Travelling with Ishtar : Being an Islander for The Weekend

A holiday spent in an island, with sandy beach and a scorching bright sun above my head is never my choice in the first place. I thought I really love to be in a ruined city, with ancient temples or intricated palaces to be explored.

Until one day my friends came up with the idea of spending the weekend together with all of our family, bringing our husband and children along. And suddenly, we had the tickets in hand bound us to Lombok. Yet in another day, I booked myself in a 5 stars hotel that would cater my 2 night stays in Gili Trawangan, an island within 30 minutes on boat from Bangsal harbour in Lombok. Seems like there's no turning back from this plan. In the end, all my friends couldn't make the journey unfortunatelly, but I managed to do the trip at last. With a little modification, my trip was still pleasant and full of joy as it should be. Except for losing a Bobo Choses cap from SS15, thanks to my husband.

A week before the planned trip, with the help of my husband I made an itinerary for our short escapade. Nothing to be prepared except some beachwears, cozy sandals and sunscreen. No need for map he said, as Gili - T is a tiny speck of an island you can't be lost literally.

Gili Trawangan from the jetty

Unlike what is stated in most travel website, the shores along Gili Trawangan is divided into two types, the sandy beach in the eastern part of the island and the corally one, mostly in the western part. But you should not be too worried about this as you can easily go to the other part of the island with cidomo (a horse carriage), bicycle or on foot.


We spent our first night on a budget hostel with a sandy beach right in front and it was perfect as my daughter spent the whole morning chasing the waves, making sand castle and watching colorful boats come and go from nearby jetty. I found that all the boats harbouring in the sandy beach areas, so it's a bit exposed.

The view from your shade

Making sand castle with Pa

The next day we moved in to Ombak Sunset Resort, a 5 stars hotel in the western part of the Gili. We spent the whole day playing in the pool, literally IN THE POOL. It took her dad to get Ishtar out of the pool with her crying in tantrum all the way to our room. In the afternoon we did what we never did before, watching the sunset sitting and enjoying our drink, just like normal people do (yeah, if you know my husband, it will be weird seeing him in such environment, watching sunset with the house music playing out loud. Most often he spent the afternoon with his camera and gears hunting photos somewhere during the "golden hour" -,- )

Lush grenery at Ombak Sunset Resort

Sunset in panoramic view

Sunset watching from Ombak Sunset Resort

My big girl

The next morning we decided to bike along the coast and find a quite sandy beach for Ishtar to play again, as she protested at her dad the afternoon before, saying it was just water in front of us the time we watch the sunset not a beach. (Yes, the beach in front of Ombak Sunset is a coral beach. You definitely cannot swim or play on it, as it harsh on your feet). We got ourself back on the beach in front our first night hotel.
 

Me and Ishtar

Found a lot of Y-shaped coral reefs

After playing on the beach, we tempted to rent a canoe and boating ourselves to the sea. It was a rewarding experience. The water was crystal clear with numerous fishes and  coral reefs vary in shape, size and color. Ishtar was nervous at first, just like me and my husband as none of us is a capable swimmer. But it was a memorable one hour.


We're back from the beach feeling tired and exhausted from the sun, but Ishtar insisted on playing in the pool AGAIN. One thing I thank myself for booking us in this resort is the facility. Yes, their beach is not swimable, but they have 4 pools suit every age, the biggest in a deep pool, the second is the kid's pool and two other are jacuzzis. So you can do sun bathing, napping or whathever you please while your kid playing safely in the pool.

So our three days of escapades well spent in the Gili. Beach, poolsides, napping and repeat were our main agendas. Good for me and my husband to refresh ourself from the office, and good for Ishtar too as she learns alot about the island life, exercizing and tanned her skin a bit :)
Spending a holiday being an islander is never that bad, I'm so looking forward for another beach escapade ;)

Style - Mini Rodini, A brand We Love

Ahh.. What a week. After a long weekend well spent in Pontianak and Singkawang, here we are again stranded in our busy routine at the office with Ishtar playing safe in her governess's good hands. Nothing new, and nothing interesting happen until yesterday, a package came. Yayy.. after a few days delay, it actually arrived safely and save me from my boredom. It's not a mere package for me, it's Mini Rodini. 

