Yellow Tea Cup :: B4nch4’s Daily Stuff

Several years ago, me and 2 girlfriends went to Javana Spa in Sukabumi, West java, for 2 days 1 night retreat programme. It was one of the most relaxing weekend gateaway i ever had ever!

Last Weekend, we set out again to try another spa resort called MesaStila (previously known as Losari Spa Retreat and Coffee Plantation), located in Magelang, central java.

When we arrive at Mesastila, we were welcomed with fresh air, green sight literally everywhere and historical Colonial-era feel, combine with Javanese traditional antiques touches down to the bits. It was almost like going back in time if not for the 5-star modern facilities.

Since it was already lunch time, we went straight to the dining area. They only serve healthy food here, but oh my, they were good food. I ordered, almond & grilled mushroom salad for appetizer, honey grilled prawn (with red rice) for the main course, and warm chocolate cake (low fat, no flour!) with vanilla icecream for dessert. No sugary drinks available.

After lunch, we went to villa that was definitely bigger than my whole apartment. Like in other part of the resort, It was decorated with traditional Javanese style, which i don’t usually dig, but i think they did a superb job combining bit & pieces to make the villa feel modern & warm at the same time.

And the bathroom! oh i won’t mind spending hours here at all.

After we stop taking pictures like crazy, we took a nap and being waken at 3 pm for our spa appointment. I tried the dry body massage plus scalp treatment using traditional Chinese techniques.

We were then offered hot drinks and snack for refreshment before we went to the Hammam Bath, which is Turkish style sauna. We tried to be inside the Hammam as long as we could, but since the sauna is so much hard core than the usually sauna, we only lasted for maybe 10 minutes?

Going out from the hammam bath all smokey, hot & out of breath, we were told to soak our body in a cold water pool. I think there is something about this mixture of super hot & cold bath that turn down the brain activity to its most relaxing state.

The dinner was equally good, we ate slowly & talk for hours. I think they intentionally prolong the timing in between appetizer-main course-dessert so we slow down our eating & take time to really enjoy the ambiance and the food. During the meal, we were greeted by the manager, and were asked not to use mobile phone in public area. I had no problem with that i think, but some people i know *salsa-uhuk-bella* are inseparable with their gadget hihihi

The next morning, after a sound, blissful sleep, we joined the yoga class, followed by big breakfast.

Before we head home that noon, we went of the coffee plantation tour, where we receive educational information about coffee, from the varieties of the coffee, how it was harvested, and how it was processed into coffee powder. Of course we did the coffee tasting (robusta kind), it was strong & smell good, just the way i like it^^

Kalau nanya weekend kemana saja, pasti kebanyakan orang jawabnya di jakarta kemana lagi kalo bukan ke mall? bener sih, jawaban template banget ^^’

Berhubung saya & hubby sudah eneg ke mall, akhirnya weekend kemarin kita memutuskan mencoba pergi ke tempat baru (apapun, kemanapun, selain ke mall) yang tidak terlalu jauh dari jakarta. Setelah browsing-browsing dan tanya rekomendasi tempat ke teman-teman, kita memutuskan untuk ke Sentul!

Ternyata di sentul ada obyek wisata yang tersembunyi ditengah perbukitan sentul, di daerah Gunung Pancar, Citeurep, Kabupaten Bogor; yaitu Hot Spring alias pemandian air panas alami. Hot Spring sentul punya keunikan tersendiri karena tidak bau belerang tetapi konon mengandung mineral aktif dan tetap bermanfaat untuk pengobatan.

Cara untuk mencapai hot spring tersebut melalui mobil pribadi adalah lewat tol jagorawi kemudian keluar di gerbang tol sentul kemudian tinggal mengikuti jalan saja menuju Desa Babakan Madang. Dari sini ikut papan petunjuk menuju area gunung pancar.

Memasuki Taman Wisata Alam Gunung Pancar pengunjung diharuskan membayar tanda masuk Rp1.000/orang, mobil Rp2.000. Selepas pintu masuk Taman Wisata Alam Gunung Pancar menuju lokasi wisata air panas kita disuguhi pemandangan alam hutan pinus yang terasa segar di mata. Jadi berasa harus foto-foto deh pokoknya^^

Di pintu masuk Taman Wisata Alam Gunung Pancar, kami diberitahu bahwa ada 2 site untuk hotspring disini. Site pertama ada pemandian umum (campur banyak orang), harga lebih murah, dan jalanan menuju site beraspal dan lancar. Site kedua dikelola swasta, namanya Giritirta Hot Spring Resort & Spa, harganya lebih mahal, namun lebih private, tetapi jalanan kesana hanya ditimbun batu, dan susah dilewati.

Kami memutuskan meluncur ke arah Giritirta. Ternyata jalanannya parah benar! ditambah dengan kondisi hujan yang membuat jalanan berlumpur dan licin, mobil grand livina 1500cc matic have no chance at all, apalagi yang pake mobil sedan.

