Friday, November 10, 2023

Aeta Boarding House - Sitio Sagpat, San Felipe, Zambales




This all started after visiting a nearby waterfall and hearing that kids sleep on the sand. These students are from Sitio Banawen, a neighborhood in the mountains that entails trekking and river crossing and is not a feasible daily trip. There is an elementary school up in the community, but to get to high school, students will have to move to the field; Lucky for those who has relatives there, but with some who has none, they stay on a vacant shanty on a roadside where kids sleep straight on the sand. I did not ask further how the case is when it rains.






This shanty is built next to the roadside, atop a community drainage. The kids sleep on the sand (right side on the picture) and it is disturbing to realize their heads will lay just a foot away from the edge of the road and atop the drainage.

Now, it will be my 40th birthday next year, and thought it will be a good reminder of the time I have existed on the earth if I can do something worth that time. 

With the help of a fellow Kakampink Architect (based in Shanghai, China) who I worked with during the campaign, he immediately sent me a design with the specs I have mentioned to him. There was also that friend Kristine in Canada, who has for years, been randomly chatting me to check if there are some community projects that needed funding.  

For this project, we are building a 6-10 pax boarding house for Banawen Residents. I have checked with teachers from Banawen, and class sizes are about 10 per grade level. We will look for a land which we can purchase at a reasonable price, so in the future, we will always have the boarding house for the kids and the aeta community up there. 

(Update from Dec 04: Most of the land are rocky and slopes, there is one land with an unfinished house we saw but the asking price was P180,000. However, the house is right next to the high school and it is 300 square meters. We might choose this for its convenience for the kids, and also the land size as the parents of these kids usually sleep sunday night with their kids, as they have to be early in the market during mondays and thursday San Felipe Market days where they sell their goods. In this case, we are setting an additional budget of up to 50K for renovation and completion of the house). 




The materials cost for the project is around P110,000, and expected labor to be at P55,000, and we're setting a budget of P30,000 for a 50sqm land. Total is P185,000.00.

Here is a google sheet link for the cost. Here is also the google drive folder for the rest of the pics/plan

For the interior and furnishing, we have another kakampink friend Sofia who volunteered to do the total furnishing, including the fundraising. It will be heaven's grace if we have someone who can also work on getting them a sattelite based internet service, which will help not just these kids, but the whole community in general.
















If you are interested in helping out, please do let us know via www.facebook.com/limbonis/ or shot us a comment/email here.



As of August 08, 2024 We have the house running with currently 4 students. See the fb page Balemahi:






This all started after visiting a nearby waterfall and hearing that kids sleep on the sand. These students are from Sitio Banawen, a neighborhood in the mountains that entails trekking and river crossing and is not a feasible daily trip. There is an elementary school up in the community, but to get to high school, students will have to move to the field; Lucky for those who has relatives there, but with some who has none, they stay on a vacant shanty on a roadside where kids sleep straight on the sand. I did not ask further how the case is when it rains.






This shanty is built next to the roadside, atop a community drainage. The kids sleep on the sand (right side on the picture) and it is disturbing to realize their heads will lay just a foot away from the edge of the road and atop the drainage.

Now, it will be my 40th birthday next year, and thought it will be a good reminder of the time I have existed on the earth if I can do something worth that time. 

With the help of a fellow Kakampink Architect (based in Shanghai, China) who I worked with during the campaign, he immediately sent me a design with the specs I have mentioned to him. There was also that friend Kristine in Canada, who has for years, been randomly chatting me to check if there are some community projects that needed funding.  

For this project, we are building a 6-10 pax boarding house for Banawen Residents. I have checked with teachers from Banawen, and class sizes are about 10 per grade level. We will look for a land which we can purchase at a reasonable price, so in the future, we will always have the boarding house for the kids and the aeta community up there. 

(Update from Dec 04: Most of the land are rocky and slopes, there is one land with an unfinished house we saw but the asking price was P180,000. However, the house is right next to the high school and it is 300 square meters. We might choose this for its convenience for the kids, and also the land size as the parents of these kids usually sleep sunday night with their kids, as they have to be early in the market during mondays and thursday San Felipe Market days where they sell their goods. In this case, we are setting an additional budget of up to 50K for renovation and completion of the house). 




The materials cost for the project is around P110,000, and expected labor to be at P55,000, and we're setting a budget of P30,000 for a 50sqm land. Total is P185,000.00.

Here is a google sheet link for the cost. Here is also the google drive folder for the rest of the pics/plan

For the interior and furnishing, we have another kakampink friend Sofia who volunteered to do the total furnishing, including the fundraising. It will be heaven's grace if we have someone who can also work on getting them a sattelite based internet service, which will help not just these kids, but the whole community in general.
















If you are interested in helping out, please do let us know via www.facebook.com/limbonis/ or shot us a comment/email here.



As of August 08, 2024 We have the house running with currently 4 students. See the fb page Balemahi:



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Monday, September 11, 2023

Fundraising for Yaman Pawikan - PAWICARE San Narciso, Zambales











PAWIKAN LAYING EGG season is about to start and we need to build the hatchery very soon (target  date is Sunday 17 Sep 2023). This would have been the 5th year that I try to get involved to the capacity that I can with Pawicare rangers in their effort to sustain the turtle population in our seas. I've always aspired to getting them an uninterrupted funding for their needs annually, though that is yet in the works.

