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Articles by Agustinus Wibowo

About Agustinus Wibowo

Agustinus is an Indonesian travel writer and travel photographer. Agustinus started a “Grand Overland Journey” in 2005 from Beijing and dreamed to reach South Africa totally by land with an optimistic budget of US$2000. His journey has taken him across Himalaya, South Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, and ex-Soviet Central Asian republics. He was stranded and stayed three years in Afghanistan until 2009. He is now a full-time writer and based in Jakarta, Indonesia. agustinus@agustinuswibowo.com Contact: Website | More Posts

ChinaNews 中国新闻网 (2013): 印尼华裔青年作家出版新著 讲述游历多国经历

4月20日晚,印尼华裔青年作家翁鸿鸣(Agustinus Wibowo)在泗水敦绒望商厦Gramedia书店举行《零点》(Titik Nol)新书发布会。来自泗水市和外埠的读者,及泗水华社代表郑菊花、何婉芸、吴萌暄和陈新来出席了活动。

发布会上,翁鸿鸣介绍《零点》是他的新作。之前,他已经出版两本书《灰尘毯子》(Selimut Debu)和《界线》(Garis Batas)。《零点》讲述当年他当背包族(Backpacker)游览中国西藏、尼泊尔、印度和阿富汗的经历。

April 25, 2013 // 0 Comments

千岛日报(2013): 华裔青年作家翁鸿鸣出版新书《零点》

2013年4月25日

(本 报记者徐健境报道)4月20日晚上6时,我国华裔青年作家翁鸿鸣(Agustinus Wibowo)在泗水敦绒望商厦Gramedia书店举行《零点》(Titik Nol)新书发布会。来自泗水市和外埠的读者,及泗水华社代表郑菊花、何婉芸、吴萌暄和陈新来出席了活动。

April 25, 2013 // 0 Comments

Surabaya Highlight (2013): How Much Are You Willing to Let Go?

19 April 2013 Surabaya Highlight   http://surabayahighlight.com/highlights-of-the-week/newcomers-in-town/third-cultured/how-much-are-you-willing-to-let-go How Much Are You Willing to Let Go? Surabaya – “There’s no end to traveling, it is all about how well we understand places that we have visited,” an afternoon talk during lunch with Agustinus Wibowo is such an eye opener for lucky Surabaya Highlight. Agustinus Wibowo is a travel writer and freelance journalist that was born and raised in Lumajang, East Java. In his short visit to Surabaya, he agreed to meet us and share his inspiring life to Surabaya Highlight’s readers. Coming from a small town of Lumajang, Agus had a dream to someday see the world outside his hometown. “Children would run around screaming to a plane passing by. I always watch Dunia Dalam Berita, because that was the only chance I had to see the world since there was no internet or other programs,” his vivid explanation made us picturing how it [read more]

April 19, 2013 // 0 Comments

Jakarta Globe (2013): Detailing a Nomad’s Return to Point Zero

4 April 2013 http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/features/detailing-a-nomads-return-to-point-zero/583242/ Detailing a Nomad’s Return to Point Zero By Lisa Siregar on 3:24 pm April 4, 2013. Category Features, Travel Travel writer Agustinus Wibowo has walked many kilometers and dangerous turns during adventures in Afghanistan and across Asia — a long way from his childhood days in Lumajang, East Java, when he used to chase passing aircraft. After years away from his family, Agustinus eventually returned home to read the stories he had written about his experiences to his ill, bedridden mother. These previously unpublished tales of his journeys to Nepal, India and Pakistan, as well as the conversations with his mother in her final days, are the main themes of his new book, “Titik Nol” (“The Zero Point”, or “Ground Zero”). “To lose my mother is the worst thing that happened to me in my life,” Agustinus said at the launch of his book in Jakarta. “But I keep writing, [read more]

April 4, 2013 // 0 Comments

Third Book, Titik Nol (Point Zero) is Coming

Faraway. Why everybody is obsessed by that word? Marco Polo traveled faraway from Venice to the Mongolian Empire. The explorers adventured through dangerous seven seas. The climbers put their life on the line just for a few moments conquering majestic peaks. He was also overwhelmed by the “faraway”. The Traveler decided to get involved in globetrotting journey. He sneaked to the forbidden land in Himalaya, staying in mysterious Kashmir, and became witness of warzones and massacres. Started by a dream, flowing like a series of dreams, this is a journey of a traveler searching for a meaning. Until to the point that he had traveled very, very far, he was forced to return home, kneel down besides his mother’s bed. And from the story of the very mother who has never traveled anywhere, little by little he revealed the meanings of journey that he was missing. Paperback, 568 pages Published February 2013 by Gramedia Pustaka Utama ISBN: 9789792292718 edition language: Indonesian For the [read more]

