Around the world, but not to Mecca and Medina

Unfinished journey (169)

(Part one hundred and sixty-nine, Depok, West Java, Indonesia, December 27, 2014, 1:43 pm)

Around the world, but not to Mecca and Medina

In little time, especially my childhood especially school holidays, which usually falls in the month of Ramadan, in 1965-1970 I was more in the forest with my grandmother and grandfather in the forest upstream Wain, Balikpapan, East Kalimantan.

When it during the holidays sometimes I come grandmother farming rice and corn, while occasionally come hunting deer and deer into the woods.

Sometimes I fish in the river Wain located next to Grandma's house, river water Wain when it was clean and lots of fish.

So, I when it was due to bathe and frolic with the environment that is still virgin forest, there are still plenty of benign python hanging on a tree branch, and of course there are many maih rambutan and durian forest (Kalimantan people called Elai) which we learn only from the forest, because there is no owner, is already there since hundreds of years earlier.

Anyway we will not starve, do not need no money to buy fruit, or eat meat (deer), as the city. So because of this flurry of fun with no thought or terbesit in mind the ideals saw another village or town or country perge to other than Indonesia.

The first time I was out of the country occurred in early 1982, after I retired as a civil servant in the Ministry of Education and Culture (1978-1982), I intend to pursue graduate studies at California State University, Fresno, USA, after a three-year credit transfer college of National University (UNAS).

I delivered both parents and the whole family brother and sister on a plane Japan Air Lines (JAL) of Perdakusumah Halim Airport, East Jakarta.

This is the first step I felt seeing the country, from Jakarta is my layover in Singapore, but I just stopped at the airport for three hours, before changing other JAL plane that would take me to Tokyo, before heading back to San Francisco, California.

After seeing the atmosphere of Changi Airport, Singapore, that's how I started stunned when the other countries already so advanced leave Indonesia, Changi large and technologically sophisticated versatile and many scattered shops in it of course leave Halim Perdana Kusuma that nothing what- what. When it Halim Perdana Kusuma is International Airport in Jakarta, while Kemayoran Airport is a domestic airport

After three hours at Changi Airport and satisfied look at the shops at the airport, I then flew to Tokyo, after a few hours I arrived at Narita Airport, Japan.

Because it must wait six hours replace other JAL plane bound for San Francisco, we diistrahatkan at Hotel Nikko Narita, near the airport. Apparently every JAL passengers in transit to other countries liberated living (free of charge) to stay at Nikko Narita maximum of three days. So I decided to postpone my departure to San Francisco, so I could enjoy the city of Tokyo.

January apparently still winter in Japan, so fortunately I had to bring a jacket for the winter and gloves, so I can enjoy the sightseeing of Tokyo, especially as much tourist area.

Here is the second time after seeing Changi airport I saw sophistication and cleanliness of buildings and skyscrapers in the city of Tokyo, which is of course when it is already far behind Indonesia (Jakarta) that when it is dirty and not many skyscrapers and malls.

After three days in Japan I went on a flight to San Francisco, on arrival at the airport in San Francisco, I was changing planes Air California, which brings me to the city of Fresno, at the airport I've picked up Mrs. Dee and Mr. Bob Stump, forster Parent, Family In Fresno , which would accommodate me some sort of boarding house, during my lecture in Fresno. In rimah Bob Stump is my one room with Noboru Furuya, student from Kyoto, Japan who majored in Cinematography at California State University, Fresno. One more Abdul Latif student from Kuwait, which he said would take the pilot school. Latif then flew to London, England to actually co-opted pilot school there.

Well, lecture in Fresno usually divided into four semesters, two regular semesters, one short semester (winter) and Summer semesters.

At the time of the summer semester is mostly students use it for a vacation. So am I. By purchasing a Grey Hound bus tickets, season tickets are valid for two months for approximately US $ 200 (when the exchange rate was USD 500 per 1 US $), I was traveling to visit the cities in the United States.

Berlin Wall

I start from the city of Fresno to Los Angeles, in the city of Los Angeles, I took myself to Disney Land, once satisfied in Los Angeles, I set off again kekota Phoenic and Tucson in Arizona, from here I went to the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, and down to the city of El Paso, on the city's border with Mexico I went into town Jiudad Juaraez, Mexico, is a city in Mexico's suasanya somewhat different than the United States, in Mexico a little more rundown.

From El Paso me to Texas, stopped by the city of Dallas, and saw the museum when President Kennedy was shot in the city, before proceeding to the city of Houston.

From Houston I headed Oklahoma city, Oklahoma before continuing to several other cities, among others, the city of Memphis, Tennessee, stop by and visit Graceland, the residence of singer Elvis Presley, and then to the capital of the United States, Washington DC.

Pleased to see the various tourist locations in Washington, DC, as the National Minumen (as Monas in Jakarta), I went to Philadelphia, the first capital city in the United States, and had stopped to Temple University and see the bells of independence in this city.

From here I went to New York, and this is where I have to sleep (stay) in Youths Hotel, the rooms can be ten people, paki cots, special hotel overnight when the learner is US $ 10. But the place is clean and because of the room occupied by the youth of foreign countries, then we leave valuables in the front office.

During the last trip I always sleep on the bus, or if you want a bath, shower in each of the bus station, which has a locker (storage of goods) that is the key, we pay using coins, and the bathroom was also clean.

After a few days, already saw the statue of Libery, when we get to the top (the head of the Statue of Liberty), and also menhunjungi World Trade Centre (WTC), which when it was still intact, and become a tourist object.

From New York, I through state in the North, from Indiana Polis, Chicagho, Settle, Washington, new back down to Fresno, after a few days stopover in San Fancisco, enjoy the Golden Gate and eat crab in culinary seaside town.

From the city of San Francisco to Los Angeles when we drive a private car we can enjoy the beauty of the beaches and cliffs along the way.

The end of 1983, returned to Indonesia, I also repeated the same route back riding JAL, also stopped in Tokyo for three days, when it was to me to Jakarta Halim regulation Kusuma airport.

After a break of a month in Jakarta I applied to Tempo magazine as correctors, when it was also with me to take the test Edy Soetriono that apply so Copy Editor.

But after a few months there is a vacancy in the Antara News Agency as a reporter (reporter), 1984, and after this I kept wrestling for 30 years as a reporter (editor), ranging from Antara, Magazine Economic Prospects, Media Indonesia daily, magazine D & R, Business Week, Radio Singapore International (RSI), the Beijing Oristar media, English newspaper The point to online media Asatunews, I covered a wide range of places that the Indonesia from Aceh to Papua, from the Americas, Australia, Asia, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia , the Middle East, Oman, to Continental Europe, among others, Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, Hungary, and Spain

In this world, I am grateful to God almighty creator On, I was given the opportunity to see the condition of our own people and other nations, but as said a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad, the best of the trip was visiting the city of Medina and Mecca, Saudi Arabia (pilgrimage Umrah and Hajj) .

This is what I have not felt his experience, although when sya to Muscat, Oman, I was ready to bring clothes ihrom (men-in-law heritage) and Umrah visas free of Saudi Arabian embassy in Jakarta, but when it was my lack of money of US $ 100 dollars, so that I could fly from Muscat - Jeddah PP. I apparently did not sustenance.