Quick visit to Johor Bahru - the New Jewel

One week in November I went for a few days to Singapore. A modern metropolis as it is, after a few days Singapore gets simply boring to me. It was my second visit there and the city state somehow doesn't get any affection on my side. I do, however, like to explore the local cuisine and the affordable food prices make it a great experience, even when travelling on a budget. And it is very orderly, very clean. Perhaps too clean...

After a few days I started missing the rottenness of Jakarta, and I mean rottenness in a very much positive sense. I came up with a very random plan to visit Malaysia, Indonesia's "younger sister". The city of my interest was Johor Bahru (in Malaysian, Johor means 'Jewel', and Bahru means 'new'), the southernmost city of continental Asia. It is one of the largest cities in Malaysia, and very close to Singapore - just across a kilometre long causeway.


My journey began with talking a bus to the Woodlands Checkpoint in the morning. There I cleared immigration, first Singaporean, then Malaysian. After some minutes of dealing with all the bureaucratic requirements and filling in forms, I was in Malaysia! From there it was a walking distance to the centre of Johor Bahru. It is really easy to travel between the two countries as EU citizens don't need a visa to enter either of them. Entering Singapore is a bit more complicated; about that later.


I didn't know what to see in Johor as the city is rather industrial in nature; it is also famous for some organized crime groups operating from there and smuggling stuff into Singapore ;) Brochures available at the checkpoint have proven useful, however. I have learned about a Sultan who once build a palace here and who established the city. The palace is still there, still standing. Why not pay it a visit, I thought. But first: foooood! There were numerous food places just outside of the border crossing, where one of the main roads goes. So I ordered some unspecified Malaysian food (which has a lot of resemblances to Indonesian food) from an Indian man and filled my stomach with joy.

After getting some calories down the stomach, I went on a search for the bus that would take me to the Sultan's palace. Unfortunately a few bus drivers I spoke to either didn't know what the palace is, or maybe didn't know it by the English name. The fifth driver or so finally knew what it is and he happened to go past it on the route. After a short ride, I arrived on the spot. I must say, I was a bit disappointed, as the building (at least from the outside) was not that impressive. To get inside, I would need to pay quite some money as probably the rich Singaporean tourists don't really care anyway, and so I decided to just go somewhere else.

After a short walk through the park surrounding the palace, I got out using one of the side entrances and went to explore some more of the city. Without really knowing where I was going, I found some interesting architecture, a few long and narrow streets with an endless number of street vendors offering some amazing cuisine, and a mosque on top of a hill, overlooking the Strait of Johor.


Johor Bahru is definitely not a premier tourist destination and there aren't that many things to see. Nevertheless, it was interesting to just mingle with the crowds and explore the local way of life. The city is very affordable relative to Singapore and therefore a lot of Singaporeans come here on a regular basis to do shopping. I did the same and later regretted it.


Being unfamiliar with the local customs, I unintentionally attempted to smuggle some contraband into Singapore. Without having even tried to hide it on the border, I got singled out from the queue and was escorted into a small room where I had to explain myself in front of three angry-looking men. I suppose my story was very convincing and the amount of contraband not significant, and so I was told that they have decided not to imprison me (sick!) and not to give me any fine (one of the popular things to buy among tourists are t-shirts saying "Singapore - a fine city"). Instead, I was just escorted to another room where I had to pay the duty. I was really pissed off, I didn't know I was doing anything illegal. Still, having arrived in Singapore I compared the prices and it turned out that even with the duty I paid, I still have saved some 20 cents, leaving me with a big smile on my face for the rest of the day ;)

The island of Bunaken

At the time of writing this post, I am sitting by the pool side, drinking my cool Bintang and enjoying the scenic views of Ubud - the cultural capital of Bali. The story from Bali will need to wait, however, as the story of Bunaken has not been told yet. And so it goes...

Being fed up with all the downsides of Jakarta, I was in real need of change. Not the kind of dramatic change that one may think of when being stuck in traffic and cursing all the traffic jams that have become the daily bread of Jakartans. Simply leaving the city for some time was good enough, and the island of Bunaken appeared to be a safe refuge for all those who want spend some time in peace and harmony. This rather tiny island, located off the coast of North Sulawesi, is a paradise of a kind. The Marine National Park that Bunaken gave the name to attracts divers from all over the world and is considered one of the best diving spots in the whole of Indonesia. It is not for no reason that people feel an affection to this island, and many, after having spent their holidays here, decide to stay for a bit longer, open up a little resort and enjoy their days with a steady source of income.