For the several years that they have been operating, there had been releasing joiners who had been looking for memorabilia and I've, for a time, been thinking of how to have a sellable (for their additional funding) craft that is not made by machine, or a blank template that is rather just labelled (such as these corporate promo items).

This past week, I had been crafting sellable-wearable souvenier for YAMAN PAWIKAN  guests and interested donors. As of yesterday, I was able to do a resin mix of ZAMBALES BLACK SAND and crushed leftover TURTLE EGG SHELLS -  (pls see pics and vids). 


Now, we're going to pre-sell the necklaces to come up with the needed funds for the hatchery.














There are 2 variants of the necklace. The flat one pre-sells at P160 and the more realistic 3D is P290. 

To order, please fill in this Pawicare Necklace Order including reference number for your payment. Pls dont forget to add P50 sa shipping to Luzon, P90 for Visayas and Mindanao 




As of 24 September, we started building the hatchery and moved to doing inventory of the equipment and paraphernalia needed to resume the 2023 season. 







Here are the list of items next to source:


10 December 2023

As of this date, we have already hatched and released 5 nests, and right now, I am working on generating funds for their Christmas party on December 28. We are continously selling the necklace, and we have also setup a booth in an event in Liwliwa, Zambales (looking forward to taking the 2 junior rangers to events like this so we can do face to face information dissemination and awareness.






Pawicare is a volunteer organization of fishermen who has realized that as much as we want fish, we need to take part in ensuring that tomorrow, our seas will still have fish. 


Formed in 2010 in Barangay La Paz, San Narciso, Zambales , it is formed by 14 Rangers (12 seniors, and 2 Young Adults). These men are divided into groups and schedules and walks nightly from around 8pm until about 4am along the 9km shoreline of San Narciso. The task is to spot nesting mother turtles and with careful handling, pick and move the eggs to the hatchery where they will be far from being poached, eaten by animals, infected by shore trash, etc.


This nesting season happens during the cold -ber months, and lasts until around February-March. Incubation takes about 50-60 days and so releasings may reach all the way to May. 



See this google sheet of the people who purchased and where allocation went. Some Receipts here.

Follow Pawicare on Facebook
Follow Ian on Facebook and Instagram
 











PAWIKAN LAYING EGG season is about to start and we need to build the hatchery very soon (target  date is Sunday 17 Sep 2023). This would have been the 5th year that I try to get involved to the capacity that I can with Pawicare rangers in their effort to sustain the turtle population in our seas. I've always aspired to getting them an uninterrupted funding for their needs annually, though that is yet in the works.

For the several years that they have been operating, there had been releasing joiners who had been looking for memorabilia and I've, for a time, been thinking of how to have a sellable (for their additional funding) craft that is not made by machine, or a blank template that is rather just labelled (such as these corporate promo items).

This past week, I had been crafting sellable-wearable souvenier for YAMAN PAWIKAN  guests and interested donors. As of yesterday, I was able to do a resin mix of ZAMBALES BLACK SAND and crushed leftover TURTLE EGG SHELLS -  (pls see pics and vids). 


Now, we're going to pre-sell the necklaces to come up with the needed funds for the hatchery.














There are 2 variants of the necklace. The flat one pre-sells at P160 and the more realistic 3D is P290. 

To order, please fill in this Pawicare Necklace Order including reference number for your payment. Pls dont forget to add P50 sa shipping to Luzon, P90 for Visayas and Mindanao 




As of 24 September, we started building the hatchery and moved to doing inventory of the equipment and paraphernalia needed to resume the 2023 season. 







Here are the list of items next to source:


10 December 2023

As of this date, we have already hatched and released 5 nests, and right now, I am working on generating funds for their Christmas party on December 28. We are continously selling the necklace, and we have also setup a booth in an event in Liwliwa, Zambales (looking forward to taking the 2 junior rangers to events like this so we can do face to face information dissemination and awareness.






Pawicare is a volunteer organization of fishermen who has realized that as much as we want fish, we need to take part in ensuring that tomorrow, our seas will still have fish. 


Formed in 2010 in Barangay La Paz, San Narciso, Zambales , it is formed by 14 Rangers (12 seniors, and 2 Young Adults). These men are divided into groups and schedules and walks nightly from around 8pm until about 4am along the 9km shoreline of San Narciso. The task is to spot nesting mother turtles and with careful handling, pick and move the eggs to the hatchery where they will be far from being poached, eaten by animals, infected by shore trash, etc.


This nesting season happens during the cold -ber months, and lasts until around February-March. Incubation takes about 50-60 days and so releasings may reach all the way to May. 



See this google sheet of the people who purchased and where allocation went. Some Receipts here.

Follow Pawicare on Facebook
Follow Ian on Facebook and Instagram
 

Read More »

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Covid-19 Quick Relief for Brgy Sto Nino, San Felipe Zambales



For a community whose economy rely hugely on tourism, the surprise implementation of community lockdowns amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, left everyone sitting over how to sustain living moving forward?

