Cempaka Culture and Tourism: Balikpapan crocodile park a treat for lovers of exotic fare

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

“… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …”

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Balikpapan crocodile park a treat for lovers of exotic fare

Nurni Sulaiman, The Jakarta Post, Balikpapan

Residents in Balikpapan and other parts of East Kalimantan may be familiar with the Borneo Crocodile Recreational Park on Jl. Mulawarman in the city, managed by CV Surya Raya Crocodile Farm.

The place offers visitors a variety of crocodile leather products, such as briefcases, purses, wallets, belts and bags, as well as some exotic fare -- crocodile satay at Rp 3,000 (approximately 33 U.S. cents) a stick.

Crocodile meat is seen by many as nutritious and is believed to heal a number of diseases, such as asthma and allergies, as well as relieving hypertension and reducing sugar levels in diabetics.

The park is open to the public daily, from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. However, visitors can sample crocodile satay only on Sundays and other major holidays, such as Idul Fitri, Idul Adha, Christmas and New Year's Day.

The Cafe Borneo, where crocodile satay is sold, was packed with dozens of visitors eating satay when The Jakarta Post visited.

Besides local visitors, curious diners come from as far as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan, Yogyakarta and even overseas.

"This is my first time eating crocodile satay. I got the information from my friends who came here earlier. It tastes delicious, like mutton satay," said Adrianus, from Jakarta, who was on a working visit to Balikpapan.

Another visitor from Jakarta, Roni, concurred. "I am by chance hungry... so it tastes more delicious, like chicken satay," said Roni.

According to an employee at Cafe Borneo, Edi, eating crocodile satay has no side effects and is safe for both children and adults. Only younger crocodiles, ideally around three-and-a-half-years old, are slaughtered for their meet.

"We can sell 500 to 1,000 sticks of satay during Sundays, but more than 2,000 sticks during holidays such as Idul Fitri and New Year," said park employee Hamroni.

The park also sells other crocodile-based products, such as crocodile oil, which costs Rp 8,000 per bottle. It is believed to be an effective ointment to heal burns. Crocodile penises are also on sale at Rp 300,000 to Rp 500,000 a piece and are believed to boost male virility.

A 120-ml bottle containing a medicinal drink mixed with crocodile penis is sold at Rp 15,000. Those who prefer light snacks can buy crocodile crackers at Rp 2,000 per pack.

Visitors can buy unfried crocodile crackers as gifts to loved ones back home for Rp 10,000 per pack. The park also sells frozen crocodile meat, meat floss and crocodile bile, believed by many to have qualities to heal asthma, skin diseases and prevent malaria.

Its crocodile leather products are sought after by visitors from the United States, Korea and Brunei. For those who wish to make their own creation from crocodile leather can buy a whole skin at Rp 1.27 million.

"It can be turned into bags, jackets, shoes and others. One of the company's aims is to provide high quality leather products at affordable prices so people from all walks of life can afford them," said Hamroni.

The park is always packed with visitors on weekends. More than 1,000 people visited the park last Sunday, some just to relax, conduct study tours or hold class farewells, as evident from a bus-load of students from the SDN 18 state elementary school in Samarinda Seberang.

The park is home to thousands of crocodiles, from young to mature.

It is not hard to reach the park. Visitors can take the number 7 public van, with fares ranging from Rp 2,500 to Rp 5,000 depending on the distance. It takes 30 minutes from Sepinggan International Airport by car.