United Nations International Bazaar 2015

Can you imagine if 193 members, or even just a half, of the United Nations gather in one international bazaar showcasing each traditional cultures and signature culinaries?

The UN SG at the Bazaar...

Sensational...that's what it is :)

And I was so privileged to attend one here at the UN Headquarters.

This annual gathering has been held for quite some rimes and this year's event has the full support from Mrs. Ban Soon-taek, the UN Secretary-General's wife.

Ms. Ban Soon-taek

Situated at the North Lawn Building of the Headquarters, the bazaar started at 10.30 with the official ribbon - cutting ceremony by Mrs. Ban. For 2015, there are more than countries and group of countries participating in this bazaar.

And what a festive bazaar indeed..

Your eyes will feast with all those colorful and unique displays of wonderful art crafts and handicrafts from different corners of the world. From Algeria to Zimbabwe..from Bhutan to Micronesia.

And wait until your sensory system sense the wonderful smell of cuisines from around the world. Something that you might be familiar with or, at the contrary, something new beyond your imagination :). My adventurous tummy has been growling since I step into the building.

special dishes from Pacific...

Cheers from the EU corner..

The proceedings from this bazaar will be donated to those who need the support and it will be organized by the UN Women's Guild.  So, while enjoying the bazaar, you will also participate and donate for good deeds.

For sure, Indonesia joins this event just like many years before. We reserved 2 tables, one for the food and one for the handicraft.

For the Indonesian food, we had mie bakso, or Indonesian meatball soup; sosis solo, or Indonesian munchies like spring rolls with sauted beef filling; es teler, literally translated as drunken ice, is the combination of beverage with fresh milk, avocado, young jackfruit, coconut meat, and jelly pudding; and rendang, the famous spicy beef stew with coconut milk and Indonesian traditional herbs and spices. With the price range of USD 3 - 10, many enjoyed these culinary delights.

And for the handicrafts, we had various kinds of traditional clutches, batik hats, shopping bags, clothes and more. Colorful faces of Indonesian handicrafts indeed :).

As you can see, we have batik clothes and skirts (most of them are gone ..sold at the end of the day :)) and some small yet handy artcrafts like fans, hats, small wallets and sooo many more :)

As for other tables, there were soooo many varities. I didn't manage to get the names of those food but love to see and devour them. And the smells...sooo alluring indeed :).

from China...

yummy snacks :)

I remember the similar bazaar that we had in Geneva at Palais  des Nations, the UN Office in Geneve. Annually conducted, the same festivities always successfully attracted many visitors.

Here are some more pics I got during the event  at the UN HQ in NYC:).

packed with visitors...

And I successfully grabbed food from our own table, that is Mie Bakso et Es Teler, Pakistani chicken Biryani, Cuban dessert, and Chinese vegetarian spring rolls. That's a lot hahaahha....but yuuuum yuuuum indeed...

I can't wait to see the same bazaar next year :)

So, do you like visiting international bazaar as well?

Catedral Antigua de Managua - Photo Gallery

Catedral Antigua de Managua through my lens..

As I have shared in my previous post, I went up early in the morning to see this historical church. Clear blue sky and morning lights are such great help as it was only 8 AM in the morning but the sun was scorchingly hot already..

Heavily damaged after the 1972 earthquake, this old church stands against the test of time and witness the substantial changes that this country has undergone... 

Let's see the many faces of this church from outside, as we are not allowed to get in considering the danger of loose rocks and bricks after the earthquake.

Welcome to Granada, Nicaragua

"This is one of the oldest cities in the country with a long history of Spanish establishment and conquer... Far from the land of Andalusia, the city was named after Granada, a famous city in the southern part of Spain, home of the La Alhambra."

Kalimat pembuka itu disampaikan oleh salah satu volunteer dalam pertemuan kami di Nikaragua, yang kali ini merangkap menjadi tour guide kami. 

Well, I haven't finished sharing my notes on my trip to Nicaragua :). I hope you are not bored yet as I still have many to share :)

I know..it was only 5 days, filled with works and endless meetings. 
But there will always be stories to tell and pictures to share. And as we continued our journey at the last day in Nicaragua, we were kissing Masaya goodbye and heading to Granada, another beautiful spot in the country.

