Summer in Portland!

Dear readers of my blog:

What's up guys? Today is Saturday, and Summer quarter begins on Monday! I literally cannot believe that I've been here for 6 months. I know this sounds cliché, but time really has passed by quickly. Soon, it'll be Fall quarter, then Winter, then Spring, and before I know it, I'll be graduating! From what I've heard, being an adult kinda sucks, so I'm really trying to cherish my time as a teenager while it lasts.

Anyway, as the title suggests, I went to Portland! Why Portland? Well, it's not so far away from Washington state, which makes it a pretty famous holiday destination for Green River students. Moreover, they don't apply taxes there!

It was only for 3 days and 2 nights though. Nevertheless.... it was amazing. There were 8 of us: Firda, Dea, Carol, Smita, Fadhil, Andi, Dary and I. We took the 7.30am Amtrak train from Auburn on Saturday, 16th June, and arrived in Portland at about 11-ish or 11.30. My first impression on Portland: Wow, this city is way cooler than Seattle. I'm serious though. Look at the recycling bins! I've never seen one as creative as that. It looks amazing. Portland really is a hipster city, huh? The reason I'm saying this is because just before I left Auburn, my hostmum made this remark: "Oh you're going to Portland? That's a really hip city!"And true enough.... Portland really is hip. Another observation I made was the demography of Portland. Seattle and its surroundings has quite a variety of races. On the other hand... I have to say that there weren't many black or latino people in Portland. Most of them were white.

After we arrived, I'm not exactly sure what we did.. We kinda just walked around the city, I think we were trying to find our hotel? But I'm not exactly sure because hotels don't accept check-ins until usually 2 or 3pm, right? Oh, and there was another problem. We didn't really have a map of Portland, which made things kinda hard. Usually they would have maps of the city in train stations and airports right; you know, the ones with all the attractions and good places to eat. But there weren't any of those at the train station. Luckily, in this technologically advanced world we live in, there's this thing called a 'GPS', and luckily, that 'GPS' is available on most phones. Hence, that's how we survived. And hence, that's another reason why I love technology. Getting back to my main point.... We passed the Portland Farmers market on the way, and there were loads of people there. 

At about that time (which was around 1pm), most of us had become pretty hungry, and you know how people are when they're angry right? Yeah, people can get a bit aggressive and annoying when they're hungry. It's like you can't do anything properly until you get something in your stomach. Using Dea's iPhone, we looked for restaurants....but without success. Luckily, we spotted a Safeway, and we just decided to eat there. Safeway is not exactly the place you would want to eat when you're on a holiday in another state, but we were hungry and we needed food immediately. So... yeah.

After that, we went to the Oregon Historical Society! We actually weren't intending to go there. There's a park across the building, and we were just sitting there wondering what we should do. We actually didn't realize there was a museum across the street! We were taking pictures in front of this horse statue when a lady came up to us and said that just for that day, there were free admissions into the museum! Sweet! So we went in and looked around. It turned out the lady who told us about the museum worked in the souvenir shop. Hahaha.

(From left to right: Andi, Fadhil, Firda, Dea)

This is my attempt at planking, btw.

And this is my attempt at teapotting! The girl on the right is Dea, if you were wondering.

(From left to right: Me, Dea)

After that, we went to our hotel and checked in. We stayed at Downtown Value Inn, which I would say is a pretty decent motel if you're looking for cheap accommodation. Obviously, as college students we have priorities which do not include staying in expensive hotels, and anyways, even if we had the money... why should we stay in an expensive hotel if we're gonna be out most of the time?

After we settled in, we left once again. This time, we went to the Japanese Garden. I have one word to describe it: wonderful. It was pretty cool, and obviously, it might differ here and there from what Japan is actually like, but I thought it was pretty cool. It has pretty cheap admission too, so if you're visiting Portland, go visit the Japanese Garden!