February 7, 2013 // 0 Comments

Traveler【旅行家】(2012):视觉

巴彦乌列盖(Bayan Olgii)是蒙古最西部且海拔最高的省份,如果从乌兰巴托前往,需忍受长达70 多个小时、十分颠簸的车程,但仍值得一去。在当地生活的哈萨克族人至今保留着伊斯兰传统生活方式,由于穆斯林在饮酒上的限制,犯罪事件相对较少,因此在当地旅行比在蒙古其他地方安全许多。每年在乌列盖都会举办金鹰节(Golden Eagle Festival),当地数百名猎鹰高手参与角逐,成千上万的国际游客也会前来观赛。节日期间,还会举行哈萨克族的传统服饰狂欢秀。

March 23, 2012 // 0 Comments

Traveler【旅行家】(2012):视觉

马背叼羊是阿富汗的国民运动,也深受中亚国家如乌兹别克斯坦、塔吉克斯坦、吉尔吉斯斯坦、哈萨克斯坦、土库曼斯坦的欢迎,多在冬季举行。这种运动类似于马球,但使用的球是无头的牲畜尸体。最大的国家级马背叼羊比赛是在阿富汗的马扎举行的。新年22日这天,标志着冬天的结束,春天的开始。比赛时,骑手通常身穿厚衣服、佩戴头套、脚踏靴子、手持皮鞭。靴子通常带有高跟,紧锁入与马鞍连接的脚踏处,这样有助于骑手倾斜到一侧拾取小牛。马背叼羊运动显示了阿富汗精神:勇气、骄傲、虔诚、公平竞争、力量、耐力、阳刚之气等。人们认为一个好的马背叼羊球员宁愿勇敢地死去,也不懦弱地活着。

January 13, 2012 // 0 Comments

Latitude.nu (2011): ‘Traveling is about Losing your Ego’

December 29, 2011 http://latitudes.nu/indonesian-travel-writer-photographer-agustinus-wibowo/ Indonesian Travel Writer & Photographer Agustinus Wibowo: ‘Traveling is about Losing your Ego’ By: Yvette Benningshof   Passing borderlines is almost a daily routine for Agustinus Wibowo. The travel writer and photographer from Indonesia picked up his backpack at the age of 19 and started to travel throughout Central Asia. He has lived in Afghanistan for three years as a photojournalist and has written two bestsellers books about his borderless travels. Wibowo’s current latitude: Beijing, China. Agustinus Wibowo (30) left his village Lumajang in East-Java, Indonesia in 2000 to study Computer Science in Beijing. From there he started his travels to Mongolia where he got robbed on the first day. That didn’t hold him back to travel to even more ‘dangerous’ countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2003. As a true budget backpacker he took off with only 300 US dollars. ‘I [read more]

December 29, 2011 // 0 Comments

Traveler【旅行家】(2011):视界

位于阿富汗东北部的瓦罕走廊是一个狭长地带,主要居住着Wakhi人,他们讲Wakhi语,并信奉伊斯兰教。与大部分阿富汗穆斯林相比,Wakhi人是相对温和的。这里的女人无须终日蒙面,可以自由地谈论异性。他们的生活主要依靠农业和畜牧业。每天,孩子们会以自己所在的村子为单位,在一起给牲畜喂食青草。在这里,经常能够看到成百上千的牛羊聚合着穿过高山和草原,而孩子们则在平原上等待着牛羊被牧民们带回来。

December 23, 2011 // 0 Comments

安徽:西递宏村的沧海桑田

他们的祖先是成功的商人。徽商创造的传奇广为流传,谱写了中国经济史上的一段佳话。 历史上,徽商所经历的黄金时期,约在唐宋年间。当时的徽商从古徽州出发,其经商路线不仅遍布全中国,还曾至抵东南亚,当然也包括今天的印度尼西亚。在中国流传着这样一句话,“没有徽商,市不成市。”由此足见徽商在中国经济史上举足轻重的地位。 弹指一挥间,五百年也好似匆匆而过。坐落在黄山市南部的西递、宏村是祖辈留给后人的珍贵遗产。2000年,这两个村被联合国教科文组织列入《世界文化遗产名录》。自此,徽商的历史成就不再仅仅是当地居民的骄傲,也成为世界历史遗产中独具特色的一部分。 [read more]