To me, Granada is the colorful capital that has won my heart over since the first time we arrived here. 

It was another 30 minutes drive from Masaya National Park and as soon as we got into this old city of Granada, my eyes feasted with the vivid colors and colonial architectures dotting the curved pebbled street we passed.

Ingatan saya langsung terbang ke Granada yang terletak di selatan Spanyol, tempat La Alhambra dan Istana Nasrid (saya pernah cerita di sini, sini dan sini :) ) yang menjadi bukti kemegahan dan kebesaran Islam di tanah Andalusia di masa lampau. Pantas saja, sejak mobil yang membawa rombongan kami meliu-liuk memasuki jalan-jalan kecil peninggalan masa lalu di Granada, something really rings a bell, besides the exact same name.

Then I noticed it was the architectures...

Sangat Spanyol...sangat Granada :).

And we are far from Europe...
We are in Latin America :).

heading to the ship...don;t you just love the colors :)

Too bad we were there at almost sunset...and we were scheduled to sail at Lake Nicaragua instead of having a city tour. Of course, I had to stick to the plan and meanwhile, tried to enjoy the beauty of this city from our car. I saw colorful houses, - inculding the purple ones, ancient doors and intricate details. But I couldn't take picture of them :(.

One of the landmarks of Granada is the Chatedral...and I missed it :).

I captured some on our way back to the car, after the sail, including lovely cafes in the promenade.

Penny lane street...so the Beatles :)

one of the cafes..

But as I said...the main attractions we enjoyed here is Lake Nicaragua. 

Truly the biggest lake in the country and in Central America, as well as the world's twentieth largest lake, it has around 300 islands doting along the vast lake. 

It's the fresh water lake, formed as the result of tectonic activities of some volcanoes around this area. As you can see in my photos, there are some volcanoes fencing this vast lake, including Mombacho volcano.

Some have resorts and establishments on the island, some are vacant...

While sailing, we were going around some small islands and watching the stunning sunset from the boat.

It was beautiful...
It was such a solemn moment, especially as we had finished the meeting with a rather tough ending before.

For sure, looking at the wonder of God's creation at its best will stay forever in our heart. Especially for me...

Then, after the sunset, we managed to have around 15 minutes to see the center of Granada, particularly at the Placa de la Independencia. 
I know, I know, ...15 minutes, such a short, short time, even to look for souvenirs :).
But I just simply strolled around and let myself lost in the beauty of this vibrant city.

I love this traditional skirt :)

There was a great reason why we have to leave early from Granada.
Can you guess what?

Because we were about to have a meeting with the President of the country...
El Comandante Daniel Ortega.
Oh my....

Yuup..it's the president himself...welcoming our tired-but-super-excited faces (some of us were so nervouse because they were wearing shorts and tank-tops...well, we just had a tour :)) and had a fruitful dialog in his formal residence. 
Truly a once in a life time experience :)... at least for me...

with El-Comandante...

Dan ternyata, segala petualangan kami di malam terakhir di Nikaragua masih dihiasi dengan satu kejutan besar :).

Yaaa...kami dipertemukan dengan Presiden Nikaragua, Daniel Ortega!

Tokoh revolusioner ini menjadi Presiden sejak tahun 2007 dan meskipun dalam pertemuan tidak dijadwalkan, namun  Wakil Tetap Nikaragua untuk PBB di NY telah mengatur pertemuan para peserta seminar dengan El Comandante. Well, rasanya luar biasa bisa bertemu dan berdialog langsung dengan beliau. Tidak terasa 2 jam berlalu dengan seru :). Benar-benar pengalaman sekali dalam seumur hidup :).

By the time I left this country the following day at 7 am in the morning, I know I have left some part of my heart in the Land of Rubio and Sandino. 

Till we meet again, Nicaragua...

One fine day at Hershey Park

Clear blue sky....

It was a sunny day...
A beautiful day for all of us :)
And we all were more than happy, willing and able to explore Hershey Park...

Get more stories soon  :) ...
Meanwhile, enjoy the clear blue sky from different corners of the world 
at Skywatch Friday :)

Visiting Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua

If Indonesia is located in the ring of fire in the South East Asia region, then Nicaragua is the one in Latin America.