(From left to right: Carol, Me, Firda)

(From top left to top right: Dary, Carol, Dea, Firda, Smita, Andi. From bottom left to bottom right: Me, Fadhil)

(Carol made a remark about this scene as one of those free wallpapers Windows give you haha)

After that, we went to the International Rose Test Garden which is just a couple of minutes from there. Likewise, it was wonderful!

And with that, I have wrapped the first day. We started off our second day in Portland by visiting OMSI, which is short for: Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. I guess you could say there's a lot of science-related stuff (as suggested by the name). It's worth visiting while you're in Portland.

(This is basically a miniature of one of the planets... I forgot which, though)

(This is one of the brain teasers there. You have to make the string go through all of the holes, but the string can only pass through each hole once. I spent 15 minutes trying to solve it but I couldn't. It's so freaking challenging that I might try to solve it right after I finish writing this blog post....)

After that, we spent the rest of the day shopping at Woodburn Factory Outlet! And man, that factory outlet is huge! I got some pretty good deals over there. I didn't really buy much, because (1) I didn't feel that I needed to buy them and (2) I knew that I don't really have that much money to spend. My favorite item from that shopping trip was this cool denim jacket/blouse. I don't have one yet so that adds to my wardrobe! And with that, the second day of my holiday in Portland has ended.

The third day was basically not such a good day. You know how it just feels sad cause it's the last day of the trip? Anyway, on the morning of the last day, Smita and Dary went to PNCA (Pacific Northwest College of Art) while the rest of us went to Honey's Cafe to have breakfast! We actually wanted to go there on the first day of our trip, but it was closed, so we decided to go on the last day. I have to say that it was pretty decent food for a pretty inexpensive price. It was nice.

After that, we went back to the hotel to check out, and then we headed for Voodoo Doughnuts! It's basically this really famous doughnut store in Portland. I'm not sure as to why it's famous though, but I just bought it as sort of a souvenir for my hostfam.

We then decided to pay a visit to the Chinese Gardens, but when we arrived, we realized that we had to pay to get in, and some of us weren't ready to spend an extra buck. Hence, we went straight for the train station.

(The picture above is a photo of the train station--Union Station. Somehow I think it looks like the train station in Jogja)

(The inside of the train station)

After about, say, 40 minutes at the train station, some of us got a bit restless and decided to go out for a walk. It was still around 1pm and our train leaves at 2.30pm. So Dary, Carol, Smita and I decided to go to Powell's City of Books. It's this really famous and huge bookstore in Portland. Honestly, if I could, I would've spent a whole day there. There's just so many awesome books to look at. Some of the books there are used, so you can get them for really cheap prices. True enough... we were nearly late. We nearly missed the train. I'd say that we got carried away at the bookstore. As a result, we had to walk really quickly back to the train station. Carol even forgot where she put here train ticket and had to buy a new one. Luckily, once inside the train she found it (and hence, can get a refund for it). All in all, it was an amazing trip! Thanks to everyone who came with me to Portland, it was a huge succes! Hahaha seriously though. It's the first time I've been out of state, and it was a really nice holiday. It's only been a week since I got back to Auburn, and I'm already looking forward to the next trip! Haha.

I hope this blogpost has somewhat been fun to read, and maybe rather informational. If you're a student at Green River, and you're deciding on where to go for the break... well, Portland is a good place to go!

That's all from me, and BYE!

Princess Island

Logo Pulau Putri

Kemarin, pas hari Sabtu sama Minggu, aku dan keluargaku liburan ke Pulau Putri..

Pulau Putri atau Princess Island salah satu pulau diantara 105 Pulau (kalo nggak salah) yang dinamakan Kepulauan Seribu.

Seru lhoo....

Pas hari Sabtu kita berangkat sekitar jam 6 lewat 15 menitan lah kira kira ke Marina Ancol. Trus disana kita nyampe jam 7 lewat atau jam setengah 8an gitu sih kalo nggak salah trus langsung naik kapal. Tapi ya nggak langsung jalan juga sih kapalnya, masih nunggu orang orang lain yang mau ke Pulau Putri juga. Bentuk kapal yang kita naikin itu nggak keren keren amat. Kapal biasa, tapi bukan kayak kapal pirate gitu.. Kita duduk didalem aja, nunggu. Trus nyampe dalam waktu 1 jam 30 menit.

