On the Road in Oaxaca

As published by JPlus by The Jakarta Post, December 2015 

The Aztecs called this land Huaxyacac, which means over the tip of the gourd, while the Spanish friar Francisco de Ajofrín wrote that it was where God put all the remaining hills and mountains after creating the world.

In the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca in Mexico, you can find pre-Hispanic architectural magnificence and Spanish baroque architecture, as well as picturesque, rugged terrain and 533 kilometers of beaches along the Pacific. It’s also one of the culinary heavens of Mexico and an off-the-beat track destination for travelers.

Hierve el Agua, petrified waterfall in Oaxaca

IN THE CAPITAL

I had a tiring trip from Mexico City to Oaxaca de Juárez, the capital of the state, taking the night bus and catching up on some sleep.

Once in a while, I was awakened when the bus traversed a bumpy road. However, in general, the uphill-and downhill ride did not bother my slumber.

The bus itself was much more comfortable than those in Indonesia, especially given its larger leg room and cleanliness.

I arrived at the bus terminal in the north of the city, close to the historic centre – a well-preserved 16th-century Spanish colonial town that was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

I forgot that I was in Mexico as I walked down the Alcala Street tourist corridor: The cantera-paved streets, small alleys and baroque buildings reminded me of Spain.

My first stop was Santo Domingo Church, which had plentiful gold-coated adornments inside and a cactus garden outside.

Santo Domingo, which took more than 100 years to build, was commandeered by the army during the Mexican Reform War in the mid-19th century, although it was eventually returned to the Catholic Dominican clerics who ran the church.

Convent of Santo Domingo

It took me around 15 minutes to walk to the main square, or zocalo in Spanish, at the end of the tourist corridor.

Local traders lined the street, offering traditional Oaxacan clothes, second-hand goods, Mexican handicrafts and local snacks. I was surprised when one hawker offered me rambutan – a surprising taste of home.

At night, the zocalo heats up, with even more food hawkers and street vendors appearing. There are also fancy restaurants with live music and patios , where it's more common to hear English spoken by tourists than Spanish.

I passed by went to the food bazaar, where most of the locals were.

ON THE ROAD

The next day, I went on a guided tour, heading to destinations in the city’s southeast.

We started by climbing the hill that’s home to the Mitla archaeological site. Before entering the complex, our bilingual Spanish-English Mexican guide showed me a Catholic convent made of the stones taken from the pre-Hispanic constructions.

“Mitla” means resting place, and the local residents believe that the spirits of the dead come here to rest after their passage.

The archaeological site was occupied by the Mixtecs, who took it over from the Zapotecs, the designers of the complex’s huge stone supports and intricate mosaics. Similar to Borobudur Temple in Central Java, Mitla was built by arranging stones without any adhesive material.

It’s dominated by white cantera stones, with touches of carmine made from the bodies of the cochineal bug, a cactus parasite.

I had to climb 50-cm-high steps to reach the top of the one ruin that was previously a palace – something that must have been a challenge for the original residents, given that the average height of a pre-Columbian Mesoamerican was only 1.5 meters.

Our guide said that was intentional: The tall steps ensured that only community and religious leaders could enter the palace, which was a sacred place.

Ruin of Mitla Palace

Not far from the ruins was an astonishing site, the Hierve el Agua petrified waterfall. The name, which means “boiling water” refers to the temperature of the nearby streams.

Boiling, though, is a misnomer: The water actually bubbles, due to mineral gases below ground that force the liquid to the surface.

I was amazed by the waterfalls: One was 30 meters high; the other, 12. Both were formed several thousand years ago, when frozen running water with a high mineral content came into contact with air and instantly solidified.

There are only two petrified waterfalls in the world, in Mexico and Turkey, according to our guide.

On the way to the bottom of the smaller waterfall, we stopped several times to get a look at its bigger sibling. At the base, we were showered by mineral-laden water that could wet you, but not precisely bathe you.

Thankfully, there are plenty of small caves and nooks where you can shield yourself to take pictures.

View from the bottom of the small petrified waterfall

THE PACIFIC SHORE

Leaving the highlands, I next explored the Pacific shores of Oaxaca, stopping in Puerto Escondido, about 10 hours from Oaxaca by bus. There are also direct flights from Mexico City to Puerto Escondido that are less expensive than traveling by ground.

