Friday, December 28, 2018

On The Highest Railway in The World (Chengdu to Lhasa Train) - Bucketlist Checked

Read the previous post here:


The Serene Ambience While Reading a Book 
Along The 36 Hours Train Ride 


The Ticket


Transit at Xining Railway Station (To change to special train which can
 operate on high altitude along Qinghai Tibet Plateu)


Along The Ride, Fruits and Food (Non Halal) are Available on The Train


There are Bedding on One Side and Window Coach on The Other Side


How Locals Spend Their Time: Reading, Watching Drama, and Enjoy Hot Drinks and Eat!


The Dramatic View Along The Journey


Coffee Given to Me by Neighbor


My Neighbor (Locals Traveling From Chengdu to Lhasa)


One of My Open Trip Member Have to Use Nasal Cannula to Heal 
The Symptom of Altitude Mountain Sickness (AMS)


Lhasa Train Station

When I was reading about Lhasa, there I stumble upon the so called highest railway in the world. The train on this journey will travel from Xining, China to Tibet, China through Qinghai Tibet Plateu, reaching the highest altititude when passing Tanggula Pass on 5200 meters above sea level. There are another high railway in the world, some of them are journey from Lima to Huancayo and from Cuzco to Lake Titicaca but this route from Xining to Lhasa is on the top of the list. So, who wouldn't want to put this journey on their bucket list?

So, purposely, I chose an open trip which taking train instead of plane to reach Lhasa. And turns out it really was once in a lifetime experience. The journey was taking 36+ hours train ride. Departing at 21:37 p.m from Chengdu, I take the hard sleeper train to Xining (2283 meters above sea level). The seat available are couch, hard sleeper, and soft sleeper. 

The couch is clearly not recommended for this two nights journey, the soft sleeper is the most comfortable one because it only consists of 4 beds in one private room, whilst the hard sleeper gives the most local experience; consist of 6 beds in a compartment without door, so clearly it will be a little bit noisy but this is how we can have interaction with locals who take the train, experience the way they enjoy the journey, mostly by watching movie, reading, playing cards, eating and eating!

One night was spent in a usual sleeper train from Lhasa to Xining. At the next day at around 10 a.m. we change train in Xining Railway Station to a special train suitable for high altitude, a completely sealed train with oxygen system which deliver oxygen to each of the carriage, nasal cannula is also available for those who feel AMS sympotms such as headache, nausea, and heavy vomitting. This train has the same seating and bedding configuration with the first train and we also got the same seat number.

In the second night, at about 10 p.m., we started to ascend to a higher altitude. I chose to sleep early because I am afraid that I might get AMS for I have never traveled to altitude higher than 2500 meters above sea level before. And a little tips, it's been a common knowledge around mountain climbers that Acetazolamide (Usually known by its brand: Diamox) could help with AMS symptopms. And after did a consultation with my doctor, she said that it might help with AMS symptomps, looking from its drug's mechanism of action. It is okay to consume this drug as long as we have no contraindication condition to this drug (such as hypersensitivity to Acetazolamide) and as long as it is not consumed in a long time (more than 7-10 days). So, I take Acetazolamide 125 mg, 2 times per day before ascending and take 250 mg, 2 times per day when I am in 4000+ altitude. And I have no AMS at all :)

Some of my group tour members get AMS symptomps such as vomiting and nausea when we are passing the Tanggula Pass on the train, therefore they have to use nasal cannula to get more oxygen. And this also happen with a lot of locals. So, AMS is real issue when traveling to high altitude guys! Make sure to consult with your doctor about the best way to prevent it, including taking Acetazolamide in the right dose. 

And finally at the second day, around 10 a.m. we arrived at Lhasa Station. It was really a once in a lifetime experience. Sleeping in a hard sleeper train for two days, passing the most dramatic landscape, from cities, to desert, until the snow capped mountain along the highest railway in the world, while seeing what locals do, talking with them, sipping hot coffee once or twice, reading my favorite book, until enjoying fresh fruit from the cart is really an unforgettable memories. I would not choose to take plane to reach Lhasa, for this experience is worth to be ticked from my bucket list, and from your bucket list too for sure, no?

Friday, December 14, 2018

Things to Do While on Transit - Chengdu, China

Read the previous post:



Chunxi Road, Chengdu, China

Before departing for Tibet, I first arrived at Chengdu to catch the train departing for Lhasa. I purposely came a little bit early so that I can enjoy Chengdu first for I long for visiting its Giant Panda Breeding. Fortunately, not only I can visited its Giant Panda Breeding, I can also walked along the buzzling street around my apartment. Here are some interesting places I visited during my one and a half day spent in Chengdu:

Chunxi Road
This road is located in Jinjiang District. From my apartment, Chengdu Memory Space Apartment Taiguli Branch, this road is only five minutes away by walk.  This street was initially built to connect two commercial centers. And now you can find almost everything here, from the famous bubble tea, traditional snacks, fruits, until department store such as Isetan. 

