EDU HOSTEL JOGJA: Awesome Place, Great Service and Unforgettable Moments

Finally home! I've been waiting almost a week to write this post, and now I'm going to write it, I mean I'm going to type it. LOL!

I work in Pare, Kampung Inggris (but you can call it English Village, it sounds more International, right? Hahaha!), I teach English there, of course. I took day off for this period, because my parents are going to go to Mecca this early January, so I had to go home. But, before I went home, I decided to go to Jogja first, because I got a problem with my heart (not literally heart, but "heart", something that human use to feel happiness, sadness, pain, joy, love, hate, etc), and I thought I need a little holiday, so I chose Jogja. And I heard Jogja has a good hostel named Edu, I was really curious. I've googled it, and I was amazed. It would be awesome! I went there by train, it was cheap, only Rp. 50K from Kediri to Jogja. I asked Gita (my friend who stays in Solo to join with me).

Arrived in Lempuyangan station at 7 PM, I directly went to Edu by ojeg. When I got there, WOW, there were soooooo many students! Yes, I forgot it was school holiday season #huft but, it was still okay. Edu has cute interior design in all of its rooms. I love it! My room was in 223. It was a female dorm, we should share the room with other people, every room has 6 beds, it's bunkbed. That was my first time, I was really excited! There were 3 girls in the room when I arrived. Leslie from America (she's from California, she's cute and I bet she's good in dancing!), Danielle and Christina from Germany (I didn't talk a lot with them). Hmm, it was nice to meet them.

The Lobby

Female Dorm 223

The next day, The Germanies left the hostel, maybe they were going to Bali. Oh ya, we should pay Rp. 90K/bed include breakfast. And OMG, Edu's rooftop is the best thing ever there! We can see Jogja from there. That's my first favorite spot, and the second is The Lesehan where you can gather with other guests, use the wifi, watch TV or play games. Damn cool! And you guys should go to rooftop in the night, the city view is awesomely beautiful, I love Jogja's city light. I ate my breakfast at rooftop too, ah I love this place a lot!

Jogja in The Morning from Edu's Rooftop

The City Light, Still from Rooftop

Too Beautiful to Describe

Okay, I'm Speechless

I and Gita with Our Faces

Lesehan, A Spot to Share Our Togetherness

Another Cute Spot in Edu Hostel

After Danielle and Christina left the room, another girl from Germany came, her name is Luise. She's a nice girl. That was her first time to Indonesia, she also brought a thick book about Southeast Asia, it was Lonely Planet book if I'm not mistaken. And Indonesia has the thickest chapter, how cool! I, her and Gita went to Taman Sari Water Castle on 23 of December. Actually, that was my second time went there, and I still remembered the stories about that place, so they didn't have to pay a guide LOL. After that, we walked to Animal Market, Gosh, we walked really far! It was like my knees were going to break!

The Pool of Taman Sari Water Castle

(Left to Right) Luise, Gita and Me

Colorful Chicks in Animal Market

Whoaa it was a tiring day! We went back to Edu, I and Gita would go to Solo. We had to say good bye to Luise and Leslie. Leslie would go to Bali, and Luise would stay in Jogja because she wanted to visit Borobudur and after that she would go to Bromo and Bali. I and Gita bought postcards for them, it was a proof that we were really happy to know them. I wish they would enjoy their holiday in Indonesia.

Luise, Leslie, Gita and Me in The Lobby

Well, guys, I wanna tell you something. Before I booked a bed in Edu, I read many reviews about it. Did you know? I found some bad reviews about that hostel. They said that the service in Edu was disappointing, they also said that they found bed bugs in the room. But when I stayed there, those bad things didn't happen to me. I think they were wrong, maybe those insects were brought from their bags or something, because in my opinion, Edu is a clean hostel, I found nothing in my room, even in my bed. I slept well there. So that's a wrap, the conclusion is I feel really satisfied with Edu Hostel, everything went well, their services, the staffs, facilities, everything was great! They don't pay me to post this, I post it because I want to. Seriously guys, if you wanna stay in a cozy hostel with affordable price, just come to Edu. I will back there one day, maybe with my family!

