All About Strawberry - Bandung

A welcome sign from "All About Strawberry"

"Think rest and fresh" ... That is what the owner of "All-about-strawberry" restaurant wants for his customers to think when they arrived there. Located on Jl. Cihanjuang Km 2,5 No 17 Cimahi Bandung (you can get there through Cimahi or Ledeng), this place is not too bad for fun games and family gathering. Lets face it, there isn't anywhere decent in big city these days to take children out to be closer to the natures and get a different atmosphere. "Strawberry Picking" restaurant concept seems very popular these days which is a good idea and business.

So here, where my sister, her family (2 kids and hubby) and I, went for the weekend. First time for us. We didn't even know where was the location for sure. Due from my sis-hubby's brother unclear info about the location, we just gambled to find the area. Lucky we found it when saw crowd car and strawberry sign (later when drove home we found several more strawberry farms, so prolly it wasn't the one my sis-hubby's bro told lol).

The entry ticket - my sis hold it for me to take the pic of it. Not focused, abit blurry lol

Before we walked into the place, 2 girls came to approach us and gave us the entry ticket for @Rp.5,000,- ($0.55 USD per person). Its included a voucher for a glass of cold strawberry juice. Nice welcome drink :) But we didn't use it yet, we wanted to save the drinks for the last because we didn't thirsty yet.

The entry gate to get in strawberry farm area - My sis and her older son were checking on it.

So we directly walked to the strawberry farm which is on the back area and saw the sign "Petik strawberry habis" which means.. the season of strawberry picking has over :( only unripe strawberry is left and ready to be picked. We waited too long to go pick them because it was still school holiday season and so many family came there.

The season of strawberry picking has over :( only unripe strawberry is left.

My nephew (older one) was a little disappointed, he loves strawberry alot. And his mom didn't want to buy the strawberry that already packed. Its too expensive she said lol. Well yeah it is.. The price for one pack is Rp.30,000,- and Rp.20,000,- (about $3.28 - $2.18 USD) depend on the size and ripest. And what made me disappointed was.. not able to see the excitement of my nephews when harvest the strawberry by their own. And the point we went there not just bought strawberry but the moment when picking a strawberry fresh from the field and saw my nephews getting busy to do it.. But no strawberry picking today!

Oh well.. Maybe next time kids :)

The strawberry field and the strawberry they sold there.. (aw the picture appeared to small here but click on it to enlarge)

Actually the strawberry field at All-about-strawberry is not so big. No wonder not much strawberry left on the field if about 3000 or 5000 a day customers came there.. But it is not the only things you can do at All-about-strawberry. There are some attractions, kid's outbound such as this big-balloon (Pic display. I dunno what its named lol) and my nephews loved it. Moreover for the younger. He couldn't have this moment often :p (*blames it to his mom). They jumped around and got sweat. Great their mom have prepared everything for them.. changed their clothes and cleaned and sprayed perfume as soon as we got inside the car to be back home :p (otay she is a good mom).

This is the balloon I said.. Yeah that is my younger nephew :p exhausted but he wasn't finished yet lol. The older just showed his legs :p

Tree-house or Rumah pohon in my language :p

This is another game you can find there.. They called it Tree-house, entry ticket Rp.15.000,- ($1.64 USD) but my nephews not going there lol prolly they knew its too expensive for that (or their parents?) :p anyway no kids around there either. Actually this tree-house is kinda cool but why need to pay if you can find another free games there. Yeah the balloon one is free.. and some other games but I didn't check on it. I was just busy taking pictures lol.

Kid's flying fox (got this pic online lol)

Just another kid's adventure games; flying fox, even its not so high and takes about 10 seconds to touch the ground. But well its kid's lol.. Also spider web, wall climbing, walking on the line..

CX Outlet

Oh there is also a factory outlet. After did my search on internet I found the name of the factory outlet, Clothing and X’cessories Outlet (CX Outlet). Typical factory outlet in Bandung :) clothes and accessories (like its name) but again.. I found it on internet websites that the owner of the place best known as a businessmen who made some famous factory outlet in Bandung. Anyway.. I didn't buy anything there lol. And of course there is restaurant there.. but we didn't eat there lol. Not feeling wanted to and no one hungry yet. Actually we didn't really spend so much money there.. Just 5 entry tickets cost only @Rp.5,000,-. For that we got 5 welcome drinks of nice cold strawberry juices, kids having fun, I took several pics, and enjoyed the atmosphere :p worthy eh..

Actually there are several strawberry-picking places around Bandung (suburbs). Even the strawberry farm has existed for long time ago tho. Well done to Wayside whoever you are for making the effort and trying your hardest to keep Strawberry Farm alive but I guess its just all about money.. money.. money.. on this rich mans paradise.

Who knows we will come back again next time.. maybe another strawberry farm.. :)

Wild Horse on the River Cross-Stitch Pattern

Pheew >_< finally I have finished making this cross stitch project. It took me about one month and few days to finish it. I started to make it at the same day I bought its cross stitch kit and almost everyday I worked on it except to do chores or was out. Yeah I was abit in rush to finish it because I wanted it done faster before my trip (yes I am going somewhere.. )

Wild Horse on the River Cross-Stitch Pattern

But this is worthy.. I feel so happy and great after I finished it and stare at the pattern. It looks so beautiful and nice also looks so natural even it just made of flosses. I imagine what if it is in a beautiful carving frame and hang on the wall.. I believe it would be looked so great. I didn't have it in a frame because I made this cross stitch not for myself but for a friend who ordered it. So actually I have got some advantage to make this project which are... first, because cross stitch is my hobby so I really enjoyed to work on it and second, I would get paid for this :p Doesn't it great? First time I will get paid for making cross stitch. Usually I made cross stitch just for myself for the decoration at home, a gift for friends and family, or helping them to make it :) My father loves landscape patterns while my mom loved landscape and flowers, etc and myself.. I love everything and make it :p

Unfinished project

Actually, this project supposed to be made by my friend and me, because we make this for our business too. But since my friend was busy and out of town, so I started it first and finished it alone before my friend returned (honestly I am happy to finish it alone.. Dunno why.. But I sometime couldn't trust others to do stuff like this lol shhhhh..)