The government said that it will be providing subsidy, supposedly from the barangay level, from the municipality, and then from the national government. However, not all barangays may have enough necessary budget to sustain food provisions for its consituents; maybe not even one time distribution.

Almost 2 weeks have passed since the community lockdown, and I've heard that people in our barangay have not received any rations. Hence, I have called on friends who'd like to help out.

In about 12 hours, I have received P62,500 worth of cash donations thru BPI, Gcash and Paymaya.

We have called local vendors in town (San Felipe) immediately the following day but none of them have enough stock. They have complained that deliveries have been delayed. I have secured a travel pass from Pampanga, but was also equally advised that Olongapo city has been very strict (not counting that I will need to secure another travel pass in Bataan and another in Zambales).

I have called the San Felipe Zambales vendors again but there is still no stock, neither an idea of when they will have stocks. With the worry that the time is running, I decided to hand it over as cash instead. After all, beyond rice, sardines, and noodles, the people surely have other needs too, and giving them cash will be better off.

A total of 246 people received P250 each, total of P61,500.

A remaining balance of P1,000 is available for the next distribution in Sitio Mabato in Paeta, San Narciso once all funds needed are completed.

This google drive folder COVID-19 Sto Nino Felipe Zambales has the excel file of all donations and distributions done, along with the receipts from the purok leaders and recipients (though others are still pending received from the purok leaders. folder will be updated upon updates from the leaders.)

Thanks to everyone who has contstantly been sharing in the efforts.




For a community whose economy rely hugely on tourism, the surprise implementation of community lockdowns amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, left everyone sitting over how to sustain living moving forward?

The government said that it will be providing subsidy, supposedly from the barangay level, from the municipality, and then from the national government. However, not all barangays may have enough necessary budget to sustain food provisions for its consituents; maybe not even one time distribution.

Almost 2 weeks have passed since the community lockdown, and I've heard that people in our barangay have not received any rations. Hence, I have called on friends who'd like to help out.

In about 12 hours, I have received P62,500 worth of cash donations thru BPI, Gcash and Paymaya.

We have called local vendors in town (San Felipe) immediately the following day but none of them have enough stock. They have complained that deliveries have been delayed. I have secured a travel pass from Pampanga, but was also equally advised that Olongapo city has been very strict (not counting that I will need to secure another travel pass in Bataan and another in Zambales).

I have called the San Felipe Zambales vendors again but there is still no stock, neither an idea of when they will have stocks. With the worry that the time is running, I decided to hand it over as cash instead. After all, beyond rice, sardines, and noodles, the people surely have other needs too, and giving them cash will be better off.

A total of 246 people received P250 each, total of P61,500.

A remaining balance of P1,000 is available for the next distribution in Sitio Mabato in Paeta, San Narciso once all funds needed are completed.

This google drive folder COVID-19 Sto Nino Felipe Zambales has the excel file of all donations and distributions done, along with the receipts from the purok leaders and recipients (though others are still pending received from the purok leaders. folder will be updated upon updates from the leaders.)

Thanks to everyone who has contstantly been sharing in the efforts.


Read More »

Thursday, October 6, 2016

#SULOngSULU: Seats for Malassa Elementary School in Bongao, Tawi Tawi



Earlier this opening of the school year, we have excess school supplies from donations for the schools in Sulu; Some of the excess were sent to Tawi Tawi and received by Malassa Elementary School.

It was brought to our attention that the students don't have seats, and attend classes sitting on their slippers or sacks of rice (although really this is not uncommon in the Sulu Archipelago). I also remember visiting this school a few years ago, and yes, other than they were provided a brand new building, there was nothing else. There were no seats indeed.  (And looking at the previous school, i don't get why they had to build a new one, when repairing the old one would have been cheaper, and that the savings could have been used for seats. And, how this project be approved when they knew for a fact it will be, at a standard, non operational anyway since there are no seats. Either way, it is not the time to find faults and blame. There are kids on the compromise.)


 

We have some cash available allocated supposedly for building an alternative learning structure for the badjao kids in Tandu Dagmay, Patikul, Sulu, but because of the recent military operations, we have to postpone the setup until security and logistics is feasible. Meanwhile, we thought, rather than the cash sitting in the bank, we might as well have the kids seat with them for now.

We have asked the principal, through 51st PNP SAF in Tawi Tawi, to request a quote, and were told a bench would cost P2,000 each and can accomodate 5 students. There are 165 enrolled students at the moment and with 5 per bench, this would mean, 33 benches, and P66,000 at least. Looking at the remaining cash though, cheap cost of timber, and if we could use volunteer labor, it would be easier and quicker to furnish the chairs.

Our friend Ken from Tawi Tawi found us a solution through 51st PNP-SAF who agreed to do the chairs bringing down the cost to P1,000 a bench. And with standard 30 students a class, we would like to build 36 benches, in case enrollment rise up later, up to 180 students in 6 classrooms.

 As of 06 October, we have sent our cash on hand to Tawi Tawi to start the construction, and looking forward to having our first batch of seats as soon as possible.

Special thanks to 51st PNP SAF who have always and always been supportive in bringing what we can to this side of the country.