EDU Hostel Jogja:

Jalan Let Jen Suprapto No. 17
Ngampilan, Yogyakarta
55261 – Indonesia
Tel: (+62) 274-543 295
Fax: (+62) 274-543 495
BB Pin: 24D1F1DC

A Month with Mr.Bob Pare

Good morning, everybody! How's liiiiiife?

"GREAT, EXCELLENT, HIYEEYY!"

Tanggal 9 September 2014, jam 3.14 AM gue udah duduk manis sambil menggigil di Stasiun Solo Balapan, sendirian pula. Bukan, bukan, gue bukan porter di stasiun! Enak aja! Hari itu gue mau ke Kediri, naik kereta Malabar. Tujuan utama gue bukan Kediri sih sebenernya, tapi Pare. Tau dong Pare? Iya, sayuran yang paitnya luar biasa itu. Tapi, Pare yang gue maksud bukan Pare yang itu, coy. Pare or Mojokuto is a town in the Kediri regency (kebupaten) within the province of East Java, Indonesia (kata Wikipedia).

Hari gini masih ada aja loh yang ngga tau Pare itu apa dan dimana. Guys, di Pare tuh ada Kampung Inggris yang udah terkenal banget keles! Masih ngga tau juga soal Kampung Inggris? Oh my God, where have you been? Where do you live? Is there any internet access in your place? Kampung Inggris ada di Pare, disana ada ratusan lembaga kursus Bahasa Inggris. Kalian bisa pilih sesuai kebutuhan kalian, mulai dari writing, speaking, sampe TOEFL dan IELTS. Lengkap banget! Mahal? ENGGA, guys! Pilihan harganya bersahabat di kantong dan dompet! Soal tempat tinggal juga ngga usah khawatir, disana banyak camp dan kost-kostan yang murah meriah ganjreng kok.

Nah, pertengahan Agustus gue udah daftar di salah satu kursusan yang ada di Kampung Inggris, gue ambil paket satu bulan sekalian sama campnya. Apalah artinya belajar Bahasa Inggris tanpa praktek? Nothing! Kenapa gue pilih ngecamp? Karena di camp kita harus banget ngomong pake Bahasa Inggris. Ngga ada yang susah kalo kita mau usaha, guys! Gue join di Mr. Bob. Mereka bilang, mereka spesialis speaking English dan ahlinya dongkrak pede. Masa sih? Makanya, baca terus tulisan gue wkwkwk!

Cara daftar ke Mr. Bob (source: BobKayaRaya.com)

Jam 9 AM gue sampe di officenya Mr. Bob, Jalan Brawijaya 137 Pare. Ketemu sama Mas Agung, akhirnya gue disuruh stay di Apple House alias Camp 7. Mas Agung bilang disana ada wifi! Horay! Hari gini rasanya hampa kalo idup tanpa wifi. Abis itu, gue dianter Mas Muis ke Camp 7. Disana ada lima cewek, dan satu ibu-ibu. Waduh, awkward bener pas baru dateng.

Singkat cerita, lengkap sudah semua member yang stay di Camp 7. Totalnya ada 23 orang: gue, Tenia, Gita, Farida, Reza, Lusi, Billa, Apil, Maria, Fatim, Anis, Avin, Izza, Nia, Hilma, Lida, Shinta, Dina, Fara, Bunga, Iklil, Amel, sama Elly. Tutor disana namanya Rara. Tiap jam 5 AM ada jadwal Morning Club di camp. Suasana tiap pagi tuh rame banget. Bayangin aja, sebagian dari member biasanya sengaja bangun dari jam 4, biar pada kebagian mandi sebelom Morning Club dimulai. Kamar mandi di atas cuma ada dua, di bawah ada satu, cuma PR banget kalo harus turun dulu cuma buat mandi pagi buta gitu. Gila, ngangenin banget loh rusuh pagi-pagi sebelom dan sesudah Morning Club tuh. Ada aja yang teriak "I take a bath in big bathroom!" atau "I'm in the small bathroom!" atau "Who's inside? Don't take too long!".