Visiting Nicaragua a few weeks ago for my work trip truly feels like going back home. Of course it's different but there are many things that remind me of home. Including this volcano.

Kalau di Indonesia, kita sudah terbiasa ya melihat gunung, baik yang masih aktif atau tidak, dan bahkan mendaki hingga ke puncak untuk melihat kawahnya. Saya ingat waktu jaman Pramuka saat SMP pernah hiking ke kawah Tangkuba Perahu saat mengikuti Jambore Nasional tahun 1991 (ketahuaaan deh umurnya :)). Dan setelah beberapa lama tidak pernah melihat kawah gunung dari dekat, ternyata dalam perjalanan ke Nikaragua beberapa waktu yang lalu saya mendapat kesempatan lagi untuk melihat hal yang sama, namun di negara Amerika Latin :).

Dubbed as one of the most active volcanoes in the country, the National Park of the Masaya Volcano  is indeed another beautiful spot we visited in Nicaragua.

It took around 30 minutes to go to the National Park from Managua by bus. It was an organized tour after we closed the session of our 3-day seminar. By the time we got to the gate, it was still another 10 minutes drive to the top. I heard that those visiting this place can have the taxi taking them up, hike, or try horseback riding tour for around USD 15. I would love to try the last one but we all went in group so I sat nicely in my bus :).

Nearing the top, we spotted the cross on top of the hill and the Deputy Permanent Representative of Nicaragua, our host, who happened to share the same car as me, said that they put it there in order to keep the devil coming out of the volcano.

Since the volcano was very active, the indigenous people living around there call it "the mouth of hell" or La Boca del Infierno in Spanish. I can imagine how dreadful people at that time witnessing the rumbling volcano erupting lava, rocks and sulphur. And I guess by putting the cross there they must have felt much, much safer.

We managed to see the crater which is still smoking and emitting sulfur gases. So we really have to be careful and refrain from staying near the crater too long.

But I got to admit, the view is stunning indeed.
Looking down at the craters amidst its smoky screen and rather unpleasant smell is quite an experience :).  The misterious surroundings add the beauty of the place.
The typical vegetation around the area is also interesting to look at.
And the fauna...We were informed by our guide that there is one particular bird, the green parakeets, that has adapted to this rather dangerous habitat with sulfur and smoke and live within the crater. Can you imagine that? They build their nest within the craters and some visitors can see them returning to their nests in the evening or after sunset.
That's why this National Park offers a night tour. 
How cool is that! We would be able to see some of those animals, including the flocks of bats, and I guess, perhaps, some glowing lava :).
But of course, I didn't get a chance to try the night tour as right after this visit, we went to Granada to enjoy the sunset sail at Lake Granada :). For sure I will share it in another post :).

We have to be extra careful at some parts along the edge of the craters because of the loose rocks. But the signs are all clear so you should be okay as long as you follow the rules.

Just some quick notes if you come to this area>
1. It's hot, hot, hot
 Make sure you have your hat and bottles of water to ensure that you are well hydrated. Although it depends on the the time you visit the area, but Nicaragua is generally tprocal in terms of climate.

2. Wear you comfy shoes
Sneakers and walking shoes will be the best, especially if you plan to try the hiking trails. It's also very sandy so the sands might get into your shoes if you don't wear the proper one.

3.  Be careful 
When you walk around or take picture, make sure you observe the area and take precautions. Some part of the area are very loose and slipery because of the sand. And the crater is deep as well. so watch out for your loose items like hats, glasses etc when you look down.

All in all, it was an awesome day for me and the group...
Visiting Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua is highly recommended.

After about spending around 45 minutes there, off we went to the next adventure....
Lake Nicaragua, Granada :)..

Wanna hear the story on that? I'll be right back ...

WW: UN International Bazaar 2015

A festive annual gathering indeed...

The UN International Bazaar surely showcased so many beautiful forms of cultural heritage and traditional culinaries from different corners of the world, including my homeland, Indonesia...
Will get back with more details :)
 But meanwhile, enjoy some of the snap shots I got during the event...

The UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon came to the stage :)

Sosis Solo, one of Indonesia's yummy munchies...

more from Indonesian handicraft table...

mie bakso...ready to warm you up :)

the crowd...

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