Available Cash from SULOngSULU donations: Php20,799.00
Additional Donations:
Pamela Manabat Php1,000.00 received
Genalyn Apol Viluan Php5,000.00 received
Lyd Jamae Nadonza Php1,000.00 received
Team Reachout c/o Jaylyn Sarmiento Php3,401.00 received
April Sampang Php1,500.00 received
Le Helene Limguangco Php2,000.00 received
Total Donations Php34,700.00

For Donations:

Bank Code: 021000021
Account Number: 5686 3371 99
Name on Account: Joseph Ian Macalino

Via Paypal 
 
Email Address: jibmaxatnewroad@gmail.com
Suggested in PHP currency to minimize devaluations. In third world, every cent counts J. Otherwise, USD will be fine. 




as of October 18, 2016:

PNP SAF has started construction of the chairs and the following pictures were received.







Earlier this opening of the school year, we have excess school supplies from donations for the schools in Sulu; Some of the excess were sent to Tawi Tawi and received by Malassa Elementary School.

It was brought to our attention that the students don't have seats, and attend classes sitting on their slippers or sacks of rice (although really this is not uncommon in the Sulu Archipelago). I also remember visiting this school a few years ago, and yes, other than they were provided a brand new building, there was nothing else. There were no seats indeed.  (And looking at the previous school, i don't get why they had to build a new one, when repairing the old one would have been cheaper, and that the savings could have been used for seats. And, how this project be approved when they knew for a fact it will be, at a standard, non operational anyway since there are no seats. Either way, it is not the time to find faults and blame. There are kids on the compromise.)


 

We have some cash available allocated supposedly for building an alternative learning structure for the badjao kids in Tandu Dagmay, Patikul, Sulu, but because of the recent military operations, we have to postpone the setup until security and logistics is feasible. Meanwhile, we thought, rather than the cash sitting in the bank, we might as well have the kids seat with them for now.

We have asked the principal, through 51st PNP SAF in Tawi Tawi, to request a quote, and were told a bench would cost P2,000 each and can accomodate 5 students. There are 165 enrolled students at the moment and with 5 per bench, this would mean, 33 benches, and P66,000 at least. Looking at the remaining cash though, cheap cost of timber, and if we could use volunteer labor, it would be easier and quicker to furnish the chairs.

Our friend Ken from Tawi Tawi found us a solution through 51st PNP-SAF who agreed to do the chairs bringing down the cost to P1,000 a bench. And with standard 30 students a class, we would like to build 36 benches, in case enrollment rise up later, up to 180 students in 6 classrooms.

 As of 06 October, we have sent our cash on hand to Tawi Tawi to start the construction, and looking forward to having our first batch of seats as soon as possible.

Special thanks to 51st PNP SAF who have always and always been supportive in bringing what we can to this side of the country.


Available Cash from SULOngSULU donations: Php20,799.00
Additional Donations:
Pamela Manabat Php1,000.00 received
Genalyn Apol Viluan Php5,000.00 received
Lyd Jamae Nadonza Php1,000.00 received
Team Reachout c/o Jaylyn Sarmiento Php3,401.00 received
April Sampang Php1,500.00 received
Le Helene Limguangco Php2,000.00 received
Total Donations Php34,700.00

For Donations:

Bank Code: 021000021
Account Number: 5686 3371 99
Name on Account: Joseph Ian Macalino

Via Paypal 
 
Email Address: jibmaxatnewroad@gmail.com
Suggested in PHP currency to minimize devaluations. In third world, every cent counts J. Otherwise, USD will be fine. 




as of October 18, 2016:

PNP SAF has started construction of the chairs and the following pictures were received.





Read More »

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Entrance Fees: How much does it cost to see Bali, Indonesia?




It's but common to see tourist destinations with all those infinity pools and luxury hotels, etc, but gladly, Bali is not one like Maldives where you will surely break a pocket to visit. Bali could be as cheap as spending $7 a day (as I do).

Depending on how you spend and how oriented you are about where to get them cheap, you can stay in a hostel for $4 a day, and eat for $1 a meal. 

Meantime, Below are the Entrance Charges on main attractions in Bali sorted by Tripadvisor Rating and Cost. Depending on your budget (and of course your time), you can tick which one of these your money can get you to:

ATTRACTION Tripadvisor Price/Person
Rating IDR USD* CUMULATIVE
Batukaru Temple 5 15000 $1.15 $1.15
Kerta Gosa 5 15000 $1.15 $2.31
Beji Temple 4.5 15000 $1.15 $3.46
Gunung Kawih Temple 4.5 15000 $1.15 $4.62
Kehen Temple 4.5 15000 $1.15 $5.77
Penglipuran Village 4.5 15000 $1.15 $6.92
Tirta Empul Temple 4.5 15,000 $1.15 $8.08
Jatiluwih 4.5 20000 $1.54 $9.62
Tirta Gangga Water Garden 4.5 20,000 $1.54 $11.15
Kintamani Batur Volcano & Lake 4.5 30000 $2.31 $13.46
Tanah Lot Temple 4.5 30,000 $2.31 $15.77
Ulundani Beratan Temple 4.5 30,000 $2.31 $18.08
Batuan Temple 4.5 $0.00 $18.08
Buddhist Monastery 4.5 $0.00 $18.08
Banjar Hotspring 4 5000 $0.38 $18.46
Dreamland Beach 4 5000 $0.38 $18.85
Bajra Sandhi Monument 4 10000 $0.77 $19.62
Kecak & Fire Dance 4 10000 $0.77 $20.38
Tegalalang Rice Terraces 4 10000 $0.77 $21.15
Bali Botanical Garden 4 15000 $1.15 $22.31
Gitgit Waterfall 4 15000 $1.15 $23.46
Goa Lawa Temple 4 15000 $1.15 $24.62
Munduk Waterfall 4 15000 $1.15 $25.77
Taman Ayun Temple 4 15000 $1.15 $26.92
Tegenungan Waterfall 4 15000 $1.15 $28.08
Taman Ujung Water Palace 4 35,000 $2.69 $30.77
Monkey Forest 4 40000 $3.08 $33.85
Uluwatu Temple 4 40,000 $3.08 $36.92
Bali Butterfly Park 4 85000 $6.54 $43.46
Bali Museum 3.5 15000 $1.15 $44.62
Goa Gajah 3.5 15000 $1.15 $45.77
Barong & Kris Dance 3.5 100000 $7.69 $53.46
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park 3.5 100000 $7.69 $61.15
Meduwe Karang Temple 3.5   DONATION $0.00 $61.15
Alas Kedaton 3 15000 $1.15 $62.31
Bali Orchid Garden 3 15000 $1.15 $63.46
Besakih Temple 3 35000 $2.69 $66.15


*prices as of August 2016 and exchange rate used is 13,000IDR=1USD



It's but common to see tourist destinations with all those infinity pools and luxury hotels, etc, but gladly, Bali is not one like Maldives where you will surely break a pocket to visit. Bali could be as cheap as spending $7 a day (as I do).

Depending on how you spend and how oriented you are about where to get them cheap, you can stay in a hostel for $4 a day, and eat for $1 a meal. 

Meantime, Below are the Entrance Charges on main attractions in Bali sorted by Tripadvisor Rating and Cost. Depending on your budget (and of course your time), you can tick which one of these your money can get you to:

ATTRACTION Tripadvisor Price/Person
Rating IDR USD* CUMULATIVE
Batukaru Temple 5 15000 $1.15 $1.15
Kerta Gosa 5 15000 $1.15 $2.31
Beji Temple 4.5 15000 $1.15 $3.46
Gunung Kawih Temple 4.5 15000 $1.15 $4.62
Kehen Temple 4.5 15000 $1.15 $5.77
Penglipuran Village 4.5 15000 $1.15 $6.92
Tirta Empul Temple 4.5 15,000 $1.15 $8.08
Jatiluwih 4.5 20000 $1.54 $9.62
Tirta Gangga Water Garden 4.5 20,000 $1.54 $11.15
Kintamani Batur Volcano & Lake 4.5 30000 $2.31 $13.46
Tanah Lot Temple 4.5 30,000 $2.31 $15.77
Ulundani Beratan Temple 4.5 30,000 $2.31 $18.08
Batuan Temple 4.5 $0.00 $18.08
Buddhist Monastery 4.5 $0.00 $18.08
Banjar Hotspring 4 5000 $0.38 $18.46
Dreamland Beach 4 5000 $0.38 $18.85
Bajra Sandhi Monument 4 10000 $0.77 $19.62
Kecak & Fire Dance 4 10000 $0.77 $20.38
Tegalalang Rice Terraces 4 10000 $0.77 $21.15
Bali Botanical Garden 4 15000 $1.15 $22.31
Gitgit Waterfall 4 15000 $1.15 $23.46
Goa Lawa Temple 4 15000 $1.15 $24.62
Munduk Waterfall 4 15000 $1.15 $25.77
Taman Ayun Temple 4 15000 $1.15 $26.92
Tegenungan Waterfall 4 15000 $1.15 $28.08
Taman Ujung Water Palace 4 35,000 $2.69 $30.77
Monkey Forest 4 40000 $3.08 $33.85
Uluwatu Temple 4 40,000 $3.08 $36.92
Bali Butterfly Park 4 85000 $6.54 $43.46
Bali Museum 3.5 15000 $1.15 $44.62
Goa Gajah 3.5 15000 $1.15 $45.77
Barong & Kris Dance 3.5 100000 $7.69 $53.46
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park 3.5 100000 $7.69 $61.15
Meduwe Karang Temple 3.5   DONATION $0.00 $61.15
Alas Kedaton 3 15000 $1.15 $62.31
Bali Orchid Garden 3 15000 $1.15 $63.46
Besakih Temple 3 35000 $2.69 $66.15


*prices as of August 2016 and exchange rate used is 13,000IDR=1USD
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Friday, August 5, 2016

The Mishaps of July 19, 2016



After staying more than 3 weeks in Sumenep, Madura, I decided to move on and take the previously planned Sulawesi route. This is the best time to do it, no matter if the time is not enough to see a big portion of Sulawesi.

I left Sumenep at 1pm, tuesday, last day of the ferry schedule before it goes on a 3-day break. It was supposed to take about 4 hours to the junction after the Saramadu Bridge, but because it would have been rush hour upon arriving, that took another 1.5 hours, effectively arriving at the Tanjung Perak port at nearly 7pm.