Happy Saturday 6 - 8 AM

Camp 7!

Member Camp 7 periode 10 Sept - 10 Okt (tutor campnya also) tuh crazy, yet lovely. I love them. They're such a new family for me. We shared many things together, we slept together, we ate together, we went to class together. A day without them feels so weird. A day without their craziness feels so strange. They were annoying and they talked too loud, but I miss them now.

Spent our first weekend to Prigi Beach

Went to Bromo on our 3rd weekend

Chilled out to Kediri for our last weekend

Gue masih bakal balik ke Pare lagi sih 12 Oktober nanti, tapi kali ini ngga stay di Camp 7 lagi. Sebagian member juga masih di Pare, tapi ya sama juga, kita udah ngga bareng-bareng di satu camp, ada yang pindah ke kostan soalnya. Sedih ngga bisa bareng-bareng geletakan di ruang TV lagi, ngga ada lagi yang teriak-teriak rebutan kamar mandi. Tapi yang paling penting masih bisa liat sebagian dari mereka tiap hari lah, daripada engga sama sekali.

So, gue sarananin kalo kalian pengen pede ngomong Bahasa Inggris kayak bule-bule, cus eym daftar ke Mr.Bob se-ce-pat-nya! Pilih sekalian sama campnya. Disana kalian ngga cuma belajar Bahasa Inggris, tapi ketemu sama tutor-tutor yang gokil, tapi juga menginspirasi loh! Tiap Selasa atau Rabu malem ada Confidence Show, tiap camp harus nampilin speech atau role play. Seru pake banget, guys! Belajar Bahasa Inggris jadi fun banget bareng Mr. Bob, ini bukan iklan berbayar loh, gue udah buktiin sendiri dan it works on me!

Confidence Show: Show your confidence!

"I don't wanna get sin because I let you speak Bahasa you know!" -Rara

Farewell Party :(

Masuk Lorong Waktu di Jogja

Hello there, the Angel from my nightmare...

Ahahahaha becanda coy becanda.

Sekarang gue pengen sedikit berbagi cerita soal pengalaman jalan-jalan ke Jogja kemaren.

Urusan skripsi dengan dosen pembimbing yang punya tingkat kesibukan tinggi dan sering keluar kota kadang emang berpotensi bikin kita stress. Diem di kostan bikin galau, main ke mall udah bosen, enaknya ngapain lagi ya? *Triing* Tiba-tiba gue dapet ide buat take a little escape to Jogja. Jalan-jalan di sepanjang Malioboro sampe komplek Taman Budaya kayaknya seru, selama tinggal di Solo belom pernah juga gue main ke Museum-museum di Jogja situ. Tapi...kalo jalannya cuma sendirian bakal krik banget ga sih? Gue butuh partner, akhirnya gue whatsapp si Gita, temen kostan gue. Dia mau diajak jalan, kami sepakat buat berangkat naik kereta Sriwedari non-AC jam 10.10 dari Solo ke Jogja, terus pulangnya naik Sriwedari AC jam 17.45. Yay!

Jumat, 25 April 2014

Gue janjian berangkat jam 09.00 sama Gita, biar bisa sarapan dulu sebelum berangkat ke Jogja. Tempat sarapan yang paling enak dan lokasinya deket stasiun ya apalagi kalo bukan Selat Vien's. Gue pesen selat iga sama es teh (just so you know, itu baru jam 09.15 tapi panasnya udah kayak jam 12.00, ewww apa kabar panasnya Jogja?). Semuanya 11.000 aja, perut kenyang hati senang. Selesai makan kami langsung ke Solo Balapan, beli tiket 6.000 perorang. Asiikkk, masih dapet tempat duduk, at least ga cape-cape berdiri dan bisa ngumpulin tenaga buat jalan kaki ntar di Jogja wahahahah!