Trus akhirnya kita nyampe sekitar jam 9-an atau jam 10an gitu, trus wuih baru nyampe aja udah keren banget... Airnya warnanya biru agak bening gitu, trus jadi kalo dari kapal udah keliatan bawahnya ada ikannya... Trus pokoknya keren deh!

Acara pertama kita... Snorkeling! Kita ke cottage dulu, trus duduk duduk bentar lah, trus habis itu ganti baju renang, ambil alat snorkeling trus langsung ke tempat snorkeling. Oh ya, kalo nggak punya alat snorkeling juga bisa snorkeling kok, pinjem aja alat snorkeling sama sepatu fin, trus untuk yang kurang bisa berenang, pinjem aja baju pelampung supaya nggak tenggelam. Tapi sebenernya sih kalo mau snorkeling di pulau seribu nggak perlu pake pelampung karena nggak dalem kok airnya.

Trus masa pas kita lagi jalan ke tempat snorkeling, tiba tiba ada bule gitu. Cowok, masih kecil, kira kira segede Adam deh tiba ngomong gini :

Bule : "Saya mau liat hiu. Siapa yang mau liat hiu?".

Sebenernya aku mau tuh, tapi ya gimana ya.. Males aja, trus orangnya agak aneh, tiba tiba ngomong gitu.

Aku : "Tuh Nadia tuh mau liat hiu."

Nadia : "Ih apaan, kakak tuh yang mau."

Trus akhirnya tuh bule pergi deh. Tapi trus pas kita lagi jalan tiba tiba dia dateng lagi ngajak kenalan sama Adam:

Bule : "Hai namaku Andreas (nggak tau tulisannya bener apa enggak). Namamu siapa?

Adam : *Sambil jalan ke papa* "Hai namaku Adam."

Wakakaka... Trus akhirnya papa ngajakin dia snorkeling bareng kita. Trus dianya juga mau. Wakakaka.... Orangnya kayak Prama deh, suka ngomong. Trus dia kayaknya udah baca banyak tentang snorkeling dan lain lain, trus dia sukanya ngmong gini :

Andreas : "Tau nggak kalo di laut itu bla bla bla bla ......"

Trus ada juga kakaknya Andreas namanya Philip, dia juga sifatnya lumayan mirip sama Andreas. Hahaha lucu. Tapi mereka baik juga lhoo.... Andreas nunjukin kita ke tempat ngeliat hiu! Yaa... walaupun agak cerewet, tapi dia baik dan ramah.

Kita snorkeling sampe kira kira jam 12an kurang lah, trus habis itu balik ke Cottage, trus mandi, trus ke Resto untuk makan siang.

Habis makan siang kita jalan ngelilingin Pulau Putri. Ya.. nggak ngelilingin 100% sih karena pas baru 70%an udah capek duluan hehe kita lewat tengah trus langsung ke Cottage hehe. Kita nyampe di Cottage kira kira setengah 2-an, trus pada tidur! Kecuali aku sama Adam. Kita main main deh...

Trus sekitar jam 3-an pada bangun, trus jam setengah 4 kita snorkeling lagi deh! Hehee... kebanyakan snorkeling ya? Habisnya seru sih! Trus sekitar jam 5 kurang 15 menit kita balik dulu ke Cottage, ganti baju (gak mandi dulu karena jam 5 musti udah sampe ke kapal untuk ikut liat sunset), trus kita ikut kapalnya pergi liat sunset.

