East Java

Surakarta (Solo) generally receives far less
attention from foreign visitor than its neighbour Yogyakarta. This is curious from the point of view of Javanese as Surakarta is the older and more refined royal center, the arbiter of cultivated speech and
anstocratic elegance in traditional Java. It is an excellent place for the unhurried shopper who likes to explore out of the way places, in the hope of finding hidden treassure. To begin with there is a sizeable antique industry and many dealers collect and restore old
European, Javanese and Chinese furniture.

     
The starting point for any tressure is Pasar Triwindu. Surakarta is
also the home of Indonesia’s largest batik manufacturer. It is also the
place to see wayang orange dance performance or a wayang kulit
shadow play.

Surabaya the provincial capital of East
Java, was the largest and most important seaport in the archipelago.It still rank second after Jakarta Tanjung Priok, with more than 400 years of colourful history behind it. Surabaya is a hot, sprawling cityof almost 4 million. It is known as a city of heroes because of the momentous first battle of the revolution,
fought here in November 1945. Kali Mas canal, which lies at the
very heart of the 19th century commercial district, is where many
dilapidated Dutch warehouses and office building still stand.

Pulau Madura, neighbor to Surabaya, is
famous for its annual bull races. It is a strange sport, this kerapan sapi. According to the Madurese, racing bulls wasc used to be for plowing in the rice field. Today, they are specially bred for racing and is considerable source of regional pride.

Tretes is one of the best bases for temple-tripping is the delightful mountain resort, just 55 km south of Surabaya. The air is fresh, the nights are cold and mountain scenery is superb. Candi Jawi, just by the main road 7 km below Tretes is a slender Buddhist shrine was completed around 1300 dedicated to King Kertanegara, who died in 1292, of the Singhasari dynasty. It overlooks Gunung Penangungan to the north, a perfect cone surrounded on four sides by smaller peaks and regarded, because of its shape, as a replica of the holy mountain Mahameru.

Penangungan is littered with dozens of terraced sanctuaries, meditation grottoes and sacred pool about 80 sites. The most accessible and charming of these is Belahan, a bathing pool situated at Penangungan eastern foot. It is thought to be burial site of King Airlangga, who died in 1049.

East Java’s only sizeable temple complex is Candi Penataran. It the state temple of Majapahit, assembled over a period of some 250 years, between 1197 and 1454. It has no soaring pinnacle or massive stupa, but rather a series of shrines and pavilions arranged before a broad platform. It is assumed that the pavilions were originally roofed with wood and thatch, as was the body of the main temple, now partially reconstructed.

Mt Bromo is a squat volcanic cone inside the much larger Bromo Caldera. The views from the rim of this caldera and from the narrow lip of Mt Bromo itself are an other-worldly experience, especially if Mt Bromo is belching steam. The traditional visit to Mt Bromo has been a midnight climb to position oneslf on the volcanic lip at dawn. The pink light of the rising sun slowly illuminates the caldera, full of fog at that hour.