Personally I did not plan on diving. Probably I would not have even come here if it was not for my house mate, Kamran, but I am glad he convinced me to undertake all this effort. When we arrived by boat from Manado, we were welcomed by the employees of the resort and showed to our bungalows. I could not believe it was so quiet! We were the only tourists there, mainly because it was not the perfect season for diving, but it didn't matter. What really mattered was that there is no single car on the island and only the few motorbikes there were provided any form of motorized transportation. To begin with, there were no proper roads, only one main concrete path that surrounds the island like a loop that keeps it from being devoured by the sea.

It was about a kilometre and a half to reach the nearest village, and thanks to the hospitality of our hosts, we got a free motorcycle ride on our first day. Don't get me wrong, it was not my laziness that kept me away from walking; it is just that there was almost nothing but a banana tree forest on the way and looked kind of creepy at first sight. The village 'supermarket' as I named it did not provide too many shopping opportunities, only the very basic stuff that one may need. Equipped in bottled water and candies, I returned to the resort and got ready for my first dive since I was twelve.

Yes, diving was not in my to-do list of things, but the emerald water of the sea was so unique that I instantly changed my mind and looked forward to take a dive and admire the underwater wildlife. Bunaken has a lot to offer to those fascinated with the fauna, as more than 70% of all the fish species of the Indo-Western Pacific occur here, so the Wikipedia says, and it has seven times more genre of corals than Hawaii does. These are just statistics but what is really important is that, if you are a diving newbie like I am, I guarantee - you will get hooked!

I had two more occasions to go the village, and every time I have explored a bit more. The most exciting visit was just a few hours before we had to take a boat back. Walking through the Muslim part of the village (the island is predominantly Christian but there are also Muslim enclaves) and having re-entered the Christian part, we have seen a crowd of slowly moving, nobly dressed, people being accompanied by an orchestra. I could not believe our luck, it was a traditional wedding procession! It was so interesting to see all these people pass by, all looking astonishingly elegant, with pure happiness on their faces despite the gravity of the situation. Somebody, some two persons, were about to take a life-changing step. How exciting!

All these volcanoes...

Volcanoes are one of Indonesia's most famous landmarks (or, after the latest eruption of Merapi, I shall say infamous). The whole archipelago exists because of enormous volcanic activity in the region, and until this day there are about 150 active volcanoes in Indonesia.

One Sunday, I went on a day-trip to Tangkuban Perahu (or Tangkuban Parahu, in the local Sundanese language). It is an active volcano located some 30km north of Bandung, the capital of West Java province and one of the largest cities in Indonesia. I got there by car as getting there otherwise might be quite a hassle, with all the angkot being rather unreliable - there is no such thing as a time schedule and you never know how long it will take you to get there, or if you get there at all. Upon arrival, one thing really struck my attention. This is probably the only place in Indonesia where you can buy winter fur hats! Small vendors searched for potential customer who, completely unused to the mild mountainous climate, were simply freezing. As the top of the mountain is at some 2100 metres above sea level, the temperatures get there to as little as 10 degrees Celsius. For an average Indonesian this is way too low.

Firstly, I went on a little trek around the crater, to reach the side where the view is at its best. On the way, there were a number of warungs, little shops and stalls serving food an drinks. I got pretty hungry sitting in the car and doing nothing, so getting some nasi bakar (literally: baked rice) seemed like a good idea. It felt very surreal to be surrounded by these reddish-yellowish sulphur-containing rocks and ground. In many places, you could see signs saying Dilarang Merokok (Smoking Forbidden). I found it surprising that it was probably one of the few places in Indonesia were that sign was more or less respected, probably because people were afraid of the sulphur dioxide, or something else. It doesn't work this way in buses, airports or universities, were, despite all the signs, people continue smoking anyway.

As with many things in Indonesia, there is a legend behind the creation of Tangkuban Perahu. Once upon a time in West Java there was a beauty named Dayang Sumbi, daughter of a wise king. She was very tired one day, and she dropped a weaving tool. Being to lazy to pick it up, she shouted out loud: 'Is anybody there? Please, bring me my tool. I will give you a special present. If you are female, you will become my sister. If you are male, I will marry you!'

