Surabaya - Java

...Surabaya...

A city I could explore with a submarine, one might think. It's not quite like that, but I start my little tour with a visit to a submarine, which served as an instrument in the Battle of Papua New Guinea. From here, my journey continues towards the center of the city, and I should note here that this is a very clean city, with all the sidewalks in the city center tiled. However, the city itself is not very interesting, as it is just a series of shopping malls.

Therefore, I decided to visit the old town, the Arab quarter "Ambel," which is predominantly inhabited by Yemeni descendants. And yes, occasionally one might think they are in Cairo, as they stroll comfortably through a bazaar called "Pasar Ambel," where the "Ambel Mosque" is located. Here, you can find perfumes, dates, prayer rugs, and all sorts of things you would expect to find in an Arabic bazaar. But be careful, I was heavily reminded to keep all my belongings close to me. At the mosque itself, there is a sign (also in German) indicating that one should dress appropriately in Arabic/Muslim attire in this area. Since that felt a bit too restrictive for me, I took a short walk to the Chinese quarter and visited the nearby "House of Sampoerna."

If you will, this is the factory and museum of the famous local "kretek" (clove cigarette) at the same time. From the upper floor, you can watch the production of these cigarettes through a glass window. It's quite amusing to see how a packet is packaged and sealed at lightning speed. I estimate about 10 seconds per pack. And when you leave the museum and walk around the building, you also hear the nerve-wracking propaganda music accompanying the whole process. Personally, I think I would have to leave the factory within 5 minutes if I had to work there. I also visited a Chinese temple, and then I took a mini-bus back to the city center.