Friend from Makassar have told me to head straight onto the ticket agencies in tanjung perak and if none available, look for the calo (touters).

Indeed there was no more ticket, and the salesguys would easily offer the 4days after trip (as if 4 days is nothing) saying this is the next one available. One office, I have asked about where I can find calo, and he said, sit down and i'll look for one, but he said it will be for the day after (and not PELNI but another private company).

I decided to walk outside and try other Calo's. None has tickets for that day.

Seemingly pointless, I decided to walk back into the passenger waiting area and see what is going in there.

There were several people (papua indonesia origins) with baggages apparently looking for the same thing as I am around 1 guy talking to them while on the phone too. This guy is offering tickets (same day) to Makassar for 1.5 times the price of the original. Then, I told him i'll get one too, while I excused myself that I'll quickly run to the ATM to get more money. I rushed to get back.

When I got back, he had only 2 tickets, and effectively sold them to the first 2 he spoke with. There were about 6 of us left. The Papuan guys were trying to talk to the security personnel, but to no avail. It was about 8:20 when I heard the honking ship, signalling it is ready to depart, while my imagination is saying "HAHA! We are leavingg. try your luck next time.
It's really impossible now. The boat has left.

I sat down the grass, lit up a cigarette. Then, I thought, Sulawesi might not just be for me right now. I looked up the ticket prices and nothing changed... still 3x their normal price for this week.

I then thought about spending my time in Bali instead since I was planning to cut a trip there to buy my board. I was also considering Malang, but it would have been very late by the time I arrive. The city is also on hills, and I don't want to experience the same as the trip to Bogor where I was caught off by the extremely cold weather at 6pm, still nowhere to sleep, and freezing.

So, I walked out the port and waited for the Bus to Bungurasih. The guys around said the bus would only cost 7,000 while the Angkots will be asking around 80K.

It took an hour to get that bus and surprisingly, the collector asked for 15K saying we will head straight to bungurasih. That trip took 45 mins...

In Bungurasih, I headed straight into the lane for Bali. There was no more bus. There was a guy asking for 250K to Bali (which otherwise is normally 120K). Apart from the price hike, later, I found it it was actually a trip to Probolingo, and then from Probolingo, I will be waiting and taking another Bus ride to Bali. There were still buses to Banyuwanggi for 54K (ekonomi) but the problem is, from the bus station to the port is another problem, then the crossing, then from port forward.

I needed to rest. My baggage is a little overweight. I looked on Traveloka to see if I can still get a cheap accomodation in Malang for the night. I thought it was more practical spending the night there rather than going back to the city.

Indeed, there is still a hostel listed. I booked it, and when it came to the payment page, I realized, I am missing my ATM card. Instantly, I knew I would have forgotten it again in the machine whilst rushing to get back to Calo.

I have only a few minutes left to get that booking. I contacted friends online on FB messenger, and thankfully, sister is still up. So i got that booking and took the bus. Even the Calo's in the surabaya bus station were kind of confused why suddenly I am going to Malang.

It took about 2 hours to reach Malang, and along the way, I reviewed my booking to figure out where the hostel is and how far away it is from the bus station. As I was looking at the details, I saw the call hotel link with their number on it. I decided to send them a message to inform them of my late arrival. The reply though was... We are Full.

In a little while, we reached the bus station. There is no hotel. I walked onto a Waroeng and asked a bapa if he knows any inn around. He said, the inns are a bit far, but shall I be ok with Kos (student accomodation), he can give an acquaintance a call so they can pick me up. I asked how much, and he said, 75K.

I was imagining the look of the Kos, and for just a few more hours, it was probably not practical to spend that. Also, it was not really as cold as I thought it was.



Instead, I asked Bapak if it was ok to stay in the carpet he laid on the ground for dine in customers. He said it was fine. I took out my phone for entertainment and got into the email confirmation from Traveloka. I decided to send a quick reply about the notice I received from the hostel, I they can process a refund.

A few minutes later, they called up and told me they were trying to reach the hostel, but none is picking up. They asked me instead to look for book any hotel instead, and they will be refunding the cost of the stay. I was a little bit wary of the offer, and asked, is there a cap on the rate? I told them, I don't really mind just waiting in the bus station for a few more hours, but if there is this offer, I can look somewhere nearby, though if it would be very expensive, I probably will not. They said, no cap. I can book any.

I asked Bapak if there is any walkable hotel around and he said there is one in about 250m distance. I walked towards it and again, I saw one of the Papuan guys. In fact, from the port, I met them in the bus station again. I asked him if somebody is out to pick him up, and he said Yes, though he is not sure if the guy can come that late night, or probably will have to wait until the morning.

I told him he can share the room with me for free, but just like most papuans I met, they were very shy and timid.

I walked ahead and thankfully, the hotel is open. They have a cheaper 170K room.



The next day, as instructed, i sent the invoice to Traveloka and instantly received the refund to my account, along with a discount voucher with the amount of my transaction, for future use :-).

Thankfully, I finally got some rest for myself though probably because  of that i was so tired, had a few coffee so far, could not directly just land to REM sleep. Anyhow, that traveloka deal was way better than waiting in the bus station.