November 11, 2011 // 3 Comments

安徽黄山:光阴荏苒数百年——假如徐霞客重游黄山

人问:“游历四海山川,何处最奇?” 徐霞客答曰:“渤海内外无如徽之黄山,登黄山天下无山,观止矣!” 徐霞客,是中国明代的一位著名的旅行家,他曾经两度徒步游览位于今安徽省南部的黄山。在他的印象中,黄山是中国乃至世界上最美的山。后人将其发自肺腑的黄山感言表述为:“五岳归来不看山,黄山归来不看岳。” [read more]

November 10, 2011 // 4 Comments

安徽:当旅游与历史共舞

尽管山野像是盖着厚厚的白毯子,太阳也隐藏在大雾弥漫的山中不曾露面,但我们在马仁奇峰的一天,却从清晨那一抹绚丽的“红霞”开始…… 当我们一行人走入古朴的山门,进入坐落在山麓的“红色收藏馆”,马仁奇峰的“红色”便跃然眼前——“心中的太阳永不落”,几个烫金大字嵌在正红色的背景墙上,让人心中油然升起一种肃穆的情绪。在这所纪念馆里,成百上千块形状、设计各异的毛主席像章,规整地陈列在墙上的玻璃镜框或是展柜里。从最小的衬衫徽章,到碗口大、乃至锅沿儿宽的大型纪念章,可谓应有尽有,用“壮观”来形容,绝不为过。 [read more]

November 9, 2011 // 3 Comments

安徽合肥:光辉的昨天,今天的事业

  安徽:光辉的昨天,今天的事业 仿佛难以冲破密密层层的乌云,飞机在合肥上空盘旋了许久。终于,我们拨开浓得化不开的雾霭,在冷雨中降落在合肥机场。据说,每逢十一月,雨雾天气是合肥的常态,我便裹紧了厚厚的外套。大巴在街道上飞驰,不多久,便载着我们驶入了合肥政务新区——一个标志这座省府城市已达到国际标准的城市新区。 [read more]

November 8, 2011 // 6 Comments

Traveler【旅行家】(2011):伊朗旅游的“后ADS时代”: 既小众,又高端

伊朗,一个国际政治里的高频词汇,一个美国眼中的高危国家,还是一个全球游客心目中的神秘国度。作为旅游目的地,伊朗还属于中东地区的新军:2010年全年,伊朗的外国游客入境人数为312.5万人次,而从伊朗驻中国大使馆办理赴伊签证的人数仅约1.8万人次;它的邻国土耳其在2003年就曾有过单月入境超过200万人次的记录,2010年更是吸引外国游客2860万人次。

October 23, 2011 // 0 Comments

Appearance in Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2011

http://ubudwritersfestival.com/writer/agustinus-wibowo Agustinus Wibowo is an Indonesian travel writer, travelled overland from Beijing to Central Asia and Middle East. He traveled extensively and settled in Afghanistan as journalist for three years. His works include Selimut Debu (A Blanket of Dust) and Garis Batas (Borderlines). Festival Appearances Time travel Saturday, 8 October 2011 10:45 Left Bank Lounge What is the future of travel writing and how do travellers utilise the genre? Has it all been said and done? Brian Thacker, Fiona Caulfield, Trinity, Agustinus Wibowo Chair: Peta Mathias Ticketed A blanket of dust… Saturday, 8 October 2011 13:45 Left Bank Lounge Standing at the cutting edge of Indonesian literature, this modern day wanderer has travelled to the ends of the earth, living in Afghanistan for three years. Wander with him in this intimate session. Agustinus Wibowo with Jamie James Worlds, in words: making language work Saturday, 8 October 2011 16:00 Neka Museum How [read more]

September 23, 2011 // 0 Comments

A Blanket of Dust—New Edition

My first book, A Blanket of Dust (Selimut Debu) is going to be republished with new cover and new photos, to be launched by Gramedia Pustaka Utama this coming 29 September 2011. [Agustinus] tak ingin hanya menjadi penonton isi dunia. Ia mau terlibat sepenuhnya dalam perjalanan itu. Ia tak sekadar melihat pemandangan, berpindah dari satu tempat ke tempat lain, tetapi juga mengenal budaya dan berinteraksi dengan masyarakat setempat. –Kompas– Afghanistan. Nama negeri itu sudah bersinonim dengan perang tanpa henti, kemiskinan, maut, bom bunuh diri, kehancuran, perempuan tanpa wajah, dan ratapan pilu. Nama yang sudah begitu tidak asing, namun tetap menyimpan misteri yang mencekam. Pada setiap langkah di negeri ini, debu menyeruak ke rongga mulut, kerongkongan, lubang hidung, kelopak mata. Bulir-bulir debu yang hampa tanpa makna, tetapi menjadi saksi pertumpahan darah bangsa-bangsa, selama ribuan tahun. Aura petualangan berembus, dari gurun gersang, gunung salju, padang hijau, lembah [read more]