*Perjalanan ke Jogja*

Jam 11.30 kami sampe di Stasiun Yogyakarta a.k.a Stasiun Tugu. Dari situ udah gampang banget kalo mau ke Malioboro, tinggal jalan kaki keluar stasiun, terus nyebrang, langsung deh masuk di kawasan Malioboro. Tujuan pertama mau makan eskrim dulu, cocok lah di cuaca yang sepanas ini makan eskrim. Kami jalan ke Artemy Italian Ice Cream and Coffee, persis sebelum Malioboro Mal kalo dari arah stasiun, masuk gang dikit ke arah Hotel Ibis. Gue pesen cookies ice cream, kalo beli pake cup ga kena tambahan harga, pake cone harus tambah 3.500, gue beli pake cone.

Selesai makan eskrim, langsung jalan lagi, mau ke Benteng Vredeburg. Terakhir gue kesitu mungkin taun 2009 atau 2010, waktu itu ada renovasi di beberapa bagian dan masih biasa banget. Gue agak terkagum-kagum sebenernya waktu masuk kesana lagi kemaren. Man, itu museumnya keren banget! Ada banyak diorama, full AC, banyak layar dengan teknologi touchscreen yang bisa kita pake kalo mau tau tentang sejarah jaman penjajahan dulu. Beyond awesome! Wisatawan lokal harus bayar tiket 2.000 perorang. Cuma 2.000! Ga nyesel. Benteng Vredeburg juga jauh lebih cantik sih menurut gue. Siapapun yang bikin Vredeburg jadi begini, terima kasih!

Masuk Benteng Vredeburg disambut sama dua patung ini.

Ini diorama tentang pembentukan Budi Utomo kalo ga salah.

Diorama Tugu Jogja tempo dulu.

Stasiun Jogja tempo dulu juga.

Mesin cetak Heidelberg asli Jerman, jadul banget, dulu buat nyetak koran.

Ini kalo ga salah sih ngegambarin suasana jaman penjajahan dulu.

Yeah me, just took a self picture :p

Ini di Diorama 3, adeeemm.

Masih di Diorama 3, Diorama paling cool!

Gita's happy face.

Gerbang belakang Benteng Vredeburg, tembus ke Taman Pintar & Taman Budaya.

Puas muter-muter di Vredeburg, kami jalan keluar lewat benteng belakang, mau ke Museum Anak Kolong Tangga yang ada di lantai 2 Taman Budaya Jogja. Gue udah googling sebelumnya ada apa aja di Museum Anak Kolong Tangga (MAKT). Katanya disana ada beribu-ribu koleksi mainan anak-anak tempo dulu yang dipajang bergantian, jadi ga semuanya dipajang. Pendirinya orang Belgia. Penasaran banget. Akhirnya sampe juga, tiket masuknya 4.000 perorang, tapi kalo mau motret harus bayar lagi 5.000. Sebenernya, MAKT ini ga telalu besar, malah cenderung sempit menurut gue, tapi apa yang ada di dalemnya tuh luar biasa berharga, lumayan bisa nginget-nginget mainan jaman dulu, jadi tau juga mainan jadul di negara lain kayak gimana. Di MAKT ga ada AC ya, cuma ada beberapa kipas angin yang dipasang di dinding. MAKT nyaris sepi, mungkin gara-gara gue kesana hari Jumat kali. Selain ada mainan, disana ada satu papan setinggi 170cm mungkin, disana ditempel kertas-kertas ulangan anak-anak SD gitu. How cute. This place brought my childhood memories back, kayak mesin waktu.

Ini dia Mesin Waktunya.

Salah satu mainan ini dari Afrika kalo ga salah, gue juga lupa :|

Meja belajar jadul.

Our childhood legend, Budi. Everybody knows him :D

So 90s!

Jaman kecil pasti punya beginian.

Meja di sekolah.

Another legend, Gareng and Petruk :)

90s toys!