Liat sunsetnya biasa aja. Yaaah namanya juga liat sunset, cuman ke sebuah tempat yang mataharinya keliatan trus liat sunset aja. Udah deh. Gitu doang. Oh ya trus pas liat sunsetnya itu, cuman beberapa orang doang yang bisa duduk di kursi. Sisanya duduk di pinggiran kapalnya kalo nggak di deket supirnya. Kalo aku sih duduknya di pinggir kapal. Tapi ada pegangannya kok, jadi nggak mungkin jatoh.

Liat sunsetnya sekitar 1 jam, jadi nyampe lagi di Pulau Putri jam 6. Trus kita balik dulu ke Cottage, trus sekitar jam 7-an balik lagi untuk makan malem. Karena kalo jam 6 belom mulai makan malemnya, jadi harus balik dulu deh ke Cottage.

Habis makan makan, kita ke Dive Shop dulu, trus kita pesen kapal kecil untuk besok pagi. Soalnya besok paginya kita mau snorkeling lagi, tapi nggak di Pulau Putri. Habisnya kalo di Pulau Putri doang kan bosen! Jadinya kita sewa Loudy Boat (nggak tau deh itu jenis kapalnya atau nama kapalnya, tapi yang jelas mas masnya ngomong Loudy "Lodi" hahaa) untuk besok.

Besoknya kita bangun sekitar jam 6 pagi, trus siap siap untuk snorkeling. Trus sekitar jam 7 lewat 15 atau 20 menitan gitu kita sampe di Resto trus sarapan dulu. Oh ya, karena kita mau snorkeling, kita kan perlu roti kalo mau ikannya mendekat, jadi karena mumpung sarapannya roti, kita ngambil roti ekstra beberapa sama pancake, trus dimasukin ke plastik trus kita bawa deh ke kapal untuk snorkeling. Hahaha... habisnya kalo nggak pake roti kan nggak seru!

Trus habis itu kita ke kapal, trus jalan deh. Destination kita yang pertama adalah ke Pulau yang isinya pasir doang. Nggak tau deh namanya apa, lupa. Tapi yang jelas pulaunya itu kecil, trus cuman pasir doang. Oh ya, dan sekelilingnya isinya BULU BABI SEMUA! Tau nggak bulu babi itu apa? Bulu babi itu kayak binatang, tapi spiky gitu seluruh badannya kecuali satu tempat (yang kayaknya mukanya) trus warnanya item. Hati hati kalo kena bulu babi kayak duri soalnya trus kalo nggak salah sih bisa bikin gatel. Trus mamaku liat kemarin Omnya Andreas kena bulu babi kakinya, trus jadi bintik bintik item gitu urghh...

Di pulau itu bukannya langsung nyemplung di air (kan kalo snorkeling kan di lautnya kan), kita malah ke pulaunya dulu! Bodoh banget deh, udah tau sekelilingnya bulu babi semua malah ke pasirnya. Kan kalo ke pasirnya kita snorkelingnya gimana? Gimana cara ke airnya kalo sekelilingnya BULU BABI SEMUA?! Jadi dengan susah payah kita berhasil ngelewatin jebakan bulu babi di sekitar pulau dan snorkeling. Tapi kita nggak lama snorkeling disitu, karena baru beberapa menitan trus mama liat kayak uler gitu mau ke atas. Waaah, ngeri banget. Aku nggak liat sih, tapi kata mama panjangnya aja 2 meter ada! Jadinya kita pindah deh ke pulau lain.

Selain yang di pulau pasir tadi itu snorkelingnya enak. Top deh! Oh ya, kita ada juga lho yang snorkelingnya itu diantara beberapa pulau. Tapi disitu kebanyakan taneman isinya, bukan coral. Tapi ikannya tetep ada sih. Ya.. lumayan bagus juga sih. Tapi pokoknya keseluruhannya TOP DEH!