Simple Map of Puerto Escondido

The reason behind my stopover was simple: I was pining to ride some waves. I rented a board at Punta Zicatela Beach, a bohemian part of the coast crowded with surf and food shacks.

The surf at Punta Zicatela was perfect for a beginner like me, who does not expect big barrels.

If you long for larger swells, though, go to nearby Zicatela Beach, where hardcore surfers ride waves topping six meters along the Mexican Pipeline.

Zicatela also hosts swanky hotels, restaurants, bars and the best nightlife in the region.

Meanwhile, for those who are only interested in swimming and lying on the sand, I vouch for the calm waters of Carrizalillo Beach. If Zicatela channels the spirit of Kuta for its long shoreline, Carrizalillo Beach could be Padang Padang.

Carrizalillo is characterized by hills that surround the sea. I had to make an effort to walk down stone steps to reach the hidden beach.

Food shacks in the dunes were ready to satisfy my hunger as I sat under a palapa, or thatched palm-leaf roof.

Cove of Carrizalillo Beach

The real reason I was keen to visit Puerto Escondido was to witness the bioluminescence glow of Manialtepec Lagoon, located about 20 minutes from Puerto Escondido.

We continued to the darkest part of the lagoon by boat on a night without any moon, since any light would hide the effect.

Our boatman steered in circles so that the phytoplankton would reveal themselves, as they glow in response to movement as a defence mechanism.

We dived into the water to say hello. As I started to move, my hands were glazed by small twinkling white stars. It was a dreamlike experience.

“Three days ago I brought a group to that side. The plankton glowed green,” the boatman said. “We cannot really tell what the color of these sparks will be.”

36 BEACHES LATER

The next day, I took a two-hour bus ride to the touristy, laid-back city of Huatulco – a place famous for its nine bays of crystal water and 36 beaches.

I reached the site late and had to let go of plans to visit all the bays by ship. Instead, I followed a
suggestion from the local tourist office and took a tranvia (tourist bus) tour.

The double-decker bus went around the town square on the way to Santa Cruz Bay, where we stopped at a nearby hill to admire the view.

Santa Cruz Bay

I decided to dine by the sea with fresh seafood that night. It was around 10 pm., and the restaurants were barely serving clients, although there was a clamour from a soccer game featuring the Mexican national team on television.

I chose the nearest restaurant, since I was starving, and was not disappointed by scrumptious seafood skewers and shrimp with cream sauce served inside a pineapple shell.

Walking to Huatulco Café at Santa Cruz Square, I paused to listen to the coffee shop’s singer as he
sang standards in English and Spanish.

I savoured the experience of drinking a cold cappuccino on a warm night listening to that singer’s beautiful voice.

Grinding Machine in Mezcal (tequila of oaxaca) Distillery 

Tortilla chip with Chapulin (grasshopper) Sauce 

Wowrale!

Life has been different lately as new experiences dropped by. I moved from Jakarta to Mexico City. I have a new job, new boyfriend, new places visited, new language learned, and new friends that express "orale!" for many different reasons.

It is a magic word in Mexican Spanish language. Let me give some examples to explain the idea.

At San Marcos Festival, State of Aguascalientes

"Let's play football," I say. "Orale!" they say.
This means let's go.

"I bought a new dress for one dollar," I say. "Orale!" they say.
This means Oh my God!

"The traffic is unbearable," I say. "Orale!" they say.
This means I agree

There are many more Mexican slang I have learned since my arrival to this Northern American country. "Que padre!" is the Mexican expression of "Cool!", yet "padre" literally means father. Another expression of the same significance is "Que chido!".

"Mande!" is used when you do not hear clearly what someone is telling you. Not even other Spanish speakers would understand it. "Pardon me" is its English match.

Instead of the common Spanish word "trabajar", which means to work, Mexican love the word "chambear" more. Then it makes the noun addressed as "chamba" instead of "trabajo".

One of my sources to learn the slang is my Mexican roomie. When he is on the phone, he may repeat twenty "güey" in one minute call. This word means "dude". Then when he craves for beer, he would ask a glass of "chela" instead of widely-known Spanish "cerveza".

