Out of the blue, I decided to take my mom and Ray to an adventure.
But first, here's the background story!
I woke up at around 11 AM and was planning to visit the B * N *. I need to replace my card with an international card because I might go somewhere in the near future. But in the end, we didn't go there because the queue was long. So, we went to Wonosalam, a district nearby that's famous for its durian and cheap Kopi Luwak.
We have traveled to many places within the island and outside the island but strangely, we never visit this touristic area of town. It's located in the slope of Mt Anjasmoro and an hour drive from the city center. So, it was not really that far.
My mom and I did not know where to go. Our driver didn't know many places either but he recommended us to visit a ranch called " kanSa" it's an abbreviation of Kandang Sapi which in English means a cowshed.
" We can visit KanSa" suggested the driver.
" Wait what???" we asked puzzled.
" KanSa is Kandang Sapi" he replied and we had a hearty laugh.
On the way there, the clouds were getting darker. The weather was getting colder and the mountain was peeking behind the clouds. Having to see roofs daily and also other houses, that was a fresh view.
We think that the name was funny. My mom and I had the picture that the place would be a literal cowshed with literal mud, poo, and well real "nature" experience. However, once we reached the place, we were greeted by a nice "Suki & Grill" place.
"Hold on a minute, where do we go?" asked my mom.
" That's the ticket counter" said the driver.
The new normal banners are everywhere too.
Then, in the ticket counter there were some map about the tourist attractions in the city. I spent about 16 years living in this place before but only today I knew there were about 50 places worth visiting.
| Ticket Counter | Tourist attraction point map |
|---|---|
 |  |
We realized that to go to the place, we have to take the stairs down. The attraction is located 100 plus stairs away from above the ground. So, the location is located in a ravine.
" Alright, let's burn some calories" Ray was quite excited.
" Yeah, I mean we had a feast last night, we can walk down and up, as if we're hiking!" I said. But oh well, it was really exhausting.
When I bought the ticket, it said on the banner that fish pedicure is available and all inclusive. The ticket cost us 15.000 IDR which was a good deal for the amenities that the place offered.
We went down along with three other tourist from the capital of the province. They were about to have durian feast. But before visiting, they decided to visit KanSa.
We went to look around and was amazed that it was not actually a literal cowshed. I got to see some cute bunnies in their castle.
At first, we thought we couldn't get into that cagey place. So, we just went exploring around the place and spotted a cow statue and a mini waterboom.
To be honest, I think that durian looks like an illustration of coronavirus. Unfortunately, we didn't bring swim suit. I mean, I would love to swim had I know this "cowshed" had a mini waterboom.
We followed the path that led us to a small pool with a sign, " Terapi Ikan" or "fish therapy". Only after visiting that place, I know that Fish Therapy or Pedicures are banned in some countries. It was also considered as fad beauty practice. Even in the US, CDC wrote a guidelines and information about Fish Pedicures and Fish Spas and the list of states where it's banned. When I spotted that, I was not trying it but Ray and my mom were so excited about it. They dipped their feet without a second thought.
My mom and Ray were giggling so loud because they felt ticklish. It attracted some people attention and they decided to check on us.
Eventually some more visitors dipped their feet and tried it. They were giggling in excitement and I tried it out as well. I couldn't stand the fishes. In the end, we all wiped and sanitize our feet with alcohol and ionic water.
" You look healthy" said a stranger to Ray
" Why?"
" Look at how many fishes comes to me instead to you" said the visitor to Ray. He just laughed and I decided to explore more places.
The path took me to stairs that led to the river. I stayed there for sometime and wanting to explore further. But since it was a bit dark and I am scared of potential snake, I went up. Then my mom decided to take a break in one of the small huts.
It was typical of my mom. She always brings snacks in her purse even I said not to. In that tiny box, she brought chocolates and some snacks that I didn't eat at home.
After sitting down, we decided to go up again and explored another area in this place. We found out that visitors can enter the rabbit cage and feeding them.
So, I bought two carrots that cost 5K or 5000IDR/carrot. It was expensive but since it seemed fun, we tried it anyway.
The rabbit looked ravenous. Ray made an assumption that they weren't properly feed. We hope that was not the case!
It was difficult leaving the rabbit cage. We were afraid that they might escape. Honestly, I would not mind buying one of them but my mom said I would not be able and responsible enough to clean their poo.
Where's the cow then?
So basically the cow is located above the rabbit's castle. It was a bit hidden. But I went in and spotted some cows. They were being cleaned and about to get their afternoon meal.
The calf looked so cute. I posted the picture in Wonosalam Archive: Durian, Rabbits, & Nature
After that visit, we chilled in the cafe drinking fresh milk and juice which was reasonably priced given the place and the atmosphere. It was refreshing to see the view from above the ground and a hill nearby.
After that, we visited a Durian Hill and a cafe where we had some durian drinks. Then, we went home visiting the famous eating place in this area. It's called Rawon Rosobo.
Ever since I was a kid, exploring the famous culinary from that particular place is a must. Food also contributes in creating a distinction between each places in Indonesia. It is also a marker of the culture and the people in it. Overall, food is also a part of a culture. If you want to truly taste the culture, then eat the famous meal from that place that is often run from multiple generations.
That meal above is called Rames. It's basically a mix of rice, meat, pickled cucumber and also fried potatoes. However that place was famous for Rawon, an indonesian beef soup which uses black keluak nut originated from Surabaya. You can not find this meal in other places in Indonesia unless it's said "east javanese restaurant" or a generic Indonesian restaurant.
I visited that places when I was a kid with my family. My paternal family loved that place and will always go there. I remembered that those place was a small and shabby. But now, that place looks really cool with indoor fish pool and well-arranged table.
After eating there, we went home. On the way the sky was beautiful and I decided to capture it while on the moving vehicle. I told my mom that I wanted to recreate the feel into one of my latest drawing. I love painting the sky and I am always mesmerized by it. Whenever I gaze through it, I realized that there's so much more out there.
That was it folks. Lately, I have bitten by travel bugs and my mom told me to wait until the festive month is over so we can go far instead just to town nearby. Besides, the weather is a bit scary too. Just yesterday there was an earthquake in town 2 hours from our place. Maybe I need to isolate myself and try to deal with my travel bug itch by visiting cafes nearby.
