My diary to Karimunjawa

The first time I heard about Karimunjawa was from my relative, and then I read also in some magazine about this small island. It described that this small island had beautiful underwater world and the corals there were still in good condition. Since that time I already planned in my heart that I had to go there someday. By accident I met a girl in a public transportation. Actually we met already several times in our way to the office because accidentally we worked in the same building. After exchanging smile, we starting to talk about anything until she told me about her planned to go to Karimunjawa with her club, she said it was very cheap because 1 person costed only about Rp 500.000,- for 4 days tour including accommodation, meals and transportation. After hearing this I was so encouraged to get more information about going to that place. Finally I got all that I needed and starting to make some reservation either for transportation and accommodation.

There were 2 ways to enter Karimunjawa, one from Semarang and the other from Jepara. I chose Jepara because the ferry fare was cheaper. Although the duration was almost 4 hours longer but it was ok with me. On the way, I was lucky that I could see some dolphins swimming and jumping beside our ferry.

Actually there were several motels and guest houses in the main island of Karimunjawa while the luxurious one located in another island called Kura Kura Resort, but from the first time I saw the picture of the floating wooden lodge of pak Joko named "Pondok Terapung Jaya Karimun", I already said to myself that I had to stay at this place, because I felt more adventourous. Well, the floating wooden lodge was really met with my expectation. It had several kind of rooms, some with private bath room, some with outside shared bath room and only 2 rooms had aircondition. I chose a room with a private bath room. It was clean and had a double bed, while the bath room was ordinary, there were only a bucket to hold water and a plastic water scoop. The water ran from the tap not continually, but for sure in the morning and afternoon you would have water to take a bath. Fortunately beside my room was a small quarantine pond where they put sharks, after they big enough then pak Joko would free them in the ocean, so everytime I could see the sharks swimming to and fro in that little pond from my window without going out from my bed room, wasn't that cool ?!! Although the floating wooden lodge located a bit far from the beach but there was a family who stayed in that lodge and they would serve your meals and also help you whenever you needed some information. Upon my arrival I already arranged with pak Joko what I wanted to do during my stay. Unfortunately I had to rent his boat privately because I was there not during holiday so there was no guest except myself. Under the lodge and the surrounding there were many live corals and I thought thousands kind of fishes too, so you could even do the swimming and snorkeling just around the lodge, but please be careful for the sea urchin, because they were also so many. The open dining and living rooms located just in front of the rooms. During a warm night when the sky was full with stars, you could bring out your pillow and sarong and lay down on the wooden pier which was located also just in front of the rooms and saw the bright night sky with many stars, you could even sleep there in the open air and hearing the wind made small waves and slapping the floating lodge and it made the pier moved slowly to and fro, and made you felt that you were sleeping in a craddle.

There were some points to do the snorkeling named Ujung Gelam or Tanjung Gelam, Menjangan Besar, Menjangan Kecil, etc. All were beautiful. Could you imagine that I swam in the middle of hundreds of colouful fishes ? Several times I tried to touch them, but of course they swam away from me. At that time I just thought how our God is so great and wonderful because in a day He created those fishes and there were not only hundreds but thousands or even millions kind of fishes, from tiny to big, big enough to swallow a human being. The colourful live corals were also beautiful, just named the colour then you would find it, green, orange, blue, pink, red, yellow, etc, etc, I just could not describe them in words, you have to witness them by yourself. One thing that I afraid of when swimming in the sea is sea snake, because my friend saw it when swimming in Bunaken and I didn't want to have the same experience like him. In one place, if I was not mistake was the Menjangan Besar where you could do the snorkeling just in front of the beach, so you could touch the coral with your own hands from the surface. Oooh my... I wished my house were there so I could snorkeling at anytime I want. I went snorkeling almost the whole day, I didn't care if my skin became dark and burnt by the sun as long as I could enjoy the snorkeling, hahaha I think I couldn't be a model with that kind of skin. Another thing that I regreted, that I could not dive, because if I could then I could see the more beauty of the underwater world there but I hope if I come back again, then I can dive already so I can see all the beauty of God's creation and not only from the surface like now. In the late afternoon after taking a bath and changed into clean cloths, sitting on the wooden chair with a book in my hand, the servant came and brought me some coconut from their own plantation and fried banana, oooh my this was delicioussss, I really should come back to this place.