Next day, a motorcycle hit me in the pedestrian lane. Was not hurt except for the thumb that was pressed hard onto the motorcycle. But... the next day, I just decided to stay put within meters distance from the bed so I can put myself back up altogether.




After staying more than 3 weeks in Sumenep, Madura, I decided to move on and take the previously planned Sulawesi route. This is the best time to do it, no matter if the time is not enough to see a big portion of Sulawesi.

I left Sumenep at 1pm, tuesday, last day of the ferry schedule before it goes on a 3-day break. It was supposed to take about 4 hours to the junction after the Saramadu Bridge, but because it would have been rush hour upon arriving, that took another 1.5 hours, effectively arriving at the Tanjung Perak port at nearly 7pm.

Friend from Makassar have told me to head straight onto the ticket agencies in tanjung perak and if none available, look for the calo (touters).

Indeed there was no more ticket, and the salesguys would easily offer the 4days after trip (as if 4 days is nothing) saying this is the next one available. One office, I have asked about where I can find calo, and he said, sit down and i'll look for one, but he said it will be for the day after (and not PELNI but another private company).

I decided to walk outside and try other Calo's. None has tickets for that day.

Seemingly pointless, I decided to walk back into the passenger waiting area and see what is going in there.

There were several people (papua indonesia origins) with baggages apparently looking for the same thing as I am around 1 guy talking to them while on the phone too. This guy is offering tickets (same day) to Makassar for 1.5 times the price of the original. Then, I told him i'll get one too, while I excused myself that I'll quickly run to the ATM to get more money. I rushed to get back.

When I got back, he had only 2 tickets, and effectively sold them to the first 2 he spoke with. There were about 6 of us left. The Papuan guys were trying to talk to the security personnel, but to no avail. It was about 8:20 when I heard the honking ship, signalling it is ready to depart, while my imagination is saying "HAHA! We are leavingg. try your luck next time.
It's really impossible now. The boat has left.

I sat down the grass, lit up a cigarette. Then, I thought, Sulawesi might not just be for me right now. I looked up the ticket prices and nothing changed... still 3x their normal price for this week.

I then thought about spending my time in Bali instead since I was planning to cut a trip there to buy my board. I was also considering Malang, but it would have been very late by the time I arrive. The city is also on hills, and I don't want to experience the same as the trip to Bogor where I was caught off by the extremely cold weather at 6pm, still nowhere to sleep, and freezing.

So, I walked out the port and waited for the Bus to Bungurasih. The guys around said the bus would only cost 7,000 while the Angkots will be asking around 80K.

It took an hour to get that bus and surprisingly, the collector asked for 15K saying we will head straight to bungurasih. That trip took 45 mins...

In Bungurasih, I headed straight into the lane for Bali. There was no more bus. There was a guy asking for 250K to Bali (which otherwise is normally 120K). Apart from the price hike, later, I found it it was actually a trip to Probolingo, and then from Probolingo, I will be waiting and taking another Bus ride to Bali. There were still buses to Banyuwanggi for 54K (ekonomi) but the problem is, from the bus station to the port is another problem, then the crossing, then from port forward.

I needed to rest. My baggage is a little overweight. I looked on Traveloka to see if I can still get a cheap accomodation in Malang for the night. I thought it was more practical spending the night there rather than going back to the city.

Indeed, there is still a hostel listed. I booked it, and when it came to the payment page, I realized, I am missing my ATM card. Instantly, I knew I would have forgotten it again in the machine whilst rushing to get back to Calo.

I have only a few minutes left to get that booking. I contacted friends online on FB messenger, and thankfully, sister is still up. So i got that booking and took the bus. Even the Calo's in the surabaya bus station were kind of confused why suddenly I am going to Malang.

It took about 2 hours to reach Malang, and along the way, I reviewed my booking to figure out where the hostel is and how far away it is from the bus station. As I was looking at the details, I saw the call hotel link with their number on it. I decided to send them a message to inform them of my late arrival. The reply though was... We are Full.

In a little while, we reached the bus station. There is no hotel. I walked onto a Waroeng and asked a bapa if he knows any inn around. He said, the inns are a bit far, but shall I be ok with Kos (student accomodation), he can give an acquaintance a call so they can pick me up. I asked how much, and he said, 75K.

I was imagining the look of the Kos, and for just a few more hours, it was probably not practical to spend that. Also, it was not really as cold as I thought it was.



Instead, I asked Bapak if it was ok to stay in the carpet he laid on the ground for dine in customers. He said it was fine. I took out my phone for entertainment and got into the email confirmation from Traveloka. I decided to send a quick reply about the notice I received from the hostel, I they can process a refund.

A few minutes later, they called up and told me they were trying to reach the hostel, but none is picking up. They asked me instead to look for book any hotel instead, and they will be refunding the cost of the stay. I was a little bit wary of the offer, and asked, is there a cap on the rate? I told them, I don't really mind just waiting in the bus station for a few more hours, but if there is this offer, I can look somewhere nearby, though if it would be very expensive, I probably will not. They said, no cap. I can book any.

I asked Bapak if there is any walkable hotel around and he said there is one in about 250m distance. I walked towards it and again, I saw one of the Papuan guys. In fact, from the port, I met them in the bus station again. I asked him if somebody is out to pick him up, and he said Yes, though he is not sure if the guy can come that late night, or probably will have to wait until the morning.

