Indonesia (Post Covid-19 Overseas Visit No 4 - My 16 days in Surabaya, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Malang, Batu & Probolinggo May 13-28 2023) Day 14 >16 May 26 > 28 2023 Surabaya, Java

Surabaya Vaganza Floral Cultural Parade
Saturday May 27 2023

Day 14 - Friday May 26 2023 (Probolinggo > Surabaya, Java) 

Probolinggo > Surabaya, Java (103km)

1) Train ride from Probolinggo > Gubeng Station, Surabaya, Java (11.19 > 13.11) - economy ticket 88,000Rp = Rm27; airconditioned & non-reclining seats, ideal departure time. 

2) Arriving (13.11) in Gubeng Station, Surabaya, Java

3) Took a Grab (1.6km, 14,000Rp = Rm4.30) from the Gubeng Station, Surabaya > Life Hotel Sudirman for our hotel check in, room tariff (twin bed) 180,000Rp = Rm55. 

4) A late noodle lunch in Mie Pangsit Ahong, Surabaya after the hotel check-in. 

Mie Pangsit Ahong
22,000Rp (Rm6.80)

Day 15 - Saturday May 27 2023 (Final Night in Surabaya, Java)

1) An early morning walk from Life Hotel Sudirman, Surabaya to a downtown popular chicken porridge stall just for breakfast ! 

3) SMA Katolik St Louis 1 Church, Surabaya

3) Catholic Cathedral Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jalan Polisi Istimewa, No15, Keputran, Kec, Tegalsari, Surabaya, Java

4) My takeaway Ayam Spensix chicken porridge (rated highly by locals) on sale from a roadside stall in downtown Surabaya. 

Takeaway Chicken Porridge (16,000Rp=Rm4.90) 

4) Accompanying my travel buddy, Thomson (a coffee lover) to Pause Cafe, Surabaya so that he could to enjoy a hot Latte (30,000Rp = Rm9.25) & a spaghetti dish (42,000Rp = Rm13) as his early lunch. As for me, I had a simple lunch ie a piece of Classic Danish chocolate bread (16,000Rp = Rm4.90) bought from a nearby Indomart minimarket; yummy, tasty & super soft bread made of Dutch recipe together with a cup of local black tea eaten in the comfort of my hotel room ! 

Latte (30,000Rp=Rm9.25)

Spaghetti Garlic Butter
(42,000Rp=Rm11.30)

5) Life Hotel Sudirman check out & check-in Varna Culture Htel, Surabaya & took a town bus from Bagra bus station to the next bus stop nearest to Tunjungan (one stop) & a short walk to Varna Culture Hotel for our final night stay in Surabaya ! My travel buddy & myself had stayed in this hotel for 3 nights upon our first arrival (May 13 > 16) in Surabaya from Kuala Lumpur ! 

6) Surabaya Vaganza flora & cultural parade - Thanks god is a Saturday Fever afternoon (my final night stay in Surabaya) & what a lucky day for me & my travel buddy ! Both of us were in a joyful mood joining thousands & a "madding" crowd together with their family members, friends & relatives in front of our hotel along the Tunjungan Street to view a flora & cultural parade held annually to welcome the Surabaya City Anniversary ! 

7) Taman Prestasi, Surabaya - after watching the flora & cultural parade (17.00 > 17.45), both of us took an evening stroll to Taman Prestasi which is about 15 minutes walk from Varna Culture Hotel; when the surrounding area was lighted up with colorful neon lights, the place looked very scenic ! 

8) After the Taman Prestasi visit, both of us took a slow walk back to our hotel in Tunjungan Street & bought a takeaway pack of spaghetti Bolognese (Thompson's delight) & spaghetti with spicy shredded beef from a mobile kitchen set up by a premier hotel a few doors away from our hotel, catering for the evening crowd who were there to view the night session of the Surabaya flora & cultural parade

9) After enjoying our spaghetti in the comfort of our hotel room & a short rest, I ventured out again to view an evening session of the Surabaya flora & cultural parade & also walked to a night food market located near our hotel. What a starry starry night for me as I was able to catch a glimpse of Surabaya by night one more time !  

Day 16 - Sunday May 28 2023 (My Final Day in Surabaya, Java)

1) My brief morning walk to a nearby Indomart minimarket in Tunjungan Street (opposite our hotel) to buy some bread (I really enjoyed eating the bread as the texture was super fine, soft & tasty) as my light lunch to be eaten in the Juanda Airport waiting lounge prior to my return flight to Kuala Lumpur (14.25 > 18.15)

Arnon Classic Recipe Bread
160,000Rp (Rm8.50)

2) On our last day in Surabaya, I bought home 3 packets of Pahlawan cakes (Tiramusu, Pandan & Original flavour) from a popular Pahlawan cake shop located behind our hotel.  

Pandan & Original Kua Lapis (250gm)
17,000Rp (Rm5.25) per pack

Tiramisu Cake 500gm
33,000Rp (Rm10.20) 

3) Checkout (10.30) of my hotel in Surabaya & together with my travel buddy, both of us took a Grab (79,000Rp + Airport entrance 10,000Rp) to Juanda Airport T2 for our flight back to Kuala Lumpur 

4) Arriving in Juanda International Airport T2, Surabaya (28km, 45 minutes travelling time by Grab from the Surabaya city centre to the Airport Terminal 2), currently a new expressway is now being built hence a detour using an alternative road to arrive at the airport ! 

5) Luggage collection in KLIA Airport 2 after immigration clearance (18.45)

6) Boarding a Skybus (departing 19.15, Rm10, Senior) from KLIA 2 to KL Sentral for a connecting Rapid KL LRT train ride to SS15, Subang Jaya, Home sweet home (arriving 21.00) again after an exciting 16 days visit to Java, Indonesia !