Gempa yang terjadi di sumatera barat, beberapa saat lalu berkisar 7,6 SH di perkirakan telah merusak banyak bangunan juga beberapa korban jiwa.
Gempa yang bersekala besar ini juga di rasakan oleh Negara Malaysia dan Singapura.
Sementara itu warga sumatera utara seluruhnya keluar dari rumah atau tempat perbelanjaan demi keselamatan masing – masing saat gempa berlangsung. Sejahu ini belum di ketahui berapa banyak korban jiwa, namun saat ini bandara pesawat juga beberapa rumah sakit di sumatera barat hancur dan tidak dapat di gunakan.

Setelah beberapa hari di nyatakan menghilang, akhirnya polisi mendapatkan kejelasan atas hilangnya seorang warga jepang di bali. Tepatnya jumat 25/9 sekiar pukul 24.00 wita, Mayumi Someya (30) dan Rika Sano alias Sanoi (33) yang menginap di hotel Prani Legian, Jalan Buntut Sari No. 4, Legian Kelod, Kuta, Badung, kamar nomor 10.
sepulang dari bepergian Mayumi dan Sano kembali ke hotel bersama seorang pria lokal yang tidak di ketahui identitasnya. Tak lama kemudian, mayumi keluar bersama pria tersebut dan bapak I made budiana ( 28 ) sebagai Front Office dan Security di hotel tersebut tidak melihat saat mayumi kembali lagi ke hotel.
Pada pukul 02.30 wita, pria yang mengaku sebagai anggota kepolisian sektor kuta membangunkan security tersebut dan menanyakan kamar mayumi, dengan menunjukkan kartu tanda anggota kepolisian kepada security dan menyatakan kepada security bahwa ada beberapa hal yang ingin di tanyakan pada mayumi. Tanpa merasa curiga, security tersebut membawa pria yang mengaku sebagai polisi menuju kamar mayumi, lalu security mengetok pintu kamar mayumi dan setelah mayumi membuka pintu kamar tersebut, security tersebut menjelaskan kepada mayumi ” Mayumi that is from police, he want to check you, he just need informatio,”
setelah menjelaskan hal tersebut kepada mayumi, lalu mayumi keluar bersama pria tersebut, namun beberapa menit kemudian pria tersebut datang lagi dan tanpa mayumi. Pria tersebut meminta security untuk mengantarkan nya ke kamar mayumi untuk bertemu sano, pria yang mengaku sebagai polisi tersebut menyatakan kepada security tersebut bahwa mayumi terlibat masalah narkotik dan polisi ingin meminta keterangan yang jelas dari sano di kantor polisi.
Lalu security tersebut segera membawa pria itu untuk bertemu dengan sano, security lalu mengetuk pintu kamar sano dan berkata ” Sano, you do with the police because your friend Mayumi have drugs trouble “.
Sano merasa terkejut saat security tersebut manyampaikan alasan kedatangan pria tersebut menjemput sano, namun sano tanpa membanta ikut keluar dengan pria tersebut. Bahkan security sempat mengikuti saat sano dan pria yang mengaku polisi tersebut sampai keluar dari hotel, namun security tersebut tidak melihat nomer flat kendaraan sepeda motor yang di gunakan untuk menjemput sano.
Sekitar pukul 03.30 wita dini hari, pria tersebut kembali lagi dan memerintahkan security untuk membuka kamar sano dan mayumi untuk penggeledahan. Untuk kesekian kali, sang security mengikuti kemauan pria yang mengaku sebagai polisi. Setelah beberapa menit menggeledah isi kamar, pria tersebut keluar dengan membawa dua buah tas dan memerintahkan kepada security agar mengunci kamar dan jangan di bersihkan karena akan ada lagi penggeledahan dari pihak densus.
Sementara itu, menurut pengakuan mayumi, mayumi di bawa pria tersebut ke jalan dewi sri yang berjarak sekitar 2km dari lokasi hotel. Dan menurut keterangan mayumi, bahwa ia hampir saja di perkosa dan bahkan ia juga di rampok, barang – barang yang di rampok berupa uang tunai Rp. 550,000 dan anting emas, handphone, jam tangan, passport.
Setelah mayumi berhasil meloloskan diri, mayumi kembali ke hotel hendak memberi tahu kejadian tersebut kepada sano. Namun saat mayumi kembali ke hotel, ternyata sano telah pergi nersama pria tersebut dan mayumi melaporkan kehilangan sano sejak jumat tersebut.
Terungkapnya keberadaan sano adalah Senin, 28/9 . Sano yang tidak bernyawa lagi di temukan tepat di jalan Mertanadi Kuta yaitu di depan pasar oleh oleh kampoeng bali. Jenazah sano pertama kali di temukan oleh salah satu karyawan pepaya bakery yang tepat berlokasi di samping tempat jenasah di temukan. Karyawan pepaya bakery ini menemukan jenazah tersebut karena adanya bau yang menyengat yang masuk hingga ke dalam restaurant, dan saat memeriksa ternyata mereka melihat sosok mayat yang telanjang tanpa baju dan terlungkup di balik semak – semak di samping restaurant tersebut.
Segera pihak karyawan menghubungi polisi, dan bukan hanya Direktur Reskrim Polda Bali Kombes Pol. Drs. Wilmar Marpaung yang berada di lokasi kejadian, namun pihak konsulat jepang juga datang melihat langsung jenazah di lokasi tersebut. Pihak kepolisian juga menemukan beberapa barang – barang milik korban yang berada dekat dengan jenazah, dan hingga saat ini pihak kepolisian belum berani membeberkan kapan tepatnya korban meninggal, apakah selain pembunuhan juga ada sangkut paut dengan pemerkosaan, apakah benar salah satu pihak kepolisian yang melakukan pembunuhan tersebut,
Pihak yang berwajib hanya mengatakan, akan memberi kejelasan setelah hasil autopsi keluar dan akan segera melakukan pemeriksaan di mulai dari security ( I made budiana ) hingga pihak – pihak yang di anggap pernah kenal atau bertegur sapa atau melihat korban sebelum kejadian penculikan.

