-- From Surabaya to Ketapang
The road tracklog
From Surabaya to Ketapang
from 18/07 to 22/07/2009
Adieu
Saturday 18/07 was a public holiday; The Tourist Centre was closed. Despite everything Irna came and offered me a Tee-shirt and a traditional hat. They were touching good-byes and the last picture with the guards of the Office.
The last but not the least
Surabaya
18/07/2009
Malang
I moved towards Malang which was a resort at the colonial era, the climate is pleasant there. From this completed time they remain only some buildings of which the Balai Kota, City Hall, mansions transformed into Guesthouses and the Reformed Cathedral. Opposite the Balai Kota in the centre of a huge roundabout Tugu, Independence Hero Monument. I bivouacked in the street close to the Splendid Inn.
Balai Kota
Malang
18/07/2009
Tugu
Malang
18/07/2009
Gereja Kathedral Kuno
Malang
18/07/2009
Around Malang
Several temples of the Hindu dynasty Singosari, precursors of the empire of Majapahit, from 13th to the 14th century, which was the last Hindu empire in Java, were built around Malang as funerary temples. Candi Singosari was built in 1304 in the honour of the fifth and last king Singosari. The sculptures were not completed. Two hundreds meters away from there two enormous Dwarapala are, guards of the temple.
Candi Singhosari
Malang
19/07/2009
Candi Singhosari
Malang
19/07/2009
Candi Jago was built in 1268 as memorial of the fourth king Singosari. It is much degraded despite everything splendid sculptures of Jataka in the style wayang kulit are still visible.
Candi Jago
Malang
19/07/2009
Candi Jago
Malang
19/07/2009
Candi Kidal dates back to 1260 as funerary temple of the second king Singosari died in 1248. Several sculptures are interesting such Garuda, mythical man-bird. In the early afternoon I bivouacked at the Pertamina station after the crossroads for Tosari/Wonokitri and Bromo.
Candi Kidal
Malang
19/07/2009
Candi Kidal
Malang
19/07/2009
Bromo
The destination of the 20/07 was Bromo, volcano in semi activity. I was stopped in Tosari by policemen, who made me understand that I was not allowed to head up with my truck; the road is too narrow, too steep and too sharp bends… I did not have the choice, after a couple of minutes of reflection I gave up the project, it did not have there interest to rent a motodriver to do the outward journey and the return, 12.5 kilometres. I headed downwards to the coastal plain.
Indonesia does not derogate from the South-East Asia rule of bombastic sound system with enormous baffles delivering of low sound to break tympanums.
Sound system
en route
20/07/2009
I bivouacked in Pasir Putih at the edge of a black sand beach from volcanic origin.
on the beach
Pasir Putih
20/07/2009
The 22/07 I moved towards Ketapang to take a ferry to Bali. The road has a bad shape with a very hard traffic of trucks making the trip painful. I arrived at the port around 9:30 to load on a ferry sailing at 10:00. The duration of the crossing is of approximately thirty minutes, but Bali has one hour more ahead of UTC than Java.
Bad shape road
towards Ketapang
22/07/2009