Unexpectedly, a male dog named Tumang appeared, holding the tool in his mouth. Very surprised, she regretted her words but she had to keep up to the promise. And so they married. Several months later they had a son named Sangkuriang, who was a handsome and healthy boy.

Sangkuriang liked hunting, and one day who wanted to hunt some deer's heart for his mother. Whenever he went hunting, Tumang was by his side. However, deer were not that easy to find anymore. He didn't want to disappoint his mum, so he killed Tumang. He didn't know Tumang was his father, and at home, he gave his mother his father's heart. Dayang Sumbi knew that it was Tumang's heart. She was so angry that she hit Sangkuriang in the head, leaving him with a scar. After that, he was banished, and Dayang Sumbi escaped into sadness. God felt pity for her and made her forever young.

Many years have passed and Sangkuriang has become a strong young man. He travelled to many places and one day he reached his home village, of which he was not aware. They met each other without recognizing each other. They fell in love and decided to marry. But than Dayang Sumbi recognized the scar on her son's head. She told him but he wouldn't believe, insisting on marrying soon.

Because of that, Dayang Sumbi gave him a very difficult condition to fulfil in order for them to marry - build a lake and a boat in one night. It was supposed to be the present for their honeymoon. Sangkuriang agreed. With the help of a genie and spirits that he called upon, Sangkuriang tried to build them. By midnight he had finished the lake by building a dam on Citarum river. Then he started building the boat. It was almost dawn when he nearly finished it.

Meanwhile Dayang Sumbi kept watching on them. She was very worried when she realized it, so she called on her workers to spread red silk cloths east of the city, to give the impression of impending sunrise. Sangkuriang was fooled, and upon believing that he had failed, he kicked the unfinished boat, making it turn upside down. Tangkuban Perahu means 'boat upside down', and it looks like one too.

This is the legend about the creation of the volcano, but as I don't really believe in this kind of stories, I will also write about some more down to ground things. Like the egg boiling geysers. It takes a half an hour long walk through the forest to arrive at Tangkuban Perahu's very own hot springs. Not only you can buy eggs and boil them in a geyser, but also you can simply relax, put your feet into the warm water, and have somebody give you a massage or a 'spa treatment'. This whole place looks like from a different planet, with all the mist constantly on the move. Wildlife amateurs will also enjoy the forest itself and all the lush vegetation. And if you think that it's been enough walking for you and you need a rest, simply have a sit and a coffee at the warung right at the spot.

Well, this is all I'm going to write about Tangkuban Perahu. You want to know more? Pack up your bags and go there to find out by yourself! (or leave a comment on the blog :))

Impressions of Shanghai

It's been a long time that I haven't written anything on the blog. I do have an excuse, however - I've been busy exploring places in and outside of Indonesia and, be assured, taking pictures that I hopefully will find the time to upload in here. In the previous post I promised to write a bit about Shanghai. And so I did.

I came to Shanghai on a train from Yiwu for a very short visit of two and a half days. My train wasn't the fastest one available but it doesn't mean it couldn't go some 250km/h. Having arrived at Shanghai's Hongqiao station, I stepped into a crowd of people and almost getting wedged, I managed to push my way through to get to the metro, and finally reach my hotel. With people here, people there, people just everywhere, Shanghai seemed pretty crowded at first sight. Only later I found another side of Shanghai, a city full of little, seemingly forgotten and empty, streets with tiny restaurants and a lonely cat here and there. This is the side of Shanghai that caught my attention and helped to build up the affection I have developed for this charming (yes!) metropolis.

Without any plan and not knowing even a tad about what to see in the city, I decided to go with the flow. Random two girls started a conversation with me? I asked for a recommendation. Talked with the receptionist at my hotel? I asked for an advice. This way, I saw some apparently interesting parts of Shanghai. Like Nanjing Road, a pedestrian heaven, where thousands of people go to shop and show off. Or Bunt, a touristic Mecca with a stunning view on the most modern part of the city, Pudong, home to the famous TV tower and most of the skyscrapers. A river tour along the Huangpu? Sure, why not. But all these things are nothing special, nothing that distinguishes Shanghai from other mega towns on our planet. I waited for something different and luckily enough, the next day brought some more experience.