September 17, 2011 // 4 Comments

Whiteboard Journal (2011): Interview with Agustinus Wibowo

http://whiteboardjournal.com/features/roundtable/interview-with-agustinus-wibowo.html http://whiteboardjournal.com/old/features/roundtable/interview-with-agustinus-wibowo.html Forming a passion for traveling, Agustinus Wibowo has spent most of his years in a foreign country. Referred as a world backpacker, Agustinus Wibowo whose profession is as a journalist, has taken the road less traveled by going to the depths of China, Mongolia, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Iran to the unfamiliar countries of Central Asia. His contemplative nature and literary adeptness has pushed him to compile his travel stories in a publication called ‘Selimut Debu’ in 2010, and ‘Garis Batas’ recently in 2011. Whiteboard Journal had a chance to learn more of his purpose of travels and the turnings points that have defined him as a word traveler. W: How did everything start? What initially drew you to be so engulfed in traveling? Everything started from childhood, when my dad introduced me to [read more]

June 20, 2011 // 0 Comments

[VIDEO]中国中央电视台CCTV-13:“新春亚洲行”特别节目(走进文莱和印尼)

本期介绍 本期节目主要内容: 1、新春亚洲行–走进文莱和印尼; 2、昨天互动问题的答案:“黄梨”谐音“旺来”喻示好兆头; 3、文莱:新春亚洲行: (1)文莱并不遥远,古称渤泥国; (2)五万华人为社会作出积极贡献; (3)吴尊为您介绍文莱华人过春节; (4)华人新春活动迎来“神秘贵宾”; 4、文莱:今天的互动问题:今年文莱华人团拜会的贵宾是谁; 5、文莱–大年初一要放假; 6、文莱:新春亚洲行:几代华人依然保留着过年习俗; 7、印尼–春节是法定假日;

February 8, 2011 // 0 Comments

The Jakarta Post (2010): A thrill ride to Afghanistan

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/06/27/a-thrill-ride-afghanistan.html A thrill ride to Afghanistan Indah Setiawati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Feature | Sun, June 27 2010, 10:30 AM Several years ago, a man dreamed of traveling to Afghanistan to see what was behind the dust — the seemingly endless war, the grenades, the refugees, the Taliban. In his dream, he saw two gigantic statues of Buddha located in Bamiyan valley and was mesmerized by a soft, deep whisper from a girl with beautiful eyes, who stared at him from behind a blue burqa. In 2003, Indonesian Agustinus Wibowo made his dream come true and backpacked from Beijing to Afghanistan with only US$300. After his journey, he wrote Selimut Debu (Blanket of Dust) which gives his insights on daily life in the war-ravaged country. The author views Indonesia from the perspective of the Afghans as he unveils the beauties, miseries and ironies of a country where warfare is reported daily on televisions and in the newspapers. His [read more]

June 27, 2010 // 0 Comments

My First Book, “BLANKET OF DUST — SELIMUT DEBU” is Launched in Indonesia

Finally…. after long time of editing and rewriting, and editing again, and rewriting again, (I already have lost count about the process), my first travel narrative book will be launched by Gramedia Pustaka Utama, one of the leading publishers in Indonesia, by January 12, 2010. This book is about Afghanistan, based of my travel around the country by hitchhiking in 2006, but the contents are enriched with my contemplation after my two and half year stay in Afghanistan as a journalist. The first edition is in Indonesian, but hopefully an English version will come out soon as well. ——————————————– http://www.gramedia.com/buku_detail.asp?id=KAHI4419&kat=4 Selimut Debu – Agustinus Wibowo 468 halaman Rp69.000,- Dilengkapi foto-foto berwarna. No GM 40101100002 ISBN: 978-979-22-5285-9 Pada tahun 2006, Agustinus mulai melintasi perbatasan antar negara menuju Afghanistan, dan selama dua tahun ia menetap di Kabul sebagai fotografer jurnalis—catatannya [read more]