A Japanese woman’s body was found on Kuta beach yesterday afternoon, according to Tempo Interactive news site.

The body was semi-naked and some of her possessions were found with the body. The woman came to Bali with a female friend and had been seen together at her hotel, Hotel Prani in Legian, with a local Indonesian man.

Update: Just found this story from JapanToday. The tourist is identified as Rika Sano.

‘‘We are still investigating the cause of her death. So far, I can only say that she was the victim of violence,’’ he said, adding her body is being kept at the Sanglah General Hospital for an autopsy.

According to Marpaung (detective unit chief at the Bali Police Headquarters), Sano checked into the Prani Hotel in Kuta with her friend Mayumi Someya, 30, on Thursday night, and at around 2:30 a.m. Friday, a man claiming to be a policeman led her away from her hotel.

According to the online news portal Tempo Interaktif, the man showed police identification and a badge to the hotel’s security officer and said Sano was a drug trafficker.

Japanese are only second to Australians in tourist numbers and are well known for how much they spend on holiday. The story is likely to be covered at length by the Japanese media, because of the brutality of the crime and the way the perpetrators allegedly posed as police officers.

Update #2: Just found another new article in the Straits Times:

‘The body was lying face down, half-naked in a bush, with only her black shirt on. We also found her mobile phone, underwear and a bag,’ he said.

‘The motive of the crime is unknown and is being investigated by our team.

We conducted an autopsy late last night but we can’t reveal the results now,’ said police spokesman I Gede Sugianyar.

The police are now denying that the perpetrator impersonated a policeman.

I noticed the build up in a number of yachts and catamarans in Lovina over the past few weeks and just realized that they are part of Sail Indonesia 2009. Last night they had Balinese dancers on the beach and central Lovina was packed with people.

Sail Indonesia is a three month trip around Indonesia which leaves from Darwin Australia and also travels to Langkawi in Malaysia. I am sure it would be a great trip and it provides a good boost to tourism in the region.

From September 30 to October 4th there are a number of events and activities planned especially for the sailors.

Unfortunately there is not much information available on the events taking place other than this billboard on the beach.

I went out looking at some land in a small village called Kalisada yesterday. Foreigners are looking for more and more quieter places to live near the beach, and Kalisada looks like one of those few places where you can still buy beach front property in Bali at an affordable price.

There is even an eco village under construction which is due to open next year.

The Batak style house is based on traditional houses found around Lake Toba in North Sumatra. Lake Toba is generally fairly cool at nights, so I think transporting the style of house to north Bali where is hot and dry, is a little impractical.

North Sumatra Batak style house

Open style kitchen in the Batak house

Pool in front of the Batak house

Stairs on the outside of the Batak house

The beach at Kalisada

The first week of Idul Fistri holiday or Lebaran as it is known in Indonesia is now over, with one week to go and many hotels are experiencing strong demand in Bali.

I am living in Lovina and have always been told, it’s not a good place for a tourist business, but people I know had trouble getting a room in the town. While the beaches don’t get packed like Kuta, the restaurants are generally full every night.

From the Jakarta Post:

“All hotels, from budget to upmarket, are flooded with domestic visitors,” said Perry Markus, the secretary-general of the Bali branch of the Indonesia Hotels and Restaurants Association (PHRI).

He said that occupancy rates for hotels in those areas had reached 100 percent during the holiday period.

“The hotels in those areas were so full that a large number of visitors had to find accommodation elsewhere,” he said.

The visa on arrival only allows for a maximum stay of one month and a two month tourist visa can also be applied for in advance. For longer stays however, you will need to apply for a social visa otherwise known as the Sosial Budaya visa.

The social visa needs to be applied for in advance at your local Indonesian embassy or consulate. The visa is good for 60 days and can be extended on a monthly basis, for a maximum stay of six months. As the name implies that visa is for people wishing to visit friends and family in Indonesia, but does not allow you to undertake any form of work, paid or unpaid.

To apply for a Social Visa, you need an Indonesian sponsor. This can be any friend you have in Indonesia. Your sponsor is required to vouch for you should you get into any trouble in Indonesia and while the person can be anyone you know, if you can, choose someone with a steady job or business in the country.