If you're following my Instagram, maybe you're already know that I'm addicted to Mini Rodini, a Scandinavian brand from Sweden. You know, sometime social media like Instagram is a poison to our grocery shopping list. If you can't hold yourself, you'll end up buying more and more. Just like me. My addiction to Mini Rodini started a long ago while I'm searching for an inspiration to dress four months old Ishtar. Me and my husband coincidentally didn't like that pinky, princess or cartoon print kids clothing with ribbon and itchy lace from head to toe. Can we just dress our kids in a simple cozy clothes but still presentable as a kid without looking too old for their age? That's what our thought saying that day. So, I start my hunting session in IG, until at some point I stumble upon a photo of a kid wearing a toucan print dress. 

It was love at first sight actually. My oh my.. It looked so cool to me. Toucan bird on a kid's clothes? How cool is that? While that big bird with bright orange bills reminds me so much of my childhood in my birthland which is their native habitat, seeing the print wore by a white kids made it feels like its a symbol of unlimited, borderless, wild imagination of a kid's life. It seems so me. Of course I want Ishtar life to be far better than mine. She has to live her life to the fullest, push her dream and aim and effort to the limit, living her dream out. That's what I tought when I saw that photo. How cool is that? 

So, I started digging on the brand which later I know to be Mini Rodini. A Stockholm based children clothing line founded in 2006 by Cassandra Rodin. And the rest is history. LOL. I end up having numerous collection from several seasons they already launched.

One other thing interesting about Mini Rodini besides their quirky bold print is they name each of their season with quirky name also. Their latest is called See You Later Alligator for Spring/Summer 2015 as for Autumn/Winter 2014 and 2013 are Quel Carousel and Mini Zoologist respectively. 

Ishtar in Mini Rodini SS15 - See You Later Alligator

Ishtar in Mini Rodini AW14 - Quel Carousel

Ishtar in Mini Rodini SS14 - Mini Zoologist

And one more photo. This dress in a certain size are soldout anywhere. So, if you see them somewhere, go grab them, hoard them if needed. Because they gone when the gone. And you might find them whatsoever, in double price. Don't say that I didn't warn you LOL.

Ishtar after a vaccine shot in the sought after Mini Rodini Pug dress.

Ishtar's Holiday - To the West (Borneo) We Go!!

West Borneo. Yeah.. A city I have long forgoten until last week while searching for any tickets for the weekend, I found out that it was the only option for us to escape Jakarta without spending too much on the tickets. It was a long weekend that's why it's almost impossible for the three of us to visit favorite local destination because nothing is available let alone affordable. So, West Borneo seemed to be the best option we had.

With simple packing and simple itineraries in mind we flew to Pontianak in 90 minutes flight. I reminded my husband that not much Pontianak and Singkawang can offer but their local culinary, which is beyond awesome. Being with me for more than 9 years, he knows exactly how much I praise my birthland for their food, especially their snacks.

As for Ishtar, I have three big agendas for her. One, take her to ziarah (paying a visit to someone's grave. This time it means my mum's, my beloved aunt's, my grandpa's and my sister's). Two, take her to my hometown in Singkawang and introduce her to my extended family and the last but not the least is, take her to the beach. Yeah, B E A C H. With sand and the waves and the breezes.

She's never been into one before. So I think it's a good chance for me to introduce her because we will find many beaches on the 145 km road from Pontianak to Singkawang. I opt for specific beach, Pantai Pasir Panjang Indah. Nothing fancy about this beach. Just natural sandy beach with coconut trees along the sand. A picture perfect beach in my mind.

Ishtar visiting her littlest cousin Aldi. She cried in jealousy as I pick him -,-

Posing at the beach. She refused to walk on the sand at first.

See Ishtar reaction as the waves hit her. My poor city girl LOL..

Enjoying Pisang Goreng Suka Hati, a specialty in a legendary same name coffeeshop.

Taking a traditional boat to cross the River Kapuas.

 

Playing at Taman Alun Kapuas. An open park beside Kapuas river.

At a crossroad in Singkawang city center. See the old chinatown behind them.

At the oldest temple in Singkawang, Tri Dharma Bumi Raya.

Those days were awesome. Good food, familiar faces, nice places, taste of the salty air even the journey itself. I hope everyone was as happy as me enjoying our very short visit. And we can't hardly wait for another adventure.