To spend one evening there after a tiring long flight is such a memorable first day in my travel journey. This place would be perfect to be visited whether in days or nights, for when the night come you could only stare at the city lights and already feel happy (at least, it was, for me) :)


Tianfu Square, Chengdu, China

Tianfu Square
About 15 minutes slow walk (and a little stop here and there to take some picture) from Chunxi Road,  I found Tianfu Square. This place is located in The Commercial and Business District and a stop for 2 lines of the metro so this place is quite crowded. But I still can enjoy the super clean open space and stop for a moment to enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city. The famous Mao Zedong Statue is located in front of this square so I must say this is a must visit place for your first visit to Chengdu.


Walking passed by The Mao Zedong Statue, Chengdu, China
Me wearing: Top (Unbranded), Wool Jacket (Marks & Spencer), 
Pants (Unbranded), Bag (Fossil), Shoes (Payless)

Mao Zedong Statue
This famous statue is located in front of Tianfu Square. Actually, nothing to do here other than taking picture with the statue, but for a Chengdu first timer I guess it is nice to see this memory of the founding father of China, no? 




Eating halal noodle at one store in moslem area near Chengdu Museum

Moslem Area Near Chengdu Museum
After get enough with the walk and the night started to crawl in, we were looking for some food and we found that there is a moslem are not far from the square. So we walked there, passed The Chengdu Museum and finally about 8  minutes from Tianfu Square we saw this halal noodle store in the second floor of a bakery (the bread is delicious too) and there we went (So sorry I can't read the store's name, but it is easy to be found in the moslem area). 

I ate a beef noodle and I like it. Just like the usual Chinese dishes this noodle is rich with spicy and oily flavor and some of my friends did't find it suit their taste. But honestly, I like it :)



JinLi Ancient Street

JinLi Ancient Street
One of our tour group member wanted to find a starbucks located in an old traditional building, then there we were, finding it inside JinLi Ancient Street. We first thought that this place is not far from Tianfu Square, but actually it takes us about 20-30 minutes by walk from Tianfu Square because we were taking the long way round, getting lost for we were not reading the map carefully. And we totally walked about 10 kms from our apartment to reach this street.

I didn't find any of the starbucks store's photo in my camera (my bad), but you can see it here. A quiet interesting way to end the day by sipping hot cafe mocha inside the ambience of an old traditional building, I must say. But more than that, I enjoyed my walk along this street, buying traditional snack (grilled fish), eating it while watching traditional dance performance and moreover in a breezy spring day.





One Panda was Busy Eating


Red Panda 


Every panda in The Breeding Center have their own personal detail and characteristic described!
 ä½ å¥½ Er Qiao! 


Can't help but wanted to buy all of the souvenirs in The Souvenir Center

Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
And finally! Can't believe that I have the time to visit this place I've been longing for so long. It took 30 minutes by taxi to go to this breeding center from our apartment. A really vast and beautiful conservatory to wander around. And for erderly or for some people who only want to enjoy the ambience while sipping on hot drinks, there are few beautiful cafes available which overlooking a serene lake. 

I chose to explore this place on foot but of course for some people it might be tiring, but believe me it was worth it. You could also take the train available, but the queue is quite long. There I could see panda and their (always) funny behavior. There is also red panda, anyway have you ever seen it before? Yes, they are exist!

And my favorite is Panda's cub. The little and active baby is located far in the nursery area. Not much people reach this place, but a little tip for you, really you should visit this nursery area!

Explore Time: 3-4 hours
Entrance Fee: 9 USD

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Capsule Transit KLIA 2 Review



The capsule room of Capsule Transit KLIA 2


The aisle in The Capsule Transit KLIA 2


Amenities which are given: toothbrush, towel, and mineral water



Pardon my tired face (have to rush to airport post doing
 tooth filling and tooth extraction to my patients :P)



The Shared Bathroom

On my last Tibet trip, I have a night layover at KLIA 2 before departing for Chengdu, China. I chose not to stay in the terminal building and booked a 12 hours room in Capsule Transit Hotel just outside the departure section of KLIA 2 which cost USD 30.

There is another transit hotel which is located inside the departure section, Sama Sama Express KLIA 2, but the price is way more expensive and out of my budget (about USD 55).