January 6, 2010 // 34 Comments

Aplaus (2009): Single Fighters – True Story Unveiled

Edisi 112 Aplaus Fokus http://www.aplausthelifestyle.com/result_detail.php?id=1245&index=36 Single Fighters: The True Story Unveiled Teks oleh Linda Yusmiyani & Judika B.M Foto Bobby Wongso Wennars, Istimewa & dari berbagai sumber Menjadi single fighter bukan berarti harus merasa sendiri. Justru merupakan proses perjuangan untuk melatih melupakan ego, percaya diri dan mensyukuri kemandirian yang telah dianugerahkan. BANYAK hal yang harus dilewati untuk menjadi sukses karena kemandirian. Mulai dari jalan berbatu, berliku, bertemu dengan orang yang salah, merasakan jatuh, sebelum akhirnya menggenggam sukses sejati seperti mereka ini. 1.Go Far And Experience The World Agustinus Wibowo (Backpacker) Masih muda, tapi pengalaman backpacking-nya segudang. Apalagi kegigihan dan kemandiriannya dalam menelusuri hampir seluruh negara di Asia. Awal petualangan backpaking kamu gimana sih? Tahun 2001 saya terinspirasi seorang teman perempuan dari Jepang yang melakukan perjalanan sendiri [read more]

December 3, 2009 // 6 Comments

Mashhad – The Empty Border

The dusty border Two years ago, when I came to Iran for the first time through the Islam Qala border, I was astonished by the scene of hundreds of wild Afghan men fighting to pass the border line, to quit their homeland and reach hope in rich Iran. But now, it’s not anymore the scene. The Afghan-Iranian border in Islam Qala is quite empty. Iran has tightened up the visa approval for Afghans. Land crossing is no more permitted for ordinary Afghans. The Iranian visa from Kabul is mostly stamped “For Air Travel Only”, putting them to obtain roundtrip ticket only with Iranian airlines. In some cases, visa applicants need to spend at least 1000 dollars just to get the entry visa. Indeed, one’s passport determines his or her fate. I arrived in Afghan immigration hall after 100 meter walk. People are sitting idly to wait for the officers come back from their lunch break. There are three officers behind the table. One is examining the passports, one is stamping, and the last one is [read more]

June 9, 2009 // 1 Comment

Women’s Silk Factory in Kabul

AZANA is an Afghanistan women’s small enterprise aiming to a much bigger dream Not only they weave silk, they also weave their future. “AZANA has changed my life,” says Nazdana, a 16-year-old girl who just recently learned how to weave silk shawls in AZANA, a silk factory managed by a woman director and operated mostly by woman workers, in deep alley of Kabul, where job opportunities for women are still scarce. “Before joining AZANA, I used to only do house works. There are 14 people in my family, and I knew only how to cook food, wash their clothes, and clean our house. But, now I am very happy because I start to earn money from my own hands. Not only does Nazdana learn about silk weaving, now she starts to grab pens to write. Ms Shaima Breshna, the director of AZANA silk factory, provides literacy class for the female employees of the factory. Nazdana remembers, “At the first time [joining the class], I even did not know how to hold pencil. Other [read more]

June 2, 2008 // 0 Comments

千岛日报(2008):走出去就是一门学问

2 April 2008 千岛日报 走出去就是一门学问 “周游世界探险”的梦想 南海漳 绿草 “人生好比一个旅程,我们无法预知我们的生命何时终止,同样的我也无法确知我的探险何时才能结束。扪心自问我将继续我的探险,尚有很多地方准备去驻足探 访、考察和挖掘世界上鲜为人知的新事物”这是一位印尼青年Agustinus Wibowo (翁鸿鸣 )所述的一席话,他现在阿富汗。 翁鸿鸣是北京清华大学计算机工程与技术系毕业生。2005年写了题为《印度尼西亚语的语音综合系统与文体分析》的综合论文,那时已开发的语音合成系统有: 英语、汉语、日语和汉语四种,而印尼语可谓是第五种语言。赢得了教授的极高评价:“翁鸿鸣同学勤于动脑,工作努力,动手能力强,答辩讲述清楚,回答问题正 [read more]

April 2, 2008 // 4 Comments

Weekender (2007): The Traveler’s Tale

August 2007 Jakarta Post Weekender The Traveler’s Tale What does travel really mean to us – is it about the adventure and discovery, or just being able to say that we have been there and done that? Yunetta Anggiamurni gives her perspective. “And at night I like to love to listen to the stars. It is like 500 hundred million little bells.” This was how Antoine de Saint-Exupéry expressed his adoration of a beautiful starlit night in his masterpiece, Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince). Although it was supposed to be a book for children, the work has become one that adults should read because the writer’s message is clear: Are you an open-minded person? Above all, de Saint-Exupéry tried to encourage readers to do one important thing: travel. Indeed, we view traveling as the quest for freedom, of choosing the place we want to go, of having the luxury of not worrying about daily work obligations, of satisfying our thirst for new experiences, in visiting places and meeting new [read more]

