(3) AROUND BOULEVARD STREET & MANADO TOWN SQUARE

Puas nikmatin sunset, kita jalan-jalan di sekitar jalan Boulevard. Ternyata kegiatan-kegiatan orang local Manado di sekitar jalan Boulevard ini juga cukup menarik. Anak-anak kecil lincah banget berenang dan menyelam kayak ikan ngerebutinn koin-koin yang dilempar turis-turis ke laut. Nongkrong dan nonton anak-anak muda Manado pada maen basket. Naahh…yang paling menarik perhatian gue, ada seorang anak laki-laki ditemani adiknya yang asyik ngelukis keindahan sunset dan Manado tua sore itu. Tadinya gue pikir dia ngerjain tugas sekolah, tapi ternyata dia melukis untuk dijual.

Enough enjoy sunset, we walk around Boulevard’s street. Activities of Manado people around the street it turned out very interested. Some kid very energetic and expert swimming and diving in the sea to catch coins which was throw away by tourists. Sit and watch together some guys played basket ball. Then… the most interesting from my attention… there was a boy accompany by his sister paint the beautiful sunset and Manado Tua. I though he was doing his school work, but it turned out he was painting for sell.

Sambil nunggu Max dateng untuk dinner bareng, kita nongkrong di salah satu café-café kecil di sepanjang pantai Boulevard. Ternyata Max dateng dengan Wiesye istrinya. Kita dinner di salah satu restaurant di Boulevard yang menyediakan masakan-masakan seafood khas Manado. Gila…baru hari pertama makan di Manado sudah memalukan … he he he he …semua makanan dilalap habis. Wuueenak tenan…..

While we were waiting Max come for dinner with us, we sit down at the one of small café a long boulevard beach. Max came with his wife Wiesye. We took dinner at one of the restaurant which serves Manado sea food at the Boulevard Street. Crazy … in the first day at Manado we ate so much food and not ashamed …he he he he … Oisii…very delicious!

Selesai dinner, Max & Wiesye langsung balik ke Tomohon, sedangkan kita berdua nerusin jalan ke Manado Town Square, mall paling gede di Manado. Nggak ada niatan belanja sih … just pengen tahu aja kayak apa sih suasana mall di sini. Ternyata dimana-mana namanya mall sama aja …he he he he he….Yang ada kita malah foto session di mall ….ha ha ha ha ha…. Jarang-jarang bisa photo di mall :-) Puas ngelilingi mall, kita langsung balik ke hotel. Ternyata nyari transport ke Santika hotel penuh dengan perjuangan. Nggak ada taxi yang masih beroperasi. Yang ada ganti taxi-taxi gelap yang harganya amazing muahalnya. Tapi seru juga bergerilya nyari transport yang harganya murah. Karena kegigihan kita berdua, akhirnya menang juga kita dalam strategi tawar menawar harga he he he he…

After dinner, Max and Wiesye direct to go home to Tomohon and we are still walking to Manado Town Square, the biggest shopping center in Manado. Don’t have any plan to go shopping … just wanna know, how the situation of the mall in here. Apparently mall in everywhere is same…he he he he he … Finally we did photo session in the mall … ha ha ha ha … not so often can get chance to take picture in mall :-) Satisfied going around in the mall, we went back to the hotel. Apparently it’s very difficult to get transportation to Santika hotel. There is no taxi operate anymore. There is only illegal transportation which very amazing expensive price. But we were exciting to find and bargain for the cheap price. Then finally we won because we never gave up …he he he he….

(2) BOULEVARD

Perjalanan dari Bali ke Manado makan waktu lumayan lama kurang lebih sekitar 3 jam terbang dari Bali plus transit 1 jam di Makasar. Albert nyampe satu jam lebih dulu dari gue. Beruntung dia karena Lion Air ada flight pagi dan direct dari Jakarta ke Manado. Sementara dari Bali pesawat pagi cuma ada Garuda dan harus transit di Makasar. Pesawat mendarat di Bandara Sam Ratulangi sekitar jam 13.30 siang. Gue nggak nyangka ternyata hotel Santika yang kita booking cukup jauh dari airport dan kota Manado. Butuh waktu satu jam perjalanan naik mobil. Untung gue berhasil dapet free transfer return dari airport ke hotel … he he he he he … kebayang berapa duit kalo naik taxi. Begitu nyampe hotel, Albert langsung jemput gue di lobby. Waahh…hisashiburi! lama nggak ketemu, penampilannya dah berubah banyak.

Flying to Manado from Bali take around 3 hours plus an hour transit at Makasar. Albert arrived an hour faster than me. He was lucky there is a morning direct flight from Jakarta to Manado by Lion Air in the morning. Meanwhile from Bali only Garuda and have to transit at Makasar. My flght arrived in Sam Ratulangi Airport around 13.30 pm. I didn’t guess that the Santika hotel which I booked is so far from the airport and the city. It take an hour drive car. Lucky us, I got free transfer airport-hotel return ...he he he he he…imagine how much I have to spend if I use taxi. Albert met me in the lobby when I arrived to hotel. Aahhh…. Hisasiburi! Long time not see, his style much changed.