My favourite Mexican slang is "Aguas!", because it has the same message as in Indonesian "awas!", or "watch out" in English. The word "agua" in Spanish means water. This alerting expression rose in the Colonial era when the water drainage system was not well established. Therefore people used to throw dirty water from the balcony to the street, and to warn people who passed by, they shouted "aguas".

In my humble opinion, those slang words are what make Spanish language interesting, yet difficult to master. They reflects the culture, at some points education of one.

People with higher level of education in Mexico refuse to use such words, thus I would use standard Spanish to converse with important persons. Although I still sound like foreigner for lacking Mexican accent, I try to put some slang into my street conversation. I am glad that they do not judge me for trying too hard to blend in, contrarily they appreciate me of doing it and it often makes them laugh. Well, I don´t mind people laughing at me this way. After all it is always better to laugh than to frown.

I want to see my parents growing old together

That how my status update went in some social media today. The first update I wrote with much prayers, tears, and confusions .

Counting down 20 days before leaving Indonesia for a very long time to a far flung country in the continent of America, rough news was revealed as my parents came back from their medical check-up in Singapore.

Both my parents are cancer survivors. They have lived normally and happily for the last two years together, now a slap of destiny hit us hard. Doctors found new cancer cells in dad's kidney, which might be transported by the white blood as he had lymph cancer before.

The not too worst scenario is getting through all medical treatments, that may (50% chances) prolong life for five years, if we get lucky. Yet it'd cost around SGD 120.000 or USD 90.000 or IDR 1,2 billion to go through such procedures.

The worst scenario is not to undergo any medical treatment, embrace the cancer, and have a shorter years to live.

Yes I do have my fear of not being able to see him anymore when I go back, although right now he still looks healthy and happy. I know that putting negativity wouldn't help much, but I just need to prepare for the worst, don't I?

I used to have this idea of my parents retiring happily, growing old together in a small beach or ranch house. Well, pretty much like my own idea of retiring actually.

I wish that this could be theirs too. I want to see them growing old together, holding hands together in a bench, smiling at my kids that run toward them, and hugging them with grandparents' love. I would cherish those smiles eternally, yet now it is a matter of probability.

A celebration in Seville

As published on the Jakarta Post 02/06/2013
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/06/02/a-celebration-seville.html

The 2013 Gate of Seville’s April Fair

“I came from Brazil seven years ago and have never been to any other cities in Spain but Seville. I have been dedicating my life to the sevillana dance and will do so for many years to come.”


Leandro, a part-time dance teacher, confessed his great affection for the Spanish dance sevillana during a break from dancing during the Feria de Abril — Seville´s April Fair.

Some people say the dance is part of flamenco but others do not agree because sevillana and flamenco — although sharing similar costumes — have different origins. Some believe flamenco was a slave dance performed to entertain the rich, conveying sadness, while sevillana is a party folk dance that expresses joy and celebration, with its own fixed steps and choreographies.

Moreover, it takes two to make it happen in sevillana. For the aim of getting a date, lots of young Sevillians are eager to come to the fair. Even those Sevillians staying abroad are willing to come back home just for this occasion.

Leandro is dancing with his Sevillana partner

The Seville Fair had its 166th birthday in 2013. Starting with the idea of a Basque and a Catalan having a grand fiesta in the autonomy community, the first fairs were celebrated only for three days, every 19-21 April.

It comes close to the Holy Easter Week (Semana Santa), which is why many April fairs in the olden days were attached to the holy week and eventually became a week long party.

“The April Fair is Seville´s biggest occasion, side by side with the Holy Week [Semana Santa], which is celebrated [now] two weeks before the April fair,” said Juan Gonzalez, a born and bred Sevillian.

“During the Feria week Seville is paralyzed, although business should run as usual, it runs very low. But no one can ever stop the party. Some people even use this occasion for business purposes like entertaining clients.”

The people’s fair is located south east to the canal of Alfonso XIII, which is part of the River Guadalquivir. The river, which crosses through 12 provinces of Southern Spain, splits Sevilla by one third in the south where the fair is located, and the rest in the north where the city center is.

It takes around twenty minutes walking from the city center to go to the fair. Some locals go in traditional way by riding a horse or horse cart. Meanwhile, buses are also a wise form of transportation as they run 24 hours during this occasion.

