My Time Capsule: February 2013


Indonesia: Kecak Dance In Uluwatu

Kecak dance is the most unique dance from Bali. Instead of musical instruments, Kecak dance is accompanied by the chorus "cak-cak-cak-cak-cak" from 70 bare chest men while swaying their bodies and waving their hands. History about Kecak, it is an adaptation of an ancient ritual ceremony called ‘Sanghyang’ which was held to purify a village during an epidemic. In this ceremony, two young girls went into a trance and communicated with the spirits to find cause and cure to the problem. Sanghyang was always accompanied by a chorus of men chanting in much the same way as in Kecak.

Nowadays, Ramayana story is inserted into Kecak dance. There are 4 episodes of Ramayana story including the love story of Rama and Shinta. The show ended dramatically with a fire dance by Hanoman the white monkey. Watching Kecak dance with Uluwatu temple and sky change colours during sunset in the background...somehow it felt magical to me. No wonder it's on top list of "must do" in Bali. Everyday hundreds of people from every corner of the world sit together to watch Kecak dance in Uluwatu.

Here's a photo essay of Kecak dance in Uluwatu:

Uluwatu temple is perched majestically on the edge of a steep cliff

the sun is about to set

the background

the priest sprinkle holy water to dancers

capturing the beautiful sunset


fire dance by Hanoman

Kecak dance show starts at 6.00 pm every night, but make sure to come at least 30 minutes before to get a good spot.
Entrance fee to the temple is Rp 15.000 for Indonesian and Rp 20.000 for foreigners. While the Kecak dance ticket is Rp 70.000 for Indonesian and Rp 100.000 for foreigners.


Hokkaido: Akan National Park

Hokkaido, February 2013

During my trip to Japan last week, I visited one of the oldest national park in Hokkaido; Akan National Park. It's an area of volcanic craters and forests which was established in 1934.

There were some places that I visited in the area, the first one was Iozan, the sulphur mountain. When I was on the way to the mountain, I saw very thick smoke from afar and I thought: "Whoa! that mountain is burning!". Of course it's not, the smoke comes from the steaming sulphurous vents in Iozan. As soon as I got off the bus, my nose catch the unpleasant smell from the mountain. And the closer I walked into the mountain, the smell was getting more and more intense. It smells like a rotten egg. Or even worse it smells like someone who ate a rotten egg and fart non stop. Yuck ! Okay, let's not discuss it in any further detail. I was kinda glad that my nose was frozen because of the cold weather :p

Iozan the Sulphur Mountain

hold your breath and smile :)

Then I made a quick stop in lake Kussharo because there were a lot of beautiful white swans swimming gracefully in the frozen lake. They will come close to you when you have food in your hand. The swans were really hungry, they will eat anything from bread, pop corn, and chips. But they can be quite aggressive too. I saw a kid was crying and running frantically because one swan was trying to eat a candy on his hand. I was laughing when suddenly the swan decided to chase me. Geesh ! no offence, Odette !

lake Kussharo

Odette the angry swan :p

saw a lot of this beautiful deer during my road trip

an Ezo deer passing by

Next stop is lake Mashu, one of the world's clearest, most transparent lakes. It is a caldera lake lying 315 meters above sea level, born from the fires of a massive volcanic eruption nearly 7,000 years ago. The lake is known for the mist and fog that often forms here, and as its name in the Ainu language, “Kamuy-tou” ("Lake of the Gods"), implies, it presents a stately and mysterious atmosphere.

Lake Mashu

There's one interesting story about lake Mashu, since it has an image of being "always covered in fog, and only sunny once in a blue moon." Because of this, it's said that those who see the lake when it's sunny and without fog will either not be able to marry until later in life, break up with a loved one if with that person at the time, or be unable to advance their career, and therefore jinxed. Phew! Glad it was foggy when I was there, hehehe :p

see! it's foggy, right ?

with my twin sista :p

It was getting dark so I headed to my hotel in Lake Akan to have dinner. I had a traditional multi course Japanese dinner, called Kaiseki. So basically it's like a Japanese style fine dining. All the food is prepared carefully and presented on plates that are chosen to enhance both the appearance and the taste. Before entering the dining room, everyone has to take off their shoes. Then we all sit on a low chair and everyone get their own table with 10 kind of assorted dishes
those are all mine