So I woke up at around 12, completely confused about everything. The cleaner's singing ensured I couldn't get a proper night's sleep. I needed something to put me on my feet and a steaming hot won-ton soup did the job. After tasting this heaven-in-a-mouth, I decided to have a tour around the city. Just by accident, I found an interesting indoor market with dirt-cheap clothes to buy. After some more wondering-around, I decided to go to Yuyuan Garden which is considered to be one of the finest Chinese gardens in the region. I never got there, however. On my way, I saw one of these small walking paths with no people at all and decided to follow it and see where it takes me. I passed a lot of houses, tried to look inside, see how the people live. Somebody was preparing a dinner, there were some men playing cards and chasing the bitterness of loss with beer, or a woman hanging laundry just above the path.

After walking for a couple of minutes, I ended up in a parking lot that seemed to attract crowds. Yes! I found one of these little stands with some sort of shashlicks and beer. Without much consideration, I decided to give it a try and sample the chef's cuisine. Not only have I found some wonderful meat to eat, but I also ended up at the gates of Old Town. Just when I finished the feast, a group of people approached me and started a conversation. It turned out they are Korean students from Seoul who came to Shanghai for a week with a student organization. They regularly visit various fairs and expositions in search of companies for whom they could become representatives in South Korea. We enjoyed talking and after some time decided to go to the Old Town to get some more food. Our pick was a famous restaurant serving dumplings. Believe me, these were one of the best dumplings I have ever tried and eating them with friendly Koreans made them taste even better.

As it was already getting dark, it was the time for some more evening-oriented activities. So we looked for a place to socialize and an Irish pub was a good beginning. A few beers and playing pool together made me feel like I've known them for a long time, but it has been only a couple of hours! It was Halloween that night and the Chinese seemed to have adopted the idea as I've seen loads of people totally dressed up, albeit not looking for candy. Being in this celebration mood, we decided to celebrate our own way - we found a nice club with a state of the art sound system and indulged ourselves in all-night dancing.

Next day, very early in the morning, I had to take the metro to go the airport, and thus finish my stay in Shanghai. I didn't feel like leaving; I felt like these 2.5 days were not enough as I just started discovering the real face of this city. One thing is sure - I will return.

On a trip to China

In search of adventure, I decided to get away from Jakarta and set off on a trip to the People’s Republic of China. It was not only a leisure trip, as you might expect. My father asked me to accompany him with some business matters, so how could I refuse? I took a plane from Jakarta to the city of Guangzhou, one of the commercial strongholds of the Chinese economy. Jakarta’s airport offers a great deal of flights to many destinations in Southeast Asia and beyond, and thus serves as a good starting point for any journey, be it within the Indonesian archipelago, or elsewhere in Asia and Oceania. Jakarta is a port city too, with two main harbours in Tanjung Priok and Ancol, offering a number of both regular and irregular connections to other ports in Indonesia, and the region.

In Guangzhou, my main point of interest was the China Import and Export Fair, also known as the 108th Canton Fair. It is the largest fair of this kind in the country and is held regularly with the aim to amplify bilateral trade relations between Chinese and overseas companies. When I arrived at Guanghzou airport, I was stuck in a massive queue to clear immigration. The crowd was truly international, with people from all over the world. Each session of the fair attracts thousands of people who all storm the fair hall in the morning, and hit the town in the afternoon and evening. Because of that, unlike in many other parts of China, people no longer wonder when they see a European entering their shop or wanting to dine at their restaurant.
Guangzhou interested me also because of its widespreadness of bicycle transportation, completely non-existent in most major Asian cities, with a few notable exceptions. I really wish Jakarta was more of a bike-friendly city, but with the latest speeches of the mayor in which he announced that bike lanes will be built after the number of cyclists in the city surpasses 1 million, one should not have any hope left.


After a couple of days in Guangzhou, I left for the city of Yiwu. It is a relatively young town, with some 6 million inhabitants in and around, where 70% of the population is not native and comes from other regions of China and even from places like Uzbekistan or Mongolia. It is home to Yiwu Market, the largest commodity market in the world, which was the reason for my visit. The market has really induced my thinking, expanded my imagination and left me wondering: how come is all this possible? It covers 4.3 million square kilometres, an area equal to more than 600 000 football fields! There are 62 000 booths inside, offering over 400 000 unique products. I tried to estimate how many people work there every day, and judging by an average number of people working in each booth, it must be at least 200 000 people! Inside, you can find almost any kind of a product you might think of. If you are looking for a business idea, go there. I can guarantee you that you walk out with a new idea for a business.

