Going to Suryabaya

We leave ‘pagi-pagi’ from Denpasar airport and arrive in Surabaya – big city in East Java. It is a huge port we take a charter taxi into the city. First to Kalimas a river port where most of the large wooden cargo boats that go between Sulawesi, Kalimantan and some of the other eastern islands depart from. Then it is to the Samporna cigarette factory. It is a tourist attraction in Suryabaya. It is a huge city but it is not known as a major tourist city. There is a beautiful display of all memorabilia about cigarettes as well as the history of the building and family. Upstairs is a shop and viewing platform of the factory. Mainly women are seated in red and yellow uniforms hand rolling cigarettes, trimming them and packaging. The speed is incredible. How does one relax after rolling 325 cigarettes an hour after an eight hour day!!!! So with over three hundred people working in this particular factory one of many making that many cigarettes an hour how many cigarettes are being smoked!!!

Then it is off to have lunch. We go to a local hot spot for ‘Lontong Balap’ a vegetarian soup with sprouts and tofu as well as solid cooked rice with young coconut. You know a place is good when you see a busy place.

A famous mosque in Surabaya is Sunan Ampel it is situated in the Arab section of the town and that was out last destination on our whirlwind tour the city. There are tiny lanes leading to the mosque all filled with small shops selling toys, Arabic and mosque clothes, henna, perfumes in shiny bottles cakes and dates many from the middle east. We were not wearing clothes appropriate for the mosque so we did not enter. Kelsey needed to go to the toilet so Sharon her mother asked if she may use the toilet in the information booth. Sharon came out wearing a sarong and head scarf to accompany Kelsey to the toilet. They both went into the area where women and girls prepare for the mosque. The mosque is a beautiful a large colonial building with huge wooden shutters, many doors and a beautiful polished floor. I would recommend bringing/buying some clothes that would allow you to enter.

Back to the airport and to Kalimantan Pangalabun and meet Bu Arfa and her family. A quick taxi ride from the airport and we are on a ‘Klotok’ (Kapal air- wooden boat).