Heading back to Bali.
Felt good to say that we are headed back to Bali. Bali is the destination even though it is only a 30-minute ferry ride from East Java. It must be the lure of the Island of the Gods.
Crossing over and seeing the hills and mountains of Bali was nice. Coming home and knowing we will be sleeping in our own beds as opposed to a hotel. It’s been interesting. We lived out of our backpacks and didn’t argue or kill each. We were not roughing it by any means, we had air conditioning and a roof over our heads at all times. We didn’t get rained out anywhere and besides being cold at times, that was it.
What did we learn?
The people are different. This is one thing that I can say for certain. The people in the mountains are nice but rough. They do not have the nice hospitality feel of Bali. Despite having been to the many attractions and staying in numerous hotels and resorts, the hospitality is missing.
The tourists are mostly local with about 20 percent or so foreigners but this is no excuse. The people seemed rude and downright crude at times.
At our hotel in Bromo where breaky was included, we had to argue for one extra egg and one extra pancake. This was funny, however, the room was never made up and let’s say for the money it was not worth it.
But why?
I suppose I don’t have an exact answer but it comes down to education. They do not know any better and they talk to tourists as they chat among themselves.
There is a niceness that is missing in that part of Indonesia. Living in the mountains, in the colder climates, could be the clue. Our last resort Ijen Cliff Resort was nice. However, my door couldn’t close unless slammed. The ceiling was covered in cobwebs but at the same time, it was nice. The manager tried to help when the hot water was not working. The breakfast and the food in general were nice. Yet among the 10 cottage-style rooms it is not that expensive to do a bit of cleaning. Another thing was that while the staff was nice, polite and attentive, their uniforms were always dirty. These little things make a possible amazing experience a just okay experience.
East Java is not Bali.
I kept on saying to myself, “I bet property is cheap here.” Cheap and good is not always possible. That is how I felt about our trip. The experience was amazing, the views and attractions we saw were breath taking and in a nutshell, it was worth it.
What would I have changed? Jado and I talked about this. One would be the car. Despite this being a brand new car and the whole reason for our trip in the first place, a taller and less sporty car would be favourable.
More planning and research on our part would also add to the experience. We were flying by the seat of our pants and that is what we wanted. In the end, we got what we asked for.
#roadtrip #eastjava #surabaya
#bromo #volcano #traveling #travelling #exploreindonesia, #photography
#travelblog #indonesia
Zsolt Zsemba 