Untungnya, kami sudah dibekali nomer telpon jasa antar jemput fasilitas dari Giritirta (PP Rp 50rb) oleh petugas loket gunung pacar, just in case kalau mobil ga bisa lewat katanya. Kami pun mencari tempat parkir, dan tunggu dijemput. Jaraknya sih tidak jauh, tapi siap-siap aja terguncang-guncang di mobil selama 10-15 menit. Lega rasanya waktu sudah tiba.

Karena terletak di lembah yang terisolasi membuat resort Giritirta indah dan tenang. Dengan membayar 50.000 perorang/jam kami mendapat private onsen, lengkap dengan gazebonya dan sudah termasuk welcome juice, handuk, dan perlengkapan mandi. Tidak lupa kami memesan makanan yang wajib dipesan saat ada di kampung: nasi goreng & pisang goreng! untuk diaantar ke gazebo kami

Mengikuti saran mas-mas nya, rendam kaki saja dulu untuk beberapa menit pertama sebelum berendam total supaya tidak pusing akibat perubahan suhu mendadak.

Overall, tempat ini sangat memuaskan karena bagus & bersih, dengan suasana yang hening dan jauh dari aktifitas kota, walaupun cuma berendam sejam, jelas bisa menghilangkan stress. Apalagi setelah berendam, kulit jadi terasa lebih halus & mulus ^^

Dalam perjalanan pulangnya, mengikuti saran dari penduduk setempat, kami singgah untuk kuliner di Sate Kiloan PSK. (Entah apa kepanjangan dari PSK ini ^^’, mudah-mudahan saja bukan yang saya pikirkan). Sampai di lokasi, tempatnya sangat ramai, tampaknya memang favorit kuliner setempat.

Walaupun namanya sate kiloan, tapi bisa kok memesan 1/4kg (12 tusuk), kami pun memesan 1/4kg sate kambing + tongseng kambing. Rasanya? mmmm…makyusss!

Hector is a successful young psychiatrist. He s very good at treating patients in real need of his help. But a lot of his patients, aren’t really ill, just dissatisfied and unhappy with their lives. Hector can t do much for them, and it s beginning to depress him.

So he set off to travel the world to understand better what is it that makes people happy? and finding, if possible, the recipe of happiness, to help him treating his unhappy patients.

Hector compile a list of the lessons he learn about happiness:
Lesson 1: Making Comparison Can Spoil Your Happiness
Lesson 2: Happiness often comes when least expected
Lesson 3: Many people see happiness only in their future
Lesson 4: Many people think that happiness comes from having more power & money
Lesson 5: Sometimes happiness is not knowing the whole story
Lesson 6: Happiness is a long walk in beautiful, unfamiliar mountains
Lesson 7: It’s a mistake to think that happiness is the goal
Lesson 8: Happiness is being with the people you love
Lesson 8b: Unhappiness is being separated with the people you love
Lesson 9: Happiness is knowing your family lacks for nothing
Lesson 10: Happiness is doing a job you love
Lesson 11: Happiness is having a home & garden of your own
Lesson 12: It’s harder to be happy in a country run by bad people
Lesson 13: Happiness is feeling useful to others
Lesson 14: Happiness is to be loved for exactly who you are
Lesson 15: Happiness comes when you feel truly alive
Lesson 16: Happiness is knowing how to celebrate
Lesson 17: Happiness is caring about the happiness of those you love
Lesson 18: The sun and the sea makes everybody happy

The book is written in such a simple style, as if the author was speaking to a child. Yet you soon find yourself reading about prostitution, globalization and death, as Hector attempts to uncover what makes people happy (or unhappy) around the world.

This simple yet charming & insightful book truly put smile on my face^^

After watched the movie Invictus last night, i’m so compelled to read Nelson Mandela biography. In the movie, Nelson Mandela (played by Morgan Freeman)  in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Invictus (Latin for “Unconquered”) is a poem referred to several times in the movie. It becomes the central inspirational gift from Mandela, to Springbok rugby team captain François (played by Matt Damon) before the Rugby World Cup 1995.

Invictus, by William Ernest Henley (1849–1903).

Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole
I thanks whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance, I have not winced nor cried aloud
Under the bludgeonings of fate, my head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears, looms but the horror of the shade
and yet, the menace of the years finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll
I am the master of my fate - I am the captain of my soul.

Hah! with what feels like a blink, another year has passed. Looking back in 2010, i have some resolutions that i think i got it right, while some other resolutions…err not so much^^’. One that i particularly regret the most is the iphone. How the hell i haven’t get myself an iphone? It’s suppose to be the easiest one of all my resolutions. The sure thing. You know you have to have at least 1 thing in your resolution list that you are sure is going to work out no matter what so you won’t feel like crap when the new year come and none of your other resolutions is working out for you right? Well, getting an iphone was my sure thing.

Guess that didn’t work out.

And there’s the fantasy novel i want to write but never get around to it. But well, for me this is the hardest one, and deep down i didn’t really expect myself to get around to it the first time. Maybe that was the problem.

So anyway, i decided i’m not having a new resolution in the year of 2011. instead I’m going to recycle my 2010 resolution, trying to achieve last year undone resolution, and as for the thing i did accomplished, i will try to do it better, in bigger ways.

How green is it really to recycle a resolution? ^^’