We didn't expect the Damri bus we were taking from Taliwang Terminal to Mataram to depart so early. The bus's usual departure time is 9 a.m. I hurried to pack my things and prepare for a few days in Mataram. The person in charge of the tickets had already contacted me and one of my friends, Almus. I wondered, "Why is the bus leaving at 8 a.m.? It's scheduled for 9 a.m." Without further ado, I decided to contact Almus.
“Assalamualaikum.. Almus! It turns out the bus has already left for Mataram, we’re late!” I spoke into my phone with a heavy tone.
“Waalaikumsalam, Hadi, yeah. I also just got a call from the person in charge of tickets, that the bus will start earlier. But don't worry, we're going to Mataram by motorbike, I'll pick you up in a minute, okay? Assalamu'alaikum” Almus immediately hung up his phone. It turned out that Almus really didn't want to be bothered with the bus business. Finally, I was happy again.
At exactly 9 am, we set off on our motorcycles for Mataram. We couldn't wait to get there. The story from a friend who studied there sounded interesting. They said the Ramadan Treasures Festival had lots of door prizes. I saw a clear, bright sky. For us, the journey that day was a bit of a chore because we were fasting. The journey from Taliwang, West Sumbawa, to Lombok-Mataram takes approximately 7 hours, or at most 8 hours if we weren't in a hurry. I saw Almus riding his motorcycle leisurely. It seemed he wasn't in a hurry and was really enjoying the long journey.
Our trip to Mataram was to attend several exhibitions and events, including the "Pesona Khazanah Ramadhan di Lombok 2017" (The Charm of Ramadan Treasures on Lombok Island 2017), specifically at the Mataram Islamic Center. Since the event opened last May and ran through June, countless people have been flocking to and from the booths lined up in various locations at the Islamic Center. Please visit this link For your information, that's the story consistently reported on local West Nusa Tenggara TV stations. The Pesona Ramadhan committee at the Islamic Center was bustling with activities. Since we had nothing else to do, we decided to visit. Now it was time to experience the beauty of Mataram, the economic center of West Nusa Tenggara. Furthermore, this year's Pesona Ramadhan was covered by a major national newspaper. See: here
Our journey finally arrived at Poto Tano Taliwang Port. After purchasing tickets and waiting in line for a while, we immediately boarded a ship called the Wicitra Dharma. This ship was quite fast, taking three hours to sail from Tano Taliwang Port to Kayangan Port, East Lombok. The ship finally docked in Kayangan at around ten minutes past eleven. Afterward, we continued our journey to Mataram at a moderate pace. It was quite tiring, but Almus refused to be replaced as rider. He seemed to be struggling to endure the fatigue and hunger of fasting.
After a fairly tiring journey, we arrived in Mataram. The city that houses 8 regencies and 2 municipalities. Each of the eight regencies is located in a different region, but the distance between the two does not hinder the unity of the people in the regencies and cities. The regencies in West Nusa Tenggara have unique names: 1. Bima Regency, centered in Woha. 2. Bima Regency, centered in Dompu. 3. West Lombok Regency, centered in Gerung. 4. Central Lombok Regency, centered in Praya. 5. East Lombok Regency, centered in Selong. 6. North Lombok Regency, centered in Tanjung. 7. Sumbawa Regency, centered in Sumbawa Besar. Finally, West Sumbawa Regency, centered in Taliwang. Meanwhile, the only municipalities are Mataram City and Bima City. For more details, please see the address. this link
We were very grateful to have safely reached our destination. We arrived at approximately 3:15 p.m. The journey was quite tiring, but very enjoyable. Afterward, we headed straight to the Mataram Islamic Center Mosque and found it bustling with exciting activities. Archery, scientific discussions, a Prophet's sword exhibition, a book bazaar, and even a menu of sharing snacks.
After performing the Asar prayer, we immediately walked around the Islamic Center Mosque area. You can see so many people passing by with various activities taking part. We also saw that several guests from outside the island of Lombok were involved in the excitement of this activity. It looks foreign with a skullcap, and female tourists cover their heads with a headscarf. Maybe they have converted to Islam. We were very happy with the bustling scene full of family and brotherhood.
Not long after we tired ourselves out wandering from one bazaar stand to another, the Maghrib call to prayer echoed. It was time to break the fast, and we finally lined up to receive free takjil (meals) to break our fast. Our exhaustion and weariness were finally soothed by the coolness and blessings of our breaking-fast location, the Island of a Thousand Mosques. Oh, the joy of breaking the fast!
After breaking the fast with free takjil (snacks), we finally prepared to perform the Maghrib prayer in congregation. We were also curious about the prayer leader; they said he was from the Middle East. Subhanallah. He was truly comprehensive. It further strengthened our enthusiasm to join the Taraweeh prayer at the Islamic Center Mosque.
That concludes our experience participating in the Pesona Ramadhan event at the Mataram Islamic Center. Really cool.
“"This article was submitted to the #RamadhanDiLombok 2017 Blog Competition held by REPUBLIKA & the Regional Government of West Nusa Tenggara"”
