Day 2 started with breakfast at Soto Jalan Bank. I can see a pattern here which takes place annually... it's almost like a ritual every year - somehow we'll always go to Soto Jalan Bank on the following morning after our arrival. But well.. no complaints.... I'm OK with Soto Jalan Bank. Just look at that photo, it sure tastes as good as it looks.
Soto Jalan Bank, a very nice rainy day treat - RX100 Mk3
After breakfast we took the kids to Moro to purchase some hamsters.
This is Moro - Galaxy A8+
We got 4 hamsters, 3 local Roborovskis and a common variant that looked like a panda. They reminded me of the days when I and my sister used to keep our own hamsters too. The kids were super excited. The day passed very quickly and soon it was time for dinner at Ayam Goreng Kalibogor.
Our Dinner - RX100 Mk3
I'm very cautious when eating in Kalibogor, because the main signature dish which is the fried chicken is very well known to be a bit too salty at times. But no doubt, Ayam Goreng Kalibogor is still the best fried chicken restaurant in Purwokerto.
On the following day we went for breakfast at another well known old restaurant, Cahaya Mas. The interior looks very dated here.. But the signature noodle is good. Clearly if a restaurant has been around for such a long time, it must be a testament to their excellent food.
Inside Cahaya Mas Restaurant - Galaxy A8+
What we came for was this bowl of noodles - Galaxy A8+
After that breakfast, we went back to Moro to exchange the hamster cage, because the initial one we got was too small for the 4 little rodents and the water dispenser was leaking very badly. So we also got a better water dispenser with ball bearings to stop the flow when the hamsters are not sucking the small dispenser pipe.
A Hamster Doing a Meerkat Stand - RX100 Mk3
The New, Bigger Cage - RX100 Mk3
And This Little Fella Cozied Up to The New Cage Pretty Quickly - RX100 Mk3
Another Little Fella Feeding on a Carrot Slice - RX100 Mk3 -> This One Was Taken by Lincoln
After that "exchange" trip, we went for lunch with my wife's best friend at Korean Garden. I was pleasantly surprised to dine in an authentic Korean restaurant in Purwokerto no less. Even the duty manager was a Korean lady who's proficient in Indonesian. Simply amazing....
Authentic Korean Food in Purwokerto - RX100 Mk3
The dishes were unmistakably authentic Korean, even down to the cutlery and grilling equipment. The taste, while authentic has been adjusted to the local palates, incorporating a slight degree of sweetness in their dishes such as the tteokbokki soup and japchae to name a few. Even their kimchi was not very sour as compared to the ones in Singapore. Just look at that smorgasbord of appetizers, grilled meat, japchae and dipping sauces. It was a very nice heavy lunch.
Our Spread at Korean Garden - RX100 Mk3
After that pleasant lunch we went to Society Coffee House for some hipster coffee experience. Had we gone straight home I guess we would just sleep, which is not good after a heavy lunch. Society Coffee House is a very fancy cafe in Purwokerto with quite a good coffee selection, although in my opinion Kabinet in Surabaya is still far better - while not acidic, I found there's a strong burnt aftertaste in their coffee. Not good, but not bad either, definitely above average. Perhaps the proprietor of the cafe need to refine their roasting technique. The cafe has a very stylish interior which no doubt makes it very popular among the youngsters in Purwokerto.
Lush Industrial Interior - RX100 Mk3
The Counter Area - RX100 Mk3
View From The Entrance - RX100 Mk3
The Counter Area From Another Angle - RX100 Mk3
And Yeah, These 2 Kids Really Know How to Chill Like Mini Bosses - RX100 Mk3
For dinner we went to a noodle house called Mie Kelinci III Pasar Baru. This noodle shop is another amazing find on this trip. The noodles here give Cahaya Mas a good run for their money.
Another Excellent Noodle Dish, Mie Kelinci III Pasar Baru - RX100 Mk3
On the last day, nothing much happened. I took the kids to Rita Mall to kill time and then for dinner we went to Meteor Cafe for good Chinese food. After dinner we headed back home and I started packing for my return trip. Finally at about 23:30 I left for the train station. It was quite wet due to a slight rain earlier.
Wet Evening - RX100 Mk3
Inside the station, there were quite a lot of people waiting for their trains to arrive too.
People Waiting For Their Train to Arrive - RX100 Mk3
Boarding Pass Scanning Area - RX100 Mk3
And finally, I just decided to wait near the platform area.
Waiting For Bima - RX100 Mk3
The Other Side of The Station - RX100 Mk3
Bima, was 22 minutes late, arriving at slightly after 0100......
I never liked midnight trips because I have trouble sleeping on trains, aeroplanes, etc.... This time was no different. I only managed less than an hour of sleep during the 5 hours journey, so when I arrived in Jakarta I felt like I was "flying", my head felt so light from the lack of sleep. After hopping on board a Blue Bird Taxi, checked in at Terminal 3, I could finally close my eyes for a while in the waiting area.
Apparently The Gentleman at Bottom Right Corner Needed Sleep Like Me - RX100 Mk3
And finally, it was time to board the plane back to Singapore.
Inside GA830 - Galaxy A8+
And that was how my 5 day trip to Purwokerto came to pass. My wife and the kids did not join me as they would be returning much later.
Here's a closing shot for the 2nd part of this story:
Jalur 2 to Jakarta, always - RX100 Mk3
~ Photos taken with Sony RX100 Mk3 & Samsung Galaxy A8+ ~
No comments:
Post a Comment