Selesai naruh luggage gue di kamar, kita langsung ikut Shuttle car hotel ke kota Manado. Kita diturunin di depan shopping center di jalan Boulevard. Jalan Boulevard adalah jalan raya sepanjang pantai di pusat kota Manado. Tempat ini sangat terkenal dengan keindahan sunset-nya, apalagi dinikmati sambil minum kopi dan ngedering musik di café-café sepanjang pantai. Very colorful! … Sooo … Fantastic! Kita berfoto ria disini dengan gaya yang aneh-aneh dan Albert ngasih nama photo-photo kita “Makan Matahari".

After bring my luggage in the room, we direct go to the city by hotel shuttle car. The Shuttle drop us in front of the shopping center at Boulevard Street. Boulevard Street is a main street a long the beach in the center of Manado city. The beach is very famous with the gorgeous sunset view, moreover enjoy it with a cup of coffee and listen to the music in the cafes around the beach. Very colorful! … Sooo…Fantastic! We took some nice picture in here with funny style and Albert called the picture “Eat the Sunset”.

(1) A PROMISE

"Suatu hari nanti aku pasti sampai ke Tanah Manado. Aku janji, tapi nggak tahu kapan. Jadi jangan ditunggu." Itu janji gue sama Max Leonardo, temanku training di Campus Danamon sepuluh tahun yang lalu. Max orang Manado. Dia selalu cerita tentang betapa indahnya kampung halamannya. Aku nggak pernah lupa bagaimana lezatnya masakan-masakan Manado kiriman istrinya Max, yang dalam sekejam tak bersisa diserbu rame-rame.

“One day I am going to Manado. I promise, but don’t know when. So don’t wait”. It’s my promise to Max Leonardo, my friend when we were training together ten years ago at Danamon Bank Campus at Ciawi – Bogor city. Max came from Manado. He always told me how beautifully his home town. I never forget how delicious Manado foods from his wife and all finished in only couple minute by me and others.

Gue nggak nyangka setelah 10 tahun akhirnya gue terbang juga ke Manado. Rencana semula gue traveling bareng sahabat gue dari Australia, David sama Terry. Sayangnya rencana mereka ke Indonesia batal. Sempet rada kecewa juga waktu itu. Tapi ternyata Tuhan punya rencana lain. Dia ngasih gue temen jalan yang lebih seru dan rame.

I don’t guess after ten years finally I fly to Manado. First plan I will traveling with my best friend David and Terry from Australia. Unfortunately their plan to Indonesia cancelled. But apparently God has another plan. He gave me another more fun and exciting travel friend.

Lama juga gue nggak ketemu Albert, teman baik gue waktu kerja di Danamon. Mungkin sekitar 3 atau 4 tahunan. Setiap ketemu sama dia selalu ada aja acara ngisengin orang, bercanda dan ketawa terus sepanjang waktu. Rasanya hidup ini nggak pernah susah kalo ada dia. Nggak tahu kenapa waktu lagi ngobrol ditelpon, tiba-tiba iseng ngajak Albert jalan bareng ke Manado. Gue pikir tadinya dia nggak interest soalnya dia bilang liat schedule dulu. Tapi sehari kemudian dia telpon gue dan bilang ok dengan tanggal yang gue tawarin pas hari raya kemerdekaan.

Long time I didn’t see Albert, my best friend when I work for Danamon Bank. May be around 3 or 4 years.. Every time we met, there was always annoying somebody for fun, joking and laughing all the time. There is always happiness when we with him. I didn’t know the reason why suddenly I asked him to go to Manado with me. I just asked without really caring about the answer. I thought he wasn’t interesting due to he only said I’ll see my schedule. But … finally the day after he called me and said ok with the date which I offered, same day with Indonesia independent day.

So gue mulai lagi sibuk bergerilya nyari ticket murah, compliment hotel, mobil rental, juga ngehubungi temen gue Max untuk bantu merencanakan liburan gue sama Albert. Tadinya Albert cuek banget, sedangkan gue sibuk kirim e-mail kesana kemari, maupun request complimentary or special prices untuk harga hotel dan paket diving. Dia surprise banget waktu gue bisa dapetin harga paket scuba diving sehari di NDC Resort dan harga kamar di hotel Santika include breakfast yang super duper murah plus transfer in-out airport-hotel-airport gratis. Then akhirnya dia pun ikut exciting bantuin gue hunting gratisan…he he he he… Ini keuntungannya kerja di the most famous and expensive travel agent in the world…he he he he…. Lucunya saking kita excitingnya nyiapin nih liburan … sampai-sampai kebawa mimpi. Gue mimpi tahu-tahu acara liburannya udah selesai dan nggak inget kemana aja selama di Manado. Sedangkan Albert mimpi ketinggalan pesawat ….hi hi hi hi hi …gokil banget ya….

So I start again to hunted a cheap ticket to Manado, hotel compliment, car rental, and also contact my friend Max to help make an itinerary for me and Albert. Before Albert very cool and don’t care, while I am busy sending e-mails, request hotel and tour package for complimentary or special price. He very surprised when I can get very cheap price for a day package scuba diving at NDC Resort and room at Santika Hotel include free complimentary breakfast and transfer in-out airport-hotel-airport. Then finally he starts join to help me to hunting free accommodation … ha ha ha ha …I am lucky working in the most famous and expensive travel agent in world…ha ha ha ha…. The funny thing, we are to exciting to prepare our holiday, it makes us dreaming about our holiday. I dreamed that the holiday had finish already and I didn’t remember how the holiday. And Albert dream that he left the flight …ha ha ha ha ….so funny and strange ya….