How to get there :
There were 2 ways to reach Karimunjaya, either from Semarang and from Jepara. From Semarang the ferry was more "luxury" therefore the ticket price was also more expensive. Ferry between Karimunjaya and Semarang or Jepara operated only on certain days, so check first before you going there, otherwise you have to spend a day or 2 in Semarang or Jepara before getting that ferry. The rough quotation from Jakarta will be as follows :
- Bus ticket from Jakarta to Jepara Rp 70.000 one way
- Becak to the harbour Rp 5.000 one way
- KMP Muria from Jepara to Karimunjawa Rp 48.000 per person one way VIP class

Rp 24.000 per person one way economy class
Takes about 6 hours sail from Jepara to Karimunjawa

- KMC Kartini from Semarang to Karimunjawa (about 2:30 hours)
Ticket fare Rp 110.000 Business airconditioned class

Rp 140.000 Executive airconditioned class
- Becak from the harbour to pak Joko's house Rp 5.000 one way

What to bring :

- Swimsuit

- Snorkel and diving equipment, if you don't have one, you can always rent them there

- Your favourite snacks and drinks, 'coz there were only small 'warung'

- Sun block

- After sun lotion

- Sarong

- Your favourite book

Room rates at Pondok Terapung Jaya Karimun :

- Rp 77.000 room with private bath room

- Rp 66.000 room without bath room

- Rp 200.000 airconditioned room with private bath room including breakfast for 2

- Rp 15.000 per meal per person (buffet)

Rental boat : Rp 200.000 full day, Rp 150.000 half day

Rental snorkel, mask & fin : Rp 25.000 per person per day.

Important phone numbers :

Jepara Harbour Information 62 291 591039

Semarang Harbour Information 62 24 3545006

Karimunjawa Information Office 62 297 108

Pondok Terapung Jaya Karimun owned by Ismarjoko 62 297 312185

Note : All the above information are based on 2007

State of the dead

Many people wondering what happen after someone is dead ? Do they still can see what the living do ? Do we still can communicate with them ?

If you go to the medium, then they can help you meet with the love ones that already passed away. When my aunt died, my cousin was offered to see a medium who can help him to meet his mother. They even said that my cousin could talk with his mother and would know the condition of her after death. But is it true that we can communicate with the dead ?

If we return to the Bible to get the answer then we can read in Psalm 146:4 When they die, they return to the dust; on that day all their plans come to an end. This verse says that when someone dies he or she will return to dust and their life will also ends directly. More over in Ecclesiates 9:5,6 it is said that the living know they are going to die, but the dead know nothing. They have no further reward; they are completely forgotten. Their loves, their hates, their passions, all died with them. They will never again take part in anything that happens in this world. So the Bible clearly states that after someone dies, he or she will know nothing about their husband or wife or children or family or friends, etc. They won't know anything if their love ones that they left are happy or sad or get unluck.

Why the Bible says that someone who dies will return to dust ? To know the answer, we have to return again to the Bible. First let us read Genesis 2:7 when God created the human being for the first time "Then the Lord God took some soil from the ground and formed a man out of it; he breathed life-giving breath into his nostrils and the man began to live". So, now we know that man is made from "soil + life giving breath from God". So what happen if God takes back the life giving breath from a man ? that's right, he or she will die and return to soil where they come from. For this you can also read in Job 34:14,15 If God took back the breath of life, then everyone living would die and turn into dust again.

Jesus in John 11:11-14 said "Jesus said this and then added, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go and wake him up." The disciples answered, "If he is asleep, Lord, he will get well." Jesus meant that Lazarus had died, but they thought he meant natural sleep. So Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead." These verses clearly say that the condition of the dead is only sleeping. We all know that if we are sleeping then we won't know anything that happened around us. So, if the dead is only sleeping and know nothing about his or her surrounding, then who did the disguise and pretend to be our love ones that already passed away ? Again for the answer, let us back to our Bible and read in 2 Corinthians 11:14,15 it says Well, no wonder ! Even satan can disguise himself to look like an angel of light ! So it is no great thing if his servants disguise themselves to look like servants of righteousness. In the end they will get exactly what their actions deserve. So these verses clearly say that for satan it is easy to disguise himself as anyone that he wants even as an angel of light, it is easy for him to disguise himself as our mother or father or sister or brother or friends or anyone that is already passed away.

My dear friends, now we know exactly what happened with the dead. They are only sleeping ! they can not annoy us or communicate with us anymore. They are just sleeping and waiting for the day when God will wake them up, just like as written in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 There will be the shout of command, the archangel's voice, the sound of God's trumpet, and the Lord himself will come down from heaven. Those who have died believing in Christ will rise to life first.

God bless us all !