Where can I find a sponsor?

There are companies that will help organize a sponsor, but if it is your first time to Indonesia, it could be a good idea to come on a tourist visa, make some friends and ask one of them to be your sponsor. I have heard of some people asking for money to be your sponsor and while I don’t think there is a problem giving a gift to someone for going to the trouble of sponsoring you, I don’t think it is a good idea to encourage people to ask for payment.

What do I need from my sponsor?

You need a copy of your sponsor’s KTP (ID card) and a letter from them inviting you to Indonesia. Other websites I have read, said you also need a copy of your sponsor’s family register and a copy of your sponsor’s bank account statement.

I only needed a copy of the KTP and letter of invitation when I applied for my visa in Malaysia.

Where should I apply for the visa?

The visa is reportedly easiest to get at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur or in Singapore. It might take longer or you might need more documents if you apply in your own country. Your passport can be dropped off in the morning and picked up in the afternoon.

Address and telephone number of the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur

233, Jalan Tun Razak
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan 50400, Malaysia
+60 3 2116-4000
View Larger Map

Address and telephone number of the Indonesian embassy in Singapore

Embassy Of Republic Of Indonesia, 7 Chatsworth Road (S)249761
Singapore
+65 6737 7422


View Larger Map

The visa takes a whole page in your passport and when you get the visa, check that your sponsor’s name appears on the visa.

Should I do it myself or use an agent?

Everyone has their own opinion as to whether you should do the renewals yourself or to use an agent. If you do it yourself, you need to visit the immigration office in person three times for each renewal. The first time to submit your application, the second time to get notified when it will be ready and the third time to pick up your completed visa, over the course of about a week, or sometimes more. Since you need to do this every month and you need to apply for the visa at least one week before your visa expires, you will have to visit immigration almost every week.

This is fine if you are near an immigration office, but if you have to travel a bit to get to the office, you could be wasting nearly a day each time.

It is not surprising that people use agents for their renewals. A renewal costs about 250,000 rupiah each extension if you do it yourself and around 500,000 in total if you use an agent. Some expats just leave their passport with the agent for their whole time in Bali, so they don’t have to worry about dropping off and picking up their passport every month.

If you travel in the country, a photocopy is usually enough to check into a hotel. So, usually this is not a problem. You should make sure your agent is a reliable person, because if you overstay your visa, you will have to pay a fine for each day and long overstays could cause serious trouble with immigration.

On the second renewal, you need to visit the immigration office in person to get finger printed and photographed, even if you are using an agent.

Where to renew your social visa

You need to apply for an extension at least one week before your visa expires. There are three offices in Bali.

Kuta, near the airport:

Jalan Gusti Ngurah Rai Tuban Kuta

Denpasar:

Jl. Jalan D.I. Panjaitan
Desa Sumerta Klod, Denpasar Timur

Singaraja:

If you have any questions about applying for visas or living in Bali, I would suggest joining the Bali Expat Forum.

A friend’s mother passed away here in Bali and we were invited to the funeral, or cremation to be more precise. The cremation ground was in Seririt a few kilometers west of Lovina.

I didn’t really know what to expect as I had heard Balinese funerals were spectacular events. We got there late and the body was already being cremated. The cremation grounds are on a hill with nice views to the Bali Sea.

The body was put in some kind of iron casing, which had open ends. Some kind of fuel was pumped into the flames. The fuel was stored up a tree and carried to the fire in a pipe. The whole set up looked kind of dangerous. People took turns prodding the body with a bamboo stick.

There was a Gamelan orchestra playing the whole time. The attendees just sat around chatting, smoking and eating nasi goreng. No one cried, people seemed happy. The men wore their usual shorts, sandals and tshirts with just a sarong around their legs.

It was a somewhat surreal experience. I had just been searching on the internet for pictures and information on Balinese funerals and most of those pictures were fairly elaborate affairs.

Just another weird and wonderful day in Bali.

This is the third installment of a friend’s build here in Lovina, Bali. Here are the previous entries – first pictures, update 2.

The walls are now starting to take shape and the window frames are in. The rooms seem to look bigger with the walls up. The back terrace with sliding doors looking out onto farmland looks fantastic.

I always had air conditioning when I lived in cities in south east Asia, but honestly, if you have a nice open house which allows the breeze to go right through, you really don’t need to put in air conditioning. A fan to help circulate the air is fine.

All of the windows have nice views of the garden, including the well established mango trees.

Front of the house

Bedroom looking into the outdoor ensuite bathroom

Driveway towards the house

From the terrace looking into the house

Look out the back terrace

Pihak pemerintahan bali segera memberikan sinyal waspada kepada seluruh masyarakat bali dengan menyalakan serene tsunami sebagai peringatan untuk waspada tsunami.
Serene peringatan ini adalah antisipasi kepada masyarakat, paska gempa yang terjadi di bali kawasan badung kemarin pagi sekitar pukul 7.00 wita. Ada beberapa korban luka patah tulang yang tertimpa reruntuhan pura akibat paska gempa kemarin pagi. Namun sejahu ini, tiada korban jiwa.