Ready for the Feria de Abril

The most beautiful thing to see there is the gate, which has a distinctive design every year. The giant portico looks colorful during the day and is illuminated during the night.

This year is inspired by Spain Square (Plaza de España), dedicated to the 75-year Once Foundation for the blind and the bicentennial of Seville’s religious brotherhood Rocío Triana.

This year, 1040 houses or casetas that have either red and white stripes or green or white stripes – took part. Every caseta has a hall at the front which serves as a dance floor and to welcome guests.

Meanwhile, at the back of the temporary house is a bar that serves various drinks, including the fair’s typical manzanillas or apple white wine. Youngsters nowadays go for a booster called rebujitos, a mixture between manzanillas and sprite with tons of ice.

If you feel hungry, a typical Spanish dish of sliced ham makes a perfect companion. Some casetas also serve doughnuts for snacking.

Most of the casetas belong to Sevilian families or groups of friends. The party had even started before they decorated their “houses” for the fair.

Therefore, before you decide to come, it is recommended to find your Sevillian acquaintances in advance.

Plaza de España in Seville

Outsiders cannot enter private casetas without knowing the host, as they are guarded. One can only enter public casetas - restaurants or bars with less feria experience. Another option is to walk
a bit further to a park containing rides and games for kids.

Seville is the most populated city in Andalucia and the fourth most populated in Spain.

“Many people love to live in Seville mostly for its climate,” admits Gonzalez, who is keen on hanging around in Seville’s West San Luis Street, where many foreigners used to gather.

In terms of the climate, it felt like Jakarta with a temperature of 30 degrees, but low humidity so people sweat less.

Cathedral of Seville

Along with Italy’s Venice and Genoa, Sevilla is another European city with the largest antique town. It contains some UNESCO world heritage sites, like the Cathedral Santa Maria de la Sede, the Palaces of Real Alcázar and the General Archive of the Indies.

Close to those buildings, you can find a mixture of Spanish exclusive neo-mudéjar and neo-gothic architectural styles in the Alfonso XIII Hotel.

A little bit to the north stands a former tobacco factory, the University of Seville, and to the south, the King Palace of San Telmo.

These sites are within walking distance to Santa Cruz District, the former Jewish quarter of the medieval city.

Seville has the most beautiful Plaza de España in Spain, which attracted a Star Wars director to shoot here. It faces Seville’s biggest park – the Maria Luisa - and accommodates a fountain, circular canal and another mudéjar semicircle edifice along with tiled alcoves of the 48 Spanish provinces on its wall.

Buhaira Palace, one of Moorish heritage in Seville, Spain

The historical side of Seville is amazing. It is a must-see place for those who value culture, history and architectural beauty.

And if you drop by for the April Fair, prepare your flamenco costume and learn some basic sevillana movements to enjoy the party. Olé!

View of Seville from top? Try Las Setas

South Tyrol: A melting pot in northern Italy

As published on the Jakarta Post 25/11/2012
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/11/25/south-tyrol-a-melting-pot-northern-italy.html

Old Town of Bolzano

“Gruess dich! Wie gehts?”

“Bene, bene”

As you walk across South Tyrol, Italy don’t be surprised when hearing this kind of conversation. The first line in German, while the response is in Italian; it could of course be the other way around.

In the South Tyrol capital Bolzano, people normally use both languages to form one sentence. This northern part of Italy is bilingual due to its different history and culture from its southern neighbors.


It was part of Austria until being handed to Mussolini’s Italy after World War I. The local inhabitants of Tyrol stayed, thus the language remains. Austria and Italy are now separated by the Brenner Mountains in this province, and the northern part of Tyrol still belongs to Austria to this day.

The province is well connected by public transport, both land and air, especially to the capital city. I saw people prefer to ride a bike instead of a motor vehicle to get around Bolzano, but for me as a tourist the nicest way of travel was to wander on foot. It is not a big town anyway, and every corner of it is easy on the eye.

Bolzano is surrounded by the Dolomites mountains, and the Isaac River flows through it. The beautiful scenery and vast outdoor market located in the old town, make it a favorite tourist destination in Italy. In summer, people come for mountain hiking, while in winter they come to ski.

