Yes, October 17, 2007, I went back to the place that I took my first step to—Sei Kakap. This time, I took the correct turn (it was the left turn—I shoul’ve known it!). And yes, I did find the seafood restaurant my dad took me once—Teratai Indah Seafood Restaurant.

It was in this traditional fish market area. You can smell fish even before you really step your feet into the market itself. When I came, it was drizzling and not many people were there (I loved that kind of situation).

Before taking my step further to the sea, I firstly took pictures in a small village with very tiny damaged road and some small houses—Dusun Nirwana. The village is right next to the big river which goes ends to the sea, not far from there.

God, I was so very much excited witnessing the beautiful view and the fresh air of the sea. And seeing the river and the sea meet in the end—wow!

People there—mostly fishermen—were pretty friendly. They smiled. They answered my questions about the place nicely. They’re just so kind.When I took some pictures from the Jembatan Bintang Tujuh (the Seven Stars Bridge, to be translated freely), people sitting and standing in some boats and vessels seemed confused and curious, but some smiled at me. Some thought that I was a journalist or something. And the folk parking my motorbike before a vihara was a bit surprised understanding the fact that I came all the way there only to have fun.

Basically, the place is wonderful. But too bad that the dock there isn't really taken care of. Well yes, many people visit, especially to eat at Teratai Indah. However, I’m convinced that even more people would visit Kakap if the wooden dock is repaired a bit, painted, given the sign of the name of the place, and so on. Should all of those mending things happen after I became the minister of tourism? (hyperbolic—but I’d find ways to get more tourists there, why not)

The restaurant is also awesome, with many small individual huts to eat above the water. But, again, needs to be repaired, in particular the woods—mended and painted. Apparently the restaurant is a kind of place in which it is more normal to be there not by yourself. Many visitors there, when I came, were mostly big families, eating in buzzing sound. No wonder the resto waitresses were a bit taken aback seeing me sipping the fresh coconut water alone in one of the huts—the nearest to the sea.

Yes, that’s one of the special things about visiting that resto—having one complete coconut fruit to drink the water and to eat the fresh coconut meat itself. Astounding As the fish and prawn and other seafood there were very expensive, I decided not to eat anything. But to keep my manner, I ordered one special prawn dish to be taken home for my parents.

This heart was so much relieved—finally I saw the sea again I felt close to Mother Nature. I felt close to Lord.

And I felt close to this word you call ‘grateful’.

Traveling–all you have to do is take the first step.
–Ibn Battuta

Eid was coming soon, but I never like the making-cakes-and-cookies ‘tradition’ from the very first place. I don’t like baking. I don’t like staying too long in the kitchen. And I don’t like staying too long in the house either, just don’t get it.

… maybe it’s just because of my lovely haven, which is my bedroom—it’s so dirty and messy

So, 9 October 2007, I took my ‘first step’. It wasn’t planned, at all. I went to my fave hotspot area (my previous campus), but no connection on the internet (it had been two days with the same condition), made me in a bad mood. So I just drove my bike to many random areas, probably almost half of the city and a bit of the outer. Gosh, this city–Pontianak–is just so hectic, while the outer is a bit serene.

At first, I considered my going only as a survey or something before I’d do the ‘real’ traveling to some interesting places in the city and around, but then after changing my notebook’s bag with the smaller one and after grabbing my given-by-my-only-big-brother digital camera and put it into my small bag, I went driving through the same route, again. I definitely took my FIRST STEP to travel

Before I finish my route, I saw this road sign (left = Sei Kakap, right = Pelabuhan/Harbor). Previously, on my ’survey’, I took the right turn. You can guess next, I was triggered to take the left turn at the very last minute.

