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(continuation of part I http://richardkurni.multiply.com/journal/item/14/Revisiting_the_Part_of_Mid_Java_-_Dec_07_Part_I)

.......... place was good indeed, but very humble with several small shops selling some supplies.

On the way downhill, I saw un-promoted waterfall, named ‘Kahyangan’ in the Wonolelo village; on the official plank, it was named ‘Kedung Kayang’. I paid the ticket for two thousands each and then chose the short trek about two or three hundred meters heading to the place higher than the waterfall, so that I could see the small river on top of the waterfall. If the route to Wonosobo was not far, I would have then chosen the long trek heading to the waterfall basin far down below. Should I have chance again to go there with better situation, then I would go closer to the waterfall basin to get better view.

Around 4 pm my car reached Ketep, a place used as public post to observe active volcano of Merapi. There were big mosque and great restaurant equipped by binoculars. Some local people also rented small binoculars to see the peak of that mountain. Merapi volcano that was active several months ago was sleeping now, so that I could not see smoke on the peak of Merapi. However, it was clear day, so I could see the peak pretty clearly. I used my tele-lens instead of binocular to see the peak. The restaurant’s parking lot was full, so that I needed to park my car in the other place close to the mosque. There were lots of tourist buses too. Below the restaurant, there were lots of small (blue) humble tents where local people sold ‘tempe mendoan’ and grilled corn. I could not stay that long, since there was still long way to reach Wonosobo.

Since I had snacks when I was driving, I did not feel so hungry for lunch. I was then having my real late lunch at ‘es Eny’ restaurant, very close to Magelang. The food was okay but I considered it expensive compared to the other food in mid Java. I did not spend too much time in this restaurant, since I did not want to be too late to reach Wonosobo. It was almost 6 pm, when I started my car to go to Wonosobo.

Perhaps my eyes were not that good as before, I did not feel comfortable to drive in the night especially when it rained. And since from Magelang and so on, it was rainy night, my eyes then suffered. I changed my plan to stay in Wonosobo and informed the hotel to cancel my booked room. I stayed in Parai, Kledung Pass hotel in small town of Kledung, between Sindoro mountain on the South East and Sumbing mountain on the North West. I had stayed in this hotel long time ago, and I had bad experience with their services, but since many friends of mine said that there was new management with better services then I liked to try once more. Lucky me, that there were few left rooms for me to stay that night. I found that with new management of ‘El John’, the hotel services were indeed better than before. The room condition was slightly better too. I chose the room on the second floor with balcony heading to Sumbing mountain.

I woke up very early to see how nice the morning would be broken. But I was too late to take the picture of moonset on the back of Sumbing mountain. I was then going around the hotel to see the sunrise; but since the sun rose on the back of the Sindoro mountain, then the yellow morning sun would never be seen from this location. I went around in the backyard and garden in the front of the hotel taking some pictures. I also saw small lovely pool in front of the hotel. I was then having ‘nasi rawon’ for breakfast in the nice hotel restaurant. But I did not really like this kind of ‘nasi rawon’ since it was sweet and had lots of fat oil. However, the nut ‘peyek’ was pretty delicious (I was about tired of dietary of avoiding fried and oily foods). It seemed that restaurant also served lots of visitors who were just stopping by using rented travel cars.

After I had checked out, I drove my car back to Parakan and then went to north to town of Weleri. This route was taken due to it was said that there was great waterfall close to Sukorejo. Along the way, the weather changed very rapidly and very frequently. Sometime it was dry and clear, but it also changed to be rainy and windy again and again. Lucky me that when I reached the waterfall, it was only light rain, so that I was able to take picture. The waterfall was named ‘Curug Sewu’, located around 4.5 km away in the east of the junction of the main road Sukorejo. Around the waterfall, there was small simple zoo but I did not go to there at all since I had been crushed on the waterfall. Beside that, it was so hard but challenging to take picture without tripod in the light rain (I hate myself for forgetting my tripod at home). There were lots of steep stairs to see the upper and downside of the waterfall. I only went to upper and middle side of the waterfall, for some reasons like it sometime heavily rained and the stairs were really steep (considering my route that day was still long to go to Cilimus - Kuningan). There was also viewing building to see the great scenery down below; and on the rock apex I could also see the waterfall. There were lots of monkeys around, but they were seemed not that wild, since they did not like to snatch tourist stuff or small stuff and supplies sold by local people in the small tents.

