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31 Mei 2015

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Tokyo Raildays Trip: Amazing Tateyama Snow Wall



Bayangkan berjalan dengan salju setebal 10 meter di kiri dan kanan anda. Feels and surely looks amazing! Snow Wall Tateyama atau disebut juga Snow Corridor karena merupakan koridor panjang jalanan dengan salju tebal di sisi kiri dan kanan.


Imagine walking by the snow wall with ten meters thick in both your sides. Feels and surely looks amazing! That’s Snow Wall Tateyama also known as Snow Corridor, a long corridor with thick snow in both sides.


Pada saat terbaiknya, Snow Wall Tateyama dapat mencapai tinggi hingga 20 meter. Saya datang di periode akhir bulan Mei sehingga saat saya datang salju telah mencair hingga ketinggian 10 meter “saja” namun area ini tetap mempesona.


Snow Wall Tateyama's altitude could reach up to 20 meters in its best timing. Though I came in the end of May, when the snow altitude was melting until 10 meters left, but I still amazed.
All white around snow corridor

Another way to travel in Tateyama Alpine Route, will share the detail on my later blogpost :)
Snow Wall Tateyama adalah bagian dari rute Alpine Tateyama Kurobe (Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route), tepatnya di area antara Midagahara di ketinggian 1930 meter di atas permukaan laut (mdpl) dengan Murodo di ketinggian 2440 mdpl. Area snow corridor ini hanya dapat ditempuh dengan transportasi bus yang telah disediakan karena merupakan bagian rute Alpine Tateyama Kurobe dengan rangkaian berbagai moda transportasi (saya akan jelaskan di postingan selanjutnya).
 
Snow Wall Tateyama is part of Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, which is located between Midagahara in 1930 meters above sea level and Murodo in 2004 meters above sea level (MASL). You can only reach this area by a public bus provided among the various mode of transportation Alpine Tateyama Kurobe route (I will share more details on my next post).

then became all white

Sebelum memasuki area Tateyama Snow Wall, saya dan teman-teman sudah disuguhkan pemandangan indah nortern Japan Alps ini dengan pemandangan pegunungan, perbukitan dan sisi-sisi jalan yang diliputi putihnya salju. Saat bus semakin berada di ketinggian, salju-salju ini semakin tebal hingga mencapai area Snow Wall Tateyama.


Before entering Tateyama Snow Wall area, my friends and I were impressed with a beautiful view of Japan Alps northern like the mountains, hills, and the snow-covered pavements. When the bus was already on top, the snow was getting thick up to Tateyama Snow Wall.
View from Murodo St


Walking to snow wall
Bahkan di saat salju tidak dalam ketinggian maksimal, bus-bus ini terlihat kecil di antara dinding salju yang putih. Kami langsung turun di station Murodo dan berjalan kaki ke area snow corridor ini. Setengah jalanan diberi pembatas untuk pejalan kaki dan sebagian lainnya untuk area hilir mudik bus yang membawa turis dari berbagai negara.


Even the snow altitude was not in its maximum, I saw the busses so small because of the snow wall that all white. We got off at Murodo station and walked to the snow corridor. There was a boundary on the road between the pedestrians and the bus for the foreign tourists.


Some tv crew can go up there, envy them!
Di area snow corridor ini kita juga diperbolehkan untuk menulis di dinding salju, ada message area dan banyak turis memanfaatkan untuk menulis nama mereka dan berfoto di depan dinding salju ini 


In the snow corridor area we are allowed to write at the snow wall. Most of the foreign tourists write their name on the message area and take a selfie in front of the snow wall.


Ada juga salah satu gambar yang menjelaskan pembentukan snow corridor Tateyama yaitu dengan mengeruk salju dari jalanan selama dua minggu, mulai dari awal April hingga pertengahan April sehingga snow corridor ini baru dapat dikunjungi mulai pertengahan April hingga bulan Juni, namun saat terbaik adalah di pertengahan April hingga akhir bulan Mei karena di bulan Juni dinding salju ini sudah jauh lebih pendek.


There was also a picture about the process of creating Tateyama snow corridor. It was started with scraping the snow on the road for two weeks, from the beginning to middle of April. Usually, the snow corridor is opened for visitor in the mid-April until June but the perfect time to come is in the mid-April until the end of May since the snow would get melted on June.

Even though he's a beach boy, Patrick also loves this snow wall

Mungkin kita juga berpikir betapa kerja keras mengeruk salju dari jalanan selama dua minggu ini hanya untuk dinikmati selama sekitar dua bulan saja, namun melihat betapa mempesonanya snow corridor, I bet all the hard works pays off! 


