Lampung 2nd Edition

Okay, so this is my second time to visit Lampung. And just like the previous one, this visit is really not intended to explore Lampung square by square. It's just so happen that I got a BFF's wedding that I need to attend to, and the sight seeing is a big bonus that's hard to miss.

So this time, I came to Lampung with

3 agendas :

1. Visit a place with natural beauty
2. Visit a place where they held a workshop to make sulam usus lampung or tenun tapis
3. Midnight at one of those overprice restaurant build on top of the hills looking down at Bandar Lampung from above

First destination would be the search for Sulam Usus Lampung workshop. I was fascinated by this local handicraft when I went to Lampung before. My friend who's a Lampung native wear this fabric as her wedding dress, and she also have it as one of those wedding gifts (seserahan). And I'm just wowed by the uniqueness. So we decided to ask around, go to the *wha

t is known as* the central of this handicraft. Dissappointingly, we did not succeed. Apparently this handicraft is considered ancient to most of the local, secondly most of the people in Lampung are immigrants from Java, so they just don't have a clue about this.

Due to the limited amount of time and lack of route info, then we decided to go to next destination, the Way Kambas School of Elephants. It's about two to three hours away from Bandar Lampung, with most of the roads not really that automobile friendly (big holes everywhere, and broken bridges that clog the roads. But, if you have a kid who loves wildlife animals, I guess it's OK to go through the pain. Basically Way Kambas is one of those animal conservation, the way into the school from the main gate is like cutting into a forest. Big trees, high grass, muddy roads.. This school is actually established as wildlife and humanlife is getting more in touch due to increasing human population. These elephants if not educated and conserved would ended up roaming around to nearby village, destroying crops and others. This situation is not only dangerous for human but also for the animals. So I guess, Way Kambas is the boundary.

Once inside, you can go straight to the Elephant Show, which is held like every one hour or so. You will have to pay 10.000 IDR to see the show. And I guess, if it means that this elephant will have a better education I'm willing to pay the price :D. I found the show just like a standard Elephant Show but still entertaining. What I enjoy most there is probably, the way the elephant dances when they put on a music, and they really love to get their picts taken, also I like shopping for T-shirts and stuff. If you look good enough they actually have some good and cute designs on the T-shirts or I guess I'm just that kind of girl who like to shop, haha..

This shopping craze is proven by deciding to visit Bambu Kuning market. I guess I'm still that curious about this Sulam Usus and Tenun Tapis. I was determined to bring this handicraft home for my family. A tenun tapis cap & sarong for my dad and bro, a sulam usus table cloth for my mom. And dissapointingly *again!!* when I get back to Bandar Lampung, it was already too late to go to the market. Cause my BFF's wedding will start in just a minute, and the market is just starting to close by then. Well, I guess, I'm really just out of luck.

Right after the wedding, we all got caught in an euphoric moment to exchange more hellos. So we went to one of

those overpriced restaurants I was talking about =).

Our pick was Waroeng Diggers. Don't exactly know where it's located, because I just hopped into my friend's car and chit chatting all the way there. In just 15 minutes, voila! We're there. Don't expect this place to be a really fine dine restaurant. Because besides the price, the service and the food is just the usual stuff. But I may say, if you're looking for a place with a nice atmosphere, comfortable e

nough to stay up & gossiping all night with your friends, plus a place to enjoy an uphill night view of the city, then this is the right place to be. All night long I just can't help but to take pictures here, and there, and everywhere.

As last time, I was taking a Damri bus from Jakarta-Lampung-Jakarta. This time, my friend and I were determined to go up to the dock when we're on the ship. Taking the morning schedule ride to Jakarta, we thought there's no more issues that will burden us to go up to the dock. And it's just so happen, that my BFF's mother brought us Rendang, Kentang Balado, and rice for our lunch on the trip back home. So there we were, on the dock of KMP Mitra Nusantara, at the open seas between Bakauheni-Merak, enjoying a home made Nasi Bungkus. It was my best lunch ever!!