Next destination adalah Taman Pintar, mumpung udah sampe sanam tanggung kalo ga sekalian ke Taman Pintar. Berasa jadi anak sekolahan yang lagi study tour hahahah. Dari MAKT tinggal jalan dikit buat sampe ke Taman Pintar. Jadi, lokasi Museum Benteng Vredeburg, Taman Pintar dan MAKT ini deket-deketan banget. Makanya bisa sekalian main kemana-mana. Tiket masuk yang sangat bersahabat juga ga bakal bikin kantong kering, yang ada malah seneng. Kita semua udah tau lah ya ada apa aja di taman pintar. Ada dua gedung disana, gedung Memorabilia sama gedung yang isinya apapun tentang IPA. Tiketnya untuk dewasa 18.000. Gedung pertama yang harus dimasukin adalah gedung Memorabilia, ini isinya tentang sejarah gitu, anggep aja ini gedung IPS. Ada patung-patung, foto sama barang koleksi presiden, dan lain-lain. Adem juga disana. Jadi makin asik deh muter-muternya hehehe.

Gita and her boyfriend.

Watchout!

Ada banyak foto-foto pahlawan disana, ini cuma salah duanya :))

Abis itu kami jalan ke gedung IPA, disana banyak banget benda-benda yang berhubungan sama fisika, kimia dan teman-temannya. Pertama masuk disambut sama ikan-ikan di aquarium ala Seaworld. Sayangnya, air aquariumnya butek banget, ga biru. Mungkin jarang dibersihin, koleksi ikannya lebih dari 10 sih sepertinya, ga terlalu merhatiin gara-gara airnya butek. Jalan lagi  ke dalem ceritanya kami diajak balik ke jaman pra-sejarah, ada dinosaurus sama patung manusia purba. Masuk lagi ke bagian yang lebih Fisika dan Kimia, ada percobaan ini-itu, dateng aja ke mbak-mbak atau mas-masnya, dengan senang hati mereka bakal nunjukkin percobaan-percobaan disana. Gue sama Gita sempet nyobain alat simulasi gempa, lumayan seru, bikin parno juga dikit. Naik lagi, masih banyak percobaan. Gue sempet nyobain alat yang bisa ngalirin listrik statis ke dalem badan manusia, efeknya rambut gue jadi berdiri macem landak ahahahah. Taman pintar luas banget dan banyak bagian-bagiannya, banyak teknologi game masa kini pula. Bayar tiket 18.000 ga rugi sama sekali pokoknya. 15.30 gue sama Gita keluar dari Taman pintar. Berhubung udah laper banget kami cari makan dulu sebelum pulang. Akhirnya mutusin makan di Hokben Malioboro Mal. Ternyata lagi ada promo buat Favorite Set-nya gara-gara Hokben lagi ulang taun yang ke-29. Lumayan, harga biasanya 39.000, kemaren dikorting 10.000 ahahahah.

Dino!

I'm going to pet them.

Zona Manusia Purba, they said.

Gita played the race game.

Take a look to my incredible hair, excuse my face.

Kaki udah mulai pegel jalan kesana-kemari. 16.45 kami jalan ke stasiun. Ternyata ga kebagian kursi, cuma sisa tiket buat berdiri, yasudahlah daripada pulang kemaleman akhirnya tetep beli tiket Sriwedari AC yang jam 17.45, harganya 10.000 perorang. Keretanya udah parkir cantik banget di rel, kami langsung masuk aja terus duduk-duduk disitu sambil nunggu kereta berangkat. See you again next time, Jogja!

Sarapan selat iga & es teh @11.000

Parkir motor di Solo Balapan @2.000

Tiket Sriwedari non-AC Solo-Jogja @6.000

Es krim di Artemy @16.500

Aqua 600ml @4.000

Tiket masuk Museum Benteng Vredeburg @2.000

Tiket masuk Museum Anak Kolong Tangga + foto + katalog @4.000 + 5.000 + 3.000

Tiket masuk Taman Pintar @18.000 

Makan di Hokben @29.000
Tiket Sriwedari AC Jogja-Solo @10.000

PS: Museum Benteng Vredeburg, Museum Anak Kolong Tangga (Senin tutup) & Taman Pintar buka sampe jam 16.00.