tourism

#1Pic1Day: Communist Nostalgia (China, 2010)

Communist Nostalgia (China, 2010) Rapid development in China has brought this country entering the world of capitalism. Modernity and materialism cannot be separated from people’s live nationwide. Nevertheless, in last few years, we fill the arrival of nostalgia wind, especially towards the peak of communism under Mao Zedong, where people were equally poor and equally happy. There are some popular thematic restaurants in Beijing offering a journey through time machine, going back to Cultural Revolution era. Visitors seem to attend a general meeting with all other comrades, spectating shows with songs and poems of that era. The restaurant waiters and waitresses also dress in the uniform of Red Army and Red Guards, addressing each visitor as “Comrade”. Nostalgia Komunis (China, 2010) Pembangunan di China yang teramat pesat membawa negeri ini memasuki dunia kapitalisme. Modernitas dan materialisme tidak bisa terpisahkan dari kehidupan di seluruh negeri. Namun demikian, dalam beberapa tahun terakhir muncul kembali kerinduan yang semakin kuat terhadap zaman-zaman Revolusi Kebudayaan, di mana semua rakyat masih miskin tetapi mereka merasa lebih bahagia. Salah satu bentuk nostalgia komunisme adalah munculnya beberapa restoran tematik yang mengusung tema Revolusi Kebudayaan, di mana pengunjung seperti menghadiri rapat akbar para kamerad dengan pertunjukan yang khas pada [...]

January 29, 2014 // 0 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Tertutup dan Terbuka | Veiled and Unveiled (Dubai, 2008)

Veiled and Unveiled (Dubai, 2008) An Arab woman with thick make-up walks in front of a shop selling underwear inside a luxurious shopping center in Dubai. Tertutup dan Terbuka (Dubai, 2008) Seorang perempuan Arab dengan kosmetik tebal melintas di depan toko pakaian dalam wanita di sebuah mal mewah di Dubai. [...]

January 17, 2014 // 1 Comment

#1Pic1Day: Kota Berkilau di Padang Pasir | Glittering City of Desert (Dubai, 2008)

Glittering City of Desert (Dubai, 2008) Two years before, this stretch of road only had two multistory buildings. Today, this road in the middle of desert is full of skyscrapers. Kota Berkilau di Padang Pasir (Dubai, 2008) Dua puluh tahun sebelumnya, di jalan ini hanya ada dua gedung bertingkat. Hari ini, jalan yang melintang di tengah padang pasir ini penuh sesak oleh bangunan pencakar langit. [...]

January 16, 2014 // 6 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Time to Have Fun (Dubai, 2008)

Time to Have Fun (Dubai, 2008) Arab youngsters are having fun in an exhibition event in Dubai. Para pemuda Arab bersuka ria bermain ayunan di arena pameran di Dubai. [...]

January 15, 2014 // 1 Comment

#1Pic1Day: Taman Dunia | Round the World (Dubai, 2008)

Round the World (Dubai, 2008) Visitors are enjoying their “round-the-world” trip in an annual international exhibition in Dubai, which was participated by dozens of countries from all continents. Taman Dunia (Dubai, 2008) Pengunjung sedang menikmati wisata “keliling dunia” yang dihadirkan dalam sebuah pameran internasional tahunan di Dubai, dihadiri oleh puluhan negara dari semua benua. [...]

January 14, 2014 // 3 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Gunung Bersinar | Glowing Mountain (Annapurna, Nepal, 2003)

Glowing Mountain (Annapurna, Nepal, 2003) Annapurna III glows at sunset, seen from a village not far from Manang (3520 meter) Gunung Bersinar (Annapurna, Nepal, 2003) Annapurna III bersinar saat matahari terbenam, terlihat dari sebuah desa tidak jauh dari Manang (3520 meter). [...]

December 13, 2013 // 6 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Porter (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005)

Porter (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) During heavy trek season of Annapurna, a local porter may go up and down the mountains for a dozen times. The porting and guiding business is dominating the trekking industry in Nepal. Porter (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Pada musim sibuk trekking Annapurna, seorang porter lokal bisa naik turun gunung sampai belasan kali. Bisnis porter dan guide adalah yang mendominasi industri treking di Nepal. [...]

December 12, 2013 // 2 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Pendakian ke Puncak | A Journey to the Peak (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005)

A Journey to the Peak (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) The famous Annapurna Circuit is 21-day trekking journey, among which the highest point is Thorung La Pass at 5416 meters. For many trekkers, Thorung La is the biggest challenge to conquer in the whole trek. Pendakian ke Puncak (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Rute treking Sirkuit Annapurna yang terkenal itu adalah sebuah perjalanan naik turun gunung sepanjang 21 hari. Titik tertinggi dalam perjalanan itu adalah Puncak Thorung La, pada ketinggian 5.416 meter. Bagi sebagian besar treker, Thorung La adalah tantangan terbesar untuk menaklukkan rute ini. [...]

December 11, 2013 // 3 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Infrastruktur Pegunungan | Infrastructure (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005)

Infrastructure (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Tourism has changed the landscape of Annapurna. Once very wild and dangerous mountain ranges to conquer during the Maurice Herzog era who reached its peak in 1950s, Annapurna is now very much tamed for the sake of international tourists. Clear trail signs, hotels, restaurants, bridges, and even roads are built to make the trek very much easy and practical. Infrastruktur Pegunungan (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Pariwisata telah mengubah wajah Annapurna. Dulu, Annapurna pernah menjadi pegunungan yang liar dan berbahaya saat Maurice Herzog pertama kali mencapai puncaknya pada tahun 1950an. Tetapi kini Annapurna telah dijinakkan demi kebutuhan turis internasional. Petunjuk pendakian yang lengkap, hotel, restoran, jembatan, dan bahkan jalan beraspal telah dibangun untuk membuat rute treking ini semakin mudah dan praktis. [...]

December 10, 2013 // 1 Comment

#1Pic1Day: Spektrum Etnis | Ethnic Spectrum (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005)

Ethnic Spectrum (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Trekking through Annapurna Circuit is not only to adore the spectrum of natures, flora, and fauna from the lowest elevation to top of Himalayas, but also to observe the spectrum of human beings: race, ethnicity, religion, language. Passing through Manang (3520 m) and up to higher places, the previously predominantly Hindu Aryan people are replaced by Tibetan-like Buddhist people. Spektrum Etnis (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Melakukan trek melalui Sirkuit Annapurna bukan hanya untuk mengagumi spektrum alam, flora dan fauna dari daerah rendah sampai puncak Himalaya, tetapi juga untuk mengamati spektrum manusia: ras, etnik, agama, bahasa. Setelah melewati Manang (3520 meter) dan semakin tinggi sampai ke puncak, orang-orang Arya penganut Hindu kini sudah digantikan oleh bangsa-bangsa mirip Tibet dan penganut agama Buddha. [...]

December 9, 2013 // 0 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Himalayan Buddhism (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005)

Himalayan Buddhism (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) The higher parts of Annapurna Circuit is inhabited by the Manangi people, who look like Tibetan, speak a language close to that of Tibetan, and believe in Tibetan Buddhism. Buddhisme Himalaya (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Bagian Sirkuit Annapurna yang lebih tinggi dihuni oleh bangsa Manangi, yang mirip orang Tibet, bicara bahasa yang dekat bahasa Tibet, dan menganut agama Buddhisme Tibet (Lamaisme). [...]

December 6, 2013 // 1 Comment

#1Pic1Day: Chicken Express (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005)

Chicken Express (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Tourism has changed the face of Nepal and its Himalaya to an irreversible point. Annapurna is considered as the best trek on earth, the most touristy with spoiled facility. Hotels and restaurants scattered all the way from bottom to top of the mountains, and porters carry materials from the lowlands up to high Himalayas to make fancy food for the international tourists, including chicken which can’t survive the elevation. Chicken Express (Annapurna, Nepal, 2005) Turisme telah mengubah wajah Nepal dan Himalaya-nya secara permanen. Annapurna dianggap sebagai jalur trek terbaik di dunia, sekaligus yang paling penuh turis dan fasilitas yang memanjakan. Hotel dan restoran tersebar sepanjang jalan mulai dari kaki gunung sampai puncak Himalaya. Tak kurang juga para porter mengangkut bahan-bahan makanan dari dataran rendah untuk membuat makanan rumit kebutuhan turis mancanegara di puncak Himalaya, termasuk juga ayam-ayam yang tidak mungkin hidup di tempat setinggi [...]

December 5, 2013 // 1 Comment

#1Pic1Day: Unta Pantai | Beach Camel (Karachi, Pakistan, 2006)

Beach Camel (Karachi, Pakistan, 2006) A man offers came tour service on Karachi beach, southern Pakistan. Unta Pantai (Karachi, Pakistan, 2006) Seorang lelaki menawarkan jasa wisata unta di pantai Karachi, Pakistan Selatan. [...]