The pros of staying in Capsule Transit Hotel
  • The price is cheap for a 12 hours room rate
  • Able to take a proper nap compare to staying inside the terminal building
  • The bedding and the pillow is quite proper. The pillow is a medium micro or nanofiber one so it is quite comfortable, and the bed sheet is smooth
  • Able to take a proper shower and even have our hair dried for a hair dryer is provided by the hotel
  • Able to enjoy the free wifi provided by the hotel
The cons of staying in Capsule Transit Hotel
  • Because the hotel is located just outside the departure section, we have to clear immigration first to be able to stay there, which will quite takes time
  • The bathroom is not really clean when I first arrived at 12.00 am that night, probably because a lot of the guest have already used it and the staff hadn't clean it yet
Despite the cons, I will still stay in the hotel rather than waiting for my flight in the terminal building where I probably wouldn't be able to get a proper rest and probably also wouldn't be able to directly enjoy Chengdu right after I arrived there.

For me, this hotel is scored 3.5/5 and I probably will stay there again on my another layover trip in KLIA 2, unless I have more budget to stay in Sama Sama Express :)

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Chengdu-Tibet-Nepal: Budgeting Recap, Documents, Tips & Trick

Read the previous post 
Overland Trip from China to Nepal (Chengdu - Tibet - Kathmandu)



Yamdrok Lake, Tibet, China

Speaking about my Chengdu-Tibet-Nepal trip, some of you requested the details on the budgeting. So, here it is and some tips on reducing the budget.



Chinese Visa



Tibet Permit

1. First thing first, to travel to Tibet we must join one tour operator available from Tibet, we can not do solo travel. So, to join an open trip available is the easy choice. I was joining an open trip from Stalkingnina, how much did it cost? What was included? 


It costs USD 1150. Including:

  • 3 stars accomodation.
  • Meals (breakfast and one dinner time each in Tibet and Nepal, bottled water everyday).
  • Bus for accomodation while on tour including 4 WD car which take us from China border to Kathmandu (the actual price is about USD 32).
  • All permit needed in Tibet (Tibet travel permit and alien's travel permit were included).

2.What kind of documents are needed for a trip to downtown Tibet and Everest Base Camp (EBC)?

  • Chinese Visa: IDR 650.000 (USD 42). Our group asked for help from a tour operator to take care of our visas, it was simpler that way. You could choose any tour operator you trust. 
  • Tibet Travel Permit by Tibet Tourism Bureau. It was included in the open trip payment. 
  • Alien's Travel Permit (could be taken care of once we arrived there, mine was taken care of in Shigatse). Also included in the open trip payment. 
  • Frontier pass needed to travel to border areas, such as Tibet-Nepal border and Mount Everest area. Also included in the open trip payment. 
3. How to approach Lhasa, Tibet?
First thing first, there are several options to approach Tibet. By domestic flight to Lhasa Airport from several Chinese hub cities like Chengdu, Beijing, or Shanghai. So you have to fly to these cities first.  Or by international flight from Kathmandu, Nepal (cost around USD 400) which is the only availabe international flight to Lhasa. Or by train from Chengdu. 
Pros of Each Choices
Chengdu - Lhasa Flight: If you looking for a convenience and fast journey you could choose the   flight // Chengdu - Lhasa Train: If you looking for a once in a lifetime journey with breathtaking view which is operated on the highest railway in the world, then train is the perfect choice.  Moreover, the slow ascent give our bodies time to adjust to the altitude hence the chance of getting accute mountain sickness (AMS) is lower.  
Cons of Each Choices
Chengdu - Lhasa Flight: But it means an immediate ascent which can cause accute mountain sickness (AMS). // Chengdu - Lhasa Train: Even in the soft sleeper compartment you might find it uncomfortable for a 36+ hours journey, not to mention the public toilets which will get dirty and stink overtime. 
My choice
I fly budget airline AirAsia from Lombok to Chengdu (cost USD 204) then continue the journey with Chengdu-Lhasa train. The Chengdu-Lhasa flight and Chengdu - Lhasa train have a similar price, around USD 190. And I take the train (the hard sleeper one) for the sake of the experience. 
Ps. This choice is more budget friendly than flying Lombok-Nepal-Lhasa (which will cost me around USD 470) and I love to explore Chengdu first :)
As for the flight back to Indonesia, I fly Malindo air to Kuala Lumpur (cost USD 165) and continue with AirAsia to Lombok (cost USD 69)

4. What insurance did I use during the trip?


It was not easy finding insurance which covers trip to a a high altitude (more than 3000 m), moreover it was a trip to Everest Base Camp, where the health and safety risk were no kidding. But luckily,  after searching here and there, I found Zurich Passport Worlwide (cost USD 58) and it covers everything. So, next time you need travel insurance, I guess Zurich could be a choice. 


5. What are other expenses along the trip?

  • Nepal Visa. In this trip we went back to Indonesia via Nepal rather than going back to Chengdu. So, a Nepal Visa is needed. A visa on arrival cost USD 25.
  • Hotel while in Kuala Lumpur, Chengdu and Nepal will be shown at detail below.
  • Transportation while in Kuala Lumpur, Chengdu, Nepal will be shown at detail below.
  • KLIA Express while in Kuala Lumpur will be shown at detail below.
  • Entry tickets will be shown at detail below.
  • Souvenirs budget will be shown at detail below. 
  • Culinary delights budget will be shown at detail below. 