I told him he can share the room with me for free, but just like most papuans I met, they were very shy and timid.

I walked ahead and thankfully, the hotel is open. They have a cheaper 170K room.



The next day, as instructed, i sent the invoice to Traveloka and instantly received the refund to my account, along with a discount voucher with the amount of my transaction, for future use :-).

Thankfully, I finally got some rest for myself though probably because  of that i was so tired, had a few coffee so far, could not directly just land to REM sleep. Anyhow, that traveloka deal was way better than waiting in the bus station.

Next day, a motorcycle hit me in the pedestrian lane. Was not hurt except for the thumb that was pressed hard onto the motorcycle. But... the next day, I just decided to stay put within meters distance from the bed so I can put myself back up altogether.


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Monday, July 18, 2016

Schedule of Ferries from Kalianget, Sumenep

Travelling in an area such as Sumenep makes it tricky for Information. 

At one point when I was in Banyuwangi, I've read about once a week, not sure of the day of the week, trip from Jangkar, Situbondo to Kalianget, but apparently, upon reaching Kalianget, there's more.

Anyway, below are the trips an tariffs for boats in Kalianget.

There are schedules for Kangean, Jangkar, Raas, etc









Travelling in an area such as Sumenep makes it tricky for Information. 

At one point when I was in Banyuwangi, I've read about once a week, not sure of the day of the week, trip from Jangkar, Situbondo to Kalianget, but apparently, upon reaching Kalianget, there's more.

Anyway, below are the trips an tariffs for boats in Kalianget.

There are schedules for Kangean, Jangkar, Raas, etc









Read More »

Friday, July 15, 2016

Pulau Gili Ganteng in Sumenep, Madura



We're awaiting the weekend for a trip to Gili Labak as it is the only chance we wont have to charter a boat through sharing with hopefully other travellers. For this day, we thought of checking out Pantai Simbilan in Gili Ganteng.

Gili Ganteng is 1 hour by boat from Tanjung port in Sumenep, Madura. There is no transport in Gili Ganteng, hence, it is advised to drive by a motorbike, which you can bring to the island for 4,000 rupiahs on top of the passenger fare (10,000 rupiah as of posting); Besides, right from Sumenep itself, it is necessary to have your own motorbike since there is no public transportation even in this town. you can charter an ojek, but with about 20kms away from city center, you better off look for a rental motorbike.


ferry in Tanjung, Sumenep to Gili Ganteng


boat in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia

road in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia


The roads in Gili ganteng are mapped on google maps. Hence, it will be best to have your google maps ready before arriving. There is also Telkomsel signal in the area. 

There are 2 Tanjung ports that both have boats to the island. Fare is also the same. The boats apparently are only until a little after lunch. Afterwhich, you may have to charter the boat for the price of 10 passengers (100,000 rupiah). 

There is not much at all choice for places to eat around the island except for Roda 3 or push carts that sell noodles, fried rice, etc. There are stores though to buy your drinks, and other camping needs in case you think about camping.



pantai kahuripan in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia

pantai kahuripan in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia


pantai simbilan in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia

pantai simbilan in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia



The places of interest will be pantai Simbilan and Kahuripan islands. The beaches on the eastern side of the island are great for views, but may probably not exactly right for swimming as the water is too shallow even up to perhaps 1 km away from the island. 


beach on the eastern side of Gili Genteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia








We're awaiting the weekend for a trip to Gili Labak as it is the only chance we wont have to charter a boat through sharing with hopefully other travellers. For this day, we thought of checking out Pantai Simbilan in Gili Ganteng.

Gili Ganteng is 1 hour by boat from Tanjung port in Sumenep, Madura. There is no transport in Gili Ganteng, hence, it is advised to drive by a motorbike, which you can bring to the island for 4,000 rupiahs on top of the passenger fare (10,000 rupiah as of posting); Besides, right from Sumenep itself, it is necessary to have your own motorbike since there is no public transportation even in this town. you can charter an ojek, but with about 20kms away from city center, you better off look for a rental motorbike.


ferry in Tanjung, Sumenep to Gili Ganteng


boat in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia

road in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia


The roads in Gili ganteng are mapped on google maps. Hence, it will be best to have your google maps ready before arriving. There is also Telkomsel signal in the area. 

There are 2 Tanjung ports that both have boats to the island. Fare is also the same. The boats apparently are only until a little after lunch. Afterwhich, you may have to charter the boat for the price of 10 passengers (100,000 rupiah). 

There is not much at all choice for places to eat around the island except for Roda 3 or push carts that sell noodles, fried rice, etc. There are stores though to buy your drinks, and other camping needs in case you think about camping.



pantai kahuripan in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia

pantai kahuripan in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia


pantai simbilan in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia

pantai simbilan in gili ganteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia



The places of interest will be pantai Simbilan and Kahuripan islands. The beaches on the eastern side of the island are great for views, but may probably not exactly right for swimming as the water is too shallow even up to perhaps 1 km away from the island. 


beach on the eastern side of Gili Genteng, sumenep, madura, indonesia






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