Maybe we think about how hard it was scraping the snow for two weeks only for two months pleasure, but look at the amazing snow corridor, I bet all the hard work pays off!   
@marischkaprue – work hard, enjoy the result harder

NOTES:
  • Snow Wall Tateyama berada di Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Toyama Prefecture, Jepang.
  • Snow Wall Tateyama is located at Tateyama Kurobe Alpine route, Toyama Prefecture, Japan.
 
  • Waktu terbaik mengunjungi Snow Wall Tatetayama adalah di pertengahan hingga akhir bulan April dimana ketinggian salju mencapai 20 meter. Snow corridor ini masih dapat dikunjungi di bulan Mei (akhir Mei ketinggian salju sekitar 10 meter) dan Juni (kurang dari 10 meter).
  • Perfect time to visit Tateyama Snow Wall is in the mid to end of April when the snow altitude reach 20 meters. However, this snow corridor is still available for visitor on May (about 10 meters altitude in the end of May) and June (less than 10 meters).
 
  • Untuk menuju Snow Wall Tateyama anda harus menggunakan moda transportasi yang disediakan dalam Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route karena ada berbagai moda transportasi dalam rute ini mulai dari kereta, cable car, highland bus (dengan bus ini kita akan mengunjungi snow wall), tunnel trolley bus, ropeway, cable car, trolley bus lagi hingga local bus (jika rute dari Toyama dengan exit di Ogizawa).
  • You have to pick one of transportation mode that available in the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route like train, cable car, highland bus (we use this bus to the snow wall), tunnel trolley bus, ropeway, cable car, another trolley bus until local bus (route from Toyama with exit in Ogizawa).
 
  • Akan lebih efektif jika membeli tiket dari tour dengan paket tiket kereta dari Toyama dan semua tiket moda transportasi pada Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route ini karena ada yang harus sesuai schedule (Tateyama Ropeway). Di paket ini juga kita dapat memilih apakah hanya akan beli tiket dalam semua rute Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Road, atau ditambah dengan tiket Shinkansen dari Tokyo (atau kota lain). Booking reservasi tiket dan tiket Shinkansen akan diantarkan ke hotel kita menginap di hari pertama, misalnya hari pertama di Tokyo maka tiket akan diantarkan ke hotel, tiba di Toyama kita tinggal menukar bukti booking tiket dengan tiket asli di Dentetsu Toyama Station di bagian Information Center Train Bus Intercity Bus Ticket (lokasi di depan Doutor Cafe).

  • Paket tiket ini dapat dibeli di beberapa tour yaitu Wendy Tour, Golden Rama, Panorama dan Indo Citra Tamasya namun yang saya tahu fixed harganya di Wendy Tour yaitu 255 USD, ini paket Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route + Akomodasi di Toyama (karena mesti berangkat sejak pagi jadi opsi terbaik adalah menginap dahulu 1 malam di Toyama), sementara jika include dengan tiket Shinkansen PP menjadi 440 USD. Cek lengkapnya di sini
  • Contact Wendy tour melalui email layanan@wendytour-jkt.com atau telp di 021-29426820. Alamat kantor di Mediterania 2, Tower F Kios F2, Jl. Tanjung Duren No.5, Jakarta Barat 11470.

  • Saya datang ke Tokyo menggunakan Japan Airlines, they provide great services, food and free flow wine ;) 
Visiting Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route with these lovely people :)

29 Mei 2015

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Revisit Heaven: Ora Beach (and something to learn)



Pertama kali saya datang ke Ora Beach adalah di tahun 2013. Saya dan teman-teman Baronda Maluku sangat terpesona oleh resort yang terletak di Pulau Seram ini dengan cottage-cottage di atas laut yang bening dan koral berwarna-warni, Ora Beach bagaikan Maldives di negara kita sendiri.


My first visit to Ora Beach was in 2013. Friends from Baronda Maluku and I were so amazed by resort located in Seram Island with a group of cottages above the clear sea and colorful corals. Ora Beach is surely a Maldives look-alike for our country. 





Tahun 2015 saya kembali mengunjungi destinasi indah ini. Ora Beach tetap jernih dengan laut turquoise yang saat matahari bersinar cerah sangat-sangat menawan. Namun ada beberapa perubahan selain tambahan dek untuk duduk-duduk dan makan. Koral di area dermaga sudah tidak seindah dulu. Saya ingat memperhatikan koral-koral yang saat malam hari di kala air laut surut koral yang ada “muncul sebagian” karena koral yang begitu sehat dan banyak. Saya ingat koral yang ada saat itu begitu padat dan indah.