It was a lovely new dining experience for me. I was enjoying my food when the waitress preparing another dish for us. I took a glimpse of it and thinking "Oh, they are going to serve sashimi (very fresh raw meat or fish sliced into thin pieces) for us". While I'm not a fan of raw meat, usually I don't mind to taste a bite or two. Then suddenly I catch a movement from the fish." OMG! is the fish still alive?" I asked the waitress. She smile very sweet and nodding, "Yes, miss. It's Ikizukuri" That means the preparation of sashimi made from live seafood and it is consumed while still alive. And just like that, I lost my appetite. How can I eat the meat while the fish is still breathing, wiggling and staring at me? I put my chopsticks down and staring blankly. I feel like crying at that moment. I was imagining that someone is mutilating my body while I'm still conscious. Feeling the pain from the knife slicing off my skin into the flesh *shudders*

believe me, this fish is still alive and wiggling at this point :(

Feeling brokenhearted, I left the dining room and decided to stroll along the street in front of the hotel. There are numerous of shops selling traditional Ainu handmade souvenirs made from wood. I also watched a fireworks above the frozen lake Akan which is presented every night at 8 during the Ice Festival. It was pretty, as I need something to take my thought away from the poor fish.

snowing !

one of the souvenir shops

FREEBIES time !!!

I've bought some sweets from Japan for you. Kit Kat Green Tea, Kit Kat Sakura, Kit Kat Strawberry, etc.
How to get them ? Just follow this 3 steps below.  Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy ! :D

1. Follow my twitter @twitdebbzie and "like" the Facebook page, My Time Capsule
2. Tweet this: Freebies! Kit Kat from Japan for you. Let's join  via @twitdebbzie
3. Leave your email address and your twitter name on the comment box below

this is for you !!!

Closing date will be on 28 February 2013. The winners will be drawn at random and be contacted via email. So hurry up ! Good luck ! (closed)


Travel Updates: Hokkaido, Japan

I am having a fabulous time here in Hokkaido. Even though the journey started with a severe turbulence because of the snow storm. I had 5 hours transit in Tokyo then flied to Sapporo. It's been snowing really hard since I've been here. Fortunately it doesn't affect my itinerary.

I've been to Japan couple times before but Hokkaido just feel different from any other city in Japan such as Tokyo or Osaka.  It feels more homey to me. I love how everything turns white covered with snow, so beautiful. The food is beyond delicious specially the seafood. They have the best grilled fresh scallop with the size of a plate.

I've been on a road trip from Sapporo, Otaru, Furano, Asahikawa and today in Mombetsu. I went for an ice breaker cruise which is an awesome experience. The weather was drop to -10°C during the cruise that I could hardly feel my nose. I'm heading to Akan Lake tomorrow and I'm going to enjoy Ainu performance at night. I'll write a proper blog post when I'm free. Cheers

Noboribetsu (Hell Valley)

yummy food

Ice Breaker Cruise in Mombetsu

OH ! by the way HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR !!!
Wishing you prosperity and happiness in the new year. Cheers :)


United Arab Emirates: A Glimpse of Dubai

Dubai, March 2012

After spending a day for a thrilling adventure on Dubai desert safari, I had 2 days left to explore Dubai. I decided to hire a driver with a car for a full day city tour. I find it very convenient and time saving when I don't have enough time to get lost in a city. I just need to tell him which places I want to go and he will arrange the best route for me. I was glad I did it though, no hassle to read the map nor which bus to catch under the scorching hot weather. I just need to enjoy the journey inside a car with AC. Bliss !
Because there's a saying....."when in Dubai, travel like a King" (Yeah, I created that one ) hehehe :p

Here's the photo essay of my Dubai city tour:

Jumeirah beach

Burj al Arab view from Madinat Jumeirah escapade

sudden urge for gold ? Easy! a 24 hours Gold ATM  :p

Atlantis the Palm Hotel

gigantic aquarium inside the Dubai Mall

dinner on a Dhow cruise

Dubai fountain, the biggest in the world

Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world

Dubai city at night

It's easy to apply the UAE visa online if you fly with Emirates. They even have a great offer for Dubai stopover package including visa, hotel and city tour. Please do check their website if you need more information.
PS: Emirates don't pay me to write this. It's based on my own experience

So, is Dubai on your bucket list?


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