The Prayer Hill of Pinaling

Several years ago, when I was a student in a high school, my school and I went to the prayer hill for a pilgrimage. The prayer hill was located somewhere near Tumpaan, Amurang, about 50 kilometers from my house (Tondano). The trip took a very long time. Like the other teens, along the trip we sang so many songs when the bus passed many small villages, so the trip wasn’t bored.

After two hours we arrived in the prayer hill, we were very hot and starting the activities by looking at the scenery and many wonderful statues. There, you could find the blend of natural beauty and a touch of religious. And of course, the beautiful things are many replicas of the events in the Holy Bible, such as: The Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, Jesus in the Galilea Lake and Ascension of Jesus to Heaven, etc.

Not far from the Prayer Hill, you could find the Mangatasik and Bulo Beach, maybe for a recreation, lunch or something else. Bulo beach is the one and the only one beach that I love, because the beach is very beautiful and clean. Hmm... I always go there to spend my weekend time. Enjoy your trip! (OMP)

Why you have to go to Pasadena, just come to Tomohon, North Sulawesi

Flower festival or tournament of flowers, when we heard about it, many people in the world, even in Indonesia, think that it can be enjoyed only in Pasadena, United States of America.





Well, it was, but now, you can also enjoy it in Indonesia, specifically in Tomohon, North Sulawesi. Just 3 hours flight from Jakarta with several domestic airlines, namely Garuda Indonesia, Batavia Air, Lion Air, Sriwijaya Air, and etc, you will be landed in Sam Ratulangi International Airport, Manado. From the Airport, it will take more or less 1 hour with the great view along the journey. When you arrived at Tomohon, you will feel fresh air and beautiful view of Mount Lokon, one of active volcanoes in Indonesia.

Luckily, I could visit Tomohon on 23 July 2010 to see the tournament of flowers. And you can enjoy some snapshots from my old digital camera. Please do enjoy the pics.

Participants from abroad, such as Rusia, Malaysia, North Korea, Vietnam, and India.







Then local participants from Sumatera...







Java...







Kalimantan and Sulawesi...







Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Papua...






The famous puppet in Indonesia, Unyil, also participated in this festival...



And the last but not least, the picture taker a.k.a me... :)




What a lovely day in Tomohon...
Anyway, is there any differences between Tomohon and Pasadena? Mmhh...it's quite similar though, so, why you have to spend thousand USD to go far far away to Pasadena? Just come to Tomohon and feel the ambience...

See you in the next Tomohon Flower Festival. (FBH)

Parade on August

Setiap tahun tanggal 17 Agustus seluruh bangsa Indonesia tak bergeming melihat suatu tanda kebebasan yang dikibarkan dengan penuh rasa hormat. Adalah hari kemerdekaan Indonesia yang diperingati oleh seluruh lapisan masyarakat dengan lagu-lagu kebangsaan yang dikumandangkan di seantero negeri.

Semarak kemerdekaan pun tak ketinggalan pada salah satu kota di Sulawesi Utara yang menyebut dirinya sebagai kota bunga, Tomohon. Berbagai kegiatan diselenggarakan untuk meramaikan hari kemerdekaan Indonesia yang ke-65. Salah satu kegiatan yang paling menarik perhatian masyarakat adalah Drumband Parade. Drumband parade adalah parade drumband (ataupun Marching Band) oleh seluruh sekolah dasar, menengah dan atas di kota Tomohon. Sejak menjadi kotamadya, Tomohon dikenal dengan kota yang penuh dengan semarak 17 Agustus. Masyarakat dari seluruh penjuru mata angin seakan berkumpul di tengah kota untuk menyaksikan parade ini.

Kepanasan, kehujanan dan berdesak-desakan sudah menjadi hal yang lumrah bagi para penonton parade. Biasanya, seluruh peserta parade berkumpul di Stadion Parasamya untuk mengikuti upacara dengan walikota yang sekaligus membuka parade drumband. Kemudian diikuti dengan peserta drumband tingkat SD, SMP dan SMA.

Berikut ini adalah foto yang diambil secara random untuk menggambarkan sedikit tentang drumband parade.

Penampilan dari drumband Sekolah Dasar


Drumband Sekolah Menengah Pertama






Anak-anak PMR yang tetap gigih :)




Drumband Sekolah Menengah Atas


Pasukan Praja Muda Karana (Pramuka) pun tetap eksis!
















Guru-guru pun tak ketinggalan, walaupun sempat hujan-panas susah senang ditanggung bersama :)


Ini adalah panggung penghormatan yang biasanya selalu ditempati oleh walikota, pejabat-pejabat kota, maupun undangan.




Yakh..mereka ini adalah penonton yang gigih datang menonton walaupun berdesak-desakan dan sempat di sambut dengan hujan, panas, hujan lagi dan panas lagi! haha..!! :)






Demikianlah sedikit gambaran tentang Parade Drumband di kota Tomohon. (OMP)