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Blogs from Surabaya, Java, Indonesia, Asia
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May 30th 2012
Surabaya is de 2e grootste stad van het eiland Java en telt 3 miljoen inwoners. Sura betekend haai en baya krokodil vanwege de legende. We slapen in Kota, de meest armoedige wijk van Surabaya. Hier is echt niets van bezienswaardigheden. Wel ok, ik moet toegeven dat de markt deze morgen wél een belevenis was. Vooral omdat de vrouwen ons aanstaarden alsof we aliens waren. Misschien zagen we er ook wel iets te Westers uit naar hun Moslim-normen. Ik had een topje aan, wat ik me achteraf beklaagd heb. Ook al was het hier ook snikheet (boven de 30°C) en stonden de zweetdruppels op ons ganse lijf. De warmte zijn we na 3 weken nog altijd niet gewoon. De LP (reisgids) beweert dat je de tropische warmte na 2 weken wel gewoon bent, maar wij puffen en ... read more
May 30th 2012
We hadden enkele dagen terug de 19 jarige Ben uit Zwitserland leren kennen in Mount Bromo en de rit richting Surabaya met de trein gedeeld. Ben nam een GAP year – 1 jaar vrij na zijn middelbaar. In Zwitserland is er nog verplichte legerdienst. Jongens 3 jaar, meisjes niks. Ben heeft gezondheidsproblemen en kan zijn legerdienst niet doen (slechte knieën, astma en verschillende voedselallergieën). Voor mensen die het leger niet willen doen zijn er 2 mogelijkheden: ofwel 3 jaar voor de sociale sector werken of 10 jaar 3% taxen betalen aan het leger. Hij koos voor het laatste. We bekeken zijn Lonely Planet, een spiksplinternieuwe. Ons geval is van 2006 en de prijzen zijn al verdubbeld ondertussen. In zijn LP stond er andere informatie over Surabaya over onder andere 'House of Sampoerna'. House of Sampoerna is ... read more
May 14th 2012
Stayed at Orchid Guest House along Jalan Bongkaron, near Chinatown in the old part of the city. First becak rides were cool.... read more
May 12th 2012
JAVA: Surabaya...Graffitti & Submarines. Long final breakfast...breathing in the majestic beauty at the Ijen Resort...one last time...aahh...now have to return to Surabaya...and infernal traffic. I think Fandi our Guide was happy to go...pretty boring for him to hang around for several days...sometimes only seeing us for meals...Hady our driver happy to see us again...and then there was the music. When we travel I bring along compilation CDs of my favourite Blues & Rock tracks...Fandi singing along...Hady happy to rock along...we happy as our previous guide Joe preferred Javanese temple music..!!! Down to the coast...waving to the poor souls on that island close enough to wave to...known as Bali...suckers...you can't swim over to this side...the current is against you...sailing craft and happy swimmers on this side...suckers..!!! Stop at one of the beaches for another ... read more
November 2nd 2011
As we all know "semen" is a substance which requires the fertility of a partner in order to transform itself and grow. This says nothing about the magical power of Javanese "Semen", with a capital S, however. The mystical aura of Semen originates from a now famous dukun of Gresik in East Java. His Semen flattens forests, permanently covers valleys, provides foundations for homes and shoots itself arrogantly into the sky under the flesh of the world's tallest structures. It is perhaps one of modern man's most visible and powerful substances. We really just might still be in the stone age without it. Without Semen I mean of course. In my own country a substance known as cement plays a near identical role in paving and constructing our way of life. Starting with the seemingly endless ... read more
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October 8th 2011
The cockerels crow at some ungodly hour, but I manage to drift back to sleep until half nine, I blame the time difference. Show dress and head out. Fist stop; internet to see what my plans are for the couple of days. I find a plaza with cafes and unsecured wi-fi. It's a slow connection that's not helped by me being on battery power. Netta is still in Jakarta and looking for a good man - maybe I'll go help? Drop my laptop back at my room and go explore. LP says there isn't much to see here, but it does suggest Qubah (the Arab Quarter) and China Town so that's where I head, via a plaza. Tunjungan Plaza is known for it's food selection and I'm told there's a cinema there. Takes me 15 minutes ... read more
October 7th 2011
At half six there's a pounding on the door that wont go away. Naked, I stumble through the dark to open the door, an old woman says, "coffee". I'm not sure if it's a question or a statement so I say, "tea". She says 'coffee' one more time and thrusts a pint glass of strong dark coffee into my hands before the young woman next to her gives me a dumpling on a plate and they move to the next door. I close my door, put the breakfast on the floor and get back into bed. At half nine I eat the red bean dumpling and the coconut cake beneath it and consider getting up. At some point after ten I finish the last of last nights dessert and head out to look for the Mangrove ... read more
February 2nd 2011
Today's distance: 90 km Today distance: 750 km Time on bike: 5 hrs Moved on to Java now. After the tameness of Thailand and Malaysia, this country is a roar. All I can say is that cycling in East Java is not for the faint of heart! It is really madness, just insanity. Imagine motorcycles galore, trucks and buses passing 2-3 deep, cars and SUVs all over the place, jam-packed food and drink stalls, motorcycle shops, and all this within a rough narrow road that somehow passes for a national highway. It's really just nuts cycling in Java. Let's just say the initial part out of Surabaya made the traffic in Wuhan (central city in China notorious for chaotic congestion) look like a Sunday picnic. Thankfully, the airport was already 10km out of the city along ... read more
Het prachtige Kuta en het verschrikkelijke Surabaya, en een hoop mooie vulkanen!
Published: October 17th 2010Asia » Indonesia » Java » Surabaya
October 13th 2010
Als alles goed zou gaan zou mijn paspoort over na drie weken na het aanvragen klaarliggen bij de ambassade in Jakarta. Maar ja, ik ben Indonesië. Alles in een keer goed is natuurlijk geen optie. Eigenlijk was ik er al een beetje bang voor. Toen ik op het consulaat in Kuta was had ik al mijn vingerafdrukken gegeven, pasfoto's en alleen geen handtekening. Toen de aardige man die mij hielp me aangaf dat we klaar waren en alles begon op te ruimen vroeg ik aan hem of ik geen handtekening moest zetten. Hij keek verbaasd op en begon hard te giechelen en in het Indonesisch tegen zijn collega's te praten, die op hun beurt uiteraard ook allemaal heel hard giechelden. 'Ah, sorry, sorry, sorry!' Hihihihi. Dus kreeg ik een nieuw pasfotoformuliertje, waar ik dit keer mijn ... read more
September 13th 2010
The train arrived in Central Surabaya at 9.00PM. Our friends Menur and Florent were waiting for us at the station to bring us to Menur's family house. We were staying there for 3 nights and have celebrated Idul Fitri with them, the end of the Ramadan. Idul Fitri starts very early in the morning (5.30AM) with a morning prayer in the Mosque... we did not join them on this one. Once back from the Mosque, families prepare food and drink buffets at their house and invite all relatives who wants to share a bit of the celebration with them... we joined on this one and got stuck with 1 family member with a large knewledge in football quizzing us about the latest player transfers within AS Roma or in what club Eric Gerets was trainer etc... ... read more