I really do hope this post will give you some insight on the important matters on traveling to Tibet. As always if you have any questions feel free to comment below or email me :)

Friday, October 26, 2018

Children are The Future



Some Emergency School Condition in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara,
 3 Months after The 7 SR Earthquake

When I went to several emergency schools at North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara to give health education to the children those are the condition which I saw. Schools are held under a simple tent and when it was about 10 am the temperature was start to rising to an uncomfortable heat. I did not know how these children can concentrate at all. But, no, no one is complaining or show how much uncomfortable they really are. 

All these children are still as excited as before to ask questions, to read, to learn. 

In between the limited condition, they are all still so eager to learn. The spirit there is one you should never underestimate. 


So, after speaking with the headmaster of SDN 1 Medana, one of the schools which I visited, I am willing to help them with whatever possibility that I could. I just wanted to show these children that we are not abandoning them, we are always here to have their backs, we are here to support them in reaching for another galaxies. 

I would love to buy them some books, uniform for those who lost theirs in the earthquake, and some stationaries. If you wish to show some of your love to them, feel free to click this link SSFORLOMBOK  and I will be more than happy to share this love spreading journey with you. Matur Tampiasih, Terima Kasih, Thank You! :)

Monday, October 1, 2018

Love is a Verb


Dress (Minimal)

Been so unproductive these last two months since the 7 SR earthquake which I experienced in North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara last August. I might be the one complaining why it takes us so long to find the courage to get back up on our feet, to start the daily routine, to start rebuilding everything which was ruined because of the earthquake whether it is homes, workplaces, or the previously established activities. But I might also be the one who can not put my mind in the right place just to be able to finish a post. 

Clearly life after disaster is not an easy one. Where to sleep, what to eat, how to go to work, until the fastest way to take a bath got to be thought of for the earthquakes is still happening although in a less damaging intensity. So for me, I found it hard to do too much work, when it used to be an easy peasy matter for me. But I try to get back to my old routine by writing regularly again... So, wish me luck...

"Never about the flowers and all that is dashing. Always about the effort and the verb that is involved." That was the words I always talk to the one I love. When it is at their special day, or my special day, of course a little gesture to show how much we care for each other is important. 

Thank you for the flowers to the one who gave this. Thank you for the effort for no matter simple things might seem, every effort would take some of our precious time. Love is a verb, said John Mayer. 

And it really is true. 

Wednesday, August 15, 2018

Humble Me, Lord


You might sometimes found me saying that in order to be fully happy money is the most important factor that should be included. Yet you also might found me saying that the real happiness lies in the sheer simplicity of the presence of my significant other. 

Do you think that it is possible for one to be so kind they never once act selfish and only think about their own fulfillment? Do you think it is possible for one to be so humble they never once feel special when they are able to get the privilege others don't get? Do you think it is possible for one to be so patient they never once scream frantically over the frustation which happen without asking permission first? 

I didn't think it is possible. 

I always believe that a person consist of thousands of mixed up emotions and ideas. The environment they grew up in, the books they read, the people they met, the places they visited, every positive and negative occasions which were happened in their life, shape ones to be the complicated people they are today. 

People are complicated.

Just because they break their promise once, it does not bluntly mean they will not be responsible on other important matters. Just because a man cheated on his spouse, it does not mean they will not be responsible and fully love his kid in the future. Just because this one woman I know is so down to earth, it does not mean she will not once brag about her privilege she get which allows her to travel the world in first class flight. 

I know that for sure. So, I let my self react and act over matters in my imperfect manner. Sometimes I feel that I am nothing compared to the vast universe it makes me feel powerless and so humble, sometimes I feel so content over the privilege I get compared to others I subconsciously proud of this stupid meaningless materialistic matter. And the next time, I could find my self realise I should not be so proud so I surpress my ego and try to think about God.

Like billions other people, I am always a mixed of emotions and ideas.

Only on this one night, last August 5th, did I ever only feel one single emotion inside me. I was there experiencing the 7.0 SR earthquake which hits West Nusa Tenggara. I was there hiking up the hill trying to save my life in case Tsunami did happen. I was there seeing the little area went dark when the electricity cut off. 

And what I feel was only one emotion. Humility. You humble me, Lord

I never thought I could ever be so simple. I never thought I could only feel one emotion inside me. But it did happen

Yesterday, I grew one year older. And this month has taught me more than the last 26 years of my life has been. And I never thought that it takes this big momentum to be able to make me feeling this one simple emotion in front of my God.

So, thank you for this year, for teaching me to humble my self, my dear God ❤️