November 15, 2013 // 0 Comments

Dewi (2007): Samarkand – Perjalanan Melintasi Waktu

DEWI MAGAZINE (SEPTEMBER 2007) SAMARKAND: Sebuah Perjalanan Melintasi Waktu Apa yang terbayang dalam benak Anda ketika mendengar nama Uzbekistan? Apakah gadis-gadisnya yang berkulit putih mulus nan molek? Ataukah sebuah negara muda yang berdiri di atas puing-puing Uni Soviet? Ataukah sebuah negeri padang pasir yang panas dan kerontang? Apa pun itu, Uzbekistan, sebuah negara yang terletak di tengah benua luas, terkunci dari segala penjuru dan berjarak ribuan kilometer jauhnya dari samudera mana pun, memamerkan semua pesona keeksotisannya yang membuat silau semua bangsa di dunia. Itu pula yg dapat dilihat di Samarkand. Perjalanan bebas hambatan dari Tashkent menuju kota tua Samarkand cukup ditempuh dalam waktu 4 jam saja dengan taxi. Perjalanan ini melintasi perkebunan kapas yang seakan tidak ada habisnya. Dan begitu menginjakkan kaki di Samarkand, Anda sudah melintasi waktu setidaknya empat ratus abad ke belakang. Siapa yang tak akan terpekur di bawah keagungan nama Samarkand? Sang pujangga Umar Khayyam tiada hentinya memuja kemuliaan kota ini, bahkan sebelum bangunan-bangunan molek raksasa itu berdiri. Di sinilah sang penakluk Amir Timur (dikenal juga sebagai Timurleng, Timur si Pincang), memulai kerajaannya yang menguasai wilayah dari padang rumput Asia Tengah hingga ke negeri India di timur dan Turki di barat. Di sinilah sang raja besar mendirikan [...]

September 26, 2007 // 0 Comments

Khorog – The Capital of GBAO

Driver is a respected job in Tajikistan, especially in GBAO where most people still struggle of unemployment “Thanks to God, thanks to Aga Khan, for their kindness to us” – Mamadrayonova Khurseda The provincial capital of GBAO, Khorog, is a little town set in a valley surrounded by vertical cliffs of high mountains. It is cool and lazy, and despite of its proximity with Afghanistan, it is quite laid back. The appearance of military still can be felt intensively in the town, thanks to the neighbouring Afghanistan, which is just across the river and notorious for opium export and illegal border crossing. Young soldiers have to patrol every morning along the misty and freezing river. The 1300 km long border with Afghanistan gives much headache to Tajikistan, and its patron – Russia. Russian guards were playing a big role in ‘saving’ the war torn Tajikistan from further deterioration. But as the situation of the country had been stabilized for almost ten years now, the existence of Russian and CIS troops had been much reduced since the previous two years. If you walk along the main street of Khorog, except for the numerous militsia, police, and KGB agents, you will feel [...]

October 19, 2006 // 0 Comments

Kabul – Permit to Wakhan

I really dream to go to the Wakhan Corridor The trip must go on, despite of the incident with money in Bamiyan, which was enough to slow me down and cancelled all of the plans previously made. I was determined to go to explore the unexplored part of Afghanistan, that one if you see the map of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the odd shaped ‘tongue’ of the country on its northeast. That is Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan, which separates Pakistan from Tajikistan, which separated the British emporium from the Russian one. During my stay in embassy, I have read many books about Afghanistan, from about the women’s life until the travelling in Afghanistan, and those books have burnt my spirit of travelling and exploring Afghanistan again and again. Wakhan corridor is still a wild area, unexplored, and it’s the off beaten track in off beaten track country of Afghanistan. It’s also sensitive area, bordering Afghanistan with Tajikistan, Pakistan, and the giant China. The area is underdeveloped, completely isolated to outside world in winter (even early summer and end of autumn), and it seemed that it’s locked somewhere in the history, where even the air was the same air filling the [...]

June 28, 2006 // 5 Comments

Karimabad – Another Night Talk

Tourism also brings cultural impact to far flung places January 17, 2005 At last the guys from the restaurant successfully moved the TV and VCD to my room. They played hide and seek with the old man, the owner, and it was indeed funny to see the games. The sound was mixed with other movie, Bunty and Babli, to distract the attention of the old man. And they successfully made the old man sleep earlier. One accident happened when they moved the TV, the man woke up. Haroun (not real name) told the old man that the Indonesian guy (me) need the TV and VCD to do his homework. Damn! The 2 CDs, both were painfully obtained, were all damaged. One of it, the funniest porn CD I have ever watched, from South India. The actresses were all old, grey haired, bathing in the river. Then came the raper, old, fat, black, ape-faced man. The open sex happened openly in the river side, but it was too ugly, and the Pakistani guys also thought so. Talking about the open sex, I mean sex in open field, Haroun told me a story of a European couple having sex in a park [...]

January 17, 2006 // 0 Comments