Dhila Backstrom Photo Blog

There wasn't much going on this day. My mom took all of us girls to a spa. Now, let me tell you this, this ain't your typical spa here in the United States. This one particular spa is attended and serviced by women only, no dudes are allowed inside. This will give the chance to the girls with cover up to also be able to enjoy the service.

Apparently it's called "Pijat Lulur". Pijat means massage, Lulur means body scrub. Now you can't be shy here. For 2.5 hours you get a full massage, head to toes, yes, chest too! I was taken to the second floor where you are taken to a small space behind a curtain where you'll find a massage bed. Each bed was separated only by curtains. After stripping down, buck naked you lie down on your stomach and that's when these fantastic tiny little girls with hands as strong as a lumberjack yet the skin is as soft as a baby's bottom, start working on your taut muscles from years of sitting in a cubicle staring at a computer answering phones and emails. My girl, Tita, literally spent 15 minutes on each of my limbs.

The massage is followed by lulur. Lulur is a concoctions of natural herbs formed into a paste that resembles a scrub. They were applied with hard strokes to remove the first layer of the epidermis full of dead cells to promote the growth of new cells so your skin stays youthful. That's what I was told anyway. The last thing we had to do was to remove the oil from the massage, the leftover paste from the lulur, by taking a shower and drank jamu, an herb drink to soothe your soul.

I felt like a million bucks afterward. I highly recommend for visitor to do this while visiting Indonesia. The cost for the entire blissful session was ten dollars. Yes, you heard me right.

I found the name of the place we had this heavenly treatment. It's called Salon Rengganis and this link will give you directions to the place.

I went to visit my dear high school friends. I was two hours late because we couldn't find the place where we were supposed to meet. The place was called Mang Engking, near one of the biggest universities in Jakarta, Universitas Indonesia. Here's a blog I found online written by a local for photos and description of this place. This type of place seems to be a trend here in Indonesia. It was GREAT to see my friends well and healthy and ate what's left of the food that's been sitting for 2 hours.

Wiwit, Dita and her son Bagas (cute as button), Endah, Me, Jeff and Treyton

We then visited my grandma's house where we also arranged to meet my uncles, aunties, nieces and nephews whom some I have never met and some I have not seen in 13 years. As excited I was to see them I was most excited to see my friends whom I grew up during my teenage years. My uncle took me around the neighborhood after Maghrib trying to see if anyone was home. I was able to meet some who were still residing there. Most of them had moved away. Aaaah the memories. It was funny seeing everyone's reactions. Most of them had to take a second look at me to realize that it was me. They wouldn't have recognized me if I were just passing by.

My niece Ivory in green, my mom, Treyton, Jeff, My grandmother, my sister Putri, my uncle Agung and his daughter, Ria, Me, Aunti Vera Lila (Agung's wife) and her son.

My grandma with Ivory and her cousin

My high school friend Frida came over with her daugher Filia. My mother used to compare me with Frida back in the days. "Why can't you be as brilliant as Frida?"

Filia and Treyton playing. Notice the row houses, the picture doesn't do justice of how narrow the streets are yet, vehicles can enter in and out of this. Amazing!