I don't mind for more cross stitch projects :p

Wanna buy it? Yes - No

Going Uphill to Mt. Tangkuban Perahu

Mount Tangkuban Perahu is one of tourist favorite spots when visit Bandung. This time I had a visitor, a friend from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) who wanted to go for volcano activity. A fun crazy gurl aka "idoleyes" :p

Well no problem.. I was ready for the action! lol.
But first we had to think how to get to Tangkuban Perahu, whether to call a rental car or just get taxi. Later after few thinking and consideration we ended up to rent an "angkot" (Angkutan Kota - a public transport in Bandung) which arranged by another friend (too bad she couldn't join us that time, coz not feeling well). Thought that would be cheaper compare to other transports. The fare agreement with the driver was Rp.150.000,- back and forth (after all we paid Rp.50.000,- more lol) - oh it was exclude the entry fee.

This is the kind of angkot we had to Tangkuban Perahu (but not that one) - just driver and his friend, my friend and I :p

Well even the car seat wasn't so comfortable and no air conditioner but it was okay lol we still enjoyed the scenery.. vegetables and flowers farm and the weather was nice too. Because it was Sunday (also school holidays) so the traffic was quite crowd and the driver took a shortcut road. I wasn't so sure whether it was faster or just took longer to reach Tangkuban Perahu lol. I didn't really care about it coz I was busy talking and enjoying the view with my friend.

Domas Crater - with a small souvenir stall at the entrance to the crater. The bottle you can see on the pic are sulfur mud which are believed a good medicine for rheumatism, skin complaints or treatments.

Short story, we arrived at the volcano area, we decided - well I did :p - to start the journey from "Domas Crater" (Kawah Domas) which is one of the craters. We took the short way to get there which is not too far from the road.. This is the most easily accessible to get to Domas crater. I asked the angkot driver to wait us at the car park uphill where the main crater, "Queen Crater" (Kawah Ratu) could be seen.
Some vender tried to sell their stuff to us with a high price :) they thought I was a tourist too.. so I had to say.. "Nope I am a local" .. then spoke Sundanese :p
One vender wanted to sell a stone as big as chicken egg for Rp.250.000 ... O_o aw! That is too much for that stone.. So I just tried to bargain for Rp.40.000 hehe.. and then he said.. okay for 100 then 50 etc.. meanwhile we kept walking away :p Idoleyes wasn't so interested to buy it tho.

The first thing to strike you on the approach to the active crater is the stench of sulfur. Then you will see boiling hot water, bubbling mud and hissing sulfur vapor. Below is a short video of Domas crater..

Can you hear it hissing? O_O

Near the entrance, there is a stall selling snacks and drinks. There you can buy eggs so that you can put them into the boiling water. Need about 10 minutes until they are cooked. So imagine the water is hot :p But you will still able to soak your feet in the hot spring which is not too hot to relax you a bit. But I didn't do it there lol too many feet in that small pond :p

Closer - Boiling eggs in hot geyser till it cooked.

Ready for some hiking? :p

The way down from Kawah Ratu to Kawah Domas via a forest is about 1.2 km (or vice versa). So if you are planning to go to Kawah Domas, make sure you are quite physically fit and your knee joints are strong enough. It is an up and down terrain with uneven surfaces. Even tho you always able to take some rest during the hike, just sit for awhile :)
Or maybe some people who is crossing you will asks whether it is still far or closer :p Just give them some positive support lol. Like when Idoleyes kept asking "How many long to go?" ... I said.. "10 meters.. well each 10 meter or less you can take some rest" :p
And yes we did take lots of rest.. Well I didn't complain about it.. I needed it as well haha..

Going down to Kawah Domas

Going up to Kawah Ratu (same route)

This is what you will see :) Beautiful view when taking some rest at the canteen on the way to the summit (or down to Domas crater) worth seeing hu :p

Finally when we approached the summit.. We saw our driver :p and he said.. why so long? lol..
Oh well.. couldn't blame him to ask that lol.. took about hmmm I guess maybe more than an hour to get there.. maybe 2?? O_o (That was why we gave Rp.50.000 more to him haha..)
In fact.. It's only need about 30 minutes from the top to Kawah Domas, but that because goes down.. Not the same when it is step climbing, more tiring (an excuse) :p
Oh forgot to say.. there was 2 boys who was following us since we arrived. They are the venders but quite nice too coz they were helping us alot.. well Idoleyes hehe.. *Hi sis! :)

Then for that she bought a souvenir of 20 key-chains from that boy.. and thats too much lol and not bought anything from the other one. Not interested and too expensive for a bracelet :p Oh well..

So then without looking any other souvenir which are so many stalls there.. We decided just went back to the hotel.. Was too exhausted.

I was happy for Idoleyes .. she made it! Shes kewl. I was worried abit coz she had to catch her flight next day to go back home hehehe my bad :-\

Now shes home :p (*peace!!)