Back then, when I was a little girl, my dad took me and my brother once to a seafood resto in Sei Kakap. It was located both very near and above the sea. I’ve been planning that my first travel, ideally, would be to a beach or something. That’s why I went to Kakap, even without a neat plan, even it was raining, and even it was so, so, so far away. Along the straight, smooth road, I felt this weird feeling of going alone by a motorcycle to a strange place that I didn’t know what to face later (well, I remember the resto, but no clue about the exact route). I felt ‘romantic’

Once I saw coconut trees everywhere, I was thrilled without warning. Reminded me of beaches (I always believe that beaches are the most gorgeous, peaceful places on earth). But then I remembered, coconut trees could grow practically anywhere. A coconut tree grows at my grandpa’s backyard. And no beaches, at all, in his small village or around. It’s a mountainuous area, instead.

After tens and tens of kilometers, I came to the end of the road. It had both the left and right turns. I took the left just in random, but then realized a sign at my right–a name of a beach (was it Taman Pantai Indah Kakap or something…?). Yep, I turned again and followd the sign.

Apparently, it was just a restaurant. From the two gates, I could see the smooth waves of the sea water. I didn’t have any courage to enter the resto. So, with a bit disappointment, I went straight more from the beach sign. I felt goosebumps (the good one) when comprehending that my nose could smell the salty air from the sea. Actually the sea was very, very near at my left, but too many bushes and small buildings, I could only see flashes of the sea. God, I almost lost my patience. I felt like running through the bushes and just jumped to touch the sea water, but no, didn’t do that.

I kept driving forward and…

… and I came to this soil road that was slippery here and there after it was raining. I became hesitated. In one side of my head, I was (pretty) sure that the end of the (bit) damaged road would bring me to a beach or something. And in another side of my head, I heard a whispering voice telling me to stop just right there and turn around. I followed the luring visualization of a sea.

At my left, coconut trees, bushes, a few houses and small, not-clear rivers. At my right side, several small houses. There were only a few people passing by. As much as I wanted to see the sea (clearly), I didn’t wanna take the risk of being lost or something in a village that I didn’t even know the name. So I stopped in front of the only traditional house I saw. The rest of the houses there had adapted the modern architecture style, that’s why I captured that one-of-a-kind house using my digital camera. I felt like a real traveler

After taking a few pictures, I went back but…

… the road was getting more slippery, I thought, I fell off from my bike… two times (first to the left, and second–after a few meters–to the right). Thank God there were three guys kindly helping me out from the bad situation. Mud was almost all over my body and my bike. I felt weak in sudden, so I decided to go back home. And the rain got heavier.

My first, independent, unplanned travel… finally.

What an experience! Loved it! My first debut in traveling

… and I’m gonna go back there again, soon …

Traveling–it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.
– Ibn Battuta 

Traveling–it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller.
– Ibn Battuta

For the past few weeks, I’ve been inspired to challenge myself to do something definitely new and not-really-me: traveling. It’d be a great pleasure to be given opportunity to visit some places outside the place I live, but that’s just going to accomplish the visiting-as-a-tourist circumstances, while I want to experience being a traveler. Just like Ibn Battuta, maybe? Well, okay, just close to that …

I’m actually not a sort of traveling person. At all. I mostly prefer the ‘comfort zone’, the ’status quo’ state or something.

But, that’s about to change.

…

… at least that’s the plan :p

Travel teaches you how to see.
– Anonymous

I don’t know what’s going on, but life’s been a bit surprising for me on this term–traveling. Been weeks I found some sources that have to do with traveling, without warning (don’t wanna use the word ‘coincidence’). Okay, so is that some kind of ’sign’ or something? No idea.

First, two people–that I don’t know at all–told their interesting traveling stories in a very interesting way.

Second, I found an article on a young woman whose hobby is traveling. The very first time she travelled was when she visited her long-distance-friend … alone.

Third, I read Travelers’ Tale–Belok Kanan: Barcelona by Adhitya Mulya + his wife + 2 other writers. Makes me even more curious to try traveling *would I have the courage…?* Inside this book, all things traveling are revealed in a light way. So appealing. Makes me more triggered to travel one day–I don’t know, somewhere (but when… I’m gonna soon work Monday to Sunday this semester…).

…

Well, having a plan is already a good thing, right …

Traveling–all you have to do is take the first step.
–Ibn Battuta