Yiwu, as a result of its ethnic diversity and visitors from all parts of the globe, of whom many became permanent residents, offers an amazing food experience for every taste and pocket. My personal favourite are the little road-side stands with Central Asian cuisine and specialities such as lamb shish kebabs and nuns. I have also visited a very nice restaurant with Sichuan food. Actually, I loved it so much that I stuffed myself to the limits. The next day, the payback time came as my stomach suffered great pains. Nevertheless, believe me, it was worth it!

Visiting China was a worthwhile experience, I can say with confidence. I would have never expected this, but in China I found a piece of home abroad. Public parks, majestic buildings and dumplings - that's something so typical to my home country and so not present in Jakarta. Dumplings? Yes indeed! Some 500 years ago dumplings have reached Poland and became incorporated into our national cuisine, becoming a common favourite of many Poles!



During my trip, I have visited one more city - Shanghai. I promise to write about it in my next post. Now, however, I am preparing for the next trip - to Singapore, where I am going in just two days. Be assured some pictures from Singapore will follow too!

Living in the Big Durian

More than two and a half months ago, I have undertaken probably the biggest adventure in my life so far - went to live and study in the Republic of Indonesia. On August the 7th, after flying from Warsaw to Istanbul, from Istanbul to Singapore, and from Singapore to Jakarta, I arrived at the capital's Soekarno-Hatta airport and begun my 5 months long stay in the southern hemisphere.

Jakarta is often called the 'Big Durian'. 'Big' because with nearly 27 million inhabitants in the Jabodetabek metropolitan area, it is big indeed. 'Durian' because just like the South-East Asian king of fruits, Jakarta is a smelly experience and just like with Durians - you either get to love it, or hate it.



I must tell you - I am fascinated with this place. It is here that whenever you walk out of home, you expect to be left in confusion. It is here that you always wonder why things aren't done differently. It is here that you find everything full of contradictions. And yet, you face the challenges of everyday's life with a healthy dose of inner satisfaction - inspiration is at its maximum.

Indonesians often ask me: why did you come here, what made you chose Indonesia? I never know what to answer. I didn't know much about this country, I have never been here before. I guess this was the reason for me to come here - no predictability at all. And this defines Indonesia very well. Some things you just cannot predict, making your stay full of surprises.

Let me tell you something about the more down-to-ground things and practicalities. The University of Indonesia (Universitas Indonesia) where I study offers the exchange students some assistance with finding accommodation. Well, I have refused the help and still have no regrets at all. Let me tell you why. There are two university campuses - in Depok and in Salemba. The main campus, where I also happen to study, is in Depok - a city in West Java with 1,5 million inhabitants that is adjacent to Jakarta. It has been declared a something of a holy city (not exactly) and that means it's not a fun place for students to be. So using a network of connections that allowed for finding proper accommodation, I decided to stay in South Jakarta (Jakarta Selatan), a truly fun place to be. Together with Kamran, another exchange student from Tilburg University (you can follow his blog here: http://kamraninjakarta.blogspot.com/), we rent a nice apartment in the Darmawangsa neighbourhood, very close to a number of restaurants, clubs, pubs and the famous area of Kemang (sometimes officially referred to as Bangka). The place is rather fancy; the view from our 23rd floor stunning; and the fact that I pay much less than for my crappy room in Tilburg makes me like it even more.
There are some downsides, of course. Mainly, my place is located more than 15 kilometres away from the university and if Jakarta is known for something internationally, surely its massive traffic congestion would be on the top of the list. Therefore, depending on the traffic and whether there is a macet (traffic jam) or not, it takes me something between 30 minutes and 2 hours 30 minutes to get there or back. Having said this, you simply get used to it and learn patience.

By the way, this is what I see when I wake up in the morning:


There is so much more I want to write about. This will have to wait for the next post, however, as I have my mid-terms ahead of me. Fun is fun, but I came here to study after all :) Wish me luck and please leave your comments!