train ride to Batu

Left Yogya in early morning to catch the train to central java. Riding first class on comfy seats, the train was quite modern and the ride quite pleasant. Trolley came selling good instant coffee and sealed paper cups with ground coffee inside a miniature filter (never seen these before). The view through the ride wasnt spectacular, just a lot of distant volcanic scenery and rice fields. Arrived in Mojokerto, went to see the Majapahit museum, very small, with an open air display of a few interesting statues. next we visited the temple of candi bajang, just what's left over of a gate really, the paduraksa (gateway with towering roof). I had wanted to see an ancient candi bentar, the slip gate that marked the entrance to a temple or ancient building. quite unique as all ancient buildings or temples had enormous decorated split gates, and even some new buildings in java have these portals, 1 on each side of the entrance. In fact, all over Java, there's a candi bentar to mark the entrance to a region or district. Next, the candi tikus (tikus=rat), once a royal ritual bathing pool, now dry, that was taken over by rats, thus tikus. A long drive later, we arrived at the town of Batu, small but busy, with a beautiful white mosque with a javanese tower. Our hotel the Kampung Lumbung was very unique. The rooms, each unique in design and shape and all eco friendly, were scattered on a hill, connected by meandering small paths that gradually wound up and down the hill. The room doors had padlocks on the outside (quite impossible to lock and unlock) and a cross bar on the inside. Mine was at the bottom of the hill, with a tiny balcony that overlooked the infinity pool. The room had so many cracks on the walls and on the thatch roof, that even at night with the room lights off, the light from the outside could penetrate the room. Air was cooler up there. The night was quiet with only the toads croaks to break the silence. I quite liked this unique setting and really enjoyed my stay there.

Mojokerto photos:


Candi Bajang Ratu photos:


Candi Tikus photos:


Batu photos: