A HIKE THROUGH THE BROMO-TENGGER-SEMERU NATIONAL PARK

  People who are fascinated by mountains are usually addicted to hiking. They will take every opportunity to slip out of town for a journey to the mountain. It was the lure of a mountains that took us (five altogether) on a hiking trip to the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in August last year.

Mount Bromo
From Ranupane, our next hike was up Mount Bromo, famous in and outside Indonesia Those who have been there know that Bromo's best attraction is the wide sea of sand by the edge of the mountain's crater. Visiting Mount Bromo is complete only when you have witnessed the sunrise and taken pictures of the event to prove you've been there. For this, we spent two days in Cemara Lawang, the village closest to Mount Bromo.

PELANG BEACH

WHY BALI ?
         Planning your next vacation, you may put Bali at the top of your list of places to visit. Nobody can deny that this island is a most exciting place to visit, as far as traveling goes in Indonesia. There is only one dragback in this area of foreign tourists you will feel like a perfect stranger.
For a start, when you arrive at Ngurah Rai Airport, you will see hotel salesmen waiting-but nor for you. Approaching every foreigner, they will give their warmest welcome offering  him or her their services. But they won't even look at you. Next you will find that the price lists of hotels are in US dollars with some of them having conversion rates from dollars to yen. The rupiah seems to be an unheard-of currency.

WHY NOT PELANG BEACH ?

        Why go to Bali at all if all you want is a white sandy beach with clear water? Indonesia has an endless chain of tourist resorts. If you're not too obsessed with luxury. Pelang beach could be an alternative. Besides its beautiful beaches, Pelang also has a natural waterfall and an unexplored cave. Saying that a place has a Kuta, a Niagara, and a Karangbolong in one package could be a bit of an exaggeration. But come on! Where in the world can you find a beautiful beach, a natural water fountain, and an unexplored cave within a radius of three hundred meters? Where else can you possibly stand under a soothing natural water fountain right after stepping out of a swim in the sea? Only at Pelang can you spend your leisure time lying on the white sand, listening to the lyrical melody of the sea without being interrupted by curious beach bums, masseurs, or souvenir vendor. And to think you still have the option of exploring a cave.

IJEN PLATEAU (Scenic Wonder and Sulfur Mine)

Ijen Plateau, located at the eastern end of Java, near Banyuwangi, is probably best known for its beautiful cratershaped lake. No wonder it is a favorite destination for tourists, and especially for ardent hikers. But not many of us know that Ijen is also the site of Indonesia's largest sulfur mine.

Where To Start
        Travelers can reach Ijen Plateau from Bondowoso via Sempol. This comfortable route is especially suitable for those who travel by car and prefer an easy hike. From Sempol to the guard post in Paltuding- the gateway to Ijen Plateau-you ride 14 kilometers through scenic coffee plantations. But don't rely on public transport, since there isn't any. With luck, though, you can hitch a ride on the coffee truck which comes by just once a day. From Paltuding, there is no other way but walk the three kilometers to the crater.
        For hiking freaks like my friend and me, the approach from the east was more appealing than the usual route via bondowoso and sempol. We could have taken a bemo (motor pedicap) from banyuwangi to licin and gone on to jambu, where we were to begin our hike. But as we were coming from surabaya, we decided to go straight from surabaya's ketapang bus station to jambu, and start off there.

The Pyramids Of Egypt (An Ancient Cultural Heritage)

The Pyramids At Giza

       The three Pyramids at Giza are the largest and best preserved of all Egyptian pyramids. They stand close to one another on the west bank of the Nile River not far from Cairo. They were built about 2600 to 2500 B.C. The largest was built for King Khufu, the second was the tomb of King Khafre, and the third belonged to King Menkaure. These three pharaohs were respectively, father, son and grandson. Near the pyramid of Khufu stands a huge Sphinx and several other structures that look like worship sites. Ancient Egypt's greatest architectural achievement was the construction of the pyramids which were in fact tombs. Egyptians planned their tombs to last forever to keep the dead intact.

Great Engineering Feat 
  
       The pyramids of Khufu, called the Great Pyramid, is an ingenious engineering feat. It contains more than 2 million stone blocks averaging 2,300 kg each. Can you imagine how big and heavy one block is? Just envision a solid stone block measuring around 1.5 square meters. The base of the Great Pyramid covers about 5 hectares and the structure is about 137 m high. The top of this pyramid is flat now because some of the upper stones are gone.

LANGKAWI

The History
     Langkawi's history was shaped by its strategic location. Situated in the northern part of the Straits of Malacca between Sumatra and the Malaysian Peninsula, Langkawi and its surrounding islands served as the rear naval station of the ancient Kedah Sultanate, to which they belonged. The islands were excellent shelter to protect the Kedah Sultanate against attacks from neighboring countries who envied Langkawi's natural prosperity.
     The population of Langkawi consists of settlers who came from Sumatra, Sulawesi, Thailand, mainland Kedah, and even from Arabia, India and China. They came as farmers, fishermen, sailors, merchants and story tellers. The first settlers from Kedah brought rice and water buffaloes to the island, and changed the fertile plains into thriving rice fields.

The Legends
     Many places in Langkawi are associated with folktales. That's why Langkawi is also called the "Island of Legends."
     For example, there is the legend of "Warm Water". The story is about a fight between two powerful men, Mat Chinchang and Mat Raya. Mat Chinchang visited Mat Raya, because his son wanted to marry Mat Raya's daughter. In the middle of negotiating the proposal, the future bridegroom flirted with one of the court girls. Mat Raya was displeased and got angry. During the dispute that arose, pots of boiling water broke, creating hot springs-Warm Water. People believe that the water has curative powers for the mind, body and soul. Villagers from around warm water have been using the hot springs for generations and many have experienced the truth of its healing qualities.