I revisited this beautiful destination in 2015. Ora Beach was still clear as crystal and reflection of the sunlight through the turquoise sea was so amazing. But I could see something different besides more deck for lounging and dining. Corals around the dock were not as beautiful as my first visit. I remember the night I spent to look at some corals appeared when it was low tide. That time, they were so healthy, solid, yet lovely.
healthy corals are healthy but some already damaged

Better jump and snorkel from the dock, also safe for your legs and feet!
Koral di Ora Beach masih indah, namun banyak karang-karang rusak entah terinjak sengaja ataupun tidak. Area koral di pantai Ora ini memang kebanyakan di area sangat dangkal, jika snorkeling di area dangkal maka akan sangat mudah tidak sengaja menabrak karang. Sebaiknya snorkeling jangan dimulai dari area pantai, namun turun dari tangga di ujung dermaga di area yang sudah cukup dalam sehingga kita tidak perlu menabrak karang.


Some corals were still beautiful, but we could find lots of them were damaged by trampled intentionally (or not). Most area in Ora Beach was so shallow that made it easier for them who do snorkeling around to hit the corals accidentally. In order to keep the corals safe, better do snorkeling started from the dock.

Even Patrick really wants to visit this heaven since long time ago
Satu hal lain adalah popularitas Ora Beach rupanya menarik semua orang, bahkan hingga pejabat yang dadakan ingin datang ke resort indah ini. Saya dan teman-teman sudah booking beberapa kamar jauh-jauh hari karena kami group besar dengan total 20 orang. Namun di tengah kunjungan teman-teman yang berada di kamar laut “diusir” ke kamar lain sehingga harus berjejalan 6 orang dalam satu kamar karena ada “pejabat daerah” (dan istri-istri mereka) mendadak datang.


Here comes another story about the beauty of Ora Beach that made a group of official had sudden visit to the resort. Since we came in a large group consists of 20 people, my friends and I already booked some rooms long before our visit. Unfortunately, some friends who stayed in the room next to sea were “expelled” to another room in the meanwhile. That made 6 people had to cram into one room for the sake of sudden visit from “local officials” (and their wives).

Saya mengerti management mungkin tidak kuasa menolak para pejabat daerah ini, mungkin jika mereka menolak izin akan dipersulit. Bukannya kami ego besar tidak mau mengalah (toh akhirnya teman-teman mengalah juga karena kasihan dengan pihak management Ora Beach Resort), namun rasanya sangat tidak adil kalau pejabat bisa seenaknya masuk dan menggusur teman-teman yang sudah menyiapkan cuti dan booking jauh-jauh hari.


It was still acceptable if the management couldn’t refuse the local officials since it would complicate the permit. This was not about our big egos who didn’t want to give up the room (while the fact we did it as compassion to the management of Ora Beach Resort), but it’s just so unfair for those who suddenly made their own rule about room arrangement and displaced those who already had days off and booked earlier.

Mungkin ini cuma liburan, bukan hak dasar yang jika direnggut berpengaruh besar tapi tidak rela rasanya mengalah demi raja-raja kecil ini. Ah sudahlah, memang masih seperti itu di sebagian besar wilayah kita.


Maybe this was merely a holiday, not about getting big loss caused by a simple thing has taken from you. But still, it’s not that easy to give up for these “little kings”. Ah forget it, maybe this just another “culture” in our country.

Those wooden bridge ain't a good place to selfie and jump for more than 10 people ;)
Ada satu hal yang menarik. Usai teman-teman “tergusur”, para istri pejabat ini rupanya beramai-ramai selfie di jembatan menuju cottage di atas laut sehingga jembatan tidak kuat menahan beban belasan orang berdiri dan loncat di kayu-kayu ini sehingga jembatan rubuh dan mereka jatuh.


Anyway, good thing always happened at the right time. After having our friends displaced, these official’s wives planned to take some selfie and jump on a wooden bridge towards the cottage above the sea. Poor them, it was such a wrong spot for a group photo session. The bridge collapsed and they fell.

Memang ini bukan alasan baik untuk kami tersenyum, namun rupanya karma bekerja cepat di “paradise.”

Can’t help to smile but now we know karma truly exist even come faster in “paradise”
PS: Kepada semua pejabat yang ingin liburan, silahkan minta staf kalian untuk booking jauh-jauh hari, kami doakan liburannya lancar dan menyenangkan karena liburan adalah hak semua orang kok ;)


PS: Dear all officials who plan for holiday, please have your staff to arrange before the visit. Wishing you a pleasant and relaxing holiday since everyone deserves it, anyway. ;)

Ah sudahlah, daripada terlalu banyak cerita pengalaman ini lebih baik saya share lagi foto-foto indah Ora Beach :)

Oh well, enough for the stories and let me share others beautiful photos of Ora Beach.  
Someone is on a photo session :)
#Followmeto Ora Beach, Patrick version and inspired by Murad Osmann

Gotta float like a boss

@marischkaprue – learn that those who visit paradise isn’t always angels

NOTES:
  • Visiting Ora Beach with these fun people!