This makes Bolzano the second most expensive town in Italy after Milan, but top of the league in terms of economic stability and workers’ income, according to an Indonesian Missionary, Mansuetus — Tus for short, who has served in Bolzano parish for the last three years.

Cathedral of Maria Asunta, Bolzano

In the old town area, as I walked in front of the landmark of the Maria Asunta Cathedral, I saw some mothers wearing the hijab playing with their kids in a park next to the church.

I asked the priest whether there was a mosque in town or maybe in another town nearby. He answered, “No. Even though there are more than 5,000 Muslims in the area, the local authority has not given them permission to build one”.

However, the fact remains that Bolzano is multicultural. Aside from being 75 percent Italian, the second biggest ethnic group, the Pakistanis, manage to thrive there.

A house in Bolzano

Lined up on Garibaldi and Marconi Street are the Pakistani shops, which vary from clothes shops, barber shops and Asian grocery stores to international money transfer services, even a sex shop. Okay, the last one is owned by a local, not by them. It became clearer to me then why I had found some buildings with mosque-like roofs around the region.

It is indeed a melting pot of cultures, furthermore different cultures are celebrated. It is brought into action in June when foreigners in Bolzano present their own culture in a festival. Meanwhile in February, intercultural tolerance is also commemorated at a festival of immigrants.

Those efforts to promote cross-cultural understanding are, as Father Tus admitted, because Tyrolese don’t really fancy plurality, even though they have never actively worked against it.

Yet Bolzano is growing, more and more people are coming. The Tyrolese have to learn fast facing the reality of multiculturalism in their land.

Ladin Museum

Another color in the melting pot is the Ladin people, who can be traced to the historic valley of Ladin, about an hour’s drive north east of Bolzano.

The autoban or highway is a faster way to reach the area than the normal road. It was constructed in 1973 as there was a swamp fever epidemic down in the Isaac River.

Along the way to Badia, the district where the valley is located, I could view 270 million year-old red volcanic rocks, as explained to me by senior Bolzano geologist, Ludwig Noessing. He is also the one who constructed the safety barrier along the way to prevent landslides.

Ladins look like Austrians physically. They have existed as a community since before the Romans. There are currently thirty thousand people who still speak Ladin in South Tyrol, and they even have their own channel on local television. All Ladins I met were proud of their heritage, as it is one of the oldest civilisations in Europe, believed to date back as far as 9000 BC.

Posing with Ladinese

Previously it had been a bishop’s castle, until a Ladin farming family bought it and turned it into a house. For the last 10 years “De Tor” Castle has been the They have maintained the structure of the castle while somehow managing to install modern multimedia equipment throughout the building.

Every visitor is issued with a headphone set that automatically relays a story once one enters a room. There were theater-like rooms to follow the history of this ethnic group.

One particularly interesting exhibit was a room with pictures of key figures in the history of the Ladinian kingdom, talking to each other with moving expressions. Visitors should climb the three-story tower to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the whole valley. Of course there are multimedia binoculars installed, which convey images of the valley in the old times.

Fire Brigade Day Parade in St. Ulrich

According to suedtirol.info, there are 12 features to explore in South Tyrol: the castles, garden landscapes, country and people, customs and traditions, mountain farmsteads, mines, cuisine, monasteries, medieval townscapes, wine, history and the UNESCO world natural heritage Dolomites.

Unfortunately, my short trip did not allow me to experience everything. However, I do suggest you find the house of Saint Giuseppe Freinademetz in Oies, a peaceful green hilly area, or the world famous cross-country ski resort, the historic St. Ulrich.

Valencia: A simple metropolis

As published on the Jakarta Post 07/04/2013
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/04/07/valencia-a-simple-metropolis.html

Valencia from the top of Miguellette

Signboard lights, street lights, car lights, traffic lights, all these flaring and glaring in Valencia remind me of the capital. To me, Valencia was just another metropolis like Madrid.

When top brand shops and franchise restaurants started to appear, I expected nothing special from Valencia as I believed I had entered a smaller version of Madrid.

The impression remained with me when I saw the busy train station.


At Norte train station, which is located next to a bullring, I waited for my Valencian host.

Dani, my Valencian host

Soon after, he arrived by bicycle. “Valencia is a city best explored by bicycle,” he told me.