I continued to drive to Weleri and then headed to west trying to reach Cilimus - Kuningan before dusk. My prediction was I would reach Cilimus right before dusk if I had quick lunch on the way there. The traffic seemed pretty empty, so that I was optimistic to reach Cilimus before dusk. I would then take a rest and in the same time I had my late lunch in ‘Kepiting Prima’ in Pemalang. To me this restaurant was nice, even though the food taste itself was not that special but yes more than average. One thing that I did not like to have meal in here was their longtime services, but I hoped that it was that long since it was not lunch time. I finally realized that because I spent too much time during lunch for their longtime services, I would reach Cilimus after dusk. The worse was I had not booked the room in Cilimus. So, I was relying on my luck.

My eyes suffered again when it was rainy again in the night. However, I was lucky since the traffic was pretty empty and the road condition was not that bad compared to the one several years ago when I had lots of small but deep holes like booby trap. I reached hotel in Cilimus after 7 pm and hoped there was proper room left. The hotel I chose was Grage Sangkan, where I had stayed in there few years ago during Ied Holiday. The superior room was full already, but lucky me, that the reception gave the junior suit with the rate of superior room; so I took it. However, I thought that the superior room rate was already pretty expensive compared to the one I had paid on my previous stay.

Right after I had finished downloading my baggage, I went to Laksana restaurant, where my favorite food ‘Gurame Cobek Sambel Hijau’ available. I actually wanted to satisfy my desire of this food since I was not hungry due to my late lunch in ‘Kepiting Prima’. I had ordered small fish for my meal, but it seemed that the smallest one was still big enough for me who was not hungry. That delicious food was able to raise my appetite so that I could finish that big meal.

I went to Tirta Sanita hotel to see the new room rate, beside that I would like to know what was the new facility available in this hotel, since the last time I had gone there, the facility was partially on construction (or renovation?). To be honest, since I had seen the new room rate of Grage Sangkan hotel, I was really curious how much the new room rate of Tirta Sanita is. It used to be pretty higher. But I was surprised to see that their room rate was not that higher than the one of Grage Sangkan. I was a little regret being checked into Grage Sangkan. I should have checked Tirta Sanita first before I checked in to Grage Sangkan. However, I might miss room in both hotels if the condition were really full. Some how, I got junior suit too in Grage Sangkan. Before I went back to my hotel, I spent some more time in Tirta Sanita’s back yard to see more detail situation of this lovely hotel. I loved the situation and would like to stay there some other time in the future.

I went back to Grage Sangkan and watched TV till fell asleep. I actually wanted to go to church since it was Christmas’s eve, but since I did not have any information about the close church near hotel and its liturgy schedule, and I was tired and had problem with my throat too then I just lied on the bed on Christmas’s eve.

I woke up a little late in the morning, since I knew that there was no chance to take great sunrise around the hotel area. I walked around the garden in the back and enjoyed the scenery and breeze in the morning. Since the hotel breakfast would be close at 10 am then I had heavy great breakfast around nine. I asked the hotel officer to get late check out, but they refused due to the rooms were full and lots of visitors would come that day. I was then spending my spare time on the bed watching sport TV and then checked out almost noon. Before I checked out, I visited the big pool since I was curious to hear the crowd from there; and I found out that the big pool were opened for any visitor, meanwhile the smaller one near the restaurant was only for hotel guests.

The traffic between Cirebon and Jakarta was also pretty empty, so that even though there were several rainy roads, I could reach Cikampek on time. I was just afraid of traffic jam around Eretan Wetan – Kandanghaur, where my brother was stuck before. I understood what my brother had said before that the road’s lane left was only one during the traffic jam on Idul Adha holiday few days ago. It was because the two lanes were on construction (or re-construction?) and one out of the other two lanes available was occupied by prayer on Idul Adha. So, only one lane left for transportation of both directions. The drivers had no choice but alternated the usage of the only one lane available for both directions. It surely caused congested traffic. But in my case, I was lucky since I passed that road not on Idul Adha, so there were two lanes available for both directions; one lane for each direction.

I had my simple lunch in the toll way rest area. That was also because I would like to know this rest area, since I had never stopped there before. Finally, I reached my home before 5 pm and saw my car’s odometer that I had driven my car over than 1,550 km during the last 6 days and 5 nights. I calculated my car’s gas consumption and found out that it took a liter gas for more than eleven kilometers; much better than its consumption if I used it in the city. I just remembered that I should go to old weapons museum at Palagan – Ambarawa.

To see more photoes, please click on http://richardkurni.multiply.com/photos/album/30 and .... (check on my gallery and kindly give critics on it, there are more than two albums related to this journal)