Suggested Itinerary for Jakarta, Indonesia

 

Day 1

PM
755pm – flight to Jakarta (4 hours)

 

Day 2 (Jakarta)

AM
1155am – arrive at Jakarta (Jakarta is 1 hour behind of Manila)
115am – taxi to hotel
155am – arrive at hotel
7am - bfast
8am – busway to Monumen Selamat Datang
845am - photo op at Monumen Selamat Datang
850am - taxi to Sarinah Shopping Mall
9am - exchange peso for rupiah, souvenir shopping, buy lunch
11am - taxi to Monas
1110am - buy admission ticket/s, lunch, wait in line

PM
1252pm – start tour
220pm - walk toward the direction of Musueum Nasional
235pm – tour of Musueum Nasional
405pm - walk toward the direction of
418pm – photo op in front of  Istana Merdeka (Presidential Palace)
430pm - taxi to Old Town
445pm - arrive Old Town
450pm - street food trip
5pm - dinner
645pm - bargain shopping
720pm - taxi to Komplek Rasuna Epicentrum
810pm - malling
845pm - back to the hotel

 

Day 3 (Taman Mini)

AM
8am - bfast
9am – busway to Taman Mini
930am - arrive Taman Mini
1140am - lunch

PM
310pm - Mini Nonumen Selamat Datang
420pm - busway back to downtown
6pm – dinner
642pm - walk back to the hotel
8pm - freshen up
9pm – taxi to airport
945pm – arrive at airport

 

Day 4

AM
1225am – flight to Manila (4 hours)
525am – arrive at Manila (Manila is 1 hour ahead of Jakarta)

 

 

Behind Closed Doors: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

 

Behind the doors of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library lies a treasure trove. Aside from the various presidential memorabilia inside, the breathtaking panoramic view of the hills painted with the awe inspiring colors of nature outside are a sight to behold. They are reasons enough to make a visit.

You can just drive up and spend an afternoon in the courtyard and enjoy the sunset or dine at the Reagan's Country Cafe. The courtyard and the cafe is accessible to the public without entering the museum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Definitely a great place for a picnic date up in the mountains or a place to go with your parents or grandparents if they love a little piece of US history.

 

 

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
40 Presidential Drive
Simi Valley, California 93065
(800) 410-8354

Hours of Operation:
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday - Sunday
(except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day)

Admissions:
Ages 18–61: $15.00
Ages 62+: $12.00
Ages 11–17: $9.00
Under age 11: Free

 

 

 

A Taste of Middle East: Shomal Kebabs & Curries by Hossein

 

Experience the Middle East through Chef Hossein's culinary masterpiece at Shomal Kebabs & Curries. There will be a lot of choices. They serve a variety of Persian, Indian and Arabian cuisine. Do not be intimidated by the unfamiliar entries on their menu, as the staff are very friendly and very willing to help.

 

 

The restaurant will not disappoint as to its interiors, impressive, just like the desert landscapes. Dressed in Arabian style,  colors of the middle east can be seen all over the place - from the chandelier to the walls to the placemats. Whether you prefer open space or private nooks, there is a place for you.

 

 

 

 

 

Whatever you choose from their diverse menu, rest assured, it will be bursting with flavor. The saffron rice will surprise your palate. Even the grilled tomato is very flavorful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Witnessing the impressive desert landscapes and getting to know its extensive history might be far from your immediate plans, but their delicious food at Shomal will open your world and will intrigue your palate as to what the Middle East has to offer.

 

 

Shomal Kebabs and Curries
• Unit 4005 Level 4 Trinoma Mall,
• EDSA North Avenue Quezon City
• (632) 901-5613
• http://www.hosseins.com/

 

 

 

* photos taken with an iphone.

Take me where the horses run wild

 

Mention Batanes and images of rolling hills, stone houses, light houses, friendly people come to mind. Only a few people associate Batanes with horses. But when you come to think of it, horses and rolling hills together create a surreal image. In fact, it is one reason out of many, why I love the place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Imagine the wind on your face, while you are standing on top of a hill, the ocean not far, with the image of horses running wild. No place is quite like it. At least in the Philippines.

 

 

How to Get There:

Seair (http://flyseair.com/) flies twice daily to Basco, Batanes. To minimize on cost (one way costs Php 7,039.20) watch out for promos that Seair regularly gives away — Feb and Sept, for half the price during the Philippine Travel Tour Expo and the Philippine Travel Mart, and for various discounts year-round online.

 

 

 

A Memorable Visit at the Griffith Observatory

 

Beyond the spectacular views of Los Angeles' night lights or the Hollywood Sign, the Griffith Observatory is also popular for its architecture and its observatory.

 

 

 

Its art deco design cannot be missed. It is what guests will see as they approach and as they leave the premises. Day or night, its three-dome design looks very nice.

 

 

 

 

 

Even kids will love the place. Maybe even more than the adults. It is afterall, an observatory. Fun and interactive, guests can find out how much they weigh in space or create their own earthquake.

 

 

 

 

 

Finding stars (literally and figuratively) will be hard, but the bright city lights, the nice over all atmosphere plus the over-sized planets at the Griffith Observatory will more than make up for them.

 

 

Griffith Observatory
2800 Observatory Road
Los Angeles, CA 90027

Hours of Operation

Wed-Fri, 12noon to 10pm
Sat-Sun, 10am to 10pm

 

 

 

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here's an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 44,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 16 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.