bapak. It proved to be the best decision :). We pretty much enjoy the rides...

So, in one of our colorful days in Jogjakarta, we spent some time in Taman Sari, Yogyakarta.
Taman Sari Water Castle, to be exact.
Let's have a look ...





Right in the proximity of the Jogjakarta Sultanate Royal complex, this water castle is famously well-known for being the bathing arena for the concubines.
Aha..the sultan's concubines :).
Imagine those pretty, young ladies bathing merrily and innocently on one of these pools.
Legend said the Sultan would throw a flower to one of those girls and she would be picked to accompany the King. I myself am not a big fan of concubine stories but my mind surely traveled through time portraying that scene in my head as our local tour guide told us this story.



Taman Sari Water Palace is truly an oasis amidst the sun-scorching day in Jogjakarta. 
It usually soars up till almost 40 degree celcius in midday, so you can imagine how refreshing it is to see this cool pool complex :).

don't you wanna dive in :)
Showing an elegant mixture of Javanese architecture filled with Javanese philosophy and European influence, Taman Sari Water palace was built by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono I back in the late 17th century. Taman Sari itself means the garden of flowers, reflecting the beautiful flowers they used to have in the surrounding complex, although now what is left and being well-restored is only the bathing complex.

By the time we arrived at the gate, our local guide a.k.a our becak driver has recited the beautiful stories when this bathing complex was more than just pools. It used to cover four different areas consisting of the artificial lake and a few bathing complex for the kings, the kings' families, and the concubines.



We got in to the complex from the east gate, showing two giant snakes (as the guardians, I suppose) and ornate flowers. They call it Gedhong Gapura Panggung. 



We managed to see the tower where Sultan observed the ladies enjoying the cool water and later threw a flower to his choice. Some enclaves are beautifully positioned as well, fun to explore.


Bo, Obi and I :)


My local guide also shown us the  traditional spa spot, where those concubines picked by the Sultan prepared themselves before meeting the king. It was indeed a very interesting spot, where they put all those natural herbs and perfume for the ladies.



Then we went to Gedong Mangkaran as well, at the back of the complex, through Gerbang Carik.







We ended the tour by exiting through the eastern gate or called Gedhong Gapura Hageng. 
Really love the ornate details in this gate...right face a square where we bought es cendol :). 


We noticed that this historical complex has been surrounded by settlements and houses as well. I guess that's why some of the original complex of this water palace is gone :(. 


I just found out that this beautiful palace is tentatively listed as World Heritage Site. 
Well, for sure, when we visited this lovely place, it was packed with tourists like us as well as foreigners. So, I guess, the legend of the famous concubines bathing merrily in these pools attract people's attention. It was too bad that we didn't manage to have a complete tour here as Bo et Obi were feeling hot already, but we surely love to get back here.

Don't miss Taman Sari water palace when you visited Yogyakarta :)


References:
Taman Sari (Yogyakarta), Wikipedia, 
Scribbles from my local guide :).