Our first train journey in Indonesia.

20.10.11

This morning we had to tackle the buses to get to the train station. So we left at 6.30am to avoid rush hour, this was a good move! We potentially had 2 changes at progressively busier stations but at our first stop one of the conductors helped us out. He told us to wait to one side and he would tell us when a direct bus to Gambir came. He then let us get on the back of the bus after everyone had got off instead of with the crush of people at the front doors. This was good news as I would have struggles to get me and my backpack on safely. It was pretty rammed none-the-less and we were glad we only had a few stops.

At Gambir we had a wait of an hour an half which was fine as there was a plug socket so we could do some blog writing.

WE had booked ticket in Executive Class which we had debated on because it was so much more than Business Class. But we thought it would probably be worth the money if Martin was comfortable on a 8 hour journey. It was definitely worth it! We had plenty of space with reclining seats. There was aircon with a nice citrus scent pumped in every so often. There were TV screens playing Indonesian music videos with the odd Westlife/Alicia Keys/Foo Fights song chucked in, terrible slapstick comedy sketch shows and cheesy horror flicks. This was a bit odd considering there were several young children on the train. We had 2 waiters in the carriage who were constantly coming up and down the train with snacks and beverages for sale and we bought lunch off them. This was edible and served to us at the exact time they said it would be!

During the 8 hours we travelled about half the length of Java. We only travelled a few minutes at any one time without seeing some kind of settlement. For most of the journey it was overcast and the landscape was flat, mainly rice fields separated by trenches, some flooded, some bright green and some dry. Throughout the fields were dotted small shelters where workers could take shelter. Along the train tracks we saw many towns and villages, which generally seemed to be alot better off than some of the areas we past through in India. I don't remember seeing any apartment blocks apart from on leaving Jakarta, unlike India where the main well-off areas seem to be made up of apartment buildings. The roofs here were mainly pitched and a lot of the houses had beautiful teak doors and window-frames.

As we got further towards Jogja the sky became more overcast and there was a good few miles of torrential rain. The landscape became more mountainous and there were more trees. We arrived at Jogja about half an hour late at 5pm.

As we exited the train station we expected to get mobbed by taxi and rickshaw drivers. However to our suprise they were all stood patiently by their rickshaws smiling! We got in to a cycle rickshaw. The cycle rickshaws here are different to those in India. Instead of the bike pulling the rickshaw, here the bike is behind the rickshaw. We were cycled all the way through the middle of Jogja down the main road so we could get a good feel for the town. It is a young persons, being the educational capital of Java. The main street is full of stalls selling batik and is very lively. The hotel, Duta, we wanted to stay in is about 3 km away from the main street.

When we arrived there it was more expensive than we anticipated so Martin went for a hunt around the other hotels as there were loads nearby. The cheapest we could find was about £1 less than Duta and wasn't as nice. So we took the room at Duta, the first room on this trip without it's own bathroom. But the hotel itself is so worth it. The rooms are arranged around a small but beautiful pool, that has a 12 foot waterfall that trickles in to it. The whole hotel is beautiful with lots of communal space and each room has seating on a balcony. You also get free wifi and breakfast so I would recommend this place!

This evening we went to find the ViaVia restaurant up the road. This is a worldwide chain of restaurants that puts its profits back in to the local community. The food was amazing! Another recommendation!