August 23, 2007 // 0 Comments

Elite Traveler (携程自由行): 他的 Avgustin.Net

Avgustin.Net收藏了翁鸿鸣大量关于亚洲大陆旅行的照片和文字记载。这些照片的视角不同于普通风景图片,他们全部出自于一个摄影记者的眼睛。翁鸿鸣说,是旅行,教会了他如何尊重不同文化,不同的人,也教会他这个世界并不像我们梦想中那样美好,还有太多的事物等待我们去探索和注视。在我们的世界中,美丽与丑陋,快乐与悲伤,多彩语贫乏,它们始终并存。

August 19, 2007 // 0 Comments

星洲日报(马来西亚)2007:我的生活,一定是要爲了看世界

“自小,翁鸿鸣就对旅行充满幻想和憧憬。小学老师曾经问过他的志愿,当时他回答说将来相当一名游客。老师告诉翁鸿鸣,游客不是一种职业。那位老师可能不知道,翁鸿鸣真的把旅行当做一生的志愿,老师也可能不知道,许多年后,翁鸿鸣真的在路上找到了可以让他不断游走的工作。”

July 1, 2007 // 2 Comments

The Jakarta Post (2007): Yustinus Wibowo—Going around the world on a shoestring

21 June 2007 The Jakarta Post People http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2007/06/21/yustinus-wibowo-going-around-world-shoestring.html Yustinus Wibowo Going around the world on a shoestring Maggie Tiojakin, Contributor, Jakarta A hundred and fifty years ago, when so much of the world was still unknown to the majority of the earth’s inhabitants, exploring uncharted lands and seas was available only to a privileged few. Today, with the help of technology, it isn’t uncommon for one to travel the world in twenty-four hours by plane, or twenty-four seconds with the click of a mouse. However, there are others who cling onto the exotic dream of being an explorer crossing multiple frontiers. Meet Agustinus Wibowo. Born in Lumajang, East Java, on Aug. 8, 1981, the 26-year-old has been embarking on an around-the-world journey since July 28, 2005, as a backpacker with only US$2,000 in his pocket — the amount of money he managed to save while studying and working part-time in [read more]

June 21, 2007 // 5 Comments

Turkistan – A Journey to Turkistan

A pilgrimage to the holy land of Trkistanrkistan The holy journey to the holy land The train departed from Almaty 1 train station after I had a little incident with station police. I was just informed that taking photos in a train station was extremely prohibited. I was taking photos of the train, passengers, and security officers, and then suddenly a man called me to follow him to a special room. Here I was interrogated by the woman who was the head of the police. I explained that I was just a tourist and I was interested by the Russian train. They let me go after I deleted the photos. Many passengers of the train were students. The way going to Turkistan passes Shymkent, the important southern town bordering with Uzbekistan. Most of the passengers, compared to northbound train routes, were mostly Asians. Southern part of Kazakhstan was dominated by native Kazakh and Uzbek. The holy man The train journey was long. But as here, most passengers were Kazakh and Uzbek, comparatively they [read more]

December 12, 2006 // 0 Comments

Almaty – If You WaNNa LIVe

The park may look beautiful and quiet, but it can be dangerous The day started with a quarrel. Lyubova, the owner of the home stay, was not happy that I arrived with a taxi yesterday night. I was in the middle of Almaty downtown, when I realized it was already 7 pm. I was waiting a bus until 11 pm but no public buses at all going to airport area. I forgot, on Sundays all public transport stopped working as early as 6 pm. What a bad luck. I walked under darkness, with only fear of meeting criminals or drunks in my heart, from Respublika Alangy until Tole Bi. I gave up. It was almost midnight. At the end, I had to haggle a taxi (better than staying in a gay bar like last week). The taxi cost 500T. It was much beyond my budget, but I didn’t have any choice. When I arrived at the home stay, Lyubova was sleeping. The next morning, she started the quarrel. “Huh. You can pay a taxi but you cannot pay for your stay!” said her cynically. I just didn’t understand her. I paid [read more]

