Last weekend I was invited to go to Kota Baru Parahyangan for the "17 Pertiwi" photography exhibition and book launching. The book featured photo works of the selected 17 Indonesian women photographers, and the exhibition added more works of several other professional photographers, and contest winners. I was invited because I helped the text and editing for the photography book--I felt so lucky!

couldn't sleep in the bus so I took selfies instead

So we all gathered at Darwis Triadi School of Photography at Bundaran Senayan at midday on Friday (Aug 11). I had some trouble with my MacBook the previous night and had to deal with the ransomware hacking so it was a terrible morning for me, but meeting the women photographers, all new to me, was quite a mood boosting.

the 5-storeys hotel

the swimming pool and breakfast area

I loved the hotel instantly. It has modern classic architecture with great view, and the room is spacious. We got the room with a balcony facing other building's roof, but the fact that it has balcony is another plus. It has many restaurants options for all day dine-in. The swimming pool is large and the greens are really refreshing. With the published rate, I think it's so worth it!

the spacious room - and I was having a nite coffee

We departed at 2 p.m. by bus to Padalarang and arrived at Mason Pine Hotel at Kota Baru Parahyangan by around 5.30 p.m. The air was cool and the hotel was nice. By that time I had long forgetting my problems. I was roommate with Clarissa Jayakumara of Clarissa + Peddy Photography and she was so nice I'm glad we were paired.

the ladies

still, the ladies

dinner time

That night we had dinner at the Bumi Pancasona Sport Club, where all of the photographers, some JPS member, and Darwis Triadi's crews gathered. I chatted with more of them there and it was so fun. But apparently I had to call the night off quite earlier because suddenly I caught flu and had a restless sleep that night. I had only two hours of sleep but amazingly woke up refreshed.

me, after having breakfast

the '17 Pertiwi' women photographers

the photographers and me!

We got up at 6 a.m. the next morning, had breakfast and gathered at the lobby before departing to Bale Pare by bus. The last time I went there was 2003 when I just entered Maranatha University, so it was quite a nostalgia for me. The event started at around 10 a.m. and it contained some opening speech and ceremonies, and also award-giving to the winners.

on our way

the gang took photo before the event

wefie during the event

me and Mrs. Hermandari Kartowisastro - a healthy 74-year old lady!

me and dr. Erytromisin Cahyaningtyas - she has the name of medicine!

me and Mrs. Dina Andrea Wijns - I superlove her works!

me and Mr. Darwis Triadi himself

After lunch, Darwis Triadi gave a free workshop for fashion photography, which we attended for two hours. I joined the photo hunting group to Stone Garden Geopark, about 20 minutes drive from the complex. It is a site of ancient stone cluster located on top of a hill among the lime mountains. At the bottom of the hill there is a sacred cave Goa Pawon, but we didn't go there.

welcome to the geopark tourism destination

the parking lot

this photo was taken by Clarissa

who can resist a bowl of meatballs in the cold mountain breeze?

We had a fun two hours of photo hunting there, but I used the first hour to eat with Clarissa instead. When I climbed up the hill, the sun was hiding behind the clouds and night was approaching fast. The view from up there was amazing and if I don't say it perhaps you'd think I was in Ireland or somewhere Nordic. Perhaps.

the view was splendid from up here!

another additional member is the ambassador of Bosnia & Herzegovina on far left back

the cool ancient rocks

on the way back - took a selfie for a proof

we all had fresh young coconut after the climb to restore energy

We went back to Kota Baru Parahyangan and had Mie Naripan for dinner but it was quite disappointing. Apart from the food, we didn't like the service they gave us--especially the part where they don't put the price on menu (it really feels like a fraud or a rip-off where you should wonder about the exact price). But we survived it at least.

tired and hungry at Mie Naripan

That night I wanted to pay off my lack of sleep, but again sleep was canceled. I chatted with Clarissa instead and we made it till 5 a.m. It is amazing how sometime The Universe make us meet a person we can easily connect with. We were amazed at how similar our interests and perspectives are, and I guess the talk went on with the higher force. It was as if we were charged with the energy.

this is so much like a nostalgia: yamien asin bakso

We had 3-hours sleep that morning and woke up at 8 a.m. We missed the photo hunting session that morning but we could still have breakfast. We checked out at 11 a.m. and we went by bus to the Al-Irsyad Mosque built in 2010 by Bandung's current mayor Ridwan Kamil under his architecture firm Urbane. It is a modern square building with no pillar, and the façade read the Arabic sentences "Laailaha Ilallah Muhammad Rasulullah". We took a good 15 minutes to get pictures there then the bus left for Jakarta.

the interior of this mosque has no pillar in it

some of the ladies - the ones who went back to Jakarta by bus

We arrived back at Darwis Triadi's School at around 2 p.m. and went our separate ways home. I carried on by commuter train. But during that special weekend I had more than just a weekend getaway trip. I got new friends--special ones--and great network, thanks to Pak Rikin Junaedi of JPS who invited me. I feel so blessed with this experience, and feel that my energy is now fully charged.

Thanks to The Universe _/|\_ Rahayu.


P.S. for more great photos, check out my Instagram account. And about the book, check here.