(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….