December 11, 2006 // 0 Comments

Almaty – the Golden Man

The busy and colorful “green market” of Almaty During my stay in Kazakhstan, today was the first time I saw a sunny day in Almaty. The city suddenly became lovely and friendly. Somehow now I started to understand how this city had a lovely name, Almaty, which was the original form of its old name, ‘Alma Ata’, which literally means Father Apple. The Chinese call this name as ‘Alamutu’, which might be the closest form the Chinese spelling could make to this city’s name in Silk Road time. Anyhow, it was said that Almaty’s apples were as big as coconut, and it was said the best apples produced here at that time. Now, for a poor Russian dwellers like Lyubova, apple is a luxury in this ‘apple city’, as the price of apples was far beyond their budget. I got used already with Almaty’s high cost of price, and as people coming from financial power below poverty line, I started to know the strategy to keep living in low budget. I [read more]

December 10, 2006 // 0 Comments

Karaganda – The Mining Town

Strong Russian influence is felt in Kazakhstan, especially in the northern part of the country Some 200 km southeast ward from the capital Astana is the famous northern town of Karaganda (also spelled as Qaraghandy or Karaghanda). What made Karaganda famous were coal, labor camps, and AIDS. This second biggest city in Kazakhstan after Almaty started its history when a small-scale coal mining settlement was built in 1857, and the mining developed fast after the completion of railway link in early 20th century. The town was actually founded in 1920s by mining slave labors, and the labor camp riots dominated Karaganda’s early history. Mining industries of Karaganda, dominated by coal, included iron, steel work, and ore. Coming from Astana by bus, in early cold morning by a minibus which cost 1000 T a seat from Astana to Karaganda, I saw grey polluted air around the mining town of Karazhal, which supplied ore for industries in Karaganda. As a mining and industry city, I have learnt [read more]

December 9, 2006 // 0 Comments

Astana – A Day in the New Capital

Building, building, and keep building Despite of the bitter cold due to the fierce snowfall in this sub-Arctic new capital, I forced myself to go around. As in Almaty, bus network was quite extensive in Astana. The buses were, again similar to Almaty, mostly second hand buses from Germany decorated by graffiti from the former German owners. Astana, behind the frozen bus glass window, looked completely white in my eyes. This capital might be the most artificial city in Central Asia, even I have heard that Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan – another gas and oil rich nation in the region, was comparable. Nobody would expect this place to become the capital of modern Kazakhstan. About a decade ago, Astana was just a wasteland in the middle of nowhere. The location where Astana is, far in the north in the heartland of Kazakhstan, is known for enjoying its extreme weather in scorching hot summers and bitterly freezing winters. Nobody would decide to have a capital here. Many thought [read more]

December 8, 2006 // 0 Comments

Astana – The New Capital

Welcome on board The 20 hour journey on a sleeper bus from Almaty to Astana was flat. From the window I saw the massive, flat land of Kazakhstan. My image of green giant steppe, in cold winter like this, was replaced by thick snow layer. Everything was flat and white. The sky was completely grey, adding the sorrow of traveling in Kazakhstan in freezing cold winter. But Kazakhstan was inviting. In this 2nd class sleeper, which cost 20 dollar a seat plus 250 Tenge for bed sheet rental (I tried to refuse but the train attendants said she wouldn’t allow me to sleep on the bedding without the sheets), I shared the compartment with two Mongolian Chinese and a Kazakh woman. The two Chinese men of Mongolian ethnic spoke good Chinese and Russian. They were all from Xinjiang province. One had Kazakh passport and the other, Mr. Ye Shunde, still possessed a Chinese passport. “It’s now easy to acquire Kazakh passport,” said Mr. Ye, “you just need to marry a Kazakh woman and you get [read more]

December 7, 2006 // 0 Comments

Almaty – Borat’s Land

Night is coming in Almaty “All people writing about Kazakhstan are telling bullshit!” – Nurslan Kazakhstan was surprisingly much more expensive compared to it was in my short visit in 2004. That time I stayed in Kazhol Hotel and it cost 26$/night. For my student pocket it was enormous amount. But staying in cold, dirty, dark room of Kazkontrakt was indeed uncomfortable and I decided to go back to Kazhol. Kazhol now turned to be a very neat and smart hotel, after renovation. The tiles on the floor were glittering, as it was emphasizing the golden age Kazakhstan enjoying at this moment. The price also skyrocketed. The cheapest room now costs 69$. It was much beyond my budget. I was told by some travelers that the cheapest option in Almaty was dormitory of the bus terminal (10$). But imagining staying in ‘dormitory’, especially in a bus terminal, the idea itself reminded me to many bad experiences of mine in Tajikistan. I preferred to invest just a little [read more]

December 3, 2006 // 0 Comments

Almaty – Welcome to Kazakhstan

It’s freezing, dark, and full of cars. My Kyrgyz visa expires today and there is no other thing I can do but to go to Kazakhstan. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are separated by Chuy River, located not far north of Bishkek. I took a minibus as it cost only 800 Som to cover the 4 hour journey to Almaty. The Kyrgyz – Kazakh border is also a strict one. The people of the two countries are very closely related ethnically, linguistically, historically and culturally. The Kazakh were called as Kyrgyz and the Kyrgyz were called as Kara Kyrgyz (Black Kyrgyz). Kazakh and Kyrgyz also share many poets and national hero. Creation of Kazakh and Kyrgyz in the Soviet time was actually slicing the same people of two different variants: mountainous (the Kyrgyz) and steppe (Kazakhstan). But now the border crossing has reflected that Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are indeed two different countries. The border post of Kyrgyzstan was made from oil tank transformed to be a small office. The border guards [read more]

December 1, 2006 // 1 Comment

Bishkek – Kazakhstan Visa

Visa of the Republic of Kazakhstan Getting Kazakhstan visa in Bishkek was not difficult, but as for any countries in Central Asia, Indonesian passport holders need to be ‘consulted’. The visa application should be approved by central government by the respected countries. Only for Tajikistan we recently got exemption for Letter of Invitation (LOI) and entitled for visa-on-arrival at Dushanbe airport. Getting a LOI meant you have to get a pre-arranged invitation approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This can be arranged through a travel agency (30-80$). Many nationalities, included Malaysians, don need this invitation letter stuff and they could directly apply for visas in any Kazakh embassies. The Kazakhstan embassies were well-known all over the world for their cold service. And for this cool winter in Bishkek, the staff faces were even much colder. The embassy had moved to a new location recently, south part of the city. I came early but there were already many people [read more]

November 27, 2006 // 0 Comments

Tokmok – The Dungan

A Dungan family “Хуэйзу либянди щинфу” – Happiness Among the Dungan Hueimin Bo 26.01.2006 My first interaction with the Dungans was with its food. There is a busy, crowded, small restaurant near the Iranian embassy in Bishkek offering Dungan food. When I entered the underground room, I felt I was thrown again to China. It is Chinese, and only Chinese language, spoken among the cook and servants. The food also resembles Chinese food you eat in mainland China, with slight variation of Central Asia touch. That second I immediately decide: I want to know who the Dungans are. Tokmok is a little town 70 km east of Bishkek. This town is located nearby to Chuy River which now separates Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Tokmok is a kaleidoscope of ethnics: Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Uzbek, Russian, Uyghur, and Dungan traders stuff its busy Sunday bazaar. Tokmok is home of most Kyrgyzstan’s Dungan population. Not far from the bazaar there is a little Dungan mosque. Here, in Central [read more]

November 26, 2006 // 1 Comment

Bishkek – Uzbekistan Visa

Another bureaucratic thing to do in Bishkek For Indonesian passport holders, Uzbekistan visa requires Letter of Invitation. Recently getting Uzbekistan visa is more difficult then before, since the Andijan massacre in 2005. Before the American passport holders were granted multiple entry visa, but since the Karimov president kicked all the American soldiers out, the visa is now only for one month, single entry, same for anybody else. Only the Japanese passport holders still enjoy the privilege of no LOI, no visa fee (they only pay 15$ for the visa). I got my invitation from the Embassy of Republic of Indonesia in Tashkent. It is a personal invitation from one of the diplomats there, Mrs Sunarti Ichwanto. It is also a 1-month, single entry visa. But they said that the visa can be extended. The Uzbekistan embassy requires invitation per telephone for people who apply for visa, and as interview will be conducted, everybody either should speak Russian or bring a Russian translator. I came [read more]

November 22, 2006 // 0 Comments

Bishkek – A Wedding in the Capital

The bride and the groom departs from the very same house Moken big house became very crowded since the previous week, when relatives from Toktogul all flooded the house complex. Moken house was considered quite big, located at the outskirt of Bishkek, at least 40 minutes by car from the city center. He should be considered a middle class, if not rich, in the living standard of Kyrgyzstan. He had an expensive car as he was a taxi driver plying Toktogul – Bishkek road, and his house consisted of several separated buildings, including a stable which housed his numerous sheep and goats. As in Tajikistan, in Kyrgyzstan taxi drivers generally had quite high position in society spectrum of the people. Everybody in Toktogul knew about him. Moken had three sons. The eldest, Timur, has just married to a girl recently. Both of Timur and Zarina, his wife, were very young, not more than 20 years old. In Central Asia, people marry at very early age. Timur and Zarina lived together since their [read more]

November 19, 2006 // 0 Comments

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