Jadi total kita snorkeling 3 jam-an. Kita nyampe lagi di Pualu Putri sekitar jam 11an. Trus kita liat ada orang orang naik bebek bebekan. Tau nggak? Yang harus digoes kayak sepeda itu lhoo.. Tapi kalo ini bentuknya nggak bebek sih, kotak biasa. Kita berencana untuk naikin itu tuh, berlima, ke tempat snorkeling di deket Pulau Putri. Nggak jauh jauh amat dari Pulau Putri. Dan sebenernya kita baru tau tempat itu pas pulang dari naik kapal. Kan pas baliknya kita liat tempat itu, trus berencana untuk snorkeling disitu. Tapi kan kalo berenang kesitu capek, jadinya kita naik bebek bebekan itu deh.

Tapi sebelum itu, kita makan dulu di resto. Nanti kalo langsung snorkeling gak ada tenaga. Sekalian nunggu orang yang lagi pake bebek bebekan itu selesai. Trus pas selesai, naik deh. Dan ternyata, nggak segampang yang kubayangin. Susah banget. Udah goes capek capek, eh taunya bebeknya cuman jalan dikit! Ngeselin banget deh beneran.

Trus pas kita nyampe tempat snorkeling itu, kan tempatnya kayak pasir doang gitu, tapi nggak keliatan kayak pulau karena pasirnya dibawah air. Tapi pas nyemplung, ternyata airnya cuman setengah meter-an dari pasir. Mana sekeliling pulau itu BULU BABI SEMUA LAGI! Sebel banget deh. Aku, Adam, sama Papa kan udah nyemplung duluan. Eh, trus bebeknya malah pergi... Sama mama sama Nadia. Arus disitu kan agak kenceng gitu, jadi bebeknya malah kebawa pergi! Perlahan lahan sih jalannya. Tapi kan susah kalo jalan pake sepatu fin. Mana banyak bulu babi lagi! Uh sial bener dah. Tapi akhirnya kita berhasil juga naik ke bebeknya lagi. Trus langsung balik deh. Tapi baliknya nggak segampang yang kalian bayangin. Karena berlawanan dengan arus, sekenceng apapun kita goes, tetep aja jalannya cuman dikit. Trus akhirna daddy turun, trus ngedorong bebeknya. Dan, bebeknya itu jalannya jauh lebih cepet kalo didorong daripada kalo digoes. Dan akhirnya karena udah kesusahan, kan ada kapal tuh dideket ditu berlabuh di dermaga kecil gitu, trus si kapal itu ngebantuin kita balik ke Pulau Putri! Dia masang tali di bebeknya trus kita ditarik deh balik ke Pulau Putri. Wakakakak payah banget deh kita!

Pas udah sampe Pulau Putri, kita kecuali mummy snorkeling lagi sebentar tapi cuman 5 menit. Trus balik deh ke cottage. Kita musti cepet cepet, soalnya jam 2 kapalnya udah berangkat. Jadi kita mandi mandi, trus siap siapin tas, trus ke Resto dan makan deh. Pas makan siang, kita liat biawak lho! Biawaknya kayaknya kelaperan gitu deh, trus kita lemparin makanan ke dia, trus dimakan lagi!

Trus jam setengah 1an kita naik kapal, trus nunggu di kapal. Tapi sampe jam 2an belom juga berangkat. Ternyata keluarganya Andreas harusnya naik kapal itu tapi belom juga naik naik. Trus aku liat si Andreas masa masih pake celana renang! Padahal kakaknya Andreas sama Philip udah bolak balik, bawa tas lagi. Kasian deh. Penumpang kapal udah pada marah marah gitu deh. Trus akhirnya yang berangkat cuman Kakanya Andreas dan Philip sama Omnya doang. Trus mungkin karena malu kali ya, mereka duduknya di belakang, di luar. Kasian banget sih.

Karena udah agak telat, kapalnya agak ngebut deh pulangnya, trus jadinya kalo jendelanya dibuka kita bisa kecipratan, padahal di dalem.

Resto Pulau Putri

Dermaga Pulau Putri

Front Office Pulau Putri

Salah satu cottage Pualu Putri

NB : SEMUA FOTO PULAU PUTRI AKU DAPET DARI BLOG PULAU PUTRI