Finally, I had found something different because there are hardly any bicycles to be seen in Madrid. It was then that the simplicity of Valencia dawned on me.

Simple and humble indeed as I set out to explore the city. After visiting Madrid for two weeks and then Valencia for two days, I could say that I had figured out Valencia better than I had the capital.

The city appears to be more or less circular on the map, and almost everything happens within the circle, the city center. A big river at one time crossed the northern part of Valencia but it has since been transformed into the Turia Gardens.

Within the garden’s confines are several football fields, a playground and at the east end is the famous City of Art and Science.

In the area of City of Art and Science

Meanwhile in the southern part of the city center is Norte train station and the bullring. Marking its place in the west is the Tower of Quart (Torre de Quart), where my journey to the city center begun, the same starting point when Napoleon entered the city.

Behind the medieval tower is the El Barrio de Carmen or The face of an old town greeted me. It also welcomes lots of tourists with a row of bars and restaurants. This area has tourist prices, but cheaper bars can be found in the side streets.

The big street leads to a popular square, Plaza de la reina, where the Cathedral Santa Maria of Valencia is located. The church also serves as a museum and gallery, where the works of famous European artists are displayed such as wooden carvings, artwork made out of precious metals and paintings, including two by Goya in one of the chapels. However, the main attraction here is the holy chalice from the last supper.

Sharing the same foyer as the cathedral is the medieval Miguellette Tower. Climbing the steps to the top is hard work, but there is a banister for safety precautions. That children and grandparents are able to reach the top of the tower shows that it is not a mission impossible.

An overall view of the city of Valencia awaits you there. Some notable sights to see from this vantage point are the City of Art and Science, Mestalla Stadium of Valencia FC and the port of Valencia. The distinct boundary between old Valencia in the center and the modern part of the city on the border is evident from up there.

A square in Barrio del Carmen

My tropical body fancies Valencia for its climate. It is the warmest city on the Iberian Peninsula, according to the locals, and competes with the Canary Island in its claims to be the region with most sun in Spain.

I became homesick when I ate paella and arroz del horno (oven rice). Both are typical Valencia dishes made with rice. Valencia is also a rice producer, and even has a rice field a little out of downtown.

It is also famous for oranges, which are big and sweet. So, when you drop by Valencia, be sure to have a glass of freshly squeezed Valencian orange juice.

Along with orange juice, horchata is another refreshment to try. This milky beverage of tigernuts, water and sugar dates back to the eighth to 13th centuries when there was a Muslim presence in Valencia and it is a traditional drink or dessert produced by fallera especially during the season of fallas.

the Holy Chalice of the last supper is kept in Valencia's Cathedral

 Las Fallas is the biggest festival in the city, which attracts international visitors. The people of Valencia have welcomed the arrival of spring and all the trappings of the celebration for thousands of years.

The ringing of a bell marks the beginning festival and the first mascleta, a display of fireworks in the middle of the day. Crowds of people come not only to enjoy the colorful pyrotechnics display but also the sound of it.

The first mascleta takes place on the last Sunday of February, and following mascleta from the first day of March until the 19th, which is the closing day of the festival.

Meanwhile, fallera are local women dressed in traditional attire with traditional coiffure. If flamenco dancers are the stars of Andalucia (Southern Spain), then the fallera are those who take the spotlight in Valencia.

Falleras marching in the celebration of Fallas

You cannot learn to be a fallera like you can learn the flamenco dance because it is a born-given gift. However, fallera frequently gather not only on the occasion of fallas but also to perfect their art and make things the Valencia way.

Although Valencia is Spain’s third-largest metropolis, the city has plenty of charm that will stay in my memory.

23 Feb 2013 was happened to be a striking day 

After the Dream

While the city is dimming its light at night, I am switching on memories of our days.
Your olive eyes stare passionately, whispering me not to let you go. Your first hello was a blessing, but the goodbye you left unsaid is a terror.

With you I recognise an enemy called distance, and desperately hoping to befriend with fate.
Then I realised that true friend is hard to get, when the memories of us are turning into sweet dreams.

Without your presence and ear to hear, I beg your permission to sail off these pieces of dream.
I have to forget how it felt,
I need to find the better of the best, and I want to wake up as the city always does after the dream.

Jakarta, 9th of Dec 2014.
00:49