Post #154 24 October 2017

Gentlefolk,

This post describes our stay in Bandung, West Java, 28 August - 8 September 2017.

1 - 3 September we went to Sentul for a family reunion - that is the subject of a separate post.

Bandung is the capital of the Province of West Java, with a population of about 5 million. It is located about 180 km south-east of Jakarta; in a mountainous region, about 750 meters above sea level.

In 1971 after retiring as a government doctor in Klungkung, Bali, Vera's father (and her mother and siblings) moved to Bandung where he practiced as a GP. At that time Vera had started a job with Singapore Airlines in Jakarta.  We met in mid-1972, and the rest is history.

Vera's brothers, Frans and Andre, married local girls, became Moslems and still live in Bandung. Another brother, Albert, lives and works in Jakarta (he married a Batak Christian).  Vera had three sisters: Etha lives in Munster Germany; Lilia died; and Farida lives in Bandung.

We stayed with Vera's brother Andre and his wife Iis.  They have a daughter, Ita, and a son, Fauzan. Iis's mother died while we were there and she had to make a quick trip to Ciamis for the funeral.

Frans had an aneurysm in November 2003.  It took a while to get him to hospital, he was in a very bad way, close to death, somehow pulled through.  His left side was paralysed, and he has had to learn to speak and walk again. Remarkable resilience.  His wife Tience has nursed and looked after him, an angel.  Frans used to be a very smart and active guy, a real go-getter.  His condition, although improving slowly, is obviously a source of great frustration for him.

We'd forgotten how pleasant Bandung is: cool climate, hilly, with lots of big trees and many flowers.  Crowded, of course, but not too bad. Many hotels, and cafes.
. 

This map shows the towns and cities in West Java - gives an indication just how densely populated this island is. Crazy.

We caught the train from Gambir Station in Jakarta to Bandung. Three hour trip through some lovely countryside. 

The Jakarta - Bandung train line crosses a number of large ravines.  An engineering feat by the Dutch.  Bandung is about 750 m above sea level and surrounded by extinct volcanoes.

Rice paddies along the Jakarta to Bandung railway line. Nice.

The good old Savoy Homann Hotel on Jalan Afrika Asia has been a focal point in Bandung for many years.   

Another view of the Savoy Homann Hotel - built in 1921 Art-Deco style. President Sukarno hosted the first Non-Aligned Nations Conference (aka Asian - African Conference) in Bandung in 1955, attended by 29 leaders including Zhou En Lai, Nehru, Ho Chi Minh, and Nasser.  A museum commemorating the Conference is across the street from the Savoy Homann.

One of the restaurants in the renovated Savoy Homann Hotel.

This group of students (on a school excursion) was keen to chat and take photos with me.

I'm being killed by a street artist!

I walked around the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), a famous engineering university.

ITB students motor bike parking lot.

We had snack and coffee in the garden of the Morning Glory Cafe, near Andre's house. There are lots of cafes in Bandung but few (like this one) are well patronised.

Bandung has Bank ATM drive-thru.  I hadn't come across that before.

Cihampelas Street in Bandung is lined with shops selling jeans and t-shirts.  It is a very popular attraction for locals and tourists.  The government has now built a "sky walk" above the road which is full of stalls and cafes.

Another view of the  'Sky Walk' over Jalan Cihampelas - better at night with lights and crowds of people. Unfortunately we didn't get a chance to see it at night ... good to leave something for our next visit, right?

Andre and Iis invited the family for dinner.  From left: Tience, Frans, Ester (holding baby), Farida, Ita (holding baby), Masca,and Vera. Frans has made amazing progress - he can now feed himself (with his good right hand), seems to understand conversations and even responds sometimes.  

Masca and husband Arbi with two kids, heading home after dinner.  One often sees families on motor bikes in Indonesia - it is the most convenient way to get around. Masca said that they will be home in about 20 minutes, whereas by public transport the journey would take over an hour.

We had lunch with Raden Dunbar and his wife Iis. They have been in Bandung for a few years - Iis home town - bought an apartment in the Panghegar Hotel, but are talking about returning to Canberra.

One day Andre and Iis took us to Kawah Putih volcano and National Park.  It took us almost 3 hours to get there from Bandung (the return trip was quicker).

Iis and Vera inside the crater at Kawah Putih.

There are many tea plantations on the hills around Bandung. 

After visiting the volcano we had lunch at Glambing Resort, in the middle of a tea plantation. The restaurant is in the shape of a big ship.  A mist rolled in, so the photo is not very clear.

We had to cross a rope bridge from the parking lot to the ship-restaurant.

We sat outside for lunch. From left: Iis, Andre and Vera.  Andre wears a white cap which indicates that he has made the pilgrimage to Mecca.

These tent-cabins, scattered amongst teh tea bushes, are for rent if visitors want to stay overnight.

A little alley near Andre's house in Bandung.  The residents have painted the bricks in the wall.

One afternoon Andre showed us the new developments at the top of Dago.  Many impressive (huge) villas, with views back across Bandung. Serious money.  We had a snack and drink in a new restaurant called "D'Pakar" which occupies the very top of a ridge.  Amazing views of the surrounding mountains.

Andre took us to this little hole-in-the-wall restaurant, very popular with delicious and cheap food.

The Anata Restaurant & Hair Salon was not far Andre's house.  Caters mainly for students at the nearby university (where Fauzan is studying medicine), good range of food and inexpensive.

...

I had finished reading 3 books, which I bequeathed to Raden Dunbar. The books were:

"Antigua, Penny, Puce" written by Robert Graves in 1936.  Set in an upper-middle class family in England in the 1930s, the book is about relationships, in this case siblings.  A brother, Oliver Price, and his sister, Jane Palfrey, fight over a rare stamp.  Oliver is a bit of a plodder, while Jane is brilliant (and vindictive).

"Master of the game" by Sidney Sheldon, 1983.  The story revolves around Kate Blackwell who reflects on her life. Jamie McGregor comes out from Scotland to seek his fortune in the gold-and-diamond fields of South Africa. Jamie builds a huge business empire which Kate, his daughter, takes over.

"Tough guys don't dance" by Robert Mailer published in 1984. Describes the life of Tim Madden in Provincetown, CT. Alcohol, drugs, sex, and money are recurrent themes (I hadn't realised how common marijuana was in the US already in the 1980s).

Three very different books. I thought Graves was the best writer, fine English prose; some of the imagery by Mailer was powerful; while Sheldon is a very good story-teller.

...

Our time in Bandung was interrupted by a quick trip to Sentul (between Jakarta and Bogor) to attend a reunion of Vera's father's extended family.  That's the subject of my next post.

...

Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Alex & Vera Olah
Canberra, Australia
Tuesday 24 October 2017